Chapter 5: Stir-fried Trichosanthes Fruit

Dinner was the same wild vegetable and bean stew. Liu Ye only added one wild egg, her eyes darting toward Jiang Ning with caution, terrified of being scolded.

Jiang Ning’s mind was entirely on the *gualou* (trichosanthes fruit), so she didn't pay much attention. Liu Ye breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly placed the plantain and dandelion greens in front of her.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, Jiang Ning secretly sprinkled a little salt into the bowl; at least this way, it had some flavor.

Seeing her eat with such relish, the children actually tried a few bites themselves. Yang Sizhuang said, "It doesn't taste that good! Why is Mother eating it so happily?"

Jiang Ning ignored him and looked at Yang Erdan and Yang Xiaoya. They had been fine when they left, but now they both had injuries on their bodies and faces. At first, she thought they had been scratched by bamboo, but now that she was closer, she noticed those wounds didn't look right.

Yang Xiaoya shivered under Jiang Ning’s gaze, burying her little head even lower.

Yang Datou hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over. "Mother, Little Sister and the others cut too much, and they were delayed because they couldn't carry it all back."

Jiang Ning looked at the dozen or so bamboo stalks. Even if they had been playing while working, they shouldn't have only managed this much in a whole day. Something was definitely going on, but since the children weren't saying anything, she was tactful enough not to ask.

After dinner, Jiang Ning continued to sort the *gualou*. Yang Datou and Yang Erdan consciously came over to help, cleaning the rotten seeds according to Jiang Ning’s instructions. At first, they couldn't stand the smell, but after a while, they actually got used to it.

Jiang Ning left that work to them while she processed the fresh *gualou*. She washed them, cut them in half, scooped out the pulp and seeds, washed the rinds, and turned them inside out to dry, planning to dry the outside once the inside was done.

It was late at night and there was no sun, but the mountain breeze was steady. A night of blowing and a few days of sun would be enough.

When it came time to lay them out, Jiang Ning realized they didn't have any large winnowing baskets, so she had to use the wooden board she slept on as a makeshift tray.

The others didn't dare say anything, but Yang Santie grumbled with dissatisfaction, "Mother, if you take your bed to hold those things, where will you sleep tonight?"

Jiang Ning looked at the two straw mats by the campfire. "We'll squeeze in. If there's no room, I can lean against the wall and make do for the night."

No one made a sound.

The younger ones lay down as soon as it got completely dark and were soon fast asleep. Yang Datou and Liu Ye, exhausted from a day of farm work, didn't even care about being dirty; they lay down and were soon snoring. Only Yang Erdan remained alert, looking as if he had something on his mind.

Since he didn't volunteer the information, Jiang Ning didn't force him. Instead, she signaled for him to follow her into the kitchen and whispered, "Do Mother a favor and take these *gualou* seeds to the creek to wash them."

A small stream ran near their house. Late at night, there was nothing but the sound of gurgling water and insects chirping; there wasn't a soul in sight. The mother and son quickly washed most of the basket of seeds.

Jiang Ning asked, "Does our house have anything else we can use to start a fire and cook, besides that cooking pot?"

Yang Erdan shook his head.

Jiang Ning looked disappointed.

It was the first time Yang Erdan had seen his mother look so dejected. He racked his brains for a long time, scratching his head, and said, "It’s not that we don't have anything, it’s just that it can't be used. There was a pot with a chipped rim on the stove earlier, but Eldest Sister-in-law took it to hold water."

Jiang Ning hurriedly pulled Yang Erdan back. The children in the courtyard were all fast asleep, without a shred of vigilance.

She sighed inwardly. When she saw the chipped pot, her face lit up. Although it wasn't big, it would be perfectly fine for stir-frying seeds. However, she had to wait for Yang Erdan to fall asleep first.

Just as she was pondering how to trick Yang Erdan, she turned around to find the boy had already laid down. Perhaps he was exhausted, for he fell asleep almost immediately.

Jiang Ning breathed a sigh of relief and began to stir-fry the seeds. The ingredients were ready, and the seasonings were in her system, available whenever she needed them. Following the steps provided by the "God of Cooking" system, she first stir-fried the seeds until they were seventy percent cooked, then poured in salt and sugar water, continuing to stir until the color changed. The roasted seeds smelled fragrant, completely losing their previous stench.

She tasted one, and her eyes squinted into crescents of happiness.

Liu Ye was awakened by the aroma. Hearing the movement, she opened her eyes and saw Jiang Ning tinkering with the chipped pot. She hurried over to help. "Mother, what are you making? It smells so good!"

"Did I wake you? Try it and see if it's good." Jiang Ning gave a seed to Liu Ye and taught her how to eat it.

As soon as Liu Ye ate one, her eyes lit up. "Mother, did you make this? What did you use? It seems to have salt in it—where did you get that?"

Jiang Ning looked embarrassed and made a "shush" gesture. "Keep your voice down. I saved it up with great difficulty, secretly! It’s only a tiny bit!"

Liu Ye thought of her mother-in-law's character; it was indeed something she would do, so she didn't dare ask any more questions.

Jiang Ning smiled with satisfaction. "I used the *gualou* you all hated and stir-fried it with salt. Delicious, right?"

"What? That stinky thing can be turned into such fragrant food?" Liu Ye was completely stunned.

Jiang Ning nodded firmly. "I told you yesterday, but you didn't believe me. Now you have nothing to say, right? Do you think if I take these seeds to town to sell, I can make money?"

Liu Ye nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. "Definitely!"

She had never eaten such fragrant seeds. She had heard a village auntie say that seeds in town cost five *wen* a catty. She had been lucky enough to eat one once, and it hadn't tasted as good as the ones her mother-in-law made. If they sold them for two or three *wen* a catty, they would surely sell!

Gaining Liu Ye's affirmation, Jiang Ning became even more confident. She hurriedly stir-fried the rest of the seeds. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law worked through the night, and it wasn't until dawn that they finished the half-basket of seeds.

Yang Datou and the others woke up. When everyone tasted the seeds, their reactions were ecstatic. They looked at Jiang Ning in astonishment, as if seeing her for the first time.

Jiang Ning didn't explain. She said to the children, "I'm going to town today to see if I can sell these. Who wants to come with me?"

Yang Datou looked around and stood up. "Mother, I'll go with you."

Town was not like the village; it was a mix of all sorts of people. Regardless of whether they could sell the seeds or not, he couldn't let his mother cause trouble out there.

Jiang Ning had no idea what Yang Datou was thinking. "Then it's settled. Datou will go to town with me. Erdan and Xiaoya, stay home and organize the bamboo, then go get some thatch and hemp rope. If we get back early, we'll build the grass shed. Santie and Sizhuang, keep going to the foot of the mountain to pick wild vegetables. Ye-zi, thank you for your hard work with the farm chores."

After arranging the family's tasks, Jiang Ning had Yang Datou help move the *gualou* that had been air-drying all night to an open area to sun-dry.

The mother and son left the village and headed left. To get to town, they had to walk a stretch of mountain road first, and only after leaving the mountains would they reach the official road. It took about half an hour. Usually, the villagers didn't go to town; they only went in groups during big market days. Today wasn't a market day, so the two of them didn't run into many villagers on the road.

Once they reached the official road, they saw some travelers—groups of two or three, walking in a hurry, looking like strangers.

When the three characters "Dashan Town" finally came into view, Jiang Ning let out a long breath and pulled Yang Datou to quicken their pace.

In the original owner's memory, Dashan Town was just a small town with a modest population. Its advantage was its good geographical location; merchants traveling from north to south often stopped there to rest and recuperate. The inns, taverns, and restaurants in town were much more numerous than in the neighboring Qingshan Town.

(End of chapter)