"Stepmother, your egg pancakes are delicious!" Jiang Jingyi praised as he ate heartily.
"Eat slowly, and no one's going to take it from you." Jiang Hua watched him wolf down his food, thinking that this child seemed like he had never eaten before.
"Doesn't your dad cook for you?"
“Stepmother, my father’s cooking isn’t as good as yours. This bag of flour was bought before the New Year,” Jiang Jingyi said, taking another bite of the egg pancake.
"Then you should eat more."
Jiang Hua was still not used to Jiang Jingyi calling her "stepmother" repeatedly; it felt strange, considering this body was only fifteen years old.
However, this is not unusual in this era. According to the original owner's memories, there were several families in this village where people her age were also stepmothers.
After the little one had eaten and drunk his fill, Jiang Hua cleaned up the dishes, and the two of them sat in the yard staring at each other.
Jiang Hua took a deep breath and decided to go to the outskirts of Black Wind Mountain to collect some herbs to dry and then sell in town.
"Stepmother, where are you going?"
Seeing her suddenly stand up, Jiang Jingyi immediately asked anxiously, his face showing concern that Jiang Hua had run away.
Father let him stay at home with his stepmother!
"I'm going to Black Wind Mountain to pick some herbs, which I'll then sell in town," Jiang Hua explained.
After hearing this, Jiang Jingyi brought out a bamboo basket from the kitchen that reached his chest: "Stepmother, this is our carrying basket."
"Let's go then." Jiang Hua slung her basket over her shoulder, took his hand, and led him out the door.
At this hour, there were few people around Black Wind Mountain. Most villagers would come for a stroll in the morning, pick some wild vegetables, and then go home.
"Stepmother, which one is the herb? Can you tell me? I also want to earn money for the family," Jiang Jingyi asked, tugging at Jiang Hua's sleeve.
"All the money in the family has been used to marry off my stepmother, and Father has no money left."
“Okay.” Jiang Hua took out a medicinal herb from her basket and gave it to Jiang Jingyi, telling him to pick it based on this.
The two stayed in the mountains for an unknown amount of time, until their baskets were full. Jiang Hua finally stopped, and little Jiang Jingyi had also picked quite a lot.
When the basket was full, Jiang Hua tore a vine from the grass and tied them together.
"Let's go back, the sun is about to set." Jiang Hua slung her basket over her shoulder, carrying the bundled herbs in one hand and leading Jiang Jingyi down the mountain with the other.
As soon as the two came down from the outer perimeter, they saw Jiang Xingzhou walking towards them.
"Father!" Jiang Jingyi saw Jiang Xingzhou and immediately broke free from Jiang Hua's hand, running towards him.
"Where did you go?" Jiang Xingzhou showed all his tenderness to Jiang Jingyi.
“My stepmother and I went up the mountain to pick a lot of herbs, which we can take to town to sell later,” Zhou Jingyi answered truthfully.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xingzhou walked towards Jiang Hua.
"Let me carry it."
Jiang Hua did not refuse. She packed the basket of herbs tightly, and it was indeed quite heavy.
After returning home, Jiang Hua took out the dusty winnowing basket from the kitchen and wiped it clean. She then took out the herbs from her basket to dry. Although it wasn't summer yet, it was approaching.
These herbs would dry in a week if left out to air. Jiang Xingzhou didn't say anything, but silently helped her spread out the herbs to dry.
After preparing the herbs, Jiang Xingzhou went into the kitchen to cook dinner. Jiang Jingyi glanced at Jiang Hua with a strange expression.
Jiang Hua was completely bewildered by his gaze, so she could only continue fiddling with the herbs on the winnowing basket. When she felt they were almost ready, Jiang Hua went into the kitchen to help Jiang Xingzhou tend the fire.
"You go out and keep A-Yi company. I'll cook dinner," Jiang Xingzhou said casually, then squatted down and tended to the fire in the stove.
Jiang Hua had no choice but to turn around and go to the inner room. Inside, Jiang Jingyi had already lit the candles, and there were several bundles on the bed, which Jiang Xingzhou must have bought in town today.
"Stepmother, please sit down." Jiang Jingyi moved a stool for Jiang Hua, and then obediently sat down to the side.
Jiang Hua glanced at Jiang Jingyi silently, recalling Jiang Xingzhou's words before leaving that morning: that the child had a somewhat withdrawn personality.
You could say he's not withdrawn, but he's actually sitting obediently on the stool, staring intently at her.
You could say he's aloof, but his behavior today doesn't seem like it. Jiang Hua thought about it and decided not to jump to conclusions yet. Jiang Xingzhou must have his reasons for saying that.
The two waited in the inner room for half an hour before Jiang Xingzhou brought the food in from outside.
On the table was a plate of stir-fried pork belly and stir-fried cabbage. Jiang Hua picked up a bowl from the table and began to serve herself rice.
"Thank you, stepmother," Jiang Jingyi said, taking the bowl from Jiang Hua.
Eat more.
Just as Jiang Hua picked up her chopsticks, two more pieces of meat appeared in her bowl, given to her by Jiang Xingzhou.
“Stepmother, there’s also mine.” Jiang Jingyi, not wanting to be left behind, picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks and put it in her bowl.
"Thank you," Jiang Hua said quickly.
After she picked up a clump of rice with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, the expression on her face froze instantly.
She thought she should know why Jiang Jingyi had wolfed down his food this morning. It wasn't just because he was hungry; she also understood the strange expression he had when he looked at her in the yard earlier.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Xingzhou asked, looking at her expression of difficulty swallowing.
Jiang Hua forced herself to swallow before saying, "It's nothing, it's just that you didn't add enough water to the rice."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xingzhou looked at Jiang Jingyi, and the little guy nodded hurriedly.
"How about I add some water and boil it again?" Jiang Hua suggested.
“Okay, let’s do as the stepmother says.” Jiang Jingyi agreed before Jiang Xingzhou could speak.
When Jiang Hua arrived in the kitchen, the fire in the stove was still burning, so she casually added two pieces of chopped firewood.
She poured in the undercooked rice, added a ladle of water, and prepared to cook it into porridge. She put the lid on and sat on a small stool watching the fire.
A short while later, Jiang Xingzhou brought in the two dishes.
"What's wrong?"
“Ayi said it has no taste,” Jiang Xingzhou explained.
"It's probably because you didn't add enough salt. Leave it here, and I'll add some salt and stir-fry it again later."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Hua got up, lifted the pot lid, and found that the porridge was cooked. She ladled it out, and Jiang Xingzhou took it and carried it out.
Fifteen minutes later, Jiang Jingyi sat down at the table again to eat dinner. This time, he buried his head in his food and started eating.
"From now on, I'll be in charge of cooking at home."
After they finished eating, Jiang Hua made a suggestion, and Jiang Xingzhou nodded and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
After washing the dishes, Jiang Xingzhou came in and handed the bundle on the bed to Jiang Hua: "I bought you two sets of clothes to change into today. Take a look and see if they fit."
"Thank you," Jiang Hua said, taking the bundle.
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