Chapter 71: Delivering Food to the Military Camp  

Jiang Rou worked swiftly, making more than thirty Qingming rice cakes in one go.  

Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua were also full of enthusiasm, continuously rolling small green rice balls. Though their sizes varied at first, they gradually became more uniform and appealing.  

While the mother and her two children were busy, Zhao Guifen from the neighboring house knocked on the door and stepped into their courtyard.  

“Sister Rou, what delicious food are you making? I’ve been smelling the aroma coming from your house for ages! Oh, it’s making me so hungry… You have no idea how long I tried to hold back at home. But I just couldn’t resist anymore, so I had to come over… Quick, let me see! Let me see! What exactly are you working on?”  

Zhao Guifen was as fiery and straightforward as ever.  

As soon as she stepped in, she spoke like pouring out beans, saying everything on her mind without the slightest reservation.  

Then, her eyes shifted, and she immediately noticed the bamboo tray filled to the brim.  

On the tray, rows of neatly arranged green rice balls sat side by side.  

There were also beautifully crafted Qingming rice cakes, plump and round like little moons, all lined up in order.  

Jiang Rou had even placed a perilla leaf under each green rice ball.

This way, the green rice balls would not stick to the bamboo tray and could be lifted easily.  

Jiang Rou rubbed her hands together, stood up, and greeted Zhao Guifen: “Sister Guifen.”  

At that moment, Zhao Guifen was completely stunned by the sight before her.  

This was just a single morning’s work, yet Jiang Rou had made so many in one go. And… and… and…  

“What in the world is this?”  

Zhao Guifen stared at the green, round, ball-like things, clicking her tongue in amazement.  

She was a true northerner. After coming to the south, she had gone straight to an island, never getting the chance to learn about the customs and traditions of the southern regions.  

For someone like Zhao Guifen, who had come from a remote village, everything before her was completely unfamiliar.  

She was utterly shocked and intrigued.  

Jiang Rou did not think Zhao Guifen was ignorant. It was simply because the country was vast, with significant differences between the north and the south. People’s eating habits varied, which was entirely normal.  

Jiang Rou explained: “Sister Guifen, the round ones are called Qingtuan, and the ones shaped like dumplings are Qingming rice cakes.”  

“Qingtuan? Qingming rice cakes?” Zhao Guifen’s eyes widened in astonishment. “They’re so green… Are these even edible?”  

The dough, soaked with wormwood and mugwort juice, had a deep green color, making it look very different from typical foods.  

That was why Zhao Guifen found it so perplexing.  

“They’re edible. Just like steamed buns, they only need to be steamed for fifteen minutes. The green color comes from the juice of cudweed and mugwort… The filling inside is made of pickled vegetables and diced bamboo shoots…”  

Jiang Rou carefully explained all the ingredients and the method for making Qing Tuan in detail.

Her voice was clear, her tone gentle, and she spoke neither too fast nor too slow. As she explained, Zhao Guifen kept nodding repeatedly.  

Jiang Rou then added: “Sister Guifen, I’m almost done. It’s about time to steam them. Would you like to try one?”  

Zhao Guifen hurriedly waved her hands. “Oh, that would be too embarrassing…”  

—  

Twenty minutes later.  

In the Zhou family’s courtyard.  

A circle of small wooden stools.  

Seated around them were Jiang Rou, Zhou Xiaochuan, and Zhou Xiaohua. Beside them were Zhao Guifen and her two children, Da Huzi and Er Huzi.  

Each person held a freshly steamed, piping hot green rice ball in their hands.  

“Ow, ow, ow! It’s so hot!”  

“Ah—this smells amazing.”  

“Mother, this thing is so green… Are you sure we can eat it? We won’t get poisoned, will we?”  

Da Huzi and Er Huzi had never seen Qingtuan before. Holding them in their hands, they looked at them and sniffed their aroma, but they hesitated to take a bite.  

After all, children growing up in the mountains knew that the brighter the color of a wild mushroom, the more poisonous it was—something never to be eaten carelessly.  

The moment Zhao Guifen heard this, she reached out and smacked Er Huzi on the head.  

“Er Huzi, your Aunt Jiang made these with so much effort, and she’s sharing them with you. How can you not even say thank you and instead spout such nonsense?”  

Er Huzi, having been scolded, shrank his neck and lowered his head, not daring to make another sound.  

Da Huzi, being the older brother, was more mature and bolder.

“What poisoning? At most, it’d just give you an upset stomach.”  

“Something this fragrant—whoever doesn’t eat it is a fool!”  

Chomp!  

With that, Da Huzi took a big bite.  

The moment he bit down, his face instantly twisted as he sucked in air through his teeth.  

“Ahhh… So hot! So hot!”  

Even though the outer layer had cooled slightly, the inside of the freshly steamed Qing Tuan was still scorching.  

Da Huzi kept exhaling rapidly while rolling the rice ball around in his mouth, chewing furiously. Despite the heat, he simply couldn’t bear to spit it out.  

Through the burning sensation, his tongue tasted pure deliciousness.  

“…It’s so good! Wow! Mother, this is amazing!”  

Swallowing in a hurry, he immediately turned to Zhao Guifen and shouted.  

Hearing that, Zhao Guifen grew anxious—was it really that delicious?  

She held her Qingtuan, blew on it a few times, and took a bite.  

The outer layer, made from glutinous rice flour, was soft and chewy after steaming. As she bit into it, it felt like sinking her teeth into a tender, sticky-sweet paste.  

The Qingtuan itself had little flavor, only carrying a light and refreshing aroma of mugwort.  

Just as she thought it might be too plain, the filling of pickled vegetables and diced bamboo shoots burst forth with an incredible umami taste.  

The sour-salty tang of the pickled greens, the crisp crunch of the bamboo shoots, and the rich, savory flavor of the meat—it was simply irresistible.

Jiang Rou had specially added diced spiced tofu to the filling, giving it an extra layer of flavor.  

The softness of the qingtuan combined with the tangy crunch of pickled bamboo shoots created a rich and delightful texture, making it incredibly delicious.  

“There’s meat! Sister Rou, there’s actually meat in this dumpling you made!”  

Zhao Guifen was a straightforward person. She couldn’t describe the chewy yet soft and glutinous texture, so she could only exclaim excitedly about her favorite flavor—meat.  

Jiang Rou gave a faint smile.  

“Guifen, I only added a little minced meat, not too much.”  

Zhao Guifen couldn’t hide the smile on her face. “It’s delicious! So good! Sister Rou, your cooking is amazing!”  

With Zhao Guifen’s continuous praise, the others also began eating the qingtuan.  

Jiang Rou, however, was taking care of Zhou Xiaohua. She carefully tore open the middle of the qingtuan and blew on it a few times before feeling at ease letting her eat.  

Zhou Xiaochuan was eating the one he had made himself.  

Small, ugly, and lopsided.  

The little wolf cub was secretly eating his own, wanting to destroy the evidence.  

But with just one bite—  

So soft, so tasty!  

A texture he had never experienced before spread across his tongue.  

Even though his qingtuan looked ugly, the dough and filling were still handmade by Jiang Rou, just as delicious as the others.  

One by one, the whole group couldn’t stop eating.  

Zhao Guifen, feeling a bit embarrassed to eat too much, stopped after having two. She looked at the remaining qingtuan and inhaled deeply, savoring the lingering aroma still drifting from the small kitchen.  

She sighed with admiration.

“Sister Rou, your qingtuan is so delicious, but it’s such a pity that Regiment Commander Zhou doesn’t get to eat any. How about this—we go to the military camp at noon to deliver food?”  

Jiang Rou was momentarily stunned. She looked up, her expression filled with both hesitation and excitement.  

She asked doubtfully: “Can we deliver food to the military camp?”