Fang Shi saw Fu Yu go to weave a basket, and she began to ponder what to eat for lunch.
The garrison lent them a bag of sorghum, so she could cook a large pot of sorghum rice.
The two children caught a wild chicken, perfect for stewing with mushrooms. If there were more mushrooms, they could make mushroom paste.
And the tender green water celery from the riverbank, she would go pick some back later. One pot for cold salad, and one pot for stir-frying.
There was no other way, there were too many people today, the plates were too small so they had to use basins to serve. Just these four dishes made from local ingredients would not seem stingy when hosting guests.
As Fang Shi finished her calculations and prepared to start, she saw Meng Xiaohe holding Bao Er and Ke Er, waving at them from the other side of the river.
"Sister-in-law."
"Auntie."
"Ahhh."
"Have you all been assigned your places?"
"Not yet," Meng Xiaohe said happily, as she led Ke Er across the river by stepping on large stones, and spoke in a soft, gentle voice, "Because of elder brother and second brother's relationship, our family..." The fourteen-year-old girl's shyness was tinged with bashfulness. She hesitated to say it openly, but because of her two younger brothers, their family had become a sought-after commodity. Not only were they assigned the best room, but also a piece of land by the river.
She had also heard that their family would receive additional grain.
Compared to Meng Xiaohe's joy, Ke Er's expression was listless. At such a young age, she was already worrying with her parents. It was no help that her father was honest, and her mother, having never given birth to a son, always felt inferior. She could never hold her head up in front of her grandmother and elder aunt, and consequently, she was also bullied by her cousins.
As soon as their rooms were assigned, her grandmother and elder aunt eagerly told her mother and her to start working. Her mother told her not to stay at home and to find Aunt Xiaohe or cousin Ci.
As she left, she heard her grandmother scolding someone, but her mother retorted, "If you're not afraid of losing face, then let's find someone impartial to settle this. A room full of adults and children are too lazy to move, yet you shamelessly ask a five-year-old child to work. Do you have any shame?"
"Second daughter-in-law, are you getting too bold? Do you believe I..."
"You want to say again that you'll have your son divorce me. Go ahead, I wish for nothing more. If your son divorces me, I'll no longer be an exile, and I won't have to suffer this torment with you bunch of scumbags. Also, don't always say 'you're getting bold.' Try and touch me. If I don't torch your turtle shell of a home and leave you living in the open, then I'll be letting down the grievances my mother and daughter have suffered in your family over the years."
"..."
"Second daughter-in-law, why are you speaking to your mother like this?"
"You shut up. We're both daughters-in-law, why do you boss me around? Is it because mother-in-law favors you? Or because you constantly babble like a duck?"
"You?"
"Don't point your finger at me, believe me, I'll break it off."
"Ah, Mother, save me."
Hearing her elder aunt's feigned scream, she closed her mouth for a moment and stopped scolding her mother. She also heard her father nervously tell her mother that he would not divorce her.
Her mother, however, laughed loudly and chillingly. Even she was scared and dared not listen further.
"Ke Er, be careful," Fu Xin Ci saw that Ke Er looked absent-minded and feared she would fall into the river, so she ran over and held her small hand to cross the river.
Seeing her most trusted cousin Ci, the little girl burst into tears.
"Ke Er, don't cry. Tell me what's wrong, and Cousin Ci will help you."
"Mm," the little girl hiccuped, and then recounted what had just happened at home.
Fu Xin Ci: Ke Er's mother has truly risen from the ashes and is now singing. She has indeed subdued Ke Er's grandparents and elder aunt's family. Not bad!
"Ke Er, stop crying, this is a good thing," Fu Xin Ci said, unafraid of stirring up trouble.
"A good thing?"
"Of course, it's a good thing. As long as your mother continues to be this assertive and stands tall, your grandmother and elder aunt will not dare to bully you and your mother anymore."
Fu Xin Ci didn't know if the word "干" (gān, meaning 'do' or 'fight') would corrupt the child. But she couldn't care less, everyone was living for the first time, why should they yield to that bunch of scum.
"..." She seemed not to be living for the first time.
"Really?" Hearing Cousin Ci's words, the little girl's eyes instantly sparkled.
"Of course, it's true. When has Cousin Ci ever lied to you?"
"Cousin Ci never lies."
Hearing Ke Er's words, Fu Xin Ci felt a little guilty and looked up at the sky.
"Cousin Ci," Ke Er tugged at Fu Xin Ci's sleeve.
"What is it?"
"I'll go help Auntie build a fire," the little girl said, and then cheerfully went to help.
Could this little girl consider helping her mother build a fire as her lifelong mission?
Fu Xin Ci turned to look and saw Ke Er and Meng Xiaohe chatting and laughing, discussing something. She didn't bother to listen and quickly picked up her small basket to go meet Qi He and Yu Er.
"Sister Fu, let's send these mushrooms back and then come back to pick more," Qi He's eyes had been fixed on mushrooms ever since he learned that dried mushrooms could be eaten in winter.
"Mm," Fu Xin Ci knew how cold the winters here were. Although she had many things in her space, she couldn't take them out casually. Therefore, storing edible things was the key.
Yu Er originally wanted to follow, but when he saw Aunt Xiaohe and sister Ke Er helping his mother build a fire and pick vegetables respectively, Bao Er was left unattended. He volunteered to look after his little nephew.
Fu Xin Ci: Not to mention, Yu Er, this little uncle, is quite competent, at least more competent than her.
"Sister Fu, let's hurry."
"Alright."
"We need to pick a lot more," Qi He said and then led the way into the depths of the grassland. Fu Xin Ci quickly followed.
Without Yu Er's hindrance, the two picked faster and faster, as if in a race. Fu Xin Ci was the one who couldn't resist playing games, and as she picked, she started to cheat.
She squatted in the grass and activated her wood elemental ability, directly collecting a large patch of white mushrooms into her basket. They looked much better than those picked manually.
Alas, she saw another nest of wild eggs.
She was no longer content with the current situation; she wanted to explore further.
For example, the mountaintop, or the seaside.
However, both the mountaintop and the seaside seemed very far from here, and her grandfather would not agree to her going.
Dejected, it was no wonder, as her small body was only eight years old. Resigned, Fu Xin Ci continued to pick and pick. By the time she ran back, laden with goods, Qi He's basket was still not full.
Fang Shi saw her daughter carrying more than a dozen wild eggs in her clothes. Before she could speak, Bao Er, drooling, exclaimed, "Big, big."
"Bao Er, those are eggs, wild eggs," Yu Er's eyes also widened with stars when he saw his sister bring back so many wild eggs.
"Big," Bao Er was set on this word. No matter how his little uncle corrected him, he did not change.
Everyone knew that Bao Er had suffered these past few days, eating the same as the adults. How could he endure it at such a young age?