Chapter 25

The return journey, despite carrying no less than on the way there, did not feel tiring for the trio.

This was because of the little additions to their household and food supply, and the anticipation of soon enjoying the meat.

Arriving home around midday, Sang Luo boiled water to clean the newly purchased pot for rendering pork fat. She then started the process of rendering the fat using water.

The two children, who had been busy with tasks these past few days, did not work the fields today but instead eagerly watched by the stove. Shen Ning, who had once exclaimed that the fairy tofu tasted better than meat, had almost forgotten what meat tasted like.

As the water in the pot began to dry up and the pork started to sizzle and release oil, its robust aroma filled the small house. The children, entranced by the rich scent of meat, couldn't move their feet.

"Aren't you afraid of the oil splattering?" Sang Luo asked with a chuckle, pushing the children back a bit, carefully controlling the fire in the stove.

Shen An and Shen Ning, unable to resist the temptation, inched closer again. They stayed there, eagerly sniffing the air for about three-quarters of an hour until the crispy pork rinds were finally ready to come out of the pot.

The two children eagerly gathered around, barely able to tear their eyes away from the fried pork rinds, and looked expectantly at Sang Luo, "Big sister, can we eat now?"

Sang Luo intended to caution them about the heatiness of the food, but seeing their longing, eager expressions, she found herself unable to utter the words.

"Go ahead and eat, but just two pieces each for now. Freshly fried rinds are very heaty. Most importantly, we haven't had much oil in our diet for a long time, so eating something too greasy all of a sudden might upset our stomachs."

The two kids nodded vigorously, not bothering with chopsticks, and each grabbed a piece with their hands.

Sang Luo glared at them, about to chide them, when Shen Ning, already holding a piece of pork rind, cheerfully brought it to Sang Luo's mouth, "Big sister, you first."

Shen An, a beat slower, paused his hand mid-air, not bringing the piece to his mouth, but looking at Sang Luo instead.

Sang Luo: "..."

She quietly lowered her raised hand and bit into the pork rind, savoring its crispy texture.

"Hmm, it's really delicious when eaten hot, though it's heaty. But I must admit, it tastes best right out of the pot."

She smiled, "It's delicious, thank you, Ah Ning. Everyone, go ahead and eat, but be careful not to burn your mouths."

The siblings began munching contentedly, their eyes twinkling with joy.

After savoring the first piece with delight, they ate the second one more appreciatively.

Seeing the kids enjoy the food, Sang Luo took a tiny pinch of salt from the jar, sprinkled it evenly over the bowl of pork rinds, and stirred it with chopsticks, "That should preserve it a bit longer in this weather. We won't cook with it; you can keep it as a snack to enjoy gradually."

The siblings were stunned, their eyes fixed on the small bowl of pork rinds, hardly believing their luck.

To Shen An and Shen Ning, pork rinds were a rare luxury, seldom enjoyed more than a few times a year.

In the past, when the family rendered pork fat, its irresistible aroma was hard to ignore. Their aunt would usually give each child in the family a piece to savor the flavor.

Of course, the practice of giving one piece of pork rind each was really only for Shen An and Shen Ning. Their cousins Shen Jin and Shen Yin could easily ask for more from their mother, but Shen An and Shen Ning couldn’t.

For several days, their younger cousins occasionally enjoyed extra pieces, likely under their Aunt's instruction to eat away from Shen An and Shen Ning. Shen Jin, however, would deliberately eat in front of them, tantalizing them until he popped the last piece into his mouth with relish.

When Shen An and Shen Ning were around three or five years old, they would cry out of envy, but after their elder brother left home, their cries went unnoticed. Even their Aunt stopped instructing Shen Jin and Shen Yin to eat away from them.

Gradually, Shen An and Shen Ning grew more aware of their circumstances, understanding that crying was futile, that not everything they desired was within reach, and that they were different from Shen Jin, Shen Yin, Shen Tie, and Shen Tian. They realized there were things their Aunt valued too highly to share with them, so Shen An would lead Shen Ning away, not bothering to linger.

Until now, until today, until the moment before they tasted those two pieces of pork rind, the siblings couldn't clearly recall the actual taste; only the rarity and their longing for it were deeply etched in their minds.

"All this for us to snack on?"

He looked at Sang Luo in astonishment.

Sang Luo nodded with a smile, adding matter-of-factly, "Of course, and for me too."

Sang Luo was never one for self-sacrifice. She didn’t believe in adults having to abstain from everything, always giving up their share for the children. Even if Shen An and Shen Ning were her own, she believed she would feel the same.

Shen An and Shen Ning burst into smiles, and Shen Ning picked up another piece of pork rind to offer to Sang Luo, "Big sister, have another piece."

"Clever and ingratiating."

"Sang Luo, without hesitation, took a bite and then cautioned the young girl: 'Next time, don't use your hands to take it.'"

"Shen Ning looked at Sang Luo and then at her own hands, puffing her cheeks: 'Big sister, I’ll wash my hands clean when I get home.'"

"'Yes, but if you don’t develop good habits, you might grab and eat without washing your hands next time, and illness enters through the mouth.'"

"Shen Ning listened and realized the logic, nodding, 'Okay, I’ll remember that.'"

"Big sister's always right," acknowledged Shen Ning.

Sang Luo chuckled as she stirred salt into the hot oil, a trick to prolong the shelf life of lard, while Shen An and Shen Ning pondered where to stash their prized pork lard residue, its fragrance too tempting not just for people, but also for insects and rodents.

Sang Luo let them busy themselves with their hiding plans, focusing instead on carefully ladling the hot lard into prepared pottery jars. She patiently waited for the cooking jar to cool down before trying to pour out every last drop of residue.

Of course, a bit of oil residue always remained in the jar, but it wasn't a concern. She planned to use it later to prepare a pork liver and mallow soup for lunch, ensuring nothing went to waste.

Ideally, the leftover oil would be perfect for cooking eggplant, but since they only had one jar and couldn't separate the oil, they had to cook the eggplant first, then add cold water to the clay pot for rice. This process made preparing eggplant dishes impractical.

Recently, they’d been fishing regularly in the nearby stream. Today, Sang Luo and Shen Ning ventured a bit farther, successfully setting their fish trap and finding four plants of purple perilla and mint, which they dug up with the roots intact and wrapped in large leaves to bring home.

Terracotta pots, unlike iron ones, can't withstand frequent temperature changes. They'll crack before long if used this way.

If I wait for the pot to cool down naturally, our meal would turn cold. Cold dishes made with pork fat… I'd rather skip that idea and save it for the next meal.

Standing up, Sang Luo announced, "Let's go find some perilla, mint, and wild onions."

Shen Ning quickly got up to follow, but Shen An stayed put: "Big sister, I'll stay and watch over things."

They now had some possessions, especially food, which seemed plentiful today. Without a lockable cabinet at home, they both felt their belongings weren't safe with no one around.

Of course, their 'watching' was more about guarding against small animals and rodents from the mountains rather than people, given the strong scents attracting them.

Nodding, Sang Luo grabbed a stone hoe and a backpack.

The fish trap still needed setting, but with their modest food storage, she planned to collect it by evening if they were to visit the county town early the next day. The other backpack was reserved for collecting fairy leaves in the afternoon.

Seeing her take these items, Shen Ning appeared puzzled: "Big sister, do we need the stone hoe?"

Sang Luo replied, "If we find them, we'll dig them up with roots to plant behind the house. Next time we need them, we can simply pick some from there."

Excited at the thought of planting, Shen Ning's spirits lifted, and she also grabbed a stone hoe: "That sounds great, I'll dig some up too."

Shen An felt tempted to join, but glancing at the oil, pork rinds, and raw meat on the stone platform, he decided to stay and dutifully guard their home.

Upon hearing their return, Shen An excitedly rushed out to meet them, and the siblings gleefully went off to plant the perilla and mint.

After planting and watering the herbs, Shen Ning's excitement gave way to uncertainty. "Big sister, these herbs grow wild in the fields; will they survive in our garden?"

The siblings were apprehensive, recalling a previous unsuccessful attempt at gardening that had left them utterly disheartened, without a single yield.

Their previous total loss in gardening had been a significant blow to the children's morale.

Sang Luo pondered the quality of the soil behind her house, recognizing it was far from ideal.

The area, particularly flattened during the construction of the grass house, lacked even a single tree, meaning no fallen leaves to enrich the soil, making it inferior even to unclaimed, tree-filled areas.

“To improve growth, you should gather some leaf mold from under nearby trees. It might help the plants thrive,” she suggested.

In fact, Sang Luo intended to bring some leaf mold from the forest for planting soil. Ultimately, growing their own vegetables was essential. Composting takes time, and transporting leaf mold was the quickest solution, though it would require buying a couple of bamboo baskets specifically for carrying soil.

However, Shen An and Shen Ning couldn't wait. Armed with several large leaves, the siblings began gathering leaf mold from nearby areas.

By midday, Sang Luo had prepared lunch.

It was a half pot of mallow and pork liver soup.

Aside from fish, this was the first time in nearly half a year the siblings had enjoyed a meal with "meat."

They had no rice, just a half pot of soup rich in pork liver. The siblings were overjoyed, as if celebrating a major festival. One bowl was filled with pork lard residue, and lacking enough bowls, Sang Luo used a bamboo tube as a makeshift bowl.

To Sang Luo, this pig liver wasn't particularly delicious. Lacking starch and unwilling to use an egg white for tenderizing, it didn't match the delicacy she knew from her previous life. However, Shen An and Shen Ning kept praising its taste. With only half a pot of soup, Sang Luo ate sparingly, ensuring the siblings had their fill, who cleaned off every bit of meat and soup.

After a brief nap at noon, Sang Luo planned to visit the Chen family.

Hearing about the visit to the Chen household, Shen An and Shen Ning were excited, with Shen Ning immediately checking on the bowl with the pork rinds.

"Big sister, can I take some pork rinds for little Ya? She's treated me and brother before," Shen Ning asked.