Chapter 25: Roller Coaster! This is the best!

Ming Dai used the leftover cabbage hearts from last night to make a small dish of pickled vegetables.

She scooped out enough cornmeal for two people, added an equal portion of white flour, kneaded it into a dough, and left it to ferment. Then, she washed two large potatoes, sliced them into thin strips, rinsed off the excess starch, and prepared the seasonings.

Just as she lit the fire, Zhou Sinian walked in carrying two soaking-wet shoes. Seeing the ingredients laid out on the cutting board, he looked very satisfied.

“Go put your shoes on the damp firewood stack to dry. Then, wash the basin and bring it back inside,” she instructed.

Zhou Sinian obediently went out.

Ming Dai poured oil into the pan. As it heated, she took a small bowl, added a handful of white flour, and ladled some of the hot oil into it, stirring until it blended smoothly into a crispy oil paste.

She pinched off a piece of the fermented dough, rolled it into a ball, flattened it, spread a layer of the oil paste inside, then sealed it back into a ball before pressing it into an oval shape. She tossed five of these into the hot oil and added some dry firewood to the stove. As the small “ox-tongue” shaped pancakes puffed up, the sweet, rich aroma of caramelized oil filled the air, luring Zhou Sinian back inside.

“Sit down. When I tell you to add firewood, you add firewood,” she said, kicking a wooden stool toward him.

He sat down by the stove door, watching the flames while Ming Dai lit another small stove. When the pan was hot, she poured in oil, then tossed in sliced garlic and dried chili peppers. The air was soon filled with their fragrant, smoky scent.

She flipped the pancakes in the first pan, then grabbed the drained potato strips and tossed them into the second pan. With a loud sizzle, the sharp, mouthwatering aroma spread instantly.

In the front yard, the educated youths stared at their thin porridge, nearly moved to tears.

Ming Dai worked quickly, managing both stoves at once. Before long, a full basket of golden, crispy pancakes and a large plate of stir-fried potato strips were ready.

She took out two bowls, poured in some malted milk powder, and added hot water. The moment Zhou Sinian saw the bowls on the table, he immediately abandoned the stove and locked his gaze onto them.

“Drink up. Careful, it’s hot.”

Only after she gave him permission did Zhou Sinian reach for his bowl. He took a cautious sip—and his eyes lit up like twinkling stars!

Even though the drink was scalding, he couldn’t stop slurping it down eagerly.

Ming Dai watched him and nodded in satisfaction. Though he might have been a little crazy, deep down, his manners were still intact. Teaching him wouldn’t be too difficult.

She lowered her head and took a sip as well. It was a bit too sweet, but she had to admit—food from this era was made with real heart. The flavor was rich and satisfying.

Picking up a pancake, she tore open a small slit at the top, revealing the airy interior. She grabbed a chopstick full of stir-fried potatoes and pickled cabbage, stuffing them inside before taking a bite. The pancake was soft and fluffy, the potatoes were salty and fragrant, and the cabbage added a crisp, tangy crunch.

Oh my god, it was delicious!

Even though she had eaten plenty of gourmet food in her previous life, nothing seemed to taste as good as this.

Maybe it was because this body had never experienced truly delicious food before—her taste buds were being awakened by new sensations. Either way, she was deeply satisfied!

Zhou Sinian watched her for a moment before putting down his bowl. He picked up a pancake and tried to copy her, poking a hole at the top.

The first time, he used too much force and completely tore off the top. Frowning, he studied it for a moment before simply tearing off the head and eating it. Now, the middle was naturally exposed.

Then, just like Ming Dai, he stuffed it with vegetables.

Yesterday, he was still clumsy with chopsticks, but today, he handled them with ease.

Taking a big bite, he devoured more than half of the pancake in one go. The little stars in his eyes started spinning in delight.

In no time, he had polished off seven or eight pancakes.

Ming Dai watched him eat—fast but not sloppy—and thought to herself that they should probably buy a table soon. Eating while standing could lead to stomach issues.

In the end, Ming Dai had two pancakes and a bowl of malted milk.

Zhou Sinian? Ten pancakes. And a bowl of malted milk.

She couldn’t afford to feed him. Seriously, she couldn’t.

She quickly shooed the sulking Zhou Sinian off to wash the dishes and clean the stove. Meanwhile, she packed the remaining pancakes with vegetables, wrapped them in oil paper, and tucked them into her backpack. She also poured some malted milk powder into a small pouch and packed it alongside the food.

As Zhou Sinian scrubbed the dishes, his eyes kept drifting toward her backpack, clearly itching to take a peek.

Ming Dai ignored him. She locked her room, packed up their utensils, extinguished the fire in the stove, slung her satchel over her shoulder, grabbed a thermos of hot water, and headed out the door.

Zhou Sinian followed closely behind, his eyes never leaving the backpack.

“Push the cart out,” Ming Dai instructed. “We’re going up the mountain again to gather firewood. At noon, I’ll give you some pancakes.”

Only then did Zhou Sinian perk up. Without waiting for further instructions, he picked up the axe, rope, and other tools, placing them neatly on the cart.

Ming Dai opened the door, letting him push the cart out.

Carefully, she locked the door and gave it a tug—secure.

Watching Zhou Sinian pull the cart with perfect posture, she suggested, “How about you pull me along? At noon, I’ll give you more of that sweet porridge.”

Zhou Sinian thought about it for a moment and then nodded. Ming Dai grinned and hopped onto the cart, hugging the thermos.

“Go slowly,” she reminded. “If you go too fast, the thermos will break, and there won’t be any sweet porridge for lunch.”

The moment Zhou Sinian was about to speed up, he froze and immediately adjusted his pace, pulling the cart at his usual walking speed.

“Look! The lunatic is pulling a cart!”

“Hey, that red headscarf looks pretty nice on him.”

“Yeah, you want to go ask for it?”

“Nah, I’m scared of getting punched!”

“Hahaha!”

The sight of Zhou Sinian, with his red headscarf, pulling a cart caught most people’s attention. For now, no one seemed to care about Ming Dai sitting in the back.

Once they reached the base of the mountain, they left the cart as usual.

This time, they ventured even deeper into the woods, reaching an area where few villagers came to chop wood.

Ming Dai directed Zhou Sinian to cut only dead trees or fallen branches. Cutting down living trees was risky—if they got caught, they’d be publicly criticized.

Deadwood was easier to chop than fresh trees. By midday, they had already gathered as much firewood as they did the entire previous day.

Mostly because Ming Dai was useless at chopping—this time, Zhou Sinian did all the work.

Looking at the neatly stacked firewood, Ming Dai couldn’t help but marvel—he really was an efficient worker. She had truly found a gem!

By noon, Zhou Sinian, like a living clock, immediately climbed down from the tree, tossed aside his axe, and stared at Ming Dai with eager anticipation.

Ming Dai, who was gathering leaves into a sack, was startled by his sudden movement. She lifted her wrist and checked her watch—exactly 12 o’clock.

With a look of admiration, she glanced at Zhou Sinian before decisively dropping the sack.

Using the water from her thermos, she washed her hands, then found a tree stump and spread out a clean white cloth as a makeshift tablecloth. Finally, she took out their lunch.

Wrapped in oil paper were over a dozen pancakes, each stuffed to the brim with vegetables.

Zhou Sinian’s eyes lit up instantly. He stared at the food with excitement but didn’t dare reach for it.

“Go ahead, eat,” Ming Dai said.

The moment she gave permission, he pounced like a hungry pup, grabbing a pancake in each hand and devouring them greedily, oil dripping from his mouth.

Ming Dai poured them each a tin mug of malted milk.

Zhou Sinian munched on the savory pancakes and sipped the sweet malted milk, his eyebrows practically dancing with joy.

Ming Dai felt happy too. Ever since the elders in her family passed away, she hadn’t shared a meal with anyone in a long time. Having someone to eat with—it felt surprisingly nice.

Soon, they finished the pancakes.

This time, Zhou Sinian was full. He looked down at his oily hands, tempted to lick them clean, but hesitated as if holding himself back.

Ming Dai ignored him, calmly packing up their things.

She tucked the backpack and thermos into a tree hollow for safekeeping. After resting for a bit, they started loading the firewood.

As usual, Zhou Sinian did the heavy lifting while Ming Dai helped where she could. One cartload wasn’t enough to fit all the wood, so Ming Dai decided to take the first load back home first.

“Zhou Sinian, how about pulling the cart home? I’ll give you candy.”

Ming Dai took out two pieces of White Rabbit candy and tried to negotiate.

Zhou Sinian sniffed the air, then pulled out some old candy wrappers from his jacket pocket. He carefully compared them with the ones in Ming Dai’s hand, and after confirming they were the same, he nodded.

Ming Dai grinned, unwrapped a piece, and popped it into his mouth. The other piece, she tucked into his jacket pocket.

Zhou Sinian also took the wrapper, smoothing it out and stacking it neatly with the other wrappers he had saved, then putting them carefully back into his pocket.

Satisfied, he patted his pocket and turned to grab the cart.

Ming Dai quickly stopped him and climbed into her designated spot on the cart.

Once she was sure she was secure and wouldn’t be flung off, she patted Zhou Sinian’s shoulder.

“Let’s go, young man!”

Soon, the sharp cries of an educated youth echoed once again along the mountain path.

Only this time, excitement replaced fear in their voice.

“Roller coaster! This is the best!”