“What nonsense are you saying, Dad?
Our whole family needs to stay alive and well,” Yun Zhen said earnestly.
Yun Old Lady savored the rich aroma of fat lingering in her mouth.
The gloom in her heart dissipated instantly, and her eyes filled with hope.
“Zhen Niang is right.
Old man, you are not allowed to talk about dying anymore.
Our lives have improved.
We won’t have to worry about food from now on, and we will definitely survive this snowstorm.”
When Yun Zhen left this morning, the blizzard had battered the wooden door until it rattled, BANG BANG BANG.
Yet now, the sound of the wind and snow striking the door was nowhere to be heard.
“The snow died down not long after you left.
The heavens haven’t pushed us to the absolute brink; they’ve left us a sliver of hope to survive.” Seeing Yun Zhen staring at the doorway in confusion, Old Dad Yun knew exactly what she was thinking.
“It’s still snowing, though it’s about the same as it was a few days ago,” Yun Old Lady added.
Yun Zhen felt relieved, the worry between her brows fading slightly.
“It’s good that the snow has lightened up.
Let’s just hope tomorrow doesn’t bring another massive blizzard like this morning.”
Old Dad Yun let out a bitter sigh.
“Who knows when it will truly stop?
At this rate, I’m afraid we won’t be able to plant any crops when spring comes.”
The family of three all shared this worry: what if the snow didn’t stop by spring?
But no one voiced it aloud.
It was enough to find joy in times of hardship.
Now that they had food to fill their bellies, even if they couldn’t outlive the snowstorm, they would at least pass away in comfort.
The overpowering aroma of oil in the air chased away the lingering anxiety in their hearts.
Once the lard was completely rendered, Yun Zhen poured it into a clean jar and scooped the crispy pork cracklings into a large bowl.
A little bit of grease and a few cracklings were left at the bottom of the wok.
Thinking of the strips of meat at the butcher’s stall, Yun Zhen made up her mind.
She had to earn more money.
One day, she would make sure her family could eat braised pork.
She chopped the leafy greens her mother had washed into sections and tossed them into the wok to stir-fry.
SIZZLE CRACKLE.
The vegetable leaves tumbled and tossed in the pan, adding a hint of fresh fragrance to the rich, oily scent in the air.
“I heard that the wealthy families in the county town all eat stir-fried dishes, not like us farmers who just boil everything in a single pot.
Now, thanks to Zhen Niang, I finally get to taste the kind of stir-fry only rich folks can afford, and it even has lard and pork cracklings in it!” Yun Old Lady stared at the food in the wok, smiling so widely that her eyes turned into crescents.
“Wake Xiao Bao up in a bit and let her have some cracklings too.” His wife was smiling, he and his daughter were cooking, and his granddaughter was sleeping peacefully on the bed.
This scene made Old Dad Yun feel that life was tranquil and good.
The dishes were cooked, and the rice was ready.
Yun Zhen gently woke the sleeping Xiao Bao.
The little girl rubbed her eyes when she saw her mother and softly slumped into her embrace.
Suddenly, her nose twitched, and she was wide awake.
“Mother brought back good food again!”
Yun Old Lady pressed a pair of chopsticks into Xiao Bao’s hand.
“Xiao Bao, here is your white rice.
Look, your mother brought back meat and vegetables.”
Seeing the white rice was quite a novelty for Xiao Bao.
She took a sniff, her eyes shining at the fragrant scent.
“Xiao Bao is so hungry.
Xiao Bao wants to eat the white rice.”
“We cooked plenty of rice, enough to keep everyone full,” Old Dad Yun said, patting his granddaughter’s hair.
Yun Zhen scooped half the rice from her bowl back into the pot.
“I already ate.
I had white rice and sour mustard fish at the place where I’m staying.
Dad, Mom, you two eat more.
Xiao Bao, you eat too.
Once we finish dinner, I have something even more delicious for you all.”
“Zhen Niang, didn’t you say you spent all your wages on rice and pork fat?
You shouldn’t have any money left,” Old Dad Yun asked.
Yun Old Lady also looked at her in confusion.
Only Xiao Bao affectionately rubbed her head against her mother.
“Xiao Bao wants the even more delicious food after dinner.”
Yun Zhen smiled and explained, “A kind-hearted older lady at my workplace gave it to me.
Don’t worry, I didn’t steal or rob anyone.
Everything I bring back comes from honest means.”
Their daughter had been honest and kind since she was a child.
The old couple naturally didn’t believe she would resort to stealing or robbing.
Yun Zhen picked out a piece of pork crackling and placed it in Xiao Bao’s bowl.
“Hurry up and eat, or it will get cold.
After dinner, I’ll bring out the good stuff I told you about.”
“The meat is delicious!” Xiao Bao took a bite of the pork crackling, her eyes narrowing in delight at the savory flavor.
The white rice was sweet, fragrant, and soft, while the vegetables were crisp and refreshing.
The pork cracklings burst with rich, greasy flavor, and the greens, sprinkled with refined salt, had absolutely no bitter taste.
Satisfying!
It was far too satisfying!
The family of four happily finished their dinner.
“BURP—”
After the meal, Xiao Bao contentedly clutched her round, bulging little belly.
Old Dad Yun and Yun Old Lady were also burping from fullness.
The mere thought of being able to eat this well every single day from now on made the old couple laugh out loud.
Yun Old Lady said, “Our Zhen Niang is truly blessed to be able to go to the Immortal Realm.”
Old Dad Yun agreed, “Exactly.
That wretched Chen Tong abandoned my daughter.
He’s the one with no blessings.”
“Pah!” Yun Old Lady’s expression soured.
“Eating too much must have clogged your brain!
Why would you bring up that jinx?”
Yun Zhen, however, remained calm.
She hated Chen Tong for abandoning her after toying with her.
Not only had he divorced her, but he had also rejected their daughter, forcing the little girl to suffer alongside her.
When he left, he hadn’t given the mother and daughter a single copper coin.
But now, with a full belly and her thirst quenched, she couldn’t care less about him.
Even if a man like him became an official, he would just be a corrupt dog who brought disaster to the people!
After dinner, Yun Old Lady washed the wok while Old Dad Yun sorted out the good things Yun Zhen had brought back.
Yun Zhen pulled out a bulging bag.
“Dad, Mom, Xiao Bao, this is the good stuff I was telling you about.” She took out a bright red apple and used a knife to cut it into four wedges.
A rich, fruity fragrance immediately mingled with the lingering scents of rice and oil in the room.
She handed the apple slices to her parents and Xiao Bao.
“Fruit?
So big, so red, and not a single bug bite on it?” Old Dad Yun turned his piece over in his hand, inspecting it from all angles.
It was sweet and enticing.
Unable to resist, he took a bite, filling his mouth with its fruity aroma.
“It’s so sweet and juicy, and the skin isn’t tough at all.”
Yun Old Lady took a bite, her eyes instantly lighting up.
She was completely blown away.
“This must be a tribute meant for the Emperor himself!”
“It’s called an apple,” Yun Zhen said.
She hadn’t eaten the apple she was given at noon, secretly stuffing it into her pocket to bring home.
She had brought back three apples in total; the other two were given to her by the cafeteria lady.
“I have something else.” She pulled out a bunch of grapes.
Each one was plump and larger than Xiao Bao’s eyeballs, the deep purple fruits tightly clustered together.
She had brought two bunches home: one she had taken herself, and the other was given to her by the cafeteria lady.
“Are these grapes?” Old Dad Yun’s jaw dropped in shock.
Grapes!
A genuine royal tribute!
The books said that every year, the kingdoms of the Western Regions would use special preservation methods to keep their largest, sweetest grapes fresh, offering them as tribute to the Emperor of the Central Plains.
Yun Zhen ate a grape, swearing it was the most delicious fruit she had ever tasted.
The apple had been amazing, but it couldn’t compare to this.
The flesh was firm, bursting with juice, and incredibly aromatic.
“Dad, these might really be the grapes from the books.
They’re so delicious.”
She popped two into Xiao Bao’s mouth.
The little girl covered her mouth as she chewed and chewed, her eyes sparkling with pure joy.
“Tho tashty—” Xiao Bao mumbled happily around the grapes.
Yun Zhen handed a small cluster to each of her parents.
“Grapes worth their weight in gold…
To think that I could actually eat a tribute meant for the Emperor!” Old Dad Yun had endured too many shocks today.
His eyes were red with excitement.
“Oh my, doesn’t that mean we’re living the good life of the Emperor himself right now?” Yun Old Lady bit into a grape, her eyes narrowing in pure enjoyment.
“It’s no exaggeration to say we’re living a life that even high-ranking officials and nobles would envy.
Only the imperial family can afford grapes!
A First-Grade Official might get a single bite, but the rest of the officials couldn’t even catch a whiff of them.
That’s what all the books say.” Old Dad Yun laughed, holding his head high.
Yun Zhen then brought out some yellow fruits.
“There are also oranges.”
The surprises just kept coming.
“My life has not been in vain!
Not in vain!” Old Dad Yun hadn’t even swallowed his apple and grapes before seeing the bright orange, refreshing-looking citrus.
He shook his head and exclaimed in disbelief.
He sighed emotionally, “When I used to move cargo at the county docks, there were always merchants from all over selling their goods.
A single orange could sell for half a tael of Silver, and even then, you weren’t guaranteed to be able to buy one.
Usually, only the young masters and ladies from extremely wealthy merchant families would buy them just to have a taste.”