Chapter 213: Making Acorn Flour

Chapter 213: Making Acorn Flour

Two months later.

Each autumn rain brought colder weather, and after the first frost, Tianshui Village grew increasingly cool, with mornings and evenings carrying a chilly wind. In the forest, apart from the evergreen conifers, the leaves of other trees had gradually turned yellow, some even tinged with red. From a distance, the mountains appeared as a beautiful tapestry of colors, strikingly beautiful.

There was still no news of government relief supplies from the imperial court. The villagers continued to rise early and line up at the porridge distribution center for their daily bowl of rice porridge. A bowl of porridge warmed the stomach, but the porridge at the center had grown increasingly watery, hardly enough to fill anyone up. Those from poorer households gathered wild vegetables and fungi to make soup or went into the mountains to pick wild fruits. Families with some grain reserves returned home to cook a pot of porridge, while the more fortunate ones, like Lin Laoer's family, could afford to eat several bowls of coarse rice.

"Sister-in-law He, A Shu—" Lin Zhaodi's voice rang out from the courtyard before she even arrived.

The two families still lived opposite each other, and over time, they had grown even closer.

Lin Zhaodi carried an empty basket strapped to her back and asked, "A few of the village women and I are planning to go into the mountains to gather some wild chestnuts. Would you like to join us?"

Lin Shu replied, "What a coincidence, sister-in-law. A Ye and I were also planning to go into the mountains today, so we won’t be joining you."

In years past, when there were no floods, the villagers enjoyed spending their free time gathering wild chestnuts to eat. These wild chestnuts, much smaller than the cultivated varieties, were only about the size of a fingertip. Though troublesome to eat, the villagers would roast them in the hearth, and they tasted wonderfully fragrant.

Now, during this food shortage, wild chestnuts had become one of the most sought-after wild fruits in the village.

Last month, when the first batch of wild chestnuts ripened, villagers had eagerly gone into the mountains to gather them. Those from poorer households even relied on wild chestnuts as a staple to stave off hunger, as they were quite filling.

Lin Zhaodi chuckled and glanced at Lin Shu. "You and A Ye go on your way. I’ll ask Sister-in-law He to come with us."

He Guixiang laughed when she heard this and agreed, "Sure thing! I’ve got nothing to do at home anyway."

Naturally, Lin Shu and Zhou Ye weren’t heading to the areas frequently visited by other villagers. With A Ye leading the way, they could venture deeper into the mountains and gather more wild fruits.

However, their purpose this time wasn’t to gather wild chestnuts but to collect acorns.

They had already gathered a batch of wild chestnuts earlier, dried them, and stored them away. They planned to use them later to stew chicken or cook with rice, or even make chestnut cakes. Unfortunately, the wild chestnuts in the mountains were limited, and many villagers relied on them to supplement their food supply. Lin Shu didn’t want to compete with others for these scarce resources.

In contrast, the acorns in the mountains were bitter and unpalatable, so no one bothered to gather them. They were all left for Lin Shu to collect.

While others found them inedible, she treasured them greatly. Acorns were a type of oak nut that could be processed into acorn flour, which could be stored for long periods like wheat flour. Acorn flour could then be used to make noodles, acorn cakes, acorn tofu, and other snacks.

Lin Shu had been eagerly waiting for this. Last month, when the first batch of acorns ripened, she and Zhou Ye had gathered two full baskets. She couldn’t get enough of them. After leaving some for the wild boars and moles in the mountains, she wanted to take all the rest home.

A Ye teased her for being greedy, and Lin Shu rolled her eyes at him. "Who asked us to have two big eaters at home?"

One big eater and one little eater.

While other families could survive on a bowl of rice per person, she and A Ye needed several bowls to feel full.

The villagers thought they were well-off, among the wealthiest in Tianshui Village, but they forgot that she and A Ye consumed several times more food than an average person at each meal.

Though they had stored plenty of grain at home, it dwindled quickly.

A few days earlier, some idle men from a neighboring village had sneaked over in the middle of the night, hoping to steal their grain. There weren’t just one or two—there were three. Unsurprisingly, she and A Ye caught them and gave them a thorough beating.

The village had its own rules. Unless it was a serious crime like murder, disputes were usually settled privately. After all, everyone was neighbors, and making a big fuss would only invite gossip.

Knowing this, Lin Shu took advantage of her ambiguous status and beat the three thieves until they were crying for their parents, their faces swollen like pig heads. Only after she had vented her frustration did she hand them over to the village chief.

The mountains were filled with oak trees, and these acorns were Lin Shu’s assurance. Even if the imperial relief supplies never arrived, she and A Ye wouldn’t starve.

Many of the acorns had already fallen from the trees after ripening. Simply gathering those on the ground was enough to fill a basket. Alternatively, they could lightly tap the branches with a long bamboo pole, and the ripe acorns would easily fall off.

Before long, Lin Shu and Zhou Ye had filled their two empty baskets with acorns, which were shaped like small spinning tops.

Lin Shu smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. "A Ye, the first batch of acorn flour we made should be almost dry by today. I’ll make acorn tofu for you when we get back."

Zhou Ye’s tone lifted slightly. "Good. It’s still early. Should we dig up some kudzu root and fern root to take back?"

"Sure! Both can be made into flour. Let’s stock up on more of them!"

After the first frost, not only were the wild fruits in the forest sweeter, but the edible roots and tubers were also at their peak starch content. These could be dug up from late autumn all the way through deep winter.

Zhou Ye was skilled at digging these up. In no time, he found several kudzu root plants. The kudzu roots in the mountains grew thick and large, some as big as a person’s leg. Zhou Ye even dug up one that was as large as Lin Shu’s head, resembling an oversized sweet potato.

Lin Shu hugged the large kudzu root, delightedly stroking it several times before placing it in the basket.

Since the acorns were small and likely to spill, they couldn’t be packed too high. There was still some space left in the basket, so the large kudzu root fit perfectly. After filling the basket, they used straw rope to weave a net over the opening, ensuring the kudzu root wouldn’t fall out.

Fern roots were much easier to handle. They were long and slender, resembling thin tree roots, and could be bundled together like firewood.

However, precisely because they were thin and long, fern roots were harder to dig up than kudzu root. They were often surrounded by thorny vines and shrubs, and the soil where they grew was dry, making digging laborious.

"Let’s come back after it rains next time. The soil will be softer and easier to dig then."

Zhou Ye continued digging as he replied, "Don't worry about it. If we dig after rain, the fern roots will be covered in mud, which will be troublesome to clean. As long as there’s food to be had, these inconveniences are nothing."

Lin Shu laughed at his words. "A Ye, I really should let Dad see how hard you work for a bite to eat. In his eyes, you’re the perfect son-in-law."

Lin Dashan used to have many minor flaws, but the flood might have made him face reality: the family could thrive even without him. He wasn’t the pillar of the family or everyone’s reliance as he had thought. On the contrary, he had to rely on others in the family. Unconsciously, he had corrected many of the habits that Mother had endured for over a decade.

Of course, Lin Dashan was still the same Lin Dashan, concerned about his reputation. He couldn’t help but show off his wonderful daughter and son-in-law, but he had learned to hide their wealth and complain about hardships. If outsiders came to borrow grain, it was nearly impossible to get even a single grain from him.

Now, Lin Dashan’s most frequent lines were—

"Brother, it’s not that I don’t want to lend you grain, but A Ye and A Shu are such big eaters. Our rice jar is almost empty."

"Old friend, where did you hear that we have more grain than we can eat? How is that possible? A Ye eats six or seven bowls of cooked rice per meal, and A Shu eats two or three bowls. No amount of grain is enough for them. We’re worried sick at home."

Zhou Ye listened to her teasing words, his expression softening. "It’s not shameful to work hard for a bite to eat."

Lin Shu plucked a weed and tossed it at his face, laughing. "Since you enjoy digging up roots so much, your punishment will be coming to the mountains every day to dig up a basket of roots."

A smile also spread across Zhou Ye’s eyes. "No problem."

"A Ye, did you eat fern root when you were fleeing famine?" Lin Shu squatted nearby like a mushroom, resting her chin in her hands as she watched him work.

Zhou Ye: "I did. Of course I did. I chewed it raw once and ended up with a terrible headache and a sore throat."

Lin Shu explained, "Fresh fern root is poisonous. It can’t be eaten raw—it has to be processed."

Zhou Ye glanced at her distractedly and nodded. "Later, I learned that roasting it in the fire and chewing it after it was cooked prevented that. Chewing it gave a sense of fullness. My clansmen and I chewed quite a bit of it along the way."

Lin Shu stared intently at him, not holding back her praise nor hiding her admiration. "A Ye, you’re so clever. And you look so handsome when you work."

With that, she suddenly pounced on Zhou Ye.

Zhou Ye was focused on his work and caught off guard, knocked to the ground by her.

Whether digging kudzu root or fern root, he eventually had to use his hands to avoid breaking them with the hoe. His hands were covered in mud, and for a moment, he didn’t know whether to hug her or push her away. "A Shu, stop fooling around. I’m working."

Lin Shu lay on top of him, poking his firm chest with her fingertip. She grinned and said, "Who’s fooling around? When I want to do something, I do it right away. Unlike some people, who are like a patient turtle and can really hold back. A Ye, even a famine shouldn’t rob people of life’s pleasures, don’t you think?"

Zhou Ye gazed at her, a certain dormant part of his body stirring almost instantly after her words, even giving a couple of twitches.

Lin Shu feigned an exaggerated "Oh," and gave his chest a light pat. "You—what on earth are you thinking? I just wanted to give you a kiss, that's all."

Zhou Ye's voice was slightly hoarse. "A-Shu, stop teasing me, please."

Lin Shu leaned in, pressing a kiss to his lips, gently nibbling on them. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Just one kiss."

Zhou Ye's gaze darkened for a moment, but after glancing at his dirty hands, he forcibly suppressed the unruly thoughts in his mind and let out a helpless sigh.

He knew A Shu was doing it on purpose—she knew he wouldn't do anything to her while he was dirty, so she deliberately teased him like this.

"A Ye, why aren't your ears turning red anymore?" Lin Shu, having teased him, said, sounding somewhat disappointed.

Zhou Ye shot her a meaningful look and asked with a straight face, "Perhaps the redness has moved somewhere else. Would A Shu like to see?"

Lin Shu: !!

Alright, I admit defeat.

This trip was another successful haul.

When the two returned, He Guixiang, who had gone to the mountains with Lin Zhaodi and others to gather wild chestnuts, had already come back and was spreading out the day's harvest to dry.

"Too many villagers were gathering chestnuts; I only managed to get one basket," He Guixiang said, turning her head.

Seeing the two bringing back acorns, kudzu roots, and fern roots, she beamed with joy. "With the way you two gather, the wild boars in the mountains won't have any acorns to eat. And as for the kudzu roots and fern roots—you already dug up two baskets a few days ago. How did you manage to get so many again today? You'll strip the mountain bare!"

Zhou Ye replied, "Mother, the mountain is vast; these things can't be dug up completely. Besides, the roots left in the soil will sprout again next year."

He Guixiang let out a contented "Aiyah," "That's good."

No matter how many times she heard A Ye call her "Mother," it always warmed her heart.

The gathered acorns were also spread out to dry. Once dried until the shells cracked, they were placed in a mortar to remove the shells.

A Ye, with his great strength, gently pounded them with a wooden T-shaped hammer, and the shells easily separated from the kernels.

The acorn kernels, also known as oak nuts, were placed in a basket and soaked in the fish pond behind the vegetable patch. The mountain spring water in the pond flowed continuously, and after soaking for ten days in running water, the bitterness and astringency of the oak nuts were completely removed.

The acorn kernels with the bitterness removed were then ground into a paste using a stone mill. If a stone mill wasn't available, it didn't matter—both Zhou Ye and Lin Shu were strong. They could place the nuts in a mortar and pound them repeatedly with a pestle until they turned into paste.

The resulting paste was rinsed several times with clean water and filtered to remove any residue. A thin cloth or fine sieve could be used for filtering.

Finally, a large wooden bucket of residue-free paste was left to settle for three days. After three days, a layer of white sediment would form at the bottom—this was the acorn starch.

The clear water on top was poured off, and the layer of acorn starch was scooped out with a wooden spatula to dry. Once dried, it became as fine as wheat flour.

Coincidentally, the first batch of processed acorn starch had been drying on a bamboo sieve for two days and was completely dry today.

Lin Shu pinched a bit between her fingers and smiled with satisfaction. A Ye had pounded the paste thoroughly, and the dried acorn starch was very fine.

In the kitchen, there was a clean earthen jar that Lin Shu had bought just last month, perfect for storing this batch of dried acorn starch.

It took ten pounds of shelled acorn kernels to produce one pound of starch, so the first batch yielded only about seven or eight pounds. But these seven or eight pounds would last a long time.

Next to the jar of acorn starch stood two coarse pottery jars, containing fern root starch and kudzu root starch, respectively.

Compared to acorn kernels, fern roots and kudzu roots were much simpler to process. After washing, they were directly placed in a mortar and pounded until thoroughly mashed and pasty. The subsequent steps were the same as for acorn kernels: filtering, settling, and drying.

The dried fern root starch was dark brown, while the kudzu root starch was pale yellow—not as fine as acorn starch, more like sweet potato starch.

Obtaining this starch was no easy task. Kudzu roots were similar to acorn kernels, yielding about one pound of starch per ten pounds. Fern roots were less efficient, requiring fifteen pounds to produce one pound of starch.

But Zhou Ye was a skilled and hard worker, able to dig up large quantities in one go. It likely wouldn't be long before those two coarse pottery jars were filled.

Thinking about how busy A Ye had been all day and how empty his stomach must be, Lin Shu scooped two heaping spoonfuls of kudzu root starch from the coarse pottery jar into a bowl, tossed in a rock sugar piece the size of a pebble, dissolved it with a small amount of mountain spring water, then poured in a ladle of freshly boiled rice soup from her mother's pot, stirring as she poured.

The kudzu root starch dissolved in cold water quickly thickened into a paste. Just two heaping spoonfuls made almost half a bowl of the kudzu root paste.

"A Ye, I made you a special treat! Come and eat!" Lin Shu called out to Zhou Ye, her eyes sparkling like stars.