Chapter 10

Sang Luo arrived with a bowl and left with a wooden bucket used for fetching water. She placed her own bowl and the flax processing tool borrowed from old man Chen in the bucket, while Shen An and Shen Ning each carried a large pottery basin.

Seeing Sang Luo picking herself up, Mrs. Chen sincerely hoped that she could help Shen An and Shen Ning live a better life, so she was very willing to help. She rearranged things in her own house, tight as it was, and prepared enough items for Sang Luo to sell at the market.

Sang Luo’s trip to Chen’s house had everything ready for the next market day. Her mood was simply too good!

As the three walked out of Chen’s house, they had only taken a few steps when Shen Jin poked his head out from the neighboring Shen family’s courtyard. “Shen An, why did you go to Chen’s house? What are you carrying?”

Shen An glanced at his cousin and replied casually, “I just borrowed something.”

He didn’t even pause his steps.

Seeing him like this, Shen Jin’s curiosity was piqued even more. He hurried over to them and looked at what the siblings were carrying. Seeing that it was an empty pottery basin, he lost interest. Thinking about what he had seen from afar just now, he turned and asked, “What did you guys bring to Chen’s house just now? I saw it. There was something in the bowl, green and jade-like.”

Shen An’s lips subconsciously tightened, his eyes becoming guarded. However, his voice remained calm and unchanged, showing no signs of suspicion as he replied, “Wild vegetable dumplings.”

Shen Jin, although feeling uncertain, didn’t see clearly from afar and thought about how Shen An always had to come to their house even to eat, so there couldn’t be anything good. He shrugged it off and asked, “Why didn’t you come for food this morning? My mom said you knocked on our door last night. Weren’t you starving?”

The mention of asking for food made Sang Luo furrow her brows.

However, Shen An’s focus wasn’t on that at all. He stared directly at Shen Jin. “So Uncle and Aunt heard it last night?”

Even though he already had a sense of what happened, hearing Shen Jin speak about it made Shen An’s grip on the pottery basin tighten, his knuckles turning white.

Thinking that if it wasn’t for old man Chen and Mrs. Chen sending food last night, Sang Luo might not be okay now. At the very least, she wouldn’t be able to walk around and smile, taking him and Shen Ning to scavenge for food.

Shen Jin didn’t realize the significance of this. “Yes, they heard it. My mom said someone came to borrow food last night. My dad specifically told my mom to save some food for you guys. Why didn’t you come today?”

Before Shen An could say anything, Shen Ning, who usually looked soft, stepped in front of her elder brother and retorted, “Mrs. Chen borrowed us food last night. If it weren’t for her, my sister-in-law might have died today. And we’re not beggars.”

The little girl wasn’t good at arguing with others. Despite sounding fierce, she lacked the strength to back it up, and her eyes were already turning red as she spoke.

Seeing Shen Ning trembling and her eyes reddening, Sang Luo thought to herself, “Is this child prone to tears?”

She quickly comforted Shen Ning by rubbing her head without saying anything else, then turned to Shen Jin and asked, “Xiao Jin, you’re eight years old now, right?”

Shen Jin looked puzzled. “Yeah, what about it?”

Sang Luo smirked, her smile turning cold. “At eight years old, you should understand things. Asking for food is what beggars do. Shen An is your cousin. You should ask your parents if what you said was appropriate.”

She wasn’t interested in disciplining other people’s unruly kids. After speaking, she didn’t wait for Shen Jin’s response and patted Shen Ning’s shoulder. “Alright, in the future, your sister-in-law will find a way to make sure you’re all well-fed. You don’t have to borrow food from others anymore. Let’s go back.”

The three of them left, leaving Shen Jin standing there in a daze for a while before he snapped out of it. Was his sister-in-law scolding him for being rude? She was, wasn’t she? She was!

Shen Jin was also furious. He had kindly asked why they didn’t come for food, so why was he being scolded? With gritted teeth, he turned to run back home to complain to his mother, and he would make sure his father heard it too!

If they didn’t want to eat, then so be it. From now on, they wouldn’t be borrowing anything from their house, not even a grain of rice.

Third Uncle Shen and his wife were about to take a nap when their eldest son rushed in, eagerly reporting everything.

Mrs. Li chuckled after listening, “Heh, they said it themselves. It’s fine if they don’t come; it saves me the trouble.”

Then she looked at Third Uncle Shen and said, “See that? I’m your aunt, and they don’t even respect their own uncle like that. You don’t need to worry about them anymore.”

She sneered, “A few wild vegetable dumplings, as if they’re something special.”

…

What Mrs. Li didn’t care for, the Chen family cherished. They gathered together to taste the novelty brought by Sang Luo.

Normally, villagers ate only two meals a day. But Sang Luo’s gift was something new and intriguing. The Chen family had never seen anything like it. Even the youngest granddaughter, Xiao Ya, who had heard Shen An and Shen Ning praising it, pestered her grandmother to let her taste it first.

Once she tasted it, her eyes lit up. The jelly-like substance, with its bright green color, was a new experience for the rural children.

Soon, the whole family was enjoying the treat, including Mrs. Chen, who was surprised to find it sweet and delicious.

Mrs. Chen realized that some of the malt candy they had sent over last night had been melted down by Sang Luo and used in this dish. She felt content, knowing that her act of kindness hadn’t gone to waste.

Chen Youtian and Qin Fangniang also tried a piece, recognizing its quality. They didn’t eat much, leaving the rest for the two elders and the children. Qin Fangniang watched her daughter enjoy the food and felt relieved, knowing that her mother-in-law’s gesture of sending two liters of rice to the Shen family had been worthwhile. She praised Sang Luo’s skill, marveling at the delicious dish made from local ingredients.

Mrs. Chen glanced at her daughter-in-law. “When it comes to skills, don’t ask too many questions. Otherwise, you might cause misunderstandings.”

Chen’s daughter-in-law was puzzled but quickly explained, “Mother, I didn’t mean anything.”

Mrs. Chen smiled, “I know. I’m just giving you a piece of advice. That child might rely on her skills to make a living in the future. Since she trusts us enough to send us food, let’s not gossip about it outside.”

She then looked at her grandchildren. “And you two, don’t mention that your sister-in-law made this food when you’re outside, understand?”

Qin Fangniang and her children nodded repeatedly.

…

Meanwhile, as Shen An and Shen Ning walked silently behind Sang Luo on their way back, Shen Ning couldn’t help but ask, “Sister-in-law, will we really be able to feed ourselves in the future?”

Even though her sister-in-law had turned leaves from the mountains into such beautiful and delicious food today, Shen Ning still felt unsure.

Shen An was glad to see his sister defending him and couldn’t bear to see her upset and scared. Without waiting for Sang Luo’s response, he reassured her, “What are you afraid of? We’ve been living on wild vegetables every day before. Now that my sister-in-law can make fairy tofu, even if we don’t have grain, we can eat fairy tofu every day. Fairy tofu is so delicious!”

I don’t know how much better it is than boiled wild vegetables.

“Moreover,” Sang Luo listened with a smile to Shen An, the ancient version of a protective brother, comforting his sister, and affirmed at the right moment, “Shen An is right. Fairy tofu is indeed a good thing. But it’s not enough to eat as a meal. However, it’s true that selling fairy tofu can buy us grain.”

With both the elder brother and sister-in-law saying so, Shen Ning’s face also brightened up, feeling that the future suddenly seemed brighter, and there was hope ahead.

The three of them walked back home, chatting and laughing along the way. They picked some wild onions and water spinach they found on the roadside. Later, when they went to check the fish traps in the evening, they would look for more water and spinach to make a dish for dinner.

Back home, Shen Ning’s worries were completely gone. He put down his belongings and helped Sang Luo peel the hemp.

On the other hand, Shen An occasionally glanced towards the mountains, looking around a few times. He discussed with Sang Luo, “Sister-in-law, should I go pick some more leaves from the fairy tree? Let’s make some more for dinner.”

He hadn’t eaten enough at lunch.

Shen An and Shen Ning had been raised by their uncle and aunt since they were young. At that time, Shen Lie was just a teenager. Although he could provide some extra meals for his younger siblings by secretly catching birds, fish, and crabs in the mountains and rivers, they hadn’t really had snacks or treats before.

For the two children who were trying something like fairy tofu for the first time, it was indeed a top-notch delicacy. How could they not want more? With just one bowl shared among the three of them, it was impossible to have enough.

Upon hearing his brother’s words, Shen Ning also looked at Sang Luo, clearly tempted.

Sang Luo smiled, “Alright, but just look around nearby. Don’t go too deep into the woods.”

Shen An nodded repeatedly, “No need to go too far. There are plenty of them nearby.”

Shen Ning couldn’t stay behind either. Sang Luo waved her hand, “If you want to go, go ahead. I can handle the hemp peeling myself.”

Shen Ning’s eyes sparkled, “Then I’ll go, and I’ll also look for some water spinach.”

The two children happily ran off. As they walked, Shen An quietly instructed his sister, “Don’t break any branches, and pick the leaves that sister-in-law mentioned. Scatter them around. Don’t make it too obvious, or else if the villagers find out that we’re selling this at the market, they might start investigating.”

Shen Ning nodded vigorously, “Second brother, I got it.”