Zhao Ying slung a basket and a small hoe over her shoulder and began her journey, taking a shortcut out the back of the house.
The river’s current was calm enough for her to cross easily by hopping along the rocks.
Once she passed through the bamboo forest and grassy fields, she began inspecting the sides of the path.
The trail was overgrown, as few people ventured into this part of the forest.
Before heading into the dense woods, Zhao Ying took out some insect repellent spray and sprayed herself thoroughly.
She then set off in the direction of the waterfall, keeping an eye out for medicinal herbs on either side of the path so she could dig them up on her way back.
“This body is really too much,” she muttered as she walked, “Just a little bit of walking, and I’m already out of breath.
My throat’s dry too.
Villagers live such simple lives, but to be this overweight is really something else!”
If she were in her original body, the trip would have taken her twenty to thirty minutes at most.
Here, it took her nearly an hour to haul her round body to her destination.
When she checked one of her pit traps, she found a plump spotted deer lying at the bottom.
It was still warm, which meant it had only recently died.
She checked her other two traps and found a small snow-white rabbit.
It was still alive but had one leg caught, likely preventing it from escaping for days, as it looked weak and exhausted.
Zhao Ying swiftly ended the rabbit’s suffering, finding it the kindest option in this situation.
She placed the deer and the rabbit into her mystical dimension, then lined her basket with wild taro leaves and continued to dig up herbs and inspect the areas where she had previously planted seeds.
Some had started sprouting, particularly the water spinach, which grew quickly due to the nearby water source.
Once she’d gathered enough and noticed the daylight waning, she made her way out of the forest.
Along the way, she stumbled upon a wild persimmon tree, a large hua jiao (Sichuan pepper) tree, and a theetsee tree.
None were quite ripe for harvest yet, so she collected a small pile of hua jiao, placing it in her basket along with the other herbs she had gathered.
By now, her collection of herbs was likely more than enough for the planting beds she had in mind.
Zhao Ying smiled in satisfaction.
Father Lu’s leg was mostly healed, though he still couldn’t walk long distances or carry heavy loads without risking tendon inflammation.
However, he would be fine working on the medicinal plant beds.
With the healing herbs she added to the family’s daily medicine and the mineral-rich spring water she secretly put in their water jars, everyone’s health was steadily improving.
Crossing the grassy field and reaching the bamboo forest, Zhao Ying took the deer and rabbit out of her dimension, shifting the basket to her front so she could carry the deer on her back.
She carefully made her way across the river and into the courtyard.
She hadn’t even called out before Xiao Bao, hearing her approach from the back of the house, dashed out to greet her.
“Mother!
Here, here!
Let me help carry that!” he said eagerly.
Xiao Bao grinned with excitement, running over to her and immediately acting like a little grown-up.
“Mother knows, Xiao Bao’s come for some snacks, hasn’t he?” Zhao Ying teased.
“No, not at all, Mother.
You’ve got it all wrong,” Xiao Bao replied, his voice a bit sheepish, looking just like a child who’d been caught red-handed.
“Haha, I already have something delicious for Xiao Bao, of course.
Come on, let’s go inside the house and see them.”
“Mother is the best!
Yay!” he cheered, grabbing the rabbit from Zhao Ying and sprinting to the front of the yard, calling out excitedly, “Grandma, come here!
Mother caught a rabbit!
Come and see quickly!”
At Xiao Bao’s cheerful shout, both Lu and Zhang stepped out of the main room.
Seeing Zhao Ying with a heavy basket on her back, they quickly rushed over to take it off her shoulders, surprised at its weight.
“A lot in here, isn’t there, Ah Ying?
It’s really heavy,” Madam Zhang remarked.
“I got a spotted deer, some wild fruits, and some herbs to plant in the beds behind the house,” Zhao Ying replied, taking each item out.
The plump spotted deer lay there prominently, catching Father Lu’s eye as he came closer to inspect it.
“How did you catch a spotted deer like this, Ah Ying?
They’re so fast!” he asked, impressed.
At this, everyone looked at Zhao Ying with wide eyes, especially Xiao Bao, whose gaze sparkled with admiration, his expression showing absolute awe as if he were looking at his hero.
‘Haha, my son is just adorable,’ she thought.
“Last time I went into the forest, I walked near the waterfall and saw lots of animal tracks, so I took a chance and set a few traps.
I was lucky to catch both the deer and the rabbit,” Zhao Ying explained.
“Wow!
Mother, you’re amazing!” Xiao Bao nearly shouted with excitement.
‘There it is, my son’s picked up the way I speak when we’re alone,’ Zhao Ying noted with a chuckle.
Looking at him, she noticed how his face resembled her old face from her past life, especially his forehead and eyes.
He looked just like her old self, four or five features alike.
If Zhao Ying’s own face were to slim down, she thought it would resemble her previous appearance a good seven or eight parts.
And she was rather pleased about that—her face from her previous life was her favorite feature, a face that had helped her succeed in nearly nine out of ten undercover missions.
‘Haha, well, at least I’m not ugly,’ she thought to herself with a smirk.
She stroked Xiao Bao’s head and turned to Madam Zhang.
“What do you think we should do with all of this, Mother?”
“The rabbit can be our dinner tonight.
As for the deer, we can butcher it for fresh meals and dry the rest as winter provisions.
And we have enough money now, so we don’t need to sell it.
Deer blood is very nutritious; it’ll be perfect for Xiao Bao to build his strength.”
Madam Zhang’s thoughts matched Zhao Ying’s exactly.
“Then let’s go ahead and slaughter it to preserve the blood before it goes to waste.
It hasn’t been dead long, so the blood should still be fresh.
Father, if you could handle the butchering, I’ll make something delicious for everyone with the rabbit tonight.”
Zhao Ying turned to Father Lu, raising her arms in a determined gesture that brought smiles to everyone’s faces.
“Come here, Xiao Bao—these are for you, but you’ll need to wash them first.” She handed him a handful of bright red wild cao mei berries wrapped in taro leaves, freshly picked from the streamside.
“Thank you, Mother!
I’ll go wash them right away.
Everyone, please wait for me!” Xiao Bao cheerfully replied, then ran to the water jug by the side of the house.
He sat down and began carefully washing each berry, looking utterly adorable.
After a while, he returned, placing the taro leaves with the cleaned berries in front of everyone.
“Grandfather, Grandmother, Mother—please help yourselves!” he offered proudly.
“Our little Xiao Bao is truly thoughtful,” remarked Father Lu as he picked up just a single berry.
Though he was familiar with them from before, he knew they were quite sour, so he hesitated to take more.
Zhao Ying and Madam Zhang also only took a small amount each.
“Oh my, this is delicious!
Xiao Bao, have some, too!” Madam Zhang exclaimed, surprised by the unexpectedly sweet taste.
Father Lu also couldn’t resist taking another berry.
With a smile, Madam Zhang then got up and took the wild herbs to plant in the back plot.
Zhao Ying let her take care of it, as wild herbs were usually hardy and had high survival rates.
Meanwhile, Father Lu took the spotted deer outside to start butchering it.
“These are really tasty, Mother!” Xiao Bao said, his eyes crinkling into a smile.
“Alright, but remember to rinse your mouth after eating, or the bugs will start eating your teeth,” Zhao Ying reminded him with a grin.
“Yes, Mother!” Xiao Bao nodded enthusiastically.
With that, Zhao Ying carried the rabbit to the kitchen.
Once skinned, she realized there wasn’t much meat after all.
She began by preparing the soup broth with pork bones instead of the rabbit bones as she had originally planned.
She cracked the bones to expose the marrow, enhancing the flavor of the broth.
The soup required only a few simple ingredients: radish, a touch of salt, and a sprinkling of goji berries.
The goji berries were particularly beneficial for poor night vision, something Zhao Ying had noticed affected everyone in the house.
The mineral-rich bone broth also contained calcium and collagen, while the radish helped cool the body, soothe the lungs, stomach, and large intestine, and quench thirst—benefits that everyone could enjoy.
She left the soup to simmer, letting the flavors deepen as the liquid reduced.
Next, she moved on to the rabbit meat.
She sliced it and chopped the bones into small pieces, then washed them thoroughly.
She heated lard in a pan, tossed in garlic and ginger, and stir-fried until fragrant before adding the rabbit meat.
She cooked it until the meat changed color and began to shrink slightly, then added seasonings—soy sauce, a touch of seasoning powder, and a splash of yellow cooking wine.
She stirred quickly, cooking it just long enough to keep the meat tender, careful not to let it toughen up by overcooking.
Once the rabbit dish was fully cooked, Zhao Ying set aside a portion for Xiao Bao, then added la jiao to the rest, giving it a spicy kick perfect for the adults, especially to help work up a sweat.
Rabbit meat is high in protein, low in fat, and beneficial for strengthening bones and teeth.
It’s also an excellent choice for those with elevated blood sugar levels, like herself.
Dinner ended with everyone’s faces glistening with sweat, yet their smiles were as bright as ever.
They all praised the meal, calling it the most delicious they’d ever had…
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Spotted deer – A deer with a light brownish-yellow coat tinged with pink and adorned with white spots.
Its belly is white.
Males are larger than females, weighing between 25 to 45 kg when fully grown.
Sichuan Pepper (花椒) – Native to Sichuan province, China, this pepper is an essential ingredient in “Mala” seasoning.
It grows in clusters similar to black pepper, with a rough texture akin to small kaffir lime pods.
Known for its strong fragrance and distinctive numbing spiciness.
Theetsee tree – A large, woody perennial tree.
The mature seeds are harvested by the Yunnan Chinese to produce oil.
Cao mei (草莓) – Strawberries in Mandarin.
Bighead Carp – Also known as Song Fish or Song Hu in Thai.
This species was introduced to Thailand between 1922 and 1932 by Chinese merchants from Shantou.
It has since been bred locally through hormone injection and artificial breeding, as natural spawning does not occur.
Collectively known in Thai as “Chinese fish.”