Chapter 14 – Stunned

Since they were all from the village, no one held back. They casually rummaged through each other’s baskets to see what was inside.

Xia Tian had already thought ahead about this. She couldn’t let others see what she was planning, so anything that might reveal her intentions was hidden in her space, and even the things in her basket weren’t very telling.

A few of the women saw that Xia Tian had bought a large piece of pig lard and some pig intestines. They asked her why she bought so much pig intestine.

Xia Tian gave a smile that didn’t seem apologetic, “There’s not a drop of oil left at home, and vegetable oil is too expensive and doesn’t last long. Pig lard can be rendered into lard and lasts much longer.”

After buying the pig lard, she didn’t have much money left. “Aunt Chun, you know the head of my household isn’t well. The pig intestines are cheap, so I bought a little. Although it’s not exactly meat, it can still nourish us.”

Aunt Chun and the others nodded in understanding. “That’s true. When frying vegetables, just rubbing a bit of pig lard on the bottom of the pan gives a better taste than vegetable oil.”

One of the aunts added, “Pig intestines are cheap, but they have a bit of a stinky smell once cooked, not something everyone likes to eat.”

“Mm, I bought some spices to see if I can make them more palatable. No choice, we don’t have much money, so this is the best option,” Xia Tian nodded in agreement.

The aunts, seeing how practical Xia Tian was, and how polite she was, began sharing their life tips with her.

Surprisingly, Xia Tian learned quite a bit.

Although Xia Tian had the original owner’s memories, she still found most of the farming tasks manageable. The original owner of this body had mostly followed what Xia’s grandmother had arranged for her—tasks like gathering pigweed, picking wild vegetables, or doing some washing.

The girls in the family, during busy farming times, would also help out, but they mostly just followed the adults and did whatever they were told.

The wisdom of life the aunts had passed down through generations was priceless. Xia Tian absorbed everything she could, and when she didn’t understand something, she’d ask them. The aunts saw how seriously she was listening, and they didn’t mind her asking questions. They liked her more and more.

By the time they reached the village entrance, everyone got off the ox cart and headed home.

When Xia Tian arrived at her house, the yard was quiet. The window of the main room was half open, and Shen Nian was sitting by the window, holding a book and reading.

Xia Tian was momentarily stunned.

She had always known that Shen Nian was handsome, but seeing him so quietly reading a book, she had a feeling of “a young man in a painting, the years quiet and still.”

Xia Tian was certain—this was Shen Nian’s true form.

Even many years later, she would still remember this scene.

Shen Nian felt someone staring at him and slowly lifted his head, realizing it was Xia Tian who had just entered.

Seeing that Shen Nian had noticed her, Xia Tian flashed a big smile and called out, “Big Brother Shen, I’m back!”

When Shen Nian nodded slightly in response, Xia Tian’s smile grew even brighter.

The feeling of someone waiting for her to come home was really comforting.

She quickly went to the kitchen and put down the basket. Everything she had stored in her space had already been placed inside the basket when she was chatting with Aunt Yao.

She took out the oil paper bag that had the buns. The temperature was just slightly cooler than when she had bought them, thanks to the preservation function of her space.

Xia Tian held the bag up to the window and handed it to Shen Nian. “Big Brother Shen, here are some buns. I saw there were a lot of people lining up to buy them, so the taste should be good. Try them.”

Shen Nian felt the temperature of the bag and thought that Xia Tian was worried the buns might be cold, so he tucked them into his coat pocket, feeling touched.

Shen Nian opened the bag and took out a bun, handing it to Xia Tian.

Xia Tian accepted it, took a big bite, and nodded. “Mm, the skin is thin, the filling is generous, and the taste is fresh. Really good!”

“Big Brother Shen, you should try one too.” She finished the bun in just a few bites.

Shen Nian offered the bag, but Xia Tian waved him off. “I’m not eating anymore. I’ll wait for dinner.”

Looking at Shen Nian as he ate slowly, Xia Tian returned to the kitchen and started putting everything she bought into place.

It was already noon, so she quickly washed her hands and started making lunch.

She brought over the old hen she had bought at the market, drained its blood, and began boiling water to scald it.

Once the chicken was cleaned, she found a clay pot, put in some ginger, garlic, and spring onions, and started making soup. Soon, the aroma wafted through the kitchen.

She used another pot to steam rice, and when the rice was done, she stir-fried some pickled cabbage with pork belly, made a cold dish with bamboo shoots, and then it was time for the meal.

Shen Nian had hardly coughed at all that morning, and now his appetite was much better. He drank two bowls of chicken soup, ate a large bowl of rice, and the pickled cabbage stir-fried with pork belly was appetizing and went well with the rice. He had quite a bit.

Xia Tian noticed that Shen Nian seemed to be in much better spirits and was glad to see it. She too ate a large bowl of rice and even nibbled on a chicken leg.

After the meal, Xia Tian first took out the pig intestines she had bought and soaked them in rice water in a basin, so they would be easier to clean later.

She took a brief rest in her room, then grabbed a hoe and went to the backyard to plow the land.

The plot wasn’t large, and in less than half an hour, she had finished.

After drinking the spring water, Xia Tian realized that not only did she have much more strength, but she didn’t get tired from long hours of labor either.

Also, she discovered that just spending a little time in her space made her feel refreshed, whether she drank the spring water or not.

Shen Nian, having finished his meal, was out in the yard digesting. When he saw Xia Tian with the hoe, he slowly walked over to watch.

He observed how quickly and efficiently Xia Tian was plowing the land, and she didn’t seem tired at all.

Raising an eyebrow, Shen Nian thought, although this girl looked thin and frail, she had quite a bit of strength. No wonder she had such a good appetite at meal times.

Seeing Shen Nian standing nearby, Xia Tian explained to him, “Although it’s already past the season for planting vegetables, it’s not too late. I bought some vegetable seeds today, so I thought I’d plow the land and plant them. That way, we won’t have to keep buying vegetables from others.”

“Farmers usually grow their own vegetables and grains. It’s rare to buy food. Since we’re living in this village, we should integrate into the community and not stand out too much.”

“Although most of the villagers are simple and kind, there are still some with bad intentions, so it’s best to keep some things to ourselves and be cautious.”

Xia Tian shared some rural life tips while working.

Once the land was plowed, the areas were divided, and furrows were made. The vegetable seeds were planted in their respective sections. Xia Tian went to the river several times to fetch water and watered the seeds, finishing the task.

Shen Nian, watching Xia Tian work so energetically, actually felt a bit envious. Too bad his body…

The whole afternoon, Shen Nian didn’t go back to his room. He just moved a stool and sat under the eaves, watching Xia Tian come and go.

Once the vegetable garden was done, Xia Tian went to fetch water and start washing the pig intestines.

Seeing Shen Nian wrinkle his nose, Xia Tian laughed and explained, “These are pig intestines. Although they smell pretty bad now, once I clean them and cook them, they’ll taste really good.”

After scraping off the grease, she washed them several times with salt and flour until they were completely clean. Only then did she heat the pot and add spices to start stewing.

She also took the pig lard she had bought, cleaned it, cut it into chunks, and started rendering the lard in another pot.

Soon, the smell of the cooking spread throughout the yard, even making Shen Nian a little excited about what dinner would be like.

Once the lard was rendered, Xia Tian took the oil scraps and set them aside to use for making dumplings the next day.

For dinner, Xia Tian steamed rice again, sliced up the stewed pig intestines and pork heart, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and served the leftover chicken soup from lunch.

Shen Nian, seeing Xia Tian’s eager eyes, took a bite of the stewed pig intestine and was pleasantly surprised. The taste was rich, chewy, and not greasy at all—truly delicious, unlike anything he had ever tasted.

Shen Nian was completely won over by Xia Tian’s cooking skills. The last time she boasted about her culinary skills, he had been skeptical, but now he realized she wasn’t exaggerating at all—she really was an amazing cook.

“How is it? How is it?” Xia Tian eagerly asked.

When Shen Nian nodded in approval, Xia Tian became even more excited. “I told you, my stewed dishes are top-notch! I knew it would taste great!”

Seeing how pleased Xia Tian was, Shen Nian couldn’t help but smile.

The two of them enjoyed their meal thoroughly.

After dinner, Xia Tian stored the rendered oil scraps, put the leftover meat and bones in the cupboard, and placed the stewed organs and such into her space.

Since the weather wasn’t too hot yet, the meat would be fine overnight.

It wasn’t quite bedtime yet, but since Shen Nian seemed to be in good spirits, Xia Tian walked over and asked, “Big Brother Shen, do you think I can make a living by selling stewed dishes?”