After cultivating for at least three hours, I decided it was time to prepare lunch. I planned to make braised rabbit meat with cassava starch, but first, I needed to pound the cassava to extract its juice. Although I possessed internal energy that could turn the cassava into fine powder, just like modern starch, I chose to keep this ability a secret. While I trusted my family, I wanted to reserve this skill as a trump card for crucial times. As I heard them training outside, I looked at the plate filled with cassava in my hand, pondering for a moment before heading outside with it. “ Older brother, Bal, I need you both here,” I called out. I placed all the cassava in a white katcha I found in the kitchen and placed it on a stone slab. “ What do you need?” they asked in succession. “ Eh? What is this?” They looked at the cassava with confusion. Instead of answering, I pulled them apart and positioned them on opposite ends of the stone slab. I instructed Cree to fetch some fiber ro
We ended up eating a little later than usual. All my brothers devoured their food hungrily. I could tell they appreciated the effort we put into making the dish. “ This meal is the result of our hard work and dedication. I'm savoring every last bite,” they thought, making their enjoyment quite evident once I served the plate. I couldn't help but laugh and let them have their fun. We finished every last bit of the steamed taro and braised meat. I had already taken care of all the vegetable plants in the backyard, ensuring they were thriving. Older brother and Second brother continued to prepare the small plot for planting seeds later. Uncle Jiang and Cree had just returned from the bamboo grove when I heard Elder Brother Zhong's voice calling from outside. We all washed our hands and greeted him. “ Bellona-Sister, you're quite lucky this time! Our trophies were purchased directly by a restaurant. Your pheasant fetched 30 liang, and the two big rabbits were sold for 40 liang,” he sa
We have noodles made with fine and buckwheat powder for breakfast. According to Zhong-Older brother, one jin of white rice costs 10 liang, while fine powder costs at least 5 liang. Luckily, buckwheat is much cheaper, only 2 liang for a jin. It's a luxury for a small farming family like ours to have fine rice with a meal because they usually sell all of their harvest to buy necessities. Currently, we have 3 jin of white rice, 2 jin of pine powder, and 3 jin of buckwheat flour, which is just enough for about two weeks of daily consumption. Fortunately, I have discovered a great source of cassava, but since winter is coming, I need money to buy new quilts and fuel for oil lamps. “ Uncle Jiang, are those bamboo arrows ready? I plan to head to the inner mountain this time,” I ask Uncle Jiang, whom I had previously requested to make many bamboo arrows. “ Bal, you and Cree will collect our trophies, then give them to Zhong-Older brother to sell, but please save some for us,” Seeley prot
“My beautiful Elder sister, what are you doing?” Little Cree looked at me with curiosity. I scooped the slightly softened lard from the tiger's meat and mixed it with some wood ash. Then, I asked my twin to pound the soapwort flower to extract its juice, while everyone watched me work. “This is called soap. It can be used for bathing or washing,” I explained, dividing the mixture into two portions. I asked Cree to grind some mint leaves to add to one portion, along with lemon zest and juice. “ But most importantly, it will make us rich!” I exclaimed. I had originally planned to add lavender to the other portion, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any. “ I don't know what to add to the other one to give it a sweet smell for the ladies to use,” I pondered aloud. “ Hmm. Did you see any sweet-smelling flowers anywhere in this village? I really need them,” I asked. “ I only saw wildflowers in the nearby forest. I didn't even come across a normal sunflower, so I don't think they ha
I asked Older brother to borrow some salt and pepper from Uncle He because I planned to smoke the leftover meat to preserve it. I also asked him to gives one thigh and a portion of the belly meat to them as payment. Seeley went to the mountain entrance to gather some wormwood and anahaw leaf. Uncle He went to Uncle Fred's house to deliver the meat, and I asked him to given him two thighs since he helped us carry the whole tiger all the way home. Cree and I started the fire and slowly roasted the meat. Soon, the pleasant smell of the roasted meat filled the air, making everyone's mouths water. They all returned with smiles on their faces, their eyes fixed on the barbecue meat. I noticed the sound of Little Cree's stomach growling and couldn't help but chuckle. Currently, I was cooking one thigh and the tiger's rib. We gathered around the small fire and talked freely. “ Elder sister, why don't you sing?” Little Cree, who was originally singing a folk song, asked while I played with
I asked Older brother to borrow some salt and pepper from Uncle He because I planned to smoke the leftover meat to preserve it. I also asked him to gives one thigh and a portion of the belly meat to them as payment. Seeley went to the mountain entrance to gather some wormwood and anahaw leaf. Uncle He went to Uncle Fred's house to deliver the meat, and I asked him to given him two thighs since he helped us carry the whole tiger all the way home. Cree and I started the fire and slowly roasted the meat. Soon, the pleasant smell of the roasted meat filled the air, making everyone's mouths water. They all returned with smiles on their faces, their eyes fixed on the barbecue meat. I noticed the sound of Little Cree's stomach growling and couldn't help but chuckle. Currently, I was cooking one thigh and the tiger's rib. We gathered around the small fire and talked freely. “ Elder sister, why don't you sing?” Little Cree, who was originally singing a folk song, asked while I played with
The ox cart was filled to the brim with all the things we had purchased. After buying new cotton quilts and clothes, I could only save 50 silver coins. Each of us now had two new pairs of outer clothes and one inner garment. I also bought five coarse cotton quilts. It was the largest purchase I had made since arriving in this world. With winter approaching, I needed to prepare at least four months' worth of food and supplies. Since the ox cart was already overloaded, we had to continue the journey on foot. My feet were incredibly sore, and I felt like collapsing to the ground and never getting up. But every time I had such thoughts, I looked at my “ shopping bags” and gritted my teeth, pushing through the pain. By the time we reached home, it was late in the afternoon. We had a simple meal before organizing all the goods while I headed to bed. My small body didn't have much energy left, so I could only grab a clean towel and a basin of water to wipe myself and Cree. He was already d
Uncle Jiang looked at me with a thoughtful expression as we enjoyed our meal. "Bellona, this food is absolutely delicious. Have you ever considered turning this into a business?" he asked, his eyes filled with anticipation. I pondered his words for a moment, savoring the flavors on my tongue. The thought of sharing these flavors with others and potentially earning some income intrigued me. "You know, Uncle Jiang, I think we could make a business out of it," I replied, a glimmer of excitement in my voice. "If we can secure a steady supply of pig's offal, we could sell it at the dock. People are always looking for unique and affordable food options." Uncle Jiang's face lit up with enthusiasm. "That's a brilliant idea, Bellona! We can tap into a market that others might overlook. We just need to find a reliable source for the pig's offal." I nodded in agreement. "Exactly. That's why I thought we should pay a visit to the Wang household, the butcher family. I've heard that they import m