Seeing her like this, Su Tao proceeded to feed Li Chunhua two other dishes. The young girl’s eyes sparkled like stars, twinkling brightly.
The green beans and eggplant were soft and fragrant with a meaty aroma, leaving a delightful taste in the mouth. The cold cucumber salad was crispy, sour, and spicy, bursting on the taste buds like fireworks.
“Delicious, right?” Su Tao asked the girl again. This time, Li Chunhua didn’t hesitate but nodded vigorously.
“So delicious!” She had never eaten anything so tasty before. Although her family had these same ingredients, the flavors turned out completely different.
Seeing someone agree with her, Su Tao smiled with satisfaction.
However, her smile vanished the next second when she realized the food they brought was almost gone.
She hadn’t even eaten yet.
Seeing this, Su Tao quickly called Su Li, who also picked up a bowl and joined the scramble for food.
Under the sunlight, the Su family father and sons and the Li family father and sons were no different from bandits in their eating style.
Su Li also held her bowl, eating small mouthfuls. Indeed, newly harvested rice was truly delicious—free from the musty taste of old rice, full of aroma, chewy yet soft and glutinous. Just eating the rice alone felt incredibly satisfying. It was safe to say this was the most fragrant rice she had eaten since arriving here. Especially on such a hot day, paired with the appetizing sour and spicy cucumber and the savory river mussels, it was pure bliss.
In no time, all the food brought by Su Li and Su Tao was completely devoured. Even the sauce left in the dishes was used by the Li family father and sons to mix with their rice, claiming it shouldn’t go to waste. No one objected, though, as in these times of scarcity, people had even resorted to chewing tree roots, let alone wasting sauce.
This meal was nothing short of delightful.
With their stomachs full, everyone wore expressions of contentment. If it weren’t for the afternoon rice harvesting, lying half-asleep under the shade of the trees would have been pure bliss.
What a pity…
“I never thought river mussels could be cooked so deliciously,” Old Man Li remarked, wiping his mouth with both hands.
Li Shitou nodded in agreement. He had never tasted such fragrant, spicy, and delicious river mussels before—even the sauce was incredibly tasty. Not to mention the crispy cucumber and the soft, glutinous green beans, which made the meal so appetizing. The only regret was that there wasn’t enough, or he could have eaten several more bowls of rice.
Just then, Su Fu suddenly remembered what his fourth daughter had said. “Si Ya mentioned that Fifth Girl cooked today’s dishes?”
Su Qingshan and Su Qinghe simultaneously turned to look at Su Li. Usually, either Grandma Wu Pozi or Mother Chen Shi cooked at home, so why was it Fifth Sister today?
The Li family father and sons, standing nearby, were puzzled by their reaction. What was going on?
“Yes, Father,” Su Li replied. Since she had decided to rely on her cooking skills to earn money, she had no intention of hiding her abilities. Moreover, she hoped to gain the support of Su Fu and her two brothers, as it was difficult for a girl to accomplish anything without her family’s backing in these times.
Su Li then explained how she had learned to cook by observing others.
Su Qingshan’s first reaction was, “Fifth Sister is truly amazing.” He knew he could never learn something just by watching—he was the slowest in the family and had to repeat tasks several times to master them. Fortunately, he had strength, which was something no one else in the family could match.
Su Fu and Su Qinghe also showed understanding expressions upon seeing this. They weren’t often home, so naturally they couldn’t know much about their daughters’ daily lives. Besides, these were just two ordinary home-cooked dishes – no matter how delicious, they couldn’t prove anything.
Still, Su Fu sincerely remarked, “This is good.” In these times, learning a skill was valuable, especially cooking. With this skill, one would never worry about going hungry.
It was a pity they didn’t know anyone. If only the girls could learn from those chefs who traveled between villages preparing feasts, their future would be secure. Su Fu felt deeply guilty – as a father, he could do so little for his family.
After asking about this year’s harvest at home, Su Fu remained silent for a long time before saying, “When you go back, tell your grandparents to stop sending food. We have enough to eat here and won’t go hungry.”
The Garrison still needed them to work, so at least they wouldn’t starve. With limited grain at home, if they three men didn’t eat it, the supplies could last longer. He wondered if they’d have free time after harvesting rice. If possible, they could take side jobs to earn some silver for a better New Year.
Hearing Su Fu’s words and thinking of their family’s situation, Su Qingshan and Su Qinghe also fell silent.
They resented being born as Junhu, and hated their inability to help their family, relying instead on their grandparents and sisters farming to support them.
The two young men of 17 or 18 couldn’t help showing ashamed expressions.
The atmosphere instantly turned heavy. Su Li didn’t know how to comfort her father and brothers. It wasn’t their fault, but the unreasonable system of this dynasty. Su Li even thought that perhaps Wei Gaozu never imagined the laws he established would become like this. All regulations naturally evolved over time – this was historical inevitability, though such inevitability weighed on everyone like a thousand pounds.
Soon, it was time to part. Commotion began in the distance – work was about to start.
“Then, Father, Second Brother, Third Brother, we’ll be going,” Su Li and Su Tao said, holding their baskets as they bid farewell. The men nodded, with Su Fu advising, “Help your mother more when you return.”
“Okay,” Su Li agreed, while Su Tao seemed somewhat unhappy. “Father, when can you and my brothers come home?”
She missed them. It had been easier when she didn’t see them, but now that she had, she found it harder to let go. Especially seeing how thin her father and brothers had become, with little flesh left on their bodies, she felt inexplicably more distressed.
“Soon, soon,” Su Fu’s voice caught in his throat as he quickly averted his gaze.
Second Brother Su Qingshan clenched his fists beside them, unable to speak.
Third Brother Su Qinghe pressed his lips together, stepped forward and patted Su Tao and Su Li’s heads. “You two behave at home. When Third Brother returns, I’ll catch fish for you to eat.”
“You promised, I’ll remember that,” Su Tao said.
“Alright, I promise,” Su Qinghe replied, his emaciated face showing his first smile in a long time.
Life was too bitter – sometimes even smiling felt like a luxury.