The tables and chairs in the cabin were all moved out to dry, the damp and moldy bedding was carried off the boat and ready to be taken home to be washed and dried, the rice jars and noodles in the bottom warehouse were empty, and the water tanks were also empty, all of which had to be filled and filled.

Haizhu was busy for most of the day, and in the evening, she called Qi Laosan to pick up a load of water for her to pour into the water tank, and the food and water were ready.

"Mi—back." Haizhu shouted, and she followed Qi Laosan and asked, "Third uncle, do you want to go to sea with me to pick bird's nests?" ”

Qi Laosan turned his head to look at the deep sea, shook his head and said, "I can't leave home, your second uncle can't leave me." ”

The two cats swished past the person and ran over, Haizhu saw that the cat didn't talk anymore, and when she got home, she brought it up again.

"Third child, you go with Haizhu, I don't need you during the day, I can do it myself if I have a urinal." Second Uncle Qi spoke, "You go to the deep sea, it's not as scary as you think." ”

Qi Laosan was seen through his thoughts, his face turned red, and he said, "That's okay, I'll go out with Haizhu." ”

Chapter 137: Set off to pick bird's nest

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, early in the morning, the grain shop on the street opened its door, Haizhu took Dongzhu and followed the neighbors to buy glutinous rice noodles.

"I've bought fried peanuts, cooked sesame seeds are also available at home, and sugar is also available." Dongzhu leaned in front of the stall and muttered, "Sister, the flower sauce sold by this sister-in-law is of a good color, let's buy two spoonfuls and go back to wrap the rice balls?" ”

"If you want to eat it, you can buy it." A pot is sweet and easy to get tired, Haizhu carried a bamboo basket to the pork shop to cut two catties of fat and thin meat, and came out to see someone selling pickled leek flowers, she tasted a little, and bought five cents.

The sisters bought their things and went home, after the Lantern Festival, the men were going to go out to sea to fish, today was like the last carnival, the streets were crowded, the shops were full of people, and there were queues outside.

Passing by a stall selling rice cakes, my sister-in-law sat idly and watched the people coming and going, and when she saw Dongzhu passing by, she asked, "Didn't you set up a stall today?" Fortunately, you didn't come to set up a stall, and the cakes, steamed buns, rice cakes and the like are not selling well today, so you went to eat glutinous rice balls. ”

"My sister won't let us come, she let us rest for a day." Dongzhu held Haizhu's hand, her face was very proud, and when she walked out of the street, she smiled and said, "Sister, you still have a vision." ”

"It's not as sweet as your mouth." Haizhu laughed.

"The eldest sister and the second sister are back—" Chaoping ran out of the alley to greet him.

"It's like having a puppy." Dongzhu snickered.

Haizhu slapped her with her backhand and scolded: "Nonsense." ”

Dongzhu stuck out her tongue, and when Chaoping ran over, she reached out and hugged him, "What about your brother?" ”

"Peeling peanuts."

The fried peanuts bought back had to be peeled, peeled and mashed, Grandma Qi, Second Uncle Qi, Qi Laosan, and Fengping, these five people were busy peeling the shells around the table, and they were busy eating in their mouths, and they were not hungry if they didn't eat breakfast.

Haizhu rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands and went into the kitchen to knead the dough, glutinous rice noodles and white noodles were divided into two pots, and when the sound of pounding peanuts sounded outside, she took the basin out and put it on the table, she took the meat and cutting board out to chop, and the wind in the yard was cooler.

"Still making dumplings?" Second Uncle Qi asked.

"Well, the glutinous rice balls are sweet, and I am tired of eating too much." The movements of Haizhu's hands are non-stop, she is already proficient in chopping meat, she raises her head and doesn't look at the knife, and the knife will not scratch her hand.

"Third aunt, when the dumplings and dumplings are wrapped, you bring a curtain to your mother and send them back, the old lady lives alone, she will definitely not bother to make the dumplings." Haizhu said.

Bei Niang glanced at her mother-in-law and nodded with a smile.

"Also, your belly has been six months, and it is not a few months before you are born, you move more, eat less at each meal, and when you are hungry, you can take money to buy food on the street, eat four or five meals a day, and eat half a bowl at a time, so as not to eat too much and the child will grow up, and the child will be big, and you will suffer when you give birth to a baby, and if you can't give birth, you will die."

"And this exquisite? You went to Kyoto and asked the Imperial Doctor? Grandma Qi glanced at the second child.

In the name of the imperial doctor, he could convince his family, Haizhu nodded happily and continued: "The noble ladies in Kyoto are like this, eat small and eat often, and the more hungry they are, the more they can't eat and drink. ”

"Listen to Haizhu, Bei Niang, you will eat less every meal from today onwards." Grandma Qi confessed.

Bei Niang touched her stomach and nodded obediently, she finally had a good life, but she didn't want to die in bed to give birth to a child.

Second Uncle Qi sighed silently, he glanced at Chaoping, and when he saw that he was stunned, he called him, "Chaoping, come and take the cats away, look at them and don't let them steal their mouths." ”

Chaoping's thoughts were interrupted, and he trotted over and dragged the cats away, and dragged them out the door where he took a comb to brush them.

"Haizhu, come and see, are the peanuts pounded like this?" Qi Laosan shouted.

Haizhu walked over to take a look, nodded and said, "Okay, mix the sugar in, and then mash the cooked sesame seeds and mix them with sugar." ”

"I'll knead the noodles, and you guys are ready to wash your hands and start making dumplings." Grandma Qi said.

Haizhu poured the pickled leek flowers on the diced meat, took a knife and continued to chop, the diced meat turned into minced meat, mixed with crushed leeks, which can remove the smell and increase the saltiness. She added another spoonful of soy sauce and stirred it well, took a dough sheet and wrapped a dumpling and handed it to Chaoping, so that he could cook it over the fire and taste salty.

Haizhu scooped water and washed his hands and said, "Make dumplings first." ”

There are three kinds of fillings for glutinous rice balls, peanuts, sesame seeds and flower sauce, Dongzhu likes new tricks, she mixes the three kinds of stuffing together and wraps several, which is known as who eats who is lucky.

Qi Laosan reached out and pinched a few marks on the glutinous rice balls in her bag, "Look at them, let her eat them by herself." ”

"Eat it yourself, eat it yourself." Dongzhu pursed her lips, and in a blink of an eye she saw Chaoping eating roasted dumplings, she asked out loud: "Is it light?" Is it tasty? ”

Chaoping understood as soon as he heard this, and obediently held half a dumpling and fed it to her.

"Well, the saltiness is just right, sister, you haven't been bad at seasoning, Chaoping's craftsmanship is good, it's almost catching up with Fengping, the dough is not burned, and the filling is cooked." Dongzhu crackled and boasted.

Chaoping was praised, he jumped twice happily, and when it was time to start making dumplings, he stared at the dumplings on the curtain and tiptoed to take two, and laboriously went into the kitchen to continue to burn the fire and roast the dumplings.

"Second sister, open your mouth." Finally baked one, he held it and sent it out.

"It's delicious." Dongzhu raised her head and looked around, and when Chaoping entered the kitchen, she said proudly: "Look, in Chaoping's heart, I am the most important." ”

"Yes, yes, you are our family's little bully." Haizhu smiled so hard that her cheeks were sour.

Grandma Qi glanced at the kitchen, she went in and added three scoops of water to the pot, and said to Chaoping: "You bake slowly, we are all waiting to eat the dumplings you baked, one per person." ”

Chaoping knelt in front of the stove and held the tongs and stared at the dumplings on the tongs seriously, not daring to be distracted at all.

When the seven people who made dumplings and dumplings ate the dumplings he baked, the water in the pot boiled, and Haizhu first took a curtain dumpling and a curtain rice ball to cook.

"Chaoping, the second sister will wash your face." Dongzhu took a scoop and scooped water, "Hey, why is your hair curly?" It's weird and good-looking. ”

Outside the wall, Pingsheng heard the sound of talking in the courtyard and was reluctant to leave, he said in a low voice: "My second sister doesn't like me, she prefers Chaoping." ”

Qin Jingniang was suffocated in her heart, her worry really came, she squatted down and looked at Pingsheng's eyes, and pretended to be normal and said: "Your second sister lives with Chaoping, there must be a better relationship, just like you live with me, I will cook, wash, wash your hair and bathe you, and our relationship will be better." ”

Pingsheng was affected by her attitude, and felt that the grievances in his heart were wrong, he thought about it and said, "Mother, you give me another brother, and I will live with him every day." ”

"You'd better come over and play more." Qin Jingniang slapped him, "Silly boy, go, go in." ”

Pingsheng quietly walked to the door, and shouted when he looked up: "Wow - I'm here!" ”

"The mouth is skillful, just in time, come and eat the rice balls." Grandma Qi stood up, "After eating the rice balls, wrap them with us, and stay here at noon to continue eating." ”

Haizhu put down the dishes and chopsticks and went into the kitchen to serve the meal, the door was dark, she turned her head to look over, and asked, "My Uncle Yu hasn't come back yet?" Is there something wrong with the family? Or did you two quarrel? Why didn't you go back with him during the Chinese New Year? ”

Qin Jingniang sometimes has an illusion that Haizhu treats her like a daughter to her mother, and if she comes casually, she is more like two best friends who have had a good time since childhood.

"His mother doesn't like me very much, and the sisters-in-law and aunts at home are also difficult, so I didn't bother with these people, so I didn't go back to my hometown with him. His mother was sick last year, and I don't know if I'm seriously ill again this year. Qin Jingniang took the bowl and put it down, "I've eaten it, so I'm sending your brother over." ”

Haizhu scooped a spoonful, and there were only a few rice balls left in the bowl, and she handed it over and said, "Taste a few less." Are you going to go back and see? ”

Qin Jingniang hesitated, she held the soup balls and didn't move for a while, and after a while, she said, "Forget it, it's not good if I don't go back." ”

"Aren't you afraid that my Uncle Yu will come back and quarrel with you?" Haizhu teased.

Qin Jingniang ignored her, she was not used to talking to her daughter about this.

It took half a morning to make dumplings and glutinous rice balls, three meals a day are to eat this, and at night to go to the Mazu Temple to see the lights, Haizhu directly brought dumplings and glutinous rice balls, drove a boat to take the family along the river to catch up with the temple fair, and dinner was to cook dumplings and glutinous rice balls on the boat to eat.

……

Early the next morning, Haizhu went to the blacksmith shop to get the two pairs of iron spike insoles she ordered, and took Qi Laosan to buy rice cakes and go to the dock. When the tide receded, she set sail in the crowded fishing boats, and when she left the bay, the boats scattered in all directions, and she went to the island to pick up the old turtle, judged the direction and went straight to the deep sea.

The boat drifted farther and farther, looking back at the water, the coast was no longer visible, Qi Laosan looked up at the sky, and now he could only distinguish the direction by the sun.

"That's Yandao." Haizhu pointed to the remote island and said, "The bird's nest is in a cave, we have to climb up, and later tie this insoles with iron nails to the soles of the shoes, which can be non-slip." ”

Qi Laosan swallowed his saliva, he was cowardly, but he was embarrassed to tell Haizhu, so he had to ask: "You won't fall down, right?" ”

"There is water under the cave, and if you fall down, you will get up again." Haizhu patted him on the shoulder and said, "Be careful, it's okay, the stone is not smooth, it's still quite easy to climb." ”

Closer, Qi Laosan saw the rock wall in the cave, this isolated island emerged straight out of the sea, but the interior was empty, and the rocks were piled up, winding to the top of the cliff.

Haizhu collected the sails and rowed into the cave, she said to Qi Laosan: "You are strong, your hands are long and your legs are long, it is easier to climb, you followed me at the beginning, I accompanied you, don't be afraid." ”

Qi Laosan blushed, he waved his hand and said, "It's okay, it's okay, I'm not afraid." ”

"Actually, I was a little scared, so I called Third Uncle to accompany me." Haizhu shouted, and an echo sounded in the cave, followed by the sound of wings flying, and she rubbed her arms and said, "I feel a little chill in my heart when I am alone in this, and no one speaks." ”

Qi Laosan straightened his back instantly, he has been relying on Haizhu, and now he can be relied on by her, the sense of responsibility on his shoulders is stronger than gold and silver, he looked up and looked around, followed by a shout, and said: "There's nothing to be afraid of, I will accompany you when you come over in the future." ”

Chapter 138: Killer Whale Gives a Gift of Thanks

The cave was damp, dark and dark, and it was pitch black where the light did not come in. Haizhu took out the lantern from the cabin, filled the oil pot with whale oil, and lit it with a fire fold, she took out the rope and tied the wooden handle to her shoulder, and one side was obliquely out, and the halo bloomed on her right hand, and she didn't have to worry about her eyes when she looked up and looked down.

Qi Laosan learned her movements to tie a lantern to herself, walked to the bow of the boat and tied the iron spike insole, he saw Haizhu handing over an oiled paper bag, and couldn't help asking, "What is this?" ”

"Rice noodles, if your hands are sweaty and slippery, grab a handful and rub your hands." Haizhu finally handed him the basket and said, "Let's go, I'm in front, you follow me, and I'm familiar with the trend in the cave." ”

"What about the turtles on the boat? Aren't you afraid it will run away? ”

"It's not going far, it's coming back. Rest assured, it's more worried that we've forgotten about it. ”

Haizhu rubbed his hands, took a breath, climbed the protruding rock, the iron nails on his feet stuck in the cracks of the stones, and kicked up, dexterous as a monkey.

Qi Laosan was two steps behind, he followed the footsteps of Haizhu and climbed up, the rock wall was moist with moss, and there were water droplets dripping in the shade, and the fingers that were picking at the rock wall had to be very hard, and the feet had to be steady.

At a corner, the light from the gap in the cliff top sprinkled on a potholed stone, Haizhu stepped on the stone and sat on it, saying, "Third Uncle sit here and rest for a while, is he tired?" ”

"It's okay, it's not too tired." Qi Laosan pinched a handful of rice noodles that were not very finely and rubbed his palms and fingertips, he glanced down, the water surface directly below was blue and black, and he could only hear the sound of water, and he couldn't distinguish the direction of the sound of water.

"If you climb up a foot higher, you can see the bird's nest, be careful when picking bird's nests, and I'd rather slow down than take risks. White and pale yellow are of the best quality, and those with black and gray hair are old nests, don't touch them like this, they can't be sold at a high price, and they are picked and ruined. Haizhu instructed a little.

Qi Laosan looked up, the light above was dim, and he couldn't see anything clearly from a distance, he looked down again, and had doubts about what Haizhu said about "fear".

After enough rest, Haizhu pinched a pinch of rice noodles and rubbed his hands, the rice noodles were not ground very broken, the graininess was obvious, the fingers were hard when climbing, and the slightest pain brought by the fine rice flour particles pressed on the fingertips could cheer people up.

Climbing into a passage and winding upwards, the light fades abruptly, leaving only the glow of the lantern illuminating the place beneath the moment. Qi Laosan saw the guano falling on the stone wall, he glanced up and knew that it was almost there.

The nails made a cold and hard tinkling sound against the stones, the halo climbed higher and higher, the swiftlets in the nest were frightened, and the sound of flapping wings and birds sounded above the stone walls.

Haizhu continued to climb up, and the swiftlet flew diagonally past her, her wings flapping on the lantern, and the lantern hit the stone wall, and she turned sideways, and the halo cast on the red and black stone wall trembled violently.

"It's so hard for you to make money." Qi Laosan said quietly, "I'll come with you in the future." ”

"It's not difficult to make money, make a small amount of money and work hard, and make a lot of money and take risks." Haizhu continued to climb up, a pale yellow bird's nest appeared in the cliff crack on the right, she changed direction and crawled over, leaned against the stone wall, stood firmly on both feet and pulled out the shell stuck on the bamboo basket with one hand, the thinned shell was drawn against the stone surface, and a bird's nest in the shape of a flat boat was taken off.

"Third uncle, let's look in two directions."