Chapter 28

"I was hoping to save a few to use as seeds, so I could plant them next year and cultivate more."

Jiang Li let out a wry smile as she said this. "Just as things were looking up, that dilapidated grass hut—although it was open to the elements, I had worked hard to patch the roof just days ago, and now it has collapsed anyway..."

Hearing Jiang Li's account, the two women sighed heavily. Their own lives were difficult; they were simply worried about a poor harvest this year and not having enough to eat later, which was why they had started planning ahead to forage for more wild vegetables. They still had a little wheat and sweet potato at home, but they couldn't bear to eat them.

Yet, Jiang Li’s situation was far more miserable than theirs. With not a single grain of reserve food in her home and the state of her fields known to everyone, they found it hard to even think about.

Wang Lian, lost in thought, asked Jiang Li, "Mistress Jiang, how are you going to manage building the house?"

Jiang Li’s heart skipped a beat, but she replied, "I caught a small earth dragon in the mountains last time and traded it in town for a few copper coins. I had intended to buy some grain to store, but then the house collapsed..."

"For the house construction, I’ve asked the family of Fourth Uncle Xiaoman to help with the doors and windows. I'll pay him once I have the money."

The two women let out a sigh of relief and said, "Doors and windows do cost quite a few coins. It’s good that you don’t have to pay for them right away."

The sisters-in-law chatted with Jiang Li as they walked, not realizing they had entered the dense forest until they looked back and could no longer see the path behind them. Wang Lian suddenly snapped to her senses and pulled Wang Xiu to look back.

Seeing their reaction, Jiang Li thought they had spotted something and asked, "What is it? What did you see?"

The two shook their heads in unison. "Nothing, it just felt like it suddenly got dark."

Jiang Li recalled that Zhao Qingzhu had the same reaction that day. "We’ve only just come in a little bit; it’s even darker further inside. It’s fine, we won’t go any deeper. We’ll just wander around here and see if there are any edible wild vegetables."

The two agreed, but kept close to Jiang Li’s heels.

After searching for a while, Jiang Li finally spotted something familiar next to a clump of grass: wild garlic. She stooped down, gently brushed away the soil with the back of her sickle, and sure enough, it was. She used the tool to pry out a stalk.

"Sisters, it looks like there’s wild garlic around here," Jiang Li said. She took her hoe from her basket and dug up the entire patch. She didn’t shake off the soil; instead, she cut a handful of grass to line the bottom of her basket and placed the garlic, soil and all, directly inside.

This plant could be cultivated and was a commonly used seasoning. She thought that if she dug up enough, she would plant some around her home so she could pull it whenever she needed it.

Just as she finished, she heard Wang Xiu and Wang Lian call out, "Mistress Jiang, there’s quite a lot over here too!"

"Coming! I’ll be right there."

The three of them searched and dug, finding quite a haul. Jiang Li was happy, a genuine smile on her face. To Wang Xiu, this sight was somewhat heartbreaking. Jiang Li was about the same age as her own daughter. Although her daughter was also married, she had married a young man of similar age who, while not wealthy, was steady, hardworking, and attentive; her daughter never had to worry about food. Looking at Jiang Li, who was so delighted by digging up wild garlic—which, while edible, certainly couldn't serve as a full meal—she felt a pang of pity.

Jiang Li, unaware of their thoughts, happily continued her foraging. Without realizing it, they had traversed a large section of the mountain. Wang Xiu and her sister-in-law were happy yet anxious; they knew this couldn't be a meal.

Jiang Li smiled and said, "This stuff is easy to grow. You two can take it back and bury it around your homes. If it multiplies later, you can even make it into pickled scallions. It’s delicious."

"Pickled scallions? What is that?"

Jiang Li paused for a moment, then laughed. "It’s a kind of preserved vegetable. When I have enough and manage to make some, I’ll let you know."

Wang Xiu’s eyes brightened. "You know how to make preserves?"

Jiang Li brushed it off. "I’ve eaten them, but never made them myself. I want to try; I don’t know if it will succeed. I’ll let you know after I’ve tested it."

As they talked, they continued to wander forward. Jiang Li observed everything—the trees, the ground—looking for anything else she recognized. About fifteen minutes later, she spotted leaves that looked familiar, though not quite the same. She trotted over, pinched off a tip, and brought it to her nose to sniff.

It really stank.

She looked around and saw plenty more, her face lighting up with joy. She called out to Wang Xiu and Wang Lian, "Sisters, there are edible wild vegetables here!"

Hearing her, the two ran over and pinched off some tips. Wang Xiu sniffed, her brows furrowing. "Mistress Jiang, these greens smell like stinky feet. Can you really eat this?"

"You can. They are a bit bitter, but if you blanch them in water a couple of times, they’re great for stewing soup. If there’s plenty, you can dry them and store them for later."

"Really?" They didn’t doubt Jiang Li’s words, but they were skeptical that something smelling so pungent could be edible.

But Jiang Li had already set down her basket and started picking them with her sickle. "Pick the tender parts; you can pluck the lower leaves, too." She continued her work without stopping.

The two women followed suit, deciding that as long as it was edible, the smell didn't matter. Jiang Li filled her basket; it was a bit fluffy, but it was full. Wang Xiu and her sister-in-law also picked a significant amount. Picking them one by one was time-consuming.

Before they had finished, Jiang Li felt it was time to head down the mountain. Unlike her, these two weren't used to roaming the woods in the dark, and she feared an accident might happen.

"Sisters, let’s head down. It’s getting dark."

Wang Lian looked at the large patch of green vegetables below, feeling reluctant. "There’s still so much left."

Jiang Li smiled. "When the sun goes down, the animals come out. You can never take everything from the mountain in one go. We’ve picked plenty for today; we can come back later."

Wang Xiu agreed, "That’s true, we’ve picked quite a lot. Let’s head home."

Jiang Li did not take the original path back. She headed straight down. Although the two sisters-in-law trusted her, they grew anxious as they didn't recognize the way and feared they were heading deeper into the mountains instead of out. Wang Lian wanted to ask several times, but Wang Xiu held her back.

Jiang Li, walking in front, didn't notice their unease until they emerged from the dense forest and saw the large thicket of brambles below.

Jiang Li laughed, "We’re out. This bramble patch should look familiar, right?"

The two sisters-in-law let out a collective sigh of relief. Wang Xiu exclaimed, "We’ve reached the bramble valley?" Her tone was surprised and happy; the relief of knowing they were safe washed away her anxiety. She looked at Jiang Li with newfound admiration.

Jiang Li smiled, "Yes, if we follow this path down, we’ll be on the main road."

By the time the three returned to the village entrance, it was dusk. They parted ways. Jiang Li’s home was on the edge of the village, while Wang Xiu and her sister-in-law had to walk through the village to reach theirs.

At this hour, smoke was curling from every chimney as families cooked in their courtyards. Seeing the two sisters-in-law return with baskets overflowing with wild greens, the villagers asked where they had found them.

Wang Lian started to tell the truth, but Wang Xiu cut her off. "Auntie, just in the mountains."

The old woman who had asked smiled. "I know it’s the mountains. Did you go deep in?"

Wang Xiu smiled back. "We couldn't find anything on the outskirts, so we went a little further."

"You two are bold."

"We had no choice, there’s nothing to eat. We only went in a little bit; we didn't dare go too deep."

They kept walking as they spoke, eventually parting ways. Once out of earshot, Wang Xiu whispered, "Let’s just say we went in with Mistress Jiang at home, don't talk about it outside."

Wang Lian smiled, "I certainly won't." Having known each other for years, they understood each other well. Wang Lian wasn't a bad person, she just didn't always think things through.

Wang Xiu said bluntly, "There are so many people in the village. If everyone follows Mistress Jiang into the mountains, she’ll definitely be annoyed. We were just lucky today that she brought us along; we shouldn't bring her trouble."

Wang Lian kept her lips tightly sealed.

When Wang Xiu arrived home, her whole family was in the courtyard—children playing, her daughter-in-law cooking, and her husband, Qiu Yuan, working on a hoe. Seeing her walk in with a full basket, their eyes widened. Her daughter-in-law dropped her spatula and ran over to help lift the basket down.

"Mother, is this all wild vegetables?" She picked one up, sniffed it, and frowned. "It smells so bad! Can this be eaten?"

Wang Xiu smiled, "It can. If it couldn't be eaten, would I have picked so much? We won't finish it all in a meal or two. Bring me a winnowing basket."

Her young grandson scampered into the house and brought out two baskets. Wang Xiu spread the *Patrinia* (stinky greens) out to dry. After finishing that, she dumped the wild garlic out and told her husband to get some soil to plant it in the courtyard.

Because Jiang Li was planning to build a house, her own garlic was hard to plant around her home, so she could only bury it in her soybean patch for now. She flipped the wood ear mushrooms she had been drying all day and laid the *Patrinia* beside them. She didn't particularly care for the fresh greens, but she loved dried ones stewed with pork bones or large intestines. Because the vegetable was bitter, it was perfect for pairing with large intestines; it removed much of the gamey smell and actually made the whole dish fragrant.

With the kitchen tools in use, Jiang Li and the two children settled for roasted sweet potatoes for dinner. They built a fire and tossed the raw potatoes into the embers, sitting around the blaze.

The firelight reflected on their faces. Jiang Li looked at the two little ones; they seemed to have filled out a bit. They hadn't eaten like royalty these past few days, but they had been full for two or three meals a day. She reached up to touch her own face; it seemed she had gained a little weight, too.

The night in the mountain village was tranquil. For now, as long as she solved the problem of survival, there seemed to be no danger. She enjoyed this kind of life.

Once the house was built, the courtyard enclosed, and the door locked, she would work hard to earn money and stock up on plenty of grain and meat. Then she would buy a couple of ducks, and if she had the money, a few piglets and two sheep.

Just thinking about it filled her with anticipation.