Chapter 207
Chapter 207
Once Jiang Yunsui became familiar with the local children, she grew even bolder.
She jumped into the water with them to catch fish. They found only small fish, shrimp, crabs, and the like.
“These taste best deep-fried,” Jiang Yunsui declared.
Lin Shitou said, “Of course fried food tastes good, but Mother never wants to use too much oil when she cooks.”
The other children nodded.
Most people here used lard. They rendered it once a year, then stretched that supply through the entire year.
As far as Jiang Yunsui knew, pigs in this era were not castrated. They grew slowly and carried an unpleasant smell.
There was not much fat on each pig to render into lard.
“Don’t you have rapeseed?”
Surely they grew it here too.
“We do. We take the seeds to town and sell them. They pay almost nothing for rapeseed, but rapeseed oil is really expensive. Our parents can’t bear to buy it.”
Jiang Yunsui understood. The aristocratic clans controlled the oil-pressing methods.
Ji Yan’an and the others never avoided discussing important matters in front of her. Though she had not deliberately studied these things, such exposure and practical experience had taught her more than an ordinary child knew.
Besides, her soul was not truly that of a five-year-old. What she remembered did not usually vanish from her mind at once.
Except lessons from books.
She made a note of this. Her little friends were so pitiful. They were not even free to eat oil.
“You can press oil from peanuts too.”
“Peanut oil is delicious. Peanuts can also become peanut butter. You can stir-fry them, deep-fry them, or boil them. Add a little salt when boiling them and they’ll taste wonderful. Wow… every part of a peanut is useful.”
“Sunflower seeds are tasty too.”
Jiang Yunsui had not eaten much to begin with. By talking about food, she successfully made herself hungry again.
“I’m hungry. When are we going back to eat?”
She rubbed her stomach.
Lin Shitou scratched his head. “You haven’t eaten?”
Jiang Yunsui gave him a resentful look. “I came out to find food, but then I saw you and we talked for a while, and after that I ended up here.”
“Then let’s find something in the mountains. I remember mango trees over there, and figs. There are plenty of fruits in the mountains.”
They were wild and not very large, but that was good enough.
The other children heard Jiang Yunsui wanted wild fruit and immediately decided to join them.
“What about those?”
Jiang Yunsui pointed at the cattle, sheep, ducks, and geese.
“We can tie the cattle and sheep to trees. The ducks and geese won’t run away. Even if they do, they’ll go home when it’s time.”
That settled the matter for Jiang Yunsui.
They walked along a mountain path, picking edible mushrooms whenever they found them.
“There are termite mushrooms over there. Suisui, let’s dig up lots of them.”
Jiang Yunsui shook her head. “No. You dig them.”
She could grow her own, and hers were better than these!
Little Mushroom thought proudly.
While her friends dug mushrooms, she looked around.
There were pretty stones here too.
Her collecting habit flared. She immediately crouched and searched for stones whose shapes and colors pleased her.
After placing three inside her little embroidered pouch, she dusted off her hands and stood. Then she spotted something wonderful.
“Shitou! Lin Shitou, come look! Over there…”
The children put their mushrooms into the baskets and came over. They followed her pointing finger but saw nothing.
“What?”
“I don’t see anything.”
Jiang Yunsui stared back blankly.
She had forgotten her eyesight was far better than theirs.
“Over there. There are lots of bees. There must be a hive.”
Jiang Yunsui had been stung more than once, but the thought of sweet honey still made her willing to take the risk.
She healed quickly anyway.
“Really? Where? Why can’t we see them?”
“It’s a little far. My eyes are really good. Come on, I’ll take you.”
Jiang Yunsui chose the direction and led the children onward with great vigor.
The deeper they went, the more worried everyone became.
“Yunsui, how much farther? Mother says there are wild beasts and poisonous snakes in the mountains. It’s dangerous. We’re not allowed to go this deep.”
Jiang Yunsui, who had blundered into dangerous places several times, blinked.
“Oh. Right. Sprinkle some of this on yourselves. Then venomous insects and snakes won’t come near you.”
“It isn’t much farther, but if there are wild beasts… maybe we should go back.”
Jiang Yunsui herself did not mind. She could escape a beast.
But these children were ordinary. Better not risk it.
She felt annoyed with herself.
“Let’s go back.”
Lin Shitou thought of the honey and badly wanted a taste.
They all believed there was a hive nearby now, because more bees had begun appearing.
He was about to argue that they had already come this far when his eyes widened.
“Wild boars!”
His shrill cry rang through the forest. The children stared at the animals that had already noticed them.
Three full-grown wild boars!
They were doomed!
The children scattered in panic.
Jiang Yunsui froze as well.
Then she drew a deep breath. “Run! I’ll draw their attention!”
She had brought these people here. This disaster was her fault, so she had to make sure they escaped safely.
Jiang Yunsui ran in another direction, releasing a clump of Imperial Flowing Essence from her open palm as she went.
The three boars caught the alluring scent. Sure enough, they ignored Lin Shitou and the others and charged after Jiang Yunsui.
The children were completely stupefied.
“What do we do? What can we do?”
Several older children raised the sickles they used to cut fodder.
One boy said, “I know where there’s a trap in this forest. Go get the adults. I’ll find Jiang Yunsui.”
“I’m coming too!”
Everyone holding a blade insisted on joining him.
Lin Shitou led those who remained down the mountain to summon help.
The older children chased in the direction the boars had gone.
They ran for a long time without catching up.
All of them were amazed. How could Jiang Yunsui’s little legs run so fast?
“The boars are over there!”
Hidden nearby, Jiang Yunsui fell speechless.
Why were you following? You were supposed to leave!
“Where’s Jiang Yunsui?”
The boys turned pale. The boars were searching for her too. Failing to find the girl, they noticed the boys instead.
The boys tightened their grips on their weapons.
Jiang Yunsui slapped her forehead.
“I’m here! Run! I can get away!”
“Jiang Yunsui!”
One of the boys spotted her, his expression lighting with relief.
“There’s a trap over there. We’ll lure the boars into it!”
“Run! They’re coming!”
Now that they had a solution, the boys fought down their panic and ran toward the marked location.
They often raced through these mountains and were not slow. Sometimes they used the surrounding trees to block the boars’ path.