Su Luonian hurriedly finished her drink, then couldn’t wait to run into the courtyard. She picked up the small stones she had just collected from the mountain and started throwing them at the big tree in the yard.
Seeing this, Lin Yuzhen couldn’t help but shake her head with a smile:
“This child… she’s collected so much firewood and still isn’t tired!”
Children’s energy was boundless. Unlike her, as she grew older, farm work felt increasingly exhausting.
Thinking back on the years of daily hard labor, Lin Yuzhen couldn’t help but recall the man she had always longed for, and a trace of melancholy involuntarily appeared in her eyes.
Su Luowan noticed the sadness in Lin Yuzhen’s eyes and roughly guessed what she was thinking.
For a moment, she didn’t know how to comfort her mother and could only smile and change the topic:
“Mom, why do you think he’s practicing so hard? Isn’t it just so he can eat a bit more meat!”
As she spoke, Su Luowan recounted to Lin Yuzhen the incident of seeing the rabbit on the mountain.
Then she remembered the eggs in the backpack. She hurried over, carefully removed the firewood first, and then took out the few eggs.
“Mom, even though we didn’t catch a rabbit, we did pick up these eggs. Let’s use them to improve our lunch!”
Looking at her daughter’s sparkling eyes, Lin Yuzhen nodded, a hint of guilt in her voice:
“It’s because I’m not capable… that you all had to suffer following me!”
She thought to herself that next time she went to town, she would buy some meat to treat the children.
Su Luowan shook her head, then smiled:
“Mom, don’t say that. Now that my brother, Xiao Nian, and I are growing up, our family will only get better!”
Even though she didn’t yet possess mystical power, she could still use a bow and arrow. Back in modern times, she had spent whole mountains chasing and hunting pheasants and wild rabbits.
With that in mind, Su Luowan went with Lin Yuzhen into the kitchen to start preparing lunch.
“Wanwan, add some water to the pot first. I’ll go fetch some sweet potatoes!”
“Okay!” Su Luowan responded cheerfully.
This was perfect. She was also planning to secretly add some of the spiritual spring water from her space into the pot, and now it was convenient to act!
She had wanted to do this at breakfast, but when she woke up, her mother was already busy in the kitchen, leaving no opportunity.
Although the spiritual spring water in her space didn’t have the miraculous powers described in novels, it could still strengthen and nourish the body.
In this 1970s setting of endless chores, scarce resources, and frequent hunger, both the body and family members had their little ailments.
So Su Luowan thought to use this water to nourish herself and her family.
She took out the spiritual spring water from the space and poured it into the large pot.
Then she covered the pot and quickly started the fire.
By the time she finished, Lin Yuzhen arrived carrying the chopped sweet potatoes.
Lunch was slightly more elaborate than breakfast: she stir-fried green peppers and eggplant, and also made some flatbread with mixed grains.
While eating, Lin Yuzhen remarked curiously:
“Today’s meal tastes really good… it’s a little sweet!”
Su Luonian didn’t think much of it. After all, how could the sweet potato porridge they had every day be sweet?
Still, he instinctively took a sip, then looked down in disbelief before confirming:
“It’s really sweet… did someone put sugar in this porridge?”
Lin Yuzhen immediately denied it:
“This whole pot… how much sugar would it take? Besides, we ran out of sugar a few days ago and haven’t bought any!”
She thought for a moment and then said:
“It’s probably just the sweet potatoes we cooked today; they’re naturally sweeter.”
Su Luonian nodded. Whatever the reason, today’s meal really did taste good.
Su Luowan, sitting nearby, lowered her head and calculated quietly.
Living under the same roof, it wasn’t easy to hide the existence of her space.
Xiao Nian was still small, so it was a bit easier. But her mother was meticulous. No matter how careful she was, it was hard to guarantee she wouldn’t be discovered.
Moreover, there were so many vegetables and medicinal herbs in her space. If she wanted to enjoy fresh vegetables often, especially in winter, she would really have to rely on the space.
After much thought, Su Luowan decided to tell Lin Yuzhen about the space.
After lunch, Su Luonian put down his bowl and continued throwing small stones in the yard.
Su Luowan took the initiative to clean up the dishes. After washing the pot and bowls quickly, she went to the main room and said to Lin Yuzhen, who was mending clothes:
“Mom, come here. I have something important to tell you!”
Su Luowan took Lin Yuzhen by the arm and walked into the inner room.
“You girl… why are you being so secretive? Can’t you just say it here?”
Lin Yuzhen held a needle and thread in her hand and pinched the tip carefully to avoid pricking her daughter.
Su Luowan had Lin Yuzhen sit on a stool, then got up to close the door. She came in front of her mother and whispered:
“Mom, do you know where the water we drank today came from?”
Lin Yuzhen, surprised, said:
“Wasn’t it from the water jar?”
At that time, no household had a well; water was usually fetched from the village’s only well.
Su Luowan smiled mysteriously, then took a vintage-looking white porcelain cup from the table and said:
“Mom, watch carefully!”
She placed her hand over the cup, then used her mind to guide the water from her space’s well into the cup.
Lin Yuzhen’s eyes widened in shock. She hurriedly stood up and asked:
“Th… th… Wanwan, what… what’s going on? Where did this water come from?”