There are many types of mushrooms, so the growth time is also different. They don't have so much time to cultivate varieties that have a long growth cycle, such as shiitake mushrooms, which have a growth cycle of more than half a year. If it takes more than half a year, there will be no income at all. Those who make mushrooms will starve to death, so Guo Hui took them to cultivate straw mushrooms, a mushroom with a growth cycle of one to two months.
If the care is fine, the moisture and the humidity in the house are sufficient, the straw mushrooms can grow quickly, and they can be harvested in more than a month. Now the straw mushrooms in their mushroom room have sprouted, and they will grow again after sprouting. It will be much faster, and the harvest will be ready in about a week, which makes everyone happy, because the mushrooms will be able to be exchanged for rice grains then.
The Cai family had agreed before that this time it was Guo Hui who taught them how to grow the mushrooms, and the mushrooms they grew depended on how the families divided themselves, and it was a reward for them to take in such a big family. They get along well together. The Wu Zheng brothers are easy to get along with and don't care too much about it, but they can't make progress just because others are generous. They should be grateful.
It's just that the current food problem is obviously not so easy to solve. Regardless of how much food was lost in the earthquake, it is the reason for the climate in the past few years. If there is no grass in the sun, there will be no crops, and the national stockpile will not be able to support it.
They don't know what's going on in other provinces and cities because of the distance, but at least people have starved to death in the north, so it's really necessary to plan carefully for rice grains.
In the end, several families sat together for a meeting to discuss. It was agreed that the Cai family would not want any of this batch of straw mushrooms, and they would give them all as a rental fee, but now the situation has obviously changed, so it can't be done like this.
During this period of time, Song Jia, who had gained at least two catties under the feeding of Aunt Yin's cooking in different ways, said: "Special circumstances are treated specially. I think we all live in the same yard. If any family runs out of ammunition and food, It’s also impossible to really ignore death, I have an idea, let’s see if it works.”
Jian Chu: "Tell me, let's listen."
Song Jia: "After harvesting this batch of mushrooms, we will sell them without selling them for money. We will exchange them for grain, and the exchanged grain will be stored as public assets. The food is running out, this is life-saving food, otherwise the mushrooms will not be distributed this time, if we plant them again next time, then we will have to discuss carefully, who will be responsible for planting, who will supply the raw materials, and who will spend energy to sell in the end What is the proportion of the contribution of mushrooms, and when they are planted and sold, they will be divided according to the proportion, as much as it should be."
Mu Nan said: "You mean that this time the food will belong to everyone, but it will not be shared equally, so let's keep it as a guarantee first, right?"
Song Jia nodded: "Yes, public property, if anyone is going to starve to death, I will use this food to save lives first, but I don't want to really starve to death, I just plan for the worst."
Mu Nan snorted, looked at Qin Huai, saw that Qin Huai had no objection, and said, "We have no problem, we can do anything."
Jian Chu also thinks that this is okay. Although it is not too troublesome to distribute food, it will only bind their relationship in this small courtyard more tightly. strength.
The Cai family is fine, they didn't intend to take this batch of mushrooms, so it would be better if they had an extra escape route.
After Song Jia's proposal was unanimously approved, Qin Huai said: "Then the grain sold will be placed with us. I have a vacuum machine in my house, and when the time comes, we will pack and store it separately. The records will be made by Jian Chu. If there is any expenditure in the future, we will pass it. The public decides."
After discussing where to keep the food, we have to discuss how to sell it. It is best not to sell the mushrooms under their real names, or there will be a real food shortage in the future. No matter how careful the situation is, they can't be too careful. If the conditions do not allow it, they would like to dig a cellar to store food.
In the end, it was Xu Ming who asked Yu Feng to find a way to sell the mushrooms. Yu Feng had a lot of ways, and he knew a lot of people with various religions and wild ways.
The first small courtyard meeting ended in a harmonious atmosphere.
There is no need for Mu Nan and the others to participate in the rest of the matter. Uncle Guo and Cai Wenwen are responsible for harvesting mushrooms, and Yu Feng is responsible for selling mushrooms. When the mushrooms are sold and exchanged for grain, they just have to wait for the delivery, nothing to worry about. The light Mu Nan bounced up the stairs.
Qin Huai, who was walking behind him, said, "You are twenty-five this year."
Mu Nan leaned on the handrail of the stairs and turned around: "Huh?"
Qin Huai: "Don't walk like a three-year-old child, if you step on the empty space, you may fall with blood on your face."
Mu Nan gave him a big white eye for free. As soon as the two of them arrived upstairs, Qin Huai's phone rang. Mu Nan went to the bathroom to wash his hands, thinking about who would call Qin Huai. What a big deal, otherwise Shi Yuanfei wouldn't have come to them, but last time he gave Shi Yuanfei two Chinese cabbages, maybe Shi Yuanfei was counting the time to buy them.
The Chinese cabbage upstairs is indeed almost harvested, but it can be bigger if it grows longer. Fortunately, a well has been dug in the yard. Otherwise, no matter whether it is Chinese cabbage, watermelon or those alfalfa grasses, just buying water every day is not enough to irrigate. of.
Thinking of this, he came out of the bathroom shaking his wet hands. Seeing Qin Huai standing in the bedroom without moving, his brows were slightly frowned, he thought something had happened, so he quickly asked: "What's wrong? Who is looking for you? Who is wrong?" Yet?"
Qin Huai said: "Do you still remember the small yard we passed by when we went hunting in winter?"
It's only been a year, and Mu Nan certainly remembered: "Grandpa Tong, Grandma Tong? What's the matter, did they move here?"
Qin Huai shook his head: "A soldier contacted our neighborhood committee. The neighborhood committee called me and said that Grandpa Tong is looking for me. If possible, let me go."
Mu Nan was immediately confused, what does this mean, why are you looking for Qin Huai?
"Do you want to go then?"
Qin Huai asked Mu Nan to decide: "What do you think, do you want to go?"
Mu Nan thought for a while: "Why don't you go and have a look? I'll go with you!" If there's anything wrong with him, there are so many weapons in his space, so no matter how he can guarantee some safety, he just wonders what Grandpa Tong can do with them. .
Now that the decision was made, the two of them didn't delay. It's only nine o'clock. Grandpa Tong and his yard are on the side of Monkey Mountain, and they can finish their visits and visits before dawn.
Mu Nan sent a message to Jian Chu, saying that they had something to do when they went out, so they drove out after saying hello. After Jian Chu watched them leave, she came out of the house and closed the yard door.
Mu Nan guessed a lot of possibilities in the car, but all the possibilities eventually lead to two points. One point is that the two old people need help, but this possibility seems not very high, and they can contact the soldiers. For help, just tell the soldiers directly, and then transfer to them, they have no ability to reach the sky.
Another point is that the two of them may die, and this is to explain the funeral.
Mu Nan thinks this is the most likely possibility, although she wonders why she is looking for them who just stayed at their house for one night.
And they didn't leave any contact information at that time. At that time, it seemed that the base station was not repaired and there was no phone, but they did leave an address. I thought that they were helped by others. If the two elderly people want to live in the residential area, It will be more convenient to have more people to know, to move or to help with something during the weekdays.
Mu Nan: "After we came back, didn't we give the address of Grandpa Tong and Grandma Tong's small courtyard to the soldiers in Building No. 1? I think they must have gone to see it, but the old man didn't want to leave. Now maybe it's just like I guessed. In that case, it was time to explain the funeral, so I first contacted the soldier who left the communication, and the soldier found the neighborhood committee through the information provided by Grandpa Tong, and then contacted us, but why, because we stayed overnight?"
Qin Huai: "You'll know when you go, it's useless to guess now."
The whole road has been repaired, and there are even continuous street lights in the direction of Monkey Mountain. It is no longer a dark road, but Grandpa Tong’s yard is not at the foot of the main mountain of Monkey Mountain, so it is almost at the end of Monkey Mountain. The boundary must be found with the only memory of winter.
Mu Nan thought about the previous flood and locusts, and was a little curious: "Grandpa Tong and the others will not be in the small yard all the time, right? attack?"
Mu Nan's curious analysis all the way, has analyzed various conspiracy theories, Qin Huai finally found the light of the small courtyard in the darkness.
The yard was more damaged than the one they saw last time, and it was less covered by snow, revealing the original appearance of the house after being devastated by these disasters, but the soft lights in the house still carried a sense of tranquility It was warm and warm, probably heard the movement of vehicles outside, and the people in the room seemed to move slowly and opened the curtain.
Qin Huai and Mu Nan got out of the car, walked through a pile of collapsed brick walls and entered the yard. Grandpa Tong had already opened the door of the house. Laughing, just like the original hospitality and charity.
Mr. Tong was still holding a tobacco rod that had long been out of tobacco and squinted his eyes with a smile: "I knew you would definitely come over."
Mu Nan followed behind Qin Huai, thinking that what he saw would be an old man who was lying on the bed and could not move, but it seemed that the situation was fine: "Grandpa Tong."
Mr. Tong responded several times: "Come in, it's hot outside."
The inside of the house is actually not much cooler than the outside. The yard where you live alone has not been connected to the wire yet, but maybe there is a well behind the yard, and there are several basins of water in the house, so the temperature is slightly lower than outside. , Entering the house, the two saw a person lying on the kang bed before.
Qin Huai frowned slightly: "What happened to Grandma Tong?"
Mr. Tong smiled, and there was no sadness in his eyes. He said calmly, "I'm so confused. It's only been two days. I still wonder if you can come in time. It's okay."
Qin Huai said, "I'll take grandma to the hospital."
Mr. Tong waved his hand: "I don't need to contact you if I want to be sent to the hospital. In the past, there was no cure for this old and fatal disease. Now it's just a toss. It's enough to be able to walk in peace of mind in this house where I have lived for a lifetime. .”
Mu Nan grabbed Qin Huai's clothes and looked towards the bed. Grandma Tong was indeed on the verge of dying. She was breathing in too much and out of breath, and her nose felt a little sore: "Then, what can we do for you?"
Grandpa Tong was already a little unsteady when he walked. He groped for the drawer tremblingly, and found a photo that was obviously often looked at and rubbed: "My eldest grandson, Tong Cheng, you recognize your face. If there is fate in the future Can meet, tell him for me, we are fine, and there are more."
Mr. Tong said and waved to them: "Come here."
Mr. Tong took them to the entrance of the cellar, but Qin Huai didn't let Mr. Tong go down. The walk was unsteady and he climbed up and down. Mr. Tong didn't force him, he just smiled and sighed: "People, you can't accept the old man. , remember to take all the things in the cellar with you when the time comes, it’s a waste to leave it alone.”
As for other things, Mr. Tong didn't say anything. He didn't say that if he could really see his grandson in the future, if his grandson had a bad life, he would give him a bite to eat. He believed that even if he didn't say anything, these children would still do it. Hunt more passers-by, only they have come back.
Mu Nan still couldn't help asking curiously: "Grandpa Tong, didn't this place get flooded in the previous flood?"
Mr. Tong: "It's flooded. How could it not be flooded in such a large amount of water? It spoiled a lot of food. It's a pity. There's not much left in it. It's a waste to leave it alone. Take it away with you."
Leading them to recognize the way to the cellar, Mr. Tong called them back to the house and handed Mu Nan a wooden box: "If you can meet Tong Cheng in the future, please help me give this to him. For the daughter-in-law, if you can’t find it, let it go, it proves that the fate is over, and you don’t force it, if life is difficult in the future, you can sell it for some food.”
Mu Nan didn't dare to accept it, endured it again and again, and still couldn't help asking: "Why us?"
Entrusting this kind of thing to any soldier is more reliable than them, and looking at the young man in the photo, he seems to be a soldier too, so the soldier is obviously more suitable to find someone than them.
Mr. Tong still smiled, but when he lowered his eyes to wipe the cigarette rod, the corners of his eyes seemed to be red: "Because it's your words, maybe the child won't hate so much in his heart."
Mu Nan didn't quite understand what this meant, so she turned to look at Qin Huai. Qin Huai saw that Mr. Tong didn't intend to say more, so he didn't ask any more questions. He just promised Mr. Tong that if he could meet by chance in the future, he would definitely pass it on for him.
While they were talking, the drowsy Grandma Tong woke up and called the old man indistinctly. And gently combed her hair.
Grandma Tong's situation is a bit like a flashback, but she is not completely sober. She just recognizes her wife who cuts her hair. When asked if she is hungry or if she wants to eat, she says she wants to eat pea yellow.
Mr. Tong held his wife's hand in a funny way: "You, give me all the troubles. On the first date, you said you wanted to eat pea yellow. I found it in a Beijing cake shop after searching for half of Kang Yun. Now I Where can I find it? When I was young, I always tormented me, but this old bone still tosses me."
There is in Mu Nan's space, but he hesitated when he spoke, even though he knew that the other party was an old man whose life was about to end, but the instinct of self-protection made him still dare not expose the space casually.
With just a look on his face, Qin Huai knew what he was thinking, so he said: "I will do it, we happen to have soybeans in the car, let's do a little with the current conditions, but it may have to wait."
Mr. Tong didn't hold any hope that the old lady could finally eat pea yellow, so he let them toss. This old house is not powered on, and the fire is still made of firewood. It is not ordinary hot to cook with a fire at this temperature. Mu Nan is afraid that Qinhuai will be hot. If you have heat stroke, you will take turns with him.
Pea yellow is not difficult to make, that is, the soybeans must be soaked in advance, but they have not soaked the soybeans in advance, so they can only be boiled in boiling water continuously to make a puree.
After waiting for a long time, the sweet smell of soybeans gradually filled the room. Grandma Tong seemed to be confused again. She grabbed Mr. Tong's hand and asked if Chengcheng was back.
Mr. Tong helped Grandma Tong up and pointed to the two people in the kitchen: "Look, they are back and are cooking for you."
Grandma Tong's vision was so blurred that she couldn't tell who they were, but she could vaguely see two people over there. When she heard that Chengcheng had returned, she smiled and said with tears: "I'm back, it's good that I'm back, are you all back?" ?”
Mr. Tong whispered in her ear: "I'm back, I'm back, both of them came back together."
In the end, the pea yellow was successfully made, but there was no time to cool it with the refrigerator and take it out of the mold, but it was just right, Grandma Tong probably didn't have the strength to bite at the moment, so she just ate something soft and mushy, as long as it tasted that way That's fine.
Mr. Tong fed Grandma Tong little by little, and said to Qin Huai, "Go back, move all the things in the cellar back, come back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and I will trouble you to help us with the funeral. Just make another trip to the ashes and bury them in this yard."
Mu Nan turned to look at Qin Huai, Qin Huai didn't say anything, just hummed, while Mr. Tong smiled and wiped his wife's mouth.
There are not many things left in the cellar, only a few bags of rice and sealed dry goods, such as vermicelli, etc. Qin Huai moved them into the car and asked Mu Nan to wait in the car. He entered the house like two old people After saying goodbye, he came out soon. After getting into the car, Qin Huai was not in a hurry to drive. After sitting in the car for a while, Mu Nan wiped his tears with a tissue: "Will Grandpa Tong commit suicide?"
Qin Huai shook his head: "No."
Looking at the things in the back seat: "Then he let us take all the food away."
Qin Huai wiped his tears for him: "They just went to another better world together, so there's nothing to be sad about. Grandpa Tong is smiling all the time."
Mu Nan sniffed: "They haven't waited for their grandson to come back."
Qin Huai pushed the accelerator: "It may be a good thing if you can't wait, and there will be more possibilities if you can't wait."
Mu Nan didn't understand, just like what Grandpa Tong said, he didn't understand either. For the first time, he felt that his IQ seemed to be really anxious: "What does Grandpa Tong mean, why are we, we Is there any difference between handing over and handing over from others?"
Qin Huai said, "Maybe it's because we are a couple."
"so what?"
Qin Huai: "So don't think about it, are you hungry? Get something to eat yourself."
Leaving half of these words unexplained is really going to kill me, but I am hungry, but I don’t have the slightest appetite to eat. Thinking of those two old people, Mu Nan’s tear glands flooded again, especially at the end when Grandpa Tong fed him little by little. When Grandma Tong was eating pea yellow, the picture made people look very sad for some reason.
In order to divert Mu Nan's attention, Qin Huai said, "See what you can get out of the space."
Mu Nan: "???"
Qin Huai: "Isn't this just the right time to help the neighbors? Only we know what Grandpa Tong gave us. If you take this opportunity to add something to it, it can be regarded as a legitimate source."
As expected, Mu Nan's attention was diverted in an instant, and he leaned on the car seat to look back, and then took a few bags of rice from the space that were similar in texture to what Grandpa Tong gave them. There were also some dry goods, such as vacuum-packed seaweed and shiitake mushrooms , these can be stored for a long time, the vacuum packaging will only last longer.
They also took some soybeans and mung beans, as well as cornmeal. Originally, the cellar only occupied part of the back seat of the car, but it was almost full after being filled by Mu Nan.
"Enough is enough. We are really little angels. How lucky we are to be friends with us without leaving our names when we do good deeds."
Qin Huai smiled and speeded up his way home.
Mu Nan clicked on them in the small group, just to see if they were asleep. It took most of the night, and now it was almost dawn, and he usually fell asleep at this time anyway.
Unexpectedly, when he was Aite, Jian Chu and Song Jia responded immediately. They probably watched them go out all night. Although they didn't know what they were going to do, they were also worried that something was wrong, so he bubbled up in the group. Song Jia quickly asked: "What's your situation? Are you back?"
Mu Nan: "I'm going to Grandpa Tong's place. Grandma Tong is going to die, and Grandpa Tong doesn't plan to live alone. Let us help with the funeral."
Song Jia and Jian Chu immediately said, "???!!"
Mu Nan took a photo of the backseat of the car full of supplies: "Grandpa Tong gave it to you. When we get home, you will come over and share it together."
Although there are a lot of things suddenly added, this is not something to be happy about. Jian Chu has never had contact with the two old people of the Tong family, but from what Song Jia and Mu Nan said before, even if he has never met, he can still feel it. Yes, those are two very nice people.
Not long ago, when they were chatting, they mentioned that after the flood, the yard might not be able to live in. I don’t know if the two old people have come to the residential area to settle down. I didn’t expect how long it took, and the people couldn’t do it anymore.
Song Jia still remembered that Grandma Tong was in good shape and her eyes were good enough to help him mend clothes. How long has it been since then?
When they got to the yard, it was already dawn, but a layer of awnings had been installed at the door of their house, so it was okay to come and go, so as not to be exposed to the sun.
Yu Zibai got off work early, and when their car entered the garage, he came to help them unload the goods. Mu Nan said, "Share it equally, and share it with Xu Ming."
As for the Cai family, Mu Nan didn't mention it, and neither did the others. It was a cooperative relationship before, but now because they live close together, they come and go a little more, but the relationship is not that close, and it's not like them. , have helped each other for so long, and saved each other's lives. After all, the relationship is a little bit worse, so it is impossible to distribute the food so generously.