Chapter 19

Ding Xiaodie happily took the lotus root, and since there was no water, she could only wipe off some mud with her sleeve, revealing a small piece of white and tender lotus root. Then she directly took a bite…

Although there was a bit of mud flavor, it also had the refreshing fragrance of lotus root, which was definitely better than nibbling on tree leaves or eating Guanyin soil.

“Big Brother, you guys should eat too.”

Ding Xiaodie handed the lotus root over.

Looking at the piece of white, tender lotus root that she had wiped clean, with a bite mark resembling a small mouse’s teeth, Big Brother didn’t hesitate and took a bite.

After biting, it was immediately snatched away by Second Brother. The two brothers each took a bite and chewed slowly. They had originally been exhausted, their faces dull and lifeless, but their expressions gradually began to change.

First, confusion, then a smile, followed by the smile growing wider and brighter, until their eyes were even red with joy.

“It’s really delicious.”

“It’s sweet, Xiaodie, this lotus root is sweet!”

“Yes, yes, it’s sweet.” Ding Xiaodie, seeing the expressions of the two young men, felt a bit sour in her heart, but she quickly pretended not to notice and turned to look for another lotus leaf. “Let’s go, let’s eat, and we’ll find more to take back.”

“Mm!”

Once they confirmed that the lotus root was edible, Big Brother and Second Brother immediately became full of energy.

They were both good at working in the fields, and now that there was hope for their next meal, they felt full of strength. Digging up these lotus roots was nothing.

They could even turn the entire lotus pond upside down if they had to.

Not only did they work hard to dig, but Big Brother also pulled Ding Xiaodie up and carried her to the embankment. Then he placed the cleanest-looking lotus root into her small hand. “Xiaodie, just sit here and eat. Watch us dig. With your delicate arms and legs, don’t tire yourself out.”

Ding Xiaodie was deeply moved: “…”

In her previous life, such genuine affection was hard to come by in the big city. She was thankful to heaven for letting her cross over and meet Big Brother and Second Brother.

If she wasn’t afraid of messing up the timeline, she really wanted to go into the space and bring these two young men a bottle of mineral water right now.

Soon, the two brothers had almost dug up all the mud.

The lotus roots, big and small, weighed at least 20 pounds.

As the sky was getting late, Ding Xiaodie wiped two pieces of lotus root clean with her sleeve and told them to sit and rest for a while. They needed a plan on how to take all the lotus roots back, how to divide them, and how to cook them.

“Although sharing is a virtue, there are quite a few selfish people in our Gouzi Valley. So far, no family in the village has said they help each other. Even siblings are wary of each other. So in my opinion, it’s not a good idea to share food right now. Some people might eat the food they get but secretly hide their own. In short, it’s not the right time to have a communal meal.”

Without realizing it, Big Brother and Second Brother were strangely willing to listen to this little girl’s instructions. After hearing her “opinion,” they nodded in agreement, acknowledging that the village was still in a state of self-preservation.

However, they didn’t understand what a “communal meal” was.

“What’s a communal meal?”

Ding Xiaodie paused for a moment: “I’ll explain it later.”

She couldn’t explain it clearly in a short time!

Big Brother and Second Brother nodded, full of curiosity: “So, Xiaodie, what should we do?”

Ding Xiaodie thought for a moment: “We’ll divide these lotus roots into three parts, each of us will take one part home.”

Upon hearing this, Big Brother and Second Brother immediately objected: “That won’t do. We’re brothers, we should only take one part.” “Besides, you found the lotus root. If you hadn’t said anything, we wouldn’t have known it was edible.”

Ding Xiaodie was once again touched, but she pretended to be angry: “But you two brothers did all the hard work. If you say it like that, I’d feel too embarrassed to take any!”

Big Brother and Second Brother were immediately stunned: “…”

Their clumsy mouths couldn’t keep up with this little girl!

At this point, Ding Xiaodie revealed a sweet smile: “I don’t care if you’re family. Everyone worked hard, so everyone should get a share. The same goes for any other food we find in the future. Now, let me divide it, and then we’ll hurry back home. The elders are still hungry!”

Seeing how determined the little girl was, the two brothers had no more objections.

Ding Xiaodie divided the lotus roots very evenly, so the two brothers wouldn’t feel guilty. “Alright, figure out how to stuff it into your clothes!”

No need to worry about the mud, just grab some dry grass and wipe most of the mud off the lotus roots, then stuff them into their clothes—into the waist, sleeves, anywhere they could.

Afterward, the three of them laughed like little fools.

They were so happy just because of a bite of food. In her previous life, when facing a table full of delicious dishes, Ding Xiaodie would often have to diet, which felt like a punishment!

Along the way, Ding Xiaodie carefully told the two young men how to cook lotus root—no need for anything fancy, just a little oil, a pinch of salt, bring to a boil on high heat, then simmer on low. The soup would be fresh, sweet, and tasty.

She described it vividly, making the young men salivate.

Second Brother enviously said, “I didn’t know that Uncle knew so much. He teaches you so well.”

Big Brother said, “I’ll go ask Uncle for more advice someday.”

Ding Xiaodie smiled as she looked at them, showing her little pearly teeth. Hehe, you guys have no idea how much more there is to learn!

—-

Seeing that her daughter and the two brothers hadn’t returned for a long time, Zhang Xiu grew anxious and paced around the house, wondering if something had happened to them.

Wang Dafeng, wanting to save energy, was afraid that if he moved too much, the food he had eaten would be digested, so he had never left the bed. He didn’t even know that Ding Xiaodie was no longer in the house.

Ding Gui stopped Zhang Xiu and whispered, “Why are you so anxious? I’m usually the one with a quick temper, but today you’re the one panicking! Don’t you understand our daughter by now? With those two boys, as long as Xiaodie doesn’t sell them out, she’s fine. You’re worried about them hurting her?”

Zhang Xiu rolled her eyes at him: “Big Brother and Second Brother are good kids. They’ll only treat Xiaodie well. I’m worried they might run into bad people.”

“Even if they do, it’s fine. Those two have strong builds, no one can beat them. Just wait patiently!”

The couple fell silent, fanning themselves with a broken fan found in the room.

Others had already started cooking, preparing meals.

Wherever people had kitchens, they would always want to cook some food, even if it was just a simple porridge.

But Ding Gui and his wife could only look on wistfully.

Since coming to this place, their business talents were of no use. To get a meal, they had to wait for their daughter to return.

Though Ding Gui said not to worry, seeing the sun set without her return, he had already become as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.