"Wow, so many vegetables!" Lin Song, who had been squatting by the door watching ants on the ground, suddenly spotted his eldest brother Lin Cheng returning with two baskets of vegetables, and his attention was instantly captured.
Lin Yao was equally startled when she saw Lin Cheng carrying two large baskets of vegetables into the house, never expecting him to buy so much at once.
Noticing Lin Yao's expression, Lin Cheng grew worried he had messed up and quickly asked: "A Yao, did I buy too much?"
"It's fine, the more the better. I'm just worried the pickles I make won't be enough to sell later." Lin Yao lifted her chin with a hint of pride. Her words weren't merely meant to comfort Lin Cheng. Previously, she had made a video about pickling vegetables, putting in tremendous effort. During that period, she had searched everywhere and painstakingly collected over a dozen different pickle recipes – spicy pickled cabbage, cowpeas, radishes, papaya… nothing was beyond her! Back then, pickles were all she could think about day and night.
Lin Cheng and Wang Xiaoyu worked deftly, moving the vegetables to the kitchen, washing off the soil, until basins of fresh radishes, cabbage, and cowpeas were neatly arranged by the cutting board.
Lin Yao instructed: "Brother, please cut these radishes into small pieces. A Yu, help me clean the pickle jars. I'll prepare the pickling mixture." Lin Yao methodically assigned tasks.
Lin Cheng and Wang Xiaoyu nodded and immediately set to work, the kitchen soon filled with the sounds of organized activity.
Lin Yao divided the seasoning into two batches – one spicy, one non-spicy – adding salt, sugar, vinegar, Zhuyu (Cornus officinalis), Sichuan peppercorns and other seasonings into basins in sequence. With everything ready, the three gathered around the cutting board and began packing the vegetables into jars, layering vegetables and pickling mixture tightly.
As the jars gradually filled with vegetables, Lin Yao carefully sealed them. "Perfect! We just need to wait for these pickles to develop their flavor. They're sure to sell well!"
Seeing Lin Yao so spirited, as if yesterday's unpleasant incident hadn't affected her at all, Lin Cheng and Wang Xiaoyu unconsciously felt their moods lighten as well.
"Brother, you and A Yu should go set up the stall tomorrow. I'll prepare the konjac tofu sauce, and we'll just need to prepare some chopped scallions and cilantro tomorrow. The Lu Zhu Xia Shui is already stewing, and for the fried eggs and Sweet Potato Pancakes, just follow the methods I taught you."
With her hand injured and likely needing several more days to move freely, yet determined not to delay earning money, Lin Yao arranged for Lin Cheng and Wang Xiaoyu to run the stall while she planned to stay home making Hóngshǔ fěn and sweet potato skins. She turned to Lin Song: "Song'er, stay home and keep your second sister company while she works, alright?"
"Okay! I'm a man, I need to take care of second sister!" The little boy puffed out his chest and responded brightly.
By the time all tasks were completed, it was nearly Shen hour (3-5 PM).
Although Wang Xiaoyu volunteered daily to cook for Lin Yao, it wasn't particularly safe for women to travel at night.
Seeing how late it was getting, Lin Yao urged her to hurry home while there was still daylight.
After a full day of work, Lin Yao was exhausted and aching all over, falling into deep sleep the moment she touched the bed.
The next day, when Lin Yao slowly woke up, Lin Cheng had already left to set up the stall.
Lin Song was crouched by the bed, fiddling with the grasshopper Lin Cheng had woven for him. Spotting his second sister awake, the little one's eyes lit up, and he scrambled onto the bed. "Second Sister, you're awake!"
Lin Yao reached out and gently ruffled his hair. Over the past half-month, the family's meals had improved significantly, and the child's hair was no longer as coarse as when she first met him—it felt much smoother now.
After finishing breakfast, Lin Yao went to check on the sweet potato pulp from the previous day. Success!
A layer of murky water floated on the surface of the basin, while the sweet potato starch had completely settled at the bottom.
Carefully, Lin Yao poured out the cloudy water and, pulling Lin Song along, the two of them mustered all their strength to crush the settled sweet potato starch at the bottom of the basin.
She fetched a piece of white cloth from the house, spread it evenly over a bamboo winnowing basket, and then laid the crushed sweet potato starch uniformly across it. "We'll leave it here to dry in the sun for a day, and then it'll be ready to use."
"Song'er, would you like to go up the mountain with Second Sister?" Lin Yao gently pinched the little tuft of hair on Lin Song's head as she asked softly.
"Sure! Let's go to the mountain!" At this, Lin Song dashed back into the house and rummaged for his small carrying basket.
Lin Yao planned to try her luck in the mountains, hoping to dig up some valuable medicinal herbs while also taking Lin Song out for some fresh air.
Lately, Lin Song had been accompanying them to the market stall, either helping out or playing by himself. He was probably feeling quite cooped up by now.
After locking up the house, the two set off toward the forest. Along the way, Lin Song skipped and ran, now touching the wildflowers by the roadside, now watching the butterflies fluttering among the blossoms.
Soon, they reached the edge of the forest. Lin Yao took a deep breath, savoring the crisp, fresh air of the mountains.
They wandered through the hills for quite some time, but Lin Yao didn't catch even a glimpse of any medicinal herbs.
This was hardly surprising, given that her college major had been marketing communications, not traditional Chinese medicine. Still, she couldn't help feeling a bit discouraged.
Clearly, not everyone was that lucky. She'd have to stick to running the market stall for now.
Just as Lin Yao was about to lead Lin Song back down the mountain, she turned and unexpectedly tripped over a raised clump of soil. Stumbling, she quickly steadied herself.
Looking down, she spotted several familiar plants on the clump—it was cassava!
Cassava, also known as manioc, could be steamed and eaten, though its texture was coarse and its flavor bland.
But in Lin Yao's eyes, it was a treasure. Her mind immediately filled with thoughts of cassava starch, cassava syrup, and cassava fries.
The mere idea of fries filled her with renewed energy.
Having been in this world for over half a month, she hadn't once seen any potatoes. They probably hadn't been introduced here yet. While real potato fries were temporarily out of reach, she wasn't picky—cassava fries would do just fine.
The two approached the cassava plants, and Lin Yao crouched down, picking up a hoe to carefully loosen the soil around the cassava.
Lin Song watched intently nearby, mimicking her actions as he poked at the soil with his small shovel.
"Song'er, you need to loosen the soil around the cassava first, then dig slowly. That way, you won't damage the roots," Lin Yao explained patiently as she worked.
Lin Song nodded, only half-understanding, but adjusted his movements accordingly.
As the soil was gradually cleared away, the cassava roots began to emerge.
Seeing this, Lin Yao became even more careful, using the hoe to clear the surrounding soil with precision.
Lin Song also curiously leaned in, his eyes wide open and unblinking as he stared intently.
"Wow, second sister, the cassava is showing!" Lin Song shouted excitedly, his voice echoing through the mountain forest.
"That's right, Song'er, let's put in more effort to dig it out completely," Lin Yao responded with a smile.
Before long, a plump and large cassava was completely excavated.
Lin Song's face beamed with joy as he tightly grasped the cassava with both hands, pulling it forcefully from the soil and raising it high. His triumphant expression was unmistakable, with specks of mud dotting his small face like a little kitten that had been frolicking outdoors.
After digging for a long time, the sun rose higher, its rays filtering through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting patterns on the ground.
Both their baskets were now filled with cassava. Looking at the bountiful harvest and then at Lin Song's sweaty but still enthusiastic face, Lin Yao thought it should be enough. "Alright, Song'er, let's head home."
Lin Song obediently shouldered his small basket, and the two slowly made their way down the mountain along the path they had come. Just as they arrived home, they happened to see Lin Cheng preparing to go out.
The moment Lin Cheng spotted them, he immediately stopped. "Why did you two go up the mountain by yourselves? A Yao, you haven't fully recovered yet. Didn't the doctor advise you not to exert yourself these past few days?"
"It's fine, big brother. I discovered cassava today and didn't dig too much. It's not heavy," Lin Yao reassured him with a smile.
Lin Cheng took Lin Yao's basket and said doubtfully, "Cassava? This stuff doesn't taste as good as sweet potatoes."
Lin Song, carrying his basket behind them, quickly interjected upon hearing this, "Second sister said we won't steam it. She can make something super delicious with it!"
Lin Yao nodded with a smile, agreeing, "Yes! I'll make it for you to try soon!"
After lunch, Lin Yao immediately immersed herself in the kitchen, starting to work with the cassava.
She asked Lin Cheng to follow the method used previously for making sweet potato starch, grinding part of the cassava into pulp and drying it to make cassava starch.
The remaining portion she planned to use for making cassava fries.
Lin Yao and Wang Xiaoyu carried the cassava to the cutting board. "Xiaoyu, first peel the skin off the cassava, then cut it into thick chunks."
The cut cassava strips were placed in clear water by Lin Yao. This step helped remove some of the starch from the cassava, making the fries crispier.
After washing the cassava, Lin Yao lit the stove to boil water. Soon, the water was boiling, and she added the cassava chunks to the pot.
Once they became soft, she scooped them out with a strainer, drained the water, and then mashed them into fine cassava paste using a rolling pin.
Following the conventional method, cornstarch should be added next. But where would one find such a thing in this era? Fortunately, they had just made sweet potato starch yesterday, which could substitute for cornstarch.
However, the common cassava fries recipe typically calls for pepper and garlic powder. Yet pepper was a rare commodity at present.
Lin Yao recalled that during the Ming Dynasty, pepper was even used as part of officials' salaries, with each pound of pepper valued at ten to twenty taels of silver, equivalent to an official's stipend.
Pepper was out of reach, but garlic powder could be attempted.
Lin Yao added a small handful of firewood to the stove, making the flames dance merrily. To make garlic powder, garlic first needed to be sliced and dried. Without proper drying conditions, she could only slowly stir-fry the garlic over low heat to dry it out.
Following Lin Yao's instructions, Lin Cheng carefully sliced the garlic into thin pieces, filling two large bowls.
Lin Yao first grabbed a small handful of garlic slices and tossed them into the wok. Soon, the rich aroma of garlic began to fill the air, and the slices gradually turned golden brown.
With quick hands and sharp eyes, she swiftly scooped out the garlic slices and placed them into a mortar to crush them. The dehydrated garlic slices had become crisp and brittle, crumbling into fine powder with just a light press of the pestle.
Following this method, Lin Yao continued frying and grinding until she had prepared a large bowl of Garlic Powder.
She added several spoonfuls of Garlic Powder, sweet potato starch, and salt into the cassava paste, mixing them thoroughly by hand.
Lin Cheng and Wang Xiaoyu then shaped the cassava paste into strips resembling Shǔ tiáo.
Although the shapes were a bit uneven and irregular, Lin Yao was already filled with anticipation for the final product.
Lin Yao poured lard into the wok. Once the oil was hot, she gently placed the cassava strips into it one by one.
As the cassava strips hit the oil, the wok immediately came alive with a sizzling sound. The pale strips gradually turned golden brown, releasing waves of enticing fragrance.
Lin Song, drawn by the aroma, couldn't resist running over and standing by, watching eagerly. "Second Sister, it smells so good!"
Before long, the Shǔ tiáo were fried to a crispy golden perfection. Lin Yao used a slotted spoon to scoop them out, drain the excess oil, and arrange them on a plate.
All three of them had eaten cassava before, but this novel way of preparing it was entirely new to them.
The overwhelming aroma made it hard to believe that this dish was made from cassava, sparking intense curiosity in their hearts.
"Come and try it!" Lin Yao brought the cassava Shǔ tiáo to the table.
Lin Song was the first to rush forward, his small hand eagerly grabbing a strip and stuffing it into his mouth. "Wow, so fragrant and crispy!" The freshly fried Shǔ tiáo were scalding hot, making him puff out breaths rapidly, yet he couldn't bring himself to put it down.
Wang Xiaoyu also approached, picked up a strip, blew on it gently, and took a small bite. "I never knew cassava could taste like this!"
Lin Cheng nodded in agreement. "A Yao, the texture of these Shǔ tiáo is quite unique—crispy on the outside and tender inside. We should make more and sell them at the market!"
Lin Yao was very pleased with Lin Cheng's suggestion; he was finally developing a sense for making money.