Chapter 82: The Women at the Village Entrance, Cold Mixed Mustard Greens

After Huang Dalian finished her chores and joined the gossip group, the three of them chatted enthusiastically.

As expected, sharing gossip was the best way to bond.

On the side, Zhou Sinian watched two children playing with stones, completely absorbed in their game.

At first, the two children were hesitant and kept making mistakes under Zhou Sinian’s gaze.

Later, they realized that he was merely watching, neither speaking nor punishing them. Gradually, they forgot about his presence and began playing happily.

After watching them for a few rounds, Zhou Sinian memorized the rules.

When Tiedan made another mistake, he quickly intercepted before Goudan could react. With a large hand, he grabbed the stones.

Tiedan was startled, while Goudan, unhappy about being cut off, pouted. But before he could cry, his older brother covered his mouth, forcing him to swallow his complaints.

Zhou Sinian’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the stones in his hand.

Imitating the two children, he scattered the stones onto the kang. The five stones rolled apart. He picked up one, tossed it into the air, swiftly grabbed another, and caught the falling stone.

His movements were quick, clean, and precise.

One after another, he easily completed the first round.

Next was tossing one and grabbing two, which he also cleared effortlessly.

Tossing one and grabbing three—success. Finally, tossing one and grabbing four—easily mastered.

The two children watched as he passed all the levels with such ease, their eyes filled with admiration for his dexterous hands.

“Amazing!”

Zhou Sinian had taken a liking to the game and played it repeatedly, clearing every round in one go. The two children soon forgot their initial fear of him and became completely in awe.

Before long, Zhou Sinian was no longer satisfied with just following the basic rules. He began creating his own tricks and fancy moves, making the two children exclaim in surprise with every new stunt.

In an instant, he attracted the attention of the gossip group nearby.

Ming Dai had noticed earlier that Zhou Sinian had joined the children in their game. After observing for a while, she decided not to call him back.

Aunt Huang and Huang Dalian, on the other hand, were startled by the two mischievous children. Especially when they saw Goudan jumping up and down, waving his arms excitedly in response to Zhou Sinian’s fancy tricks, their hearts almost leaped out of their chests. They were terrified that, if they weren’t careful, the madman might accidentally knock their grandson or son off the kang.

Ming Dai reassured them that it was fine and continued watching with great interest. She planned to make a set of playing pieces for Zhou Sinian using sheep’s kneecaps when they got home. This would help him improve his coordination, which would be beneficial for his acupuncture treatments later on.

When Zhou Sinian finally had enough of the game and stood up, the two children were still reluctant to stop. They gazed at him longingly as he turned to look at Ming Dai.

Ming Dai understood that he wanted to go home, so she said a few words to Aunt Huang and Huang Dalian before picking up her basket and stepping off the kang to put on her shoes.

As Aunt Huang followed her down, she spoke up, “Xiao Ming, we’re grinding yellow rice flour before the New Year. We’ll set some aside for you, so you can make sticky bean buns.”

Ming Dai nodded. “Then I’ll make some tofu and bring it over for you.”

Huang Dalian praised her, “You’re really amazing, knowing how to do everything.”

Ming Dai simply smiled, picked up her basket, and walked out with Zhou Sinian.

The cart was in front of the stable. As they approached, they once again found themselves looking at the horse’s rear.

Ming Dai glanced at it curiously, then handed Zhou Sinian a pair of cotton gloves and told him to pull the cart.

Zhou Sinian put on the gloves, clenched his hands to test them, then pulled the cart out from under the shelter, adjusted its direction, and without warning, grabbed Ming Dai’s arm and lifted her onto the cart.

Ming Dai gasped. How many times had she told him? He was not supposed to lift her like that, but he never listened!

She cast a helpless glance at the stunned Aunt Huang and Huang Dalian before steadying herself by holding onto the side of the cart.

Only after they had walked some distance away did Aunt Huang finally burst into laughter. “You know, those two are quite amusing.”

Huang Dalian nodded in agreement. “They were hilarious back at the reservoir too. If the madman weren’t so fierce, I would’ve laughed so hard my stomach would hurt.”

Aunt Huang gave her a sidelong glance. “Then you’d better laugh less. Doesn’t your stomach ache bother you?”

Meanwhile, Zhou Sinian pulled the cart effortlessly, striding forward with ease. His cloth shoes clacked rhythmically against the ground.

The people chatting at the village entrance only started discussing after they had left.

“That cart has been used so many times. The team leader is really generous. Normally, when we ask to borrow it, he never agrees.”

The one speaking was Ergouzi’s wife—the same woman who would pluck a green onion from someone’s yard just by passing their house while picking vegetables.

“Why do you think he won’t lend it to you? Do you really have no idea? If he lent it to you today, by the time you returned it tomorrow, a wheel would be missing!”

The one mocking her was Laizi’s wife from the east side of the village. The two of them had always been at odds.

Ergouzi’s wife was furious. “No matter what, I’d never ask someone to buy things for me and then short them on money!”

Laizi’s wife put her hands on her hips and glared. “Who are you calling a cheat? I’ll rip your mouth off!”

In the blink of an eye, the two women charged at each other, yanking off each other’s headscarves and starting to wrestle.

The crowd at the scene pulled them apart while laughing.

In the middle of winter, with nothing much to do, a fight like this was perfectly normal. Breaking it up was entertaining, too—otherwise, where would they get all their gossip?

Ming Dai had no idea that because of them, a women’s wrestling match had erupted at the village entrance. After parking the cart, she took Zhou Sinian back to the space.

Ah, it was so much more comfortable here!

After changing clothes, Zhou Sinian ran to the field.

The seeds had sprouted tender little leaves, bright green and adorable.

At first, he hadn’t figured out the right amount of pressure and had accidentally crushed quite a few. But by now, he had learned how to gently stroke them.

Ming Dai went to check on the chive roots. They had already sprouted fresh green shoots and were ready to be transplanted.

The sweet potatoes and potatoes still showed no signs of growth, and the soil remained dark and untouched. But she wasn’t worried—there were plenty stored in the warehouse.

The garlic shoots she had planted had started to emerge. She left the sparse ones to grow larger for harvesting garlic scapes and pickling sweet garlic.

The densely planted ones would be harvested in winter as fresh garlic sprouts.

Garlic sprouts stir-fried with eggs or cured meat—absolutely delicious!

Zhou Sinian went to the sheep pen to bond with the lambs, while Ming Dai planned to process the mustard roots that Aunt Huang had given her.

Besides being used for traditional salted pickles, this vegetable could also be made into a refreshing cold dish.

She selected a dozen mustard roots, removed any worm holes, washed them thoroughly, and peeled off the skin before cutting them into thin strips.

Sprinkling a handful of salt over them, she let them sit to draw out excess moisture. Then, she set aside some plump soybeans to soak.

She sliced tender ginger, green onions, garlic cloves, and green and red peppers into thin strips.

Once the soybeans had soaked enough, she boiled them with a little water until the liquid evaporated, leaving the beans firm and dry.

Then, she rinsed the mustard strips to remove the excess salt, squeezed out the extra moisture, and placed them in a large bowl.

One by one, she added the cooked soybeans and sliced vegetables to the bowl.

Then, she poured in half a bowl of soy sauce and another half of vinegar, followed by a sprinkle of ground pepper and Chinese five-spice powder.

Next, she heated oil in a pan until it was sizzling hot, then drizzled it over the onions, ginger, and garlic, instantly releasing a rich, mouthwatering aroma.

By this time, Zhou Sinian had stepped inside, watching curiously. He had never seen this dish before, but the enticing fragrance alone was enough to satisfy him.

Ming Dai added a touch of sugar and a dash of sesame oil, stirred everything together, and took a bite. The taste was absolutely delicious!

Zhou Sinian was already holding his designated bowl, waiting expectantly.

Ming Dai scooped half a bowl for him. “It’s a bit salty. Go get some corn pancakes to eat with it.”

Zhou Sinian nodded, placed his bowl on the dining table, and went to the storage room. He took out eight corn pancakes—six for himself and two for Ming Dai—allocating them with perfect precision.

Ming Dai also made a crispy meat soup using deep-fried venison.

And just like that, they ended their meal on a satisfying note.