The Tenth Year of the End of the World"

69-72

A pungent spicy aroma. Add some to the soup, and the spicy taste goes down the throat and into the stomach. It is so hot that it can make people temporarily forget about the cold, and relax the tightened organs of the whole person.
　　However, on the third day after we started using the brazier, the brazier broke. First, the wooden frame finally broke due to the heavy load. It was burned so badly that the edges of the wooden frame were charred, and it broke after just a few moves. Then there was the iron pot in the middle where the firewood was placed. Jiang Yang poked it a few times with a pair of fire tongs, and it suddenly leaked. There was a big hole in the bottom. It may have been burned through the bottom of the pot after being used for too long.
　　I don't have another fire pit, and while the wooden stand could be made myself, there is no substitute for this iron pot. After thinking for a while, I took the hoe and came back to start working in the main room.
　　"Ma, what do you want to do?" Jiang Yang dragged the iron pot with a broken bottom and asked around me.
　　"Dig a hole in the ground and light a fire right here." I said.
　　Anyway, since we don’t have a brazier, we might as well just dig a shallow hole in the ground to make a fire. There’s no need to dig too deep. Just dig a shallow hole. When it’s no longer needed next spring, we can cover it with a stone slab or fill it with soil. That’s it.
　　This is an old house, and the ground is not masonry and cement, but rammed earth. No matter how solid it is, it is still earth. I quickly dug a shallow hole. Qingshan wanted to help, but I refused. I was afraid of his strength, so he went down with the hoe and dug a deep hole.
　　I struggled for a while and dug a shallow pit. The area was larger than the brazier, and the firewood on the rack was the same for burning. I even thought it was better than the brazier. At least I didn't have to worry about burning the surrounding wooden shelves. . Also, because the shallow pit is flat and not sunken like an iron pot, you have to be careful when stacking the firewood. Do not pile all the firewood tightly. If it is piled tightly, it will not burn and it will easily smoke. Leave a gap in the middle so that the fire will be strong. Will be prosperous.
　　I got a new fire pit to light the fire, and I also got a new chair. The backrest chair in Qingshan was finally freed, and the first one was naturally given to me. I sat on it and tried to lean back. Then, I just felt like the world was spinning, and I fell backwards with the chair - I was caught halfway by Qingshan Lianren and the chair.
　　"Why does this chair fall backward easily?" Qingshan looked at the chair he made in confusion.
　　I said, "Because the backrest of your chair is too high and the stool surface is too small." After
　　I talked for a while, Qingshan suddenly understood and continued to work hard. He dragged a new piece of wood over and started making new wood next to the fire pit. Chair. This less successful chair still belongs to me. I didn't ask Qingshan to rework it. I only asked him to nail two wooden strips to the back of the chair to support the ground so that I wouldn't fall if I leaned back.
　　These two little fools had their faces written all over, "Can it still be like this? That's amazing!" "We
　　need to be more flexible and not too rigid. The methods are all thought up by people. The road will not be completely blocked. Sometimes we can turn around." It can be solved by bending, you know?" I hammered my waist and leaned back comfortably on the chair. Finally I can sit and squint for a while.
　　The wood chips cut down from the green mountains are just enough to be thrown into the fire as firewood. The fire was burning so brightly that it was a waste to burn firewood in vain, so I brought back a pot and an iron stand. An iron shelf was set up next to the fire. A kettle filled with water was placed on the iron shelf to boil water for drinking. If you sit on the fire for a long time, your mouth will become dry easily, so you need to drink more water.
　　Three large enamel cups are placed in a row. When the water boils, pour three full cups and drink them hot. Not only can you warm your body, but you can also warm your hands while holding them.
　　After drinking too much boiled water, I had no taste in my mouth. I remembered the dried red dates I had dried before, and took them out from the cupboard. I put a few dried red dates in each cup and soaked them in water to drink.
　　The dried red dates were soaked in hot water for a while and became round and plump again, with round red dates floating on the water. After soaking for a long time, there is a fragrant red date flavor in the hot water. Drink a few water and eat a swollen red date, which is very sweet.
　　Before going to bed at night, I simply burned the hot water I used to wash my face and feet next to the fire. On winter nights, hot water scalds your feet, which makes sleeping warmer and more comfortable. I not only soaked them myself, but also asked Jiang Yang and the others to soak their feet. They are not afraid of the cold because they have grown scales, but they are not immune to the cold. The two of them had no choice but to listen to my words and soak their feet in the basin together.
　　In summer, these two like to touch water, but in winter, they don’t like to touch water. I am also a little surprised.
　　"Because there is water in the scales." Jiang Yang answered my doubts. Not only did he put his feet in the basin, he also soaked half of his tail in the hot water. Seeing his tail moving around in the water, I stretched out my foot and stepped on the tip of his tail.
　　Jiang Yang laughed, deliberately playing tricks on me, wagging his tail for me to step on, "Ma, step on it again~"
　　He always likes to play this kind of little game, and I don't like playing it.
　　"Ma, step on it and see if you can still step on it!" Jiang Yang shook my knee.
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