Place the cleaned snails into a pot of cold water, add ginger slices and cooking wine, and blanch them.

After boiling the water, take out the snails and rinse them twice to make sure they are clean.

How did she make two flavors of stir-fried snails, one spicy and the other stir-fried with pickled bamboo shoots?

First, prepare the side dishes and spices for stir-frying snails. Cut the freshly boiled pickled bamboo shoots into thin strips and set them aside.

Next, prepare ginger, garlic, small red chilies, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and broad bean paste, along with the perilla leaves that haven't been picked yet.

It's like my wish came true.

"Stepmother, I'm back." Jiang Jingyi appeared in the kitchen, holding a handful of perilla leaves, his forehead covered in sweat.

"You ran back?" Jiang Hua took out a handkerchief and let him wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Yes, I was afraid you'd have to wait too long." Jiang Jingyi took the handkerchief Jiang Hua handed him and said, "Auntie and the others are walking slowly, they're behind."

Jiang Hua nodded, put the perilla leaves in a basin of water to wash them clean, and chopped them up.

Because she was worried that the pickled bamboo shoots would affect the flavor, Jiang Hua stir-fried the spicy version first.

Heat soybean oil in a wok, then add ginger, garlic, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and fermented bean paste and sauté until fragrant. Then add half of the blanched river snails.

After stir-frying, Jiang Hua poured in wine and half a bowl of water, covered the pot, and waited for the sauce to thicken over high heat. Then she added chopped perilla leaves and stir-fried them until fragrant. She added an appropriate amount of salt, stir-fried them evenly, and then took them out of the pot.

The method for making stir-fried snails with pickled bamboo shoots is similar: heat oil, add spices, ginger, garlic, small red chilies, and chopped perilla leaves, then pour in the previously chopped pickled bamboo shoots.

Then add an appropriate amount of salt, a spoonful of soy sauce and an appropriate amount of oyster sauce and stir-fry together. After the pickled bamboo shoots change color, add the snails and stir-fry. Finally, add a small bowl of water, cover the pot and simmer.

After the sauce has reduced over high heat, add an appropriate amount of chicken bouillon before serving.

While they were still sitting in the courtyard, Jiang Hua took out the chilled lemonade from her spatial storage. It was just the right amount, cool and refreshing.

He then divided up some of the stir-fried spicy river snails and stir-fried river snails with pickled bamboo shoots, storing them in his space and feeding the hungry little white snake there.

"Wash the dishes while you're at it," Jiang Hua left it with those words.

In the courtyard, Jiang Jingyi moved a small table and lit candles around it, so it wasn't completely dark; it was brightly lit.

Bowls and chopsticks were set on the table, and Jiang Hua brought out the stir-fried snails. When Aunt Liu saw this, she quickly came over to help.

"Huahua, what's this? It's rather cold." Aunt Liu asked, holding two bowls of lemon water.

"This is lemonade, we'll use it to quench our thirst later," Jiang Hua replied.

"Jiang Hua, this smells so good! We used to go to the river to collect sand to eat, and we got our mouths full of sand," Liu Tianming said.

"Eat as much as you like, there's plenty for tonight," Jianghu said casually.

Liu Tianming didn't stand on ceremony. He scooped a spoonful of spicy stir-fried snails into his bowl, put down his chopsticks, and used his hands instead.

Seeing this, the others also started slurping like him.

"Hiss—! So spicy!" Liu Tianming said, picking up the bowl of lemon water again and drinking it. The icy lemon water made him feel refreshed.

"Jiang Hua, how did you make this? It's so delicious."

"There's more in the kitchen after you finish this," Jiang Hua said. She had made an extra pot when she made it, but it didn't fit on the table, so she didn't take it out.

"Stepmother, it's delicious, and the drinks are great too." Jiang Jingyi slurped it down without stopping.

After finishing the stir-fried snails, the moon was already high in the sky. Aunt Liu helped wash the dishes and chopsticks before they went home together.

...

Early in the morning, after having breakfast, Jiang Hua headed to Shili Village. At the entrance of Shili Village, the villagers who had caught river crabs the day before were already waiting with wooden buckets.

They anxiously looked towards Xujia Village, and only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Jiang Hua's figure appear.

"Miss Jiang!" Village Chief Lu quickly went to greet her.

"Village Chief Lu." Jiang Hua looked at them as they each caught a bucket of river crabs.

"Village chief, do you have a scale? I didn't bring one," Jiang Hua asked.

"Yes, yes, I'll go back and get it for you right away!" Village Chief Lu said happily.

While the village chief went back to get the scales, Sun Nian also came over with a cart. A horse was pulling the cart, and a large bath tub was placed on it.

"Miss Jiang, I'm here." Sun Nian quickly got off the cart and walked towards Jiang Hua.

"They're all here. The village chief will bring the scales over in a bit," Jiang Hua said.

"The scale is here!" Village Chief Lu said. "Miss Jiang, let me show you the scale."

"Okay." Jiang Hua nodded and winked at Jiang Jingyi.

Jiang Jing nodded, took out his notebook and the charcoal pencil Jiang Hua had given him to make a record. Although he wasn't used to the charcoal pencil his stepmother had given him, he still wrote it down carefully, stroke by stroke.

Jiang Hua also took out a bag of copper coins that she had exchanged at Mingyue Tower yesterday. Jiang Jingyi registered one, and she handed the copper coins to them while calculating.

Sun Nian then poured the river crabs from the wooden bucket into the large bath tub.

Half an hour later, everything was collected. Jiang Hua took the notebook that Jiang Jingyi had registered and tallied it up; it totaled 156 jin.

"Miss Jiang, will you still accept money tomorrow?" Village Chief Lu was naturally happy to see that the villagers had all received their money, so he quickly stepped forward and asked.

"Miss Jiang, our manager said we'll collect the money every three days, and we'll collect the same amount next time." Sun Nian told Jiang Hua what his manager meant, and then left.

"We'll collect again in three days, and we'll have about the same amount of goods as today," Jiang Hua said to Village Chief Lu.

The villagers present heard it themselves. Although they were a little disappointed, they were satisfied when they thought that it was so easy to earn money without having to do hard labor.

“Okay, Miss Jiang.” Village Chief Lu nodded.

After the villagers had gradually dispersed, Jiang Hua looked at Village Chief Lu and asked:

"Village chief, are you selling any land in your village?"

"What?" Village Chief Lu didn't react at first, thinking he had misheard, but when he saw Jiang Hua looking at him with a smile, he realized that she was serious.

"Miss Jiang, aren't you from Xujia Village?" Village Chief Lu asked, puzzled.

Isn't Xujia Village developing better than their Shili Village? Moreover, the village has produced a student who has passed the imperial examination. If he achieves official rank in the future, the whole village might benefit.

"Besides, doesn't Xujia Village also have land?"

"I just thought Shili Village had good feng shui, which would bring me good fortune!" Jiang Hua said casually.

Upon hearing this, Village Chief Lu was stunned by what Jiang Hua said.

Who said Shili Village has good feng shui?

"Does Miss Jiang want to buy one acre or two acres of land?" Village Chief Lu asked.

“Five acres of land, enough to build a house,” Jiang Hua said calmly.

"Cough! How much?" Village Chief Lu almost choked on his own saliva.

"Stepmother!" Jiang Jingyi was also shocked, and even Honghua, who was standing to the side, was frightened.