Seeing Tiantian roll her eyes in impatience, Li Zhengguo quickly cast aside his embarrassment. "Everything! Looks first, then personality. Your personality is great now, I like it, I like it very much."
Tian Jing... Huh? You like my current personality? Then who do you really like? Weren't you quite pure? How do you seem so fickle?
After two lifetimes, it was finally said. Li Zhengguo's nervousness vanished. Seeing Tian Jing's surprised expression, he found it rather amusing. "Do you agree?"
"Agree to what?" Tian Jing was stunned.
"Do you agree to let me follow you forever?" Li Zhengguo looked at Tian Jing expectantly.
Tian Jing pressed her forehead. How had they circled back to this question? Just then, she heard the loud voice of Sister-in-law Niu from outside.
She nudged Li Zhengguo. "Move aside, Sister-in-law Niu is here."
"You haven't answered me," Li Zhengguo persisted. He wanted an answer on such a good occasion.
This man was stubborn, which made Tian Jing feel a little helpless. She wasn't the original owner, and she didn't want to be a substitute.
Moreover, she had no emotional foundation with him. And what if this man saw through her and realized she wasn't the original owner? Would he transfer his affections to her, or would he 'kill' her to bring the original owner back?
"Tiantian?"
Li Zhengguo's voice brought Tian Jing back. "Comrade Li Zhengguo, I have no feelings for you. We're just companions for life. You can't force me."
"If you want an answer, it's this: When you discover I'm not me, if you can still feel the same way as you do now, I'll give you a chance. A chance to follow me and win my heart."
With that, she pushed Li Zhengguo away forcefully. While he was still in a daze, Tian Jing greeted Sister-in-law Niu. "Sister-in-law Niu, so early?"
"It's not early. I've finished my chores. Unlike you young people, who are so lovey-dovey, you can't bear to be apart for even a moment." Sister-in-law Niu's playful gaze swept over the person behind Tian Jing.
Tian Jing turned and saw Li Zhengguo striding past her. "I will never change."
Leaving those words behind, he picked up his tools and went back to work.
Tian Jing knew what he was answering, but she didn't believe him. Although human hearts are fickle, for some stubborn people, once they've decided on something, they stick to it and don't change easily.
Sister-in-law Niu covered her mouth and chuckled.
Li Min also lowered her head and shrugged.
Tian Jing rolled her eyes. These people were really good at making assumptions.
"Get to work," Tian Jing called to Li Min, who was still shrugging.
"Yes." Li Min pulled Sister-in-law Niu to help her lift the large wooden basin. "Sister-in-law, are we just pouring this slightly yellowish water out?"
"Yes, pour it in one direction slowly. The water can be poured into the spinach field."
Li Min and Sister-in-law Niu were surprised by the sediment at the bottom of the basin. "There's really sediment."
Tian Jing wanted to roll her eyes again. If there was no sediment, where did the sweet potatoes go? Were only the dregs left?
Ah, the dregs could feed pigs. Where were the dregs? "Li Min, where are the sweet potato dregs from yesterday?"
"In the field," Li Min pointed towards the spinach field.
"Well, that can be mixed with some flour and made into steamed buns or pan-fried cakes, or it can be used to cook pig feed. We don't have flour, and we've run out of cornmeal, so I forgot. Sister-in-law Niu, did you throw yours away?"
Tian Jing looked at Sister-in-law Niu, feeling a little embarrassed. She had wasted food.
Li Min looked at the sweet potato dregs in the field, wanting to cry but having no tears. Why hadn't she asked her elder sister-in-law?
"I didn't throw mine away. I thought it would be a waste to throw them, so I fed them directly to the pigs."
Sister-in-law Niu patted her chest. Fortunately, she hadn't wasted food. Otherwise, if she continued to throw them away when processing large quantities in the future, she would feel bad. If she didn't throw them away, the mistake she made this time would be pointed out and criticized.
Tian Jing fiddled with her fingers awkwardly. "Next time, if you have any questions, ask me, so I don't forget."
"Okay."
"Okay."
Li Min and Sister-in-law Niu answered in unison, then scooped the starch onto the cloth in the sieve.
Tian Jing washed her hands and gently squeezed the wet starch into small lumps.
When the kudzu starch came out, Sister-in-law Niu and Li Min became even more excited. This was something that could be found everywhere in the mountains, not food they had to ration.
"There's quite a bit, not less than the sweet potatoes."
"Yes, thinking that this thing that costs no work points and no money can become food, I'm so happy."
The two chattered on, not needing Tian Jing's participation at all.
Tian Jing, who was sidelined, poured cold water on them. "This isn't considered a proper staple food. After it dries, I'll make it for you to try, and then you'll know."
"Didn't you say it can be brewed and drunk?" Li Min retorted.
"Yes, after brewing, you still need to add white sugar. It's like a bowl of sweet porridge, not enough to stave off hunger," Tian Jing continued to dampen their spirits.
"Add sugar? What if you don't add sugar?" If sugar had to be added, Li Min would be reluctant. White sugar was a precious commodity.
Tian Jing thought for a moment and gave her answer, "You can eat it without sugar, but it doesn't taste like much." She hadn't tried kudzu powder without sugar yet.
"That's good. As long as it can fill our stomachs, it's food," Li Min stated confidently.
"Yes!" Sister-in-law Niu agreed.
Tian Jing had no objections. As long as they didn't feel the time and effort were disproportionate to the results.
After the kudzu starch was also dried, Sister-in-law Niu observed the four wooden boxes by the wall. "Did you plant pumpkins in all of them?"
"No." Tian Jing shook her head. "I only planted in two boxes. The other two are still idle. Li Zhengguo has moved them out."
"By the way, I brought ten heads of garlic. They're on the windowsill. Do you want to plant them for garlic sprouts?"
As Sister-in-law Niu finished speaking, Li Min had already grabbed the garlic and was about to peel them to plant in the wooden boxes.
Tian Jing quickly stopped her. "Don't plant them. I want to grow something else in those two boxes. You don't need to plant the garlic. Just put them in a shallow dish and soak them in water, and they'll grow garlic sprouts."
"Garlic sprouts?"
Naturally, the two were surprised again.
Tian Jing explained garlic sprouts to them. Sister-in-law Niu immediately started peeling garlic and asked Li Min to find a shallow dish. Li Min found the bottom of a broken pickle jar.
Tian Jing told her to take it to Li Zhengguo to have the edge trimmed and then wash it clean. She then arranged the garlic cloves neatly, placing them in a shallow layer of water along the edge.
"Don't put too much water, or the garlic will rot. And don't let it dry out. Check and replenish the water frequently. It will sprout in two or three days. If the room temperature is high, you can harvest a batch in ten to half a month, similar to chives."
"However, the second harvest isn't as good. After the second harvest grows well, you can peel the skin and eat the whole root. It tastes a bit stronger than chives, but not as strong as green garlic."
"I'll go back and do it," Sister-in-law Niu hurried off.
Li Min carried the broken jar bottom to the sunny spot by the wall like a treasure. Then she remembered she hadn't helped her mother out today.
Mother Li was helped out and grumbled, "I know you're busy. If I didn't need to move the drying rack, I could have walked out myself. I feel better today than yesterday. My legs are more relaxed. It's not like before when my legs felt like they were tied with stones."
"Every day you feel a little better than the day before. Over time, your body will gradually recover," Tian Jing hinted.
"Yes, that's right."
Mother Li sat on the drying rack, looking at the starch on the two sieves, and then at the upright garlic cloves in the broken jar bottom. A smile deepened on her face.
Life was getting more promising.