Chapter 112: Eyes Curving Like Crescent Moons

When Sang Luo said she needed something, Shen Lie didn't question further, simply agreeing to her request.

In the morning, Shen Lie and Chen Da Shan ventured into the mountains, returning with four wild chickens and a rabbit.

While these animals would inevitably end up as food, rabbits were particularly loved by children. Shen An, Shen Ning, and Shen Jin, who sneaked out, couldn't get enough of watching the rabbit in the makeshift cage Shen Lie had constructed.

Shen Lie and Chen Da Shan had discreetly gone to the county in the afternoon, only returning home after dark. Together, they helped transport the grain back, after which everyone headed down the mountain with their carts. The grain Sang Luo’s family had purchased was now completely transported from the Eastern Fortune Tavern's storehouse.

Naturally, the jar of sweet fermented rice Sang Luo had requested was also purchased.

After moving the grain, the three siblings curiously observed the jar of sweet fermented rice, attracted by its uniquely pleasant sweet scent. Could it be the aroma of wine?

Seeing their curiosity, Sang Luo smiled and asked, "Haven't you ever tried this?"

Surprisingly, not only Shen An and Shen Ning, but even Shen Lie shook their heads, having never tasted it.

Sang Luo: ...

Understandably, wine was a luxury at that time. Even rice wine, being a type of alcohol, was beyond their reach in the past.

Sang Luo raised her eyebrows and generously decided to share. While the meal for Shen Lie was still steaming in the pot, she scooped three large spoonfuls of the sweet fermented rice into a bowl. Considering that Shen An and Shen Ning were children, she diluted it with warm water. Lacking rock sugar, she melted some malt sugar into it and cracked two eggs into the bowl.

The meal was just ready, so she lifted the lid and served it, placing the bowl of sweet fermented rice with eggs into the steamer.

"Sweet fermented rice with eggs, also known as wine-steamed eggs. I've made a bowl for you to try."

Well, she couldn't admit that she too was craving some rice wine.

Eating a bowl of wine-steamed eggs in winter is not only delicious but also warms the entire body.

Thus, at dinner, Shen Lie not only had the meal Sang Luo reserved for him but also a bowl of steaming, fragrant sweet fermented rice with eggs on the small square table.

Sang Luo gave each of Shen An and Shen Ning an egg, but for the sweet fermented rice, just a small spoonful for each: “Kids shouldn’t drink alcohol, just a taste is enough.”

She took a third for herself to try, and the remaining half was offered to Shen Lie with a smile: “In winter, chickens lay fewer eggs, so I gave them to Shen An and Ning. Try this wine, it's sweet and very tasty.”

Shen Lie hadn't tried the sweet fermented rice yet, but he noticed Sang Luo’s fondness for it. He swapped the bowls, saying, “It’s my first time trying this. I'll have this bowl; the rest is for you.”

Sang Luo eyed the half bowl of sweet fermented rice placed before her and chuckled: “Alright then.”

She cradled the bowl, gently blowing the steam, and took a cautious sip, her eyes curving in satisfaction.

Shen An and Shen Ning also tasted their first sip of sweet fermented rice, their eyes lighting up with the delightful flavor.

Shen Ning exclaimed, “Big Sister, this wine is so tasty!”

Shen An nodded vigorously, urging Shen Lie: “Brother, try it, it’s really good!”

Sang Luo smiled, “It’s just the sweet wine that’s tasty. Some fruit wines are also nice, but other wines are different. And this sweet wine is diluted with water; you’re still young, so you can’t drink alcohol.”

She didn't want to mislead the children.

Seeing Shen An and Shen Ning’s sparkling eyes, Sang Luo quickly added, “They say drinking too much makes you less intelligent.”

Well, so they say.

True or not, she didn't really know. It wasn’t her responsibility.

Shen An’s hand holding the spoon stiffened.

Sang Luo chuckled, “This bit of sweet rice wine, diluted and stewed with boiling water, is harmless.”

Relieved, Shen An eagerly took a second taste.

Shen Lie watched the trio’s playful exchanges, his eyes also brimming with laughter. He sipped from his bowl, finding it indeed very sweet.

Setting down his bowl, he noticed Sang Luo watching him: “How is it?”

He quickly nodded with a smile, not forgetting to maintain his composure: “It’s tasty.”

A dinner meant for Shen Lie alone became cozier with the addition of sweet fermented rice with eggs, as if even the flickering oil lamp cast warmer hues in the winter chill.

……

Discussing county matters after dinner, Shen Lie said, “This afternoon, rumors of war and chaos had already spread throughout the county. Everything’s pricier now. Coarse grains have quadrupled since this morning. In the east-west market, all sorts of food like meat, vegetables, and fruits have seen price hikes. Several steamed bun and fried pancake stalls have ceased operations.”

He paused, then suggested, “How about discussing with Aunt Qin and the others whether to temporarily halt tofu sales outside? If selling, perhaps consider trading for grains instead?”

Making tofu required soybeans, which were becoming hard to procure. If things worsened, even coarse grains might face rationing in the county.

Sang Luo was astounded to hear coarse grain prices had quadrupled overnight, thankful they had bought quickly.

She agreed, “Okay. I’ve already soaked today’s beans, but there are other ways to handle them. The main concern is how the inns like Dongfu Lou will manage their supplies. I’ll go down and ask later.”

Before Sang Luo could leave, Qin Fangniang, Feng Liuniang, and Gan Shi arrived, alarmed by the news brought by their men.

Faced with skyrocketing grain prices, they were apprehensive. Sang Luo’s tofu and dried bean curd needed raw materials, and future procurements were uncertain.

Eventually, they agreed to only supply a few inns the next day, increasing prices or accepting grains as payment. If that failed, they’d temporarily halt the business.

Qin Fangniang declared, “Perfect, I'll join everyone in training too.”

The children have started to run with backpacks for weight training, adding a bag or two of sand to their packs as a preparatory step for future long treks carrying grains and supplies.

Qin Fangniang and others, who frequently travel to the county, don't need such training. Despite being women, their endurance rivals that of men. They've heard of Sang Luo practicing with a slingshot at home. If they stop running stalls, they plan to learn as well, hoping to help their men and possibly save their own lives in crucial times.

After discussing, Sang Luo only needed to prepare half the usual amount of tofu and dried bean curd for that night. The prepaid money from the families was duly refunded.

The excess beans, initially meant to be shared among the families for cooking, prompted Sang Luo to suggest: “I plan to use some for cooking and sprout the rest. If you want them for stew, that's fine. Or, if you'd like to try something fresh, I can bring you sprouted beans in a few days.”

Sprouting beans, a common practice among them, provides fresh greens during winter. Though it takes a few days, Sang Luo's offer to handle it was welcome.

Gan Shi and the others agreed with a smile: “Let's go for bean sprouts then. We'll wait to enjoy them.”

After seeing off the visitors, the workload for the evening lightened. Once the dried bean curd and plain tripe were finished, the family washed up and went to bed.

The next morning, Shen Lie rose at the crowing of the rooster and quietly went to the kitchen to grind beans. As he was about to start, he heard Sang Luo’s footsteps and saw her approaching the kitchen.

“Why are you up so early? Couldn’t you sleep a bit more?”

Since Shen Lie’s return, Sang Luo seldom had to rise this early, which is why he was surprised.

Sang Luo laughed while rolling up her sleeves, saying, “Aren’t you heading to the mountains today? I’ll prepare some food for you to take along.”

Shen Lie paused, recalling how Sang Luo would always prepare food for him to carry whenever he couldn’t make it back for meals. He felt a warmth in his heart.

Still, he insisted, “It’s not necessary to trouble yourself. We won’t be back for half a month, and we can find food in the forest.”

Sang Luo glanced at him, “Roast meat? I know you can find food, but eating the same thing gets tiresome. I have to make breakfast anyway, so it’s no bother to prepare something extra for you.”

Although she said it was no trouble, when she actually used the sweet fermented rice (Laozao) in the preparation, Shen Lie couldn't help but laugh.

"In passing."

Chewing on these words internally, his eyes crinkled with laughter. He turned away to grind beans, trying to hide his amusement from Sang Luo.

Unaware of Shen Lie’s quiet laughter, Sang Luo busied herself scooping out flour, using the sweet fermented rice to ferment the dough.

Using Laozao for fermentation is quite an ancient method, unknown to most people in modern times where yeast powder is readily available. Sang Luo knew about it because she lived in the mountains, where initially there was no yeast powder. Wanting to make steamed buns, she had to look up alternatives online.

That search led her to several methods, including one using sweet rice wine for fermentation. She ordered yeast powder and distiller's yeast online. After receiving them, she made steamed buns with yeast and also brewed a pot of sweet rice wine.

She chose to make her own sweet rice wine instead of buying packaged ones, as the latter undergoes sterilization and wouldn’t ferment.

Afterward, Sang Luo tried fermenting dough with sweet rice wine. After a couple of attempts, she succeeded.

Yesterday, upon hearing that Shen Lie was planning to catch some wild chickens for them to keep at home for occasional meals, she was moved. Remembering there was flour at home, she asked Shen Lie to buy a jar of Laozao from the county, leading to her getting up early today to ferment dough and prepare dry food for his journey.

……

Shen An and Shen Ning got up late during the Yin hour and left home with their elder brother and Qin Fangniang, who came to pick up tofu, carrying weighty backpacks.

When they returned, they were immediately attracted by the sweet aroma that filled the courtyard.

The siblings looked at each other, inhaling the enticing smell.

Shen An: “Doesn’t it smell like the steamed buns from the county?”

Shen Ning: “It’s like the buns Xu Zhanggui gives.”

Then they ran into the house, followed by a loud exclamation of "Wow!"

The Shen family’s breakfast today was especially lavish, featuring sweet soy milk and a variety of soft, fragrant, white breads, including round steamed buns and stuffed buns with various fillings like mushroom and chicken, chive and egg, shredded radish, and even scallion egg pancakes!

“Big sister, what’s the occasion today?”

It definitely wasn’t the New Year yet, as it hadn’t arrived.

Sang Luo: "..."

Why ask about the date when there's food?

“It’s the first day of the twelfth lunar month,” she replied casually, stating today's date.

Shen An and Shen Ning exchanged glances, with Shen Ning tilting her head to ask, “Isn’t it only a festival on Laba (the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month)?”

And isn’t Laba about cooking porridge?

Sang Luo: "..."

Shen Lie started to chuckle quietly.

Seeing this, Sang Luo didn’t elaborate further and patted the two kids: “Your big brother is going into the mountains today and might not be back for over half a month. I just made some extra food for him to take along. Alright, go wash your hands and come have breakfast.”

Hearing the words ‘just made some extra’, Shen Lie smiled again, his eyes curving like a crescent moon.

“Big brother is going into the mountains?”

Shen An and Shen Ning had always known their big brother would be away in the mountains for a while. Hearing it suddenly, they paused, then advised, “Big brother, be careful in the mountains.”

They had recently taken wilderness survival lessons and knew the dangers of the mountains.

Shen Lie ruffled their heads: “I will be. Make sure to listen to your big sister while I’m away.”

The two kids nodded repeatedly.

Sang Luo: "..."

Where did this strange feeling of being an old married couple come from???

……

Hearing that they were preparing provisions for their big brother, the siblings washed their hands and came back in, eyeing the buns and then uniformly reaching for the steamed buns.

Such endearing behavior.

Sang Luo, observing this, shook her head: “Take whatever you want to eat. I’ve kept your big brother’s share in the kitchen. These things can’t be kept for too long anyway, taking too much is pointless.”

In the cold winter, the best they could last without spoiling is six or seven days, and they’d start to lose their taste towards the end. It's better to eat roasted chicken and rabbit after three or four days.

Hearing that there was more in the kitchen, the siblings’ eyes curved into smiles, picking their favorite buns to share, trying different flavors.

After breakfast, Shen Lie began packing up his belongings.

His gear was simple, just a backpack containing various items needed for the mountains, wrapped in animal skin, apart from those, the weapons remained undisclosed.

He had changed his clothes though, still wearing the jacket but switching to his old outer garments.

Seeing Sang Luo glance at his clothes, Shen Lie explained, “The paths in the forest aren’t easy to walk on, I'm afraid the new clothes would get damaged.”

Sang Luo smiled, bringing out the food she prepared for him, adding them to his backpack while Shen An and Shen Ning helped by handing over items.

While packing items, Sang Luo briefed Shen Lie: “I didn’t pack much for you, just some buns and steamed bread. Eat the buns first as the steamed bread lasts longer. This bamboo tube and pot are for drinking and boiling water. Make some hot water or soup at night to keep warm. The oil paper has salt wrapped in it, and the lotus leaf contains some dried mushrooms, which can add flavor to the soup.”

After packing everything, she looked up at the taller youth, adding: “Be careful out there. The world is getting chaotic, and me, Shen An, and Shen Ning are counting on you to protect us.”

She never favored someone without a reason; her intentions were always clear and straightforward.

Shen Lie smiled and nodded: “Okay, I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

He softly instructed: “While Big Mountain and I are away, Uncle Shi and Uncle Lu will be around the village for help. It doesn't seem like things will turn chaotic here immediately, but you, Shen An, and Shen Ning should stay close to Uncle Shi or Uncle Lu for safety, in case of any trouble.”

Sang Luo nodded: “I understand, don’t worry about us.”

Shen Lie then turned to his siblings, tousling their hair. Before he could speak further, Chen Popo's voice came from outside. Sang Luo quickly went out to see, and Shen Lie, along with the siblings, followed with his backpack.

It was Chen Popo personally escorting Chen Dasha.

The elderly woman, whose ancestors were hunters, wasn’t overly worried about her grandson venturing into the deep mountains. She simply reminded them to stay alert and prioritize safety without much fuss.

Influenced by Chen Popo and Sang Luo, Shen An and Shen Ning were not as frightened as the last time when their brother was drafted, knowing he had skills and would return soon.

Standing beside Chen Granny and their sister-in-law, they waved at Shen Lie and Chen Dasha.

Shen Lie and Chen Dasha descended the mountain, looking back to wave at their family and the small courtyard before turning past the ridge to leave.

Chen Dasha chuckled, “Feeling more at ease this time, aren’t you?”

Shen Lie’s face was all smiles.

Chen Dasha peeked curiously into Shen Lie’s backpack, “What did your sister-in-law pack for you? I could smell the deliciousness from outside your courtyard.”

Chen Dasha, following the delicious scent, accurately located a cloth bag on the top of the backpack and peeked inside. Just one look, and he felt envious.

Inside were delicacies he had never tasted, only seen in Dongfu Lou’s kitchen!!!

“Share two with me at noon.”

“Just one.”

“Two, I’ll trade with mine!”

“No deal!”

“Aren’t we brothers who share weal and woe?”

“Not at the moment.”

Chen Dasha grumbled, “Brothers like this are hard to deal with. I've decided, I need a wife who can cook well, so you’ll have your day of envy too!”

Shen Lie smiled more brightly, “Right, let her cook for you in the future.”

Chen Dasha glanced at Shen Lie and couldn’t help but elbow him, “Alright, we get it, your sister-in-law is great. Tone down that grin.”

Shen Lie, unable to contain his smile, yet solemnly said, “I feel like heaven is compensating our past hardships through Aluo.”

They exchanged glances, and Shen Lie suggested, “Let's explore the direction we’ve never taken before. Seven days max, whether we find a suitable place or not, we’ll first hide our provisions in a backup location. In case of trouble, we can move quickly. I don’t want to risk even the slightest danger.”

Whether it's Shen An and Shen Ning or Aluo, he wanted to ensure their complete safety.

Chen Dasha nodded, “Alright, seven days it is.”