"What should we do with these?"
Leng Yuan asked, holding up a corn stalk.
Gu Jiaojiao picked up a corn stalk to demonstrate. The process was actually quite simple.
After watching for a few monts, Leng Yuan must have decided the task wasn’t very difficult, as he couldn’t help but make a suggestion.
"Why don’t I go find so people to help? We can give them so brown sugar when they’re done."
Gu Jiaojiao’s eyes lit up at his words.
’Why didn’t I think of that? This will speed things up.’
"Go find so people, then."
Leng Yuan nodded and headed out.
About ten minutes later, Leng Yuan returned.
Gu Jiaojiao was a little surprised. "That was fast."
Leng Yuan nodded. "I found Chen Jianshe. He’ll find the others."
Gu Jiaojiao was silent for a mont. ’The makings of a contractor!’
After a short wait, Chen Jianshe arrived with his younger sister, Chen Erniu, and his Uncle Chen’s son, Chen Sandan.
Gu Jiaojiao recognized Chen Sandan. He was the boy who had brought her fish the other day.
The mont he stepped through the door, Chen Jianshe was beaming.
"Brother Leng, I’ve brought everyone. What do you think?"
But while Chen Jianshe was visibly excited, Chen Erniu and Chen Sandan were incredibly shy.
Chen Sandan, in particular, was so timid that he didn’t dare let his eyes wander for even a second.
Aside from Chen Jianshe, Second Girl was fifteen but looked more like she was thirteen. Chen Sandan was a boy, yet he still looked small and scrawny, like he was only eleven or twelve.
Chen Sandan was Uncle Chen’s sixth and youngest child, and he was Chen Jianshe’s younger cousin.
The Chen Family was quite harmonious. Even though Chen Jianshe’s father and Uncle Chen had split their households, the brothers still supported each other, so their families lived well in the village.
This was why Chen Jianshe had brought his cousin along.
Because Leng Yuan said there would be brown sugar to share.
Naturally, Chen Jianshe wanted to keep such a good opportunity within the family.
But it helped that Chen Sandan was a hard worker.
Otherwise, he never would have brought him along, family or not.
He wouldn’t want to ss things up for his Brother Leng.
Leng Yuan nodded and repeated the terms.
"As we agreed, you’ll help process these corn stalks. When you leave, each of you will get a pound of brown sugar water."
At the ntion of brown sugar water, smiles broke out on all their faces.
Of course, they assud "brown sugar water" was just water with so brown sugar stirred into it.
In those days, a bowl of sweet brown sugar water was worth a full day’s labor.
Gu Jiaojiao picked up a corn stalk and showed everyone how to process them.
After Gu Jiaojiao demonstrated the process herself, Chen Jianshe and the others all understood.
It wasn’t difficult; on the contrary, it was quite simple.
They just had to strip the leaves off the corn stalks, chop the stalks into small pieces, and wash them clean.
Once Gu Jiaojiao saw that they had all learned the process and were handling it without any issues, she left.
Leng Yuan was in charge of fetching water, Chen Jianshe was in charge of stripping the stalks, Chen Sandan was in charge of chopping them into small sections, and Second Girl was in charge of washing.
Then, Leng Yuan would crush them.
Chen Jianshe was dying of curiosity but didn’t dare ask any questions.
’We just need to do our work well. No need to ask so many questions.’
Leng Yuan filtered the liquid, poured it into a large pot, and Gu Jiaojiao began the process of boiling it down into sugar.
An unknown amount of ti passed.
The sky had already grown dark, and their work was finally done. Just then, a sweet fragrance drifted out from the kitchen.
It slled absolutely wonderful.
The three of them inhaled the scent with expressions of pure longing.
Chen Jianshe, being an adult, was able to keep himself in check.
But Second Girl and Chen Sandan couldn’t control their watering mouths and kept swallowing hard.
Chen Jianshe looked on with curiosity.
"Brother Leng, what is your wife doing?"
Leng Yuan glanced at Chen Jianshe and answered plainly, "Making brown sugar."
"What?"
A man’s voice cracked as it shot up in pitch.
The shrill sound made Leng Yuan wince and frown.
Chen Jianshe finally realized how loud he’d been. He glanced back at Chen Erniu and Chen Sandan, who were looking over curiously, and imdiately said to them,
"You two are finished with your work. Go on ho now!"
"I’ll bring the brown sugar back for you later."
His voice trembled slightly as he spoke that last sentence.
’Brown sugar... That was *real* brown sugar!’
User Comments
0 comments from readers