Chapter 23: Items to Bring for the Trip to Town

As for the oven, Wen Nuan Nuan was only thinking about it for the time being.

There were priorities to consider. An oven fell under improving quality of life and hadn’t yet reached the level of a daily necessity.

At the moment, the most important thing was definitely to first acquire the daily necessities for the household, ensuring there were enough items to face the long, harsh winter ahead.

It wouldn’t be too late to make an oven once there was free time and leisure.

By then, there would be time and ingredients to leisurely put effort into making food, enjoying oneself at ease.

Thinking about going to town tomorrow morning to buy daily necessities, Wen Nuan Nuan felt it necessary to write them down on paper.

As the teacher often said: A good memory is not as reliable as a poor pen.

Besides, she didn’t even have a good memory—how could she manage without writing things down?

A trip to town wasn’t easy. Even with Eldest Brother and the others’ walking pace, it would take two hours. Who knew how long it would take if she went?

If she forgot to buy any necessities, well, she’d just have to make do without them.

“Second Brother, do we have any paper at home?” Holding a half-burnt piece of charcoal wood, Wen Nuan Nuan asked Leng Chen, who was doing woodwork in the yard.

Only she and Second Brother were at home.

Eldest Brother and Little Brother had delivered a flatbed cart of firewood, drank some water, and headed back up the mountain again.

They kept going back and forth without stopping.

Wen Nuan Nuan wanted them to rest a bit, but both refused, saying that working after eating wasn’t tiring.

Chopping firewood was easier than digging for wild vegetables or picking fruit.

But firewood was much heavier than wild vegetables or fruit—how could it be easier?

Wen Nuan Nuan realized belatedly: It wasn’t that the body felt lighter, but the mind felt at ease.

They didn’t have to think about what to eat for the next meal or during winter while chopping firewood, nor worry about whether there would be enough while digging for wild vegetables or picking fruit. They could focus solely on gathering as much firewood as possible. Their bodies might tire, but their minds didn’t.

When people are filled with hope, they work with great enthusiasm.

Seeing Wen Nuan Nuan holding a half-burnt piece of charcoal wood, Leng Chen knew his sister-in-law intended to jot something down and replied, “There are a few pieces of scrap paper Eldest Brother left behind. I’ll get them for you.”

When he came out, he brought not only paper but also ink and a brush.

Wen Nuan Nuan quickly waved her hand, smiling brightly. “No need for the brush. I’m not used to it, and grinding ink takes too much time. I’m perfectly fine using charcoal.”

As a modern person, even though she knew how to hold a brush, knowing how to hold it and knowing how to write with it were two entirely different things.

Better to stick to habits and do what was convenient.

“Charcoal pen?” Leng Chen asked, puzzled.

“A name I gave it. Easy to remember and convenient.” Wen Nuan Nuan replied without looking up, already writing on the table.

Needles and thread, coarse cloth, lamp oil, a large earthenware pot for stewing, a red clay small stove—these were necessities.

Then buy two small iron pots, iron plates, and iron grates. During the harsh winter months, they could place them on the red clay small stove, bubbling away with spicy Poached Sliced Meat, then add Soft Tofu, pickled vegetables, bean sprouts, vermicelli, and other side dishes. They could eat while dipping, while on the iron plate, sizzling pork belly roasted, and on the iron grate, Water-Milled Rice Cakes and glutinous rice cakes puffing up with bubbles…

Wow, Wen Nuan Nuan swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Stop, don’t keep thinking about it! The important thing now was to write down what needed to be bought!

Buy a hoe and some vegetable seeds. Even though there was no farmland, there were still several large plots in the yard—they couldn’t let them go to waste.

Even with the refrigerator supplying ingredients, one must always be prepared for danger in times of peace. Having more backup plans was never wrong.

Also, buy a firewood knife. On one hand, it would help Eldest Brother and Little Brother chop firewood faster when they went into the mountains; on the other hand, it could serve as self-defense if they encountered wild beasts.

She also needed to buy a dagger for self-defense. After what happened this morning, she realized that no matter where she was, she needed some ability to protect herself.

She also had to buy paper for covering the windows. The current window paper was already worn, gray, and dirty, its original color no longer visible. If covered during the day, the room would be dim, and wind would leak in through the holes.

When winter came, lighting and warmth would both become problems.

She might as well buy everything she needed while in town and replace them.

That should be about it.

Wen Nuan Nuan frowned, trying to think if she had missed anything.

Oh, right—she also needed a small water vat and a pickling jar. How could she make braised pork belly with pickled vegetables if she didn’t make any pickled vegetables herself?

It would be a shame not to turn the thriving cabbages, radishes, carrots, peppers, young ginger, and garlic from the garden into pickled vegetables!

Every day, as she looked at these vegetables in the garden, her mind had already come up with many ways to prepare them.

She could use a small portion of the cabbage to make Northeastern-style pickled vegetables, and part of the radishes, carrots, peppers, young ginger, and garlic to make Sichuan-style pickled vegetables.

Compared to salted vegetables, these two types didn’t require too much salt. They mainly relied on fermentation and contained beneficial bacteria, which were good for the body and also appetizing and refreshing.

The rest could be stored in the vegetable cellar to be eaten fresh.

Her grandmother had said that vegetables should be harvested before the frost, otherwise they would easily freeze in the garden. By the time frost arrived, the salt she had stored should be enough.

Tomorrow, she would buy the small water vat and pickling jar, wash them clean, and let them dry. Once the vegetables were harvested, she could start making them.

As Wen Nuan Nuan thought, she made notes, marking the quantity after each item. Finally feeling she hadn’t missed anything, she stretched and prepared to make dinner.

“Oh, Second Brother, why are you here?” Suddenly noticing that Leng Chen had been watching her all along, Wen Nuan Nuan glanced at the messy handwriting on the paper and explained somewhat sheepishly, “Actually, my handwriting is quite nice. It’s just that this charcoal pen is hard to use.”

Holding a small wooden stick used for tending the fire, she occasionally had to dip it in soot to write. She felt it was already quite an achievement just to be able to write at all.

Leng Chen’s attention was entirely on the paper. He had been staring at the characters and asked curiously, “Sister-in-law, what are these? They’re different from what Eldest Brother taught us.”

Wen Nuan Nuan suddenly realized that the knowledge they learned was different. After thinking for a moment, she found an explanation: “Sister-in-law was lazy and simplified the writing. As long as I can understand what it means, that’s enough. This isn’t good, so you shouldn’t learn from me.”

After all, boys would need to venture out and socialize in the future. Writing in the same style as others would help them fit in.

However, she could teach them numbers—that would be practical for them.

Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants were ranked last. Scholars might recite poetry and compose verses together, but who would gather to compare account books? Account books were only for one’s own eyes, and if someone stole them, it would be even better if they couldn’t understand them.

“These are numbers. A wise person taught them to me, and I find them very practical. If you want to learn, I can teach you when it snows and there’s nothing else to do,” Wen Nuan Nuan said with a gentle smile, speaking casually.

If it were Little Brother in front of her, she might have been more enthusiastic. After all, Little Brother would become a merchant in the future, naturally sensitive to numbers and money, and interested in them.

But Second Brother was different.

To Wen Nuan Nuan’s surprise, Leng Chen’s eyes sparkled as he nodded eagerly, his tone urgent: “I want to learn, I really want to learn!”

Wen Nuan Nuan was moved by the young boy’s thirst for knowledge, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted.

It was good that he was willing to take the initiative to learn.

“What are you learning?” Leng Yun, who had just pulled another flatbed cart of firewood, jogged in and asked before gulping down tea in big mouthfuls.

Leng Tian followed closely behind.

Two pairs of curious eyes were fixed on the paper on Wen Nuan Nuan’s desk.