Upon hearing this, he simply and decisively waved his hand.

"Hurry up and go, take whatever you like!"

Cheng Chao chuckled.

"You said it, don't regret it!"

With his long legs, he leaped over the stove in a few strides and lifted the cellar lid.

A moment later, he came up carrying a basket. I peeked inside briefly; it contained two watermelons and two gourds. I couldn't help but look at him.

"That's all?"

They were both joking, but Jian Dan didn't hold back at all.

Cheng Chao knew in his heart that this was quite a lot. Watermelons were rare to begin with, let alone in the middle of winter. What he was curious about was the hanging melon, which he didn't recognize.

It is dark green, about the length of his forearm, with a slightly bulging belly at the bottom. It is a bit thick, and it gets thinner towards the base, with the middle part mostly curved, similar to the shape of a banana.

At a glance, it's clear that these gourd seeds came from Wang Guihua. Wang Guihua said that not many people grow this stuff around here. Mainly, most families with space grow winter squash, which can not only be eaten as a vegetable but also be very filling and can replace a staple food.

But not with hanging melons.

The texture of the squash is mealy, while the texture of the hanging melon is soft and sweet. Moreover, it is said that it gets sweeter in winter.

However, there's one thing: it's not as filling as a squash.

However, it tastes great when used in cooking, soups, or porridge.

Given the same planting method, experienced villagers would naturally choose the food that fills their stomachs.

Wang Guihua herself said that no one in the village grows them, and even she herself hasn't grown them for several years. It's upsetting to see them like this. Last time, she gave all her precious seeds to Jian Dan.

The simple backyard was filled with plants, with almost no space wasted. The hanging gourds, like the zucchini and horned gourds, were planted around the wall, with five or six vines that produced about twenty gourds, which are now displayed in the cellar.

With such basic cooking skills, she was indeed hesitant to use large quantities of ingredients she wasn't familiar with.

Of course, the main reason is laziness; I simply don't want to do anything.

Before, it was just one person's food, so it was easy to get by. Sometimes I would just take what was already prepared, and sometimes I would cook a simple home-style dish.

After the young lady arrived, Jian Dan finally had something to do. She started cooking on time, preparing a variety of dishes. This little gourd really didn't get a chance to be served.

Seeing his curious expression, I briefly considered what Wang Guihua had said and honestly relayed it.

"This is called a hanging gourd. It can be put in porridge, sliced ​​and used to make soup, or added when stewing green beans and potatoes. It is said to be a little sweet and quite delicious."

"You've never eaten it? You dare to grow it if you haven't eaten it?"

This thing is probably not very common; in any case, Miss Jian never knew about it or recognized it in her lifetime.

"The village chief's aunt gave it to me. Don't worry, it's not poisonous. If it weren't so filling, they would have planted it."

"That's true,"

Cheng Chao was well aware of the situation in recent years and understood it immediately. In these times, no one was at ease, especially since no one had any grain reserves. Farmers certainly hoped to grow things that could fill their stomachs, since having enough to eat was the most important thing.

Not to mention the farmers, it's the same for the troops stationed there.

Thinking about it, Cheng Chao sighed. Not to mention others, even his brothers were starving. He didn't know if the land reclamation and pig raising they had talked about would work.

Cheng Chao rarely appeared so downcast, which surprised Jian Dan.

"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

Aside from the confidential parts, Cheng Chao had nothing he couldn't say.

"When will everyone be able to have enough to eat?"

The topic suddenly became profound. I paused for a moment, and according to the normal historical trajectory, it was around the 1980s that the whole country basically achieved food and clothing security.

So, it's still more than ten years, almost twenty years.

Looking at Cheng Chao's expression, I decided against it and decided not to discourage him.

"Hey, over here, I eat the best. My salary is higher than the brothers', and I get a bonus when I go on missions. Plus, I come here from time to time so I can treat myself to something nice."

Do you know what the brothers are eating? Cornmeal buns with a bland cabbage soup. That's it, but the brothers are all eating happily.

Simply lower your gaze.

"So, last time you were willing to pay for it yourself to bring the wild boar back and give it to them as an extra meal?"

Through the window, Cheng Chao stared intently at the puppies playing in the yard.

"No matter how you look at it, I'm better off than them."

"But there should be plenty of wild boars on that mountain, why don't you go hunt them? Do you have any regulations prohibiting hunting?"

Cheng Chao shook his head, his smile bitter.

"Where? You don't know, we are the garrison. We are not only stationed here, but also have more important personnel here to train troops on the border."

There's a border corps over there. Veterans are sent there for a second round of training. Only those who pass can go out and carry out missions. The main problem is the climate there. Some people are fine here, but they can't adapt to it.

These are all new recruits who have only been in the army for a few months. They've just started basic training, and some are from the south, still adjusting to the climate here. We can't exactly take them out to hunt wild boars; that would be too much trouble."

This is something I really didn't expect.

Is it particularly cold over at the border?

"Yes, every winter people get frostbite, and almost everyone has been frostbitten at some point, with chronic chilblains on their hands and feet."

Winter is long, about eight months, and then it almost directly transitions into summer, which lasts only four months.

Um?

"Can't farm year-round?"

"Not really. We did clear some land and planted some potatoes and sweet potatoes. Only those two are growing well. Other vegetables just won't grow. Even the most common Chinese cabbage here is wilted over there. We can't even supply enough cabbage all year round."

I went there once during the summer. The damage was terrible. My face and hands were covered in cuts. In the middle of summer, some of the guys had frostbite on their hands and feet from winter, and it was so itchy.

The food here is worse than here. Here, in good years there's no shortage of vegetables; at most, it's just a little less oily. Over there…”

Cheng Chao shook his head, unable to continue.

"Why!

"I saw you made some really good bok choy last time. I told them to try it out when I got back. It doesn't have to be much, just enough to add a dish for the guys, something new to try. It's the dead of winter, and you can't see anything green."

Suddenly, Jian Dan realized that Cheng Chao was not the dignified young master she had imagined. He was so down-to-earth and thoughtful enough to consider the detail of providing extra food for the soldiers.

Actually, they're quite cute.

"That's one way, but with so many of you, it's almost like each person would have to try a bite, so the demand is quite high."

"Shouldn't we find another way to supply such a large quantity?"