By the time Jiang Zhi returned to the charcoal shed with a basket full of fallen leaves on her back, Xu Errui had already finished covering the roof and was trying to figure out how to fix the walls.
The old charcoal shed hadn’t been meant for living in, so it was built with just some tree branches and wooden strips—enough to keep the charcoal from falling out.
But that wouldn’t do now. For people to live in it, it needed to keep out wind and rain.
Xu Errui thought about stuffing more wooden strips into the gaps, but the flimsy foundation wouldn’t allow for major work. Every time he hammered or knocked, the dried grass he’d just laid on the roof would tumble down all over his head and face.
Qiaoyun left the hen she was feeding and went over to help. The two of them were either propping up the posts or busy supporting the roof.
What Jiang Zhi saw were two pitiful kids, so overwhelmed they couldn’t keep up with themselves, scrambling in all directions.
She shook her head and couldn’t help but remind them, “Don’t touch the wooden poles at the bottom. Gather some stones and mix mud with water to build a wall from the outside.”
Using yellow mud to build a stone wall would make it sturdy.
Living on the mountain, even though the village was nearby and there were no large predators, there were plenty of small animals. The most common were the colorful, long and short “spicy strips” that would appear once it warmed up.
Snakes weren’t afraid of people. They would even enter houses to eat mice or steal chickens. Only by sealing the base of the walls well could they reduce the chances of encounters.
Xu Errui was already sweating profusely from the effort. Hearing his mother say they needed to build a wall with yellow mud, he dropped his axe and said sheepishly, “Mom, I don’t know how to do that!”
Beside him, Qiaoyun rubbed her hands, red from the cold, and said, “Mom, I don’t know how either!”
Jiang Zhi twitched the corner of her mouth: Life skills needed to be passed down. Thankfully, she had learned this!
She set the basket full of leaves aside and said to Qiaoyun, “Don’t tire yourself out here. Take a piece of cured bone and stew it, then steam three bowls of cornmeal rice.”
Xu Errui’s eyes widened. “Mom, are we having meat today?”
That cured meat came from a piglet that had frozen to death during the coldest period a while back. His mother had salted and dried it, forbidding anyone from eating it. Today, she was actually telling Qiaoyun to stew it.
Jiang Zhi deliberately put on a stern face. “If you don’t want to eat it, then don’t!” The original owner had been harsh toward Nie Fantian, and her words toward her own children were just as cruel.
Now that she had let the male lead go, she wouldn’t mistreat others anymore—but she couldn’t change too suddenly and raise suspicion.
At the mention of food, Xu Errui didn’t think too much about it. He was eighteen or nineteen years old, and the past few days of moving had been heavy physical labor. He was already exhausted, and the thought of meat made his mouth water.
Qiaoyun was also delighted. Her mother hadn’t scolded her for over a day now, and last night she’d even had a bowl of thick porridge. She didn’t dare hope she’d get to eat meat herself, but at least her mother-in-law would let her soak her cornmeal rice in the meat broth.
As Qiaoyun started stewing the meat, Jiang Zhi took Xu Errui to gather yellow mud and stones to build the wall.
This was a rocky mountain, so finding stones was incredibly easy. The edges of the cliffs were covered with weathered, flaking slate stones. With a little picking and choosing, they had a basketful.
By the time the aroma of cured meat stewed with dried radish wafted from Qiaoyun’s pot, the preparations for building the wall were nearly complete.
Xu Errui mixed the yellow mud while taking deep breaths of the long-missed fragrance. Without thinking, he said, “If only Xiao Tian…”
Jiang Zhi poured water into the yellow mud, pretending not to hear.
The book only mentioned that the original owner had abused the male lead, with no mention of others. It seemed the two children had lived together for ten years and still had some affection for each other.
Encouraged by the smell of meat, all three of them worked with renewed vigor.
By the time it was completely dark, a stone slab wall, half a person’s height, had been built around the charcoal shed.
With these newly built yellow mud walls blocking the wind, plus the stone slabs laid on the shed floor and a fire pit dug in the center where broken charcoal was burning, the shed quickly warmed up.
Steaming cured meat soup simmered over the charcoal fire, sweet potatoes roasted on nearby stone slabs, and each person had a bowl of golden cornmeal rice.
Thick layers of fallen leaves were spread beneath them as the three sat cross-legged around the clay pot.
The two young people stared at the pot, swallowing their saliva, waiting for Jiang Zhi to serve them.
Qiaoyun watched the soup pot nervously.
Although her mother-in-law had told her to stew the meat, she hadn’t specified how much. Recalling the three equal portions of rice from the previous night, Qiaoyun boldly added three chunks.
Jiang Zhi scooped with a ladle and frowned upon seeing only three pieces of meat, each the size of a duck egg.
Qiaoyun lowered her head anxiously, but the next moment, she saw her mother-in-law place a chunk of meat into each person’s bowl. “Qiaoyun, next time we stew meat, add a bit more.”
“Ah!” Qiaoyun looked up in surprise. “We’ll stew more in the future? But… but…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.
The meat at home came from a half-grown piglet that had frozen to death, and it wouldn’t last long.
Most farming families didn’t have much grain and raised few pigs.
Her in-laws were the same. Usually, they only cut wild grass and mixed it with bran and chaff along with dishwashing water to feed the pigs, waiting for them to fatten up before selling them for some money. They could never bear to slaughter one for meat.
Jiang Zhi also knew that the family’s grain and meat were scarce, but these were extraordinary times. Without solid food, they wouldn’t have the strength to work. Even if they encountered refugees, having something in their stomachs would give them an extra bit of energy.
Xu Errui didn’t care how much food was left at home. He eagerly picked up a piece of meat and took a bite—greasy and tender—and his face lit up. It was truly delicious.
Unfortunately, there was only one piece, gone in just a few bites. Luckily, there was plenty of dried radish left in the pot. Xu Errui scooped a spoonful over his cornmeal rice and immediately began eating noisily.
Qiaoyun hesitated, looking at the meat in her bowl, wondering whether to share it with Errui. After all, in the past, she had only been allowed to drink the broth.
Jiang Zhi had already picked up her bowl. Seeing Qiaoyun not eating, she tapped the rim of Qiaoyun’s bowl with her chopsticks. “Qiaoyun, have you forgotten what I said yesterday? Eat when it’s time to eat. Our Xu family is counting on you to give us a plump grandson.”
Beside her, Xu Errui looked up, chewing dried radish as he mumbled, “Wife, you eat. I have radish here, and it’s delicious too.”
Only then did Qiaoyun pick up the meat and take a small bite. Ah, it was truly delicious!
Jiang Zhi had long been starving, her stomach pressed against her back. As a modern person, the bone-deep hunger was something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Now, smelling the aroma of cured meat, she felt saliva gushing in her mouth like a spring.
And when she took a bite, the flavor seemed to tickle her very insides, something she would probably never forget for the rest of her life.
Fragrant, truly so fragrant!
This bite of free-range pork, raised on pure grain, would be a rare find in modern times—something only available through special supply.
And then there was this radish soup.
The soup had no seasonings at all, only the saltiness of the cured meat and the sweetness of the dried radish. The sweet strands mixed with droplets of oil created a perfect, delightful taste.
Jiang Zhi knew she wasn’t in a food-themed story, but she couldn’t help sighing: Although the standard of deliciousness depends on how hungry you are, this was truly gourmet food.
By now, the three of them paid no attention to the howling mountain winds outside. The pot of radish soup was completely finished, and though there was little meat, they at least filled up on broth.
For this meal, both the pork and the dried radish were delicious. Only the cornmeal rice was something Jiang Zhi found hard to swallow.
Modern corn grits are hulled and then crushed into fine particles, resulting in a soft, smooth texture when eaten. The cornmeal rice here, however, is simply coarse chunks.
It looks golden and fragrant, but it's as hard as sand. Taking a bite, the grains scatter in your mouth and grate against your teeth, making it impossible to swallow.
With no other choice, Jiang Zhi divided her portion of the meal between Xu Errui and Qiaoyun.
With bellies full of soup and food, drowsiness set in. After two exhausting days, they finally lay down to sleep for the first time.
Without combing their hair or washing their faces, the three of them paid no mind to anything else. They blocked the door of the charcoal shed with back baskets and crates, wrapped themselves in blankets, and lay fully clothed in the dry leaves, sinking into a deep slumber.
They slept soundly, completely unaware that the village below the mountain was once again ablaze with fire.