Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Nowhere to Milk
"There are indeed some, but why are you asking about this, Jing’er?" Gu Nian asked why Erhu was asked to buy two milk-producing goats, which wasn’t just for their family’s consumption.
Upon hearing this question, Lin Jing’er blushed even more, "It’s my sister-in-law, her milk is not enough, the child keeps having diarrhea after drinking it, so we have to wean the child early. The little one has weak teeth and can’t eat much. These past two months, he’s become so skinny that it’s breaking my mom’s heart. So I’m asking around if there’s a solution, then I could go to Old Mr. Li for some goat milk daily, at least to supplement a bit."
They had thought about this before, but goat milk was too strong-smelling, and little ones can’t understand like adults do, so it was difficult to feed them.
Knowing it’s for the child, Gu Nian then said, "There are actually a few ways to remove the smell from goat milk. You can add a bit of white vinegar, or slices of radish and mung beans when boiling the milk, then take them out when it’s done."
Gu Nian suddenly remembered, "Oh right, I noticed the apricots in the mountains seem ripe. You can also use apricot kernels to boil the milk."
Lin Jing’er truly adored her little nephew, evident from her joyous expression.
Listening to Gu Nian’s generous sharing of ways to prepare the milk, Lin Jing’er excitedly held Gu Nian’s small hand, "Niannian, you’ve helped our family a lot. I’ll first thank you on behalf of my little nephew. Sister doesn’t come out often, but when you have time, come visit and play with me, or if you want to go into the mountains to dig wild vegetables and pick mushrooms, Huan’er can take you. She’s a few years older than you and knows the mountains well, she’s familiar with the village girls."
Lin Jing’er said this with some intention.
Lin Sanshui had said he would treat Gu Nian like his own daughter, but the village children all knew Gu Nian was a newcomer, so most were reluctant to play with her.
Certainly, Gu Nian wasn’t keen on following a bunch of kids around. With that time, she’d rather think about how to earn money, how to learn more.
Lin Jing’er wasn’t aware of Gu Nian’s thoughts and had plans to have Lin Huan’er introduce her to the village kids, so she wouldn’t be excluded anymore.
Gu Nian couldn’t directly refuse, so she replied, "Alright, when I have time, I’ll visit and play with the two sisters."
Soon after, Lin Xiangdong from the second house was sent to deliver a bundle of greens and beans, all grown in their farm’s own garden. Though not particularly valuable, it was an exchange of goodwill.
Sanhu and Little Hu returned with Erhu. Each held a goat, while Erhu carried a lamb, bringing a lively atmosphere to the quiet space.
Gu Nian eagerly went out to see the goats, only to be deterred by their strong odor, stepping back a few paces.
Pinching her nose, Gu Nian called out, "Second Brother, stop playing around and hurry up, move the goats to the pigsty, it stinks!"
Erhu frowned, "The pigsty is full of mud. How will we milk the goats if we move them there?"
Gu Nian’s mind went blank instantly.
Initially only considering convenience for milking, she had forgotten about where to keep them.
There were two pigs in the pigsty, space was limited, the other side of the yard was planted with vegetables, the cows occupied the barn, half of the toilet was fenced for raising chickens and ducks, leaving the small yard very crowded.