Chapter 57

While the entire village was busy harvesting rice, Sang Luo was not idle. With no extra money and only two liters of soybeans, she decided not to go to the county, but instead, hawked her goods through the local villages.

Sang Luo accepted not only money but also traded for grains, beans, vegetables, or eggs. Thus, her business thrived, almost as well as it did in the county. These fresh foods, said to be nutritious, could be exchanged without spending cash. During the busy farming season, most families were willing to buy a piece.

She didn't collect much in the way of vegetables, as they perish quickly. Other items were not limited, but most trades involved soybeans, as grains and eggs were too precious for farmers to part with.

This suited Sang Luo’s needs perfectly, as she required soybeans to supply tofu to the three families after the busy season. For the next few days, she decided not to venture to the county, using some of the earned soybeans to make tofu and then selling it from village to village.

By afternoon, she would go to Chen’s house to borrow a small hoe and sickle, then head to the mountains, focusing solely on harvesting konjac and jujubes.

Having a courtyard made everything much easier for Sang Luo. She could lock the gate, process the jujubes in the kitchen, and then dry them in the backyard. The chickens and ducks had also been moved to an outdoor coop, and even the three ducklings had their own pen, modeled after Sang Luo’s chicken coop, thanks to Shen An and Hu Zi.

The first time Sang Luo brought back konjac, it frightened Shen An and Shen Ning.

"Big Sister, why are you picking snakehead grass? It's poisonous, eating it can kill a person."

They were eager to persuade Sang Luo to throw it away.

Shen Ning also panicked: "Big Sister, throw it away, please. Did you touch it? Wash your hands clean, so you don’t accidentally ingest any of its juice while eating later."

Sang Luo could understand their level of anxiety.

Konjac, if improperly prepared and consumed raw, can indeed be deadly, with its entire plant being highly toxic. Yet, with proper processing, it's not as frightening as it seems.

"You call this plant 'snakehead grass'?"

Both children nodded: "Yes, it’s also known as 'demon yam.' Adults always warn us against touching it, and villagers will uproot it whenever spotted nearby, fearing we might accidentally eat it."

Sang Luo: ...

Now she realized why she hadn’t seen any konjac in the nearby mountains; it had been deliberately cleared by locals.

Observing the siblings' nervous gaze at the konjac, Sang Luo explained, "The toxin can be removed through processing. Just make sure not to consume it before it's properly treated."

It wasn't as scary as it seemed, and the plant actually had health benefits. In her previous life, she would occasionally prepare it for herself, as konjac offered some minor benefits for her condition.

She washed the konjac in the downstream outlet of the mountain spring. Seeing the siblings still trying to persuade her, Sang Luo recalled a passage: "In its garden grows konjac and cornelian cherry, in the fields yams and gourds." The annotation said, "Konjac, a plant, its root is large, as big as a peck, and pure white in color. It becomes gelatinous when boiled with lye and can be eaten soaked in bitter wine; it is highly valued by people in Shu." This referred to the 'demon yam' they mentioned.

This was from a passage in Left's "Ode to the Capital of Shu" from the Jin Dynasty, which Sang Luo remembered from her previous life while making a video about konjac.

Of course, in her current world, there was no Jin Dynasty or Left. She vaguely mentioned the book without specifying its name or source, using the content to reassure the children that the konjac had legitimate references and was indeed edible.

Hearing Sang Luo's explanation, Shen An and Shen Ning's expressions visibly relaxed. Though they didn't understand every word, the general meaning was clear.

"It’s really edible?" Shen Ning was still somewhat doubtful.

They had been repeatedly warned since childhood by the villagers that this plant was inedible, causing minor symptoms like tongue and throat irritation or, in severe cases, death.

Changing their perception about this plant is indeed a challenging task at the moment.

Sang Luo smiled, “Yes, it's edible. Just watch closely when I process it. For safety, let’s use a separate cutting board for this, and it’s best not to use a wooden bowl. Let’s use a pottery bowl instead and make sure to wash it thoroughly afterward.”

After all, they are in the business of making food, so it's crucial to be meticulous.

Crafting the cutting board wasn’t a hassle. She just picked a suitable wooden stump from the leftover materials processed by Chen Youtian, cleaned it, and it was ready for use in the backyard.

Preparing konjac is a delicate task. Normally, rubber gloves are essential, but in this era, Sang Luo couldn’t find any. She left a portion of the stem untouched, holding it with one hand while peeling with the other.

As a precaution, she even went to the stove, applied vinegar on her hands, and quickly roasted them over the fire before starting the peeling process.

After peeling, she chopped the konjac into tiny pieces on the stump, filling a whole basin, and then carried it to the kitchen.

Shen An and Shen Ning, always cautious, had locked the front gate early. When the trio moved to the kitchen, they saw Sang Luo efficiently preparing a solution with plant ash.

Plant ash, especially the type used in cooking, had been stored in a jar at home since they built the house, available whenever needed.

Seeing Sang Luo taking the plant ash, Shen An recalled the passage she recited earlier about boiling with lye to make it gelatinous.

He assumed it would be directly boiled, but that wasn't the case.

Sang Luo led the children to the stone mill to start grinding the konjac, mixing it with the plant ash solution.

The most challenging part was controlling the proportions, but Sang Luo, experienced from her previous life, handled it with ease: grinding, mixing, smoothing, and letting it settle.

While waiting for it to solidify, she took some plant ash and, accompanied by the two children, went to the backyard.

When cutting the konjac, she had saved the buds. Now, she coated these buds in plant ash and, carrying them in a basket and with a small hoe, went back to the mountain to replant them.

Planted.

Yes, by leaving some buds on the konjac and replanting, it can grow again.

To ensure a continuous food supply, the cycle of harvesting and replanting is essential.

Fearing that the villagers might clear them before they grew, Sang Luo ventured deeper into the woods, gathering a lot of sour dates before heading back. By the time she returned home and rested briefly, the konjac tofu had set.

She cut it into large pieces in cold water, then boiled them in a pot for one and a half hours.

Shen An and Shen Ning witnessed the entire process with a mix of astonishment, joy, and a bit of daze.

Shen Ning thought: The plant that villagers always said was poisonous can also be turned into a food like tofu.

Indeed, observing her sister-in-law’s methodical process, Shen Ning was convinced that this plant was indeed edible.

Shen An thought: How beneficial reading books can be! The divine tofu, regular tofu, and even the konjac they previously feared, all come from the knowledge in books.

But Sang Luo was not done yet.

The process was not complete at this stage.

Sang Luo's favorite snack in her previous life was konjac jelly.

However, later, when her health deteriorated, indulging in this spicy, oily delicacy became impossible. She could only make it for videos, eventually giving the final product to neighbors in the mountains due to its long travel.

She had to settle for a more bland diet, stir-frying it as a vegetable dish.

Now in this lifetime, she could finally enjoy it again, though lacking chili peppers…

But there are alternatives like cornelian cherry, mustard, Sichuan pepper, and black pepper. For instance, cornelian cherry can even mimic the effect of chili oil.

Of course, Sang Luo didn't know how to use ancient substitutes for chili peppers. She had only read about these in leisure books in her previous life. Since her current body's original owner didn't know these things, naturally, she didn't either.

She planned to visit Granny Chen later to learn about substitutes like cornelian cherry and Sichuan pepper, and to acquire some from her.

What she needed to do now was further process the konjac tofu, cutting it to resemble the texture of tripe.

Previously, handling cooked ingredients, Sang Luo easily managed with a pair of chopsticks to create the desired texture by gently tugging at the konjac tofu. "Hmm, if only I had ice blocks to chill it before steaming for twenty minutes, the crunchiness would be perfect."

Of course, even without the ice, it was still quite good.

The vegetarian tripe was taking shape in her hands, and after a bit more cooking and seasoning with chili oil, it would become a dish so delicious you couldn’t stop eating.

There was no chili oil in sight yet, but Shen An and Shen Ning, having witnessed the entire process, were thoroughly impressed.

Who would have thought such an ugly snakehead grass could be transformed like this?

Sang Luo looked at the stunned siblings and laughed, "You haven't seen anything yet. I'll get some spices from your Elder Chen later, and tonight, I'll let you taste the dressed version. That will be truly amazing."

Shen An and Shen Ning, unexpectedly, found themselves swallowing saliva.

The siblings, who had accompanied Sang Luo at the stall, knew all too well her magical ability to make one drool over food by merely describing it.

And now, they were experiencing it firsthand.

……

Obtaining the spices went smoothly. Elder Chen’s family grew cornelian cherry, and they had Sichuan pepper too. However, she had never heard of black pepper or mustard.

Upon learning that Sang Luo was experimenting with a new dish, Elder Chen generously provided everything, including garlic and green onions.

Back home, Sang Luo busily prepared the konjac dish in the kitchen. After tossing it in the cool dressing, she and the two children tasted it, smacking their lips in satisfaction.

Shen An and Shen Ning, who initially feared the toxic snakehead grass and wanted to dispose of it immediately: "Delicious, truly delicious!"

Of course, having borrowed ingredients from Elder Chen, Sang Luo was obliged to share some of the finished dish with her. Sang Luo cooked, Shen Ning tended the fire, and naturally, the errand of delivering the dish fell to Shen An.

Poor Shen An, holding a bowl of the vegetarian tripe, had a hard time restraining his temptation.

He envied his sister and sister-in-law back at home, cooking. He wondered if they were enjoying the freshly made cold mixed vegetarian tripe.

Were they?

"Was there any left?"

"Yes, there was!"

Shen An was eagerly longing, his heart set on returning home. Do you understand the feeling of homesickness?

He was so craving that tears were almost spurting out from the corners of his mouth.

Upon arriving at Granny Chen’s courtyard, he burst in calling out for her. As soon as the food was handed over, he poured the deliciously fragrant vegetarian tripe into her bowl and dashed off.

Granny Chen: "..."

"Is it that necessary?"

She glanced at the food in the bowl, "Well, it does look rather tempting."

After tasting a small piece, Elder Chen's eyes lit up in delight!!!!

Indeed, it's truly remarkable!

Let’s have another piece.

Elder Chen ate five pieces in succession, finally managing to restrain herself, her habit of sharing tasty treats with her family curbing her indulgence.

It was only then that she inwardly marveled, thinking, “Sang Shi has concocted yet another novel delicacy.”

I wonder if they’ll sell this to others as well.

If they do start selling it, it’s bound to be incredibly tempting, surely a profitable item!

Tomorrow marks the end of the busy farming season. It’s time to decide who from the Shi and Lu families will set up the stalls and where. The arrangements should be in order by tomorrow, so I'll go and inquire then.

Author's Note:

①This excerpt is taken from "Wen Xuan" compiled by Xiao Tong, with the phrase “其圃则有蒟蒻茱萸，瓜畴芋区” originally from “Shu Capital Rhapsody” by the Jin Dynasty poet Zuo Si.