Chapter 13 – Why Don’t You Just Rob Me

Since everything came from the Jiang family anyway, they might as well make full use of it.

Although the picket fence looked nice, it was basically just for show. If someone really wanted to get in, it would only take lifting a leg to do so.

Looks like this yard needed a proper mud-brick wall to feel safer.

Since they also needed to buy a table and a kang cabinet, after eating the meat buns Tang Xiaomin brought back, the two of them lay on the heated brick bed for a bit.

Suddenly, Jiang Manman sat up abruptly and exclaimed,
“Ah! We totally forgot—we don’t even have firewood!”

Tang Xiaomin was dumbfounded. That was true.

“How about we go up the mountain now to gather some?”

Jiang Manman thought about it and agreed, but then added,
“How about this? Let’s split up. You go ask someone to make us a kang cabinet and a dining table with benches.
I’ll go up the mountain to gather firewood. I heard there are a lot of snakes and bugs in the mountains, but I’m not scared. I’ll go.”

Tang Xiaomin was so touched that she hugged her on the spot.
“Manman, I really made the right choice moving out to live with you. Be careful though. Oh, I also have a few cans of malted milk—we can have some tomorrow morning.”

Jiang Manman smiled. Looks like Tang Xiaomin’s family was quite well-off too.

“Alright, enough with the mushiness. Let’s go. We need to get everything done today. Tomorrow we start working, and we won’t have time for all this.”

“Right, right! I’ll head off now.”

“Oh, and tell the village secretary about the wall-building thing too.”

“Got it!”

After Tang Xiaomin left, Jiang Manman also went outside to grab a bamboo basket.

She had brought it out along with the iron pot and other stuff. Anything usable should be used—no need to waste it.

Then she pulled firewood out of her space and dumped it all out. No need for coal—it’s summer, after all.

She slung the basket on her back and headed for the mountain, which was only a short walk from their house.

Five minutes later, she reached the foot of the mountain and pulled a machete out of her basket.

She chopped a tree branch to use as a walking stick and began climbing. Back in the day, she used to go camping and traveling a lot, and her wilderness survival skills were top-notch.

There were many mountains around here. Though it wasn’t as extreme as hunting deer in the northeast, the natural resources were quite abundant.

Along the way, she found a bunch of mushrooms and even saw wild chickens and rabbits.

She gave it a try—threw the machete—and cleanly chopped off a wild chicken’s head. The chicken dropped dead on the spot.

“Wow, impressive! You must be a new educated youth, huh?”

Jiang Manman turned to look. A young man around her age had approached.

He had a basket on his back, just like hers, filled with pigweed.

A grown man out gathering pigweed? That was a first.

“Yeah, my surname is Jiang. Who are you?”

“I’m a local. Name’s Qian Duoyu.
You’ve got great aim—just one swing and that wild chicken was done for.
Hey, since you just got here today, are there even enough beds for everyone at your educated youth spot?
I’ve got an empty room at my place. Why don’t you stay with me? Just pay in food rations—no rent needed.”

Jiang Manman tilted her head, touched her face, and thought, Do I really look that easy to fool?

She had already checked herself in the mirror—her face looked nearly the same as her past life’s, just chubbier.

She’d lose weight soon. Had to get her beauty back.

“Thanks, but no thanks. Our educated youth quarters are a bit tight, but we’ve already rented a house. No need to trouble you.”

She said this as she picked up the chicken and weighed it. Probably about three to four catties.

She also had mushrooms—perfect for chicken and mushroom stew.

Right, she’d lose weight after eating. She was going to be working hard anyway—she’d slim down naturally.

When Qian Duoyu heard she had already rented a house, he immediately guessed which one.

“Did you rent that barefoot doctor’s house?
Someone just died there. Don’t you think that’s unlucky?”

Jiang Manman tilted her head and asked,
“Are the dead scarier than the living?
They’re already dead—they can’t take advantage of me or get in my way.
Honestly, sometimes the living are worse than the dead.”

Her words made Qian Duoyu’s lips twitch. It really sounded like she was insulting him.

“Heh… whatever makes you happy. Hey, the chicken’s already headless—why not give me the head?”

As he said that, he reached down to grab the chicken head. But Jiang Manman was faster—she scooped it up and tossed it into her basket.

“I love eating chicken heads and necks. There’s not much meat, so I won’t be giving it to you.”

What kind of man was this? Jiang Manman rolled her eyes and hurried deeper into the mountain.

Leaving Qian Duoyu standing there, face like thunder.

This new educated youth was seriously stingy.

Jiang Manman briskly walked away, disgusted. What a bottom-tier guy—eyeing even her chicken head.

Then she spotted a patch of shepherd’s purse—her favorite wild vegetable. Perfect for dumplings and buns.

She quickly used her machete to cut a section near the roots.

She also found water celery—another favorite. Its flavor was ten times stronger than regular celery. Blanch it and use it in buns? The taste was unforgettable.

Aaahh, with all this good food, how could she ever lose weight?

Forget it—she’d take it all back. She’d need strength to lose weight anyway. Decision made!

By the time she returned, Tang Xiaomin still wasn’t back. Seeing it was getting late, she went ahead and pulled a water vat from her space.

She’d just say she bought it from a local.

Now the kitchen finally felt complete. But with only one stove, it still wasn’t enough.

If she steamed rice, she couldn’t boil water or stew chicken at the same time. Plus, she had to blanch the water celery.
Looks like she needed at least two more stoves—at least one dedicated to making rice.

Rice? Oh right, she was supposed to be dieting. Rice was the enemy. Fine, she’d skip it and just make the chicken stew.

Big pot, wood-fire stove, chicken and mushroom stew. Good thing she brought her family’s lard for seasoning. Soon, the delicious aroma of chicken and mushroom stew filled the air.

It boldly wafted into the neighbor’s yard—right into Zhou Ye’s nostrils just as he was about to gnaw on his coarse steamed buns.

Zhou Ye took a deep whiff and swallowed hard. Too fragrant. Just too fragrant.

With this smell, he could eat three steamed buns. Even the pickled radish under his chopsticks suddenly tasted like chicken in his imagination.

Grrrrr…

His stomach began to protest—refusing to be deceived.

Smacking his lips, Zhou Ye couldn’t help but step outside and look toward the neighboring yard.

The picket fence was flimsy and transparent. He could clearly see a pile of wild chicken feathers near the wall.

“Hey, what’re you cooking? Smells amazing!”

Right then, Jiang Manman lifted the lid of her pot, releasing an even stronger wave of aroma.

Zhou Ye could’ve resisted, but his stomach couldn’t. It was like someone was punching him from the inside, yelling hungry, hungry, hungry!

Jiang Manman glanced toward Zhou Ye across the fence. Her eyes twinkled. She and Tang Xiaomin wouldn’t finish all this food anyway.

“Chicken and mushroom stew. Want some? One yuan per portion!”

“One yuan?! Why don’t you just rob me?!”