Chapter 12: Weeding – Wuyou Grass

Whenever there was time, the family would go to the fields to pull water plants. Since Li Wen was still young and might not be able to distinguish between rice seedlings and water plants, they didn’t let him go into the field. Instead, Li Guo noticed some snails in the irrigation ditch by the rice fields and asked Li Wen to catch as many as he could to bring back for dinner that night.

Hearing that his big sister would make a tasty dish in the evening, Li Wen eagerly worked hard and by the time they finished working and returned home, he had caught nearly half a bucket of snails.

Li Guo instructed Li Wen to place the snails in a large basin of water, adding some salt, and told him that the snails needed to soak overnight in the water to expel the sand from their bodies. If they didn’t expel the sand and were cooked immediately, they would be gritty.

Li Wen, disappointed, touched his teeth after hearing his sister’s advice.

Seeing her brother’s disappointed expression, Li Guo said, “Although we can’t eat stir-fried snails tonight, I’ll make you some gray vegetable pancakes instead.”

Hearing that there would still be a tasty treat, Li Wen’s mood instantly brightened. “Big sister, I’ll help you with the fire, you go make the dough!”

Li Xing’er, seeing how eager her younger brother was to help his sister, couldn’t help but think to herself that he was such a little foodie.

Gray vegetable isn’t just any wild vegetable; it also has medicinal value. In the summer, when the kids are bitten by mosquitoes, the elders would boil gray vegetable to make water and use it for the children’s baths to relieve itching.

Spring wild vegetables are not only tender but also delicious. Gray vegetable is one of them, and it can be eaten as a salad or used to make pancakes.

Li Guo picked a basket of gray vegetable from under the eaves behind the house, keeping the tender leaves and stems and cutting off the older parts. After blanching them in hot water and draining the excess water, she chopped them finely and mixed in other seasonings to prepare the filling.

Meanwhile, Li Xing’er helped make the dough with mixed grains. Although the family had saved some silver, they still didn’t want to spend it on fine flour, and only occasionally treated themselves to it.

Ever since the last time Li Guo made dumplings, the cooking duties had been handed over to her, with Shen helping out on the side.

Li Guo didn’t disappoint. Every day she came up with new ways to cook for the family. Though the ingredients were simple, her cooking always made them taste delicious.

Once the pan was hot, Li Guo scooped some lard from the oil jar and spread it around the pan to avoid burning spots. After placing the pancakes in the pan, she waited for both sides to turn golden brown before taking them out.

Li Wen, tending the fire nearby, caught the fragrance of the pancakes and quietly swallowed his saliva.

After placing the cooked pancakes in a bowl and covering them with a cloth, they would become soft and have an even better texture once they cooled a little.

Li Wen finally got to eat his pancakes, but in his heart, he was already looking forward to the next day, eager to taste the spicy stir-fried snails.

With no market stall to attend, the family had more free time. Since they hadn’t had fish in a long time after stopping their trips to the town, the siblings decided to go to the back mountain to catch some fish. They chose a good spot for their fishing baskets and made their way to the reed marsh, heading toward the place where they had previously cut the water bamboo.

The water bamboo in the area had already been nearly harvested by the siblings, leaving only some small and thin ones. They carefully picked the thicker water bamboo, cutting a bundle. Hearing that rabbits particularly liked eating reeds, they decided to gather a bundle of those as well.

As they were preparing to leave, they heard a faint sound from the grass not far away. There were no animals in sight, but Li Guo thought, Could it be a snake? She was terrified of snakes. Every time they went out, she would sprinkle some snake, insect, rodent, and ant repellent on herself and her siblings. Today, however, she had forgotten to do so. Please don’t let it be that unlucky, she thought.

But of course, what you fear comes to you. Li Guo sighed in frustration, Why does the sky have to be so cruel to me?

“Big sister, what’s wrong? What are you looking at?” Li Wen asked, noticing that his sister had stopped in front of the grass, talking to herself. He and Li Xing’er were confused and worried, not knowing what was going on.

Li Guo quickly snapped back to reality, saying, “It’s nothing, just thinking about something.” She said this while, without realizing it, holding a stick in her hand.

Before they could even approach the source of the sound, two wild ducks suddenly flew out of the grass.

In a flash, Li Guo swung the stick and hit one of the ducks, injuring it and causing it to fall to the ground. The other duck circled overhead, calling out and refusing to leave.

Looks like there would be meat for dinner! Li Guo tied the duck’s legs with a vine and carried it as they headed towards the creek.

After catching all the fish in their baskets, the siblings couldn’t help but feel disappointed. They had only caught a few small fish, about the size of a palm, and together, they barely weighed two or three pounds.

Li Wen, looking at the small fish, pouted and said to his sister, “Why aren’t there any big fish? We used to catch bigger ones, and there used to be more too.”

Li Guo explained, “That’s because the villagers have started fishing to sell for money. Wild fish grow slowly, and the bigger ones have already been caught by them. Now, only the small ones are left.”

“You silly little brother, it’s good enough that we have something to eat. If we wait too long, even the small ones might be gone,” Li Xing’er teased, seeing her brother’s discontent with the small fish.

Li Guo looked at her younger brother and nodded, “Your second sister is right. Since everyone is fishing, the fish in the creek will be caught up soon.”

“Don’t look at how small these fish are, they’re actually great for stewing with eggplant. Just wait, I’ll make it for you when we get home,” Li Guo said, reassuring her younger brother.

Li Wen’s face lit up with excitement. He started hopping around joyfully, eager to head home with his two sisters.

When they returned, Li Wen asked his father for help to kill the wild duck. They heated water to pluck the feathers, and Li Wen pitched in to help.

As they worked, Li Wen spoke, “Next door, Xiao Pang has a beautiful quill made from a wild chicken’s feather. I want to make one from the wild duck’s feathers.”

Li Youyin, hearing this, said, “Alright, son, I’ll make you one even nicer than his, okay?”

Li Wen’s face brightened, and he replied, “Okay!”

Watching the happy family work together, Shen Shi couldn’t help but feel grateful for her life—her husband doted on their children, and the kids were so understanding.

After they had finished cleaning and preparing the small fish and wild duck, only the two sisters remained in the kitchen. Shen Shi went back to her room to make clothes, while Li Youyin took his son outside to help him with the quill.

Li Guo asked her sister to go out to the garden and bring back a few eggplants. She washed them and placed them in a basin.

To make a delicious fish and eggplant stew, it’s key to fry the fish until both sides are golden and crispy. This will eliminate any fishy smell and make it taste better.

After frying the fish, Li Guo broke the eggplants into pieces and added them to the pot to stew. This method brought out the original flavors, making the dish more delicious.

Meanwhile, the wild duck, which Li Xing’er had parboiled earlier, was now ready to be cooked. She sautéed some ginger and scallions to release a fragrant aroma, then added the duck meat, stirring it until it turned golden. After that, she added radishes and placed everything in a clay pot to stew. She tossed in some peppercorns, handpicked from the mountain, to add flavor.

The small wild ducks, which had only been a year old, filled the courtyard with an irresistible aroma in less than half an hour.