Chapter Eighteen Digging

  Remember in one second

  Only a few people realized it later, but looking at the lumpy sweet potato in front of them, they still couldn't believe how delicious it could be. However, as long as it's edible, it's good enough. After all, many people at that time couldn't even solve their hunger and cold.

  Zhixiao swept a glance over the flat slope, excitement overflowing, and rallied everyone's morale, saying: "Sweet potatoes are like gold in the ground, all hidden underground. If you want to eat them, you have to dig them up! What are you standing there for? Don't you move your hands? This is all money!" Zhixiao smiled complacently.

  Lan Niang was so moved by this, and along with Er Nian and Mu Tian, they were all fired up. Except for Liu Die who had to rush down the mountain to sell vegetables in the city, a group of women and children were excitedly staying behind to prepare for a big battle.

  Lan Niang went down the mountain and brought back a hoe for digging, which she distributed to several smaller ones. On this dry branch and leaf-covered ground surface, they chose their target, and with one swing of the hoe, they could find what they were looking for. Although the sweet potatoes were buried underground, in the time it took Lan Niang to go down the mountain and bring back the hoe, the three smaller ones had already figured out the trick. Underneath the bulge on the ground surface, it was almost certainly that there were sweet potatoes buried inside.

  So the calabaza was found quickly, and it grew in a bunch, with a few having seven or eight, and more than ten, each head was full, the smallest one weighed about half a kilogram, and the bigger ones could weigh over two kilograms.

  Four people worked hard with their heads down, the more they did, the more they had to do. When they were tired and thirsty halfway through, they would take a bite of that raw melon, which was crisp and refreshing, and it would quench their thirst instantly.

  Not to mention a short while, but really dug out a lot, Mu Tian ran back to the house and brought all the baskets and buckets that could be loaded, which was still far from enough. They couldn't be loaded, so they had no choice but to pile them up together first, and then transport them back slowly after finishing digging.

  It was almost noon when the four of them thought about heading back. On the way, Lian Niang was extremely satisfied with today's unexpected gain, weighing the heavy weight in her hands, and this was only a small part of it.

  "Mu Tian'er, don't rush, take a break if you can't move it. Don't be in a hurry, or you'll get tired." Lan Niang's eyes sparkled with joy, her face radiating happiness, and she was in an extremely good mood.

  "It's okay, big sister. If I get tired, I'll take a break with my brother. We can't move everything, so we won't exhaust ourselves." Erni was also sweating profusely, but she felt great, and the feeling of sweating together with her brothers made her feel particularly invigorated.

  Back at the mountain hut, Lian Niang looked at the pile of pumpkins in front of the door, which weighed at least 100 kilograms. If they were converted into food, how much rations could be saved? For now, it was only a small-scale excavation, and with a few more days' effort, who knows how many more would grow underground?

  Everything you said is like gold.

  Lan Niang thought of this, and her mood was very excited. Moreover, this grew on the mountain and had never been discovered by anyone before, which made it valuable. She understood that things are precious because they are rare. Just now, she had only eaten one, but she knew that this was unlike any food she had ever eaten before. The flavor was rich and special, and could even be used as a staple food to fill her up.

  Lan Niang went into the house, called all the younger ones to come forward, and seriously warned them not to tell others about this matter, just let a few people in their own family know.

  Knowing that the mother-in-law was guarding her with a stern expression, she secretly smiled and rolled her eyes. Who in this house would be foolish enough to speak out? The people in the village below didn't even know Xiaoxiao, let alone understand him. Even if they didn't recognize Xiaoxiao, his understanding of them was absolutely sufficient. Not to mention how he ended up living on the mountain, Erni and the others were also abandoned by the villagers, weren't they? Who had helped them out back then?

  I'm still confident about this, after several days of close observation. These two kids are still very protective of their family, and just from this point alone, it can be confirmed that they will not cause any trouble for their own family.

  But still need to take a look and then say, after all, people are not so easy to trust each other, lacking mutual understanding, can't establish these two words.

  "Daughter, don't worry." Zhi Xiao still had to comfort his mother a bit, pushing her to hurry up and cook. Mu Tian also led Zhi Xiao's servant to fetch water from the spring and ran back quickly, while Er Ni arranged the calabazas she had just washed by the river on the stove.

  Three people watched as Zhi Xiao worked. Zhi Xiao first poured water into the pot, covered it with a lid and waited for the water to boil. Then she picked out several smaller sweet potatoes about the size of her fist and threw them into the firewood behind, using a wooden stick to bury them inside. She then selected the two largest ones, peeled and chopped them into pieces, and when the water in the pot was boiling, she directly threw them in. Zhi Xiao patted her hands, mission accomplished.

  It's that simple. Knowing what to expect and being able to eat it is all that matters, no need for complicated things like silky pumpkin or pumpkin pastry, as long as she can eat it, that's enough.

  It's a good thing to know that this pumpkin is a high-yielding crop, with the same cultivation method as potatoes in the ground. Its yield is much higher than that of potatoes, and one mu can produce at least 2-3,000 kilograms. If it's not popularized here and everyone doesn't know about it, then it's obviously a good way to get rich.

  Knowing that the heart is on fire, no matter what to say, with this pumpkin seedling, waiting for next year's spring to plant again, this is making money from money, a good business that can be rolled over and over, and if it works, at least it can improve the family's economic situation.

  She's been living a tight life with her parents, and now all she can think about is having a meaty meal to satisfy her cravings. In the past when they had meat to eat, she wasn't this hungry, but now she's always thinking about where to find something to eat, feeling like she's missing out on something if she doesn't eat some. She didn't used to be like this, probably has something to do with her body knowing better.

  Zhixiao thought so, she was very sure. Moreover, her mother seemed to be not surprised by her current situation, and combined with what her mother said, Zhixiao used to grab food from others' hands when she saw someone eating snacks, and she didn't think it was a big deal, just let it go, follow the natural course of things, she still thought it was because she hadn't eaten enough.

  Zhi Xiao told Niang and Erni about the various ways of cooking pumpkin in her past life, making Mu Tian's little son drool with envy. Although she herself was almost as stingy, having such an ally made her less reluctant to let his family in.

  It just occurred to me that I should probably thank Mu Tian for wandering around on the mountain all day.

  For the days to come, it should be at least better than now when there's not even a bit of meat on the table. It will take time and labor to achieve this, money won't just appear out of thin air.

  Lan Niang and the other two, having heard about the deliciousness of the sweet potatoes, couldn't help but salivate at the aroma wafting from under the fire pit. Even Lan Niang was getting restless, and together with Mu Tian, they urged, "Is it done yet?"

  Look up at the sky and then go back to stir the pot or add some fire to make it cook faster.

  Before the earthen stove, lift the lid of the pot, and inside, accompanied by boiling spring water, a piece of yellow pumpkin is rolling around, looking extremely tempting.

  Next to Erni, she saw that Zhi Xiao had brought her head close to the steaming cauldron, and after tasting a mouthful and nodding, quickly prepared four large bowls and brought them over. Zhi Xiao scooped out the contents and Erni placed them on the table. Zhi Xiao then ran back to extinguish the flames behind, using a small wooden stick to poke at the sweet potatoes inside, which seemed not yet fully cooked. Although they looked quite different from the roasted sweet potatoes she had seen in her previous life, they still tasted just as good inside. She made a mental note to pay attention to the cooking time next time. Zhi Xiao let them stay inside for another half an hour.

  Ran back to the table quickly, in front of everyone was a large bowl, emitting the fragrance of pumpkin, although not as thick as roasted pumpkin, the meat-colored apricot yellow floated in the bowl, scooped up and put into the mouth, the taste was sweet and soft, smooth and refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste.

  All three of them couldn't stop praising, sweet food was rarely available to eat, sugar was still a relatively precious ingredient at that time, usually only when there were children in the family would they occasionally buy some for their sister's craving, ordinary people wouldn't be willing to spend money on it. Now, looking at the golden fruit pulp in the bowl, this was like a beautiful sweet dish presented before her.

  It was indeed delicious, she raised her head, gazed at her daughter, and seemed to know that something was a little different from before.

  "Let's eat first and then go dig later." Mu Tian couldn't wait any longer. However, they received unanimous agreement from the others, who were puzzled and asked: "Why?"

  Zhī xiǎo stared at Mù Tiān for half a day, making Mù Tiān feel embarrassed and lower his head. With a blush, he raised his head again, still not knowing why. Zhī xiǎo said: "I want to eat meat."

  "But the meat on my body is not good to eat." Mu Tian jumped up and dodged, avoiding the slap that Zhi Xiao had almost slapped him with. Having been bullied by this annoying Zhi Xiao recently, his first reaction upon hearing this was that she wanted to bully him again.

  "Who wants to eat your flesh is a wild boar! This afternoon, you little devil and I will go dig a big pit together, make a trap for it, cover the top of the pit with weeds and dry leaves, and throw in a few sweet potatoes. I think we can catch it."

  "This is a good idea, wait for your mother to do it with you." Lan Niang's mind was quick-witted, and she estimated that if they really caught the wild boar, they would be able to save a lot of money this New Year's, and even sell some if there was too much to eat.

  "Pork and cabbage dumplings, pork stew with noodles... Mu Tian counted the dishes he had eaten before that were made with pork."

  Knowing he was counting on his chin to help him count how many he had eaten, but after waiting for half a day without seeing any progress, this unlucky child.

  Erni is very touched, now living with her brother is much easier than before.

  At that time, she was only five years old and didn't know what was going on. She held her mother's hand, which was covered in tears, and was driven out of the house. All she remembered was that her ruthless father had thrown a piece of paper at her mother, who trembled with fear, followed by a fierce argument. Soon after, her father ordered someone to pack up their belongings and they were both chased out.

  It's that simple, without regard for the wife who has been with him through thick and thin for several years, or his own daughter who was driven out of the house.

  It wasn't until later that she found out her mother had been divorced by him, with the ridiculous reason being barren and unable to give birth to a son for their family. May he never know in this lifetime that there is still a younger brother who shares his bloodline, may he forever not have children to send him off in death.

  The letter was found among her mother's belongings after her death, which she had treasured and kept close to her.

  She couldn't help but laugh at the thought of that scene when she saw that piece of paper, and the thin divorce agreement had long been crumpled into a pile of paper scraps by her.

  But now it's okay, life is tough but they have a stable home.

  （