Chapter 67: Raiding the Rat Nests Again, A Hearty Cabbage and Meat Sauce Soup

Ming Dai and her group woke up early. At this moment, the distant sun, resembling a salted egg yolk, had just begun to peek over the horizon.

Zhou Sinian glanced at the newborn sun, then at Ming Dai’s basket. Inside was the salted duck egg he had been thinking about all night.

Fueled by the motivation of the salted duck egg, Zhou Sinian worked with boundless enthusiasm.

As soon as they left the shed area, he suddenly grabbed Ming Dai and took off running toward the mountain.

Liu Guoqiang and Huang Dalian were startled and immediately chased after them, but they could only watch as his figure disappeared into the mountain path.

Panting, the two exchanged glances—there was nothing else to do but keep running!

By the time they arrived at the field, Zhou Sinian had already dug out a hole and was smashing a field rat.

Ming Dai waited for him to finish, then instructed him to move to the next burrow while she and Huang Dalian collected the dead rats and cleared out the nests.

Zhou Sinian had an almost supernatural ability to locate the nests—he never missed. Not a single field rat could escape his sight. If they weren’t crushed under his shovel, they were pinned down by his swiftly thrown military dagger.

All Ming Dai and the others had to do was dig out the nests.

As they worked, they heard the sounds of other people approaching. Ming Dai turned her head and saw a group from Shangwan Village. Leading them was Pan Xiazi, his face still bruised and swollen.

The group stood a short distance away at the base of the mountain, watching stealthily but not daring to come closer. Ming Dai ignored them and continued working.

Pan Xiazi watched as the three of them worked energetically, and his eyes turned greedy when he saw that in just a short while, they had already gathered half a sack of food.

“Captain! Let’s go too!”

One of the men beside him, unable to hold back any longer, urged eagerly.

Pan Xiazi looked at the man swinging the iron shovel vigorously on the hillside. He touched his still aching face and hesitated for a moment before making a decision.

“Let’s go! We’ll head straight to the lower basin—there are even more field rats there!”

With that, the group hurriedly ran off.

Ming Dai watched them leave without much concern and continued digging. The field rats here were truly greedy—each burrow contained no less than ten pounds of grain!

Soybeans were especially abundant, likely because this area was close to the wasteland where soybeans were commonly planted.

Once they finished searching the hillside, Zhou Sinian suddenly dropped his tools and stormed over to Ming Dai with a dark expression.

Seeing his fierce look, Huang Dalian and Liu Guoqiang shrank back, not daring to make a sound.

Ming Dai, however, remained calm. She clapped the dirt off her hands, took her bamboo basket, and poured out some water. She first washed Zhou Sinian’s hands before taking out a neatly wrapped pancake from her bag and handing it to him.

Zhou Sinian took it, his expression softening considerably, but he remained standing beside the basket, unwilling to leave.

Ming Dai sighed and pulled out a salted duck egg. “You can only have one—it’s too salty. Eat it in small bites with the pancake.”

Zhou Sinian nodded obediently. Sitting on a wooden stump, he unwrapped the oiled paper holding the pancake. He gently tapped the salted duck egg against his forehead, rolled it between his hands, and skillfully peeled away the shell, revealing the smooth, white egg inside. He took a small bite, and the rich, red yolk oil seeped out. A satisfied smile spread across his face.

Ming Dai turned to the others. “Sister Dalian, Accountant Liu, come on, let’s eat and take a break.”

Both of them quickly shook their heads, though their eyes lingered on the white flour pancake in her hand as they swallowed hard.

Ming Dai simply broke the pancake into three portions. “Here, let’s share.”

Under her repeated insistence, they finally sat down, washed their hands, and took the palm-sized pancake pieces. They ate slowly, savoring every bite.

The pancake was stuffed with small chili fish, made with fresh green chilies that were fragrant but not too spicy. The tiny fish, fried to a crisp in oil, added a rich, savory crunch. The more they chewed, the tastier it became.

Huang Dalian sighed once again—coming to build the reservoir had truly been a good decision!

Accountant Liu, on the other hand, looked at Ming Dai with a sense of pity. She probably had to use all this delicious food just to keep the lunatic in check. He couldn’t help but wonder—was Xiao Ming’s father’s military pension still enough to support her?

Zhou Sinian had none of these worries. After eating one, he naturally reached out to Ming Dai for a second. Once he finished both pancakes, he poured himself some hot water from the kettle and drank it. Without needing anyone to tell him, he went straight to work.

The four of them busied themselves for another two hours, searching almost the entire mountain. They found nearly forty rat holes, capturing more than 150 field mice, and filled two large sacks with grain.

Judging by the position of the sun, it was time to head back and prepare a meal.

As always, Zhou Sinian carried the sack on his shoulder and a large basket on his back, striding ahead. Ming Dai followed closely behind with her own basket, while Huang Dalian and Liu Guoqiang walked at the rear, carrying the sack filled with dead field mice.

This time, they took a detour, avoiding the construction workers at the site, so no one saw them.

The people of Liujiawan were still feeling a bit melancholic, uncertain if they would be able to eat meat today.

Upon arriving at the shed, Zhou Sinian put away the grain, then he and Ming Dai carried the cabbages to the river to wash them.

Meanwhile, Huang Dalian and Liu Guoqiang stayed behind to prepare the rice and boil water. Ming Dai had given her a packet of dried ginger to add to the pot.

Today was even colder than yesterday, and the river water was icy. Ming Dai helped trim off the cabbage roots, while Zhou Sinian washed them.

By the time they finished washing the large basket of cabbages, both of their hands had turned as red as carrots.

Back at the shed, Ming Dai asked Zhou Sinian to tear the cabbage leaves apart, cut the thicker stems into strips, while she took the remaining portion of last night’s field mouse meat and chopped it into a fine paste.

Once the rice was done, Ming Dai started cooking.

First, she quickly stir-fried the cabbage stems, making a vinegar-flavored dish with Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies. The aroma was mouthwatering, and the crisp texture made it even more appetizing.

Without washing the pan, she poured in some hot water and brought it to a boil. Then, she tossed in the shredded cabbage leaves, letting them blanch for a moment before adding two handfuls of coarse grain flour provided by the commune. As she stirred, the soup thickened.

Finally, she added the freshly chopped meat paste, stirring it into the soup. In no time, a hearty pot of cabbage and meat soup was ready.

As the workers finished their shift, they rushed toward the shed in a noisy crowd.

Ming Dai and the others had prepared two large basins of hot water in advance. Everyone eagerly scrubbed the dirt from their hands before soaking them in the warm water. At that moment, they felt their spirits return to life.

Everyone still received a portion of ginger tea, though the amount was noticeably smaller this time.

The group was puzzled at first, but Huang Dalian quickly explained that there was cabbage and meat soup today. Excitement spread through them instantly.

They lined up, each receiving a bowl of steaming hot soup. Though no meat was visible at first glance, the glistening oil on the surface and the occasional tiny bits of meat that slipped between their teeth sparked bursts of excitement.

“I got a piece of meat! It’s as big as my pinky nail!”

“Me too! Mine’s the size of my thumbnail!”

Good-natured laughter filled the area designated for Liujiawan, a striking contrast to the somber mood in other villages.

After finishing their soup, there was still rice and vinegar stir-fried cabbage to enjoy.

Many people curiously glanced at Ming Dai, who was squatting near the stove, eating her meal.

“Tell me, it’s all just cabbage—how come Xiao Ming the educated youth makes it taste so good? My wife’s cooking tastes like pig feed!”

A nearby auntie teased him, “Oh, Liu Dacheng, just wait until I tell Guixiang! Let’s see if she doesn’t twist your ear off!”

The man quickly turned away, flustered. “I didn’t say anything! You must’ve heard wrong!”

Everyone burst into laughter again.

Meanwhile, Huang Dalian smiled happily as she glanced at the half sack of field mice. Once they finished searching the rest of the mountain in the afternoon, she planned to freeze all of them. Maybe she could even save one or two to bring back for her sons, Tiedan and Goudan, to try.

The kids would surely love it!