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Chapter 32: Why Are Your Ears Red?
When the village chief heard this, he was startled.
“The eastern mountain? The barren land there is tough to cultivate.”
“The soil on the mountain is fertile, and things grow quickly,” Ye Xin Ran said confidently.
The village chief gave her a look that said, “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Have you considered that the mountain is full of tree roots? Digging them out alone could exhaust a person!”
“What if I insist on having that mountain?” Ye Xin Ran asked.
The village chief’s goatee bristled as he retorted, “Even if you insist, it’s a no go. That mountain is worth 200 taels of silver! I can’t just give it away.”
“Fine, I’ll take the field for now,” Ye Xin Ran said immediately, conceding as soon as the price was mentioned.
“But Uncle Village Chief, can you reserve the mountain for me? I’ll buy it when I have the money!”
The village chief glanced at her in confusion. “This girl is so stubborn. What’s the point of buying a mountain? Anyway, eat breakfast tomorrow and then come find me to measure the field!”
With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked away.
By now, the sky had gone completely dark.
The surroundings quieted down, the night air still.
Ye Xin Ran walked back to the courtyard and saw that the chickens and geese were all asleep inside the fenced area.
Xiao Huai’an, ever meticulous, had built them a small make shift shelter. The five little creatures huddled together inside, keeping warm.
Returning to her room, Ye Xin Ran noticed that Chang An had not come back. She stepped outside and called,
“Chang An, have you taken your medicine? Finish it and come back to sleep.”
After a while, Chang An finally emerged from another room, looking slightly sulky.
“I’m here!”
Back in the room, Ye Xin Ran sensed Chang An’s unhappiness and asked,
“What’s wrong? Why the long face?”
Chang An clambered onto the bed with a huff and said,
“Big brother said I should sleep with them because this is Uncle and Auntie’s room. But I like this room, it smells nice.”
“Alright, tomorrow I’ll talk to them. From now on, you can sleep with Auntie!”
“Auntie is the best!”
Chang An’s face lit up, his eyes curving like crescent moons as he smiled.
After tucking Chang An in and making sure he was asleep, Ye Xin Ran quietly entered her space.
Inside, the fermentation process for the medicine in the reactor was still ongoing. Ye Xin Ran opened her medicine box and pulled out several prepared pieces of “Polygonum Multi Florum” (He Shou Wu).
During her visit to the pharmacy earlier, she had observed that their methods for processing traditional Chinese medicine were far less refined than modern techniques.
The pieces of “He Shou Wu” she had processed herself should fetch a high price.
However, she knew she would need the “He Shou Wu” for her own use in the future. If she sold it now, she worried she wouldn’t be able to find such high-quality specimens later.
Ye Xin Ran found herself caught in a dilemma.
Still Need a Different Way to Make Money
Ye Xin Ran sighed, realizing she had to figure out another way to make money.
She exited her space and decided to test something. She placed a steamed bun in the first-floor kitchen of the space, and to her surprise, it worked!
This discovery clarified that her space had functional zones:
But what about other items?
Curious, she pulled a silver note from under her pillow and tried placing it in the space. No luck, the space wouldn’t accept it.
This limitation was frustrating. She needed a secure place to store valuables, but her current setup was inadequate for that purpose.
Lost in thought, Ye Xin Ran drifted into sleep. In the middle of the night, Chang An started tossing and turning again. Half-asleep, she entered her space to soothe him and ended up sleeping until dawn.
When Ye Xin Ran got up, Xiao Huai’an was already chopping wood in the courtyard.
The first rays of sunlight bathed his face, accentuating the striking features of his brow and eyes.
Seeing the towering pile of firewood beside him, Ye Xin Ran gaped.
“Did you not sleep all night? How did you chop so much wood?”
Xiao Huai’an replied without pausing his work,
“I noticed we were running low on firewood, so I chopped extra to make sure you all have enough while I’m gone.”
As he spoke, he brought the axe down precisely in the center of the log. The wood split cleanly into two halves, each piece perfectly even.
Ye Xin Ran marveled at his strength and precision.
It would take her at least four or five swings to split a log like that.
“Are you heading into the mountains again today?” she asked.
According to what Chang Sheng had said, Xiao Huai’an usually left after spending one night.
Sure enough, he nodded.
“Yes, I’ll leave after inspecting the field with the village chief.”
“Oh.” Ye Xin Ran gave a nonchalant reply. “Good,” she thought. “If he leaves, there’ll be more space in the house.”
“Then I’ll make some flat breads for you to take along,” she offered.
Initially, she had planned to cook rice for breakfast after eating flat breads for several days. But rice wasn’t convenient to carry, so flat breads would be the quicker option.
“I’d appreciate that,” Xiao Huai’an said with a nod.
Over the past two days, he had come to realize that Ye Xin Ran was not as he had imagined.
Despite her petite frame, she was far from delicate.
She had a fiery temper but was also reasonable and practical.
Especially the way she managed to change the children’s and the village chief’s opinion of her in such a short time, it was truly impressive.
Ye Xin Ran prepared a large batch of dough and made a variety of flat breads: sweet buns, salted buns, scallion pancakes, and sesame pancakes.
The breads were stacked high on a plate, and when the children woke up, they eagerly picked their favorites to try.
“This sweet bun is delicious!”
“This sesame one is amazing, it’s so fragrant.”
“It’s good, but not as good as mine. Mine’s salty and savory. None of you have tried this one.”
“Auntie, your cooking is better than a restaurant chef’s!” Chang Sheng exclaimed, wracking his brain to come up with the ultimate compliment.
Ye Xin Ran chuckled and asked,
“What do restaurant chefs’ flat breads taste like? I’ve never had any.”
“I haven’t either,” Chang An said quietly.
“Me too!” Chang Ping chimed in.
Chang Sheng scratched his head. “Actually, I don’t remember what they taste like either!”
“Hurry up and eat. The rest will be for your second uncle to take with him.”
“What?”
The three children looked at Ye Xin Ran in unison.
“What’s wrong?”
Finally, Chang Sheng spoke up,
“Auntie, Second Uncle never takes food with him when he goes into the mountains.”
“Exactly, no one ever made him such delicious flat breads before,” Chang Ping added.
“But now he has Auntie!” Chang An said cheerfully, still chewing on a sweet bun. “Auntie is the best to Second Uncle because Auntie likes Second Uncle!”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Ye Xin Ran was about to correct them when she saw Xiao Huai’an walking in from outside.
Realizing he might have overheard, Ye Xin Ran suddenly felt her face flush.
“What if he believes them?”
She glanced at Xiao Huai’an, trying to gauge his reaction, but his expression remained calm and composed.
“I just measured the land with the village chief,” he said, as though nothing had happened. “The plot is decent, though there are quite a few rocks. I’ll clear it when I have time, and then we can plant some vegetables.”
“Alright,” Ye Xin Ran replied, regaining her composure. She pushed a bowl toward him. “Have some breakfast first.”
To her surprise, Xiao Huai’an didn’t sit down immediately. Instead, he looked at her and asked,
“Why are your ears red?”