She hasn't been to the mountains for a long time.
I don't know if the hunting burrow we dug before is still there.
The path, which hadn't been used for so long, was now covered by tall weeds, and its original traces were nowhere to be found. So Yan Xia decided to find a new path.
I walked deeper into my memories.
Her pace quickened, her legs almost leaving afterimages as she ran, and soon she arrived deep in the mountains. Yan Xia didn't even pant heavily, and despite the entire uphill road, she walked as if on flat ground.
Brushing away the soil and weeds with my hand, a pit came into view.
It was the very spot Yan Xia had dug up earlier.
There was nothing inside, or rather, there was a rotting corpse, of which I had no idea what kind of animal it was.
It looks a bit like a giant rat.
Yan Xia took out a shovel from her spatial storage, dug out the rotting corpse, and simply buried it aside.
Next, they pulled out the stakes from the pit, widening its depth, and reinserted three rows of thicker bamboo poles. The tips of the poles were not sharpened to be able to pierce only large animals, so that small animals that fell in later would not die in vain.
It reduces the sin of killing.
After all, she wouldn't eat a big rat.
The family hadn't eaten wild game in a long time, and with the Lunar New Year just three months away, she planned to stock up on some wild game for the winter. As a stingy woman, Yan Xia, even now that she was a wealthy woman, couldn't shake her thrifty habits. She picked up a shovel and planned to dig another hole somewhere else.
As the sky began to glow with the glow of dawn, Yan Xia had just finished her work. She put the shovel back into her spatial storage, preparing to go into the mountains again before the end of the year.
Wild animals need to hunt for food in winter, so it's best to avoid them. Hopefully, the two hunting pits can keep up with demand.
Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, she walked her way home.
The two sons rested in the shop.
I will not be returning for the time being.
As we were about to leave the mountain, we could see smoke rising from her chimney through the gaps in the trees; it must have been her daughter-in-law and daughters cooking.
Even Yan Xia herself didn't notice.
The corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
After leaving the mountain pass, Yan Xia walked onto the main road home. She squatted by the pond and washed her hands to avoid her family seeing her muddy hands and worrying about where she had gone.
The moment she stepped into the house.
A person emerged from behind a large tree at the foot of the mountain.
It was Luo Bai, the third son of the Luo family. He had come here to dig for wild vegetables, but he happened to see Yan Xia coming down from the mountain. So he hid behind a tree and didn't move at all, afraid of being discovered.
Luo Bai had just gotten married and was indulging in his newfound happiness when Yuefang suddenly started experiencing pregnancy symptoms. She became picky about food and craved certain things, but dared not tell anyone she was pregnant. She spent the whole day fussing about wanting mustard green dumplings. For his wife's sake, he had no choice but to go to the foot of the mountain to look for shepherd's purse. There was also shepherd's purse on the low mountain, but it tasted better and was a hot commodity among wild vegetables.
He couldn't even dig up two roots after a whole day. What could he do?
He had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to the foot of the mountain to search, and sure enough, he dug up half a bamboo basketful.
Just as he was about to leave, he saw Yan Xia, whose hands were covered in mud, and he wondered what treasure she had dug up.
"Mother—I saw Aunt Yan go into the mountains. She probably found some treasure. Should we go in and take a look?"
As soon as he entered the courtyard, Luo Bai told Cui Siniu about it. He spoke very loudly, so much so that Luo Jingui, who was resting, also heard it, and his eyes darted around.
I wonder what he's thinking.
"Who cares? We don't dare go up the mountain, we might lose our lives there. Life is much better now than before, and I'm already content. When the roses bloom next year, we'll make a fortune, and we won't have to worry about money anymore. Alright, go put the wild vegetables in your basket in the kitchen and have your sister-in-law make them into a wild vegetable soup later. Also, add an egg to nourish your father; he's lost blood and is quite weak."
Cui Siniu had sharp eyes and spotted the mustard greens in the bamboo basket at a glance.
The family was worried about not having enough to eat. They had pulled up all the vegetables they used to grow in the backyard and planted roses instead. There were no leftovers at home. She had planned to make brown rice porridge and steam an egg custard for dinner, but with so many people, she would need to steam at least three eggs to feed them. Her heart was bleeding.
With shepherd's purse, you can save two eggs at once.
“Mother... Yuefang said she wants to eat shepherd's purse dumplings, so let's not make shepherd's purse and egg soup. Why don't you just boil an egg for Father? By the way, do you have any flour at home? White flour is preferred, as Yuefang doesn't like gray flour. Sister-in-law, could you help me make some dumplings? Do you have any meat at home? If not, I'll go and get some. I just smelled meat at Aunt Cui's house. Mother, could you give me some money so I can go and buy some from her?”
These words infuriated Cui Siniu.
"What?"
"I'll give you money to buy meat? And you're asking me for flour? Zhao Yuefang is just a piece of trash. Only you, a blind boy, would treat her like a treasure. She doesn't deserve to eat flour dumplings! Bah—"
"I raised you all these years, and you never made me dumplings? No! Not even white flour, not even gray flour. Go buy some yourself if you want! Eldest daughter-in-law, come here, wash the shepherd's purse, boil an egg into a soup. You want dumplings? We won't even give her shit to eat. She's never cooked a single meal since we got married. Your sister-in-law may be lame, but she's a good cook. Your second sister-in-law may be ugly, but she's hardworking and capable. What good is your wife? She's useless except for her pretty face. Does she really think she's some kind of lady from a respectable family? Dumplings? What makes her worthy of eating dumplings?"
After a scolding, Zhao Yuefang burst into tears inside the room.
"Waaaaah, I've only been married into this family and I'm already being insulted like this. What's the point of me staying here?"
This broke Luo Bai's heart. He threw the bamboo basket in his hand to the ground and glared fiercely at Cui Siniu.
They quickly went inside to comfort Zhao Yuefang.
After a short while, the crying subsided.
"You've forgotten your mother after getting married? How are you supposed to live like this? It's like raising a son only to raise an enemy. If you're so capable, why don't you move out? I'll pretend I never gave birth to you. I have three sons, do you think I need you?"
Cui Siniu was just saying that in anger. Of her three sons, she doted on her youngest son the most. If Luo Baizhen really wanted to leave, she would be anxious.
Oh, what a good son he used to be, so sensible! Who knew his wife would whisper sweet nothings in his ear and change him so drastically?
The conflict between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law thus began.
Zhao Yuefang ultimately didn't get to eat the dumplings.
Even with the mustard green and egg soup, she only drank a bowl of the green broth and didn't eat a single root of the vegetable.
For the sake of the child in her womb, she had no choice but to endure it.
If she gets divorced again this time, she'll probably be sold off by her family again.
Let's wait for half a month.
She'll announce her pregnancy; let's see how this old woman treats her then.
With hopeful expectations for the future, the days passed by one by one.
In early November, Yan Xia's shop reopened.
The ice jelly and persimmon dessert have been removed from the shelves.
The shop only sells flower cakes and peach shortbread.
Even so, business is still very good.
She also bought a carriage, a large carriage pulled by two horses, which could carry at least seven or eight people and various items. The driver's seat was also very spacious, seating two people. It cost quite a bit of money.
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