Damn it, she had checked beforehand and there was no one around. She had no idea where Han Juhua and the others were hiding.
It seems she needs to be more careful in the future; she doesn't want to be discovered and studied as a monster.
"If you want sweet potato vines, ask the village head; I don't have any."
Han Luoxue was preoccupied and didn't want to argue with Old Lady Han any longer. She turned around and closed the courtyard gate with a loud bang, which almost made Old Lady Han jump.
"That brat should have been drowned in a chamber pot the moment she was born."
Grandma Han spoke angrily, and Li Aidi watched for a long time but didn't see a fight break out, so he was a little disappointed.
"Han Qiang's family."
Li Aidi wanted to leave, but Grandma Han called her back. She even took a step forward, grabbed Li Aidi's clothes, and smiled, her face full of wrinkles.
"Regarding the sweet potato vines, could you perhaps speak to the village head about this?"
Li Aidi was upset when she heard this. She couldn't even get some for her family, and now this old lady Han wanted her help.
“I don’t have that ability. Isn’t this your granddaughter? Ask her for it.”
Grandma Han was speechless. If she could really get it back, she would have already thrown a tantrum and begged for it.
"I'm from Han Qiang's family. Please help me think of a solution. I'll give you a reward after the sweet potatoes are harvested."
After harvesting? Li Aidi curled her lip in disdain. If she planted them herself, the harvest would all be hers. What benefits would she need?
Seeing Li Aidi's expression shift, Old Mrs. Han gritted her teeth, as if she had made a huge decision:
"I'll give you a pound of grain."
"That's too little, only two pounds. Let me get you some more."
Li Aidi knew that going back to her parents' home empty-handed was definitely not an option. She wished she could take some food with her, but she dared not touch the food in her own home.
"Well, okay, I'll take a hundred."
One hundred? Thinking of what Han Qiang said, it's still less than a thousand in total. There are more than seventy households in the village. Each household won't get much.
"No, thirty at most, I don't have any more than that."
Grandma Han gritted her teeth and said, "Thirty it is then." The two agreed on the terms, and Li Aidi found a secluded spot and crouched down to wait while Grandma Han went to get the grain.
There are only a dozen or so kilograms of grain left at home, which is simply not enough to eat.
...
Han Luoxue was unaware of this deal, but she didn't care even if she did find out.
The things in the space are growing very well, and the beans in the bamboo tube have also grown tall, indicating that there are still six days until harvest.
She calculated that she would have to go to town again in seven days. However, it was too far from here; it would take four hours to walk there and back, which is eight hours in modern terms. If only she could find a means of transportation.
When we go back, we should ask Uncle Fu. He knows a lot of people in town, and maybe someone will actually be willing to trade horses.
However, even if she did have a horse, there would be a problem. A carriage wouldn't be much faster, so riding a horse would be much quicker, but she doesn't know how to ride; she'd need someone to teach her!
Well, let's take it slow. She hasn't been here long, so it's better to proceed gradually.
"Xue'er?"
Yunniang came over, her face beaming with smiles:
"Mother will cook with you."
Han Luoxue happily agreed. Yunniang looked at the bunch of sweet potato leaves, picked them up, examined them, and asked:
How do you plan to eat this?
"All I know how to make is a cold salad. Mom, what's the best way to eat it?"
Han Luoxue had never eaten sweet potato leaves before.
Do you remember what your mother used to make for you?
Before? Han Luoxue tilted her head and thought for a moment:
"I remember my mother made several kinds of things, such as vegetable tofu with beans, sweet potato leaf and corn pancakes, and cornbread, but my favorite was the pancakes."
Yunniang felt much relieved, tapped Han Luoxue's head, and smiled:
"You have the nerve to say that? Who was the one who ate too much back then?"
"Oh my, this is the first time I've ever eaten such a delicious pancake. But my dad is so kind to me, he rubbed my tummy for ages."
She remembered that Yunniang said she deserved it and that it would teach her a lesson. However, Han Mingyuan felt sorry for his daughter, so he took her out for a walk for a while and then started rubbing her stomach.
"Do you have any more cornmeal? Mom will make you another batch."
Hearing that her mother was about to start, Han Luoxue's eyes lit up. She hurriedly took out a large bag of cornmeal. Yunniang looked at the big bag and smiled:
"Do we still have so much cornmeal at home?"
"Well, the cornmeal is ground into a finer powder, so it looks like there's more of it."
Han Luoxue spoke guiltily, and Yunniang didn't ask any further questions, instead starting to tidy up the sweet potato leaves.
Han Luoxue, however, was still uneasy. She had sensed that her mother hadn't fully believed her.
She planned to keep the secret of the space forever and not tell anyone.
But after only a few days and spending more time with her family, she realized that it was almost impossible.
Or should I tell my parents? They might be able to cover for me in a pinch, but what should I say?
Looking at her mother, whose expression was serene and whose features were exquisite, Han Luoxue fell into deep thought.
My mother wasn't from the village, that's for sure. And perhaps, her identity wasn't simple either.
However, she didn't know any clues and could only wait until later.
"Xue'er, learn from your mother, don't get distracted."
Yunniang looked at her daughter, who had been staring blankly, and reminded her.
Han Luoxue smiled:
"It doesn't matter whether you learn or not, Xue'er has her mother to cook for her."
"You little girl, what will your mother cook for you after you get married?"
“Then I won’t get married, or I’ll just find a son-in-law who will live with my wife’s family.”
Yunniang smiled but did not reply.
"Mother, how can some people be so heartless?"
Han Luoxue chatted idly while tending the fire.
"What's wrong?"
“A few days ago, I went to town and heard them say that there was an old woman in a village who didn’t like one of her sons, so she sold his two daughters one after the other. When her son found out, he went to confront the old woman, but unexpectedly, her other sons beat her to death.”
Yunniang remained silent, so Han Luoxue continued:
"The son's wife was so angry at the sight of the child that she fainted because she hadn't recovered properly after giving birth. Do you know what those beasts did? They cooked and ate both of them. They even wrapped the youngest child in mud and roasted him, saying it tasted better than roasted pheasant."
Yunniang's body stiffened, and her heart skipped a beat.
Did these things really happen in town? She had a feeling that her daughter was talking about their family.
"Xue'er, it's all just rumors, don't take it to heart."
That's what she said, but Yunniang believed it in her heart.
There was a lot of open space in the backyard of this house, which Yunniang and her two daughters would tidy up whenever they had time.
Knowing that Han Luoxue had sweet potato vines, Yunniang naturally wanted to plant some as well, and Han Luoxue readily agreed.
The next day, Han Qiang came to get sweet potato vines. Han Luoxue took a basket of them out of the kitchen, and Yunniang didn't say anything when she saw them.
After everyone had left, Yunniang asked with a smile, "Xue'er, where did these sweet potato vines come from?"
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