Chapter 20

The clay basin, identical to the one owned by the Chen family, cost thirty-six wen at the general store. Sang Luo wheedled and cajoled until the shopkeeper finally relented and knocked two wen off the price.

Sang Luo bought the clay basin and two and a half liters of millet. The fifty copper coins she had felt so heavy in her sleeve pocket just moments ago had been spent in the blink of an eye, leaving not a single cash behind. Yet, as she cradled the new basin filled with millet, her heartache vanished, replaced by an irrepressible sense of satisfaction.

Finally, they had food and a few possessions to their name.

Shen An and Shen Ning crowded around, stroking the basin and the millet, overcome with delight.

"Big Sister-in-law, let me carry it."
"No, let me, let me!"

The siblings vied for the chance to hold the basin. Seeing this, Chen Youtian’s weary face softened into a smile. "Why carry it all that way? It’s heavy. Just put it in the bucket; it won't be a burden to carry on the pole."

Shen An shook his head repeatedly, grinning foolishly. "Uncle Youtian, it’s not heavy. If I get tired, you can help me carry it for a bit then."

Shen Ning chimed in, "Me too, me too! If Second Brother gets tired, I'll take over. We'll take turns."

The two siblings went back and forth, quickly deciding who would carry it for the first stretch and who would take the next. Sang Luo found their enthusiasm amusing and let them be. She handed the basin to Shen An, her gaze drifting toward the pork stall across from the general store.

She didn't know how long it had been since the original owner of this body had tasted a drop of oil or fat, but the mere sight of the pork stall triggered a wave of intense, ravenous hunger. Thinking of the bottom of the salt jar in their thatched hut, she couldn't help but swallow hard as she looked at the meat. The original owner hadn't tasted meat since the famine began; just the thought of it made her stomach churn with a sickening, hollow ache.

Tomorrow. She would find a way to earn more money tomorrow.

Sang Luo asked Chen Youtian, "Uncle Youtian, does that pork stall sell meat even when it’s not a market day?"

Chen Youtian looked over, noticing Sang Luo staring at the stall with eyes that seemed almost green with hunger. He paused, then nodded. "Yes, they do. There are dozens of villages around here, and that’s the only pork stall; they sell meat every day."

The two children, who were holding the clay basin of millet as if it were a pot of gold, had their attention pulled away from their new belongings. They looked at Sang Luo, then followed her gaze to the pork stall.

*Gulp.* They swallowed hard, audibly.

"Big Sister-in-law, do we still have any money?" The children didn't know how to count well, but they knew the basin and the millet they held were expensive.

Sang Luo shook her head firmly. "No, but we can earn more."

Shen An looked a bit dazed. He glanced at the meat stall, then down at the grain in his arms. He swallowed twice more before saying, "Big Sister-in-law, meat is expensive. If we get more money, let's buy more grain."

He had been truly terrified by hunger. He had lived through days of eating chaff, and even days when there was no chaff to be had. Only grain could give him a sense of security. But meat—the very thought of it made his mouth water uncontrollably, leaving him feeling both ravenous and faint.

Shen An looked away, fixing his eyes on the millet in the basin, repeating to himself: *Grain is good. Grain is the best. There is nothing better than grain!*

Shen Ning was even worse; her eyes were glued to the butcher’s counter, and she swallowed repeatedly.

Sang Luo patted them both. "We’ll buy grain, and we’ll eat meat, too. Take it one step at a time. We don't need to gorge ourselves on meat right away, but buying some fatty pork to render into lard is necessary."

If they continued to eat only wild herbs without any fat for months on end, their bodies would surely collapse. One look at their withered, yellow, and coarse hair was proof enough.

"Let’s go. Next time I earn some money, we’ll buy some, and I’ll make you some pork cracklings."

Chen Youtian, who had initially thought Sang Luo was being too extravagant, looked at the three of them—so thin they looked like refugees—and realized he had misjudged the situation. *Of course.* Since Shen Lie had gone to serve in the military, the children's lives had become significantly worse. This year, with word that Shen Lie was gone and the children being cast out with Sang Luo, they likely hadn't tasted a drop of oil in ages.

Watching the two children walk on either side of Sang Luo, swallowing saliva while happily chatting with their sister-in-law and turning back to greet him, Chen Youtian sighed and shouldered his pole, following silently behind.

As he walked, he thought of his own eldest son, who had been conscripted to the front lines just like Shen Lie and had never returned. He had thought that enough time had passed—so long that he didn't dare think about it anymore—but in that instant, the grief he had buried and suppressed broke like a dam, crashing over him.

He walked a few steps, then quickly lifted the hand resting on the carrying pole to press against his eyes. He stayed that way for a long moment, suppressing the stinging ache until his vision cleared, before continuing onward.

***

By the time they neared Ten-Mile Village, it was mid-morning. While they were still a distance from the village entrance, Sang Luo stopped.

She pointed to a small path leading into the mountains. "Uncle Youtian, I’ll take this way back. We’ll part ways here. Thank you for today. Please take the bucket back yourself; I’ll bring the other clay basin to your house later."

Chen Youtian paused, wanting to say the mountain path was much longer, but he quickly realized her intent and nodded. "Alright."

He set down the buckets, took out the large wooden spoon and bamboo tubes that belonged to them, and handed them over. Then, they parted ways.

Shen Ning was puzzled. Once Chen Youtian was further off, she looked up and whispered, "Big Sister-in-law, why are we taking the mountain path?"

Sang Luo looked at her without answering, turning instead to Shen An. "What do you think, Xiao An?"

Shen Ning turned to look at her second brother.

Shen An looked at the clay basin in his arms. "Big Sister-in-law doesn't want the villagers to know we have money to buy grain, right?"

Sang Luo smiled. The boy was truly sharp. Seeing his sister-in-law’s reaction, Shen An knew he had guessed correctly. Being a child, he couldn't help but beam.

Shen Ning wasn't as thoughtful or observant as her brother, but she wasn't slow. Recalling her brother’s warning from two days ago, she looked around and lowered her voice. "Big Sister-in-law, we can't let the villagers know we’re making money from the 'immortal tofu,' right?"

She was a clever little thing. Sang Luo pinched Shen Ning’s nose. "Very smart!"

She snapped a branch from the roadside to clear the path, leading the siblings into the mountain trail. "Our home is too small, and we don't even have a courtyard wall. It’s best not to draw attention to ourselves if we can avoid it."

The siblings’ smiles faded into worry. Seeing this, Sang Luo laughed gently to reassure them. "Don't worry too much. There are few people in our village, and not many go to the market. It’s only once every five days; it’s not that easy to run into people. Even if we do, it doesn't matter. They won't be able to figure out how we make it so quickly. It’s just that being watched is a nuisance; it makes everything we do afterwards much harder."

The siblings thought about how their sister-in-law added ash water to the leaf juice—indeed, no one would ever guess that was the key to making the tofu. Their worries eased, and they nodded in unison. "We’ll be careful, Big Sister-in-law."

As they walked through the mountains, Sang Luo gathered more leaves whenever she spotted an "immortal tree." Seeing this, Shen An set down the basin, and he and his sister helped pick leaves. "Are we going to eat this for lunch?"

Sang Luo shook her head. "We had it this morning. We can't eat it every single meal. We'll have mallow porridge for lunch." At their current standard of living, white rice was out of reach, but porridge would do.

Shen Ning glanced at the basket on Sang Luo’s back. "Big Sister-in-law, can we have stewed eggplant?"

The children hadn't eaten eggplant in months. It wasn't a rare vegetable—every household in Ten-Mile Village grew it—but they didn't have any. Now that they had some, they were naturally craving it.

Sang Luo looked at Shen Ning. "Are you craving eggplant, A-Ning?"

Shen Ning nodded vigorously. "It's been so long. Stewed eggplant is so fragrant." As she spoke, she swallowed again.

Sang Luo laughed aloud. Seeing the girl blush, she said, "I’m craving it too. But stewed eggplant is only fragrant if you add oil and soy sauce. If you only have salt, it’s just boiled eggplant. That would be a waste of these eggplants."

"So, we won't eat the eggplant today." Seeing the girl’s visible disappointment, Sang Luo smiled. "When I buy meat, I’ll render the fat, mince some lean meat, and make minced meat stewed eggplant. Then we’ll find some perilla or mint leaves to chop up and sprinkle on top. I promise you'll want to swallow your own tongue, it'll be so delicious."

Shen An and Shen Ning looked as if they were ready to swallow their tongues just hearing the description. *Vegetables don't keep long in this heat, so does that mean Big Sister-in-law will buy meat in the next two days?*

The siblings exchanged glances, neither daring to ask, fearing they had misunderstood or that they would put pressure on her.

Shen An changed the subject. "Big Sister-in-law, then why are we picking these leaves?"

Seeing their expressions, Sang Luo didn't push. She smiled and answered, "We’ll make some more immortal tofu to send to Grandpa and Grandma Chen this evening. It’s a thank-you for Uncle Youtian helping us carry our load today. We can't let them do all that work for nothing."

The siblings nodded vigorously. If Grandma Chen hadn't lent them the basin and bucket, they wouldn't have been able to set up their stall today, let alone earn enough to buy a basin, millet, eggs, cloth, and vegetables. Thinking of the vegetables reminded them of the minced meat eggplant, and their mouths began to water again.

Sang Luo laughed and stopped teasing them. "Also, we’ll go back to the market tomorrow. Let’s see if I can earn enough to buy that meat."

The siblings looked up at her simultaneously, their eyes shining. Shen Ning suppressed her excitement. "But Big Sister-in-law, tomorrow isn't a market day."

Sang Luo nodded. "That’s why we won't make much—just twelve blocks. We’ll pack them in the clay basins and carry them in the basket. We’ll hawk them in Three-Mile Village. That’ll be enough to earn money for meat and soy sauce."

"I know, like a peddler!" Shen An’s voice was full of excitement. Three-Mile Village was much wealthier than theirs. So much tofu had sold out in just an hour today, and many people still didn't know what it was. Shen An believed that even if it wasn't a market day, they would surely sell it.

With that thought, he began picking leaves even faster. "Big Sister-in-law, shouldn't we make a bit more? Maybe sixteen blocks? That fits perfectly into two clay basins. You carry one, and A-Ning and I will carry the other, just like today. We’ll take turns!"

Earning money to buy meat! Beside him, Shen Ning nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! I can carry it."

Sang Luo looked at the two beaming children, then at the clay basin they had carried home so carefully. They were more capable than she had imagined. She raised an eyebrow. *Well... that could work.* If they really couldn't carry it, she could always take one of the basins herself for a stretch.

She nodded.

The two children were so happy they nearly jumped, but remembering Sang Luo’s instruction to keep their business quiet, they suppressed their cheers and just bounced around in place. Shen Ning, standing close to Sang Luo, had the sudden urge to lean against her.

*Big Sister-in-law is the best!*