Chapter 88 - 88

Chapter 88 Playing with SledsYun Ting has a good memory. Following her memory, she went back to the place where she found ginseng last time. This time she was prepared and wouldn't accidentally roll down again.This place is deep in the mountains, and no one dares to come in. So, all the ginseng she foundare still here, regardless of size, and she put them all into her spatial storage.Yun Ting also paid special attention to whetherthere were any venomous snakes or ferocious beasts around Ginseng, still feeling a bit apprehensive about the giant python from last time.Fortunately, I was lucky this time and didn't encounter anything.The python is probably still hibernating!With the snow and ice around, the animals were too lazy to come out. She used her Supernatural Ability to sense that there were hardly any animals around."It's too cold, let's go back!"Yun Ting stamped her feet; even though she was dressed quite warmly, she was still a bit cold.On the way back, Yun Ting changed direction and spotted pine cones.Some dark brown cones hung on the pine branches, frozen stiff, some already blown off by the wind and half-buried in the snow. She picked up a little more than half a basketful; the outer shells were cracked open, revealing plump pine nuts inside. She'd roast them when she got home, and they'd be so fragrant she could eat three bowls of porridge with them.The first time she ate it, Aunt Meihua taught her how to bake it.At the foot of the mountain, amidst the withered grass, she parted the snow and found several clumps of frozen purslane. The leaves were curled into a deep purple, yet still retained their resilience. This stuff, after being blanched and mixed with minced garlic, is a rare and refreshing dish. She carefully pinched off a handful of tender shoots and put them in her basket; enough for a stir-fry.He was carrying a bundle of dry branches back to start a fire when he encountered an auntie."Oh dear, little Educated Youth Yun, you still went up the mountain in this freezing weather."" Auntie, if you're bored, go upstairs for a walk.""Be careful! I'm afraid the wild animals will come out to hunt for food in the winter when they're starving.""Okay, thanks for reminding me, Auntie."Back in the courtyard, it was almost lunchtime. It was cold, and many people didn't eat three meals a day to save food when they weren't working. But that wasn't the case with Yun Ting.She washed the purslane she had just picked, boiled water in a pot, blanched the purslane until it softened, took it out and rinsed it with cold water, squeezed out the water and cut it into small pieces for later use.She planned to use it to fry eggs; she had tried it before and it was delicious.Heat oil in a wok, pour in the beaten egg mixture, scramble the eggs into pieces, and set aside.Add a little more oil to the pan, sauté the garlic slices until fragrant, then add the purslane and stir-fry over high heat for about 20 seconds. Add the egg pieces and a little soy sauce, and continue to stir-fry evenly. Turn off the heat and serve quickly.She had some steamed white flour buns in her storage space, so she took out two and that solved the problem for this meal.Yun Ting has a habit of taking a nap every day. After eating and digesting for a while, she took her usual nap."Little Sister Yun! Little Sister Yun! Come out and play!" Outside the door was Xiao Zhuzi, full of energy that could lift the roof off.Yun Ting was awakened by his voice. She opened the door and saw Xiao Zhuzi with Little Tiger, looking at her excitedly.The boy was wrapped in an oversized red cotton-padded coat, looking like a tightly bound sugar bun. He held a pointed wooden pole in his hand, and at his feet lay a "new contraption" crookedly—two planks nailed together with three thick iron wires nailed underneath, each wire ending in a small hook, resembling a grinning iron-mouthed beast. "My grandpa repaired this sled for me! He hammered it with red-hot iron wire; it's so slippery you can catch a rabbit!"When Yun Ting heard that it was a sled, she became interested and asked, "Can someone my size ride it?""Of course I can, otherwise why would I come to you right away?" Xiao Zhuzi's expression, as if he thought I was so great, made Yun Ting laugh out loud."Okay, let me put on my shoes."Yun Ting had just put on her cotton shoes when he was dragged towards the river bend. She stumbled as soon as she stepped onto the ice."Hey, Little Pillar, slow down..."Xiao Zhu patted his chest and told her to sit on the sled, while he gripped the wooden pole and backed away, shouting, "Little Sister Yun, hold on tight—giddy up!" But his foot slipped, and he fell on his bottom with a "thud," causing the sled to lurch forward half a meter, which made Yun Ting laugh heartily."Ha ha…"Yun Ting's mesmerizing laughter can be heard from a great distance."Where's that lively noise coming from? Everyone's laughing so happily." A few women in the village were chatting and overheard this and casually remarked."Hearing that cheerful sound, it must be littleEducated Youth Yun leading those kids out to play again!""I just saw her pulling a sled with Xiaozhuzi...""What a little kid..."After Xiaozhuzi got up, clutching her bottom, he insisted on showing her his skills."Little Sister Yun, that was an accident. Wait, I'll show you what I'm capable of."He pushed the sled in circles on the ice, increasing his speed. Yun Ting, terrified, gripped the plank tightly, her hair whipping wildly in the wind. "Ahhh... Little Pillar, slow down... slow down..."They were yelling "Ah ah" but their laughter was louder than the wind. Just as they were having a blast, the sled suddenly hit a block of ice. Yun Ting cried out "Ouch!" and fell down, landing right on top of Xiao Zhuzi who had just gotten up. The two of them rolled into a ball, ice shards getting into their necks, making them gasp for breath, but they couldn't stop laughing.The Little Tigers nearby also burst into laughter.In an instant, the Hetao region was filled with joyful laughter.Yun Ting found it quite interesting to ride this sled for the first time.Instead of letting Xiao Zhuzi keep pulling her, she pulled all the other children in the room, making everyone incredibly happy. They kept saying, "Little Sister Yun is so kind...""Alright, it's my turn to play. I don't need you guys to push or pull me, I'll do it myself."Yun Ting tried to pole the sled himself, but when he put the wooden pole on the ice, the sled didn't move, and he almost did a split, which made the teenagers watching the fun slap their thighs."Haha, Sister Yun, are you sure you can handle it?""You little rascal, I'm sure I can do it, just you wait..."Undeterred, she tried again with renewed vigor, only to crash headfirst into a pile of snow, sending her sled soaring high into the air like a turtle with its shell upturned."Haha..." Laughter erupted all around.In the end, Yun Ting decided not to be stubborn and to take turns pushing and pulling the dolls!As the sun began to set, Xiao Zhu and Little Tiger suddenly and mysteriously pulled her towards the end of the river bend. Parting a clump of withered reeds, they revealed an ice hole emitting white steam. " Sister Yun," they said, "yesterday we saw fish breathing here, soLittle Tiger and I broke the ice and set a net! There are three here, just enough for each of us. When we stew them, we'll add plenty of ginger slices to ward off the cold!""You little rascal, you know quite a lot, but what you two did was too dangerous. There were no adults around. What if the ice hole got bigger and someone fell in? Don't do that next time."Yun Ting held the fish, frozen solid enough to be used as a weapon, her hands numb from the cold, but her heart was warm. She knew the two little ones meant well, but it was indeed dangerous, and she couldn't skip the warning. As for the fish, she would accept it as a token of the children's affection! She could just give it back to them from somewhere else; it wouldn't be taking advantage of them.On the way back, she and Xiaozhu each pulled one end of the sled, with Little Tiger following beside them. The ice surface creaked and groaned as they were dragged along, and the sound, mixed with Xiaozhu's off-key children's songs, was even more lively than the village loudspeaker.The setting sun cast long shadows of the three people, two crooked and one hopping, all covered in ice shards, yet exuding an indescribable joy.