My 1995 Small Farm

   Chapter 207 Snow in Laba

In the twelfth lunar month, it was cold during the day, colder at night, and the northwest wind blew all night, making the temperature in the house even lower. In view of this, Chen Ling moved the stove into the house early, and the quilt was also thickly covered, so that Wang Susu would not be at night. Frozen cold.

But in the middle of the night on the seventh day, after the stove went out, Wang Susu still felt cold, opened her eyes in a daze, and remembered to take the thick quilt again, but she saw the window was bright, and the light came through the window paper , so that the bedroom is no longer dark and dark, and it looks slightly brighter.

   After being a little stunned, he immediately reacted, knowing that it must be snowing outside.

   hurriedly pushed the sleeping husband beside him and woke him up.

   "Huh? Is it snowing?"

When Chen Ling heard this, he sat up in a hurry, and then without clothes on, he rolled over and got out of bed, walked to the window and opened it to look, only to feel a biting cold wind blowing in, and the outside was already full of eyes. All white.

   "Hey, what a big snow."

  Chen Ling passively took two sips of cold wind and shivered uncontrollably, but his face was full of surprise.

   Just as he was about to pull his daughter-in-law over to watch the snow, she saw Wang Susu retracted into the bed at this moment, covering her neck tightly without leaving a gap.

   patted his forehead, secretly blaming himself for being careless.

  My daughter-in-law has a body, so what are you doing here and opening the window, what should I do if it freezes?

   hurriedly closed the window, took out a quilt from the cabinet, and covered Wang Susu.

   "It's snowing heavily. I'll go to the yard to see our chickens and ducks. Don't be frozen."

   "Well, turn on the light to see."

  Chen Ling turned on the lights inside and outside the house, got dressed, put on a coat, pushed the door and walked out.

   The snow on the ground was already very deep at this time, and it creaked when you stepped on it.

   Under the electric lights outside the courtyard, the northwest wind blows snowflakes rustling and falling, like catkins and reeds, sometimes being slanted by the wind, sometimes being blown around, and falling precariously to the ground.

  The roof, trees, bamboo gardens, and the yard are all covered with thick white snow. Under the dim electric lights, there is a gradual warm tone, which is very beautiful.

Seeing this, Chen Ling rubbed his hands excitedly, exhaled two thick and long white breaths, reached out to pick up a few falling snowflakes, then leaned over and grabbed two handfuls of snow on the ground, stuffed two mouthfuls into his mouth, and it melted. After I felt the unique coldness and refreshingness of the winter snow and water, I felt that the addiction was over.

   After walking on the thick snow, I went to the sheepfold to have a look. The little lambs were only about two months old, and their resistance was not strong. When the first snowfall, if they were not kept warm, they would be easily damaged by freezing.

   Walking into the sheepfold, Chen Ling saw that the little lambs had hid under the belly of the ewe, with only their small heads exposed, babbled softly, and looked at him curiously.

   It was obviously cold, so he kicked away a few piles of sheep dung, walked up and gathered up the dry thatch, gave them a thick pad, and fed them two mouthfuls of spiritual water from Dongtian before getting up and walking out.

  The two dogs also crawled out of the kennel when they heard the movement, and ran up to him with their tails wagging. After being slapped away by him, they circled and fluttered in the snow for a while.

   Seeing snow for the first time, they were also very happy.

  Chen Ling also ignored them, anyway, these two guys would definitely not freeze, and then went to see the rabbits and chickens, ducks and pigeons.

After going around like this, in the end, except for the two pairs of wild pigeons that were locked in the barn, one of the male pigeons was caught and bullied by the female pigeons at home. , all huddled in the warm nest, squinting to sleep.

   Seeing this, he went back to the house and went to sleep at ease.

  In the early morning, the snow gradually stopped.

   Villages, fields, and mountains are all covered in silver.

   Today is Laba Festival.

   Chen Ling and his wife did not stay in bed like they did a few days ago, and got up early to cook Laba porridge.

   As the saying goes: Laba, Laba, froze your jaw.

   In the twelfth lunar month, the weather is freezing cold, and cooking a pot of hot Laba porridge is the greatest comfort to the body and mind.

  The ingredients for the Laba porridge were prepared by Wang Susu before the twelfth lunar month.

  Rice, millet, red beans, black beans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, red dates, lotus seeds are very complete.

   Entered the kitchen, took out all the ingredients, and washed them with water.

  After cleaning, Wang Susu added water to the pot.

Chen Ling squatted in front of the stove to make the fire, and pulled the bellows a few times from time to time. Soon, the firewood in the hearth was burning more and more vigorously. He blocked the mouth of the hearth with an iron plate, and he could hear the "crackle" and "boom" of the firewood burning quickly inside. Boom" sound.

The firewood was too strong, and soon the steamed buns were hot. Wang Susu was afraid that the rice porridge would stick to the bottom of the pot. After a while, he took off the steamed buns and stirred them with a rice spoon from time to time. When the bubbles were bubbling, the kitchen was filled with steam, overflowing with the strong aroma of Laba porridge.

  Because it takes a long time to cook, the sweet potatoes in it have their own sweetness, and they are very easy to boil. It quickly turned into a pot of soft and fragrant sweet porridge.

   Laba porridge was ready. The young couple put the sticky Laba porridge in bowls and brought it to the dining table. They saw that Laba porridge was full of colors, black, white, red, and yellow, and the color and fragrance complemented each other.

   Gently took a sip, and the mouth was full of sweetness.

If you taste it carefully, you can only feel that the rice in Laba porridge is sticky and delicious, the beans are slightly chewy and the fragrance is left on the lips and teeth, and the sweet potato is soft and sweet. Such a bowl of Laba porridge is warmly drunk in the stomach, and the whole body is immediately warm. Yangyang.

   Taking advantage of this first snow, eating Laba dishes and drinking Laba porridge, this Laba Festival can be said to be extremely comfortable.

   With the sour, crunchy and refreshing Laba dishes and the sweet and warm Laba porridge, Chen Ling killed three steamed buns in one go.

   They were eating hot in the kitchen, and the little lambs were bouncing around in the snow, playing back and forth. After getting used to the winter environment, they were specially fed with spiritual water last night, and they don’t feel cold anymore.

The little weasel also shrank its head and head in the tree hole in the courtyard. All three small heads were crowded at the entrance of the tree hole, looking out, either watching the little lambs playing in the snow, or staring at Heiwa watching it roll around in front of the kennel, But refused to come out.

   After a while, Chen Ling had a good meal and came out with a bucket to feed the poultry and animals.

   They slipped out of the tree hole in a jerk, swept across the snow with light footsteps, climbed onto Chen Ling, and got into his warm cotton-padded pocket to keep warm.

   They are chicken thieves and know this is a good place.

   After Chen Ling finished feeding, he swept a few paths in the yard, but he still refused to come out.

  Chen Ling saw that they were just not being as noisy as before, so he let them cuddle in his pocket.

   Then he locked the door with Wang Susu, who was neatly dressed and wrapped tightly, and went out to watch the snow together.

   It was very lively outside at this time.

   Not only was the Laba Festival happy, but also because of such a heavy snowfall.

   As the saying goes: In winter, snow is covered with three layers of quilt, and in the coming year, you sleep with steamed buns on your pillow.

   Ruixue is a good year, which is the best omen for the common people.

  House to house, they were busy shoveling snow in their respective front yard, and the little dolls, even teenage girls and half-eldest children, were also playing happily in the snow, playing snowball fights, and building snowmen.

  The adults talked about the solar terms of this year.

   The snow this winter makes people wait.

   In previous years, although the weather was more sunny and less rainy and snowy, it was only a little. It does not mean that there was really no snow before the twelfth lunar month.

   Besides, there is also a leap August this year, and the solar terms at this time are two solar terms later than in previous years.

   Waiting left and right, waiting for people to scratch their hearts and lungs, seeing that the Chinese New Year is coming soon.

   This winter snow just got up in the middle of the night before Laba, just like a big girl.

   "Come out and walk around, rich and noble."

   "Well, come out and walk around, let's shovel the snow to Yun Shu, this branch is broken a lot."

   "Who said no, when I fell asleep at night, I heard a rattling noise outside. The snow was quite heavy, so no one was waiting in vain."

  “…”

   "You got up early today, rich and noble."

   "Morning, sister-in-law, how can I stay in bed after passing Laba mile today?"

   "Haha, where are you going with Susu?"

   "Go around in the fields and see the snow."

   Greeting the villagers all the way, Chen Ling and Wang Susu walked out of the village slowly on the thick snow.

   I saw the fields were all white, and the green wheat seedlings were all covered, and I couldn't see the slightest greenness.

   is like a world of snow, and the surrounding mountains also seem to be wearing white hats, all covered with white snow.

However, the wind outside the village is much stronger than in the village. There is a vent here. As soon as I walked out of the village, there was a cold wind blowing. The wind seemed to be wrapped in ice balls, hitting people's faces. A slight pain sensation.

  The cold wind sucked cold air into his lungs, causing Chen Ling to shiver.

   But after the breathing organs of the whole body get used to it, the whole body becomes refreshed.

   They came out this time, and the two dogs did not follow.

  The young couple quietly admired the beautiful snow scene and enjoyed their own two-person world.

   As for the three little weasels in Chen Ling's pocket, they were all about to fall asleep in Chen Ling's warm and smoky pockets, so naturally they were not light bulbs.

  The two walked on the snow on the road in the field, and went to the orchard to see if the frame of the built farm had been affected.

   Seeing that everything was okay, I was not in a hurry to leave. I went to browse the sticky bird net and ground cover. Unfortunately, I forgot to come to spread the food these days, and there was no harvest.

   The two of them looked and looked, and they always felt that it was not fun to play in the snow when it was snowing, so they built a big snowman outside the farm and returned home happily.

  …

   They don't visit the Laba Festival here. Chen Ling originally wanted to take advantage of the snow to ask Wang Lixian and the two to have a drink, but this time it was not possible.

   So he stayed at home, accompanied Wang Susu to make a new quilt and stretched the quilt. Squatting on the ground inside the house, either pulling her here twice, or stretching her there twice, to beat her up.

   Most of the quilts at home are double quilts.

   Now Wang Susu has a big belly, and if she and Chen Ling cover a double quilt together, it is easy to catch a cold if you turn sideways at night, and there are many inconveniences in other aspects.

   So after the two discussed it, they decided to sleep separately first, and each covered a single quilt at night.

   And now the single bed at home is a little thin, mostly in spring and autumn.

   You have to make two new quilts.

  The new cotton and old cotton wicks at home, the bullet cotton craftsman came to the house a while ago to play them, which just came in handy.

  Wang Susu prepared to put all this year's new cotton on it. It was thick and thick, and it was warm even if it was covered at night.

   As for the double quilt, it can be used as a pressure wind quilt for two people.

  …

Wang Susu's needlework is undoubtedly very good. When she was laying down the quilt, the large embroidery needle seemed to have eyes in her hand. She used the thimble to pierce it and immediately exposed her head from the other direction. One needle, one needle, the sound of the cotton thread chi chi chi kept ringing, and the needle went smoothly and skillfully.

  Chen Ling saw it, he just thought it was a kind of enjoyment, but he didn't feel boring.

  After the quilt is sewn, put on the quilt cover and stretch it again.

  In this way, carefully sew the quilt all around, sew it horizontally, and sew it vertically.

  The horizontal and vertical stitches are even, so that the quilt will not look fluffy, and the batt will not run back and forth inside, making the quilt uneven.

   This quilt is more durable.

   But making needlework is a delicate job. The cotton quilt in winter is also thick and the needle is very laborious. Even if Wang Susu is skilled in needlework, it took more than a day to make this quilt.

   After all, when she was pregnant, she couldn't squat on the ground to sew a quilt for a long time. After doing it for a while, Chen Ling would help her to get up and rest.

  Single quilt is ready.

  The red quilt is also sewn with red cotton thread. The pattern is a group of golden phoenixes. The colors of gold and red match. It looks beautiful and feels soft and comfortable.

  It is much warmer when you cover your body at night.

  …

   This year's snow should not be mentioned, it is really not small. Laba stopped during the day and started to fall again at night, and it did not stop until the afternoon of the ninth day.

   After two days of heavy snow, needless to say, the mountain road to the county town is no longer available, and I can’t go to buy New Year’s goods recently.

Chen Ling accompanied his daughter-in-law to make a quilt, went to the kitchen to boil a pot of water, and took two eggs that were still warm from the pot. After peeling them, the egg whites were fed to the little weasel, and the yolks were crushed and mixed into the earthenware bowl. in the corn grits, and then went to the east barn to feed the pigeons.

After    arrived in the warehouse, he added some diluted Dongtian Spiritual Water.

   This was for the injured male pigeon.

It has been bullied by the domestic female pigeons a bit miserably. Chen Ling treated it a few days ago, but the next day, it was beaten again. The wound on the skull was not healed, so it was pecked open again, and the feathers on its head were bald. Yes, it was bleeding all the time.

  There is no way, since it is a pairing, to cultivate feelings, this is because a male and a female are running in each other, and the female pigeon's mouth cannot be tied.

   In such a situation, you can only raise the male pigeon to be stronger, supplement it with nutrients every day, and let the female pigeon accept it.

   In fact, in most cases, a pair of male and female are locked together, and this kind of thing will not happen.

   It's just that Chen Ling's pigeons are too strong.

  The male feral pigeon is like a son in front of the female pigeon, and the female pigeon does not look down on it at all.

   So Chen Ling thought about raising the physique of the male pigeon and helping it to subdue the female pigeon.

   Anyway, he is not in a hurry, as long as it can be paired in the next spring.

   But I didn't expect that it only took a few days to see the effect.

   Although the wound of this male pigeon has not healed, Chen Ling will give it a small stove every day, and various nutrients will not make the wound worse.

   Surprisingly, due to the cold weather in the twelfth lunar month, it always moved to the mother pigeon to keep warm.

   It doesn't matter if you get pecked and pecked often, you can still get past it at night.

   Actually, male pigeons were not so thirsty at first, it was because of the cold weather.

   In addition, the place is small, and the female pigeons gradually lose their temper.

  Chen Ling opened the basket now, and two pigeons, one big and one small, were attached to each other. The little one was bald with bones and blood scabs on his forehead. Chen Ling reached out to catch it and put it on the ground to feed.

  This pigeon is also familiar with this process, so it doesn't resist or avoid it, so it eats quietly while guarding the pot.

   When he was full, he put it back under the basket, and immediately he cooed and got close to the mother pigeon.

Seeing this, the female pigeon spread her wings and wanted to pat her away, but she just moved forward. There was only so much space under the basket. The female pigeon had nowhere to hide, so the two pigeons stuck together again to keep each other warm. , squinting his eyes and pretending to sleep.

   "Well, that's fine. I will hatch a litter of pigeons for me in the spring of next year, and it will be fine for you to eat and drink every day."

  Chen Ling nodded secretly.

  I thought to myself that this pursuit of the opposite **** still has to be shameless, and the poultry industry is no exception.

Looking at what the pigeons had eaten in the tile basin, Chen Ling walked to the large water tank at the base of the wall, scooped some water and rinsed it twice. The food residue in the tile basin immediately floated on the water surface. The bottom of the tank soon swam up with a variety of colorful fish, looting the food scraps on the surface.

   This is the fish in the small pond in the courtyard.

  Wang Zhenzhen and Liang Hongyu took out the fish from the small pond together with Liang Hongyu after the winter vacation and put them in the water tank.

As for the red eels inside, they were all hidden in the mud cave, and Chen Ling didn't bother to care about them. Now there are so many in the cave, they are all in groups, and there are no people like lynx to buy them. He doesn't want to spend any money. Try to find it again.

   After feeding the fish, put the pot down.

  Chen Ling slid out the rectangular chicken cage in the corner. All kinds of birds were flying around in it. He blocked the cage door with one hand, reached in with the other and grabbed two sparrows out, holding them in his hands.

   Then he braved the wind and snow and went outside the yard to lure Harriers.

   (end of this chapter)