Being fellow villagers, everyone was quite casual, directly peeking into each other's baskets to see what they had bought.
Xia Tian had already anticipated this. Anything she didn't want others to see had long been stored in her Space. As for the items left in the basket, it didn't matter if they were seen.
Aunt Chun and a few others noticed that Xia Tian had bought a large piece of pork back fat and some pork offal. They asked her why she had bought so many pork intestines.
Xia Tian smiled sheepishly, "There's no oil left at home at all. Rapeseed oil is too expensive and doesn't last long, but pork back fat can be rendered into lard, which can be used for a long time.
After buying the pork back fat, I didn't have much money left. But as you all know, my husband isn't in good health. Pork offal is cheap, so I bought a little. At least it's meat and can help nourish him."
Aunt Chun and the others nodded understandingly, "That's true. When stir-frying, just wipe the bottom of the pan with a little lard—it tastes better than using rapeseed oil."
One of the aunties remarked, "Pork intestines are cheap, but if not prepared well, they have a strong, unpleasant smell and don't taste good."
"Mm, I bought some Chinese spices to see if I can make them taste better. There's no other way—with limited money, this is all I can do," Xia Tian agreed with a nod.
Seeing that Xia Tian appeared diligent and down-to-earth, and was also polite, the aunties eagerly shared their own life experiences and tips with her.
To be honest, she really learned a lot.
Although Xia Tian had the original owner's memories and could handle basic farm chores, back in the Xia Family, the original owner had simply done whatever Grandma Xia assigned—mostly tasks like gathering pig feed, digging for wild vegetables, and washing.
During busy farming seasons, the girls in the family would also work in the fields, but they only did what the adults told them to do.
The aunties' life wisdom had been passed down through generations. Xia Tian carefully remembered everything she heard.
Whenever she didn't understand something, she would ask them. Seeing how attentively she listened and that she didn't find them nagging, the aunties grew even fonder of her.
When they reached the village entrance, everyone got off the ox-cart and headed home.
By the time Xia Tian arrived home, the courtyard was quiet. The window of the main room was half-open, and Shen Nian was sitting by the window, holding a book and reading.
For a moment, Xia Tian was stunned.
She had always known that Shen Nian was good-looking, but at this moment, seeing him quietly reading, she felt as if she were looking at a "youth in a painting, enjoying peaceful times."
Xia Tian was certain that this was Shen Nian's true nature.
Even long, long afterward, she would still remember the scene from this day.
Sensing someone staring at him, Shen Nian slowly looked up and realized it was Xia Tian returning home.
Seeing that Shen Nian had noticed her, Xia Tian gave him a big, bright smile and called out cheerfully, "Brother Shen, I'm back!"
Watching Shen Nian give her a slight nod, Xia Tian smiled even more happily.
The feeling of having someone waiting for her at home was truly wonderful.
She quickly went to the kitchen and set down her basket. The items she had stored in her Space had already been returned to the basket when she parted ways with Sister-in-law Yao.
Taking out the oil-paper bag containing the steamed buns, she noticed the temperature was only slightly cooler than when she bought them—the Space's preservation function was quite good.
Holding the bag, Xia Tian handed it directly to Shen Nian through the window, "Brother Shen, have some steamed buns. I saw a lot of people lining up to buy them from that stall, so they should taste pretty good. Try one."
Feeling the warmth of the bag, Shen Nian thought Xia Tian had kept the buns close to her chest to prevent them from getting cold, and he was deeply touched.
Shen Nian opened the bag, took out a steamed bun, and handed it to Xia Tian first.
Xia Tian took it and immediately took a big bite. Mmm, the skin was thin, the filling ample, the flavor fresh and delicious—truly tasty.
"Brother Shen, you should eat too." She finished the bun in just a few bites.
Shen Nian held the bag out toward her, but Xia Tian waved her hand. "No more, I'll eat properly later."
Watching Shen Nian take a slow, deliberate bite, Xia Tian returned to the kitchen and put away all the purchased items one by one.
It was already noon, so she quickly washed her hands and started preparing lunch.
She brought over the old hen bought at the market, drained its blood, then began boiling water to scald off the feathers.
After cleaning the chicken thoroughly, she found a clay pot, added scallions, ginger, and garlic, and started simmering the soup.
Soon, the kitchen was filled with a fragrant aroma!
Using another pot, she steamed rice. Once the rice was cooked, she stir-fried some Suanbaicai with pork belly and prepared a cold bamboo shoot salad before serving the meal.
Shen Nian, who had barely coughed all morning, now had a relatively good appetite. He drank two bowls of chicken soup and ate a large bowl of rice. The Suanbaicai stir-fried with pork belly was appetizing and went well with the rice, so he ate quite a bit of it too.
Noticing that Shen Nian seemed much more energetic today, Xia Tian happily ate a large bowl of rice herself and even gnawed on a chicken leg.
After the meal, Xia Tian first took out the purchased pork intestines, found a basin, poured in rice-washing water, and soaked them to make cleaning easier later.
She rested briefly in her room, then took a hoe and went to the backyard to till the soil.
The plot wasn't large, and she finished tilling it in less than half an hour.
After drinking the Spiritual Spring Water, not only had her strength increased significantly, but she also didn't feel overly tired even after prolonged labor.
Moreover, she discovered that simply spending a little time in the Space, whether she drank the Spiritual Spring Water or not, left her feeling refreshed and clear-headed.
After his meal, Shen Nian was strolling in the yard to aid digestion. Seeing Xia Tian head to the backyard with a hoe, he slowly followed to take a look.
Watching her till the soil stroke by stroke, he noted how quickly and neatly she worked, without showing any signs of fatigue.
Shen Nian raised an eyebrow. Despite her slender and frail appearance, the girl was quite strong—no wonder she had such a good appetite at mealtime.
Seeing Shen Nian standing by watching her till the land, Xia Tian explained to him, "Although it's a bit past the ideal time for planting vegetables, it's not too late. I bought vegetable seeds today, so it's perfect to till the soil and plant them. That way, we won't always have to buy vegetables from others."
"Most farming families grow their own vegetables and grains; very few people buy food. Since we're living in the village, we should integrate and not stand out too much."
"While most villagers are simple and kind-hearted, there are also those with ill intentions. So, it's best to keep good things hidden from others. It's always wise to be cautious."
As she worked, Xia Tian shared her rural living experiences with Shen Nian.
Once the soil was tilled, she divided it into sections, built ridges, sorted and planted the vegetable seeds, made several trips to the river to fetch water, and watered the seeds. With that, the task was complete.
Watching Xia Tian work with such vigor and efficiency, Shen Nian actually felt a twinge of envy. It was a pity his health…
For the entire afternoon, Shen Nian didn't return to his room. Instead, he brought a stool and sat under the eaves, watching Xia Tian bustle in and out.
After finishing the vegetable plot, Xia Tian went to fetch water to wash the pork intestines.
Noticing Shen Nian wrinkling his nose, Xia Tian explained with a smile, "These are pork intestines. They might smell foul now, but once I clean and cook them, they'll taste wonderful."
She scraped off the fat, then washed them repeatedly with salt and flour until they were completely clean. Only then did she light the fire, add the Chinese spices, and begin braising them.
Next, she took out the purchased pork back fat, washed it, cut it into pieces, and used another pot to render lard.
Before long, the courtyard was filled with an enticing aroma that made even Shen Nian look forward to dinner.
After rendering the lard, Xia Tian set aside the pork cracklings to use for dumplings the next day.
For dinner, Xia Tian steamed rice, sliced a plate of braised pork intestines and pork heart, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and reheated the leftover chicken soup from lunch.
Under Xia Tian's eager gaze, Shen Nian tried a piece of the braised pork intestines. To his surprise, it was rich in flavor, pleasantly chewy, and not greasy at all—a delicious taste he had never experienced before.
Shen Nian was thoroughly impressed by Xia Tian's cooking skills. When she had boasted about her culinary prowess before, he had been skeptical, but it turned out she hadn't exaggerated in the slightest—her skills were truly remarkable.
"How is it? How is it?" Xia Tian asked Shen Nian repeatedly.
Seeing him nod in approval, she immediately grew excited. "See? I told you my braised dishes are exceptional—they're bound to be delicious."
Watching Xia Tian's instant self-satisfaction, Shen Nian's eyes curved into a smile.
The meal left both of them completely satisfied.
After dinner, Xia Tian stored the rendered pork cracklings, put the leftover meat and bones in the cupboard, and placed the braised offal and such into her Space.
Since the weather wasn't too hot yet, leaving the meat out overnight would be fine.
It wasn't yet time for bed, and Xia Tian noticed Shen Nian was still quite alert.
She moved closer to chat, "Brother Shen, do you think I could set up a stall selling braised dishes?"