Chapter 48: Trading Corn Grits for Chicks  

“You haven’t even tasted it yet, and you’re already praising it.”  

“I don’t need to taste it. Just by looking at it, I can tell it’s delicious.” Fu Wenjing answered with certainty.

No one disliked hearing sweet words, and Su Ruanruan was no exception. The corners of her mouth lifted uncontrollably, and she couldn’t hide her joy as she smiled brightly.  

“Hurry up and eat. If it sits for too long, it really won’t taste as good.” Su Ruanruan urged.  

Although handmade noodles didn’t become soggy too quickly, they were still best enjoyed fresh.  

“Don’t just tell me to eat, wife. You should eat too.”  

Su Ruanruan smiled at Fu Wenjing but didn’t say anything further. She simply picked up her chopsticks and started mixing her noodles.  

For noodles with fermented bean paste, they had to be mixed well before eating.  

The dough had been made with more dark flour and less refined flour, so the noodles turned out darker in color.  

Though they didn’t look as appealing as white noodles, their surface was smooth, and every strand was nearly identical in thickness and width.  

Not only did they have a rich wheat fragrance, but they were also incredibly smooth, chewy, and pleasantly bouncy.  

After just one bite, Su Ruanruan looked at Fu Wenjing in surprise and admiration. “I didn’t expect you to have such a talent for rolling out noodles.”  

“Then from now on, I’ll be in charge of making the noodles at home.”  

“Sounds good!”  

The small bowls they were using for noodles were originally bought for serving soup or storing lard.  

Unexpectedly, before they even had a chance to use them for that purpose, they ended up being perfect for eating noodles instead.  

She had to admit, though—eating noodles from such small bowls was truly satisfying.  

No matter how many toppings, how much sauce, or how many cucumber shreds were added, everything could be mixed effortlessly.  

Just as Su Ruanruan was thinking about this, she heard Fu Wenjing speak.  

“These little bowls are great for eating noodles. Next month, let’s buy a couple more just for this purpose.”  

Hearing Fu Wenjing’s words, Su Ruanruan couldn’t hold back her laughter and let out a chuckle. “How did you end up thinking exactly the same thing as me?”  

Fu Wenjing put on a serious expression. “It means we are of one heart as husband and wife.”  

Hearing this and looking at his solemn face, Su Ruanruan instinctively followed up: “Together, we are unstoppable?”  

“Exactly!”  

As soon as the words left their mouths, they both burst into laughter at the same time.

Su Ruanruan really liked this feeling.  

Even though it was just the two of them eating together, it never felt lonely.  

On the contrary, it was even warmer and livelier than when she ate with the large Fu family.  

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After the meal, as usual, Fu Wenjing didn’t let Su Ruanruan wash the dishes. He took care of everything himself.  

Washing dishes for just the two of them was easy enough. Even though there was still a pot to clean, it wasn’t much trouble. Su Ruanruan didn’t argue with Fu Wenjing about it.  

Remembering how she had noticed a mountain not far behind the compound when she went out today, Su Ruanruan asked: “That mountain behind the courtyard—does it belong to a production team?”  

“No, it belongs to the Military Unit. Sometimes, they use it for field training.”  

Hearing this, Su Ruanruan sat up a little straighter. “Then can people freely pick things from the mountain? Like wild vegetables and mushrooms? Can we chop wood or cut bamboo?”  

“Yes! But because people go there often, there aren’t many wild chickens or rabbits left near the outskirts. Still, you can dig up wild vegetables, pick mushrooms, gather firewood, or cut bamboo. It’s pretty safe.”  

“Wife, you just got here, so you shouldn’t go into the mountains alone. I’ll take care of the firewood and such.”  

“Don’t worry, I definitely won’t go alone. When Sister Niu goes, I’ll go with her.”  

This time, Fu Wenjing didn’t stop her. “That’s fine. Sister Niu often goes with a few other sisters-in-law. They know the way and are familiar with the area. It’ll be safer if you go with them.”  

“Sister Niu said she’d come find me this afternoon, probably to take me to get some chicks. If you have time in the afternoon, you could chop a few bamboo poles and build a chicken coop in the courtyard. That way, the chickens won’t run all over the place.”  

“Alright. When you head out, take the key with you. I’ll lock the courtyard gate when I leave. You’ll definitely be back before me.”  

Just as they finished discussing, they suddenly heard Niu Guifang’s voice from outside the gate.  

Su Ruanruan quickly went to open the door and saw Niu Guifang standing at the entrance with a basket hanging from her arm.  

Inside the basket were several flat paper packets.  

Su Ruanruan was curious, but before she could ask, Niu Guifang explained: “These are seeds. I brought all kinds of vegetable seeds. Ruanruan, take a look and see what you’d like to plant.”  

“Sister-in-law, come inside first. Let’s talk inside.”  

With that, Su Ruanruan led Niu Guifang into the house.

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As soon as Niu Guifang stepped inside, she laughed. “Having a woman in the house really makes a difference. It finally looks like a proper home.”  

Su Ruanruan also glanced around.  

The house was still the same, but it did feel much cozier now.  

Once they sat down at the table, Niu Guifang took out the seed packets one by one.  

“There are plenty of vegetables that can be planted this season—white radish, carrots, Chinese cabbage, spinach, baby bok choy, shepherd’s purse, cilantro, cowpea, and green beans. What do you want to grow? I also have some chive roots. If you want, once you prepare the soil, you can dig up some old roots from my place. In ten days to two weeks, you’ll have fresh chives to eat.”  

Su Ruanruan looked at the seeds, wanting to plant all of them. In the end, she simply said: “Let’s plant a bit of everything!”  

Rather than thinking she was being greedy, Niu Guifang gave her an approving look. “That’s exactly what I was thinking! The more you plant, the more work it’ll take, but at least you won’t have to buy vegetables. If you can’t finish them, you can dry them for the winter. It gets too cold here, and nothing grows in the ground then. Having some dried vegetables will add variety to your meals. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck eating nothing but cabbage and radish every day.”  

Since this was Su Ruanruan’s first time living in such a northern place, there were many things she didn’t know. She listened intently to Niu Guifang’s advice, afraid she might miss something important.  

When Niu Guifang finished speaking, Su Ruanruan said: “Let me find some paper and take a bit of each seed.”  

“What paper? No need!” Niu Guifang laughed. “I brought these especially for you. I have plenty more at home! I saved these seeds myself, and they have a really high germination rate.”  

Hearing this, Su Ruanruan felt a warmth in her heart. “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”  

“No need to be so polite with me. Come on, I know someone who just hatched a batch of chicks. You’ve come at the right time. Let’s go get a few. Since it’s just the two of you, you can only raise a handful for now. But once they grow up, you’ll get about a few eggs a day—enough for you both to eat.”  

Her words carried a hint of hardship, but this was simply the reality of the times.  

Even raising chickens and ducks was regulated.  

Su Ruanruan didn’t want to dwell on it too much. She grabbed her keys, told Fu Wenjing where she was going, and took some money before heading out with Niu Guifang.  

After all, the chicks weren’t free. She didn’t know the exact price, but she knew she had to bring money.  

At that moment, Niu Guifang stopped her. “Ruanruan, why are you bringing money? Did you buy any corn grits? Just take half a catty (250g) of that instead.”