Chapter 46
Knowing Chen Youtian's character, Sang Luo didn't insist on keeping him for dinner. She used the newly made broom to sweep the courtyard before heading inside to cook dinner.
With all the cooking utensils ready, preparing meals had become much easier. They had been eating well recently, and since there was a feast to prepare soon, Sang Luo simply made some steamed rice, an egg soup, and a mixed fern dish for dinner.
That evening, they moved to the kitchen to make sour jujube candy. With the courtyard door bolted from the inside, there was a sense of complete safety in the new house. Shen An and Shen Ning couldn't help but touch the walls several times, appreciating their new home.
"Sister-in-law, our home is really beautiful now."
Indeed, despite only having an old thatched house to live in, a newly built kitchen and a bathroom, and a surrounding wall, life felt completely different. The sense of happiness was indescribable.
Sang Luo smiled, "Then you two take good care of it. If there's nothing much to do at home tomorrow, you can pick up some pretty pebbles. We'll plan a path from the courtyard door to the main house, so our shoes won't get muddy when it rains."
Shen An's eyes lit up, "We can do that? I'll pick up stones tomorrow and wait for your instructions on how to lay them."
"Sure, pick the smooth ones so they're kind of like a foot massage, but not too painful."
The siblings nodded in agreement.
The next day, Shen An's friends had a new task to do, but that's a story for later.
At the moment, Shen An and Shen Ning were helping Sang Luo wash fairy tree leaves and sour jujubes. While working, they wondered, "Sister-in-law, when are we going to sell the sour jujube cakes?"
Although their house had been busy these days, they hadn't stopped making sour jujube cakes, so now there were almost two jars full in the house.
"Tomorrow, I'll take a jar to the town to try selling it. It should sell out in a day."
It was time to buy a stone mill, as well as a water tank and a bathtub. These three major purchases weren't cheap, and the income from the fairy tofu alone couldn't cover it.
They still lacked enough winnowing baskets for drying, and the amount of fruit she could gather from the mountains was limited. After saving up for days, they only had about two jars, and each jar could hold around two hundred pieces.
"Let's try selling a jar of it tomorrow."
Shen Ning had already tasted the sour jujube cakes. She ate them quite frequently, as every day their sister-in-law would give her and her brother two pieces each as a snack, saying that eating them in moderation was good for their health. Now hearing that they could be sold in the town, Shen Ning's eyes lit up, "Sister-in-law, how will we sell the sour jujube cakes?"
Sang Luo was pondering this very question.
Without a scale, selling by weight was impossible, and she didn't plan to sell them too cheaply. Pricing by weight might seem quite expensive to customers.
She thought about the street food vendors from her previous life, who would set their own quantity and sell by portion, making the price seem more reasonable.
Something costing thirty yuan per pound might seem expensive to many, but the same item in a small bag for ten yuan doesn't seem too pricey.
Hence, Sang Luo had already bought some food-grade wax paper in the town a few days ago, planning to package and sell the cakes herself.
She weighed the cost of a popular snack cake in her mind for comparison.
"How about five pieces for three yuan?"
While the sizes of her sour jujube cakes might not be exactly uniform, they were relatively consistent, making it feasible to sell by the piece.
As for the price, the sour jujube cakes Sang Luo made were quite substantial, containing nothing but sour jujube pulp and sugar. Maltose wasn't cheap, and a basketful of sour jujubes yielded not so much pulp, which became even less once dried.
Sang Luo shaped each sour jujube cake into a round biscuit, each not too small, with a diameter nearly as long as her little finger.
At three yuan for five pieces, this sweet and sour treat wasn't really expensive. Comparable to the price of a single snack cake, one could get five sour jujube cakes. Thinking this way, Sang Luo felt it was quite a good value.
She couldn't base her pricing on the spending habits of villagers; after all, those who could afford to buy snacks weren't the impoverished.
Alright, that makes sense.
Shen An and Shen Ning were left gaping in astonishment, hearing the price of three yuan for five pieces. In one day, they could eat four pieces, which nearly amounted to three yuan just on snacks.
"Sister-in-law, I'll stop eating jujube cakes tomorrow. Or maybe just give me one piece to share with Shen An."
Shen An also nodded in agreement: "I don't need to eat it, just give it to Shen Ning."
What does a boy need with snacks anyway?
Sang Luo: "…"
It's also not good when kids at home are too thrifty.
"Go ahead and eat. This is our selling price, not the cost price for us to buy. We made these ourselves, why hesitate to eat them? Sour jujubes are actually a kind of medicinal ingredient, and these cakes can stimulate appetite, strengthen the spleen, nourish the heart, and calm the mind. It's good for you to eat some every day."
Shen An and Shen Ning had only heard that eating these was good for their health, but didn't know exactly why until now.
Shen An: "I think my health is quite good actually, I don't really need supplements."
Shen Ning nodded in agreement: "I feel fine too."
Sang Luo looked at their blonde hair and clicked her tongue, "How can you say you're fine? Look at your hair. Only when it becomes dark and glossy can you say you're truly healthy."
This was after she had started paying attention to their diet and provided supplements. While it was not yet clear whether their hair had improved, the two children's complexions were already much healthier than when she first arrived.
Not just Shen An and Shen Ning, but also herself.
When she first arrived, she didn't need a mirror to know she looked terrible; not only did she feel her sunken cheeks, but she also received pitiful glances from others, as if they saw a refugee in her.
Some changes happen imperceptibly. Reflecting on it, she realized that recently, she hadn't encountered looks of pity anymore, indicating that her improved diet had indeed made a difference.
In fact, observing the changes in Shen An and Shen Ning made her aware of her own transformation.
Shen An, looking at his sister's dry, thin hair and then at his sister-in-law, noticed that even if she had a better foundation, she still looked noticeably better than Shen Ning.
"Then we should eat it. Sister-in-law, next time you go to pick sour jujubes, take me with you? We can pick more and make more."
Sang Luo glanced at his trousers hanging far above his ankles: "Let's wait a bit. Once we've bought the water jar and bathtub, and saved some more money, I'll make new clothes for all three of us. Then I'll take you to the mountains."
Shen An immediately understood the reason: she was concerned about snakes.
Adults always secure their trouser legs tightly when going into the mountains.
Shen An nodded: "Okay."
Remembering the recently purchased wax paper, "Sister-in-law, isn't wrapping only five pieces in one sheet of wax paper a bit wasteful?"
After all, buying wax paper costs money, unlike lotus leaves.
Sang Luo hummed in agreement, "That's why I plan to add an extra piece for those who pay six yuan."
Three yuan for five pieces, six yuan for eleven – most people would opt for the six-yuan option to get the extra piece. Perfect!
And so, the price was decided.
…
The next morning, Sang Luo replaced one of the ceramic pots in her carrying basket with a terracotta jar.
When loading the cart, Qin Fangniang noticed the change and curiously asked, "Switched to something new for transporting the immortal tofu today?"
Sang Luo pondered for a moment and didn't hide it from her: "No, this is a new delicacy I've made."
She opened the jar's lid and handed out two pieces, one each to Chen Youtian and Qin Fangniang, "Uncle, aunt, please try this."
Chen Youtian waved it off, "I don't eat these things, keep it for selling."
Qin Fangniang, however, took it. Although it was dim, she could make out a round cake-like shape. She pressed it slightly, noting its soft texture, then took a small bite and relished the taste...
Her eyes widened in surprise: "Is this a dessert?"
Or is it candy?
Sang Luo smiled, "It's called crystal cake, my new creation. I'm planning to try selling it in the county."
"This must be expensive, right? You're just giving it to me to eat?"
Holding the remaining pieces, she felt unsure whether to eat or not.
Everyone knows that sweet delicacies aren't cheap. Rural families rarely buy such treats, and anyone able to afford a piece of dessert can boast about it in the village for a long time.
"Eat it, it's homemade." As she spoke, Sang Luo wrapped a few pieces in wax paper. "Take these back for the grandparents and little Yierlang to try. It's appetizing, spleen strengthening, heart nourishing, and calming – eating it is beneficial for health."
She didn't offer any to Chen Youtian, knowing he wouldn't accept it, and instead placed it directly into Qin Fangniang's hands: "Please take it back for Uncle Youtian."
Qin Fangniang squeezed the wax paper package, estimating about five or six pieces inside, and marveled, "This must cost you a lot!"
Even though Sang Luo didn't mention the price, Qin Fangniang knew it wouldn't be cheap.
"Why mention that? I didn't pack much; it's just for tasting. Uncle Youtian is still helping me with furniture work at my place. If you talk like that, I ought to pay him a proper wage."
Qin Fangniang was immediately at a loss for words.
Over these days, the two of them had been regularly traveling together to and from the county, and their relationship had deepened significantly from the initial days. Hearing the benefits of the food for health, Qin Fangniang no longer refused and gratefully said, "Then I'll accept it. It's nice to let the elders and kids at home taste such fine delicacies usually only available in the city."
Saying this, she stuffed the wax paper package into Chen Youtian's hands.
Chen Youtian took the package, feeling its weight. He wasn't one for empty pleasantries. After a silent moment, he tucked it into his pocket and went back to pulling the cart.
Speaking of Chen Youtian, whether carrying loads or pulling carts, he hadn't missed a single day lately, always ensuring to accompany them part of the way before heading back at dawn.
…
The markets in the east and west were still bustling. Today, Sang Luo introduced a new delicacy called "Crystal Cake," a name that suggested a dessert. Coupled with her reputation for selling immortal tofu, it attracted many inquiries.
This time, Sang Luo didn't use free samples as a selling point because this delicacy, made with sugar, was truly expensive. Sweet treats are indeed costly, and offering them as free samples would attract a crowd in the market, but not necessarily buyers due to the price.
Therefore, when someone inquired about the price and hesitated, Sang Luo would then use a bamboo knife to cut a small piece for them to taste. This way of filtering customers often resulted in successful transactions. She managed her two businesses lively and efficiently.
Her eloquence in presenting her food made people's mouths water, and she always managed to sell faster than Qin Fangniang. Today, adding sour jujube cakes to her offerings was no exception.
A pot of sour jujube cakes, with many buying five pieces each to taste the novelty. Most of those who bought the immortal tofu were also fond of delicacies, spending three pennies to try a new treat without any reluctance. Many, having tasted a sample, spent six pennies to buy eleven pieces. The pot contained around two hundred sour jujube cakes. After setting aside some for the Chen family and a few for tasting samples, the remaining amount sold brought in over a hundred pennies.
Including the income from the immortal tofu and the previous balance, Sang Luo's money pouch was stuffed to the brim, even filling her sleeve pocket.
Speaking of which, she had been selling these small items for a while and had never received any silver, only copper coins.
Probably because the unit price was indeed too low.
After packing up her stall, Sang Luo first bought three ducklings in the west market, then went to a cloth shop, spending thirty-six pennies on four pieces of filter cloth. After having the shopkeeper cut them to size, she proceeded to the east market to meet with Qin Fangniang and buy a stone mill.
Standing outside the stone shop, Qin Fangniang was astonished to learn that Sang Luo was purchasing a stone mill. "Why are you buying this? It's not commonly used at home, right?" she questioned.
The stone mill is typically used for grinding wheat, and though wheat is cultivated here, it's in smaller quantities compared to millet, which is the staple.
In the south, unlike the north, most people aren't adept at making wheat-based foods. Furthermore, it's rare for several villages to have a stone mill. The little wheat harvested is usually used to make wheat rice, which frankly isn't as tasty as their regular rice.
Therefore, most of the wheat harvested by each family in the village is usually given up for taxation, and any surplus is bought by grain merchants who visit the villages, leaving few families to keep any.
Sang Luo patted Qin Fangniang's hand, reassuring her, "It'll be useful. You'll see in a couple of days."
Chapter 47
Sang Luo had her eye on a stone mill, priced at 265 pennies, including a wooden base for placement. In the shop, she bargained with the stone store's shopkeeper for nearly half an hour, managing to get a mortar thrown in for free.
The mortar was quite sizable, easily three times larger than the modern ones used for crushing garlic, suitable for Sang Luo's small family. If they ever forgot to pound the rice, this could be used as a temporary substitute.
After arranging the wooden barrels and baskets on the carriage, making space, the shopkeeper and the assistant helped to load the stone mill onto it.
It was quite heavy, but as it could be disassembled and reassembled, a woman accustomed to farm work should be able to manage it, though carrying it up a mountain would be quite a challenge. Qin Fangniang finally understood why Sang Luo specifically asked her to help with the lifting.
After purchasing the stone mill, Qin Fangniang's contribution combined with Sang Luo's own savings were exhausted, and she had to count out a few dozen more coins from her purse. Nevertheless, the ease it brought was indeed comforting.
Sang Luo went to pull the cart: "Let's go buy some grain. Moving into a new house, we should start living well. The first thing is to fill the new rice container. And buy a bathtub, so I won't have to worry about bathing in the creek anymore."
Hearing this, Qin Fangniang laughed and didn't insist on Sang Luo pulling the cart: "You're not as steady as I am. The county roads are paved, easy to pull, but outside the city, you can help me push."
Qin Fangniang took over pulling the cart and continued the previous conversation: "Bathing in the creek is not comfortable, and it's always a bit frightening."
"Auntie, have you also bathed in the creek?"
"Yes, when we first fled here during the famine. We had nothing back then, life was no better than yours was before. We only gradually improved over time."
As they spoke of their past struggles, they visited the grain and woodworking shops. Sang Luo finally bought a bag of grain and the longed-for bathtub.
Loading the carriage took some effort due to the number of items. The assistant from the wood shop even used a roll of straw rope to secure the items on all sides, ensuring nothing would fall off even if the cart tilted, before they were ready to go.
Qin Fangniang looked at the fully loaded cart, noting that besides two barrels, a pair of carrying baskets, and a backpack belonging to her, the rest of the items, including the stone mill, wooden barrels, grain, bathtub, and several chirping yellow ducklings, were all Sang Luo's purchases, and remarked, "Your life is certainly looking up."
Sang Luo felt a deep sense of satisfaction. With a house, food stores, mountains in view, a spring by the house, a few chickens and ducks in the yard, and a small patch of vegetable garden, plus a little silver to spare, what more could she ask for in life?
…
Upon returning to the village, Sang Luo first carried the wooden barrels and the newly purchased ducklings home. Seeing her return, Chen Youtian, busy in the yard, knew it was time to help carry the rest of the items. After confirming, he set down his work and headed down the mountain path.
As Sang Luo set down the barrels, Shen An and Shen Ning, who were approaching, heard the crisp chirping of the ducklings and brightened up: "Big Sister, did you buy ducks?"
Sang Luo took out the basket holding three ducklings from atop the barrels, "Yes, are you happy?"
Few can resist the charm of fluffy young animals.
The children were indeed thrilled, squatting beside the basket and peering in. Shen Ning even reached in to gently touch the head of a duckling, delightedly turning to Sang Luo, "Big Sister, I can take care of the ducks. I used to feed our chickens and ducks back home, I'll look after these."
"Alright then, I'll leave these three ducklings in your care. Why don't you both find some fine grass for the duck nest? We'll build it later. I still need to go down the hill twice more; there's stuff to carry."
About to leave, Shen An eagerly asked what needed carrying. Sang Luo thought for a moment, "The bathtub. Come with me, Shen An, and give me a hand."
Shen An immediately agreed, no longer preoccupied with the ducklings, and followed Sang Luo out.
The wooden bathtub wasn't very deep and could be carried by one person, but it was not easy over a long distance. It was much more manageable for two people.
…
Chen Youtian was surprised to see that what Sang Luo had wanted help moving was a stone mill. Before Sang Luo's arrival, he asked his wife, "Why did she decide to buy a stone mill?"
Such an item wasn't cheap.
Qin Fangniang shook her head and said, "She only mentioned it has a use and told us we'll know in a couple of days."
Hearing this, Chen Youtian didn't ask further. He assessed the upper millstone of the stone mill, found it manageable, and after informing Qin Fangniang, lifted it and began to walk. After a few steps, he encountered Sang Luo and Shen An coming from behind. Sang Luo, noticing Chen Youtian had already lifted the millstone, asked, "Uncle Youtian, can you manage it alone?"
Chen Youtian nodded: "I can handle it."
Sang Luo, seeing he was fine, didn't insist further and went with Shen An to carry the bathtub. On their way back, they asked Chen Youtian to wait so they could help carry the lower millstone together.
The bag of grain was directly entrusted to Qin Fangniang to pull back. Sang Luo planned to go later to pound it into rice and bring it back.
After bringing the stone mill back, Chen Youtian also helped assemble the mortise and tenon structured wooden base. After asking Sang Luo where to place it, they both carried it inside the kitchen. The stone mill was then properly set up.
Once the work was done, he said, "I've finished making Shen An's bed. Your return is timely. Decide where in your room to place it, and I'll come over to help install it."
Everything being of mortise and tenon structure, it currently looked like an assortment of separate parts. If he didn't help assemble it, Sang Luo would likely struggle for a long time.
"The bed is ready so soon?" Sang Luo was pleasantly surprised. "The room was cleared out early this morning, so we can install it now."
Saying this, she went to help Chen Youtian carry the bed slats and posts.
Indeed, it should be called posts. The four legs of the bed were complete cylindrical shapes sawed from a single piece of wood, with grooves at the top, likely the mortise and tenon joints that are said to be more sturdy than nails.
Once everything was moved into the room, and Chen Youtian started the installation, Sang Luo watched, marveling at the smooth process.
The four round posts and the uneven boards, with a few taps and knocks from Chen Youtian, quickly came together to form a bed.
After the bed slats were laid out, Sang Luo went over to test them with her hand, and indeed, they were very sturdy.
She gave Chen Youtian a thumbs up: "Uncle Youtian, your craftsmanship is unquestionable."
Isn't this much better than the three benches and a few planks Shen San initially divided among them?
Speaking of Shen San, her own uncle, she really didn't feel like commenting.
Chen Youtian, having been praised, just smiled, gathered his tools and said, "My family has clean straw. Later, you can fetch some to spread on the bed, over which you can lay mats for softer bedding. You needn't buy mats from the market, my mother is weaving them at home. They should be ready by evening, and it will be our gift to celebrate your new home. They will likely be delivered to you tonight."
Chen's mother had been inside the thatched cottage before. She knew exactly what the bed there was like - so narrow, barely fitting three people, probably unbearable in the heat of summer.
Therefore, there was no need to wait for a special occasion to give the gift. As soon as the bed and mats were ready, they would be sent over.
Sang Luo was taken aback to hear that the old lady had almost finished weaving the mats. It was moving, really, and at such touching moments, she found it hard to express her gratitude.
She smiled: "Our little An is lucky, he'll get to sleep on a new bed tonight."
Chen Youtian chuckled, remembering something else, "Oh yes, about the chickens you wanted to raise. My mother asked around, and the Lu family can spare two, and another family in the village also has two to spare. If you can manage four, you can buy from both. If not, just choose one from each. Both families have raised them well."
Sang Luo beamed: "Today's a good day, both chickens and ducks are settling in. Uncle, I'll come down with you to bring the chickens back. Also, could I borrow your tools? I'm planning to build a chicken coop and a duck pen out of bamboo."
"Of course, I wouldn't refuse," said Chen Youtian. "I'll just head back now. You can use these tools and take care of the remaining wood. These will come in handy for future projects."
Sang Luo agreed, asking Chen Youtian to wait a moment. She went inside to fetch an old cloth bag, and as she stepped out, she encountered Shen An and Shen Ning returning with dry grass. She said, "Perfect timing, Ning, stay at home. An, come with me to Aunt Chen's house to get some straw."
Unaware that his new bed was already set up, Shen An, upon hearing his sister-in-law's request, handed the grass he was carrying to his sister and followed her down the hill.
Arriving at the Chen household, it was a coincidence that the old lady had just finished weaving a mat. Seeing Sang Luo and Shen An with Chen Youtian, she smiled and said, "You've come at the right time. This mat is for you. Take it home with you."
She then turned to ask Chen Youtian, "Is the bed done?"
Chen Youtian nodded: "It's ready. Just lay some straw and then a mat, and it can be used."
Shen An's eyes lit up: "Uncle Youtian, is my bed ready?"
It still looked like a pile of wood when I left.
Chen Youtian smiled: "It's ready. You'll need to bring back the straw yourself since your sister is going to buy chickens and won't be able to carry it."
Hearing this, Granny Chen chimed in with a laugh, "Wait a moment. An, come with me, and I'll help you get the straw."
"Okay!" Shen An agreed excitedly, telling Sang Luo before happily following Granny Chen.
A new bed for their home! And soon chickens too – he hardly knew how to contain his joy!
Chapter 48
Old Lady Lu, having already agreed to Granny Chen's request to help Sang Luo find chickens, guessed that they would visit today and had stayed home in anticipation.
Sure enough, they arrived.
Old Lady Lu welcomed them with a warm smile, observing Sang Luo as they entered.
Upon closer inspection, she noted that Sang Luo actually had fine features; once she regained some weight, she would undoubtedly be quite attractive.
What particularly caught Old Lady Lu's attention were Sang Luo's eyes: bright, clear, and sincere.
Such a person, she thought, must be resolute in character and upright in thinking.
"I've often heard the children at home talk about you. Now that I've met you, I see you really are capable."
As she praised Sang Luo, Old Lady Lu called her daughter-in-law to make some mint tea and bring out pumpkin seeds to entertain the guests. The young daughter-in-law, hearing the voices, greeted Granny Chen, nodded to Sang Luo, and then headed to the kitchen.
Sang Luo interjected, then addressed Old Lady Lu, "Granny Lu, please don't trouble yourself. I've just come to buy chickens. I bought some ducklings today and I'm in a rush to get back and build their coop. If you'd like to chat, why not visit my place the day after tomorrow? I'll have plenty of time then and would love to host you and Uncle and Auntie."
Hearing Sang Luo's proposal, Old Lady Lu smiled and agreed, "That's fine then. I won't insist if you're busy. I'll take you to see the chickens at the back. Pick any two you like."
She gestured for the young daughter-in-law to come closer and introduced her to Sang Luo, "This is my second daughter-in-law. You can call her Second Auntie."
She then smiled and said to her daughter-in-law, "Liuniang, this is Ah Lie's wife. You probably know of her."
Wang Liuniang did know indeed, as Ah Xu had been constantly mentioning her recently. He especially envied his cousins for getting to work at Shen An's house.
With a rare smile, she nodded at Sang Luo, a friendly acknowledgment.
Sang Luo returned the smile and greeted her with "Second Auntie Lu."
Granny Chen, observing Wang Liuniang's slight smile, had a thoughtful look, while Old Lady Lu's lips curled upward gently. She kindly addressed her daughter-in-law, "Since you're here, take a break. Don't just stay indoors weaving all the time. It's good to move around a bit, keeps the bones strong. Constant weaving can strain your eyes, something you won't notice until it's too late."
Wang Liuniang nodded, "I understand, mother."
Her voice was soft and gentle, yet seemed to carry an indefinable melancholy.
Old Lady Lu, without further ado, led Granny Chen and Sang Luo out of the courtyard towards the back of the house. A woman, appearing to be about the same age as Qin Fangniang, emerged from the kitchen upon hearing about catching chickens and silently followed the group. Old Lady Lu saw her and introduced her to Sang Luo: "This is my eldest daughter-in-law. You can call her Elder Auntie Lu."
Sang Luo naturally greeted her as Elder Auntie Lu.
The woman smiled at Sang Luo, "You must be Ah Lie's wife. I've often heard about you from our Shuanzhu, Tiezhu, and Huzi in recent days."
Her voice was upbeat and cheerful, a stark contrast to the silence she maintained when she first came out.
Sang Luo responded with a smile, "I should be thanking them. The kids have been a great help. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to move into my new house today."
Hearing Sang Luo praise her sons, Elder Auntie Lu beamed with joy and delight.
The Lu family's chicken coop was situated beside the mountain behind their house. The chickens weren't in the coop but were pecking and foraging on the ground behind the house, around a dozen of them in total.
Old Lady Lu said, "These are our chickens. The semi-grown ones were hatched by our own hens in April. Just take a look and tell me which ones you want. I'll catch them for you."
Sang Luo glanced over and laughed, "Granny Lu, your chickens look so lively, any of them would be fine. I don't need to pick. I'll just choose two with distinct feather patterns."
The first half of her remark was not mere flattery. Village free-range chickens rarely appeared listless, and this flock was no exception, each of them looking spirited.
Sang Luo's gaze swept over the group of semi-grown chickens, picking a robust-looking pair, one male and one female.
Mrs. Lu chuckled in agreement, but before she could act, Mrs. Lu's eldest daughter-in-law intervened, "Let me do it, mother."
She deftly approached the chickens and, with a few swift movements, had already captured the one chosen by Sang Luo, securing it firmly in her hand.
The capture of one chicken sent the others scattering in all directions. Unfazed, Mrs. Lu's daughter-in-law tied the captured chicken's feet with a straw rope, placed it in Sang Luo's cloth bag, and then fetched a feed tray. Tapping on it to attract the chickens, she scattered some leftover chaff and vegetables on the ground, luring back the scattered flock for an easy meal.
She precisely captured the second chicken as well.
Mrs. Chen, standing nearby, commented to Mrs. Lu with a smile, "Your daughter-in-law Chunniang is really capable. You're fortunate to have her."
Mrs. Lu warmly agreed, taking the opportunity to also praise Qin Fangniang.
Amid the mutual compliments of the two elderly ladies, Sang Luo efficiently tied up the cloth bag and handed it to Mrs. Lu's daughter-in-law, saying, "Aunt Lu, could you please weigh these two chickens for me?"
Mrs. Lu's daughter-in-law nodded and went inside to get a scale. Mrs. Lu then invited Mrs. Chen and Sang Luo into the house, suggesting they weigh the chickens inside to avoid the heat outside.
Once inside, Mrs. Lu's daughter-in-law had already fetched the scale. As Sang Luo and the others arrived, she hung the bag with the chickens on the scale, showed the weight to Sang Luo, and reported the combined weight.
They had previously agreed on paying market price for the chickens. Sang Luo calculated the amount, took out a string of coins from her purse, counted out forty-two coins, and handed the rest, fifty-eight coins, to Mrs. Lu, saying with a smile, "Grandma, here are fifty-eight coins. Please see if this is correct."
Mrs. Lu shook her head upon hearing the sum, "Why take fifty-eight coins? When buying from fellow villagers, charging the market price isn't in the spirit of community."
Without counting, she plucked two coins from the string Sang Luo gave her and handed them back: "Fifty-six coins will do. Consider it a discount of one coin per chicken."
Sang Luo grinned, accepting the money readily: "Alright then, I won't refuse your kindness. Thank you, Grandma Lu."
Mrs. Lu's eyes twinkled with amusement, remarking to Mrs. Chen, "This generosity of hers is really endearing."
"Indeed," Mrs. Chen agreed, chuckling. The two elderly ladies found common ground in their judgment of people and things.
Knowing Sang Luo had more errands at home, Mrs. Chen said, "Okay, we should head to the village chief's house to buy two more chickens. You go on with your tasks."
Mrs. Lu's eldest daughter-in-law's eyes sparkled upon hearing Sang Luo intended to buy more chickens. After they walked away, she quietly said to her mother-in-law, "Mother, Sang Luo seems to be doing quite well for herself."
Mrs. Lu glanced at her, "Hardworking and diligent people naturally improve their lives."
The daughter-in-law smiled sheepishly, choosing not to continue the conversation.
A short distance from the Lu household, Sang Luo curiously inquired, "Grandma, I've met Uncle Lu and Third Uncle Lu, but I don't think I've seen Second Uncle Lu?"
Mrs. Chen hesitated for a moment before responding quietly, "He's probably passed away."
Taken aback by this unexpected reply, Sang Luo was momentarily stunned, "How could that be?"
Mrs. Chen looked at her and sighed, "Your husband Alie, my son Dashan, Lu Er-lang, and Shi Dajun from the Shi family, were all conscripted that year. Not just them, our village lost over a dozen men, none returned."
"At the beginning of the year, we heard some were coming back. We went from village to village, but out of more than ten nearby villages, less than twenty returned alive."
The old lady's shoulders seemed to droop more as she spoke of this.
She forced a smile, trying to uplift her spirits, and cautioned Sang Luo, "The day after tomorrow, at our home feast, Shi Dajun's wife will likely attend. Remember not to bring up anything about her husband."
"In recent years, everyone around here knows not to ask if they see a man missing from a household. It's easy to touch upon someone's grief."
Only now did Sang Luo realize why the young Mrs. Lu, even when smiling, had a persistent sadness in her eyes, as if lacking a certain vitality.
If she had felt optimistic about her accumulation of household items earlier, now a tinge of sorrow crept in.
"Ancient wars were the greatest calamities for common folk," she thought. "I haven't been in this era long and haven't experienced many things."
Sang Luo chose not to ask why there were always wars, simply nodding, "I understand."
Thinking of Mrs. Chen's eldest grandson, who was in the same situation, Sang Luo glanced at her apologetically.
Mrs. Chen smiled lightly, "It's alright, you didn't know. Besides, living in such times, we must learn to console ourselves. What else can we do?"
"How do we go on living?"
With a deep breath, Mrs. Chen composed herself and changed the subject, starting to introduce the family of the village chief to Sang Luo.
"In our village, the Lu family and the family of Village Chief Zhou are among the few with thriving households."
"Zhou? Are they related to Zhou Lizheng?"
Mrs. Chen nodded and then shook her head, "They share a common ancestor, but it's the fourth generation now, so they're more like distant relatives."
Being an orphan, Sang Luo had a vague concept of kinship, but with the original body's memories, she understood Mrs. Chen's reference to distant relatives.
In the Daqian Dynasty, the first generation were siblings, the second generation were first cousins, the third generation were second cousins, and by the fourth generation, they became the distant relatives Mrs. Chen mentioned.
This indicated that the blood relation had indeed become quite distant.
Being a village chief usually meant having the highest living standards in the village. Chief Zhou's family was just like that. Although they lived in a mud house like everyone else, they had tiles on their roof instead of the uniform straw thatching, clearly distinguishing their house. Their household was large and prosperous, and even their mud-brick house seemed more imposing compared to others in the village.
Mrs. Chen seemed to have good relationships with everyone, always able to converse amiably, and it was the same with Chief Zhou's family.
After a brief explanation of their purpose, the village chief's wife observed Sang Luo: "So you are Alie's wife. You've been in our village for some time, but we haven't met before."
Matters like household registration were directly handled with the neighboring village's head, and the village chief assisted with local issues and mediated disputes. So, it wasn't strange for the chief's family not to have seen Sang Luo, who rarely ventured out.
Mrs. Chen introduced, "This is the wife of our village chief. You should call her 'Auntie.'"
The village chief's wife seemed about the same age as Qin Fangniang, suggesting that Chief Zhou was relatively young.
Sang Luo smiled and greeted, "Hello, Auntie Zhou."
Auntie Zhou smiled and led them towards the chicken coop, saying, "We don't have many chickens, but I heard you've just built a new house. It's not the season for buying chicks now, so it's no problem to spare two for you. You can pick them yourself."
Sang Luo chose two small hens this time. Together with the two from the Lu family, making one rooster and three hens in total. In two to three months, they should start laying eggs. With three hens, she hoped for three eggs a day, enough for their family's consumption.
Mrs. Zhou, the village chief's wife, was efficient in catching and tying the chickens, weighing them quickly and skillfully.
These two chickens were slightly lighter than those from the Lu family, but the price was still fifty-six coins, the same.
Since there was no close relationship between the two families, no discount was expected. Mrs. Zhou happily accepted the payment, and then Sang Luo and Mrs. Chen took their leave.
Passing by the Chen household, Sang Luo remembered she hadn't bought vegetables from the county today. Thinking of the evening meal and having wild vegetables at home, she asked Mrs. Chen to buy two eggs.
As she spoke, Sang Luo promptly took out two coins from her purse to pay, determined not to underpay.
This wasn't surprising considering that during the house construction period, when she cooked at the Chen's, Mrs. Chen often secretly supplemented her diet with eggs. Initially, Sang Luo was unaware, but over time she realized this generous gesture.
Since the construction began, most of the eggs laid by the Chen's chickens were given to her.
At that time, the two families shared meals. Mrs. Chen always felt a bit guilty enjoying white rice and meat, thinking she was taking advantage of Sang Luo. Secretly adding eggs to her diet eased her conscience.
Thus, Sang Luo didn't say much about it. But now, with her own house built and cooking at home, she couldn't accept such favors any longer.
Seeing Sang Luo's expression, Mrs. Chen chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll take the money. These eggs are part of my livelihood."
Mrs. Chen happily pocketed the coins and went to fetch the eggs. When she returned, she brought an extra two eggplants, saying, "Here, take these too."
Sang Luo laughed at the gesture, thanked her without hesitation, holding the fabric bag with the chickens, the eggplants, and the eggs. Just as she was about to leave, she remembered the bag of grain she bought, mentioning she would come back later to mill it.
Mrs. Chen glanced toward her house and smiled, "No need to come back for that. Your aunt must have already milled it and sent it to your house. Go home and check."
Indeed, when Sang Luo returned home, she found the grain bag she had purchased earlier resting under the eaves of her straw house.
Shen An had made several trips, bringing back straw and mats for the new bed, which was now nicely set up. The siblings excitedly sat and lay on it, thoroughly testing its strength. Hearing Sang Luo's return, they climbed down to joyfully greet her.
"Big sister, I've given water to the ducklings and put them in the backyard for now."
"Big sister, Aunt Chen helped mill the rice. I've put it in the rice jar and stored the bran in a cloth bag."
The siblings eagerly approached Sang Luo, quickly reporting everything they thought she needed to know. Their eyes were fixed on the wriggling fabric bag in her hand. Shen An helped her with the eggplants and eggs, his eyes shining as he asked, "Did you buy chickens too?"
Sang Luo smiled, "Yes, I bought them. They are in the backyard getting acclimated. Once I set up the chicken coop, we'll let them roam outside and shelter them in the coop at night."
Carrying the bag to the backyard, she closed the gate, set the bag down, and carefully released the chickens, untying the grass ropes around their feet.
Once freed, the chickens scurried around the yard, startling the ducks huddled in a corner on the dry grass. The previously quiet backyard instantly became lively with the noise of chickens and ducks.
Shen Ning's eyes sparkled, "Big sister, I'll gather some dandelions, mugwort, and barnyard grass, and mix them with some bran for the chicken feed."
Barnyard grass seeds, also known as foxtail millet, are eaten by humans during famine years and are suitable for feeding chickens and ducks.
The young girl clearly had experience in poultry care, indicative of her previous responsibilities.
Sang Luo agreed, "Okay, but be careful the next few days with feeding. Make sure the ducks don't eat the chicken feed. They're still young and can't eat certain things. Their diet needs to be prepared separately."
"Understood," the siblings replied in unison, dashing out to gather the necessary items.
Sang Luo checked on the ducklings, noting they were adjusting well. The newly purchased chickens calmed down after a while and began to explore without showing any aggression towards the ducklings. Satisfied, she left the backyard.
Inside the straw house, the bed was neatly made with some leftover straw in the corner. Sang Luo planned to use it for the chicken and duck nests.
Before starting her work, she visited the bathroom and found two baskets filled with carefully selected, uniformly sized, and smooth river stones. They appeared meticulously cleaned, with no dirt clinging to them, neatly arranged.
Puzzled, Sang Luo wondered how such a collection of attractive stones was gathered so quickly, as she had only instructed them the night before.
Chapter 49
The answer came quickly.
As Sang Luo sat in the courtyard on a low stool, using straw to make nests for the ducks, she noticed two little kids peeking in through the gate, leaning and half-looking in. Spotting their elder sister-in-law, the two little ones broke into ingratiating smiles.
"Elder sister-in-law, do you still need pretty stones?" one of them asked.
It was Shen Tie, his voice still charmingly childish.
Shen Yin stepped away for a moment and soon returned, dragging a small winnowing basket to the gate. Sang Luo put down the nest she was weaving and walked over. Inside the basket, spread thinly, were about dozens of pebbles.
"Did you two pick these?"
Both children nodded in unison: "Do you still want them?"
Sang Luo smiled: "Yes, please bring them inside."
She then helped lift the basket. Although it wasn't heavily loaded, it was still somewhat heavy for the children.
Shen Yin and Shen Tie, hearing Sang Luo invite them in, turned to look outside the gate together.
Sang Luo raised an eyebrow, curious about the commotion outside, when she heard Hu Zi's voice: "Shen Jin, are you also delivering stones? Why stand outside?"
Shen Jin: …
Sang Luo felt like laughing.
Stepping outside the gate, she saw five children carrying baskets and lifting straw baskets, all there to deliver pebbles. Shen Jin was standing at the corner outside her gate but now emerged, somewhat sheepishly.
"Huh, isn't it rare for this little rascal to be shy about entering my yard?" she thought. He's usually so brazen around Shen An and Shen Ning.
Among the other five children, Sang Luo recognized Er Niu and Hu Zi, but the three younger ones were unfamiliar to her.
Er Niu and Hu Zi were now quite familiar with Sang Luo and showed no reserve. Arriving at the gate with their load, they greeted her with bright smiles: "Big sister-in-law Shen, we brought the stones."
Sang Luo smiled back: "Thank you, come on in. How did you all know I needed stones for my yard?"
Hu Zi, grinning broadly, scratched his head: "We saw Shen An and Shen Ning searching this morning. Heard you needed stones for paving the yard, so we thought we'd help. We found some in the morning, and these are from the afternoon."
The young boy confidently ushered his companions into the yard, then pointed at the three other boys, introducing them: "Big sister-in-law Shen, this is San Niu, Er Niu's brother, and the little ones here are Shi Tou and Ah Xu, my brothers."
Sang Luo listened with a smile as each child was introduced, then asked the older ones, Er Niu and Hu Zi, along with Shen Jin who was lingering by the gate, to take the younger ones to the mountain spring to wash their hands.
The three new little cuties from the Lu and Shi families were clueless, but Er Niu and the others, who had been helping around for a while, understood right away. Shen Jin's ears even perked up in excitement.
"Ah, I know this too well!"
"When Big Sister Sang asks us to wash our hands, it usually means there's food!"
His heart was practically roaring with joy, shedding any prior reluctance to enter the yard.
The five children who knew the routine joyfully rushed to wash their hands, pulling along the three bewildered little ones to the spring. Reaching there, they noticed that the spring near the Shen's home looked different?
There was a new bamboo pipe, the water pit was enlarged, a stone slab big enough for a person to stand on was laid where the water was collected, and the raised mud bank around the pit was now planted with various flowers and grasses.
Of course, all these changes were of little interest to the kids. What mattered most was the prospect of treats. They quickly washed their hands and raced back.
Meanwhile, Shen An and Shen Ning had returned with wild vegetables and barnyard grass, only to find a crowd of little friends gathered outside their home.
Seeing Shen An and Shen Ning arrive, Sang Luo beckoned the siblings over, softly telling them to wash their hands, and then fetched some crystal preserves from the house, splitting a piece for each child.
Sour jujube cakes were easy to tear into pieces, and as they were quite large, it was convenient to share among many children.
Shen An and Shen Ning's first thought was to mentally convert the number of jujube cake pieces into money!
But observing the several baskets and sieves in the yard, each filled with smooth, pretty pebbles, Shen An knew finding these wasn't easy. They had been searching themselves all day, aware that while it's easy to find stones, finding small, aesthetically pleasing, round, and uniformly-sized ones was quite a challenge.
Shen An nodded, leading Shen Ning to wash their hands. Meeting their friends on the way, they were greeted with excited faces and goofy grins. The siblings quietly chuckled and asked everyone to wait a moment, quickly washing their hands and then returning to the house.
Soon, they emerged, each holding a few pieces of sour jujube cake, diving into the crowd of children.
Sang Luo heard Shen Ning explaining, "This is called crystal preserve, sold for three coins for five pieces in the county. It's very expensive, we only have a few pieces, so I'll give each of you half a piece."
The children burst into excitement, savoring the treats bought from the county!
Sang Luo glanced over, content to let them be, and continued crafting her straw duck nest.
Making a rice straw duck nest wasn't complicated. It was circular, with a top and bottom, large enough for small ducks or chicks, and even kittens or puppies. Lined with soft dry grass, it made a cozy shelter as long as it stayed dry.
As the children received their share of the jujube cake, they eagerly started to eat. Er Niu was the first to thank Sang Luo, and the rest, initially drooling over the treats, followed suit with their own thanks.
Sang Luo responded with a smile, "You're welcome, go ahead and play after eating."
With this invitation, the children needed no further encouragement, each taking careful bites of the treats they held.
County treats, looking so delicious, were to be savored, not gobbled up in haste. They wanted to enjoy the flavor first.
It wasn't until they tasted the crystal preserve that they realized their salivation wasn't at its peak when they were merely longing for it; it was when they actually tasted the sweet and sour treat that their mouths truly watered.
"It's sour and sweet!" they exclaimed delightfully.
"Delicious!"
"Really tasty!"
Shen Tie and a child named Shitou were too engrossed in eating to speak, eagerly taking another bite. The youngest one, Ah Xu, nibbled a small piece, hesitated, then took another tiny bite. Reluctant to finish it, he carefully tucked the remaining half into his shirt pocket.
As Sang Luo continued weaving the duck nest, she occasionally glanced at the kids, their faces glowing with contentment, which brought a smile to her own face.
Shen Jin, with his keen ears, was enjoying his crystal preserve while overhearing the chickens and ducks in the backyard. He leaned towards Shen An and whispered, "Shen An, did your family buy chickens and ducks?"
Shen An nodded: "Yes, we did."
Hu Zi, overhearing, chimed in, "The chicken must be from my family, right? I heard Chen Granny asking about it at our house this morning."
Shen An replied, "I'm not sure, it was Chen Granny who helped us find them, so probably."
"That's right, our chickens are strong and easy to raise."
Shen Jin looked envious. "That's so nice, having chickens and ducks means you'll have eggs to eat. And your big sister always buys you all sorts of treats."
He had never even seen the kind of treats from the county town before.
Shen An, noticing Shen Jin's wistful look of 'why couldn't I have been adopted into your family', chose not to respond.
He glanced at the piles of stones brought by their friends. Their home baskets were now overflowing with pebbles, so he carefully poured the pebbles from each friend's basket into a corner of the yard, then turned to his friends, "Thanks for today, everyone. You've been out in the sun all day, better head home now. I need to help my big sister with work."
"Okay, we'll help you pick more stones tomorrow," Hu Zi said, adding quickly, "No need for treats."
Realizing only after eating that it was a bit awkward, Shen An just laughed.
After exchanging greetings with Sang Luo, the group of kids each took their baskets and left.
Shen An went to see them off, while Shen Ning approached Sang Luo, offering a piece of sour jujube cake: "Elder sister-in-law, have some too."
Sang Luo tilted her head back slightly and looked down, saying, "Just tear half a piece for me."
From her years of convalescence in her previous life, she had developed the habit of eating even the tastiest foods in moderation.
Shen Ning, aware of her elder sister-in-law's temperament, cheerfully tore half a piece, splitting another half between herself and Shen An, who had just come in.
After eating, Shen Ning went off to prepare chicken feed. She chopped dandelions and mugwort with a bamboo knife, mixed them with a handful of barnyard grass and bran. It was only then she realized, "Elder sister-in-law, we don't have a feed trough."
Feeding chickens with a bowl was impractical, and scattering it on the ground would dirty their newly renovated courtyard.
Sang Luo thought for a moment, then brought out the bamboo pole from the day before. She sawed off a section of the thicker end, split it into two halves to make small feed and water troughs, and did the same with a thinner section for the ducklings.
"Let's use these for now. We'll replace them when we find something more suitable."
As Shen Ning went in to feed the chickens, Sang Luo put down the saw, finished the nest with a final touch, admiring her handiwork. She thought it looked quite exquisite, not inferior to the fancy pet beds available online, and had a rustic charm.
She looked around the courtyard and called Shen An to help move the thin stone slab they had been using as a table. They moved it into the backyard under the eaves of the main house.
Sang Luo looked around and felt confident that it would be sheltered from the rain, so she brought in the straw nest.
With the stone slab on the ground and the eaves above, the nest would be protected from the rain, barring a downpour. This setup would suffice until the ducks grew bigger and could roam outside.
Sang Luo busied herself arranging the nest and securing the feed and water troughs, while Shen An brought in the soft, dry grass they had gathered, spreading it carefully in the nest before placing each duckling gently inside.
This cozy nest, sheltered on three sides, seemed to be much to the ducklings' liking. They seemed more secure, peering around and chirping merrily.
As Sang Luo watched the three fluffy little creatures, she stood up and instructed Shen Ning to cook some half-cooked rice to feed the ducks later, then shouldered a hoe and stepped out of the yard to choose a spot next to the house and start digging.
The ground had just been cleared, making the task simple – she just had to flatten the area a bit. In no time, she measured the size of a chicken coop in her mind and realized the remaining bamboo at home might not be enough. Taking a curved knife, she called Shen An to help her cut some bamboo nearby.
After nearly an hour, the aunt and nephew duo returned, dragging a bamboo tree, a small bundle of cedar branches, and a large pile of banana leaves. Without entering the yard, they prepared the bamboo outside, keeping the main stem and sawing it to length.
Once the bamboo stems were sawed, she split them into strips two fingers wide and wove them into six solid bamboo panels, each with four upright bamboo poles extending a foot longer, and one large enough for a door to allow easy access for the chickens and ducks, and for cleaning.
After assembling the bamboo panels in the prepared ground, one was laid flat to form the floor of the coop, mainly to prevent weasels from burrowing in. The other four were then fixed into the soil to form a simple fence.
She then placed the sixth panel on top, and Shen An helped secure the corners with twine, attaching a bamboo door, thus completing a rudimentary yet sturdy chicken coop.
Finally, she took branches the thickness of a child's arm, sharpened one end, and drove them deep into the ground to form a stable frame. After testing their sturdiness, she used twine and thicker branches to create a roof frame.
Sang Luo skillfully constructed a roof frame twice the height and size of the chicken coop. She layered banana leaves on top to create a rainproof and shading cover.
Sang Luo admired the two-story chicken coop she had built, which was taller than herself, chuckling at its impressive stature in the local poultry world.
Pleased with her work, she took two remaining banana leaves, carefully placed them inside as bedding, and asked Shen An to bring more straw to lay over the leaves.
The coop was perfect now.
With this design, when it gets dirty inside, she could simply roll up the banana leaves to remove the soiled straw, making it easy to replace with fresh bedding.
After finishing her work and admiring her creation, Sang Luo finally had time to look at her hands. Although she had roughly smoothened the bamboo strips, her unskilled craftsmanship left much to be desired, resulting in several cuts on her hands.
Without gloves and despite her careful work, her palms had seven or eight cuts, which were tolerable during the work but now stung and itched painfully.
Sang Luo heated the fire and used two sticks to hold one of her two needles, heating the tip in the flames. She then meticulously removed every bamboo splinter embedded in her flesh while sitting in the yard, stopping only when there was no trace left.
Seeing the beautiful chicken coop they had built next to the house, Shen An and Shen Ning were initially thrilled. But their joy quickly faded into discomfort and guilt upon seeing Sang Luo's hands covered in tiny cuts.
"Big sister, this is a man's job. I'll handle it from now on. If I don't know how, I'll ask Uncle You Tian. Please don't do this kind of work anymore," Shen An said earnestly.
His expression was one of serious commitment.
Shen Ning, on the other hand, was particularly supportive: "Right, big sister. Your hands are so badly scratched, it must be painful."
Their concern brought a smile to Sang Luo's face, despite the discomfort and itchiness from the cuts on her hands.
"Men, huh?"
Hearing the two young kids in first or second grade assertively claim this was a man's job made Sang Luo want to laugh.
However, she knew such a sense of responsibility in a boy was commendable. Smiling, she encouraged, "Alright, our little Shen An is a real young man. You should learn well, and once you've mastered it, you and Shen Ning can rely on each other for these kinds of tasks."
Shen An took her words to heart, nodding vigorously: "I definitely will. I don't think it's hard. I already learned a lot by watching what you did today."
Sang Luo smiled at their earnestness. After resting and drinking a cup of water in the kitchen, she moved the chopping block inside and resumed her work with the saw.
Shen An became anxious: "Didn't we agree that I would do it once I've learned?"
Holding a saw, Sang Luo replied with a smile and raised eyebrows: "We are hosting a feast the day after tomorrow, and I need to make a cutting board. Do you know how to do that?"
Chen You Tian had already done so much. A minor item like a cutting board had slipped his mind. Since he was helping her for free, Sang Luo couldn't expect him to do everything. Anything she could manage herself, she should.
On hearing that it was a cutting board for the kitchen, Shen An was puzzled. How was that made?
Sang Luo had initially spoken offhandedly, but upon reflection, she found the idea feasible. Sifting through the pile of materials, she found a piece of elm wood left over from the construction of their house's main beam. After examining its solid quality, she turned to Shen An: "Actually, it's not difficult. We already have the material, and this elm wood, leftover from our main beam, seems perfect for a cutting board. It's just about sawing a piece off. Shall we try it?"
Becoming more convinced of her idea, she called Shen An over: "Come on, if you want to give it a try, help me out. I'll guide you through it."
If it turned out poorly, it would just waste some material. She could always make another one.
Besides, how bad could it be? Chen You Tian had already sawn one side, making it perfectly flat. With one flat side, the other side's imperfections wouldn't impede its use as a cutting board.
Shen An hesitated, unsure if he could really make a cutting board.
But seeing the encouraging look in his big sister's eyes, his uncertainty quickly turned into eagerness: "Alright! Big sister, you teach me."
He felt ready to take on more responsibilities at home, filling Shen An with an indescribable excitement.
Chapter 50
What seemed like a simple task turned out to be far from easy. After more than half an hour, Shen An's hands were sore, and he had only sawn through less than a third of the cutting board.
The little man was taken aback.
Sang Luo then took over with a smile: "Here, let me give you a break."
They took turns, each working for fifteen minutes. Even Shen Ning gave it a try. After spending more than half an hour, they finally managed to saw off the cutting board. The trio inspected their work – surprisingly decent?
Shen An and Shen Ning were thrilled, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from participating in making the cutting board was indescribable. As it was already evening, their eyes sparkled with excitement as they urged Sang Luo: "Big sister, let's make dinner."
Sang Luo glanced at the sky, finding it a reasonable idea. She gathered the sun-dried sour jujube cakes and stored them in the now-empty jar, then started preparing the evening meal.
The advantage of having two stoves became apparent: one for cooking rice and the other for making soup and other dishes, significantly speeding up the process. However, when it came to chopping vegetables, the good cutting board met its match with the bamboo knife. It required a clever combination of technique and strength – an oxymoron? Not really.
You needed to pierce the eggplant skin with the knife's pointed end – that's where finesse was needed. But to actually break through the skin, a fair bit of force was essential.
"What our household really needs now is a water jar and a kitchen knife."
Both items were not cheap, especially the kitchen knife. Ironware was expensive at the time.
Sang Luo felt the weight of her nearly empty coin pouch at her waist. Probably less than ten coins left. Tomorrow's earnings from selling fairy tofu and sour jujube cakes might add up to over four hundred wen. But buying both a water jar and a kitchen knife would exhaust all her current and future savings. Without a water jar, a wooden barrel could suffice for now, but even buying just a kitchen knife might deplete all her funds.
"We have guests to entertain the day after tomorrow, so I need to save some money for buying vegetables, right?"
Sang Luo's gaze inadvertently shifted to the stone mill in the kitchen.
Shen An had been curious about the purpose of the stone mill ever since it was brought home.
But his sister had been relentlessly busy since her return, with a myriad of tasks ranging from buying poultry to setting up the new bed, arranging straw and mats, and then constructing duck nests, chicken coops, and cutting boards. They had almost forgotten about the stone mill amidst all these activities.
Now, seeing Sang Luo glancing towards the stone mill while contemplating the purchase of a kitchen knife, Shen An remembered his curiosity.
"Big sister, why did we buy that stone mill?"
Sang Luo smiled, "To make money."
She patted Shen An's shoulder, "Today, I'll make another delicious dish for you, but it might be ready only by midnight."
With the children's curious and expectant eyes on her, she took down a bag of soybeans hanging from the kitchen's beam.
Shen An knew that his sister had a special plan for those soybeans. They had been waiting for so long without any clue, and today they finally saw her taking it out. The siblings exchanged glances and moved closer.
"Big sister, are you going to use those soybeans with the stone mill to make food?"
Sang Luo nodded with a smile, "Yes."
Shen An and Shen Ning were somewhat bewildered. They had eaten soybeans before; during times of food scarcity, it was a staple, but soybean rice wasn't very tasty, especially compared to regular rice. When there was enough food, soybeans were just another dish, used in making sauces. What else could they possibly be used for?
Sang Luo hadn't mentioned this, but in recent days, she mainly sold her goods at the county market, mostly transacting with copper coins rather than bartering. The soybeans she currently had were those exchanged from selling her signature 'Immortal Tofu' at various villages, amounting to a total of five sheng (liters).
For a market stall, this amount of soybeans wasn't much. Sang Luo poured them all into a bucket, then took it to the mountain spring to rinse the beans twice. After cleaning, she refilled the bucket with water and carried it back to the kitchen.
Shen An and Shen Ning followed her throughout this process, somewhat confused.
Seeing their puzzled expressions, Sang Luo smiled, "We'll let the beans soak for two hours and focus on cooking dinner for now."
Despite her secretive approach, the siblings refrained from asking further and instead assisted with meal preparation.
Sang Luo always took great care when cooking, meticulously cutting eggplants into thick slices and then into finger-thick strips, even with a less-than-sharp knife. She then put the eggplant strips in a bowl, sprinkled some salt, and tossed them to draw out the moisture.
Properly treating eggplants like this was crucial in home cooking to ensure a tender texture without excessive oil. Sang Luo believed the variety and cultivation of eggplants played a significant role in their taste, recalling the difference between store-bought and home-grown eggplants from her previous life.
She mused that many products in cities seemed hastily grown and couldn't match the quality of those cultivated in rural areas.
After mixing the eggplants with salt, she called the kids to gather some wild green onions and wild chives.
Living in the mountains, they never lacked wild vegetables, especially now that they weren't relying on them for sustenance like before. The previously harvested spots had regrown, making it unnecessary to explore further hillsides.
A short trip outdoors, and each of them returned with a handful of greens.
They mostly gathered chives, along with a handful of mint leaves from the plants they had transplanted near their house.
After washing the greens at the mountain spring, Sang Luo fetched a clove of garlic from beneath the wooden counter, chopped it, and set it aside.
By then, the eggplants were ready. She placed a tofu-filtering cloth in an empty pot, transferred the eggplants into it, wrapped them up, and squeezed out the excess moisture. Then, she instructed Shen Ning to light the stove for cooking.
Shen Ning watched closely, tending the fire and asking about anything she didn't understand. Together, they prepared a simple dinner of eggplant roasted with mint, scrambled eggs with wild chives, and a side of dandelion – the latter being extra from the chicken foraging. They served the meal on a small square table made by Chen You Tian.
After dinner, Sang Luo and the two children gathered the surplus thick bamboo branches from the previous day and that afternoon, moving them to the backyard vegetable garden. Now with chickens, they needed to build a bamboo fence to protect the plants.
Building the fence was much simpler than constructing the chicken coop, and both Shen An and Shen Ning could help, though it was time-consuming.
By nightfall, they had only completed half of the fence.
It became too dark to see, so Sang Luo stopped working. Considering the chickens and ducks in the backyard, and the potential for attracting snakes or rodents, she decided to sprinkle the bag of snake repellent powder given by the elderly Mrs. Chen along the perimeter of their house.
Now, they could sleep peacefully knowing their poultry was protected.
The powder, made of various herbs, was safe for humans and poultry alike. Mrs. Chen had provided a large bag, seeing how frequently Sang Luo used it.
As usual, Sang Luo made fairy tofu at night. However, this time, while waiting for the second batch to set, she began making tofu with Shen An and Shen Ning after the beans had soaked sufficiently.
The siblings followed the entire process, not only tasting soy milk but also witnessing how their sister-in-law magically transformed the liquid into solid tofu, just like when she first made fairy tofu.
After working most of the night, they each enjoyed a bowl of sweet tofu brain.
Just when they thought the process was complete, they realized there was more: scooping the tofu into a wooden frame lined with cheesecloth, placing a board and a heavy stone on top. About half an hour later, they watched in anticipation as Sang Luo removed the stone and board, revealing the set tofu.
Like the fairy tofu, it had solidified into blocks.
While amazed by what they saw, they also felt it shouldn't be surprising, given their sister-in-law's previous successes with fairy tofu and sour jujube cake.
"It's done. I made a small batch today, but I'll take it all to the county for sale tomorrow morning. After the feast at home the day after tomorrow, I'll make some tofu dishes for you to enjoy."
Shen An and Shen Ning, nodding like pounding garlic, wondered how tofu made from soybeans would taste compared to fairy tofu.
The anticipation for the feast day was already building among them, even though it hadn't arrived yet.
Sang Luo inspected the three blocks of tofu she had made and was very pleased with their quality, finding them no less than what was sold in supermarkets.
She used a bamboo knife to cut each block into sixteen pieces, totaling forty-eight pieces from all three blocks.
After covering the tofu with cloth again, she pondered how to price it – two or three coins per piece?
The cost was surprisingly low. Five liters of soybeans cost only twenty coins, so selling the tofu at two coins per piece was quite profitable. Forty-eight pieces would bring in ninety-six coins, netting a seventy-six coin profit after deducting the cost.
The cost of gypsum used as a coagulant was negligible.
With more experience and skill, she knew she could produce even more tofu from one liter of soybeans in the future, but for now, these were her calculations.
With the limited quantity she made today, she planned to sell all the tofu herself tomorrow, ensuring a full ninety-six coins in earnings. Sang Luo calculated that this should cover the cost of a chicken and a duck for the feast, while meat and eggs could be purchased fresh on the 25th. Given the busy farming season, the market wouldn't be crowded, and she could supplement her income by selling tofu and 'Immortal Tofu' in various villages.
She felt confident she could earn enough to buy some meat and eggs, while keeping some tofu and relying on vegetables provided by neighbors for the feast.
This planning brought her peace of mind.
After a busy day, she enjoyed a relaxing bath in her new bathtub, ensuring the chickens and ducks were fine before preparing to sleep.
Both Shen An and Shen Ning were too excited to sleep early, staying up late with Sang Luo.
Shen An, having had his fill of the new bed during the day, chose to sleep on the old bed, offering the new one to his sister and Sang Luo.
Sang Luo declined, preferring to sleep in her usual spot and suggesting Shen Ning could sleep on the new bed if she wanted to.
She liked her corner spot and the privacy provided by a curtain. The sleeping arrangement of the siblings sharing a bed was acceptable for their age in rural areas. Next year, she planned to level the adjacent hillside to extend their living space, adding two more rooms so each child could have their own.
Assured that she genuinely preferred her old bed, both siblings eagerly hopped onto the new bed together.
Shen Ning, fond of staying close to Sang Luo, rushed to the new bed but didn't forget to promise her: "Sister-in-law, I'll just sleep in the new bed tonight, and I'll come back to sleep with you tomorrow."
Sang Luo chuckled at this: "You don't need to keep me company, I sleep quite comfortably alone. You go enjoy the new bed."
Though a bit disappointed by this response, Shen Ning was more enticed by the new bed at the moment and cheerfully dashed to it, thinking to deal with tomorrow when it comes.
Shen An, understanding his role as a boy, knew it wasn't appropriate to crowd in with his sister and sister-in-law. He didn't say anything but the calm demeanor he maintained all afternoon, especially after declaring himself a young man, completely collapsed as he joyfully tumbled around on the new bed and bedding.
After their fun, the siblings each pulled out an old piece of clothing to cover their stomachs, improvising a blanket.
Observing this, Sang Luo made a mental note that their home still lacked two sets of pillows and blankets, and perhaps an oil lamp would be useful too. Depending on moonlight and the fire from the stove was workable, but not convenient.
She then lay down herself.
For the first time since crossing over, Sang Luo had the luxury of sleeping alone on a bed. Reveling in the comfort, she stretched out her arms and legs, then happily rolled over, understanding the children's joy in tumbling on the bed.
Seeing their sister-in-law rolling on her bed, Shen An and Shen Ning watched from their bed, filled with laughter.