After eating, the kitchen was cooked, and it was already mid-hour (six o'clock in the modern afternoon), and it was already dark. No candles, no oil lamps. Li Ziyu wiped the hands and feet of the two Xiao Xiao and Xiao Wu with hot cloth towels in the dark, and let them get on the kang. Put pillows on the kang and let them lie down side by side, or cover them with the thin quilt. Xu was full, the fire on the kang burned a lot, the house was warm, and the three children soon fell asleep. Not to mention, there can be one pillow per person, but there are three pillows with patches. Two of the pillows were left by his father and mother, and the other was made by Li Ziyu later, without a pillow core, and the thatch was stuffed inside. Touching their cold feet, even after just wiping them with a hot cloth, there was not much temperature. In the winter, they are barefoot and have no socks to wear. Except for Xiao Wu's, cotton shoes need to be made new. Looking up at the leaky roof, and then at the window, alas, Li Ziyu sighed. This family needs money anywhere, but what can they do? It's really sad.

Today is the fourteenth day of the winter month, but fortunately there is a moon. Li Ziyu took the roe deer into the water and went to the courtyard, and took the empty wooden basin out again. She has to clean up before going to bed, and tomorrow she wants to go to the county seat to see if the roe deer meat can be sold for some money, there are too many places in the family that lack money.

Xiaoshan saw that there was not much water in the tank, so he beckoned Xiaowen to take a bucket and a flat pole to carry water to the small river at the bottom of the hillside.

Li Ziyu cleaned the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys of the roe deer with hot water and put them in another basin. There are still roe deer feces in my stomach and intestines, and I feel sick when I think about it. After struggling for a while, hunger prevailed. It is said that in ancient times, there were people who were very hungry and ate with easy seeds, and the Red Army's Long March gnawed grass roots and peeled tree bark, and drank horse urine. In modern times, pigs' intestines and stomachs are expensive. Compared with not having anything to eat, it seems that picking out roe deer is nothing. Li Ziyu mentally built up for a long time, and still carried the intestines of the roe deer to the vicinity of the toilet. I endured the nausea and shook off most of the roe deer feces, and washed them hastily with the water in the basin.

At this time, Xiaoshan and Xiaowen came to the front with a bucket of water, and Li Ziyu washed it and finally cleaned it before he breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiaoshan and Xiaowen carried the water a few more times, and did not stop until the tank was filled with water. When carrying the last bucket of water, go into the courtyard and turn around and tie the strip of cloth on the courtyard door.

Li Ziyu brought the roe deer back to the hall and put it on the pot. Now, she should put the roe deer in the water and put it in the north pot, add some more water, put some salt, and it will be simmering until tomorrow morning. Tomorrow she will go to the county seat, and the younger siblings at home will be able to eat. But there is only salt at home, and there is no seasoning, which is really tangled. If the roe deer water is full of seasonings, the taste of the stew will flow out just by thinking about it. Thinking about the possibility of being able to buy spices tomorrow, Li Ziyu shook his head, it didn't seem to be big. Alas, the big belly is the biggest in the world, so let's take care of the stomach first. What the seasoning, what the deliciousness, let's talk about it later. In addition to the intestines and stomach of the roe deer, Li Ziyu put the heart, liver, lungs, and waist of the roe deer into the north pot, scooped five scoops of water, put aside a handful of salt, and covered the pot. The smell of intestines and stomach organs is too strong, let's put it first, anyway, it's cold and let it go. Li Ziyu found a hemp rope, tied the intestines and stomach, tied a dead knot, and hung it on the nails on the north wall.

Xiaoshan and Xiaowen helped their sister clean the ground, fetched a basin of hot water, put the basin on the ground, squatted and washed their hands and faces, bent over and took turns putting their feet in the basin and washing their feet. Seeing that her sister finished cooking, Xiaoshan helped her sister get hot water, and Xiaowen helped her sister open the grass door curtain: "Sister go into the house and wash, the house is warm." "Yes, yes, sister, wash it on the kang." After washing, I didn't have to go down to the kang, so I poured water for my sister. "The hill should be with you. Li Ziyu glanced at them strangely: "What's the matter, let's talk about it." Xiaoshan smiled hesitantly, but did not squeak. Xiaowen touched his head shyly, glanced at his brother, and didn't speak. Li Ziyu thought that she was going to the county seat tomorrow, and smiled knowingly. He took the basin and squatted on the ground to wash his hands and face. Xiaoshan stabbed Xiaowen and hugged Xiaowen's shoulder: "Sister, let's go to the county seat tomorrow and let Xiaowen go with you, Xiaowen hasn't been there yet." "No, brother, it's better for you to go. You're bigger than me, and you can help my sister. When Xiaowen heard this, he hurriedly said. You just go, you forget, sister's current energy" "Then I won't go either." What can I do when I go, I don't have to make trouble for my sister. "If you want to go, you will go, what so much nonsense!" "Brother, me"

"Poof" Li Ziyu couldn't help laughing, and when she finished laughing, she felt sad in her heart. Yangcaogouzi Village is only seven or eight miles away from the county seat, but they have never been there even once. I remember Xiaoshan went to her once. That time, there was really nothing to eat at home. Li Ziyu took out the only thirty yuan at home and went to the city to buy sorghum noodles. It was raining that day, and Xiaoshan was not at ease, so he went with him. Thirty yuan bought five catties of sorghum noodles, wrapped them in oiled paper, and Li Ziyu carried them in his arms. The two sisters went home with hats, dressed in robes, one foot deep and one foot shallow and covered in mud. It's really a hurry to come and go, I'm afraid Xiaoshan's impression of the county seat is full of wind and rain.

"Okay, okay, don't fight, you will take turns in the future, and Xiaowen will go tomorrow." Li Ziyu made the final decision.

"Really? Wow, that's great. The brothers lowered their voices and cheered.

Li Ziyu shook his head, how mature a child he is, he is still a child, and he has the nature of a child. Li Ziyu brought the hot water basin for washing her face to the kang and helped the kang to wash her feet. I went outside the house and poured water for washing my feet, went back to the house and plugged in the door, and found a thick stick from the firewood to plug the door, so that it was much safer. For some reason, Li Ziyu felt a little uneasy and a little panicked, but it was okay to think about it. She walked around the hall, groping the cutting board in the dark, which was upside down on the water tank, and was safely fine. I touched the lids of the two pots again, and the ghost accidentally touched two heavy pieces of wood and put them on the lids. He also moved the bamboo basket containing the roe deer meat into the east house. When I returned to the East House and plugged in the door of the East House, I was relieved. As soon as he turned around, Xiaoshan and Xiaowen were already asleep next to the kang, leaving them in the middle. Li Ziyu climbed onto the kang and lay down, tightened the padded jacket on her body, and closed her eyes. I'm so tired today, my body that has just recovered from illness is not strong, and she is now tired from the inside out. The kang under her was hot, and she quickly fell asleep. In her sleep, Li Ziyu felt that her face was cold, wiped it with her hand, turned over sleepily, and muttered in her mouth, "Why is it cold, it's snowing?" "Huh? Snow? Li Ziyu woke up immediately. When she opened her eyes, the dark room was silent, and the sweet breathing of her younger siblings was heard in her ears. Small snowflakes kept falling from the cracks in the straw on the roof, and fell on their bodies and faces, but they still slept soundly, and no one woke up. What does this mean, that this kind of thing happens a lot, and they are used to it. Thanks to the snow, what if it rains? What if it snows for a few days? What if the snow crushes the house? Li Ziyu opened her eyes, and tears couldn't help but flow. What a life these children are having! She can't eat enough and don't have enough clothes, and she has to live in a house that will collapse at any time, she is really distressed. I couldn't help but curse God, it doesn't snow in the morning, it doesn't snow in the evening, why did it snow on the first day she walked through? If there is still a moon before going to bed, and the sky is clear, can't you be a few days late? It seems that this house must be repaired urgently, and I don't know how much this roe deer meat sells for, whether it is enough to repair the house. The door still has to be replaced, you have to buy new window paper, buy new quilts, buy food, and have to build a kang table Li Ziyu was thinking groggily, when she suddenly heard a "bang" outside the house, and then "crackled" a few loud sounds, Li Ziyu sat up in horror. Outside, the wind and snow were howling, and the door was crackling. The children in the house all woke up, and a few of the little ones were crying in fright.

"Sister, sister, I'm afraid."

"Wow sister, where are you, sister, wow"

"Sister, I can't see, I'm afraid."

Li Ziyu hurriedly climbed to the kang head in the dark, took the two small ones into his arms, and beckoned Xiao Wu: "Xiao Wu, come here, come to my sister!" Xiao Wu followed the voice and climbed into Li Ziyu's arms, choking in his mouth: "Sister, sister" Li Ziyu took the three children into her arms with the thin quilt, and kept saying: "Don't be afraid, sister is here, don't be afraid, sister is here"

Xiaoshan and Xiaowen were also frightened, and they climbed to Li Ziyu's side from the kang tip, feeling uneasy. "Sister, what should I do?" Xiao Shan pretended to be calm, but there was a panicked trilling in his voice. Xiaowen said with a crying voice: "Sister, I'm afraid, I'm really afraid!" Woo" Xiaowen's cry drove other children, including Xiaoshan, to cry. Li Ziyu's tears flowed silently, at this moment, she thought about the difficulties of this family, the difficulties of this group of children, and her heart was unbearable. But she has no time to grieve, no qualification. She is the heaven of this family, and she has her younger siblings to protect her. It calmed down for a while, and waited for the younger siblings to cry quietly. Li Ziyu said quietly: "Don't cry, don't be afraid!" If my sister is here, even if the house collapses, my sister can build it! Tomorrow my sister will go to sell roe deer meat, this season, wild meat is very rare, and it will definitely be sold for a price. Don't worry, when I come back from the city, I will go to the village chief" In this snowy night, the wind and snow howled outside the door, but the house was peaceful. I don't know when, the three little ones fell asleep quietly in Li Ziyu's arms. Xiaoshan and Xiaowen also snored next to Li Ziyu. Li Ziyu dragged a small piece of quilt, covered Xiaoshan and Xiaowen in the dark, and pulled it up again, covering the upper and lower half of the body, and Li Ziyu also closed her eyes.

Li Ziyu is very glad that at least the kang is hot, at least the east house has not collapsed, and there is still their square inch. Fortunately, she had a hunch last night. She had packed up all the most important things in the house, even if it continued to snow tomorrow, and her siblings would not go hungry and would have something to eat. That's enough, and nothing else can be taken care of. There must be a road before the car reaches the mountain, so let's walk and see.

Li Ziyu really fell asleep thinking about it.