This was the first time An'an had ever seen her mother cook like this, without any appliances or a kitchen.
"Come on, baby, let's go pick some vegetables." Bi Qiaoan pulled An'an and led him to pick wild vegetables and mushrooms.
Although the plants in the space grow quickly, some of the seedlings, which have only been there for a day or two, haven't even flowered or borne fruit yet.
Looking at the corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, and tomatoes that had grown a bit taller on the ground, Bi Qiaoan licked her lips, feeling a little hungry.
After picking the mushrooms, An'an tugged at Bi Qiao'an's clothes and said, "Mommy, I want to eat fruit." He pointed to the mulberries on the tree and drooled.
Bi Qiaoan pinched An'an's chubby cheeks and picked some for him. She rinsed them in the well before handing them to him, saying, "Eat slowly."
Then wash the wild vegetables and mushrooms and set them aside. Since rice is steaming on the stove, we can only cook the dishes after it's cooked.
Bi Qiaoan looked at the rice in the field, which was beginning to turn yellow, and squeezed it, feeling that the grains were already starting to plump up. She made a plan for herself: when she had free time, she would either plant or harvest.
Once the rice was steamed, Bi Qiaoan blanched the wild vegetables and mushrooms in water, controlling the heat perfectly, and then either stir-fried or made into a cold dish.
Because the wild vegetables were blanched in water, most of their bitterness was gone. Adding salt, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame seeds, and chili peppers instantly elevated their flavor. The mushrooms were also stir-fried to perfection, smelling wonderful.
Bi Qiaoan went to the chicken coop and took out two eggs. Looking at the bright feathers of the pheasant, she had an urge to slaughter it.
After much hesitation, she sighed regretfully. Although Li Sikai had allowed her to use everything here, animals were ultimately different from plants.
After Bi Qiaoan stir-fried the two wild eggs with toon leaves, she called out to Li Sikai, "Dinner's ready!"
Within two minutes, the four of them entered the space together.
"There's nothing I can do. There's not as much food here as I expected. I've done my best." Bi Qiaoan felt that what she made was no different from what Li Sikai and the others gave her.
However, the group was quite satisfied after trying it. Although the ingredients were the same, the taste had improved significantly. At least no one thought it was bad; in fact, some even wanted more.
"In two more days, these newly harvested seedlings will grow bigger, and then we'll have something to eat."
Bi Qiaoan smiled and said, "Then I still have a lot of room to maneuver."
In the following days, besides ensuring that she ate three meals a day, Bi Qiaoan spent the rest of her time cultivating the uncultivated land.
Although Li Sikai tried to stop her, Bi Qiaoan felt that since she was idle anyway, and since he had already taken her along, she should do what she could.
Shen Yanming also came down the mountain these past few days. None of them expected to wander around in the mountains for so long; if only they had known...
They had no choice but to move forward, knowing better.
"Alright, let's part ways here. We'll meet again someday, and the future is full of promise."
Unlike the women, the men didn't cry or whine; they simply hugged and went their separate ways.
Watching everyone's departing figures, Zhang Heping felt a pang of melancholy. He sighed and asked Lao Shen, "What do we do next?"
Shen Yanming smiled expectantly: "Looking for my wife!"
Those who remained burst into laughter. Shen Yanming, unashamed, asked directly, "What do you think? Are you coming with me, or going back to Haishi first?"
"We brothers will definitely stay with you, including Tang Shunlin and Shang Haoqiang..."
“Let’s join you, otherwise it’s quite boring to be alone.”
Shen Yanming nodded: "Then let's go together."
The two groups walked towards each other. Li Sikai and his men moved quickly because they didn't need to stop to search for ingredients. Shen Yanming and his group were not slow either, but they couldn't keep up with the other group of men.
Finally, after half a month, the two groups met up.
Li Sikai released the mother and son ahead of time. Bi Qiaoan was incredibly excited when she saw that her husband's little red dot overlapped with her own.
She tried hard to suppress her emotions, but to Li Sikai and the others, it was useless. Her curved eyebrows and slightly upturned lips all indicated that she was looking forward to the encounter.
When Shen Yanming learned that his wife was nearby, he was overjoyed. He told Bi Qiaoan to wait where she was through the spatial connection, and then, carrying Nuannuan, he ran towards the little red dot.
Two hours later, they finally saw the group. Shen Yanming excitedly went forward and hugged Bi Qiaoan.
Although the two had some space, they hadn't seen each other for almost a month. The moment Nuannuan saw her mother and brother, she burst into tears. The little one was so upset, and nothing could soothe her.
Bi Qiaoan quickly kissed and hugged her, trying to explain why she hadn't visited her "in her dreams" during this time. Although Nuannuan didn't quite understand, she felt relieved after sensing her mother's anxiety.
This gave Shen Yanming a chance to greet the group. He hugged Ji Kangyong and said, "Thanks, buddy!"
Ji Kangyong waved his hand: "To be honest, it took so long to find Qiao An."
Shen Yanming smiled and said, "No, it's just right."
He looked up at Li Sikai and asked as if he knew nothing, "What are you doing here? It's quite a coincidence that we meet again."
Li Sikai nodded: "Yes, I came here specifically to find you."
Shen Yanming feigned ignorance: "Is something the matter?"
“Okay!” Li Sikai gestured for Shen Yanming to come with him, and then told him everything.
Shen Yanming didn't hesitate and took out a box from his bag: "Here, take the medicine inside. I just don't know if it will be effective."
He just randomly prepared some immune-boosting pills, hoping the spring water inside would be effective.
Li Sikai didn't stand on ceremony and put the items into his spatial storage right in front of him.
Shen Yanming's eyes narrowed; he never expected Li Sikai to be so bold. He grabbed the other's hand: "Be careful."
Li Sikai chuckled and whispered in his ear, "Space upgrades require faith points; I can't hide it from you."
"But we can't just make it public like that!" Shen Yanming suddenly felt that this space was anything but friendly. Although it had given Li Sikai a lot of convenience, it was also like shackles binding him.
Li Sikai nodded with satisfaction: "I know what I'm doing."
The group rested on the spot, got to know each other, and then went to look for ingredients in the surrounding area.
Li Sikai had no intention of letting strangers know his secret, so he went hunting with the crowd.
Unfortunately, their harvest was meager, and Li Sikai and his companions went hungry once again. However, when the night was deep and quiet, the group hid in a corner and entered the spatial dimension.
This was the first time Shen Yanming had entered someone else's space. He looked around for a moment, but said nothing.
Li Sikai fed Xiong Jianwei the pills, and then the group ate some wild vegetable buns before going to work in the fields together.
An'an and Nuannuan were still awake. The two siblings held hands and went to look at the fruit under the tree. An'an had lived here for more than half a month and was already very familiar with the environment.
"Little sister, let me tell you, those dark red mulberries are delicious."
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