“Tian-jie’er, Tian-jie’er, wake up and take your medicine.”
The clamor from outside drifted into the room. Su Tian slowly opened her eyes, her gaze hazy and half-dreaming. She raised a hand to rub her eyes.
“Where… is this?” Su Tian’s head felt heavy and groggy. She distinctly remembered being sent to the hospital after a car accident; how could she be here? Forcing herself to stay conscious, she looked around. The room was tiny, barely large enough to fit a single bed and a low table.
The door was pushed open gently. A thin, frail woman entered carrying a bowl. “Tian-jie’er, you’re awake? Hurry and drink your medicine. You child—going out to catch fish in such freezing weather, you brought this suffering on yourself.”
Although the woman’s words were sharp, her movements were tender as she helped Su Tian sit up. This body was still feverish. Su Tian felt her head weighed a thousand catties and her limbs were weak and aching. Lacking the strength to think further, she drank the medicine from the woman’s hand and drifted back into a deep sleep.
Su Tian seemed to fall into a dream. In the dream, the original owner of this body was also named Su Tian. She was fourteen years old and a commoner of Xingwang Village in the Great Yan Dynasty. A natural disaster in the sixteenth year of the Shunping era had caused a dismal harvest. The Su family consisted of sixteen members, and with so many mouths to feed and insufficient grain, only the primary laborers and the two children under the age of five were allowed a few extra bites. Everyone else lived with their belts tightened. It had been two years since the disaster, and while things had improved slightly, they still lived in extreme frugality.
A few months ago, the Eldest Uncle, Su Wanhai, had ventured into the mountains behind the village alone to find some meat for the family. Unfortunately, he had slipped down a slope and broken his leg. The family’s meager savings vanished after hiring a physician for him. Since the cost of his medicine could not be spared, life for the household became increasingly difficult.
The original Su Tian had seen the adults’ worried faces and felt a pang of heartache. Thinking she could catch some fish to nourish them, she had ended up soaked by the river in the cold weather. She fell ill the moment she returned home, which led to the modern Su Tian’s arrival.
In her previous life, Su Tian was an orphan who lived a quiet life in an orphanage. As she grew up, she took advantage of the internet boom to become a food blogger. Right before her soul crossed into the Great Yan Dynasty, her follower count had just hit three million. She had planned to stay up all night editing a celebratory video for her fans, never imagining she would pay for it with her life.
Having inherited the original owner’s memories, Su Tian felt a spark of envy. Though this girl lived in poverty, her family was harmonious and her elders were loving. In contrast, while the modern Su Tian eventually had no worries about food or clothing, she had been an orphan since childhood and had never known the warmth of family. During these past few days while she was bedridden, not only had this body’s mother delivered medicine daily, but her father also frequently came by to check on her. Occasionally, she could hear the tender voices of children outside the door inquiring about her condition. However, the Su Tian they cherished had already departed due to that fever, and a wandering soul now occupied her body.
At this thought, Su Tian pressed a hand to her chest and murmured silently, “Good sister, I have received your grace and taken your body to live a second time. I will take care of your family for you and lead them to a better life. Rest in peace.”
A slight tension in her chest eased, and Su Tian felt her heart clear. It seemed the girl truly couldn’t let go of her family; now that she had Su Tian’s promise, she could finally move on to reincarnation. Su Tian hoped the girl would find a happy family and a life of plenty in her next rebirth. Su Tian got out of bed to move her body. Aside from some weakness in her limbs from lying down too long, she felt no other discomfort.
She carefully examined the room. The walls were mostly built from sun-dried mud bricks, with thick tree branches used for support. Due to the environments, the walls had developed fine cracks. The floor was packed earth, though it appeared firm from years of being walked upon. The room was small, containing only the bed and the low table. On the table sat a few scattered odds and ends, and beside it was a small stool that looked ready to fall apart. A simple cabinet stood in the corner; Su Tian opened it to find it was used for clothing. Aside from that, the room was empty.
“…Sigh.” Su Tian exhaled a long breath of murky air. She reflected on how she hadn’t lived in a place like this since she started earning her own money in her previous life. She pushed open the door, and a square courtyard met her eyes. It was enclosed by a mud wall. To the north stood a large main house flanked by two smaller ones. There were two side rooms each on the east and west.
According to the original owner’s memories, Grandpa Su Dashu and Grandma Zhang Guihua lived in the main house. The two adjoining rooms belonged to the Eldest Uncle Su Wanhai’s family. The rooms to the east belonged to the Second Uncle Su Wanhe’s family. Her own family was the third branch, and they lived in these two rooms to the west.
“Mother,” Su Tian called out, recognizing the busy figure in the courtyard.
Li Hongyue turned at the sound of her voice. “Tian-jie’er, you’re awake? It’s been three days—you’re finally better. You worried your grandparents to death!” She dropped her broom and hurried toward the kitchen. “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I’ll steam an egg custard to nourish you; your Grandpa specifically gave the order.”
Su Tian nodded. “Mother, it’s getting late. Let’s cook dinner together; I’ll help you.” She planned to use this opportunity to find out exactly how much grain and seasoning the family had so she could plan ahead. In her past life, she might not have known much else, but as a food blogger, she was an excellent cook. Since she had promised to care for the family, she had to utilize her strengths.
“Tian-jie’er, go ladle out two bowls of rice,” Li Hongyue called out, seeing Su Tian dazed.
Su Tian withdrew her gaze and smiled at Li Hongyue. “Alright.” The kitchen had a large stove with two burner holes. One held a wok, while the other held a ceramic pot used for brewing the Eldest Uncle’s medicine. In the cabinet, there was more than half a bag of flour, a basket of old rice, some dried vegetables, and a small piece of cured meat hanging from the rafters—likely made before the New Year.
Such a tiny piece of meat had to be stretched to last the entire family for three months. Though the kitchen didn’t look empty, it couldn’t withstand the sheer number of people in the Su family. With sixteen members, young and old, these supplies wouldn’t last a week. “Mother, what are we having for dinner tonight?” Su Tian asked as she handed the rice to Li Hongyue.
“We’ll boil some porridge. There are some coarse flour buns left over from lunch, and I’ll stir-fry a vegetable to go with the pickled radish strips,” Li Hongyue replied as she skillfully began washing the rice. “Don’t do any heavy work. You’ve just recovered and you’re still weak. I’ll steam that egg for you.”
“I know, Mother. I’ll go wash the Chinese cabbage then.” Su Tian turned to pick out a cabbage near the cabinet.
“Sister!! Are you better?” A tiger-headed little boy [1]Tiger-headed (虎头虎脑 – Hutou-hunao): A common Chinese idiom used to describe a child who looks healthy, sturdy, and endearingly honest. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1740914_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1740914_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); poked his head in. Seeing Su Tian, he broke into a wide grin. “Sister, me and little sister missed you so much, but Mom and Dad wouldn’t let us disturb you.” The little fellow pouted his lips as he spoke. Su Tian recognized him as Su Wen’an, the younger son of the Second Uncle’s branch. He was only ten years old. The “little sister” he mentioned was the Second Uncle’s youngest daughter, Su Yin, who was only four. The Second Uncle also had an eldest daughter, Su Miao, who had married into a neighboring village a year ago at the age of nineteen.
“An-an, I’m much better,” Su Tian said, her eyes curving into crescents at the sight of his joy. “Where is Yin-yin?”
“Little sister tripped while playing and got her clothes dirty. She went to find Mom to change!” Su Wen’an answered while edging closer to the stove. “Auntie, are we having eggs tonight?”
Li Hongyue looked at Su Wen’an’s round eyes with a bit of reluctance, but thinking of her daughter’s recovery, she shook her head. “Only for Tian-jie’er. Your Grandpa said to nourish her. If An-an wants to eat some, Auntie will make it for you next time.”
“Oh, okay…” Su Wen’an swallowed his saliva and turned to Su Tian. “Then Sister must eat a lot so you can get healthy.”
Su Tian felt a pang of sadness at that sight. “Mother, let’s beat the eggs into the porridge and make egg porridge instead. Grandpa and the others work the fields every day; their stomachs need a bit of richness [2]Richness (油水 – Youshui): Literally “oil and water.” In a historical context of poverty, it refers to fat or meat in the diet, which was considered essential for strength and … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1740914_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1740914_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); too.”
Li Hongyue felt the same sympathy. “That works too. Go get two… no, get three eggs.” Su Wen’an let out a tiny cheer and pulled Su Tian toward the chicken coop. It was no wonder he was greedy; the family hadn’t tasted meat for nearly a month. If it weren’t for Su Tian’s illness, these eggs would have been saved to be sold for money. After gathering three eggs, Su Tian brought them to the kitchen. Li Hongyue had already shredded the cabbage and was preparing the wok.
“Tian-jie’er, you add the eggs to the porridge; my hands are full here.”
“Alright,” Su Tian replied. She found a bowl, took an egg, and tapped it gently against the stove. The shell cracked with fine lines. With a firm pull from both hands, a crack sounded as the egg white and yolk fell into the bowl, wobbling like jelly.
As expected of authentic range eggs; they are several times better than the ones in modern markets, Su Tian thought to herself. Three eggs filled the bowl. She took a pair of chopsticks, pricked the yolks, and the golden liquid instantly flowed out, mixing with the whites. Su Tian lifted the pot lid, and a fragrance of rice wafted out. The firewood provided strong heat, and the rice grains had already bloomed. The rice water bubbled like fine white jade. With the bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, Su Tian slowly poured the egg liquid into the pot, stirring constantly.
The golden liquid merged into the boiling white porridge, scattering into fine ribbons. The snowy-white porridge was instantly dyed a pale yellow. The delicate egg blossoms were interspersed with the rice, and the thin rice water thickened under the natural binding of the eggs. The daily, unchanging white porridge gained a touch of color today. Su Tian swallowed her saliva. She stirred the porridge evenly, added a few grains of coarse salt for flavor, and then pulled out most of the firewood, leaving only a tiny flame to keep it warm.
Nearby, Li Hongyue was stir-frying the cabbage. Loath to use oil, she used a spoon to scoop out a tiny bit of grease—no larger than a fingernail—to coat the wok before pouring the rest back. She then tossed the cabbage in, gave it a few stirs, sprinkled some salt, and took it off the heat. She added nothing else.
Su Tian’s eyes widened. This… is it really this simple and crude? Can this actually taste good? I wonder if everyone cooks like this, or if it’s only because the family needs to save. I’ll have to find a time to visit the town.
Just as Su Tian and Li Hongyue finished setting out the food, the main gate of the courtyard opened.
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