Leaving Xiaoman’s house, Xu Errui’s back basket was filled with cleaned meat.
Apart from what was already cooking in the pot, most of the meat he and Xiaoman had retrieved today was now in the basket.
Originally, the remaining meat was to be split equally between the two families. However, because Jiang Zhi mentioned that Kudzu Root was beneficial for the sick, Xiaoman’s Grandmother kept it as an exchange.
Jiang Zhi had no choice but to give her all the Kudzu Root, though she still left some meat behind.
She repeatedly reminded them to eat their fill and not hold back, as there was plenty more Kudzu Root in the mountains.
This was true. Knowing that people here weren’t accustomed to eating Kudzu Root, Jiang Zhi believed that just the Kudzu Root starch alone could sustain both families.
When the three of them returned home, Jiang Zhi was once again stunned.
When had the house been repaired?
She had gone straight to Xiaoman’s house at the foot of the cliff upon returning in the morning and hadn’t had a chance to check her own home.
Xu Errui was also taken aback. He set down the back basket, grabbed a torch, and ran to the front of the room where he slept, examining it from top to bottom. “Qiaoyun, what happened here? The roof was bare when I left this morning. Who covered it? Where did the stone slabs and bark come from?”
The mountain fire had burned half of the thatched roof. With everyone busy gathering meat these past two days, there had been no time to repair it.
They had assumed they would leave it for a few days and fix it after things settled down. Who would have thought it had already been repaired?
Qiaoyun no longer kept it a secret. “It was Uncle who repaired it. He asked me not to tell you beforehand—he didn’t want to hear any thank-yous. He also said that since our family has been busy finding food these past few days, he should do his part too.
Oh, Mother, your and Er Rui’s burned jackets have been taken by Aunt to be washed and mended. She said she’ll return them once they’re done.”
Ah, this silly girl!
The clothes Jiang Zhi and Er Rui wore while fighting the fire were scorched, covered in mud and soot, and couldn’t be worn again without being thoroughly washed and mended.
Jiang Zhi hadn’t had time to do it herself, so she had asked Qiaoyun to take them apart first, planning to wash and mend them when she had a moment. How could she let Xiaoman’s Grandmother take them to help!
Jiang Zhi feigned anger, raising her hand as if to tap Qiaoyun on the head. “You silly girl, just because someone told you not to say anything, you didn’t. Didn’t you think about how Uncle, at his age, managed to climb onto the roof? And Aunt can barely see well enough to thread a needle!”
Her gesture was all bark and no bite—it made Qiaoyun flinch, but she didn’t actually tap her.
Qiaoyun protested, “I didn’t want Aunt to take them either, but I couldn’t stop her.”
Jiang Zhi was also frustrated. If she had known that Xiaoman’s grandfather and grandmother had done so much for them during the day, she would have said a few more words about Xu Da Zhu’s situation. Even if it didn’t help much, it might have lifted the spirits of the elderly couple tonight.
Ah, well!
Never mind. This elderly couple was terrified of being seen as a burden and abandoned, so they worked hard to prove their worth.
Since Xiaoman’s grandfather was willing to help, she would accept it graciously. In the future, she would do whatever she could to assist them in return.
With the burned roof now repaired, Xu Errui and his wife returned to their room to rest.
Jiang Zhi wasn’t in a hurry to sleep. First, she hung all the meat on the horizontal pole above the fire pit to smoke. Then, she busied herself washing the Houttuynia cordata root she had dug up, cutting it into small pieces, and sprinkling a little salt over it to marinate.
Earlier, when she had gone to Xiaoman’s house at the foot of the cliff to fetch the Kudzu Root, everyone saw the Houttuynia cordata root and claimed not to recognize it. They refused to eat it even when it was lightly dressed, saying it had a strange smell and asking her to keep it far away.
Jiang Zhi didn’t bother explaining their reaction. Some people like it, others don’t—what’s honey to one may be poison to another.
Since they weren’t used to it, she couldn’t force them to eat it. It needed to be prepared first.
It only needs to be pickled for a few hours. After pouring out the brine and adding seasonings again, all the fishy smell of the Houttuynia cordata root disappears.
What remains is a crispy texture and a uniquely refreshing taste, rather than any fishy odor, making it naturally easier for people to accept.
Anyone who dares to eat it raw without even salting it properly the first time is just a fool!
That night, Jiang Zhi tossed and turned for quite a while before finally falling asleep.
The wildfire on another mountain peak hadn’t been extinguished. During the day, the sky was hazy, and the air was constantly filled with choking smoke.
While busy, it was manageable, but now, in the quiet, she could hear the distant panicked cries of wild animals trapped in the mountain fire, and it still sent shivers down her spine.
And when she thought about those down in the valley…
Sigh! Jiang Zhi suppressed her thoughts, curling up completely under the quilt. She wanted to return to her dreams, to her comfortable lazy sofa, and listen to an audiobook again, to find out how the protagonist and the outside world were faring.
She did fall asleep, but she had no dreams at all.
The hard kang, the stiff quilt—everything felt rigid, and by morning, her whole body was sore, her back aching, and her bones creaking as she got up.
In the Kitchen Area, Qiaoyun was already tending the fire and cooking, but Xu Errui was nowhere to be seen.
As Qiaoyun scooped hot water for Jiang Zhi to wash her face, she said, “Er Rui saw that Mother was tired and needed more sleep, so he went to the mountain gully by himself to carry back the Kudzu Root!”
These two kids were really too sensible!
Jiang Zhi sighed inwardly. Although the original owner had suffered, having such understanding children was a blessing.
Taking advantage of the morning cooking time, Jiang Zhi went to the nearby Terraced Fields to clear more land.
Now, she would clear a section every day, accumulating little by little, and gradually, a stretch of fertile land would take shape.
Building stone embankments, then leveling the ground, Jiang Zhi collected burned mountain ash and topsoil from outside to fill the fields.
By the time Xu Errui and Xiao Man returned carrying a large basket of Kudzu Root, Jiang Zhi had already cleared over ten meters of field.
Now, everything was ready except for the spring breeze. As soon as the weather warmed up and the rains came, they could start sowing.
Breakfast was once again Qinggang flour cake and pickled vegetables, but today, there was an additional dish: cold-tossed Houttuynia cordata root.
Looking at this strange thing, Xiao Man, who had been specially invited to stay for the meal, wore a pained expression.
Xu Errui shared the same look: “Mother, do we have to eat this?”
The two of them had been curious last night. Seeing the Houttuynia cordata root so white and tender, it looked much more appealing than thin grass roots.
Xiao Man had taken a bite without hesitation, only to be hit by a strange, non-bitter, non-astringent flavor that shot straight to his brain, nearly making him vomit.
And now, Aunt Jiang was asking him to eat it again…
Jiang Zhi urged, “This time it’s different. It’s delicious, crispy and crunchy!”
Xiao Man’s face was full of refusal. He suddenly felt he wasn’t hungry at all and could even skip breakfast.
Xu Errui, however, didn’t dare to refuse outright.
Under Jiang Zhi’s pressure, he reluctantly picked up the thinnest and shortest white root.
He tossed it into his mouth and chewed hastily, trying to swallow it without even tasting it. But as he chewed, the flavor began to emerge—not that weird fishy taste, but a crisp, refreshing sweetness.
“Hey! This tastes different. It’s good, really good!”
Xu Errui quickly picked up a plump root and put it in his mouth. This time, the refreshing sensation was even stronger, and the seasoning included dried chili and Sichuan pepper, wrapping his mouth in a salty, spicy, and numbing sensation that went straight to his head.
Soon, Xiao Man stared in shock, his eyes wide, as he watched Xu Errui eagerly eating large mouthfuls, chewing with a loud “crunch-crunch” sound, like a cow munching on fresh grass…
"Brother Er Rui! Is it really that good?" He felt both tempted and a little afraid.
Xu Errui's mouth was full of Houttuynia cordata root, too busy to speak. Hearing the question, he nodded and shook his head at the same time, thoroughly confusing Xiao Man.
Jiang Zhi chuckled—another one falling into the pit. It would be perfect if he couldn't leave it alone from now on, keeping her company while she ate.
"Xiao Man, Qiaoyun, you two try it too!"
Jiang Zhi shifted her target to the two of them. The ranks of Houttuynia cordata root believers needed to keep growing…
For this batch of prized Houttuynia cordata root, she had taken out the few dried chili peppers she had saved at home for planting.
Without rapeseed oil, she could only roast the dried chili peppers and Sichuan pepper until charred, then grind them into a fine powder to use as seasoning. Even so, it was enough to serve as an introductory dish for these three novices.
Sure enough, this novel flavor quickly captivated the three young people.
Like Xu Errui, Xiao Man was hooked after just one bite.
Only Qiaoyun needed three tries before she tasted the umami flavor, and once she did, she couldn't stop eating.