Sisters in the Deep Forest Valley: Many Fun Things

They found two tree branches and stuck them into the soil on either side of the fire, and everything was ready.

Lin Lanshan began to "recite poetry":

"Under the waterfall, there's only water~ And in the water, there are only fish~ Two little sisters, today we're having a picnic with grilled fish!"

Yes, they're here for a picnic today! They're here to eat grilled fish!

Where do the fish come from? They're caught fresh from the stream, of course!

The stream was too cold to walk in barefoot in November. So Lin Chunyi made two bamboo forks to spear the fish!

Lin Chunyi spotted a fish, speared it hard, and splashed a large spray of water.

"Ahhh! Sis, you scared my fish away! I haven't even speared it yet!"

"Haha, don't blame me for this. Why are you standing so close to me? Besides, I haven't even gotten my fork yet. Hurry up, or we'll miss dinner."

Then, eyeing a fish about two hand spans long swimming towards him, he speared it again.

"Haha, I've already prepared my lunch. You can keep up the good work."

Lin Lanshan snorted and moved a little further away from her sister.

"If I can't spear the fish and can't eat it, I'll just stick to you and snatch it from your hand."

Lin Chunyi raised the bamboo fork with the fish on it, a smug smile on her face, and said:

"You're dreaming! Look at my fish, it's huge! I'm going to grill it now... hahaha."

Lin Lanshan ignored her sister and quietly waited for the fish that had just escaped to return.

One bamboo fork struck, and it was empty, leaving only a large splash of water...

I took a few more forks.

"I got a fish too, hahaha, grilled fish! Grilled fish!"

As he spoke, he took the fish off the bamboo fork, took out a bamboo knife, skillfully removed the gills, gutted and cleaned the fish, and took out the internal organs.

Next comes scaling the fish, making a few cuts on its body, and then cleaning it thoroughly.

It was rubbed with coarse salt inside and out, and the shredded ginger was also put inside.

After she finished, Lin Chunyi was already sitting by the fire washing another thin bamboo pole, about to thread the fish she was holding onto it.

Now skewer both fish, hang them on a tree branch to roast, and wait to eat.

The two sisters were quite ritualistic, taking an old cloth and laying it on the stone.

Then he took out the food box from the basket and placed two peaches, a pile of soft jujubes, a few pieces of wild boar jerky, and two bamboo cups of blueberry-flavored vitamin C effervescent tablets on the old cloth.

The two sat by the fire, chewing on dried meat and turning bamboo poles to grill fish. Soon, the air was filled with a delicious aroma.

"Sis, how much longer do we need to bake it? It smells so good!" Lin Lanshan took a deep breath through her nose.

Lin Chunyi made a cut on the fish with a knife; the fish meat was still pink.

"Not yet, the meat inside isn't cooked through. Grill it a little longer."

After what seemed like an eternity, the fish was finally done, its skin charred black.

The two sisters picked up the bamboo pole, removed both ends, and took out a rice bowl, placing it on the stone platform.

Using chopsticks, we placed the two crispy, caramelized fish into the bowl, and the grilled fish picnic officially began.

Lin Lanshan picked up a piece of fish with the skin on, blew on it, and ate it.

"It's delicious, even more fragrant than the one I baked at home last time. It's just a little lacking in chili powder."

“When the chili peppers in the yard ripen, we’ll dry them and make chili powder. We’ll plant more next year. The taste of dogwood isn’t as good as chili peppers; I don’t really like the taste,” Lin Chunyi replied.

The two ate, chatted, and enjoyed the scenery until they finished the grilled fish.

After we finished eating the fruit on the stone platform and were full, the sun was about to set.

That concludes today's picnic.

On the way home, Lin Chunyi said she would gather enough firewood for the winter before it snowed.

"Sister, does the book 'Tiangong Kaiwu' (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature) have a method for making charcoal? We can cut firewood and make charcoal."

Lin Chunyi looked at the sky and shook her head, saying:

"Making charcoal requires building a kiln. By the time we finish building the kiln, cut down trees, and make charcoal, it will take forever. Let's just gather more firewood this year to make do. We'll build the kiln and start making charcoal earlier next year."

"Alright, then let's start collecting more firewood to take home tomorrow."

In November, Youxian Mountain changes from green to yellowish-green, which is actually quite beautiful.

When the morning and evening glow falls on the withered leaves, the entire mountain turns orange-red under the light.

At this time, the trees, grasses, and wildflowers gradually withered, and many unknown wild fruits ripened and fell to the ground.

Lin Chunyi and her sister carried bows and arrows and two large baskets on their backs and arrived at the inner perimeter.

Lin Lanshan chattered away the whole way, she had so much to say.

"Sister, there should be ginseng and lingzhi in the mountains. We can dig up one plant and it's worth the price of several wild boars."

Lin Chunyi answered as she walked:

“Ginseng is dug up in August and September, and Ganoderma lucidum is picked in September and October. The time is long over.”

"Oh dear, why didn't we think of that sooner and go find these to dig up and sell for money?"

"Because we had just arrived, we were exhausted from practicing martial arts and doing manual labor every day. How could we think about reading books or digging for medicinal herbs to sell for money?"

"Okay, then we must not forget it next year."

The two picked up the fallen branches and filled their baskets before going home.

For the next few days, I kept running back and forth like this until the woodshed was full.

In mid-November, the tomatoes ripened. Each one was bigger than a fist and bright red.

The green bell peppers and chili peppers are also slowly ripening.

"Let's pick the tomatoes and peppers that have grown today."

After Lin Chunyi finished speaking, she picked two tomatoes, wiped them on her clothes, and handed one to her younger sister.

Naturally ripened tomatoes have reddish, delicate flesh and are rich in juice; they can be eaten as fruit.

After the two sisters finished eating the tomatoes in their hands, they picked the tomatoes, some green peppers, and red chili peppers and put them into the cellar.

"So many tomatoes..." Lin Chunyi left five tomatoes in the kitchen.

Turning to his younger sister who was eating tomatoes by the fire, he said:

"Bring me five beaten eggs. I'll make some scrambled eggs with tomatoes to eat with rice later."

Lin Lanshan was still munching on half a tomato when she received the instruction, so she finished it in a few bites and went to get the eggs.

Lin Chunyi washed all the tomatoes, peeled four of them, and cut them into small pieces. She cut the remaining one into large chunks.

Heat a pan, add two spoonfuls of lard and some salt, then scramble the eggs until they are about 60-70% cooked and set aside.

Add another spoonful of lard to the pot, sauté minced garlic until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, salt, and stir-fry until they release their juices.

Add the eggs and stir-fry together. Add a little salt, sugar, and soy sauce, then stir-fry a few more times.

Sprinkle some chopped green onions on top before serving, and your tomato and egg stir-fry is ready.

Lin Lanshan turned off the fire in the stove and brought over two bowls of rice.

Lin Chunyi then used a soup spoon to pour two spoonfuls of scrambled eggs with tomatoes onto the rice.

The rest can be scooped into a soup bowl, put into the space, and eaten for two more meals.

Bright red tomatoes and golden eggs, along with a rich broth, are mixed into rice and topped with a generous spoonful.

The flavors—fresh, salty, sour, and slightly sweet—mix together, and once you start eating, you can't stop...

The north wind swept away the fallen autumn leaves and brought with it fluttering snowflakes. Winter had arrived in a grand and imposing manner.