Chapter 9: First Time Going Up the Mountain

The meat buns were cut evenly, with a chunk of meat in each piece.

They were reluctant to swallow them in one bite.

Suddenly, a head peeked out from the kitchen, watching them.

It was Zhu Yingqiu, holding a spatula.

“Mother, look at these children—they’re so close. You won’t find another family like this in the whole village. Eight kids, and each one is so filial. Even Fubao, at just three years old, knows how to share meat buns. In other families, they’d probably fight over them.”

“Yes. Poverty isn’t scary; as long as the family is harmonious, who worries about the days being hard?” Zhang Jinlan, kneading dough, felt her hands even stronger.

That evening’s dinner was still simple: stir-fried tender sprouts and coarse rice porridge.

In front of Jiang Fubao was a small bowl of noodles made from coarse flour, with tiny glimmers of oil floating in the broth.

It must be lard.

The portion was small.

Jiang Fubao picked up her chopsticks and slurped a strand. The noodles were rough and not very chewy; the flour was coarsely ground, slightly scratchy on the throat, but still much better than plain coarse rice. With a bit of lard, the taste was quite decent.

After dinner, the Jiang family, who normally would go for a walk, went to bed early.

Outside, darkness stretched endlessly, stars hung across the sky, and the sound of deepening breaths filled the air. Jiang Fubao quietly climbed out of bed. She opened her door and glanced back: her two older brothers were sound asleep in their beds.

Night was the best time for mischief, but Jiang Fubao intended to do good.

She carried a chair to the kitchen and opened the rice jar.

It was more than half full of coarse rice.

Previously, she thought there were only seven or eight jin of millet left in her space, but after restocking, there were still fifteen jin.

So items that weren’t fully used one day would refresh the next day.

Understanding this rule, Jiang Fubao poured all fifteen jin of newly stocked millet from her space into the rice jar.

Then she stirred the coarse rice with a spatula and covered it back up.

Next, she found the jar of coarse flour and added a little white flour, stirring until the color lightened noticeably.

She still had plenty of good items in her space, but she dared not use them all.

Firstly, it would be too conspicuous; the source couldn’t be explained.

Secondly, in the superstitious ancient times, if many things suddenly appeared in a household, the Jiang family would suspect ghosts, causing chaos.

She had just arrived and couldn’t risk it.

Better to take it slowly.

After finishing, she quietly tiptoed back to her room and continued sleeping.

Morning.

A shout came from the Jiang family kitchen.

“Mother, come look! There are yellow grains in the newly bought coarse rice—what’s this?” Zhu Yingqiu, standing by the rice jar, held a handful of rice, her eyes full of curiosity.

“I’ve never seen it before. Maybe it’s coarse rice from the north; it’s different from ours.”

Zhang Jinlan shook her head; in all her years, she had never seen this type of coarse rice.

“Who cares what it is? As long as it’s tasty. This morning’s porridge is just like yesterday’s—sticky, with a hint of sweetness.”

Sun Pingmei held her bowl and slurped the porridge enthusiastically.

She enjoyed eating immensely.

Her personality was carefree; nothing weighed on her mind.

For her, as long as her belly was full, she wouldn’t care if the sky fell.

The voices reached Jiang Fubao’s room.

Rubbing her eyes, she climbed out of bed.

First, she dressed, then put on her shoes and left the room.

“Fubao’s up? Come wash and have breakfast!” Zhang Yanzi, her mother, was the first to see her, naturally close to her own daughter.

Mother and daughter were truly in sync.

“Oh.” Jiang Fubao realized she had spoken too maturely.

She hurried to correct herself:

“Mother, what’s for breakfast? I’m hungry.”

Zhang Yanzi paused, then smiled: “Coarse rice porridge, same as yesterday. You must have been half-asleep. Come wash up; I’ve heated the water for you.”

Jiang Fubao exhaled lightly.

Being a child was exhausting.

Every word and action had to be watched.

After breakfast, Zhang Jinlan prepared to take her three daughters-in-law up the mountain to gather tender sprouts.

She carried a sickle, Zhu Yingqiu a bamboo basket on her back, and Sun Pingmei and Zhang Yanzi each had a bamboo basket.

They stood at the door.

“Xiao Ji, Xiao Xiang, your three cousins went to the fields with Grandpa. Your Granny wants to tell you to take good care of Fubao. Stay in the yard, don’t go out. Understand?”

There were only three children at home.

If it weren’t for the granddaughter nearly falling into the water a few days ago, she would’ve felt at ease.

The village had no strangers; the children couldn’t go missing.

“Granny, I want to go too!” Jiang Fubao really didn’t want to stay home. She ran to Zhang Jinlan, tugging her clothes, looking pitiful.

Playing childish games with these little kids was too boring.

She wanted to explore the mountain.

Maybe she could find a reason to take out fruits, eggs, or other items from her space.

“Fubao, don’t be naughty. The mountain isn’t a place for you. Besides, your mother, Granny, and your two aunts will be gathering vegetables; they don’t have time to watch you. Listen and play with your brothers at home.”

Before Granny could finish, her mother refused.

Jiang Fubao knew she had to use her ultimate trick.

“Granny, dear Granny, Fubao wants to go. You’re the best granny in the world. Please take Fubao to the mountain, won’t you? I beg you~” Jiang Fubao knew that in ancient times, filial piety was paramount.

Once Granny agreed, her mother couldn’t refuse.

Sure enough.

The granddaughter’s plea was irresistible.

Zhang Jinlan couldn’t resist.

She put her sickle into her eldest daughter-in-law’s basket.

Then she picked up her granddaughter and said to the youngest daughter-in-law, “If Fubao wants to go, let her. There aren’t many sprouts anyway. I’ll take her up the mountain; consider it play.”

“Mother, you always spoil her; that’s not good,” Zhang Yanzi said gently.

She wasn’t scolding; she worried that her daughter would get used to this trick.

If she grew up spoiled, it would be troublesome.

“What’s wrong with it? Fubao is only three. If she wants to go, take her. Why always control the children? Xiao Ji, Xiao Xiang, watch the gate and don’t run off. We’ll be back before noon.”

Zhang Jinlan finished her instructions and carried her granddaughter out first.

The three daughters-in-law followed.

The Jiang family gate was wide open.

It wasn’t locked.

All families in the village were poor; there were no thieves.

After all, thieves don’t break into empty homes.

The Jiang house was at the edge of the village, near the mountains. A few steps led to the foot of the mountain, where a small path led upward.

All villagers used this path to go into the mountains.

“Jiang family sister-in-law, going up the mountain to gather sprouts? Why bring the child? Won’t it make work harder?” After a quarter-hour walk, they met their neighbor, Ma Chunxia.

She was a year younger than Zhang Jinlan.

Because their husbands were from the same clan, she always affectionately called Zhang Jinlan “sister-in-law.”

“All three daughters-in-law are enough to work. I’m just taking Fubao for a stroll in the mountain,” Zhang Jinlan replied honestly.

They lived close by and often visited each other.

Their relationship was quite good.

They chatted as they walked deeper into the mountain.