Chapter 46: Scalded Flatbread
The scalded flatbread was taken out of the smooth basin and placed onto the chopping board. There was no rolling pin, but that didn’t matter — when you really want to eat something, you’ll always find a way.
Huai Yu slowly pressed the dough flat with the heel of her palm. Her movements were unhurried and careful as she added a bit of lard, meticulously controlling the amount, afraid that overeating might upset her stomach.
After all, aside from the inconvenience of getting medicine, it would be a real pity to get diarrhea after eating something so delicious!
The lard, which had already solidified into white chunks, gradually melted into the dough under her kneading. Once the pot was back on the stove and started emitting steam, she pressed and stretched the flatbread out evenly before placing it in the pot.
And then—
She didn’t do anything else. She grabbed a green brick, sat in front of the stove, rested her chin on her hand, and quietly waited by the small flame.
Waiting…
The process of cooking the flatbread felt painfully long. A sweet wheat fragrance slowly spread around the pot — light, but impossible to ignore.
Huai Yu was tempted several times to grab it out and take a bite, but with sheer willpower, she held herself back.
Only after flipping the flatbread twice, when it puffed up nice and fluffy—
“It’s ready!”
She jumped up, took the whole pot down, placed it on the floor, and picked up her chopsticks to grab the soft, glutinous flatbread, waving it around in the air, trying to cool it down faster so she could eat it.
But before taking a bite, she instinctively glanced toward the door.
Nothing was there — only the sound of drizzle and a bucket that was already about eighty percent full.
Lowering her head, Huai Yu took a bite of the flatbread.
“Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!!!”
So delicious! So sweet! So soft! So fragrant!
This was real food for humans!
She took two big, savage bites first, then forced herself to chew more and swallow slowly. After that, she started eating the not-so-large scalded flatbread with small, delicate nibbles.
The gloomy sky, the endless rain, the faint pollution lingering in the air — none of it could block the happiness she felt at that moment.
The rain drizzled all night long.
When the morning news started broadcasting, it actually got even heavier. Thankfully, Huai Yu stayed curled up in bed, stubbornly waiting for the rain to stop.
It was already ten o’clock by then.
When she crawled out of bed, water droplets condensed from the roof fell “plop” onto her face, instantly irritating her.
Her whole body felt damp, her shoe soles were wet too — if the sun didn’t come out soon, she would go crazy.
With a sigh, Huai Yu sluggishly got up, and the first thing she did was start a fire.
Although the fire only made the house more humid and hot, the warmth would at least help a little. Plus, the mung bean sprouts wouldn’t grow properly in such low temperatures.
She rinsed and sorted the soybeans, spread them out evenly in two small baskets, then glanced at her towels and realized she had only one towel left for herself — the other two were needed to cover the sprouts. She made a note of that in her notebook.
Then she scooped water from a bucket that only had water-purifying tablets in it — and realized she only had one bottle of tablets left. She made a note of that too.
Looking at all these things, Huai Yu realized that although life seemed on track, there were still so many little things missing!
The water in the thermos was still warm. She used it to make a bowl of fried noodles, added a bit of salt, and after eating, she felt her whole body warm up. She put on her rain boots and raincoat, getting ready to head into the mountains.
No choice — even though the rain had stopped, everything was still wet. If she didn’t wear her raincoat, some mischievous tree might shake a whole load of water onto her…
Those trees are too evil!
Grumbling, Huai Yu pushed out her bicycle.
Wait — wouldn’t she also need a bicycle pump? Remembering that, she became even more distressed—
Good thing she had found a small business growing bean sprouts; otherwise, life would be so tough!
A week of rain hadn’t affected the plants much.
The greenery in the mountains had grown even lusher, and the leaves along the rose corridor looked glossy and bright. Although the pollution made them more irritable, it hadn’t stopped their growth.
Just past the rose corridor, she saw plenty of edible wild vegetables growing on the slopes. However, since there weren’t enough for a real harvest, she ignored them.
Streams flowed down the mountain, forming clear pools. Following a stream upwards, she spotted several small fish in a pond.
Oh?
Could she raise them in a pond?
The pond didn’t look deep, but appearances could be deceiving. Huai Yu cautiously reached out to try and scoop one up.
The small fish looked nimble — and they were nimble. With a quick twist in the water, a tiny tail slapped hard against the back of her hand!
“Hiss—!”
That hurt!
Huai Yu withdrew her hand and saw a red welt swell up immediately on her pale skin.
She stared, dumbfounded, suddenly recalling all the rumors she had heard but never seen firsthand about “mutated plants and animals”…
So this was how animals mutated?
But if their tails had that much strength, wouldn’t they taste even better? Standing by the bank, she decided she should make a note to get a small fishing net and fishing hooks.
Thinking further, she also added fish traps to the list.
The forest was even more humid than the treehouse. Mist drifted among the trees, and jagged rocks jutted out steeply — no sign that this place had once been a tourist destination with trails.
Huai Yu kept climbing. Even with a down jacket under her raincoat, her legs still felt icy cold — not very comfortable.
Taking a deep breath, she sped up and, sure enough, found a patch of wild vegetables growing on a gentle slope.
Some wild chives and a couple of clumps of wild garlic.
Using her small shovel, she dug out the wild garlic, then spotted a small patch of green-brown moss nearby.
The moss was soaked and plump from the humidity.
Further up, farther from the stream, there were white mugwort plants.
Looking around, Huai Yu realized she had enough for herself, so she didn’t go deeper into the forest. She set down her basket and began picking slowly.
As she picked, she wandered a little farther forward and spotted a thin toon tree. She stared at it for a long time, but finally gave up with a sigh.
Without eggs, toon sprouts taste strange. And now she already had other vegetables. Better not waste anything.
After dawdling for another hour, Huai Yu looked at the half-filled basket and felt satisfied. Her oversized raincoat was heavy after wearing it for so long. Stretching lazily, she picked up her basket and started heading home.
After a few steps, she doubled back and stuck her hand into the icy stream.
Tiny strands of dirt vanished as the water purified itself. Nearby plants greedily absorbed the clean water, but the pollution from upstream quickly muddied everything again…
Her power was so small — a drop in the bucket — barely worth mentioning.
Still, when she withdrew her hand, Huai Yu felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Humming a little tune, she cheerfully made her way back down the mountain.
