Chapter 9

That day, Shen An and Shen Ning not only enjoyed lunch but also had a delicacy that Uncle Shen San, Aunt Shen San, and their cousins Shen Jin, Shen Yin, Shen Tie, and Shen Tian had never tasted before!!!

Who would have thought that leaves picked from the mountains combined with some plant ash could create something so delicious!!!

The siblings, who had been living in fear since the division of their family, were ecstatic.

This meant that they would never go hungry again!!!

Looking at Sang Luo, their eyes were filled with admiration; their sister-in-law was incredible, truly wonderful!

Their once refugee-like faces now beamed with joy. Shen An, smiling as he ate, felt tears welling up in his eyes, reflecting the fear and anxiety they had endured before.

After sharing the bowl of fairy tofu mixed with sugar water, Shen An glanced at the remaining bowl and then at Sang Luo, tentatively asking, "Sister-in-law, could we give this other bowl to Uncle Chen and Auntie Chen?"

"Very considerate."

Sang Luo laughed, "Of course, but we must keep the recipe a secret. The day after tomorrow is market day, and we'll try selling it there. We need to earn some money to buy food. If the recipe gets out, it won't be worth much."

"Fairy tofu is good, but it can't replace meals. Money and food are still the priority for survival."

The siblings understood this very well, having seen how easily it was made. Shen An and Shen Ning nodded in unison, "Understood, we won’t tell anyone!"

The thought of exchanging this dish for food brought wide smiles to their faces.

Seeing their understanding, Sang Luo smiled, cut the other bowl of tofu into pieces, poured sugar water over it, and led the way to the village with the dish in hand.

It was midday, and most families were either taking a nap or about to. The village streets were empty.

The Chen family's gate was ajar. Inside, two children were playing – a boy about eleven or twelve and a girl around five or six.

As the trio approached, the younger girl joyfully ran towards them, calling out for "Brother An" and "Sister Ning" in a childish voice.

The older boy called into the house, "Grandpa, Grandma, Big Sister Shen, An, and Ning are here."

The Chen family hadn't gone to sleep yet. Hearing their grandson, the elderly couple emerged from the main room, followed by their son Chen Youtian and daughter-in-law Qin Fangniang.

"What brings you here?" asked Granny Chen, stepping forward, then noticing the green jade-like dish in Sang Luo's hand, "What's this?"

"I made some food and thought to bring it over for you and your family to try."

How could someone who nearly starved to death the previous night, with Shen An begging for food at their doorstep, now be bringing them food to try?

Granny Chen and Old Man Chen were somewhat slow to react.

Granny Chen looked down at the shimmering green dish, wondering if it was made from the rice she had sent.

It didn't quite look like it, and with such a small amount of rice, shouldn't Sang Luo be conserving it for herself? Why would she send any to Granny Chen?

In just a moment's time, several thoughts crossed the old couple's minds. Granny Chen declined, "With your current situation, you should keep any food for yourselves. Wouldn't it be better for you, An, and Ning to have a few more bites? Why send it to us?"

Sang Luo smiled, sensing the kindness in Granny Chen's stern words. She handed the bowl to her, saying, "Thanks to your generosity with sugar and grain last night, I've recovered. This is made from things in the mountains, not using any grain. Please, you, Grandpa, Uncle Youtian, Aunt Qin, and the two little ones should also try my cooking. It's a small token of our gratitude."

Granny Chen's eyebrows rose in surprise.

Was this really the same Sang Luo who spoke so eloquently?

Granny Chen, who hadn't interacted much with Sang Luo, remembered her as shy and reticent, always smiling slightly and speaking little.

Granny Chen looked at the contents of the bowl, then at the excited Shen An and Shen Ning siblings, almost drooling over how delicious it was, and her granddaughter who seemed hooked on the dish...

"You're thoughtful. I won't be polite then. Come inside and sit, I'll make room for the bowl."

The Chen's little girl, seeing her grandmother accept the dish, was almost cheering. She restrained herself due to Sang Luo's presence, but her excitement was evident as she chattered with Shen An and Shen Ning.

Qin Fangniang brought out a stool to the front of the main room, inviting Sang Luo to sit.

Sang Luo thanked Aunt Qin and sat down, greeting Chen Youtian as Uncle, before asking Old Man Chen, "Grandpa, I was wondering if I could borrow your hemp processing tool if it's not in use. I'd like to borrow it in a couple of days."

In August, most families are busy weaving, so the demand for processing hemp is less.

Old Man Chen, with a weathered but amiable face, replied, "It's idle at the moment and not needed. You don’t have to wait; I'll fetch it for you now, and you can take it with you when you leave."

Saying this, Old Man Chen went to find something for Sang Luo.

Granny Chen poured the contents into her own bowl, cleaned Sang Luo's bowl for her, and came out from the kitchen asking, “Are you preparing for autumn and winter clothing?”

While speaking, she glanced at Shen An and Shen Ning, noting their short and patched clothes, which were becoming ill-suited for the cooler weather, especially in the mountains.

Sang Luo shook her head, “That's a later plan. Without a loom, I can’t weave cloth. I cut some wild hemp, thinking of spinning it into yarn to exchange for household utensils at the market. I won’t hide from you that the dish I brought over is something I plan to sell at the market. But as you’ve seen today, we barely have any household items, not even proper containers to make things in.”

Granny Chen’s expression softened noticeably as Sang Luo spoke, especially considering the state of Sang Luo’s home she had seen earlier. She praised, “It’s good to have a plan. We need to build our household bit by bit; life will gradually improve.”

Granny Chen offered, “If you need pots or basins for selling food, our house can spare one or two for you to borrow for a few days.”

Considering the time needed to process and sell the hemp, Sang Luo was grateful for the immediate help.

Sang Luo had partly come to thank the Chens and also with the hope of borrowing something. Hearing Granny Chen’s offer, she gratefully accepted: “That would be great, thank you.”

Sang Luo's sweet smile made Granny Chen take a few more glances at her.

Granny Chen noticed the change in Sang Luo. Though still thin and not conventionally beautiful, her sweet, smiling demeanor and more decisive way of speaking made her more appealing, especially in these hard times.

Granny Chen pondered the noticeable change in Sang Luo, wondering if she had undergone a transformation after facing death.

Granny Chen speculated about Sang Luo's true nature, having had limited interaction with her before.