037. Rare Medicinal Herbs, Vegetables

A soft hiss sounded as the match struck and flared to life, casting a small tuft of flame. Jing Qingxin hurriedly lit the firewood in the stove, watching with fascination as the dry kindling slowly caught and began to burn. She found the process both novel and amusing.

After adding a few larger logs to the stove, she stood up and left it to burn on its own. When she had washed the old hen once more, Jing Qingxin placed the whole bird into an earthen pot to blanch it, removing any lingering odor. Only by doing so could she ensure the chicken soup would be fresh and devoid of any unpleasant taste. Fortunately, the pot was large enough to hold the entire hen; otherwise, she would have had to cut it into pieces, which would have resulted in too many fragments and a loss of nutrition.

Though this old hen was not particularly robust—compared to chickens of later generations, it even seemed somewhat scrawny—it had the advantage of being naturally raised, healthy, and free of hormones. At least the meat was guaranteed to be flavorful, and in this era, food was far safer and more trustworthy.

A few minutes later, Jing Qingxin fished out the hen and rinsed it once more with cold water, then placed it on the chopping board and changed the water in the pot. Suddenly, the corners of her mouth curled in a faint smile. With a flick of her right hand, several medicinal herbs appeared in her open palm. Just relying on the scant meat of the hen would not suffice—none of them had eaten well lately, so she couldn’t expect the chicken to be especially nourishing.

Fortunately, she possessed the "Flowing Light Brocade" pocket dimension, which lacked neither flowers nor medicinal herbs. From within, she took out three kinds of herbs: eucommia bark, deer antler, and ginseng. The first two were prized for strengthening bones and tendons, while ginseng was known to restore vital energy—ideal for someone recovering from a long illness.

Jing Qingxin stuffed the three herbs into the cavity of the hen. She wasn’t worried that anyone would be suspicious. Gaoshen knew she had brought a large bag with her but was unaware of its specific contents, and the herbs took little space, thus arousing no doubts.

As for Aunt Li’s family, she doubted any of them would recognize the herbs, and even if they did, there would be no issue. After all, she had come under the pretense of caring for a patient and was known to have some skills in medicine and nursing—carrying medicinal herbs was only natural.

With another flick of her right hand, several red dates and goji berries appeared. These were excellent for nourishing blood and energy; she had added them to her "Flowing Light Brocade" before, as some of her secret remedies required extra ingredients.

Jing Qingxin placed the hen back into the earthen pot, deftly tossed in the red dates and goji berries, then covered the pot with its lid. Done! She couldn’t help but smile and snapped her fingers in satisfaction.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Gaoshen, balancing on his left foot, stood at the entrance of the kitchen’s thatched shelter.

Hearing his voice, Jing Qingxin turned and called out, “Why are you here? This is all quite simple—there’s nothing for you to do. Go back and lie down!”

“How could I stay in bed while you’re working alone in the kitchen? Besides, lying down for too long gets uncomfortable. It’s just my leg that’s injured; I can still use my hands,” Gaoshen replied earnestly.

He glanced around the kitchen, then said, “Let me tend the fire. I’ll watch the heat, and you can focus on everything else.”

Jing Qingxin considered for a moment and, not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm, readily agreed. This way, she wouldn’t have to keep an eye on the fire all the time.

She then washed and peeled a white radish, cut it in half, and sliced it into chunks. She planned to make chicken soup with white radish, which was known as “wild ginseng”—not only could it cut through the grease, but it also boosted immunity. Simmering it with chicken would enrich the dish, especially since there were no fresh vegetables available. She could only make the most of the chicken stew.

In this era, collective meals were no longer required, but all land was still communal. Every production team worked together, and grain was not allowed to be privately grown or sold. Fortunately, each family was allotted a small private plot—while grain couldn’t be grown, vegetables could be raised to improve their diet.

However, every family's plot was limited, and everyone had to stretch their food to last. There was no concept of greenhouses yet, so winter meant a scarcity of vegetables. Now, in April, the village had only a handful of vegetable varieties.

This thought made Jing Qingxin frown slightly. Without fresh vegetables, they would lack many essential vitamins. Her "Flowing Light Brocade" did contain a plot of empty land—she could plant vegetables and fruits there, and they would grow much faster than outside. But without a way to conceal this, she couldn’t bring the produce out openly.

Gaoshen, tending the fire, occasionally added wood and, without seeming to, kept his eyes on Jing Qingxin. Suddenly, seeing her frown, he instinctively asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jing Qingxin looked up at him, puzzled, momentarily not understanding.

“You frowned—did something happen?” Gaoshen’s face was serious.

Jing Qingxin’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She hadn’t expected him to notice even such a small change in her expression. She broke into a broad, teasing smile. “How did you notice me frowning? Were you staring at me this whole time?”

Her sudden shift in tone caught Gaoshen off guard. Only then did he realize he’d revealed too much, but seeing her frown had made him uneasy, so he’d spoken without thinking.

As Jing Qingxin smiled at him, Gaoshen felt a flutter in his chest, but his expression remained earnest as he replied calmly, “Constant vigilance is a soldier’s instinct.”

Jing Qingxin let out a soft laugh and did not argue further. She took out some dried pickled vegetables Aunt Li had prepared, tidied them up, and planned to stir-fry them later as a side dish.

“You still haven’t answered me,” Gaoshen pressed.

Without looking up, Jing Qingxin replied while sorting the vegetables, “I was just thinking—since you don’t have a private plot, how will we get vegetables? Everyone’s supply is so limited.”

“That’s all?” Gaoshen’s gaze softened.

“Of course. A balanced diet needs both meat and vegetables,” she replied casually.

“Do you know how to grow vegetables?” Gaoshen asked.

The plot wasn’t really an issue; since the military had settled him in Dajing Village, he could ask the brigade secretary for one, and it wouldn’t be a problem. But while he could get a plot, given his current condition, he wasn’t fit for farming. And Jing Qingxin, coming from a different era—could she farm?

“I’m not exactly an expert, but I know the basics.”

She had been tinkering with plants since she was young and had done some gardening in the countryside. Jing Qingxin was confident in her abilities.

“If you want to do it, leave the rest to me,” Gaoshen said resolutely.