After a night's sleep, her mind finally cleared. Ye Nuan woke up and found her mother still sleeping, constantly moving in the quilt. Her brother, with his eyes wide open, poked his head out and scratched here and there, obviously unable to sleep.
Ye Nuan put on her clothes, carried him to her bed, and dressed him as quietly as possible. After the two of them left, they squatted in the yard to rinse their mouths and wash their faces. The wind was strong in the yard, and their wet faces were blown cold.
After taking care of herself and Xiaohu, she started to light a fire and cook porridge. When the porridge was almost done, she picked up her clothes and went to the pond to wash them. The women in the village, now familiar with her, began to greet her warmly. There was an empty stone by the pond, and Ye Nuan carried the wooden basin over and asked her brother to squat obediently on the other side.
Ye Xiaohu couldn't sit still and began tugging at his clothes and pounding them. He giggled as the water splashed on his face. Ye Nuan followed suit and began washing clothes on her own. Before she'd washed two pieces, a woman nearby started teasing, "Ye girl, I heard you hired someone to plow the land yesterday to plant wheat and rapeseed?"
"Um."
Seeing Ye Nuan agree, the woman became even more excited and said in a pinched voice, "If you ask me, you'd better not bother. Many people who planted them before have all died. It's not easy for a little girl to pick up some stones. Don't waste them, okay, Aunt Wu?"
Aunt Wu was more direct: "That's right, don't think that just because you can grow two vegetables you can grow anything. If you don't listen to the advice of the elderly, you will cry one day."
The women by the pond chattered, most of them trying to persuade her to plant something else. Everyone laughed, but Ye Nuan wasn't angry. She simply said, "Does anyone have a pestle and mortar? Could you lend them to me once I grow the wheat?"
Aunt Wu laughed heartily, her words filled with undisguised contempt: "I have them at home. If you can grow them, I'll not only lend you the pestle and mortar, I'll even give you the pestle myself!"
"Okay!" Ye Nuan wrung out the last piece of clothing and felt very relieved.
Very good. Not only did I borrow the pestle and mortar, but I also got a free laborer.
After Ye Nuan dragged Ye Xiaohu away, the woman by the pond muttered, "Do you think she can grow rapeseed and wheat?"
The other woman, who had just been laughing, suddenly said, "It's hard to say. She even dug a well. You've all seen the dishes she makes, they change every day. I heard she even feeds the Jiang family's chickens."
Aunt Wu's eyes rolled around, and she began to feel genuinely worried. Then she yelled at the top of her lungs, "What are you thinking? Do you really think her family has a dragon vein and can grow anything? Just wait and see, she's bound to die."
When Ye Nuan was about to arrive home, she happened to see Li standing at the door. Out of courtesy, she greeted her, but Li pulled her aside and asked quietly, "Ye girl, Dazhu said you're planting wheat and rapeseed? I heard people say they won't survive. Don't waste food!"
Feng Dazhu was sawing wood in the yard, probably making a table for her family. He heard his mother whispering to Ye Nuan, and fearing she was trying to force a match, he quickly called for Li to help.
If she hadn't cared before, Ye Nuan would have wanted to laugh now. Why were all these people trying to stir up trouble? They were so pessimistic about her. She wondered what their expressions would be when they saw the rapeseed and wheat ripen.
When she returned, her mother had already had breakfast and asked casually, "A Nuan, didn't you say you were going to pick rapeseed seedlings today?" I'll go with you later.
Su came over to hang out the clothes. Ye Nuan suddenly became curious about her mother's thoughts and asked, "Mom, do you think it's possible to grow vegetables?"
Su looked at her, puzzled, "Aren't you planting because you're confident you can grow it?" She thought for a moment, then suddenly cursed, "You silly girl, don't tease me. I don't like wasted work."
Ye Nuan's lips curled up, and her heart was warm. Her mother was the best. She trusted her unconditionally at all times.
"I'm not kidding you. Don't worry, there will be a harvest."
After hearing her daughter say this, Su finally felt relieved. After drying the clothes, the three of them carried baskets and knives and went to the back of the house. When they got there, they were a little dumbfounded. The rapeseed seedlings had grown to the height of her calves. How could they be eaten? Her mother was still asking, "Anuan, where do you pick them?"
"No, mother, it's too old to eat."
"Ah? How can you look old at such a young age?" Mrs. Su didn't quite understand. She looked at her daughter and then at the dishes.
Ye Nuan explained, "Rapeseed seedlings are most delicious when they are tender." She walked around the wheat field and found traces of wild animals passing by. In the northeast corner, a large area of leaves were trampled down and eaten.
She was so heartbroken that she wondered whether she should cut some bamboo to enclose the land.
But the place is so big that it would be exhausting for one person to walk around it.
She only thought about it, and the three of them returned empty-handed. Her mother began weeding the vegetable garden, while she sharpened the bamboo she'd gathered the previous day to make a fence. After a busy morning, the fence was finally finished. She let the chickens out of the utility room and discovered that these ten chickens were no longer chicks. Each one weighed two or three pounds, and the genders were clearly visible.
Four hens and six roosters.
Ye Nuan could imagine being driven to death by the crowing of six roosters every morning. When autumn came, she would ask if anyone could castrate all the roosters, leaving only one for breeding.
"That's easy. My eldest brother can do it."
Ye Nuan was surprised. "Your elder brother, Jin Bao?"
"Well, my chickens were castrated by my eldest brother, and so were Hu Ya's chickens. It's just that he's lazy. I'll go call him now."
The real person never reveals his face!
Jin Qiu ran away and went home to pull Jin Bao, who was still fast asleep. Ever since the last time, Jin Bao had always felt sorry for Ye Nuan, and this time he was very excited to show off his skills. After he set up his tools, he realized that catching chickens was a very technical job.
Four people chased six chickens all over the yard, accidentally stepping on some green onions. Jin Bao was panting and shaking as he grabbed a twisted chicken. "Ye Nuan, what did your chickens eat to grow up so fast? They're almost able to fly."
Ye Nuan pointed casually: "Hey, eat the leaves!"
Jin Bao looked at the lush green leaves and shook his head: "You are the only one with so many vegetables. It's a waste to feed the chickens with such good vegetables!"
Ye Nuan asked curiously, "What do your chickens eat?"
"Mostly I eat the grass around me and find bugs for myself."
There are so many grasses and insects in the wasteland. No wonder the chickens in the village are so skinny!
Jin Bao raised his knife and slashed, the rooster cackling and flapping its wings in his grasp, trying to escape. Ye Nuan couldn't help but take two steps back. Jin Qiu didn't notice anything. As she watched her brother castrate the rooster, she said to Ye Nuan, "Sister Nuan, the well water in the village is much better than before. It's sweet and refreshing. Ever since my family started using this water to water our vegetables, they've all grown green. Before, the garlic would often wither halfway through planting, but now it doesn't. Hu Ya's leeks are also growing well. We can grow a lot of vegetables in the village, but not as much as yours, and not as fast as yours."
"My dad said that people used to go and collect rocks every ten days, but now they're lucky if they can go once a month."
Ye Nuan recalled the village chief's words. The villagers' ability to grow vegetables had indeed had a significant impact on him. But the Jin family could also grow vegetables and farmland themselves, and with their years of savings, they would still be the wealthiest family in the village. They couldn't deny the villagers a comfortable life just because their income was low.
Ye Nuan said, "It's so dangerous to pick up stones. Isn't it great that we can grow vegetables in the village now?"
Jin Qiu pouted and said, "I think it's good too, but there's also rice, flour, and oil. I can't grow them. These are only available in the Creation Pavilion."
Ye Nuan disagreed: "There is nothing that cannot be planted."
"Really? Some people have planted wheat, rice, rapeseed, and other crops before, but they all died before they could grow."
Thinking of today's rumors, she asked again: "Sister An Nuan, does your family also grow wheat and rapeseed?"
Ye Nuan thought she was trying to persuade him, and quickly asked, "You don't believe I can survive?"
"No, Sister An Nuan is so amazing. She can grow anything. She was able to save my ewes and lambs. I'm sure she can grow wheat and rapeseed as well." Her almond eyes were sparkling with admiration, and she looked like a complete fangirl.
Ye Nuan finally felt better and said with a smile, "After your brother castrates the chickens, you can go to the back of the house and take a look."
After Jinbao castrated the chicken, Ye Nuan took them to the back of the house. Lush green wheat and rapeseed swayed in the wind. Jinqiu was stunned, rolling her eyes at Ye Nuan, "Sister Nuan, did you really manage to grow the crops?"
"Yeah, but it seems like there are some small animals stealing food. Jinbao, can you call some people to help fence off the land? We can give some to them after we harvest the rapeseed and wheat."
Jin Bao also saw the gnawed rapeseed in the northeast corner. After checking the footprints, he said, "They're probably some porcupines, hedgehogs, or something like that. No need to surround them. Many hunters in the village are worried about food for the winter. They'd be happy to have them guarding the area."
Jin Bao asked again, puzzled, "Didn't I hear someone was plowing the land the day before yesterday? It's not just these two acres, is it?" He opened his eyes wide, a look of disbelief on his face: "How, how could it be so high?"
Ye Nuan said mysteriously, "My mother said there might be a dragon vein under our yard!"
Jinbao and Jinqiu looked at each other and actually believed it.
After noon, rumors began to spread throughout the village that the Ye family was a noble family, undoubtedly related to the royal family, and that they had brought with them a dragon vein. The wheat and rapeseed plants, planted only yesterday, were already growing as tall as their legs. Some believed this rumor without a doubt, while others, like Village Chief Jin and Li Gan, scorned it.
If the Ye family were a noble, they would be exiled to this hellish place.
Since no one asked her in person, Ye Nuan pretended not to know and continued to grow her own vegetables.
Aunt Wu, on the other hand, was apprehensive, dreading the prospect of having to pound wheat for Ye Nuan's family. Anxious, she followed the hunter every day to inspect the two plots of land, growing increasingly anxious the more she looked.
The Ye family's wheat and rapeseed must have become spirits, changing every day, growing faster than a child. And those hunters kept spreading the news. Aunt Wu, worried about something, suddenly fell ill.
Tomatoes began to bear fruit, and grapes and watermelons began to climb. Ye Nuan built a grape trellis along the wall and wrapped the vines around it. Looking at the lush green garden, she felt increasingly satisfied. After absorbing a wave of energy, she waited until nightfall and was surprised to find that the dragon fruit in the space had ripened.
There were more than twenty fruits hanging on the three trees, which made her very happy.
She picked all the dragon fruits and stored them in the space. The cold female voice of the machine kept echoing in her mind: "Congratulations to the host, you have obtained 23 dragon fruits, 23% of the energy, and 67% can be upgraded. Come on, host, plant the saplings today and you can harvest them tomorrow!"
While feeling pleasantly surprised, Ye Nuan was thinking: At first, she only thought about making the dragon fruit grow faster, but she didn't consider how to take it out without making it look awkward and arousing her mother's suspicion.
She took out a dragon fruit, held it in her arms and sniffed it, then thought, why not just say goodbye to her mother Lingquan's existence, so as to avoid having to hide it every time. As she tossed and turned, the bed creaked. In the darkness, Su suddenly said, "Ah Nuan, what's wrong with you?"
Ye Nuan was startled and quickly stuffed the dragon fruit back into the space.
Su waited for a moment but her daughter didn't answer, so she asked again, "Tomorrow seems to be the fifteenth day. Are you thinking about City Lord Qi?"
Ye Nuan's eyes lit up. That's right! Tomorrow, when she went to get the medicine, she could tell her mother that Qi Wuze had given her the dragon fruit. She didn't want to lie, but the timing wasn't right. She would definitely find a chance to tell her mother later.
"Well, last time I forgot to ask City Lord Qi when he would come to pick up the food."
Hearing her say this, Su became alert: Could it be that her daughter has fallen for City Lord Qi?
Although City Lord Qi was a tough, handsome man with good character, she didn't know if he had any feelings for her daughter. She was happy that her daughter liked someone else, but she didn't want her to be so one-sided.
It’s enough to experience this kind of suffering once!
"A Nuan, what do you think of Master Qi Cheng?"
The tone was too familiar, and Ye Nuan became alert: "Very good, he has saved me many times. Don't worry, mother, I am just grateful to him, I don't have any other thoughts."
In the darkness, Su was silent for a while and then said, "I'm not asking you to have no ideas. You can't just think that you will lose faith in other men because of that scumbag. I just want to know what he thinks of you..." She paused, made two "Pooh" sounds, and said angrily, "Forget it, let things take their course. You can't tell anything from the surface. Go to sleep and don't think about it!" After that, she fell asleep without caring about Ye Nuan.
Hiding in her bed, Ye Nuan couldn't understand her mother. She was beautiful and alone, so why was she always trying to find a husband for her? In modern times, she was rich and beautiful, and had many men around, so she had never considered this question.
One person can live a very refined life, but two people still have to do laundry and cooking for each other, which is troublesome!
She fell asleep while thinking. The next morning, she woke up early and ran to the village entrance to check several times but didn't see him. She couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that he had forgotten?
Seeing that she was absent-minded, Su came up and gave her a slap.
She covered her forehead and cried out in pain. Su glared at her, "Didn't you say you wanted to make cakes? Jinqiu has been waiting for a long time with beans and lard, why are you just standing there in a daze?"
She looked towards the kitchen and saw Jinqiu and her brother looking at her eagerly.
"Have the beans been soaked?" Ye Nuan asked as they walked.
Jin Qiu nodded: "I have soaked it."
Ye Nuan took the soaked red beans from her hand, washed them again, and put them into the casserole to simmer. To make red bean pastry, you need to make the dough first. You add a certain amount of sugar and salt to the flour, then add some cooking oil and a certain amount of water and slowly start kneading.
Her hands were quick and deft, and she quickly kneaded the dough into a smooth and delicate texture. After kneading it into a ball, she placed it on the chopping board to rise, and then began to make the pastry.
Jin Qiu asked curiously, "Sister An Nuan, why do you knead the dough twice?" Her mother always kneaded the dough thoroughly before making buns.
Ye Nuan explained, "I'm making red bean pastry. It requires a dough with oily skin and pastry. After wrapping and overlapping, kneading and baking, it creates a crispy and layered texture."
Jinqiu didn't quite understand, but she knew it must be delicious.
After kneading the pastry, place it on a cutting board to rise. Once the red beans in the casserole are soft, remove the casserole with a damp cloth. Then, scoop all the red beans into a dish and mash them into a paste. Once the dough has risen enough, pinch the pastry into small balls and wrap them in dough.
After kneading it into a ball, Ye Nuan pulled with one hand and rolled it with the other, rolling it into a long strip, then rolled it up from top to bottom to let it rise. After a while, she took out the risen dough and rolled it out again, rolling it into a long strip and rolling it up again. The process was very cumbersome. Jin Qiu and Ye Xiaohu were getting a little impatient waiting, looking at it but not daring to ask.
Ye Nuan was now completely immersed in the preparation of delicious food. While the red bean paste was rising, she rolled it into small balls. After the red bean balls were rolled, the skins were also risen.
Next was to flatten the dough and wrap it with red bean paste. This time, Ye Nuan asked Jin Qiu and Xiao Hu to help, and they were both excited and careful, imitating her technique by rubbing it back and forth. Jin Qiu did okay, but Xiao Hu was small and couldn't get it round no matter how hard he rubbed it, so Ye Nuan finally helped him.
There was no oven at the time, so she could only light the stove and wait until it reached a certain temperature before extinguishing the flame. She placed the pastries on a large plate, brushed a layer of egg wash on them, sprinkled black sesame seeds on them, and put them on the stove to bake.
The three of them squatted in front of the stove and kept an eye on the changes in the pastries.
Ye Nuan had excellent eyesight. Against the backdrop of the stove fire, the oil on the surface of the dumplings trembled slightly, the crust beginning to crisp. The egg liquid flowed down with the oil, only to solidify halfway. The small ball shimmered with oil, and as time passed, a sweet aroma mixed with the fragrance of sesame spread throughout the kitchen.
Ye Xiaohu sniffed so much that he almost put his head towards the stove. Ye Nuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she pulled him back and pressed him into her arms: "Wait a little longer, it will be done soon."
When the surface of the red bean pastry was completely smooth and golden, she smiled and said, "Okay, you two, make way and I'll take it out."
The red bean cakes were still a little hot, but the two children couldn't wait any longer. At Ye Nuan's instruction, each of them took one.
The surface of the red bean pastry is golden and bright. When you take a bite, you will find it is full of red beans and the skin is so crispy that it crumbles.
So fragrant!
Ye Nuan quickly said, "Catch it with your hands!"
The two of them immediately reached out to catch the fallen crumbs, followed by another big mouthful. The rich red bean aroma slowly brewed and melted on the tip of the tongue. The red bean paste was clear but not greasy, sweet and soft, and the crust was crispy with distinct layers.
Ye Xiaohu ate until his face and hands were all covered with food, and he kept licking the corners of his lips with the tip of his tongue. "Sister, it's delicious, even better than popcorn!"
Jin Qiu filled her mouth with food and said proudly, "No, popcorn is delicious too, all of this is delicious! Sister A Nuan, you are so awesome!" She must have had a problem with her brain to have such a stern face towards Sister A Nuan. She must have stuck to her as soon as she entered the village. She felt bad when she thought that she might have missed a lot of delicious food.
I must follow Sister Nuan closely in the future!
Su smelled the fragrance and put down the work in his hands and walked in. Seeing Ye Xiaohu's face full of residue and still licking his hands, he immediately laughed and said, "Xiaohu, is it so delicious that you even lick your fingers."
"Mom, it's delicious." Ye Xiaohu took another one and gave it to his mother.
Su took it and took a gentle bite. A delightful crunch, a delicious crunch, a salty, slightly sweet, not greasy, yet fragrant. She'd tried every reputable pastry shop in Kyoto, but the texture of this pastry was unprecedented. It was even better than the pineapple cakes with a spiced aroma.
"A Nuan, what kind of pastry is this? It's so delicious!" She used to be very picky, and although she is not so picky now, she can still tell the good from the bad by taste.
Ye Nuan said, "Red bean pastry, if you like it, I'll make it for you often."
She liked it very much, but such a delicate thing must be very time-consuming and wasteful.
"Forget it. We don't have much flour at home." Today's red beans and lard were brought by Jinqiu.
Jin Qiu immediately said: "I have a lot at home, Sister Nuan can help me make it, so Aunt Su will have something to eat."
Su said: "Then I can't ask you to bring things every time."
Ye Nuan interrupted, "Okay, okay, stop arguing. Mom, we grow wheat and rapeseed at home, so there's nothing to be afraid of. Life will get better and better in the future, and we'll be able to cook more delicious food, right, Xiaohu?"
"Yes, sister is right!" Ye Xiaohu was possessed by a little flatterer.
Su chuckled and agreed, "A Nuan is right."
Suddenly, a hawk's cry was heard outside the door. Ye Nuan handed the red bean cake to her mother and ran outside to see. Sure enough, she saw a hunting falcon perched on the fence. The other three followed her out, but only Jin Qiu was a little surprised.
"Mom, people from Luomu City are here. I'm sending something over."
"Well, go quickly." Su thought for a moment and said, "Send two red bean cakes over. City Lord Qi is our family's savior, so give him some of the good things."
"Okay." Ye Nuan chopped a dozen vegetables and picked a handful of beans, a bunch of leeks, and a handful of garlic sprouts. She took the two red bean cakes wrapped by Su and followed the falcon to the village entrance.
Some villagers saw her carrying a basket and walking towards the village entrance, and they looked over curiously. On the stone bridge at the village entrance, Gao Zangfeng and his team were sitting in the shade of a tree. When he saw her coming, he immediately stood up and shouted, "You're finally here. You've been hunting falcons twice."
Twice? Was that so? Could it be that she was so engrossed in making red bean pastries that she didn't hear the falcon's cry?
Gao Zangfeng didn't say anything more. He took off the cloth bag he was carrying and said, "There are jewels and thirty bottles of wound medicine in it. When you have prepared it, we can come and get it."
Ye Nuan couldn't say that she could match it right away, as that would easily arouse suspicion.
"If you don't need it urgently, come back on the first day of the new year. If you need it urgently, you can come back on the fifth day."
Gao Zangfeng nodded: "Okay, let's go back."
"Hey, wait a minute." Ye Nuan handed over the basket in her hand. "These are the vegetables I grew myself. Gao Shoucheng can take them back to the city lord to taste."
Gao Zangfeng looked at the lush green vegetables in the basket, his brows furrowed tightly. "It's over! This woman has really taken a fancy to their city lord. Others send letters and handkerchiefs, but she sends vegetables. And she does it so blatantly. She's really shameless."
He didn't answer for a long time, so Ye Nuan called out again. Seeing his strange expression, she quickly added, "Don't misunderstand, Gao Shoucheng. You've come all this way here for a reason. You don't want others to know you're here to deliver medicine. From now on, just say you're buying groceries from me."
Gao Zangfeng suddenly realized and wanted to praise her, but he couldn't think of any good words no matter how hard he tried. It was so frustrating! After laughing twice, he said, "Not bad, you're very attentive!" He reached out to take the dish, but Ye Nuan refused to let go. He immediately said angrily, "Aren't you supposed to give me the dish? Give it to me or not!"
This woman is so weird, she keeps holding on and won't let go.
Of course, the vegetables must be given, but the baskets must not be given.
Ye Nuan said embarrassedly: "We only have one basket at home."
Gao Zangfeng: “........”So what?
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