Without a hoe at home, the two sisters used tree branches to dig at the yams, grunting with effort—and completely lost track of time.
Yuya searched around the pool but couldn’t find them, so she brought the goods and came looking.
“What are you digging this up for? You can’t eat it—why waste the effort?
This stuff is poisonous. It makes your hands itch like crazy even before it’s near your mouth.”
“Huh?” Lin Xiaohe frowned. “You can eat it. It’s just that peeling it makes your hands itch. You can stick a chopstick or a stick through the bottom end, then peel it without touching it.
If you accidentally get it on your hands, just rub them with plant ash.”
Yuya’s eyes widened like copper bells, full of shock. “Then we’ve been wasting so much food! There’s a whole patch of this on the slope behind my house!!”
“I need to go tell my dad right away!” She forgot all about trading and ran off.
The sisters exchanged a glance and followed.
Back at the pool, Yuya chattered excitedly as she explained everything. Shen Shan’s eyes went wide too.
“Really? You’re not lying? That stuff is actually edible?!”
“Yes, we eat it all the time. It’s really filling—doesn’t have much taste, but you can eat it.”
Shen Shan was already itching to take this news back to share with everyone. Over where they lived, there was plenty of this stuff—just a bit of digging and this winter would be much easier.
“Little girl, here’s what we brought to trade—another jar of honey and some dried mushrooms.
We don’t have any more dried wild chicken or rabbit. I brought a fresh one I caught yesterday instead.
And there are some fresh mushrooms plus some dried ones.”
Though they were mountain folk who lived by hunting, hunting wasn’t easy—they didn’t catch something every day. Today had been a blank.
If they could get something every day, life would be a breeze—they’d be feasting on meat all the time.
Sometimes you could walk the whole mountain and not even flush out a single wild chicken.
“Alright. If there’s anything else you need, just tell me. If I have it, we’ll trade.” Lin Xiaohe packed away the goods with satisfaction. She’d cook the wild chicken tonight.
Both sides were thrilled, each feeling they’d gotten the better deal.
Lin Xiaohe already had a plan for everything: the wild chicken was for the family—perfect for a nourishing soup. The fresh mushrooms were more than they needed—she’d keep a bit for the soup and try selling the rest tomorrow.
They looked very fresh and should last one night without going bad. She’d spread them out on the floor in a ventilated spot—they should be fine.
This jar of honey wasn’t for giving away—it was for the family to enjoy.
“Next time, if possible, could you bring us some brown sugar?
Other families in the village probably want some too. Tell me what you want, and I’ll go up the mountain with them to gather it.”
Shen Shan was still set on getting some brown sugar for his wife to help her recover.
“Alright. I should be able to bring brown sugar the day after tomorrow at the latest.”
When buying white sugar at the supermarket, she’d noticed brown sugar came in several varieties—one was granulated, like the white sugar they bought, and another came in solid blocks.
She’d get some of each and bring them over to try trading.
Having gotten a firm answer, Shen Shan didn’t linger. He took his daughter and headed home—time to share this good news with the village.
…
“Honey, this honey is really good stuff! I feel like drinking a cup every day makes my whole body feel light.
I sleep well at night, I’ve got energy during the day, and even my bowel movements are regular. Before, I’d be stuck in the bathroom for an hour every morning and still barely get anything out. Today? Smooth as can be—done in ten minutes!”
Chen Fang had brewed a cup for everyone in the family as soon as she got the honey. Wild honey really was different—so fragrant and sweet.
“Tell me about it. I didn’t have a single dream last night—slept straight through till dawn. Woke up this morning feeling like I’d had a shot of adrenaline.”
“I’m wondering if I could buy some more from Xiaohe. I feel like this honey gives you energy and improves your appetite. You didn’t see your son this morning—he ate three meat buns all by himself and downed a bowl of soy milk.
Usually he barely has any appetite—he’d pick at one bun and say he can’t eat any more.”
Chen Fang was beyond satisfied. She’d heard that drinking honey water was good for you, and she’d bought plenty over the years.
But the taste never seemed right. In her mind, honey should be fragrant and sweet—what she bought never had that flavor. The one Xiaohe brought, though, matched exactly what she remembered honey should taste like.
Such good stuff—she definitely needed to stock up.
It wasn’t like they couldn’t afford it.
“Alright, I’ll keep an eye on the door. If that girl comes by, I’ll talk to her. We don’t want someone else snatching up such good stuff.”
Chen Fang hadn’t even dared to share it with anyone else, afraid she wouldn’t be able to get more herself!
She hadn’t said anything either, in case it was just her imagination.
Ever since she’d given birth, she’d always had lower back pain.
It wasn’t really pain—more like soreness, stiffness, discomfort.
Especially in the mornings—she’d always have to pound her back.
But this morning, she woke up feeling refreshed, and her back didn’t hurt at all.
She’d observe for a few more days. If it really worked that well, she’d buy more to share with relatives and friends. She just didn’t know if Xiaohe had enough.
Good stuff like this probably wasn’t plentiful.
…
“Xiaogu, go check by the river and see if Er Ya Jie is there digging for roots. If she is, tell her to come by our place with Da Ya Jie before they go home.”
After arriving home with a full haul, Lin Xiaohe didn’t rest for a moment—she got straight to work preparing the chicken.
The chicken was already cleaned—she just needed to chop it into pieces and start simmering.
Chicken soup would take a while to cook.
She took it to the cellar out back to stew, leaving the lid cracked just a sliver.
The water had barely come to a boil when the aroma of chicken soup began to waft out.
“Sis, I found Er Ya Jie! She said she’d come.”
Xiaogu hopped in from outside. “I didn’t see Da Ya Jie today—they’re usually together. But when I asked Er Ya Jie, she wouldn’t say why.”
Lin Xiaohe frowned. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. No matter how I asked, she wouldn’t say.” Xiaogu shook her head innocently.
“Alright, I got it. Keep an eye on the fire—I’m going out.”
Lin Xiaohe washed her hands, stepped outside, and let the wind blow off the smell of meat before heading over to Aunt Wu’s place.
She knocked twice on the gate, heard a response from inside, and pushed open the yard door to enter.
“Xiaohe, what brings you here? Something wrong at home?”
Wu Xiang was sitting under the eaves mending clothes. She put down her work and waved her over with a smile.
“Nothing’s wrong at home, Auntie. I just wanted to ask—did anything happen next door yesterday?”
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