Chapter 454 Exchange of Goods

Xiao Jiu followed Cui Hong back to the cave dwelling. It was her first time seeing a cave dwelling, and she shared the same exclamation as Cui Mei.

"It's warm in winter and cool in summer, that's great! We've never had a heavy downpour in the summer?"

Cuihong shook her head. "No, the rain wasn't heavy, but the cistern has stored up quite a bit of water, enough for me to irrigate these vegetables."

After touring the house, look outside at the neatly stacked firewood, the vegetable garden, and the few chickens roaming freely in the corner.

"Sister, you've been busy taking care of the family every day, you should get some rest."

"I heard it's quite cold here in winter, so I need to take advantage of the early months and the fact that I can still move around to chop more firewood."

It's okay. With the help of the space, I didn't suffer much. I stored a lot of vegetables from the summer harvest.

Once these radishes, cabbages, winter melons, and pumpkins are harvested, we won't have to worry about food all winter.

"Your scallions, garlic sprouts, and spinach are growing very well too,"

"That's right. After working in the production team for so many years, I have experience. I keep the resources within the family. I also raise chickens. They have enough feed and water, and the free-range chickens eat the insects. If they still don't grow well, then there's a problem."

"You still let your chickens roam freely in the vegetable garden? Aren't you afraid they'll peck at all the vegetable leaves?"

"When there are a lot of bugs, we let them out for a while. Otherwise, we keep them in the chicken coop. They've already started laying eggs, two a day."

Xiao Jiu walked over and looked around, then gave Cui Hong a thumbs up.

"These four chickens are really strong and healthy. You've raised them very well."

After understanding, Cuihong muttered softly, "After eating so much seafood and offal, it must create some value."

Then Cuihong showed Xiaojiu the huge piles of wild vegetables she had accumulated in her space.

"I didn't expect there to be so many supplies here. I'm so happy to see that you're doing well, Fourth Sister. My brother-in-law treats you well, doesn't he?"

Cuihong hummed in agreement. "It's just so-so, nothing special. Anyway, I feel quite comfortable when he's not home."

My sister is right, we should find someone who doesn't have family ties and no parents.

"My relationships are simple, I'm comfortable living on my own, and when I have children, I'll have company."

"Although my eldest sister didn't marry an active-duty soldier, it's not bad that she married a retired soldier who has no parents."

"You're pregnant now, so I'm sure my older sister will be soon too."

"What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you. Do you want it sour or spicy?"

Although Xiaojiu's cooking skills are not as good as Cuihong's, it's not right to let a pregnant woman cook for her, is it?

"Isn't it superstitious to say that sour foods indicate a boy and spicy foods indicate a girl? I'm fine with either, since I'll just throw it all up anyway."

Xiao Jiu began tidying up her space, taking out some uncommon dishes and also getting two sets of bedding for Cui Hong.

"This is all new cotton. Sister, you should ask the neighbors how to make swaddling blankets and clothes for the children."

I have plenty of brand new cotton fabric here. You can wash it, have someone cut it up, and use it directly.

Here are four cans of formula. Store them in your storage space; they'll be useful if your milk doesn't come in after the baby is born.

By the time Cuihong realized what was happening, a large pile of food had already been laid out on the kang (a heated brick bed) in front of her.

"Isn't this too much? Take it, you won't use it all."

"Use what you can't use slowly. From the moment a child is born, they will continue to consume cotton and cotton cloth, which are indispensable."

And these fruits, canned goods, pastries, milk powder, dairy products, eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, and quail eggs—nutrition is essential.

Touched, Cuihong didn't know how to repay the favor, so she simply gave Xiaojiu a giant conch pearl.

This conch shell is bigger than the enamel basin in my house, and it's filled with pearls of all colors and sizes.

Although it wasn't the first time he'd seen Xiao Jiu, the money-grubber still couldn't stop grinning.

"Haha, Fourth Sister, then I won't stand on ceremony with you. I really cherish these pearls of yours."

"If you ever need anything, just tell me, and I'll come see you whenever I have time. I promise I'll raise my nephew and niece to be healthy and chubby."

With pearls as a perk, Xiao Jiu is fully revitalized and can cook a big meal for pregnant women.

Steamed egg with minced meat, stir-fried pork liver with green peppers and garlic sprouts, stir-fried eggs with broccoli and wood ear mushrooms, eggplant with fish-fragrant sauce, Kung Pao chicken, and crucian carp and tofu soup.

Her staple food was rice that she steamed using her spatial rice cooker.

This was the first time Cuihong had ever eaten hot rice served directly from a small restaurant. The fragrant aroma of the rice made her unconsciously swallow.

"Did you steam this rice and store it in your warehouse before? What kind of rice is this? It smells so good! And there's no crispy rice at the bottom, how did you steam it?"

"I have electricity in my room, so I steamed it in an electric rice cooker. There was no burnt rice at the bottom, but the seal was good, so the rice was especially fragrant."

To go well with rice, today's fish-flavored eggplant and Kung Pao chicken are especially delicious, and both have a hint of sweetness.

Cuihong ate her fill and didn't feel any discomfort during the meal.

The smooth eggs paired with minced meat broth, the refreshing broccoli with slightly spicy green peppers and pork liver, and finally a sip of delicious crucian carp soup—the two sisters were so engrossed in eating and drinking that they didn't even have time to talk.

I thought we wouldn't be able to finish all the dishes, but to my surprise, we not only finished the dishes, but also drank all the soup.

Cuihong wiped her mouth and gave Xiaojiu a thumbs up.

"The cooking is really good, it's delicious, I haven't had such a satisfying meal in a long time."

I've found that my stomach and spleen are more receptive to sweet foods. How do I do that?

This fish-fragrant eggplant is just what I wanted! I had a lot of eggplants stored up from the summer harvest, and this will come in handy.