Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 18

After lunch, Song Tan picked up a basket and decided to go dig up some wild vegetables.

The sky was still gloomy, and with temperatures around ten degrees, it wasn’t warm without the sun. During such weather, most families stayed indoors by the fire, and few ventured outside.

Wu Lan looked at the large basket her daughter was carrying and felt a pang of sympathy for her daughter’s recent hard work. “You don’t have to go so early to dig wild vegetables. Go in the evening so they’ll be fresh for tomorrow. Besides, there aren’t many in this weather, so it’ll be quick to gather.”

Song Tan remembered the thick green patches by the hillside pond and thought that if it weren’t for the spiritual energy, she wouldn’t need to be so proactive.

But now she took Qiao Qiao with her. “It’s okay, Mom. You can start making dumplings. I feel that today’s shepherd’s purse is particularly fresh.”

Seeing her daughter insisting on going, Wu Lan didn’t stop her, but she muttered, “It’s the same shepherd’s purse. How different can it be from yesterday to today?”

She sat by the stove, planning to sort through the shepherd’s purse they dug up in the morning. However, as soon as she picked it up, she noticed something unusual.

“Why does this look so good?”

…

Qiao Qiao was indeed a good helper. He exchanged a basket of vegetables for an episode of Peppa Pig, and before long, he came back with a basket full of shepherd’s purse.

The green, tender vegetables looked delicious and quite impressive.

Song Sancheng was helping to sort the vegetables. When he took the basket, he was stunned. “Didn’t we say there weren’t many yesterday? How did they grow so fast after one rain?”

This was a large basket. The shepherd’s purse, small as each plant was, was piled densely together, filling the basket to the brim, wobbling as if it might spill over.

Qiao Qiao didn’t understand much about this but felt proud. “There are so many more!”

He thought, even though his sister wasn’t good at farming, it didn’t matter. Qiao Qiao could dig up vegetables now!

Qiao Qiao would take care of her!

Feeling heroic, he didn’t bother with Peppa Pig and grabbed two empty baskets to head out again.

Meanwhile, at home, Song Sancheng emptied the basket and weighed the shepherd’s purse. “Wow, this must be over ten pounds!”

Wu Lan was also surprised but said, “It just rained, so these vegetables are soaked and a bit muddy. It’s probably around ten pounds.”

That was still quite a lot.

Ten pounds of vegetables, sold at ten yuan per pound, would be a hundred yuan.

…

Digging wild vegetables took a full three hours, and when Song Tan returned, it was already past four in the afternoon.

Coincidentally, as soon as she got back, it started raining again.

The family of four didn’t bother with making dumplings. They hurried to sort the wild vegetables.

The vegetables, grown with spiritual energy, looked incredibly fresh and appetizing. Song Tan believed they could sell for ten yuan per pound. She then revealed her business strategy:

“Mom, just sort them lightly, rinse off the mud, but don’t cut off all the roots. Tie them up with some grass. One bundle should weigh one and two-tenths of a pound, so they won’t lose weight by tomorrow.”

Wu Lan was initially planning to clean each vegetable thoroughly, thinking it would take a long time.

But with Song Tan’s instructions, she couldn’t help but wonder, “If each pound only has about eight-tenths of a pound edible, can you still sell it for ten yuan?”

Why not?

Song Tan opened a shopping app, showing that locally delivered lettuce was selling for 14.8 yuan per pound.

“These are wild vegetables! Fresh, with a bit of soil and moisture. Ten yuan is a bargain!”

“Remember last spring’s toon sprouts? They sold for fifty to sixty yuan per pound and were sold by the ounce.”

That made sense.

Wu Lan thought for a moment. “Alright, since there’s no cost, you can try selling them. If they don’t sell, we can blanch and dry them, then freeze them for the New Year.”

The family divided the tasks.

Song Sancheng handled the muddy parts, Wu Lan sorted the vegetables, Song Tan weighed them, and Qiao Qiao tied each bundle neatly with long grass.

By the time it was completely dark, the wild vegetables were finally sorted. They weighed them again—

Wow!

Chrysanthemum greens, purslane, shepherd’s purse, watercress, wild onions—80 bundles in total, weighing about a hundred pounds!

Song Sancheng changed his mind immediately. “Why don’t we rent a car tomorrow? Although it costs 200 yuan for a round trip, they pick you up at the door. Otherwise, with so many vegetables, how would we get a ride?”

The costs would increase, though.

Song Tan decided quickly. “Let’s do it!”

“By the way, Dad, I’ll bring Qiao Qiao with me tomorrow.”

Song Sancheng instinctively opposed. “Why bring Qiao Qiao? You’re going to do business, and if he starts making a fuss…”

But before he could finish, Qiao Qiao protested loudly. “Qiao Qiao wants to sell vegetables!”

“Qiao Qiao won’t make a fuss!”

“Qiao Qiao wants to go out!”

Wu Lan thought for a moment and sighed. “Alright, take him along. He should see new environments. Otherwise, he’s always in the village with no one to play with.”

Occasionally taking him to the city meant enduring people’s stares… Wu Lan felt heartache.

Song Tan pretended not to hear the sorrow in her words.

The night she gained spiritual energy, she tried it out. Qiao Qiao… he hadn’t fully developed even in the womb. Even if she perfected her cultivation, there was nothing she could do.

She could only ensure he was healthy and didn’t get sick often. Alongside plenty of exercise—what was wrong with the intelligence of a six-year-old? There were many sensible six-year-olds!

So she happily patted Qiao Qiao. “Good Qiao Qiao! I knew you were the smartest! You must help out well tomorrow.”

Qiao Qiao agreed proudly, in a very loud voice.

The family had been busy all day and finally felt their stomachs growling. However, their backs ached from sorting the vegetables, and Chef Wu Lan sighed wearily.

“Alright, we didn’t have time to freeze the dumplings this afternoon. Let’s just eat those.”

Song Tan also wanted to taste today’s shepherd’s purse. “Mom, make more.”

Wu Lan initially planned to cook the same amount as in the morning, but with Song Tan’s request, she muttered about the family’s large appetite while still cooking an extra bowl’s worth.

When the dumplings were ready, everyone widened their eyes at the first bite.

Qiao Qiao kicked his legs excitedly. “So good! So good, Mom!”

He kept saying it, even as he was scalded and grimaced but didn’t spit out the food, holding his bowl tightly.

“The best in the world!”

Song Sancheng devoured half a bowl in one go, then sighed with satisfaction. “Yes, why are these dumplings so good today?”

Song Tan was overjoyed. After so many days back, she finally tasted pure, unadulterated food today. She could eat three bowls!

Only Wu Lan ate while thinking—

The dumpling filling this afternoon was the same as usual!

Could the shepherd’s purse taste so good after just one spring rain?

She hurriedly finished her meal, then took a handful from each type of wild vegetable and went back to the kitchen. When she returned with a plate, the dumplings had been completely devoured.

Only Song Sancheng looked at her eagerly. “I’m still hungry… Can we eat more?”