CHAPTER 373: CHAPTER 87: RURAL PLEASURES AND SUDDEN SURPRISES

The moon perched atop the treetops, and a few "field mice" sneaked around in the fields a kilometer away from Yanqing Farm.

Xiao Xian stood on the field ridge as a lookout, glancing around. Xuerou held a flashlight in her right hand, covering the light with her left, looking ridiculously funny. She had a stack of straw on her shoulder and was dragging another, with stray straws stuck in her hair, looking like a hen that rolled in the field and just stood up.

"You two hurry up," Zeng Xuerou was even more tense than when a car gets hit by the traffic police, her flashlight beam moving up and down, occasionally illuminating the abandoned rice fields.

"Don’t flash it around carelessly; it’s visible from a distance. I mean, how could you lack even the most basic concept of being a thief? You’re supposed to be a good student. Being a thief has to look the part. All this trouble is for everyone to have a good meal," said Zhang Yiyi, who was younger than Zeng Xuerou, seizing the opportunity to preach and complain.

"It’s not like I forced you at knifepoint to come steal the straw stacks. You’re the one who insisted on wanting to eat baked sweet potatoes, specifically needing dry straw to roast them. Xiao Xian and I couldn’t care less about joining you," Roasting sweet potatoes was a skill, especially without an oven, the most natural way was to use dry straw stacks to roast in the fire.

But the problem lay with the dry straw stacks. Spring plowing had just ended, and the straw stacks in most fields had already been burned to fertilize the fields. Where to find leftover dry straw stacks to roast the sweet potatoes.

As a result, the trio tasked to bake sweet potatoes had to divide the labor: one holding the light, one keeping watch, and one responsible for stealing the dry straw stacks. After they made their arrangements, they finally found a few well-piled dry straw stacks near the Milk Feed Factory-owned fields.

"Keep quiet; someone’s ahead," Zeng Xuerou scrambled, shining the flashlight directly onto Zhang Yiyi’s face.

Zhang Yiyi, startled, dropped the straw stack she was holding and crouched down, loudly saying, "My shoelace came undone; I’m just tying it."

After a while, the silhouette ahead swayed away. Judging by the sound, it was the old drunkard watchman from the Milk Feed Factory.

"Quick," the spot where they were stealing dry straw stacks was quite close to the Milk Feed Factory. This straw was likely intended for temporary feed, and any further delays could cause trouble if they were caught.

"No one’s been around, and you’re still tying your shoelace," Zeng Xuerou realized that after spending too much time with Zhang Yiyi, her own sense of mischief was getting heavier. Before, she would never have dared to think about stealing straw stacks for a few pieces of baked sweet potatoes.

With their recent meddling, the straw from the straw stack had scattered everywhere. Zhang Yiyi was clueless about tying straw stacks. At this moment, Xiao Xian’s farming skills from Ge Village came in handy.

Grabbing a handful of straw from the ground, Xiao Xian rapidly braided a three-ply hemp rope. In no time, he twisted a hemp rope and then wrapped the scattered straws together, tying them tightly for easy transport.

"Hey, it’s already April; why does the grass around here look so lifeless?" While Xiao Xian squatted to pick up straw, he noticed the wild grass in the fields, with its scorched yellow leaves looking as if they had been burned. With a tug, the leaves easily came off.

"Stop wondering; if we delay any longer, my stomach will start wondering ’Hey,’ hurry up, everyone’s waiting for us to start the meal," said Zhuo Feng. When Zhuo Feng and his wife heard Zhang Yiyi wanted to eat baked sweet potatoes, they readily agreed. But to only serve sweet potatoes when guests arrived wasn’t appropriate, so they decided to have dessert in the form of roasted sweet potatoes after the meal.

Zhang Yiyi dragged the straw stacks, Zeng Xuerou pulled Xiao Xian, and they hastily fled the "crime scene."

That night’s dinner was quite satisfying. Since the guests arrived unexpectedly, the Zhuo Feng couple hadn’t prepared much; there weren’t any convenient places like markets nearby, so they made do with what they had.

A plate of spicy stir-fried river snails - Feng Xing had found them while digging a channel to divert water in a nearby river. Feng Xing, as a child back in Shandong, often caught river snails in his hometown river.

After moving to Beijing for studies and work, delicacies like river snails, typically found in food stalls, had almost vanished from the dining table. Yanqing’s river was not like those in the city; the water was clear, and on sunny days, not only the sky had clouds, but the transparent water surface also mirrored them.

Recalling the delicious taste of river snails from his childhood, Zhuo Feng also got excited. He took an empty basin, walked along the river, followed the shady banks with aquatic plants, pinpointed a spot, and reached into the stone crevices and reeds, easily grabbing a handful of river snails each time.