Feng Yuanchun finally tasted the food she had been longing for.
It was a long-lost flavor.
In truth, the wild vegetable steamed buns were not tasty; they were bitter and caught in her throat. Yet, Feng Yuanchun ate them with great relish, finding them far more delicious than the meat of supernatural beasts.
After the meal, Liu Qingqiu urged her daughter, "Yuanchun, bring your small clothes for me to wash, and go keep your father company while he weaves the baskets."
"I understand, Mother."
Feng Yuanchun, still not full, went to the kitchen in a despondent mood and drank two large bowls of water, filling herself up with nothing but liquid.
Coming out of the kitchen, she asked 007 in a glum voice, "007, the system space can store the items I collect in the small worlds, right?"
"Yes, Host. It can even keep them fresh."
Hearing this, Feng Yuanchun’s lips curved upward in delight. "007, once the policies change in the future, I must go into business and earn lots of money. I’ll hoard plenty of food so that I won’t have to go hungry in the next small world."
"Host, the system shop sells food."
"There’s a system shop?" Feng Yuanchun sat down and pulled over a rattan vine. As she slowly wove a small basket based on the original host’s memories, she snapped at 007, "If there’s a shop, why didn’t you tell me sooner?"
007 replied, feeling wronged, "Host, the items in the shop must be purchased with points. You have no points; even if I told you, you couldn’t afford them."
Feng Yuanchun: "..."
She was too poor.
It was too damaging to her self-esteem.
With a gust of wind, Feng Yuanchun swept 007 into a corner and buried her head in her basket weaving.
After dinner, the Feng Family would always gather to weave baskets, crates, and winnowing fans. On the first day of every month, they would take these to the village market five miles outside of Fengjia Village to trade for daily necessities.
Feng Yuanchun did not originally know how to weave, but with the original host’s memories, her movements became proficient after just a few tries.
"Big sister, I don't know how to weave. Could you teach me?" Six-year-old Feng Yuanling brought over a small stool and sat down beside her.A thin willow switch was held in her small hand.
Yuanchun glanced at her sideways and said, "Weaving baskets takes strength. You aren't strong enough; you won't be able to do it."
"I have plenty of strength," Feng Yuanling pouted, looking unconvinced. "I can even carry a full basket of pigweed."
Feng Yuanling was the daughter of the Feng Family's third branch and the youngest child in the family.
Grandma Feng had only given birth to three sons and no daughters. The original host’s father was the second son; the original host was the eldest daughter, followed by her fifteen-year-old younger sister, Feng Yuanzhen, and her twelve-year-old younger brother, Feng Guokang.
The first branch had two sons, Feng Guoping and Feng Guo'an.
Feng Guoping had married Ding Chunli before the new year.
Feng Guo'an was twenty and had not yet found a wife.
The third branch had two sons and one daughter: Guoqiang, Feng Guojian, and Feng Yuanling.
In the previous life, when the original host was arrested, Ding Xiaotao, fearing she would be implicated, coerced and bribed Feng Laosan into moving their family to settle in her own parents' village, cutting all ties with the Feng Family.
Even when Grandma Feng passed away, Feng Laosan never returned.
"Yuanling, stop bothering your eldest sister with her basket-weaving. Come help Mother pick wild greens instead. I’ll make wild green pancakes for you tomorrow morning," Ding Xiaotao called out.
"Wild green pancakes don't taste good; I'm sick of them," Feng Yuanling pursed her lips. "I want to learn how to weave baskets so I can take them to town and trade them for candy."
Ding Xiaotao laughed in annoyance. "You little glutton. We can barely get enough to eat, and you're thinking about candy? Do you have any idea how expensive sugar is? You certainly dare to dream."
"The next time the eldest goes to the market, I'll have her trade for a few fruit candies so the children can have a treat," Grandma Feng suddenly interjected.
She wasn't doing it out of indulgence; she simply understood that if you want the horse to run, you have to feed it grass.