Jiang Liuli opened the rice sack and flour sack again.
"Mother, from now on our family will eat refined rice and flour every meal. You mustn't be reluctant to use them!"
Zhao Shi felt a pang of heartache, but remembering what she had just promised, she closed her mouth and nodded.
Liu Shi stared at the refined rice and flour, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.
"Heavens! Eating such precious things every day? This lifestyle probably rivals that of Zhang Yuanwai's family in town!"
Jiang Xiaoni also cautiously touched the snow-white flour. Her rough fingers left marks on the smooth flour, then she quickly withdrew her hand, afraid of dirtying this precious substance.
"Sister! Can we really eat such good things every day?"
Seeing Jiang Xiaoni's timid manner, Jiang Liuli smiled and said:
"Of course."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaoni's eyes reddened. In all her grown years, let alone refined rice, flour, and meat, she had never even eaten her fill of ordinary corn porridge. But now, her elder sister actually said they would eat these good things every day.
Just then, several small heads peeked out from the doorframe, still clutching leftover bun crusts in their hands. Their eyes grew wide as they saw the open rice and flour sacks.
"Eldest Aunt, is that… white rice?"
The youngest, Jiang Tao, only three years old, stood on tiptoe to peer into the sack. Her small finger pointed at the glistening rice grains, her voice trembling.
She had only seen it once before from a distance during New Year, when Jiang Qianshi secretly cooked porridge for the eldest branch's children. When she approached to smell it, Wang Shi kicked her away.
"Yes," Jiang Liuli scooped up a spoonful of white rice and held it before her. "Smell it. Is it fragrant?"
Jiang Tao timidly leaned forward and sniffed hard.
"Eldest Aunt, why doesn't it smell as good as the rice porridge Grandmother cooked for our cousins?"
"Silly child, this is uncooked rice. How could it be fragrant? It will smell wonderful once cooked!" Before Jiang Liuli could respond, Jiang Yinbao patted his granddaughter's head and laughed.
"Grandfather, can you cook some porridge for Tao Tao to taste later?" The little one's face was full of expectation.
"Good! From now on, I'll cook white rice porridge for you every day!" Jiang Yinbao promised with a smile.
Jiang Zhuang, eight years old, clenched his fists, pressed his lips tightly together, tears welling in his eyes.
He remembered a few days ago when he was starving. While working, he secretly broke off an unripe corn from the field. Jiang Qianshi chased him halfway down the street beating him. Now, looking at the full sacks of grain, he suddenly burst out crying:
"Wah… this is wonderful! I'll never have to go hungry again…"
These words pierced Zhao Shi and Liu Shi like needles, making their eyes redden.
When had the children ever known days without hunger?
In spring they dug for wild vegetables, in summer they gnawed on tree bark, in autumn they hoped for better harvests so they could eat half a boiled corn, and in winter they could only drink porridge so thin you could see your reflection. All year round, they never knew the taste of a full meal.
"Don't cry, don't cry," Zhao Shi quickly pulled Jiang Zhuang into her arms, stroking his bony back that felt sharp to the touch, her voice choked with emotion.
"From now on, our Zhuang Zhuang will eat his fill every meal. He'll eat white rice and meat buns…"
"Yes!"
Jiang Zhuang nodded heavily, wiped his tears, and began gnawing on the meat bun in his hand.
Though Jiang Qiang was simple-minded, he knew meat buns were delicious. His mouth was stuffed full, oil dripping from the corners of his lips. He didn't bother to wipe it, focused only on swallowing desperately.
The meat bun in his hand was squeezed out of shape, the filling mixed with broth oozing through his fingers. He greedily stuck out his tongue to lick them clean, unwilling to waste even a drop of juice.
Even the usually solemn little adult Jiang Moshu couldn't help but widen his eyes in amazement.
Having just finished his half bun with fingertips still glistening with oil, he stood on tiptoe peering into the rice bag, his small brow slightly furrowed as if seriously contemplating what the snow-white grains might taste like.
After the family finished eating, four buns remained. Jiang Liuli asked Jiang Zhuang to bring one to his mother.
Of the remaining three, one went to Jiang Yinbao while the others were divided among the four children.
Young Jiang Tao and Jiang Moshu, already full, offered their buns to Jiang Liuli. She covered her stomach claiming she couldn't eat another bite.
The two children then passed the buns to Zhao Shi and Liu Shi…
Thus, twenty meat buns satisfied the entire family, leaving everyone with contented smiles…
After the meal, Liu Shi went to slaughter a chicken while Zhao Shi boiled water. Jiang Liuli entered Xu Shi's room carrying a cloth bundle.
"How are things today? Has your milk come in?"
Jiang Liuli glanced at the infant vigorously nursing at Xu Shi's breast.
Xu Shi shook her head at the question:
"Still not much. The child suckles so urgently, it makes me anxious too."
The baby, having nursed with little result, puckered its mouth ready to cry, its small face flushing red with frustration.
Xu Shi gently patted its back, her eyes rimming with tears: "It's all my fault for being so useless…"
Jiang Liuli unwrapped the bundle revealing several unlabeled bags of milk powder and a complimentary feeding bottle.
"Sister-in-law, I couldn't find any milk goats or cows, but I met some merchants from the Western Regions. I bought this milk powder from them – they say it's made from grassland cow's milk that's been dried. Just mix it with warm water."
Demonstrating as she spoke, Jiang Liuli prepared the formula and handed the bottle to Xu Shi. "Here, try it."
With trembling hands, Xu Shi accepted the bottle and carefully brought the nipple to the baby's mouth.
The little one immediately began sucking greedily, the gulping sounds bringing fresh tears to Xu Shi's eyes.
"Da Ni… this… this must be very expensive?" Xu Shi watched the child feeding contentedly, both relieved and worried about the cost.
"Don't trouble yourself about money, sister-in-law. Just focus on recovering. I'll leave the powder here. I'm going to check if mother's chicken soup is ready – it's meant to nourish you and father…"
Jiang Liuli left the room, leaving Xu Shi watching her retreating figure with freely flowing tears.
The fed baby in her arms let out a milky burp, its small face finally relaxing into a satisfied smile.
In the yard, the well-fed children played while Zhao Shi's water had come to boil. The two women were squatting in the courtyard plucking chicken feathers.
Just as Jiang Liuli emerged, she saw the entire Jiang family returning home at the gate.
Sharp-eyed Jiang Qianshi spotted Zhao Shi and Liu Shi plucking feathers and, mistaking them for slaughtering their two egg-laying hens, charged into the yard like a madwoman.