Chapter 19 Reclaiming the Gift

Chapter 19 Reclaiming the Gift

After each child had received their share, he also gave one fish each to the parents who were watching the children eat, as well as to himself and his wife, so they could all have a taste.

After all this, Chen Moqin had only a few dried fish left.

After thinking for a moment, he simply went to two nearby households with elderly people and shared the dried fish with the four elderly people in those two households to try.

Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang, who had already walked far away, were completely unaware of the commotion at the end of the village. To the villagers' surprise, Jiang Yuan was chatting with Xie Wanniang.

The two discussed which mountain they would be going to today, what they would eat for dinner, and whether they should make an extra pot of flatbread to take up the mountain as provisions the next day.

Despite discussing mundane and trivial topics, the two people in the conversation found it anything but boring.

Soon the two arrived deep in the mountains and forests. As usual, Jiang Yuan first carefully checked the area around the herb-gathering spot chosen by Xie Wanniang to make sure there were no poisonous snakes, insects, wild boars, or other wild animals with a certain degree of attack power before he went deeper into the mountains and forests to look for prey.

Unfortunately, he wasn't very lucky today. He didn't catch any valuable prey like wild boar or deer, and he didn't even catch many pheasants or rabbits.

Xie Wanniang's harvest was as stable as ever. In addition to the anemarrhena, pinellia, hognathus, scutellaria and honeysuckle that she had picked before, she also discovered a new variety today - scutellaria.

Summer is the peak growing season for Scutellaria baicalensis. Although it can be harvested in summer, Xie Wanniang decided to be patient and save it for the best harvesting season in autumn.

The two stayed on the mountain until the sun was setting, and then Jiang Yuan helped Xie Wanniang carry her basket, and they went home together at about the same time as yesterday.

Since it wasn't worth making a trip to town for three small prey, Jiang Yuan didn't rush out again after returning home today.

"We'll eat one tonight, and I'll marinate the remaining three to eat later." He pointed to the two pheasants and two rabbits in his basket and asked Xie Wanniang, "Do you want to eat chicken or rabbit?"

"Rabbit, I guess." Xie Wanniang, who was kneading dough, pointed without hesitation. "After we finish processing the medicinal herbs, I'll make braised rabbit meat for dinner."

Jiang Yuan nodded, "Then I'll go pick some vegetables."

"Let's pick some green beans, they'll be perfect for braising in the same pot with the rabbit."

"Okay." Jiang Yuan agreed and took the basket to pick vegetables.

Xie Wanniang glanced at the two chickens and one rabbit that she hadn't chosen. She had never seen Jiang Yuan pickle his prey, but considering how scarce seasonings Jiang Yuan's family used to have, Xie Wanniang guessed that his so-called "pickled" prey was probably just rubbing it with salt and hanging it up to air dry.

After a moment's thought, Xie Wanniang decided to suggest that Jiang Yuan make the remaining three prey into meat sauce and jerky, so that they would have two more food items to take up the mountain in the future.

Rubbing her still sore arms, Xie Wanniang began to process the medicinal herbs she had gathered that day.

Jiang Yuan, who had just returned from picking vegetables, didn't rest either. After hearing Xie Wanniang say that she wanted to make meat sauce and dried meat, he immediately began to process the pheasants and rabbits according to Xie Wanniang's instructions.

While the two were busy, villagers returning from the fields began to arrive at their door.

Some brought the couple a basket of their best homegrown vegetables, others brought them fresh wild fruits that their children had found in the nearby mountains, and still others brought all the firewood their children had gathered that day.

Jiang Yuan was surprised that they would give him a return gift, but Xie Wanniang was even more satisfied with everyone's reaction.

The reason she took out two packets of dried fish and asked Jiang Yuan to distribute them to the villagers who had been tempted by the aroma of their family's food for several days was because, regardless of what they thought, at least they hadn't done anything bizarre.

No one shamelessly came to their door asking for food, nor did anyone throw things around, curse, or make veiled insults. Occasionally, when they bumped into each other, these people didn't deliberately try to disgust them with their words.

As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Xie Wanniang was already very satisfied with how well the neighbors had done, not to mention that they had all given her gifts in return after receiving the benefits.

It seems they care about their reputation more than she expected.

It's good to have a sense of shame. People with a sense of shame won't do anything outrageous or shameless, and they can get along with her happily as long as they don't cross her bottom line.

While pondering, Xie Wanniang answered the women's various questions with a smile.

"Hey, busy with something?"

"yes."

What are you washing?

“Knowing Mother”.

"Knowing the mother?"

"A type of medicinal herb."

"Huh? You even recognize medicinal herbs? Could it be that someone in your family is a doctor?"

Xie Wanniang shook her head, "I don't remember."

The women were taken aback, and soon one of them asked, "Why don't you remember?"

Xie Wanniang lowered her eyes, looking dejected. "I've forgotten some things. Doctor Chen said it's because I injured my head and it will take a year or two to recover."

The women immediately sighed.

This poor little girl, so fair-skinned and delicate, clearly never having suffered any hardship, is now in a terrible predicament. She can't go home and has to go up the mountain with Jiang Yuan every day to dig for medicinal herbs.

I wonder how many more days this girl can endure, with the wind blowing her straw hat and the rain slapping her face.

After offering a round of comforting words to Xie Wanniang, the group of women, who still had to go home to do housework, left with their husbands and children.

After they left, Jiang Yuan immediately locked the door.

The two returned to where they had been working. Xie Wanniang processed the last of the medicinal herbs and put them in a basket to dry. Then the two began preparing dinner for the day and the dry rations to take tomorrow.

They braised rabbit meat with green beans, and also stuck a ring of palm-sized multigrain flatbreads around the edge of the pot as their staple food for tonight and tomorrow noon. Then they washed the vegetables sent by the villagers and made a stir-fried mixed vegetable dish.

While waiting for the rabbit meat to finish stewing, Xie Wanniang started making rabbit meat sauce and chicken jerky.

Jiang Yuan had already cut the rabbit meat into small cubes and the chicken meat into strips of similar length and thickness as she requested, saving her a lot of trouble when making meat sauce and jerky.

After simmering for about 45 minutes, Xie Wanniang lifted the lid of the pot, first adding green beans to stew with the meat, and then sticking a ring of mixed grain flatbread around the edge of the pot.

She simmered it over low heat for less than 15 minutes until the rabbit meat and green beans were fully cooked, tender, and flavorful, and the flatbread was also fully cooked. Only then did Xie Wanniang lift the lid again and quickly scoop the crispy, slightly coarse multigrain flatbread into the wooden basin with a spatula.

When Jiang Yuan carried the wooden basin to the main room, Xie Wanniang began to fill the large earthenware basin with vegetables.

After serving the dishes, she quickly put the washed mixed vegetables into the pot to stir-fry.