The kitchen was very large, half again as big as Tao Lengshuang's home. It was stocked with all sorts of ingredients and seasonings, and even had four stoves. Yet, it was remarkably tidy and clean, with everyone wearing hygienic attire.
The weather was a bit cold, but the kitchen was warm and cozy. After a while, one would even start to sweat.
She familiarized herself with the items she would need before starting to cook.
What she was making was a nourishing meal, one that could replenish the body, but it wasn't suitable for everyone.
Ignoring the strange and disgusted looks from the people in the kitchen, she handled the ingredients with nimble movements.
Once the stew was simmering, she also prepared several small dishes and soups suitable for autumn and winter nourishment.
Having earned money this time, she needed to buy more supplies to stock up.
One never knew when trouble might strike, so having more supplies would bring a sense of security.
...
After finishing the dishes, Tao Lengshuang invited the shopkeeper to taste them.
There was a chicken soup stewed with mushrooms, a nourishing dish made from tiger meat, a refreshing and flavorful smashed cucumber salad, and shredded potatoes with pickled vegetables.
Tao Lengshuang was extremely envious of the ingredients. Autumn and winter were seasons with the fewest dishes, but in this restaurant, that fact was completely imperceptible. Dishes from all over the country could be found.
The shopkeeper, accustomed to delicacies, was particularly interested in the appetizing smashed cucumber salad and shredded potatoes with pickled vegetables.
After eating a good portion of both, he began to try the other two dishes.
While the woman's cooking skills might not match the restaurant's head chef, they possessed a unique flavor.
Especially the nourishing tiger meat, which made him feel warm and comfortable all over after eating it.
"I'll take your recipes. I'll give you twenty taels of silver for them, how about it?" he offered the price readily.
Tao Lengshuang thought for a moment and agreed. Twenty taels of silver meant she and Shen Er Shen's family would split it, leaving ten taels. That could buy a lot of supplies and help them get through the harsh winter.
The shopkeeper gave her fifteen taels of silver and five taels of smaller coins, thinking to himself that she was completely different from the rumors.
Tao Lengshuang thanked him and happily put away the silver. She went to the backyard to divide the money with Shen Er Shen and the others.
Shen Er Shen and the others were reluctant to accept so much, saying repeatedly that it was all Tao Lengshuang's credit and only wanted two taels of silver.
Tao Lengshuang absolutely refused and insisted on giving them ten taels of silver.
The two sides politely declined each other.
In the end, Shen Er Shen and the others couldn't refuse Tao Lengshuang and accepted eight taels of silver, keeping this kindness in their hearts.
With the money, Tao Lengshuang and the others drove their ox cart to the grain store, intending to buy more grain to store at home in case anything went wrong.
When they arrived at the grain store they usually frequented, they found it packed with people, and a large crowd was gathered outside, making a lot of noise.
"Hurry up and let me buy some! You people in front have already bought so much, don't hog it all."
"Hurry and push forward! What if the rice and flour prices go up again if we don't buy any?"
"Weigh me a bit more, I brought enough money."
"Even if only coarse flour is left, weigh me some."
Seeing this scene, Shen Er Shen and the others panicked, and Tao Lengshuang's expression darkened.
"Mo family, what... what should we do? Judging by the situation, everyone in town is scrambling for grain. Do we have to go to the capital to buy it?"
Shen Er Shen was anxious, wishing she could rush in and buy some rice and flour to alleviate their situation at home.
Tao Lengshuang signaled Shen Er Shen and the others not to worry, drove the ox cart to the side, and asked the onlookers with a smile, "Excuse me, what's going on? Why is everyone rushing to buy grain?"
The onlookers didn't hide anything and told them everything.
According to the common folk, after the taxes were increased, grain prices followed suit. The people were uneasy and rushed to buy all sorts of supplies, fearing they would have nothing to eat or drink if something truly happened.
Those with a bit of money not only stockpiled more supplies but also stopped lending anything. Even the usual free porridge was gone, and businesses that weren't doing too well had closed.
Tao Lengshuang then noticed that it wasn't just the grain stores; stores selling ready-made clothes, fabrics, or other supplies also had many people rushing to buy.
The scene was as if a disaster had struck.
Her heart sank. This was not a good omen.
"Shen Er Shen, let's see if we can buy any supplies. If not, we'll discuss whether to go to the capital to buy them."
She suspected the capital would be the same.
Shen Er Shen agreed.
However, after looking around, Tao Lengshuang and the others managed to buy only five jin of coarse flour.
This was after Shen Er Shu had exerted great effort to snatch it from a grain store.
They arrived happily but drove their ox cart home dejectedly.
"What are we going to do?" Shen Er Shen cried, wiping her tears. "If we don't have food, people will starve to death."
Tao Lengshuang looked at the surrounding fields and had an idea. "The problem now is that we need to get through this harsh winter."
"After spring arrives and supplies increase, perhaps the situation will improve. When we harvest the rice and pay taxes with money, keeping the rice, life will be better."
Shen Er Shen sobbed, "The harsh winter is the hardest to endure."
"In another month or two, it will start snowing. Once the heavy snow blocks the mountains, we won't be able to find food in the mountains, and we won't be able to buy supplies. We'll starve to death."
Tao Lengshuang was also worried about this. Every year, when the heavy snow blocked the mountains, people would venture into them, but none returned alive.
Moreover, sometimes wolves would descend the mountain in search of food.
The most difficult thing now was supplies.
How could they stockpile enough supplies to get through the winter?
This question stumped Tao Lengshuang.
She hadn't figured out how to stockpile more supplies for the winter by the time she returned home.
"Mommy, Mommy, all our chickens, ducks, and pigs are dead. Only two geese are still alive."
Xiao Feng's tearful voice brought Tao Lengshuang back to her thoughts.
"What!?"
Tao Lengshuang rushed to the chicken, duck, and pigpen.
What met her eyes were two geese huddled listlessly in a corner, lacking their usual ferocity. There were no chickens, ducks, or pigs to be seen.
"What happened?"
Those were resources she had painstakingly obtained for free from the village chief, and she had hoped they would lay eggs to nourish Xiao Feng.
"They were killed."
Mo Lingxi walked out from the kitchen with a somber face. "When Xiao Feng and I returned, the chickens, ducks, and pigs had already been killed. The two geese crawled out from the corner."
As Tao Lengshuang met his icy gaze, she knew he suspected she had brought trouble. "Is this related to you?"
"I think you'd better sort out your affairs properly..."
The rest of his words were silenced by Mo Lingxi's increasingly cold and stern eyes.
She touched her nose, took Xiao Feng's hand, and went to the kitchen to process the killed chickens, ducks, and pigs.
These were winter supplies and needed to be stored properly. During the harsh winter, a piece of meat could be exchanged for many, many things.
Mo Lingxi stood in place, his gaze沉沉 (chénchén - heavy, thoughtful) as he pondered the matter.