Granny and the others had gone to the main kitchen to help with pickling sauerkraut. Chen Lan stayed home to tidy up and prepare the rooms where Granny and her family would be staying.
She organized the miscellaneous items in the spare rooms, clearing out several empty rooms.
She would clean up further later so that Granny’s large family would have a comfortable place to stay when they arrived.
Mother and Mama Liu wanted to help, but Chen Lan didn’t let them. With the system warehouse as a cheat, the work was done quickly and efficiently!
Once the rooms were arranged, they needed to be cleaned. This was a rather large undertaking, and Chen Lan was sweating profusely from working alone.
Wen Kai, Wen Qi, and Ming Zhe saw Chen Lan running up and down working hard and immediately put down their books to help. They helped with wiping and scrubbing. The four of them worked enthusiastically.
Ming Zhe suddenly said, "Wen Kai, Wen Qi, I'll move in with you two tomorrow, okay? I don't want to live with my mom! Let my mom go live with my big sister."
Chen Lan asked curiously, "Ming Zhe, when did Granny say she was going to live with you?"
Ming Zhe pouted unhappily and said, "When Mom was discussing moving in with Mama Cui, I overheard her. Big Sister-in-law, can I live with Wen Kai and Wen Qi?"
Chen Lan quickly replied, "I don't care about that. As long as you all agree, it's fine."
The four of them quickly tidied up the several empty rooms. They didn't need the young boys to help with laying the kang mats, so she sent them back to their studies.
With the help of the system warehouse, Chen Lan quickly laid the kang mats in several rooms, and then arranged the kang quilts and blankets! Even with the system's assistance, Chen Lan was still sweating profusely.
Just as she finished working, she sat down on the sofa, intending to chat with her mother and keep the recently awakened twins company. She hadn't even gotten comfortable on the sofa, nor had she had a moment to catch her breath!
Granny came home looking for Chen Lan. As soon as they met, Granny said anxiously, "Xiao Lan, quickly, ask your father-in-law to get us a few more large vats. There's still a pile of Chinese cabbage outside the main kitchen that needs a place to go."
Chen Lan quickly said, "Granny, have you forgotten that Brother Ming Xuan's comrades' families, six families in total, will be arriving in a couple of days? We still need to save some fresh Chinese cabbage for them in the cellar. Su Dan Novels.
Granny, please go back to the main kitchen now and tell Uncle De and Uncle Fu that before the snow starts, we must quickly dig two more cellars for the other two houses. This is to store Chinese cabbage, radishes, and some winter vegetables, so that Brother Ming Xuan's comrades can spend the winter comfortably."
As she spoke, she checked the system time with her mind.
There was still time; it was only three o'clock in the afternoon. So she hurried to say, "Granny, I won't accompany you to the main kitchen. I'll bring the vats you asked for to the main kitchen later.
Since it's still early, I need to go up the mountain quickly to chop some firewood for them and stack a few large piles of firewood in front of their houses.
This will be convenient for them to use. Otherwise, they would have to come all the way here to get firewood, which would be too inconvenient."
Granny heard that it made sense and quickly agreed. She turned and walked out the door towards the main kitchen.
Chen Lan also quickly went upstairs to change into clothes suitable for going up the mountain.
She informed her mother downstairs, patted the little faces of the twins who had just woken up, and then turned and walked out the door to go up the mountain.
Chen Lan didn't go too far, finding a patch of uncut forest on a nearby mountain and started working.
Suddenly, there was a flurry of activity. Chen Lan hadn't planned to hunt today, but seeing the meat delivered to her, how could she refuse?
So she took out her bow and crossbow and six carbon steel arrows from the system warehouse and began to hunt.
Perhaps it was because the weather was about to change! Taking advantage of the sunny weather today, many animals came out to forage, so Chen Lan had a very fruitful harvest today.
In a short while, she had a full basket of game, which would be two more dishes for Xu Ming Xuan's comrades when they arrived in a couple of days.
Chen Lan dared not delay further and continued to prepare firewood. After working for about half an hour, she saw that it was getting late.
She put everything into the system warehouse and quickly descended into the valley.
She came to the space between the fourth and fifth houses and heard sounds from behind both houses. She guessed that Uncle De and Uncle Fu were busy digging cellars behind the houses.
Chen Lan didn't go over to disturb them. It was going to snow, and everyone hoped to finish their tasks before the snow. So everyone was busy with their own work.
She took the branches out of the system warehouse and laid them on the ground to dry. Tomorrow, she would ask Uncle De and the others to help stack them into piles, and that would be it.
If the firewood was not enough, she could always go up the mountain again tomorrow.
Chen Lan turned around and walked towards the main kitchen. As she approached, she heard Granny's voice, "Ming Wei, put some effort into it and compact it well, leaving no gaps, or the sauerkraut will rot easily. Yes, yes, just like that."
Then she heard Ming Wei say weakly, "Mom, I'm out of strength. Can you have someone else do it? Look, my sweat is dripping into the sauerkraut vat."
At this moment, Chen Lan quietly approached. While everyone was busy with their heads down, she quietly took out five large vats from the system warehouse one by one and placed them behind them.
She also took out the basket of pheasants and rabbits from the system warehouse and placed it aside.
Hearing Ming Wei's words, she looked back and indeed, Ming Wei's face was flushed red, and sweat was dripping down her. She looked like she had used all her strength.
So she said, "Ming Wei, you come out! Big Sister-in-law will help you."
Hearing that Chen Lan had returned from the mountain, Ming Wei, Granny, and everyone else looked up and greeted Chen Lan.
Granny asked happily, "How is it? Xiao Lan, is the firewood ready?"
Chen Lan washed her hands and replied, "I brought some firewood back. I don't know if it's enough. I'll ask Uncle De and Uncle Fu when they stack the firewood tomorrow. If it's not enough, I'll go up the mountain again tomorrow."
Ming Wei climbed out of the large vat. Just as Chen Lan was about to take the rain boots Ming Wei had taken off to put them on, Xiao Xue snatched the rain boots from her and whispered, "Xiao Lan, you just came back from the mountain. You rest. I'll do this. Let me go in."
With that, she took off her cotton shoes, put on the rain boots, and climbed into the large vat.
Chen Lan thought to herself that since everyone was living together, it was only right for each person to do what they could. She no longer stopped her.