Chapter 7: Currying favor with officials
"My child has been in poor health since birth. I thought learning some medicine might help me take better care of him, so I learned a little privately."
Jiang Tangtang said, "Although I haven't learned medical skills, I still know some common herbs."
The officer didn't agree outright, saying, "You pick them first, and I'll take a look when we set up camp."
After saying that, he licked his lips again with a look of unsatisfied feeling.
Jiang Tangtang lowered her head, pretending not to notice his little action.
She could take some things to curry favor with the officials, but not too much, as it would arouse suspicion and would only whet their appetites.
For the rest of the journey, Jiang Tangtang didn't dare to take anything out of the space to eat. While hurrying on with Lu Tiantian, he started looking for medicinal herbs.
Before Jiang Tangtang traveled through time, she was a stay-at-home girl who liked to lie down like Ge You. However, she happened to travel through time into the body of a fat man who was also physically disabled. Now she has to take care of her children and collect herbs. It is easy to imagine how difficult the journey is.
She finally waited until the escort officer in front shouted to set up camp, and she was already tired like a pug.
However, thinking of gaining favor with the escorting officer and getting more convenience, Jiang Tangtang endured the tiredness and walked over with the herbs.
"Sir, these are the herbs I picked on the road. I'd like to borrow your cauldron to make some medicinal soup to prevent colds for everyone!"
Seeing Jiang Tangtang going to find the officials, Jiang Caiwei immediately followed her. When she heard that Jiang Tangtang had picked some herbs to make medicine for everyone to prevent colds, she burst out laughing.
"Sir, don't listen to her boasting. We grew up together, how could I not know her personality? All she does is eat and sleep, just like a pig. How could she know anything about herbs? Let her make a herbal soup, but don't let anyone drink it to death!"
Jiang Tangtang casually picked up a handful of herbs and gave them to her. "You know so much about this, so tell me, what is this?"
Jiang Caiwei said with contempt: "What kind of messed up vines are you picking up on the mountain? How would I know what these are!" She is a noble lady from an aristocratic family. She only needs to learn to recite poems and compose couplets. Why should she recognize any medicinal herbs?
Jiang Tangtang glanced at her and said, "Since you don't know him, what are you talking about?"
Jiang Caiwei tilted her neck unconvinced and said, "I don't know him, do you know him?"
"This is honeysuckle vine, it has the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying."
Jiang Tangtang explained what the herbs in her hand were and what their effects were. After explaining everything, she said to the officer, "Sir, if you are really worried, I would like to test the medicine after it's cooked. How about you drink it after I'm sure it's fine?"
Liang Jiamin had been an escort officer for many years, often traveling in the wilderness, so he naturally knew some common herbs.
At a glance, it was clear that what Jiang Tangtang had just given Jiang Caiwei was indeed the honeysuckle vine. And the wild ginger was indeed a folk medicine that could prevent colds.
There were also a few other herbs that he didn't recognize, but he thought they were very different.
He immediately scolded Jiang Caiwei and handed the pot to Jiang Tangtang, asking her to make the medicinal soup to dispel the cold.
Jiang Caiwei was so angry that she glared at Jiang Tangtang fiercely, then turned around and went back to the Lu family's resting place.
The escort officer began to distribute dry food to the prisoners.
The dry food that the prisoners ate was prepared by the local official post station. They had two meals a day, morning and evening. Sometimes they were given coarse grain cakes, and sometimes they were steamed corn bread.
The soldiers have to eat the steamed buns for three to five days each time. Today is the fourth day, and there are already moldy spots on the buns.
Jiang Caiwei frowned in disdain at the moldy spots, but she couldn't bear to throw them away. She'd already been starving from the two palm-sized whole-grain pancakes she'd eaten that morning. She skimmed off the moldy spots and devoured them ravenously.
Here, Jiang Tangtang quickly prepared the medicinal soup and drank a bowl of it herself very tactfully.
Seeing that Jiang Tangtang was fine after drinking it, the officers also filled a bowl each and drank it in big gulps.
The medicinal soup made from ginger and honeysuckle vines tasted spicy. The officers and soldiers sweated profusely after drinking it, but they felt very refreshed, as if they had relaxed a little.
The officers and soldiers who originally disliked Jiang Tangtang now had a better attitude towards her. "I didn't expect that although you are fat, you still have some cooking skills. This medicinal soup is well made."
Jiang Tangtang took the opportunity to say, "Actually, besides making medicinal soup, I can also cook. How about I help you guys?"
The prisoners were fed dry rations, but the officers had their own special meals.
However, few of the officers were good cooks, so they just cooked whatever they wanted. Compared to the dry rations given to the prisoners, the food didn't taste much better.
The only good thing is that their food is cooked every day and tastes fresh.
The officer was somewhat hesitant about Jiang Tangtang's proposal.
Jiang Tangtang knew what they were worried about, and quickly assured them, "Don't worry, I would never dare to do anything tricky.
You all know that I'm a greedy person. My only request is that when the adults collect rations next time, can you exchange the dry food for grain for my family members? I want to cook and eat it myself."
The officers had witnessed how greedy Jiang Tangtang was along the way, and they believed her excuse to some extent.
Jiang Tangtang added: "If you are really worried, you can just watch from the side."
"Boss, let her try!" The officer who had just eaten Jiang Tangtang's cherry tomatoes advised, "No, don't let her cook for the next meal."
"Then let you try to cook our meal tonight!" Liang Jiamin was the main person in charge of escorting the prisoners. He nodded, and the other officers naturally had nothing to say.
Jiang Tangtang immediately got busy.
But before she started cooking, she first sent the remaining cold-relieving soup in the big pot back to the children to drink.
There were about twenty people observing this trip. After everyone drank a bowl, there was not much left in the pot, so Jiang Tangtang only filled half of the water bag.
Jiang Tangtang took it back and wanted to give it to Lu Shiyan so that she could feed it to the cubs, but she saw from a distance that he was using gravel as a tool at the edge of the jungle to shoot down birds in the sky.
She didn't want to disturb him, so she handed the water bag to Lu Zhixi and said, "This is a medicinal soup to dispel the cold. Please pour it out and feed it to the children."
"Don't you have hands? Let me help you!"
Seeing Jiang Tangtang handing her the water bag and heading towards the official again, Lu Zhixi angrily said, "What are you going to do again? Can you please stop embarrassing yourself and causing trouble for the Lu family? Don't you think our Lu family's troubles are big enough?"
Jiang Tangtang was anxious to go back and cook, hoping to leave a good impression on the officers and soldiers and secure benefits for the upcoming trip. She didn't bother arguing with her, so she took the water bag back and held it in Lu Tiantian's arms, saying, "Mom will bring you something delicious later. Keep this water bag for now. When your dad comes back, ask him to pour it for you and your brother, okay?"
"We will pour water for ourselves." Lu Tiantian said softly.
This water bag was different from the ones in later generations. It was large and heavy. Jiang Tangtang was worried that she might get burned accidentally, so she patted her head and said, "Be good, wait for your father to come back and let him feed you."
Lu Tiantian blinked her big, bright black eyes and said sweetly, "Okay then!"
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