Yang Jinshun asked: "Have you eaten it before?"

Zhao Cheng shook his head, "No, we just dug up some kudzu roots to eat."

Yang Jinshun hesitated, but still asked, "Um... Zhang... sister, are you sure this is edible?"

Zhang Hulan said, "I'm sure it's edible. If you're worried, you can take it to the pharmacy and let the doctor take a look. It's also a medicinal herb. You can also boil it and test it on mice or something. If the mice don't die after eating it, it means it's not poisonous."

The yamen runners actually had concerns in this regard, but after hearing what Zhang Hulan said, they felt that this method was feasible.

The yamen runner said, "Just do as she says. Go back and dig it up and test it on mice. I'll take it to the doctor when I return to the county town in the evening."

With the words spoken by the yamen runners, Yang Jinshun and the villagers felt much more relieved.

The villagers spread out to look for it, and found some lotus roots in other places. These lotus roots grew in clumps, so they were easy to find.

Zhang Hulan reminded Shanzi, "Shanzi, you must remember this. You will have to go to other villages alone to teach the villagers how to identify them."

Shanzi nodded heavily, "Don't worry, Aunt Lan, I will remember it carefully."

Shanzi then looked up at Zhang Hulan and said gratefully, "Auntie Lan, thank you!"

Zhang Hulan touched Shanzi's head and said with a smile, "Don't be polite. If you have any difficulties in the future, come to Aunt Lan, okay?"

Shan Zi nodded heavily, "Yes!"

Yang Jinshun arranged for the villagers to start digging lotus roots, and Zhang Hulan led the rest of the people to continue searching in the mountains.

They also saw chestnut trees in the woods, and the villagers knew chestnuts. The chestnuts were not ripe yet, and they tasted a little astringent and not very good.

But all the chestnuts have been picked by the villagers. At this time, as long as they can be eaten, no one cares about the taste.

Zhang Hulan and her team did not stay in Legong Village for long. The villagers knew how to pick chestnuts, and now they also had kudzu root and lotus root. She also taught the villagers to recognize several uncommon wild vegetables. The villagers should be able to hold on for a while.

When we came down the mountain at noon, Yang Lizheng and his companions also came back with water. The four large bathtubs were full of water, and some villagers were carrying water in buckets behind them.

After Yang Lizheng learned that there was food to eat on the mountain, he kept expressing his gratitude to Zhang Hulan.

Li Zheng Yang looked at Zhang Hulan with complicated feelings. This time, thanks to Zhang Hulan, otherwise they didn't know whether they could hold on until the day when the relief food arrived.

In the past few days, some villagers in Legong Village have left the village to escape famine. If the village wells are completely dry and the food at home is eaten up, everyone will flee the famine.

Many people are reluctant to leave unless it is absolutely necessary. They were born and raised here, and they also hope to die here a hundred years later.

Yang Lizheng asked Zhang Hulan: "Is there still a possibility for you and Chen Dalang? If you are willing, I will go and talk to Chen Tou and ask them to treat you and the child better in the future."

Zhang Hulan shook her head and said, "Thank you Yang Lizheng for your kindness. I have nothing to do with the Chen family anymore, and I don't want to have anything to do with them in the future."

Yang Lizheng sighed, and then said, "We will remember this favor today. If you need help in the future, feel free to come to us. We can't help with big things, but we have a lot of people and a lot of strength."

Zhang Hulan smiled and said, "Okay, Yang Lizheng, if I need help in the future, I will definitely come to you."

"Oh, right, Yang Lizheng." Zhang Hulan then said to Yang Lizheng, "We have just walked up one mountain. When the villagers go to other mountains to look for food, if they find something that looks edible but they don't know what to eat, they can bring it to me in Daping Village."

Yang Lizheng said yes repeatedly.

In the afternoon, Zhang Hulan and her friends went to other villages.

The village also began to lack water, and the villagers had difficulty getting drinking water. The yamen runners asked the village head to take people to Daping Village to fetch water.

In the mountains near the village, Zhang Hulan did not find any lotus roots, but there were some kudzu roots.

But she found another plant with yellow flowers called Jerusalem artichoke, also known as Jerusalem artichoke. It is also edible and grows in a similar environment to lotus root.

Zhang Hulan once again received gratitude from all the villagers in the village.

We walked through two villages in one day, and everyone's calves felt sore at the end of the day.

After returning to Daping Village, the yamen runner pointed at Zhao Cheng and asked Zhang Hulan: "Can they go to other villages alone to find food tomorrow?"

Zhang Hulan thought it should be okay. They were in the same county, and most of the things grown on the mountains were not much different.

Zhang Hulan said: "Let them try, it should be OK."

The bailiff nodded, "Okay, I'll report this to the county magistrate when I get back, and I'll arrange for them to go to their respective villages tomorrow."

Zhang Hulan asked, "Are there any officers following them?"

The yamen runner nodded: "Yes, otherwise the people in the villages might not believe them."

It would be fine as long as there were yamen runners following them. Zhang Hulan was mainly worried that something might happen to Shanzi.

After the yamen runners left, Zhang Hulan said to Zhao Cheng and the others, "Brother Zhao Cheng, when you go to each village tomorrow, mainly look for the things you already know. If there are any you don't know, bring them back to me in the evening. Don't let the villagers eat anything casually, or they will have problems if they eat them."

Zhao Cheng nodded, "I understand."

Zhang Hulan went on to say, "If you really can't find anything to eat, you can eat some leaves from the mountains. For example, the tender leaves of mulberry, elm, and locust trees are all edible. But it's best to ask the villagers to blanch the leaves in water before cooking them."

Finally, Zhang Hulan gave the Jerusalem artichokes and lotus roots she brought back to Zhao Cheng. Zhang Hulan brought back a little of each, and they might have these things here or in the mountains.

"Brother Zhao Cheng, when you go back, take these Jerusalem artichokes and lotus roots to the village head, and have everyone look for them on the mountain tomorrow."

Zhao Cheng nodded, "Okay, I'll tell my dad."

They wrote down Zhang Hulan's instructions one by one and then went home.

Erya and Sanya were sitting at the gate of the yard. When they saw Zhang Hulan, they immediately stood up and ran over.

"mother……"

Erya and Sanya ran up and hugged one of Zhang Hulan's legs. They looked up at Zhang Hulan with joy, "Mom, you're back..."

Zhang Hulan narrowed her eyes and smiled.

It's really nice to have your kids run up to you when you get home.

Daya ran out of the yard, and Zhang Hulan waved at her. Daya came forward, and Zhang Hulan hugged Daya as well. These three were all her little cotton-padded jackets.