Three people dug up a considerable amount of wild yams in the morning. Chen Lan looked at the pile of yams, estimating them to be around one to two hundred catties.
For lunch, the three ate bread purchased from the system. Each person quickly ate three loaves and drank a few sips of water from their canteens before continuing to dig. They dug until the sun had just begun to slant, having unearthed another two to three hundred catties of wild yams.
Chen Lan then stored the yams and tools in the system warehouse and urged the other two to hurry back. Due to the cold weather and early darkness, the deep mountains would become very dangerous after nightfall.
They did not hunt on the way back and rushed back to the valley without stopping. By the time they returned, the sun was almost setting. From a distance, they saw the aunties helping in the main kitchen busy by the sink, washing and preparing vegetables for dinner.
Chen Lan was delighted, thinking it was perfect. The main kitchen had just started preparing dinner, giving her enough time to add a yam stew with meat when Sun Xiaomei and her mother were cooking.
She waited a moment, letting Xiang Dong and Er Hu walk ahead to shield her, then immediately took out three large, full baskets of wild yams from the system warehouse and placed them on the ground. The three of them, each carrying a basket of yams, headed towards the main kitchen.
Xiang Dong and Er Hu set down their yam baskets by the sink and left together.
Chen Lan greeted the aunties helping out and quickly ran into the main kitchen. Upon entering, she saw the mother and daughter duo busy with preparations. Sun Xiaomei was cutting meat, while Grandma Sun was preparing seasonings like ginger and garlic. Seeing Chen Lan enter, they immediately put down their work and greeted her.
Sun Xiaomei asked enthusiastically, "Xiao Lan, you're back from the mountains. Do you have any instructions for the main kitchen?"
Chen Lan chuckled and said, "Sister Xiaomei, please don't tease me. What instructions could I possibly have? We just dug up some wild yams from the mountains today. Can we add a yam stew with meat for dinner? It can be any kind of meat; you and Grandma can decide."
Upon hearing this, Sun Xiaomei and her mother became excited and said, "It's wonderful to have a new dish today! We were worried everyone would get tired of the same meals every day!"
Grandma Sun smiled and said, "I never expected to find such a good thing as wild yams in a cold place like Changbai Mountain. Yams can be eaten as a vegetable and as a staple. They are also nourishing, unlike sweet potatoes which can cause bloating and indigestion."
Sun Xiaomei quickly asked, "Mother, then let's make less steamed buns tonight and give everyone a big bowl of yam braised venison. Of course, we'll have plenty of yam stewed with meat, and some side dishes for each table. What do you think?"
Grandma Sun nodded with a smile, "That's good. It will be warm to eat, and filling. This way, we save on grains and eat well!"
With the matter settled and seeing that the mother and daughter had decided on the evening's menu, Chen Lan did not want to disturb them further. She intended to bid them farewell and said, "Sister Xiaomei, Grandma Sun, you two continue with your work. I'll go outside and help the aunties peel the yams."
Sun Xiaomei and her mother were indeed very busy, with over two hundred people waiting for dinner. So, they didn't try to keep her, nodded, and continued their work.
Chen Lan walked out of the kitchen and opened the system with her mind. She ordered five peelers from the system and, after taking them out of the system warehouse, went to the sink.
Chen Lan handed a peeler to Grandma Zhang, who was washing dishes, and said, "Auntie, let's peel the yams together! Sister Xiaomei said we'll have yam stew with meat tonight."
Grandma Zhang readily agreed. The two of them began to peel the yams while chatting. Chen Lan asked, "Auntie, are you and Uncle and Yanzi getting used to staying here?"
Grandma Zhang smiled and said, "More than used to it, we're very accustomed to it! Xiao Lan, we truly have to thank your family for bringing our whole family to the valley from so far away."
Chen Lan waved her hands repeatedly, "Auntie, you are too polite. Er Zhuang and Xu Mingxuan are comrades-in-arms from the same trench. He was worried about you, Uncle, and Yanzi staying home alone, and before going to the battlefield, he entrusted us with bringing your whole family to the valley. Of course, we couldn't refuse. I say, you should thank yourself for raising such a filial son."
Grandma Zhang's eyes crinkled into crescent moons upon hearing Chen Lan's words, and she chuckled, "It's true that Er Zhuang has always been filial since he was young, but we still have to thank your family for being so kind, not minding that our family consists of old and young and might be a burden to you. Coming here is like enjoying great fortune."
Grandma Zhang placed a peeled yam into the basin and picked up another one, continuing to peel while saying, "Here, Uncle and I only do some light work within our abilities. The work isn't very tiring, and we have enough to eat and wear. We don't have to worry about crop yields. You've already made arrangements for everyone. Even our Yanzi, you've arranged for her to go to the reading club to learn to read and write. These are things we never dared to imagine back home. Don't you think we are enjoying great fortune here? Shouldn't we thank your family?"
Seeing Grandma Zhang say this, Chen Lan didn't argue further and just smiled, then changed the topic.
Working while chatting made the time fly. The two of them quickly peeled two large basins of yams. Grandma Zhang said it was enough for now and that she could peel more later if needed, otherwise, too many peeled yams would be difficult to store.
So, Chen Lan left four peelers for the main kitchen, took one for herself, and with two thick yams in hand, bid farewell to Grandma Zhang and returned home.
It was getting late now, and Chen Lan guessed that the children in the kindergarten had probably finished their meal. Chen Lan planned to have Mama Liu and Mama Cui make a new dish, yam stewed chicken, for the kindergarten children tomorrow. She believed the children would definitely like it!
As for dinner, there was no need to mention it. The yam braised venison from the main kitchen received unanimous praise from everyone, young and old, in the valley. Sun Xiaomei's guess was indeed correct; there were quite a few steamed buns left from the large pot. Especially the students from the reading club, after a large bowl of yam braised meat, didn't eat any more buns. As a result, there were leftover buns. Fortunately, the temperature in Changbai Mountain was relatively low at night, so leftover buns could be stored without worry. They would be as delicious as freshly steamed ones after a quick reheat in the morning.