Xiao Yucheng and Hao Jun were worried that there was not enough firewood at home, so they took axes and went up the mountain to chop firewood together. When I came back, I saw Xiao Yu picking out two piles of firewood and placing them outside the courtyard.

Hao Jun was puzzled: "Aren't all this firewood dry, why are you still taking it out to dry?" ”

"This pile is for smoking rabbit meat, and I'm going to use it for charcoal." Xiao Yu explained, "Otherwise, if you eat hot pot and burn the stove with firewood, I am afraid that it will be smoked to tears, so how can I eat it." ”

Charcoal can actually be bought, but Xiao Yu has seen his father dig a pit to burn charcoal, it is not very difficult, there is so much wood at home, you don't have to move it back from the outside to burn it yourself, and after learning it, this charcoal can be used for cooking and heating in winter without spending money, isn't it wonderful.

"You can also burn charcoal?" For Xiao Yu's endless skills, several people were a little numb.

Xiao Yu nodded and said, "I understand a little." Because my father was really an expert in life, I also learned a thing or two. But it's not early now, so I'd better wait for the next time Yucheng comes back and burn it again. ”

Hao Jun asked: "Isn't that still going to make a kiln?" ”

Xiao Yu shook his head: "If it's so troublesome, it's better to buy it." All I have to do is dig a pit and you'll know then. ”

For dinner, Xiao Pei made a roast rabbit meat, the skin was golden and crispy, the inside was tender and delicious, not greasy at all, and it was eaten by several people when it was served on the table.

After half a month, Xiao Yucheng and Hao Jun brought back the news that the lotus root had been found, and they also brought a few sections back for them to test. Xiao Yu asked Xiao Pei to cook it, and sure enough, the taste was excellent, so he asked Hao Jun to set this batch of lotus roots when he went back, and went to Lizheng to buy five acres of barren land for two taels of silver, and asked Uncle Zhou Qi to help hire people.

After a busy time, it was close to noon, Hao Jun mentioned the matter of burning charcoal, Xiao Yu asked him to dig a three-and-a-half-foot-deep soil pit with a diameter of three and a half people in the solid mud outside the courtyard, and burned the fire in the pit.

Xiao Yu patted the ash and mud on his hands and said, "Okay, you can dig it out again at night." ”

"It's as simple as that?"

Hao Jun's eyes widened as he looked at the gentle mound of earth that was steaming with a hint of heat and smoke. Xiao Yucheng and Xiao Pei watched from the sidelines, and they were also a little skeptical.

Xiao Yu said: "It is not difficult to choose dry firewood of good wood quality and suitable size, and the main thing when firing is to grasp the time of burning the fire and the tightness of the buried soil. If the firewood is burned for too long, or if the soil is loose and well ventilated, the charcoal will burn to ashes; If the fire is extinguished too early, or the compacted soil is too compact and impermeable, the charcoal burned out is still wood, which is not easy to ignite and the smoke is heavy; Only by grasping the fire and filling the soil is just right, can the firewood burned half of the fire continue to be charred in high temperature and a small amount of air, and the charcoal that comes out is not too resistant to smoke and not too big. ”

Now it is the end of the year, Uncle Zhou Qi easily hired ten hired workers, he was the supervisor, and in the afternoon he drained all the water in the barren field and started digging lotus ponds, and each person's daily salary was six Wen.

Uncle Zhou Qi's family and the Xiao family are now as good as a family, so naturally they don't need to be paid.

In the evening, Hao Jun and Xiao Yucheng couldn't wait to dig out the charcoal that was still hot. In this rough firing, it is inevitable that some of the charcoal surface has been burned to ashes, and some of the charcoal has not been completely burned into charcoal, but most of them have been successfully fired into good quality charcoal.

"Although it is not as good as coming out of the charcoal kiln outside, it is not a problem to use it yourself." Uncle Zhou Qi, who came to watch, picked up a piece and looked at it carefully, and praised it.

Xiao Yu smiled and said: "It will be more proficient if you fire it a few more times, and this winter must be exceptionally warm." ”

"Daddy, my family will also burn some charcoal." The tiger jumped on the side and clapped his hands.

Uncle Zhou Qi immediately straightened his face and said: "This is the craftsmanship of the Xiao family, how can you learn it casually?" How to teach you on weekdays! ”

Xiao Yu said with a smile: "It's okay, Uncle Seven can also learn to cook it himself when he goes home, it was originally burned for his own convenience, and he is not going to sell it for money." ”

Xiao Yucheng came up with an idea.

"No one in Niujiao Village opens a kiln to burn charcoal, but it is always inconvenient to have no charcoal at home in winter, and it costs money to buy outside after all, so Uncle Seven might as well talk to the village chief tomorrow, so that everyone in the village can learn this simple charcoal burning method, and the winter will be better."

Uncle Zhou Qi was stunned for a moment, and said with some excitement: "Can it really be like this?" The Xiao family can think so much about the people in the village and have morality in their hearts, which is a sign of prosperity. ”

The siblings looked at each other and smiled.

Hao Jun patted Xiao Yucheng on the shoulder and said with a hearty smile: "It is worthy of being my brother Hao!" ”

In the evening, Xiao Yucheng and Hao Jun went back to the city after dinner, and Uncle Zhou Qi went to find Li Zheng and the village chief after he succeeded in burning charcoal at home. The two of them were very relieved, and they set to demonstrate how to burn charcoal with this simple method at Zhou Qi's house the next day, so that every household in the village would send one person to watch and learn.

After this incident, the prestige accumulated by the three juniors of the Xiao family in the insecticide and disaster relief has increased even more.

In the blink of an eye, it was the winter solstice, Xiao Yucheng and Hao Jun had a rare holiday, so they specially bought half of the mutton that they usually eat less, and gathered back to Niujiao Village for the festival. When Xiao Yu saw it, he immediately thought of the hot pot he had been thinking about for a long time, and asked Xiao Pei to go to the field to choose vegetables, cut mutton rolls and prepare sauces, while he took the fish basket and went to the river to catch fish and come back to make fish fillets.

Xiao Pei's knife work is excellent, and the mutton rolls are very thin, but unfortunately the mutton has not been frozen, otherwise Xiao Yu believes that she will be able to cut it thinner.

In addition to lamb rolls, there are also fish fillets, chicken, fresh mushrooms, tofu, radish, and a variety of vegetables, and the soup base is a broth made from large bones with meat boiled for two hours.

It was raining in the evening.

The cold rain outside is freezing cold, the house is warm like spring, the fragrance is overflowing, several people have burned incense and candles to worship, and they are happily eating delicious food around the fireplace. Xiao Yu only felt that happiness was nothing more than this.

Approaching the end of the year, there are more thieves in the city, and the city guards are not as relaxed as before. Xiao Yucheng and Hao Jun only took a day off for more than half a month.

There are a lot of solar terms in winter, and soon it will be Laba, and the villagers attach great importance to this, but Xiao Yucheng didn't go home, Xiao Pei and Xiao Yu just kept everything simple and lived casually. Then on the twenty-third day of the lunar month, the stove was sent to the heavens, and then the house was swept away, and the tofu was cut and meat cakes were made, and everything for the New Year was prepared.

Originally thought that Xiao Yucheng might find it difficult to return home due to the busy New Year, but he rushed back when the two sisters exchanged peach charms on Chinese New Year's Eve.

Xiao Yu saw the snow group running over to greet him, Xiao Yucheng picked up the puppy and looked up and smiled slightly, and suddenly felt warm in his heart.

Xiao Yucheng could only come back for a three-day reunion, and Xiao Yu thought of the duties of the city guards and was very content. Xiao Pei couldn't help but feel a little sad, but when he heard that Hao Jun didn't go home, General Ling had already treated Xiao Yucheng preferentially, and sighed a few words, seeing that Xiao Yucheng's posture was becoming more and more upright, and his bearing was better than before, he was happy again.

The Xiao family's Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is still hot pot, Xiao Pei made it very rich, and in the end there was a lot left, Xiao Yu laughed and said that this is a good sign that there are more than every year. After dinner, they will keep the New Year together. The three of them talked around the fireplace, talked about last year's experience, and looked forward to the coming year, but they didn't feel the slightest sleep.

In the sound of firecrackers, the spring breeze sends warmth into Tusu, which is a new beginning.

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Lalala, happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone! Momoda (* ̄3)(ε ̄*)! Ask for recommendations! Collection! It's even better to have zongzi to reward! (づ￣3￣)づ