When they returned home, Sun Linglong took out the sealwort she had dug up and began to clean it. The cleaned sealwort looked a bit like ginger, only larger.
Sun Youyong, having finished putting away the firewood, hurried over to take the rest of the roots. "Little sister, you should rest. This water is freezing."
"Second Brother, let me do it. You go and dress the wild chicken. I'll make you all some sealwort stewed chicken for lunch to build up your strength."
Sun Youyong set the sealwort down and grabbed the wild chicken to gut and clean it.
"Little sister, why does this sealwort look so much like ginger?"
Sun Linglong just smiled and didn't answer. Sun Wanwan crouched beside her, helping with the cleaning. They had dug up about twenty catties of sealwort, and Sun Linglong had set aside two for the stew. Sun Youyong soon finished cleaning the chicken.
Once Sun Linglong had put the remaining sealwort away, they moved to the kitchen. Inside, Sun Youyong and Sun Linglong worked in coordination: she sliced the sealwort, and he chopped the chicken. Seeing that everything was ready, Sun Wanwan sensibly started the fire.
Sealwort stewed chicken is best made in an earthenware pot, but with their limited resources, Sun Linglong had to make do with a large iron pot. She blanched the chicken first, rinsed off the impurities, added two ladles of well water, and once it came to a boil, tossed in the chicken and the sealwort.
After half an hour of simmering, a rich, savory aroma of chicken soup filled the kitchen. Sun Linglong lifted the lid; the soup was a brilliant golden hue, with a layer of chicken fat shimmering on top. Their family rarely had meat throughout the year; this was a true tonic.
Sun Youyong made sure the door was bolted tight, terrified that the scent might waft over to the neighbors. In these times, when every household struggled for enough food and clothing, eating meat would surely invite jealousy. If someone reported them to the commune, it would damage Sun Dawei’s position as the brigade leader. Sun Youyong understood this all too well, which is why he was always careful whenever he brought home wild game.
When the sealwort had softened and the chicken was perfectly tender, Sun Linglong covered the pot and waited for the rest of the family to return.
As soon as her shift ended, Zhang Guifen hurried home, completely ignoring Sun Dawei behind her. She worried about her Linglong—she was weak, and she didn't even know if she had managed to get out of bed. Sun Dawei followed close behind, shaking his head helplessly. Behind him trailed Sun Youcai, Kong Li, and Song Linlin. The three of them exchanged glances and couldn't help but smile.
As soon as they pushed the door open, they were hit by the scent of chicken soup. Song Linlin’s expression tightened, and she quickly shut the door behind them.
"My precious, why are you out of bed? You aren't feeling well, you should be resting." Zhang Guifen hugged Sun Linglong, then turned to glare at Sun Youyong. "You brat, didn't you know how to take care of her? Making Linglong get up to cook—I don't know how you call yourself a brother."
"Mother, I wanted to get up myself. Besides, Second Brother is amazing; he caught the wild chicken."
Zhang Guifen’s expression softened. "Alright, if our girl says so, then it’s fine."
Sun Dawei stepped forward and lifted the lid. "What good thing has Linglong made for us? I smelled it the moment we walked in." He couldn't help but swallow as he looked at the golden chicken soup. The entire family’s appetite was piqued.
"Father, let’s eat."
Sun Linglong had cooked a pot of white rice, using up all their supply. Zhang Guifen’s heart gave a jolt; her fingers trembled as she pointed at the rice. "My girl, this..." She had intended to make that stretch for another half a month! Her heart ached for their savings.
"Mother, if Little Sister wants to eat it, let her. I'll go buy some more at the market tomorrow," Sun Youcai interjected, fearing his mother would get angry at his sister.
"Oh!" Zhang Guifen let out a long sigh. It wasn't that she didn't want to buy white rice. She managed the household finances and knew exactly how much they had. The family had saved for over a decade and only had a few dozen yuan to show for it. With white rice costing two yuan and fifty cents a catty, it was a luxury they couldn't afford.
"Mother, let’s eat first. I have some good news to share later." Understanding her mother's worries, Sun Linglong pulled her to the table and ladled a full bowl of soup for everyone, placing the bowl of chicken in the center. She had cooked enough white rice for everyone to have a full bowl.
"My precious, you eat more. I’m not hungry," Zhang Guifen said, trying to push some of her rice into Sun Linglong’s bowl, but the girl refused.
"Mother, you eat. The fields need to be sown soon, and you, Father, and the brothers have been working so hard. You need the strength." Zhang Guifen couldn't win against her daughter’s insistence and was deeply moved.
"Eat up. It’s the child's heart," Sun Dawei said. After he spoke, the family bowed their heads and took a sip of the soup.
"Little sister, you’re incredible! This soup is amazing!" Sun Youcai’s eyes lit up; it was the best chicken soup he had ever tasted.
Sun Youyong picked up a piece of sealwort and took a bite as if he were ready to face his doom. Once softened, the sealwort tasted much like a white radish, without any strange aftertaste.
"What is this?" Kong Li took a bite, looking confused. It wasn't quite like radish—the flavor was mild, not particularly delicious, but certainly not bad.
"This is the good news I wanted to tell you." Sun Linglong smiled and picked up a piece of the root. "This is sealwort. It’s a medicinal herb that fights fatigue, boosts the immune system, nourishes the lungs, and strengthens the kidneys. Many pharmacies are buying it."
"I found a lot of wild sealwort in the mountains, and the pharmacy is paying five yuan a catty!"
Zhang Guifen stood up, stunned. "Is that true?"
"This is wonderful! Our family has hope now," Kong Li said, tears of joy streaming down her face.
Sun Youcai slapped the table. "Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go dig it up!"
Sun Youyong pulled him back down. "Big Brother, don't be hasty. Listen to Little Sister first."
"Father, Mother, Brother—we should go to work as usual so as not to arouse suspicion. As for the sealwort, Second Brother and I will handle the digging. We already brought back dozens of catties today. Tomorrow is market day, and we plan to go to the pharmacy to test the waters. Besides, no one else here knows what sealwort looks like, so there’s no need to panic."
Calmed by Sun Linglong’s words, Zhang Guifen and Sun Youcai finally sat back down.
"Me too! I can help Auntie dig!" Sun Wanwan chimed in, afraid of being left out. Everyone burst into laughter, and the tension in the room vanished.
"Alright, eat up before it gets cold," Sun Dawei said, maintaining his composure as a brigade leader. Though, had Sun Linglong not noticed his trembling hands, she might have actually believed he was calm.
After the meal, Zhang Guifen wouldn't let Sun Linglong touch the dishes, so she headed out to the yard to rest and watch the moon.
"Little sister, can you let me take some of the sealwort to sell tomorrow?" Sun Youyong asked. He had felt the effects of the sealwort from the soup—his exhausted body felt much more recovered. Now, he truly believed in its power.
"Of course," she replied.