Chen Lan put the basket of pheasants into the system's warehouse and immediately turned to walk back quickly, preparing to take the pheasants back so she could stew them before Mother Liu and Mother Cui made dinner. This way, her mother, mother-in-law, and the kindergarten children could drink the truffle and pheasant soup at dinner.
Fearing she wouldn't make it back before Mother Liu and the others prepared dinner, Chen Lan also put the hunting bow and crossbow into the system's warehouse and sprinted towards the valley.
Chen Lan truly used "all her might" to run through the forest. It was relatively easy at first, but after a short while, her legs felt as if they were dragging heavy weights, making it difficult to lift and move them.
Chen Lan gritted her teeth and persevered, secretly complaining to herself, "I've read so many transmigration novels in my past life, yet I haven't seen any transmigrator whose physical fitness is as weak as mine. It must be due to my lack of exercise, failing to unleash my potential."
As Chen Lan ran, she mused over these thoughts. This distraction lessened her sense of fatigue, and her running speed unconsciously increased.
Chen Lan didn't pay close attention to these changes, nor did she dare to stop and rest, fearing she wouldn't be able to run again. She continued to sprint towards the valley. After running continuously for about half an hour, Chen Lan stopped, panting, and slowed her pace, intending to walk slowly for a while to rest before running again.
Looking up ahead, she could already see the busy figures in the valley. This sight delighted Chen Lan; she hadn't realized she could run so fast!
Her spirits immediately lifted as if her strength had returned. She wiped the sweat from her face, took a deep breath, and quickened her pace towards the valley. Soon, she arrived at the entrance of her home's courtyard.
Chen Lan stopped, took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from her forehead, retrieved a basket of pheasants from the system's warehouse to carry on her back, and entered the courtyard carrying a small basket of truffles.
Seeing the older children still playing, the boy-girl twins were no longer on the seesaw. Two other children of similar age were now playing on it.
At this moment, her mother and Mother Shan, who were watching the children, saw Chen Lan enter with the basket and hurried to meet her. Mother Shan took the basket from Chen Lan's back and exclaimed, "Xiao Lan, you went to the mountain today and hunted so many pheasants."
Chen Lan quickly replied, "Auntie Xiao Shan, please take the pheasants to the small kitchen. Also, please help Mother Liu and Mother Cui and prepare a few pheasants for soup tonight. I also have truffles I picked on the mountain today, which will be stewed with the pheasants."
She then handed over the small basket in her hand.
Mother Shan's face immediately lit up. While taking the small basket, she peered into it at the truffles and praised, "Xiao Lan, you're so lucky and blessed! You even found such rare truffles. I'll take these to the small kitchen now."
With that, she turned to walk towards the small kitchen but suddenly stopped, turned back to Chen Lan, and instructed, "Xiao Lan, you help watch the children here for now. I'll go help in the small kitchen."
Chen Lan smiled and said, "Yes! I understand. Please go ahead and busy yourself!"
At this point, her mother spoke unhappily, "Lan'er, you've come back all sweaty just so everyone and the children can drink chicken soup for dinner?"
Chen Lan nodded and said, "Yes! Mother, I was afraid if I came back late, I wouldn't make it in time for dinner, and you, Mother Liu, and the children wouldn't get fresh chicken soup."
Her mother playfully tapped Chen Lan's forehead with her finger and said sternly, "You child, you really are something. You don't take care of yourself. Look at all the sweat on your forehead! If you don't make it for dinner, you can have it for breakfast tomorrow, can't you? You've exhausted yourself! Next time, don't disregard your health like this. Here, quickly wipe the sweat from your face and neck." With that, she took a neatly folded clean handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Chen Lan.
Chen Lan happily took the handkerchief from her mother, smiling as she wiped the sweat from her face and neck.
Her mother then quietly reminded her, "Lan'er, do you want to take a few pheasants to the main kitchen? They've been busy for a long time; they should also have a good meal to replenish their energy."
Chen Lan shook her head and said, "Mother, it's not necessary. The pheasants were specifically hunted for you, Mother Liu, and the children's soup. Besides, there are about two hundred people eating in the main kitchen. Even if we gave them all these pheasants, it wouldn't be enough to even tickle their teeth!"
Chen Lan pondered for a moment and then said, "Mother, I just asked Father-in-law to buy half a pig for the main kitchen. I'll take it to them now."
Her mother immediately urged, "Lan'er, it's still not too late. Go deliver the meat to the main kitchen first, and then you can rest."
Chen Lan immediately got up and walked towards the courtyard gate. As she walked, she mentally opened the system, found the shop that sold chilled fresh meat, and ordered half a pig, asking the vendor to butcher it and pack it.
She took the meat out of the system's warehouse and packed it into a large basket. She also saw that the vendor had gifted a plastic bucket of pig's blood, which immediately made her think of the dish "Mao Xuewang."
So, Chen Lan's mouth began to water. She decided to have Sun Xiaomei and her mother show off their skills tonight and make a pig's blood version of Mao Xuewang for everyone.
Without further delay, she mentally opened the system again and ordered the ingredients for Mao Xuewang: 35 catties each of soybean sprouts and tofu skin, and 35 catties of tripe. Other ingredients like dried wood ear mushrooms, dried yellow cauliflower, vermicelli, and dried mushrooms were already available in the main kitchen, so she didn't need to spend money on them.
She quickly retrieved all the items from the system's warehouse. With the basket of meat on her back and a basket of 35 catties of tripe in front of her, she carried a large basket of soybean sprouts and tofu skin in one hand and a bucket of pig's blood in the other. In this manner, Chen Lan, carrying burdens both on her back and in her hands, quickly headed towards the main kitchen.