Chapter 199： "preference"

Chapter 199 "Preference"

Horang’s deep eyebrows were slightly raised, and he asked without answering: “Is this too small?”

Si Ningning shook her head vigorously, her expression of eager anticipation revealed a hint of cuteness and cuteness.

A faint smile appeared in Huo Lang's eyes, and he traced a circle around the edge of the small basket with his fingers, and then asked: "Is there another circle of little goldfish that I can braid for you?"

"Well…"

Si Ningning was suddenly stunned.

This is asking her what she means, doesn’t it make it clear to her?

“Yeah!” Si Ningning nodded vigorously again, and her rosy lips opened into a bright smile, “If it’s not too much trouble!”

Horang didn’t respond to Ma Bu’s troublesome question, and only said: “I’ll give it to you tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, so I’ll go out today.”

To prevent the small basket from loosening, Huo Lang nimbly stuck the half-braided bamboo strips into the lower gap with his fingers. Then he got up and went into the house to pick up the basket, gun and hatchet, and raised his chin to indicate to Si Ningning that he could set off.

Si Ningning belatedly remembered the purpose of today and quickly stood up and followed Huo Lang outside. "I'm not in a hurry. Just take your time when you turn around."

Huo Lang nodded and reached out to take the big basket on Si Ningning's back.

Si Ningning moved back to avoid him, but Huo Lang's calm expression revealed firmness. She paused and said nothing. She just took off the basket and handed it over.

It rained heavily before. Although the sun came out today, the mountain trails were still wet, so the help of "wooden sticks" was naturally indispensable for this trip.

Si Ningning held one end of a small wooden stick, Huo Lang opened the way in front, and she followed carefully behind.

Si Ningning tilted her head left and right, searching both sides of the forest path, looking for traces of mushrooms.

After looking all the way and finding nothing, Si Ningning turned back and stared at the back of the man's head with her clear deer eyes, "I went back yesterday to pickle the vegetables. You can eat whatever you want in the jar... I've also made a rabbit cage. I'll be back in the afternoon. Send it over for me and take it back together when the time comes."

“Hmm.” Huo Lang responded lightly.

Si Ningning asked again: "Have you been to the county recently?"

Holang asked her: "Are you going to take it to Academician Liang?"

"Yes. But there is one more thing I want to ask you to help me with." Si Ningning nodded, and after finishing her words, she let out a soft "tsk", "I don't know if there is any, I can't go out, can you go to the county If so, I just wanted to ask you to help me take a look."

These words successfully aroused Holang's curiosity.

Huo Lang turned his head and was about to look at Si Ningning when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the thorn vines branching out to the middle of the path in front of him. He casually pushed them aside and said, "Look at the thorn vines."

Stepping around the thorn vines, Holang continued the question: "What are you looking for?"

"I want alum." Si Ningning didn't hide it. "I want to try dyeing cloth. Mordant requires alum..."

“Alum or green vitriol are both acceptable. If the county hospital has a traditional Chinese medicine department, you should be able to find it there.”

Alum can be used to purify water, and it is also a type of traditional Chinese medicine found in natural minerals. There are no traditional Chinese medicine stores outside, and hospitals are considered state-owned industries, so there should be one there.

Of course, these are just guesses. I am not sure whether Si Ningning is there or not. Although she went to the county once last time, her time was limited and she had too many things to do, so she had no time to go around.

Huo Lang often goes to the county, and Si Ningning thought that he was familiar with the county, so he made this comment.

“Is there anything else you want?” Holland asked.

"Huh?" Si Ningning was stunned for a moment, then shook his head quickly after realizing it, "No more, just alum! I have ways to deal with problems such as color fixation."

Huo Lang didn't know much about dyeing cloth. When Si Ningning asked, he nodded, "I should go there the day after tomorrow. If you have anything to buy or bring to Academician Liang, pack it up in advance. Tomorrow I'll go get it when I have time."

“Hmm!” Si Ningning’s eyes narrowed and she responded happily.

With one thing on his mind, Si Ningning concentrated on searching for mushrooms again. He encountered two clusters of poisonous mushrooms along the way, but they were both inedible poisonous mushrooms.

Si Ningning squatted in front of the poisonous mushroom, feeling a little discouraged. When she thought of something, she raised her head again and reached out to hold Huo Lang's rolled-up trousers, "Go there!"

“Huh?” Huo Lang arched his eyebrows and frowned in confusion.

Si Ningning’s eyebrows were curved and her smile was bright: “It’s the same place where we found the hedgehog last time. We passed by it when we were going to Valley City, remember?”

When Si Ningning said this, Huo Lang knew what she was talking about.

Hand out his hand, he handed the wooden stick to Si Ningning. When Si Ningning took hold of it, Huo Lang used a little force to lift him up from the ground.

Then they turned around, the two of them grabbed the same small wooden stick and set off again one after the other.

Si Ningning set her sights on the dead tree where she picked mushrooms last time.

The last time I picked mushrooms, some small shriveled parts were left behind, and with such a large piece of mushroom growing, how could there be some spores left?

As long as there are spores and the temperature and humidity are right, new mushrooms will grow.

The abacus was good, but when it came to the place, Si Ningning was greatly disappointed.

When he went to the other side of the valley, the dead tree was placed over the creek by Huo Lang. It had rained heavily in the past two days, and the creek swelled to almost the same level as the two banks.

The dead wood originally carried some weight, and it became even heavier when it was hit by rain. Now it is sinking under the weight of the soil on both sides of the creek. One-third of the tree body is soaked in water. The humidity is too high, even if there are spores remaining , and no mushrooms will grow right now...

Si Ningning did not give up and searched along the stream at the edge of the bamboo forest.

After working for a long time, I harvested a lot of bamboo fungus, but there was not a single mushroom except the bamboo fungus.

It would be possible to bring bamboo fungus back to the educated youth, but local residents don’t eat it, so promotion is a problem, let alone planting it on a large scale.

It’s no use specifying…

This is really like dying before leaving the army, which makes the hero burst into tears.

Si Ningning snorted with a sad face, neither crying nor laughing.

Huo Lang saw her wrinkled little face, full of loss and frustration, and frowned unconsciously. He stretched out his hand and handed the wooden stick to Si Ningning, "What are you frustrated about?"

Si Ningning bit her lip and raised her head, then heard Huo Lang's low, slightly hoarse voice, "How can you not find two clusters of mushrooms in such a big mountain? Get up."

Si Ningning reached out and grasped the wooden stick. The moment she was pulled up by Huo Lang, she softly suggested: "Why don't you eat something first?"

It was already late when we came out, and we had been walking in the mountains for so long. It was probably time for lunch now.

Si Ningning felt that it was okay and not very hungry, but considering that Huo Lang was so big and carrying things along the way, he would consume a lot of energy and he would definitely get hungry faster. She thought about it and continued: " Look for it when you’re full.”

Si Ningning considered Huo Lang, and Huo Lang considered Si Ningning.

Look for something, find something, but don’t let the little girl look for it hungry.

Although he is a thin and delicate person, he will be starved to death after two more meals.

Horang nodded without any hesitation. So, the two of them cleared a small piece of clean land under the scattered bamboo shadows by the stream.

Si Ningning took out the basket that Huo Lang had placed on one side, took out two pieces of oil paper that were 25x25 in length and prepared them in advance, and spread them on the ground.

Asking Huo Lang to press it with his hands to prevent the oil paper from being blown away by the wind, Si Ningning took out two old and new aluminum lunch boxes from the basket on his back, and the last one contained small bags of crushed peanuts, minced garlic, chili oil, minced green onions and vinegar. .

Salt and chicken essence were added to the lunch box early in the morning and mixed. As for the other seasonings, Si Ningning introduced them one by one and asked Huo Lang to adjust them according to his personal preference.

"This lunch box can't hold much. If you don't have enough food, I'll give it to you. I have a small appetite and can't eat that much." Si Ningning said.

Horang nodded lightly.

Huo Lang also wore a small waistband. After Si Ningning finished speaking, he took out two black charcoal lumps from the waistband.

Oh...not black charcoal lumps.

Si Ningning took a second look and found that they were sweet potatoes, the kind that are cooked in the stove.

Huo Lang remembered what Si Ningning said before, telling him not to cook alone. Seeing Si Ningning staring at the sweet potatoes in his hand, his Adam's apple rolled and he explained in a deep voice: "Eat the leftovers in the morning and take them with you." Come out to eat and have fun so you don’t waste it.”

Seeing him looking like he was facing a formidable enemy, Si Ningning couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“Just take it with you. I’ll add a sweet potato after you eat it later, so I don’t have to worry about you not being full.”

"…Um."

The little girl nodded and put her fist to her lips, her eyebrows and eyes were curved in a smile. The aura exuding from her whole body was like the warm light in spring or the quiet wind in summer, which completely calmed down the impetuousness in people's hearts.

Horang is not a conservative-minded person, but when he saw such a scene, his arched eyebrows couldn't help but raise slightly, and a trace of softness flashed in his eyes.

Just as the mountain breeze passed by, the bamboos swayed, the shade of the trees whirled, and the nose smelled the scent of grass and earth, and my heart felt inexplicably relaxed and comfortable.

Huo Lang slowly closed his peach blossom eyes, couldn't help but straighten his back, and slightly raised his chin to carefully feel the joy and tranquility.

This mountain forest, he traveled back and forth several times in spring, summer, autumn and winter, and this was the first time he had such a feeling.

This special feeling was brought to him by Si Ningning...

She may look like a delicate girl, but she actually has a lot of special qualities hidden inside her.

The temperament of being out of dust.

Extraordinary in every gesture.

As well as calm conversation, gentleness and kindness in treating others, and a healing and heart-warming smile, they have a special power that can make people feel at peace, discover the beauty around them, and see hope in embarrassment and adversity...

Huo Lang has seen many children of high-ranking cadres and intellectuals who were born in highly educated families. Those people have good and bad character, but in the final analysis, Si Ningning is the person he has seen who can combine many good qualities into one body. First.

Let alone one that can bring him this special feeling.

Although Si Ningning's appearance is very delicate and beautiful, in this era, her exquisiteness and beauty do not conform to the public's aesthetics, so it is not an advantage, or in other words, it is even a disadvantage.

Shortcomings that will be slandered and corrected by others.

But as he discovered more and more remarkable things about her, Huo Lang felt increasingly unfair towards her.

The feeling of wanting to be protected and favored almost burst out of his chest. In addition, there was something vaguely in his heart that made Huo Lang feel irritable.

But if he really wanted to say it, Huo Lang didn't know how to describe it.

Horang's breathing became heavy and heavy, and his eyebrows furrowed.

Si Ningning put the dishes and chopsticks and heard Huo Lang's breath change. She looked up and saw Huo Lang sitting cross-legged like a monk in meditation. She didn't know what trouble she was thinking about. She closed her eyes and said nothing, with a pair of arched eyebrows. Still wrinkled.

“Don’t be upset, hurry up and eat!” Si Ningning said and patted Huo Lang’s knee.

Huo Lang had been immersed in his own world just now, and he hadn't figured out the problem in his heart. Si Ningning's move suddenly pulled him out of the world of meditation. The sound of wind and birds chirping around him suddenly amplified. The moment Huo Lang woke up, The body is shaking and alert.

His trembling made Si Ningning unprepared and trembled in fright.

The two of them sat on the ground, their heads tilted back at the same time, staring at each other as if they had seen a ghost.

The warm and peaceful atmosphere faded away, and a faint air of embarrassment instantly filled the air.

"You, what were you thinking just now?" Si Ningning calmed down her little heart that was beating wildly, and opened her pair of bright deer eyes to break the embarrassment first, "Or did you say you fell asleep?"

Horang’s thin lips opened slightly, then pursed them.

What are you thinking about?

Can you tell me?

I was thinking about you just now?

Of course not.

The deep brow bones were wrinkled and relaxed, then wrinkled again. Huo Lang said a few words dryly in a low and hoarse voice, "The wind in the mountain made me feel comfortable, so I squinted a bit."

Having said it all, Huo Lang didn't dare to meet Si Ningning's eyes. He lowered his eyelids and picked up the chopsticks. After a while, he picked up the lunch box and asked, "What are you making this time?"

"It's jelly." Si Ningning explained, remembering what Huo Lang said just now, she stared at Huo Lang's face a few more times.

I didn’t see any dark circles under my eyes. I guessed it was either because I didn’t sleep well or because I was tired from working.

After mixing the jelly, Si Ningning said smoothly: "There is not much work now, and the weather is still so hot. Don't just think about helping others. Pay attention to yourself once in a while. You should rest when you need it." rest…"

"good."

Huo Lang responded in a low voice, and Si Ningning stopped talking and said no more.

After finishing the jelly in one go, I washed my lunch box and put it in my backpack by the stream. Huolang and Si Ningning simmered the sweet potatoes in the stove one each.

These two sweet potatoes contain high sugar content. The principle of stewing in the stove is similar to that of roasting. A lot of oil leaks out from the surface. Si Ningning's movements were gentle when peeling. Not only did the palms of his hands turn black when peeled, but the sweet potatoes were also peeled into pits. .

Horang couldn't see it, so he took the sweet potato in her hand and broke it in half, then divided the two halves into two. One sweet potato was instantly divided into four small pieces.

Horang arranged the sweet potatoes on the oil paper one by one, "Eat it."

"oh!"

Si Ningning responded dryly, picked up a piece of sweet potato and nestled it backwards, biting into it with a smile on her face, "It's so sweet!"

"Winter potatoes are sweeter than autumn potatoes. These are from last year. I hid them in the cellar and ate them one after another. There are still some left." Huo Lang bit off half a sweet potato in one bite and ate the skin stained with stove ashes. He didn't care, "If you like it, I'll get you some this afternoon."

Si Ningning nodded, "Okay."

These sweet potatoes are sweet and taste good when made into porridge. It’s just right for them to go over and drink the grain.

(End of this chapter)