Ono watched his mother lovingly prepare the tofu, marveling at it. Even though he had seen his sister make it once before, he was still amazed. It was like magic; he couldn't reconcile the crystal-clear, tempting green Guanyin tofu with the bowl of green water.
"That's amazing! How can my sister be so amazing?"
Ono's eyes sparkled as she watched, and Xiao Nuan'er chimed in, "Sister is really amazing."
Wang Fengqin was amused by the two little ones, but in her heart she agreed with what they said; her Mianmian was indeed very capable.
Jiang Yimian smiled as she heard the praise.
She used to hear the same things most often during her training in the organization: not enough, too weak. She had gotten used to it. But here, she could hear praise from her family all the time. Even if it was just something trivial, it warmed her heart.
The heart, which was originally riddled with holes and beating slowly, seemed to be healing little by little and turning back into that bright red, pulsating heart.
*
That evening, Jiang Yimian specially steamed rice, enjoying her first meal in half a month.
The aroma of the rice filled her mouth, evoking a sense of longing.
Rice is definitely the best.
In addition, they also stewed a pot of potatoes and beef, made a cold dish of shepherd's purse, and served a plate of savory Guanyin tofu, which made the group feel extremely full.
Since there were quite a few dishes, Jiang Yimian didn't make chicken legs, only telling the two little ones that she would make them another day.
After finishing the last mouthful of rice in his bowl, Ono's cheeks bulged out. He swallowed with great difficulty and said with a joyful expression, "It smells so good! I haven't eaten rice in years. And this meat is so delicious. It doesn't even taste like pork."
Since their father disappeared, they haven't eaten rice at home. Every day they eat either watery porridge or various kinds of wild vegetable paste.
You can't eat too much, or your grandparents will scold you.
He felt that he was living a better life now than before, that he could eat his fill at every meal, and that he could eat things he had never seen before.
Jiang Yimian simply reached out and rubbed his little head, smiling as she said, "From now on, I'll make sure you eat rice at every meal."
Ono nodded happily, no longer saddened by the past, and asked about the beef, "Sister, what kind of meat is this? It smells so good."
Although he hadn't eaten much meat before, he had seen others eat it, especially his cousin from the second branch of the family. He had watched the cousin eat meat many times, and it was always pork. Although it was also very delicious, he felt that it didn't taste as good as the meat he was eating this time, and it didn't look quite right either.
Wang Fengqin also looked at Jiang Yimian with a puzzled expression.
She had eaten pork before, but this meat didn't taste like pork at all; it was fresh, fragrant, and delicious.
Jiang Yimian would never say that this was beef. After all, in everyone's eyes, cattle were for plowing the land and were family property. No one had ever thought of eating them, let alone would eat them.
She just shook her head and said, "I don't know, I found it in that basket."
Seeing that she didn't know either, the group didn't ask any further questions.
After dinner, I quickly washed up and went straight to bed.
Because the cave was secluded, Jiang Yimian had deliberately blocked the entrance and sprinkled insect repellent powder around it. Feeling much more at ease, unlike before when she was constantly worried about any danger, she slept very soundly.
When she woke up, the sun was already high in the sky, and Xiao Nuan'er and Xiao Ye were feeding the rabbits.
Wang Fengqin was cutting fabric.
She mentioned that she would make clothes for several people after finding fabric in the cave yesterday. The measurements have been taken and the fabric will be cut before we start making them.
Upon seeing Jiang Yimian wake up, Wang Fengqin quickly put down the fabric she was holding and invited her to eat.
The porridge was still simmering on the fire, with oil, salt, some chopped wild vegetables, and pork added, making it especially fragrant.
After a quick breakfast, Jiang Yimian led Wang Fengqin and the others through the path to the Peach Blossom Spring.
The group initially didn't believe Jiang Yimian's words, but after passing through the narrow path and seeing the scene before them, they were astonished and their eyes widened.
They were in a depression surrounded by high hills and cliffs, making it impossible to see what was above them. Countless tree branches on the hillsides and cliffs blocked their view.
Before them lay a lush forest, the sun filtering through the leaves and casting dappled light on each fallen leaf.
Besides the chirping of birds, you can also occasionally hear the gurgling of spring water.
Wang Fengqin was already excited, but when she heard that the land could be used to grow crops, she became even more excited. "Great, great! If we can grow crops, we won't have to worry about starving to death."
This place is also secluded, so they won't be easily discovered. They can definitely survive by hiding here safely.
Xiao Ye and Xiao Nuan were also very happy. As soon as they came out, they ran and jumped around in the forest chasing butterflies.
Jiang Yimian looked at the two children and said with a smile, "Mother, I've been busy these past few days cutting down these trees. This will not only make room to plant some things, but also allow me to build a few houses."
Although there is a cave, it is too cold and dark inside, and it would be bad for her health to stay there indefinitely. Moreover, she was not sure if it would leak when it rained.
It would be most comfortable to live in a few rooms.
Wang Fengqin nodded quickly and said with a smile, "Okay, Mother is feeling much better now and can help you. It's okay if we work a little slower, no need to rush."
She had been watching her daughter busy with all sorts of things these past few days, and it pained her to see her like this. But unfortunately, her health wasn't cooperating, and she didn't have the energy to help.
Fortunately, he's gotten much better these past few days and is able to help with chores.
Jiang Yimian merely curved her lips into a smile, longing for a self-sufficient and leisurely life in the future, feeling only comfort.
*
For several days in a row, Jiang Yimian and Wang Fengqin cut down trees and cut grass in the small depression. The two were exhausted and felt helpless as they saw that they had only cleared a small piece of land.
Seeing her daughter's worried face, Wang Fengqin wiped her sweat and said with a smile, "Don't worry, we'll take it slowly. The cave is fine except for being a bit dark. Staying there won't be any problem."
What she said was true; the cave was indeed very nice, and it wouldn't be a problem not to build a house. You can't ruin your health by building a house.
Jiang Yimian smiled helplessly. She wasn't in a hurry to build the house, nor was she tired. After all, her previous training was hundreds of times more tiring than this. It was just that Wang Fengqin was around, so she couldn't show her strength for fear of scaring people.
Now that she has recovered most of her health, she is also intentionally training. Although she is not as good as before, she is still beyond the reach of ordinary people.
However, the other person's words reminded her that building a house was not the most important thing at the moment.
She had already cleared the land she had found next to the ditch last time. All she needed to do was loosen the soil and add some water before she could sow the rice seeds.
Now is the time for sowing, and if they miss the season, they won't be able to grow rice this year.
No, she has to find a way and see if she can still find that piece of land.
If she couldn't find it, she could only hurry up and cut down the trees in the small depression to clear a piece of land for planting rice.
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