Chapter 9

    The next morning, Zhao Ying awoke with the first light of dawn. She glanced over and saw that Xiao Bao was still fast asleep, so she quietly got up, cracked the door open, and peeked outside.

    Smoke was already rising from the kitchen stove, indicating someone had started the fire. Zhao Ying quickly washed up, tidied herself, and headed straight for the kitchen.

    Inside, Madam Zhang was seated in front of the stove, tending the fire. It was clear she had been awake for quite some time. The pot on the stove contained a thick porridge, and Madam Zhang no longer hesitated to use the ingredients Zhao Ying had bought.

    "Mother, please let me take over," Zhao Ying offered as she entered.

    "No need, no need. I’ll handle the cooking," Madam Zhang replied, waving her off. "Aren’t you going into the forest today? Go on and get ready."

    Hearing this, Zhao Ying didn’t press further. She nodded and said, "Mother, please feel free to use the kitchen supplies. There’s no need to scrimp on food—taking care of ourselves is most important. Father’s medicine is here too. I’ll go get ready now."

    Madam Zhang nodded and replied, "Alright." She watched Zhao Ying leave, a quiet sigh escaping her. How long will she stay this way? she wondered. If only she could keep this up.

    Breakfast that morning was a thick white rice porridge—not the watery version they’d had before. They also had some leftover stewed offal from last night, which made for an unexpectedly hearty breakfast. However, the stew wouldn’t keep for lunch since the weather was still quite warm and food spoiled quickly.

    "It’s a pity there’s still a little bit left. Father, you should eat it all," Madam Zhang said regretfully, eyeing the half-full bowl of stew.

    "Of course. Make sure you have some too," Father Lu replied, encouraging her.

    "I’ve eaten more in these two meals than ever before in my life," Madam Zhang said with a smile.

    "Today’s food, and yesterday’s too, were the best meals I’ve ever had," Xiao Bao chimed in, joining the conversation with the adults.

    "From now on, we’ll have delicious meals every day. How does that sound?" Zhao Ying added. As she listened to their conversation, she felt a lump in her throat, though she couldn’t say why.

    "That sounds amazing, Mother!" Xiao Bao replied, his face beaming with happiness.

    After breakfast, Zhao Ying collected the dishes and took them to wash, with Xiao Bao eagerly helping her. Though he was still a bit clumsy, he was determined to help until tiny beads of sweat formed on the tip of his nose. Zhao Ying couldn’t help but feel genuine affection for this little boy. He was so considerate. She couldn’t understand how his real mother could have been so heartless toward him.

    Before leaving for the mountain, Zhao Ying reminded Father Lu to stay inside and rest his leg to aid its recovery. She also asked Xiao Bao to look after his grandfather, which he enthusiastically agreed to do.

    After crossing the river, Zhao Ying entered the forest’s edge. The path started with a rocky terrain, dotted with both large and small stones, and a line of bamboo with thick stalks. Observing closely, she recognized these as sweet bamboo, with large shoots perfect for cooking and known for their excellent taste.

    Walking further, she came across a low grass field, like a natural boundary line. Beyond this line, the dense forest began. Only a few meters in, the sunlight dwindled drastically, as if she had stepped into an entirely different world compared to the bright grasslands. This part of the forest was thick with pine trees, padauk, ironwood, and other hardwoods mixed with patches of wildflowers and orchids. Some wild fruits grew there as well, though she wasn’t sure if they were edible. She planned to inspect them later. She also noticed some climbing roses and small animals like rabbits, squirrels, and both venomous and non-venomous snakes. Luckily, she had brought snake and insect repellant herbs with her. There were no signs of larger animals here, likely because they roamed deeper in the forest.

    After nearly two hours, Zhao Ying arrived at a waterfall cascading down in multiple gentle steps, each level spanning about ten to fifteen meters across. The water teemed with carnivorous fish darting through the current. The ground around the water showed signs of large animals frequenting the spot to drink, with footprints suggesting horses, bison, and even a tiger, whose tracks looked fresh, likely within the last three days. She thought that setting traps nearby could surely yield a catch.

    "This forest is impressively rich," she murmured to herself.

    Acting on impulse, Zhao Ying dug a waist-deep pit, lined the bottom with sharp bamboo stakes, and set bait using herbs to attract animals alongside fresh meat from her mystical dimension. She planned to return in two days to check the trap.

    Her main plan for today was to venture into the forest and ‘luckily’ find a few Lingzhi mushrooms. With no need to hurry, she retraced her steps, collecting wild herbs and vegetables along the way.

    She also discovered a patch of wild sweet potatoes. Judging by the vines, they would likely be ready for harvest in about half a month. When the time came, she would use them for planting at home. The actual crops, however, would come from her favorite variety, Beni Haruka sweet potatoes from Japan, which she had stored in her dimension. Just thinking about it made her happy.

    Judging by the sun, it was now past midday. Generally, villagers here ate only two meals—morning and evening. They would take a short midday rest and then return to work, partly to maximize productivity and partly to conserve food.

    Zhao Ying intended for her household to eat three meals a day, as was common in modern times, to improve the family’s nutrition. Starting tomorrow, she would have to encourage her mother-in-law to prepare three meals each day. If that wasn’t possible, she would take it upon herself. She’d see if they could resist when she began preparing meals.

    Before heading back, Zhao Ying decided to plant some seeds she had brought along—cabbage, water spinach, and a few herbs—beside the stream, hoping they might thrive there.

    Leaving the forest took nearly four hours. By the time Zhao Ying reached home, it was too late to head to the village to sell the herbs. She took a shortcut, emerging from the forest behind the house. Seeing no one around back, she placed the basket she had carried in the kitchen before heading to the front yard.

    In the yard, she noticed a stack of freshly cut wood and three or four carpenters starting the repairs, with Father Lu instructing them to begin work on Zhao Ying’s side of the house first. The next day, they planned to purchase tiles and repair the side where Father Lu and Mother Lu stayed. The workers briefly paused when they saw her approach, their looks carrying hints of disdain and surprise, but they quickly returned to work. Zhao Ying felt content; at least these men seemed to have their impressions of her based only on the past actions of Zhao Yingying. They were focused on their job, unlike the gossipy women who held grudges against her. The men merely looked once, then continued with their tasks.

    Father Lu noticed she had returned and called her over to discuss plans with Uncle Wang, the lead carpenter.

    “Ah Ying, come over here for a moment,” he called.

    “Yes, Father,” Zhao Ying answered quickly as she walked over.

    “After looking everything over, we realized that nearly all the tiles need replacing. I discussed it with Uncle Wang, and he suggested reinforcing the beams and replacing both the beams and tiles,” Father Lu explained.

    “That sounds good. Whatever you see fit, Father. Uncle Wang, please let us know how much the costs will be,” Zhao Ying replied.

    Uncle Wang looked at Zhao Ying with a strange mix of disbelief, surprise, and subtle disdain. Although she noticed, she maintained a gentle smile, even if her heart felt otherwise.

    Hmph! Look down on me, will you? Time will tell who’ll need whom in the end.

    In reality, Uncle Wang did not hold much of a grudge against Zhao Yingying. He didn’t dislike her, but he certainly didn’t feel inclined to help her either; were it not for Lu Santing, he would have avoided dealing with her altogether.

    “I estimate we’ll need an additional five or six taels of silver,” Uncle Wang stated. “As for the old tiles, I can buy those off you. They’ll be just right for building a chicken coop.”

    Zhao Ying understood that Uncle Wang felt sympathy for her father-in-law and husband. She wasn’t surprised by his way of helping them, knowing that if he offered direct financial help, Father Lu would certainly refuse. She also suspected that Uncle Wang had no actual plans to expand his chicken coop. Father Lu scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed.

    "This won’t do. If you need the tiles, just take them. Why must we buy and sell between family?" Father Lu protested.

    "That’s right, Uncle Wang," Zhao Ying agreed. "Mother and I had actually thought of using the old tiles to build a small coop for chickens ourselves. Besides, you know I still have my own savings, so I can afford to buy new tiles. We deeply appreciate your kindness, and we accept it gratefully."

    Uncle Wang still shook his head in reluctance. "I understand, but if you use all your money to fix this house, what will you have left for food?"

    “Please don’t worry about that, Uncle,” Zhao Ying assured him. "I’ve already bought enough supplies for our family, and today I managed to gather quite a few herbs. I’ll be able to sell them at the clinic in town tomorrow, and that should cover any extra expenses.”

    She didn’t mention the lingzhi mushrooms, only the herbs and her personal savings.

    "What Ah Ying says is true," Father Lu added. "With what we’ve got now, there’s enough food for the four of us to eat comfortably. You don’t need to worry so much about us.”

    Seeing both Father Lu and Zhao Ying’s reassurances, Uncle Wang finally relented. He glanced between them both, and seeing Lu Santing’s sincerity, he nodded in agreement.

    “Well, since you’ve got a plan, I won’t stand in your way.”