Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Chu Mi’s space yielded a bountiful harvest over the winter, nearly a thousand *jin* of potatoes.

The fish in the pond had also spawned, and soon their numbers would multiply several times over.

Spring brought the revival of all things, and the air was thick with moisture.

Chu Mi, carrying a basket, set out to forage with A Lv and An He.

They trod on tender new grass, surrounded by flowers and plants that had just begun to sprout.

After walking a short distance, Chu Mi spotted pink blossoms not far away and hurried over.

"I didn’t notice there were peach trees here last year," Chu Mi exclaimed in surprise as she began picking the buds. Peach blossoms, when brewed, made a delightful, sweet, and fragrant tea.

The two girls followed behind her. "Sister, what’s the use of picking fresh flowers?"

"To steep in water—it tastes sweet and richly aromatic." In ancient times, there were no good drinks, so they had to create their own.

Peach blossoms could make anyone instantly fall in love with drinking water.

"Really? Then we’ll pick some too!" An He, eager to try the delicious drink, joined the gathering.

The girls picked buds from several trees. "Are there more elsewhere?"

"Yes, the fruit from these trees tastes great too," A Lv said. "There are plenty up in the mountains ahead."

"Then it’s fine." Worried that the peaches might disappear later, Chu Mi checked the basket of buds. "Are you two done picking?"

"Yes, we’re finished," the girls nodded.

Seeing they had enough buds, Chu Mi dug up some wild vegetables and gathered every medicinal herb she found.

"This is banlangen (isatis root)—good for headaches and fevers," Chu Mi explained, teaching the girls about the herbs in her hands.

An He listened intently. "We’ll remember."

"It’s okay if you don’t. You’ll learn after seeing them a few times," Chu Mi said gently to the two younger girls.

"No, we’ll remember," the girls insisted stubbornly. Chu Mi was willing to teach them, so they dared not be perfunctory.

Seeing their determination, Chu Mi could only agree.

The three didn’t venture too far and returned after gathering some wild vegetables.

...

While Chu Mi foraged, Ah Jin led the men on a communal hunt.

Their target was the Oxhorned Beast—not just for meat, but also for its tendons to make more bows and arrows.

On the grassland, the men shook large tree branches, flushing out the herd.

A large group of Oxhorned Beasts moved together. A Mu barked, "Spread out! Quickly separate the two stragglers!"

The others immediately drove the two lagging beasts away from the herd.

The two Oxhorned Beasts were herded toward a spot where Ah Jin was already waiting, bow drawn.

Once they were in range, Ah Jin shot an arrow straight through one beast’s eye, dropping it where it stood.

"Before, it took us so much effort to take down an Oxhorned Beast. Now it’s so easy," one hunter muttered in awe at how quickly the beast had fallen.

"Of course! Sis-in-law’s inventions are all top-notch," A Mu said proudly, listing off her inventions. "The hand-warmers, the straw shoes, the clothes—none of these existed before!"

"Alright, drive the other one over," Ah Jin said calmly, glancing briefly at A Tu, who stood quietly nearby, before looking away.

"Got it! Brothers, herd the other Oxhorned Beast over!" A Mu called out.

"Coming!" The others quickly drove the second beast toward them.

Both Oxhorned Beasts were killed. Ah Jin had the men carry them back—one would be handed over as communal food, while the other would be divided among the hunters.

...

The remaining Oxhorned Beast was taken to the shared butchering station to be divided.

Ah Jin carried his share—a leg of beef—and asked Granny’s daughter-in-law (who was replacing her), "Where’s Granny?"

"Mother went to the Central Village," the young woman, now seventeen, replied as she took over Granny’s cooking duties.

Ah Jin wondered why she would go there?

But he let it go and simply carried the beef leg home.

...

Back at home, Chu Mi was steaming peach blossoms. Once done, she spread them on stones to dry.

Seeing Ah Jin return, she said, "I picked some peach blossoms. We can brew them later."

"Mm." Ah Jin nodded, then noticed A Lv cooking alone next door.

Her brother, A Su, had gone to the Central Village to deliver news about the Salt Lake. He was meant to go last winter but had delayed for some reason Chu Mi didn’t know—it wasn’t her place to ask.

"We hunted an Oxhorned Beast today," Ah Jin said, handing her the beef leg.

Chu Mi eyed the prime cut and her mouth watered—she thought she suddenly craved hotpot.

But without the fixings, the idea didn’t excite her much. She resigned herself to salting the meat instead.

"Good." She took the leg to the stream to wash while Ah Jin went to gather firewood.

Bundled up against the chill, Chu Mi crouched by the stream, cleaning the meat before tossing it in the basket.

A Hua showed up with wild vegetables she had gathered, intending to wash them, when she spotted Chu Mi.

She lowered her head, ignoring her deliberately, her chest burned with resentment.

The gods were blind—why would they choose a woman like Chu Mi?

She was better than Chu Mi in every way, so why didn’t the gods favor her?

Chu Mi ignored her, but A Hua pasted on a smile and said, "Chu Mi, long time no see."

Her expression was transparently insincere, and Chu Mi couldn’t even muster a reply.

A Hua watched Chu Mi walk past, her gaze filled with deep resentment. *That wretch.*

Don’t think just because she’s blessed by the gods, she can ignore my existence. Just wait till the gods grow tired of her—I’ll take her place.

Chu Mi returned home and immediately rubbed the beef leg with salt to cure it.

Once the curing was nearly done, she had Ah Jin work the meat to squeeze out the blood. Then she strung it up with a straw rope and hung it on a tree branch to dry.

The long sleeves made it hard to cut and handle the meat, so Chu Mi took off the long-sleeved top, tossed aside the scarf covering her hair, and secured it with a wooden pin.

Dressed in a sleeveless vest and straight-cut pants, she was practically unrecognizable.

After washing her hands, she took the remaining beef and began slicing it, planning to stir-fry it for a meal.

Ah Jin, who had been working the meat, looked up and froze.

The young woman before him had her jet-black hair elegantly pinned up, her long sleeves removed to reveal slender, delicate arms.

Her fair, jade-like skin glistened under the sunlight.

Her delicate, oval face wore a focused expression, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

"Chu Mi," Ah Jin suddenly called out. She turned to him, puzzled.

"What is it?" she asked, startled by his abrupt call.

"You’ve lost so much weight," Ah Jin said, his expression one of astonishment as he studied her face. It really was Chu Mi.

He hadn’t expected her to change so much over the winter. He still remembered the first time he saw her—dragged into his room, her hair a mess, her cheeks covered in unsightly freckles, her figure bloated and unkempt.

Over time, she improved, but he hadn’t paid much attention to her appearance. Who knew a single winter could transform her so drastically?