Wasteland Farming, Manual for Raising Human Cubs

Chapter 144 Candied Haws

The cub, unaware that his every move was being observed, secretly finished watering, clapped his hands, stood up, and immediately ran to the backyard with the bucket.

Now that there is a fence and the front and back yards are enclosed, Zhao Xiaoxiu likes to run straight to the greenhouse in the backyard from the side of the house.

I feel so proud and happy that no one can find out what I am doing.

"Kosode!"

Grandma Meng suddenly shouted, and the sneaky little girl froze.

"Grandma." Zhao Xiaoxiu turned around with a giggle, forgetting that the two houses were next to each other, which was awkward.

Granny Meng covered her head and face, and walked over with freshly burned charcoal in her arms. "I tried to burn a furnace of charcoal with the thick branches you brought back. I didn't expect it to be successful on the first try. These are for you and your daughter to use."

Zhao Xiaoxiu looked at the mud mound behind the Meng family's bungalow in surprise, "Grandma, are all these charcoals burned in that mud stove?"

Granny Meng nodded, "Yes." She walked forward a few steps and found the little guy still standing there, smiling and shouting for her to follow.

"What have you been doing? What are you doing with the bucket?"

Zhao Xiaoxiu opened her eyes wide and said nonsense: "I'm going to play in the snow."

It was reasonable to use a bucket to hold snow. Grandma Meng smiled and didn't ask any more questions. She put the more than ten pounds of charcoal in her hand into the firewood room at the back door and left.

There are still a lot of thick branches left, and she will study how to improve the quality of the charcoal.

"Thank you, grandma!" Zhao Xiaoxiu said sweetly while standing at the back door.

Granny Meng waved her hand with her back to show that she heard it and that you're welcome.

Zhao Xiaoxiu patted his chest. He clearly didn't do anything, but he still felt guilty.

She shook her head violently to get rid of the feeling and rushed into the greenhouse happily: "Monkey Sister, Monkey Sister!"

Just as I opened the door curtain, I bumped into a steaming furry belly with a "bang". I was wearing thick clothes, which greatly reduced my agility. I was not paying attention and fell to the ground with a "duang~".

Sister Monkey: "."

Zhao Xiaoxiu: “.”

The child and the monkey looked at each other in silence for a moment. Zhao Xiaoxiu then got up from the ground, patted his butt, and dusted off his wrinkled cotton coat and trousers.

Sister Monkey squeaked and pointed inside, pulling Zhao Xiaoxiu over to look.

Zhao Xiaoxiu thought that the evolved crops planted in the greenhouse were not doing well, so she followed them out of curiosity. Unexpectedly, it was the evolved tomatoes that were bearing fruit.

Grape-like red and yellow colors are entangled together, hanging brightly on the green branches and leaves, emitting an attractive luster like small colored lights.

"Gulu!"

Zhao Xiaoxiu swallowed hard unconsciously.

Maybe the sound was too loud, Sister Monkey looked down at her bulging belly, then stretched out her paw to touch it.

Finally, she confirmed that the sound came from here. Sister Monkey immediately picked a handful of small red tomatoes and held them in front of the cub, "Eat!"

Zhao Xiaoxiu lowered her head and smelled it. It smelled like real tomatoes, with the skin fragrant.
But it’s not ripe yet, right?

The cub still couldn't resist the temptation of food. He picked up a red one with his little hand and put it in his mouth. He bit it with his teeth. An astringent taste instantly spread in his mouth and his face immediately wrinkled.

It's so bitter! Zhao Xiaoxiu's inner villain screamed to the sky.

It doesn't taste good, but she can't bear to spit it out. The soft and sandy texture of the flesh makes her feel so happy that she wants to cry, as she has been drinking nutrient solution every day recently.

"Squeak?" The monkey sister looked at the two drops of water rolling down from under the cub's eyelashes in horror. Thinking that she was poisoned, she quickly grabbed her legs, hung her upside down, and shook her wildly.

He growled in his mouth, "Spit it out, spit it out quickly!"

Zhao Xiaoxiu was caught off guard and spurted out saliva mixed with chewed fruit pulp. With tears in her eyes, she climbed onto Sister Monkey's back, rode on her and pulled the long hair behind her head angrily. "Sister Monkey, you're choking me to death!" Zhao Xiaoxiu shouted angrily.

The monkey sister cried out in pain as her hair was plucked. She stretched out her arms and quickly grabbed the cub off her back. She pressed the two little hands tightly against her legs and glared at her with her big monkey eyes, warning her not to move.

Sister Monkey bared her teeth: It hurts!

Zhao Xiaoxiu: "I'm about to choke to death!"

Sister Monkey tilted her head: Choked to death? Not poisoned?
Zhao Xiaoxiu: "I cried because it was so unpalatable that I didn't get poisoned."

Sister Monkey: I thought you were poisoned, so I made you vomit.

Zhao Xiaoxiu realized that she had misunderstood it, and pouted embarrassedly and kissed it from across the air: Honey, don't be angry.

The monkey's temper came and went quickly. He immediately picked up the cub and gave her two big "bo bo" kisses with his monkey mouth.

Zhao Xiaoxiu silently wiped the saliva off her face and laughed.

The baby and the monkey are back to being friends again. They squat in the greenhouse together, holding their chins in their hands, studying how long it will take for evolved tomatoes to fully mature.

Sister Monkey: [Five days.]

Zhao Xiaoxiu was excited. She would be able to eat sweet and sour tomatoes soon.
As for the handful that Sister Monkey had just picked, Zhao Xiaoxiu decided to take it home and let her father think of a solution.

"Dad, you're such a great cook, you won't let these tomatoes go to waste, right?"

The cub held a handful of beautiful tomatoes in his hand and looked up at Zhao Gang with great anticipation.

During this period, the lords really started to hibernate, not socializing, and there was no one at home to recharge.

There were no outsiders around, and the tentacles on Zhao Gang's body automatically came out and cautiously reached the cub's palm. It seemed to sniff the scent of fruit, and immediately shook its head in disgust.

Zhao Gang also frowned. This was too challenging.

But looking at the cub's expectant eyes, he couldn't bear to refuse.

"Dad, let you try it." Zhao Gang took out a small bowl and asked Zhao Xiaoxiu to put the raw tomatoes in it. He brought it to the stove and fell into deep thought.

Zhao Xiaoxiu was warming herself by the fire, arm wrestling with Zhao Gang's disobedient tentacles, while patiently waiting for her delicious dinner.

There was silence in front of the stove for a while, and then there was movement again.

Zhao Gang took out the white sugar from the cupboard, then took down the stainless steel spoon, poured a small half spoonful of white sugar into the spoon, and put it on the high-temperature charcoal fire to melt.

While the sugar is melting, stir it evenly with chopsticks to prevent it from burning.

The other tentacle processed the twelve raw tomatoes in clean water, washed them thoroughly, dried the water on the skin, and strung them together with chopsticks, six per string, for two strings in total.

The completely melted white sugar turns reddish brown, and after it is slightly cooled, it is evenly wrapped around the two bunches of tomatoes.

While the sugar is still hot, hold the chopsticks with your palms together and turn them quickly. The crystal clear sugar threads will be thrown out and wrapped around the sugar coating. Then two skewers of sugar-coated tomatoes are ready.

"Try it." Zhao Gang handed two skewers of sugar-coated tomatoes to his cub and let her eat them confidently.

Zhao Xiaoxiu said in surprise: "Tanghulu!"

Open your mouth wide, bite off one in one go, and your mouth will be filled with fine sugar shreds, so sweet.

After biting open the sugar skin, the astringency of the fruit was immediately covered by the sweetness of the sugar coating, leaving only a soft and sandy texture. Zhao Xiaoxiu was so amazed that her whole face lit up.

She ate two in one go, and exclaimed with starry eyes, "So delicious, Dad, I knew you were the best!"

Zhao Gang held his chin, wandering in the ocean of colorful bubbles with a happy smile on his face.

The two tentacles tried hard to lower the angle of his mouth, saying, "Please stop looking so worthless!"
(End of this chapter)