Stepmom's Farm Life

Chapter 7: Rope twisting

Qin Yao didn't stop for the whole afternoon and was busy around the house.

After drying the bedding, take down the bed boards and the straw on the bed and take them to the door to dry.

There was an episode in the middle. When Qin Yao was turning over the straw, she unexpectedly found a nest of dead mice from it. It was extremely exciting.

After finishing all this, he made a broom with a bamboo pole and went into the house to sweep the cobwebs and scrape the wall. The mud fell down and the wall became visibly thinner.

The quality of this tofu dregs is so great that even a heavy rain, let alone a heavy snow, can wash it away!

"What kind of life did you live in the past? Is this how people live?" Qin Yao couldn't help but complain after her face was once again covered with dust from the fallen wall mud.

This isn't the end of the world with natural disasters and zombies happening one after another. It's unbelievable that life could turn out like this.

The Liu siblings, who had already washed themselves, blushed when they heard this, and lowered their heads in shame. They curled up their toes and tried to dig their bare feet into the ground.

Because their father Liu Ji didn't take care of things, the kids didn't know how to take care of themselves. The other kids in the village didn't want to play with them because they thought they were dirty and smelly.

Even if they did nothing but walk closer to everyone, they would still be scolded.

Having grown up in such an environment full of malicious discrimination, the four brothers and sisters were very sensitive and couldn't help but think too much. They felt that Qin Yao despised them and silently took two steps back.

Qin Yao cleaned the wall and noticed the wind, so she quickly pressed down all the straw that was spread out to dry with the bed boards to prevent it from being blown everywhere.

After doing all this, he turned around and saw four children looking at him with shame and anger.

"What's wrong?" Qin Yao was a little confused. She didn't mean to them, did she?

The four siblings all shook their heads.

Qin Yao wiped her sweat, put her hands on her hips, and asked Dalang, "Do you know where I can find some dry straw?"

Dalang nodded and asked Qin Yao what she wanted the straw for. Qin Yao speechlessly pointed at their bare feet and the rotten straw sandals on her feet that could fall apart at any time.

Dalang understood, and Erlang, Sanlang and Si Niang's eyes lit up. Was their stepmother going to make straw sandals for them?

In the late apocalypse, resources are scarce, and even a pair of shoes can become a fought-for resource.

There was an old man living next door to Qin Yao who specialized in making straw sandals and selling them in exchange for supplies. When she finished her tasks and had some free time, she learned a few tricks from him.

Although not as exquisite as those sold on the market, it is completely fine for daily wear.

Qin Yao followed Dalang and Erlang, sneaking like thieves to the rice field that Old Man Liu had just harvested. There were still a few piles of straw that had not been moved back in time.

Qin Yao raised her eyebrows, "Is it okay to just take it away?"

Dalang didn't say anything, but from his skillful hand speed, it could be seen that he often did this.

Erlang said confidently: "Dad said that what belongs to grandpa is his, and what belongs to him is what belongs to us brothers. It is only natural to take what belongs to our family."

Qin Yao was stunned. What a mess Liu Ji was teaching!

But looking at the handful of straw in her arms, Qin Yao chose to shut up.

Signaling to the two brothers to hurry up, the three mothers each held a handful of straw and disappeared in the field in a short while.

Liu Ji's home is remote, and when they got near his home, the three of them slowed down their pace. The main reason was that the two younger ones behind Qin Yao could not keep up and were panting as if they were about to die. The taro they had just eaten at noon was completely digested after this trip.

"How come you run so fast?" Dalang asked curiously, panting.

Qin Yao answered seriously: "Because I am older than you and have longer legs."

Dalang didn't believe it, but he didn't dare to ask more questions.

Erlang took a breath and took two quick steps to catch up with Qin Yao. "Will you make shoes for us? Can you also weave straw sandals?"

This job is only done by the elderly in the village. He and his brother tried to learn it secretly before and were almost beaten.

Qin Yao suddenly stopped.

The two brothers following behind her hurriedly stopped and avoided bumping into her stomach.

But his tanned face was still a little red. "What, what happened?"

Qin Yao held all the straws in one hand, and used her free hand to slap one of them on the head. "What are you talking about? You are so rude. You should call me auntie."

The two of them were stunned for a moment, then felt relieved and called out, "Auntie."

Qin Yao smiled with satisfaction, "That's good enough. Now that we're home, put down the straw and help me tear off the crispy outer layer, leaving only the strongest part in the middle."

The two brothers said "oh" and put the straw under the eaves.

They are all very obedient children. Qin Yao is secretly satisfied.

In fact, if they are asked to call her mother, not only will they be unhappy about it, but they themselves will also feel uncomfortable. The title of aunt is fine.

Sanlang and Si Niang, who were waiting for them in the house, heard the noise at the door and opened the door and walked out. Qin Yao called the brother and sister and asked them to call her aunt from now on.

Sanlang was a little confused. Didn't he have to call her mother?

Erlang glared at his younger brother and said, "Idiot, just call her auntie, it's fine. They have their own mother. Who would call a woman they don't know as mother?"

Da Lang patted the straw fragments on his hands, came to San Lang and Si Niang, and urged them: "San Lang, Si Niang, call me auntie."

Sanlang said, "Auntie."

Qin Yao responded with an "Hey" and patted his little head, "Go and help me watch over the straw that's drying, don't let the wind blow it away."

After receiving his task, Sanlang smiled shyly, nodded, and happily picked up a small piece of firewood as a stick. He stood beside the straw pile and watched them carefully.

Si Niang suddenly rushed over, hugged Qin Yao, and cried, "I want my mother, I want my mother, I want my mother!"

Dalang looked at Qin Yao awkwardly. His sister was too young to reason with him. Besides, Qin Yao was right in front of him and was just about to make straw sandals for them, but he said that she was not their mother and asked his sister to stop making a fuss. It didn't seem good either.

Qin Yao sighed softly, waved her hand to signal the embarrassed boy in front of her to tear the straw, and gently pulled the small pendant on her thigh away, coaxing her:

"You can call me mother, call me auntie, whatever you want, just be good, okay?"

Si Niang immediately raised her little hand to wipe away the tears on her face and smiled brightly at Qin Yao, "Yeah."

"Si Niang is such a good child." Qin Yao gently wiped the tears from her face, pointed at the threshold, gave her a handful of straw as a toy, and told her to sit still and watch everyone work and not to run around.

There is no yard or fence at home, and the children can run away in the blink of an eye. I have to keep them under close watch to feel at ease.

After settling the younger one down, Qin Yao led the two older ones to start making straw sandals.

There are special racks for making shoes, but the current conditions do not allow it. Qin Yao used a hatchet to cut a few branches and used them as supports, which she could use to weave.

To make straw sandals, you must first process the straw and weave it into thin straw ropes before you can put it on a frame to weave it into straw sandals.

Dalang and Erlang were not very strong, and the ropes they made were very loose. The only thing they could help with was the pre-processing of the straw, and Qin Yao had to do the rest of the work by herself.

Qin Yao spent the entire afternoon twisting the rope, her palms almost sparking from the twisting, before she finally finished twisting all the straw she had brought that day.

The sun was setting, and the rope was rolled up and placed in the house. Qin Yao didn't even have time to drink a sip of water before she immediately asked the children in the house to bring the fluffy bedding and straw back to the house and re-make the two beds.

In the main house, by removing half of the bed board and putting down a single bed, the space immediately becomes larger. The low table used as a cooking table is placed in the middle of the room, and this place becomes a multi-functional activity space.

The four children slept in a separate room in the small house. Qin Yao brought the bed boards removed from the main house and widened the bed so that the four children would not be crowded when sleeping together.

The newly made bed exuded a mixed smell of straw and sunshine. Si Niang climbed onto the bed and rolled over, saying in surprise: "Mother, it's so soft~"

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(End of this chapter)