Chapter 10: A Craving for Good Food

Chapter 10: Food Cravings

This was a secret shared only by Lin Xiaopu and Zhou Ye.

Only Lin Xiaopu knew of Zhou Ye's truly massive appetite. He would wake up hungry before dawn every day. Autumn was somewhat better, with plenty of wild fruits and roots in the mountains to fill his stomach, but spring and summer were the most difficult times for him.

Thinking of this, Lin Xiaopu felt a pang of guilt. If only she were as robust as Wang Yingen in the village, the money saved on medicine could buy a lot of coarse grains. Then, Brother A Ye wouldn't have to go hungry every day, and her elder sister could occasionally enjoy a bowl of white rice.

After these melancholic thoughts, a dejected Lin Xiaopu secretly hugged Lin Shu beside her. Slowly, the corners of her lips curled upward again.

She had her elder sister back. It was wonderful.

Her elder sister smelled fragrant and felt soft to hug. She liked it…

By the time Lin Shu woke up the next day, the men of the household had already left.

The courtyard was filled with the strong scent of medicine. He Guixiang had finished brewing it, and a small bowl of dark, concentrated decoction was placed before Lin Xiaopu. Just looking at it, Lin Shu imagined its bitterness, yet Lin Xiaopu drank it down without a change in expression. If not for her face scrunching up after finishing, Lin Shu might have mistaken it for chicken soup.

Lin Shu knew how to make maltose. Before the apocalypse, she had planned to return to her hometown and become a rural food blogger. Unfortunately, the apocalypse struck before she could put her plan into action. These days, food was precious, and maltose required a lot of wheat to produce even a small amount. She wasn't considering using grain for now but wondered if there were any raisin tree fruit or cherokee rose fruit in the mountains. These wild fruits could also be boiled into sugar, but even if she found them, she would have to wait until after the first frost to harvest them.

"Mom, where are Dad and Brother A Ye?" Lin Shu looked around, but the men of the house were nowhere to be seen.

"Your dad went to town to look for work, and Brother A Ye went deep into the mountains early this morning," He Guixiang said. Since both men were leaving, she had gotten up before the rooster crowed to prepare food. Zhou Ye was heading into the mountains, and her husband was going to town—both needed provisions for the road. So she made many wild onion pancakes with coarse flour for them to take along.

Hearing the words "deep mountains," Lin Shu’s eyes lit up. "Mom, I want to go into the deep mountains too. Is it too late to catch up with Brother A Ye?"

He Guixiang was alarmed. "No, no! Brother A Ye has the skills to survive in the mountains. If he can’t make it back, he can stay there overnight. But others can’t do that."

Fearing Lin Shu might venture into the deep mountains out of curiosity, He Guixiang launched into a lengthy warning. She recounted the year someone went deep into the mountains to pick mushrooms, strayed too far, and almost got lost. Another person broke their leg in the deep mountains, and the whole village had to search for them. Yet another went into the mountains and never returned, rumored to have been eaten by wild beasts.

Lin Shu quickly reassured her, "Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t go."

In the apocalypse, she had possessed superhuman strength—enough to stun or even kill mutated birds with a thrown stone. But now, without that strength and being just like any ordinary person, she certainly wouldn’t recklessly charge into the mountains alone. Even if she did go, she wouldn't venture too deep.

"If you want to go to the mountains, go to the hill behind our house. It may not compare to the deep mountains three miles away, but it’s still quite large and has everything you need. The villagers have explored every inch of this hill—there are no wild beasts, just some insects and snakes. Avoid them, and you’ll be fine."

"I’ll listen to you, Mom. Later, my sister and I will take a walk around this hill," Lin Shu said.

Hearing this, Lin Xiaopu scurried over to Lin Shu, took her hand, and looked at her expectantly.

He Guixiang hesitated. "Xiaopu, she…"

Seeing her reluctance, Lin Shu interjected, "Mom, don’t you want my sister to come with me?"

"Your sister has a weak constitution. When she was little, she was sick every few days, always worrying me. It’s only in recent years, with careful nurturing, that she’s gotten a bit better."

Lin Xiaopu withdrew her hand from Lin Shu’s and lowered her head, acting so understanding it was heartbreaking. "Mom, I won’t go out."

Lin Shu ruffled her hair and asked He Guixiang, "Mom, when was the last time you took Xiaopu to see a doctor?"

He Guixiang replied, "It must have been three years ago, when the doctor first prescribed medicine."

Lin Shu was shocked. "It’s been three years? You only got medicine the first time and never went back? What is this medicine for?"

He Guixiang answered, "It’s for her weak constitution. The doctor said she needs to take it continuously, at least until she’s ten."

"Back then, she nearly died," He Guixiang said, her voice choking up at the memory.

The child had been weak since birth. While other village children recovered from illnesses with herbal remedies recommended by elders, she alone needed medicine from town. Three years ago, after the family split, He Guixiang was busy with household chores and neglected Xiaopu. The child, afraid of burdening the family, endured in silence until A Yao noticed she was burning with fever. Her husband rushed her to town to see a doctor, but even after medication, her fever didn’t break. The doctor said if it didn’t subside by nightfall, they should prepare for the worst.

That time truly broke He Guixiang’s heart. Fortunately, by heaven's mercy, the child pulled through. But the experience left her terrified.

When the doctor said there was a prescription to improve Xiaopu’s weak constitution, though it required years of medication—at least until she turned ten—He Guixiang and her husband made the difficult decision.

The medicine had been taken for three years now. She had never missed a dose, following the old doctor’s advice.

"Don’t cry, Mom. It’s all in the past. Xiaopu is doing well now. But Mom, why didn’t you take Xiaopu with you to see the doctor each time you went to get the medicine?"

"Why take her? She’s weak. It’s sixteen miles from Sweetwater Village to Jingxi Town—a journey of over two hours on foot. Besides, after the first visit, there was no need. The prescription was always the same. I’ll take her to see the old doctor next year when she turns ten."

Xiaopu listened silently, pursing her lips.

"Mom, how about this: next time you go to town for medicine, I’ll go with you and bring Xiaopu. I think Xiaopu has no serious health issues anymore, and the prescription should be adjusted."

In Lin Shu’s opinion, tonic medications weren’t something to be taken indefinitely—after a certain point, they lost their effectiveness. It would be better to switch to medicinal foods for gradual adjustment. With adequate nutrition and more exercise, her body would grow stronger. But she couldn’t say this directly, lest her mother think she was unwilling to spend money on her sister.

He Guixiang hesitated only briefly before agreeing. "You know more about these things. I’ll listen to you."

Lin Shu added, "I’ll walk at a slow pace with Xiaopu. I won’t let her get tired. Don’t worry, Mom."

Xiaopu, catching Lin Shu’s look, quickly assured, "Mom, if I get tired, I’ll tell my elder sister."

"Fine, fine. Go ahead, but stick close to your sister. Take a few extra flatbreads in case you get hungry. And be back before dusk."

Xiaopu was overjoyed. She and Lin Shu, one carrying a small bamboo basket and the other a bamboo back basket, held hands and headed for the hill.

He Guixiang watched their retreating figures, feeling both happy and somewhat bittersweet.

After they left, He Guixiang didn’t idle around. It was flax harvesting season, and every household was busy. After finishing other chores, they began processing flax—twisting it into thread. It sounded simple but was actually quite tedious. Even with not much flax at home, it would keep He Guixiang busy for a while.

~

The hill behind Sweetwater Village was even more abundant than Lin Shu had imagined.

She hadn’t walked far before she spotted at least five types of edible wild vegetables: wild amaranth, wild spinach, shepherd’s purse, Indian aster greens, Chinese toon shoots, aralia shoots, and cudweed greens. Though some were past their prime, their tender leaves were still delicious.

She even found Grass Jelly Plant!

Grass Jelly Plant could be used to make herbal jelly, which tasted amazing. After the Dragon Boat Festival, the weather grew hotter—perfect for enjoying herbal jelly.

The ubiquitous Vitex negundo (chaste tree) was also a treasure.

Though it grew everywhere, Vitex negundo was a natural green alkali. Alkaline rice dumplings made with Vitex ash water were especially fragrant. When the chaste tree berries matured, they could be used to make pillows, relieving headaches and insomnia for a sound sleep through the night.

Having missed the Dragon Boat Festival this time, Lin Shu had been craving zongzi. She decided to ask her mother if there was any leftover glutinous rice at home—she wanted to make alkaline rice dumplings!

Author's Note: