My best friend is living a famine-stricken life; you're going crazy, I'm farming.

The two walked quite a distance.

Long Aotian didn't get anything, so Yang Fenglan started to urge him on, "Master Long, keep trying! You're supposed to be a treasure-hunting system, how can you find treasure if you can't even find some food?"

“That’s right, Master Long, you haven’t gotten so used to the leisurely life on the mountain that you’ve forgotten how to search for treasure, have you?” Xu Yingying teased.

Taking the opportunity, Yang Fenglan offered another piece of candy, "I don't think so. Our Master Long is such an amazing system, isn't he? Even if he's idle, he won't forget his roots, right, Master Long?"

"That's right!" Long Aotian said arrogantly, hands on his hips, staring at Xu Yingying with ill intent. "You unlucky bastard, just you wait and see if I can find treasure!"

After walking a few more minutes, Long Aotian suddenly excitedly shook his arms, shouting, "[Houttuynia cordata! Houttuynia cordata! And tree tomatoes!]"

After saying that, he turned to Yang Fenglan and Xu Yingying, tilting his chin up as if to say, "Praise me!"

Yang Fenglan naturally gave it plenty of emotional value: "What did you say? Tree tomato? You mean the tree tomato that grows on trees, with a sour and particularly fragrant taste? And houttuynia cordata, it's so delicious in cold salads or stir-fries with cured meat!"

Yes, that's exactly what you said.

"Master Long, I love you to death! You're a genius!" Yang Fenglan winked at Xu Yingying.

Xu Yingying: "Hehe, he's a fucking genius."

Long Aotian was overjoyed. "Come quick, come quick! I'll take you to find it. Watch your step, there's a python ahead!"

Upon hearing the word "python," Yang Fenglan stopped in her tracks. "Well, no rush. We don't have baskets. Let's get the chestnuts back first and come back to pick tree tomatoes next time."

Xu Yingying was also afraid of snakes. "Yes, yes, anyway, they won't run away from the tree."

The tree tomato didn't run away, but Xu Yingying and Yang Fenglan did.

It felt like a ghost was chasing us.

Zhou Jingyi and Xu Dazhu returned and picked up all the chestnuts that the children had gathered together, filling two large baskets to the brim.

Today was very fruitful.

When I got home, the sun hadn't set yet.

Everyone was hungry now because they hadn't eaten much in the morning. Lin Cuiniang first cooked a pot of chestnuts to fill everyone's stomachs before slowly starting to cook the main meal.

We ate rice yesterday, and today we're steaming buns.

Yang Fenglan said, "Cui Niang, steam a lot more for tomorrow morning."

"Row."

Lin Cuiniang added another large bowl of flour to the basin before starting to knead the dough.

The others weren't idle either.

Xiao Yuanshan fetched water, Yang Fenglan and Xu Yingying peeled bamboo shoots with the children, and Zhou Jingyi was assigned to watch over the vegetable garden.

Xu Dazhu felt ignored, as everyone was busy with their own tasks. Feeling uncomfortable, he took the initiative to go into the kitchen to help with the cooking.

Yesterday's chicken had nothing to eat and was listless from hunger. When Xiao Yuanshan brought back water and saw it, he suggested that they eat the chicken.

The children naturally had no objections, but Yang Fenglan and Lin Cuiniang were a little reluctant to part with it, as it was a hen and they wanted to keep it to lay eggs.

But I can't bear to feed them grain.

In the end, the chicken was still put into the pot.

We ate chestnut stewed chicken again, this time with bamboo shoots added, and served with big white steamed buns. It was even more sumptuous than what everyone ate during the New Year down the mountain.

Despite it being a year of famine, everyone's complexion was rosy from eating so much.

……

Yang Fenglan was thinking about tree tomatoes and houttuynia cordata, so as soon as it was light, she called Xu Yingying to go pick tree tomatoes.

Remembering what Long Aotian had said about the giant python there yesterday, Xu Yingying became frightened and turned to call Zhou Jingyi.

"Nephew, come with us to find wild vegetables."

"Okay." Zhou Jingyi was no longer bothered by the matter of whether or not he was a nephew.

Even if he said he didn't like the nickname, Xu Yingying wouldn't change it, so why bring it up and make herself angry again?