"No need to be polite with your Auntie. I’ve been doing this work for so many years—whether it’s more or less, it’s all the sa to , just sothing handy to do." Aunt Zhong spoke with sweat dripping like raindrops from her forehead, even though she had a straw hat on. She wiped her face again and asked, "So, why did you bring Yanyan along?"
"Granny Zhong, don’t bla Mom, it’s who wanted to co help." ng Shuyan lifted his head and said softly.
Aunt Zhong’s fondness for ng Shuyan was written all over her face. She reached out to wipe the child’s sweat. What a poor little thing—his soft, fair cheeks were already turning red from the sun.
She talked about taking off her own hat to put it on ng Shuyan.
Noticing her movent, Tian Sangsang quickly stopped her. "Auntie, I’ve got a hat here. Look at —I got so caught up in talking with them that I forgot how the sun has been growing stronger."
As she helped ng Shuyan put on the hat, Aunt Zhong remarked, "Sangsang, Yanyan is such a well-behaved child. Look at our little Gousheng—he’s seven this year and still so mischievous, never thinking to offer any help. After all, he’s truly your son, so from now on, you can’t keep treating Yanyan that way anymore. Just think about how you were before—was that any way to act as a mother? Be kinder to Yanyan; this child really tugs at the heart."
"I know, Auntie." Tian Sangsang let out a small smile. "I only have Yanyan from now on—if I don’t treat him well, then who will?"
"I’m glad you’re thinking this way. Oh my—" Aunt Zhong suddenly grabbed Tian Sangsang’s hand and frowned. "What happened to your hand? Why is it bleeding so much?"
Now her whole hand was a deep reddish-black color; even Aunt Zhong was startled by the sight.
Tian Sangsang replied nonchalantly, "It’s nothing—just got nicked accidentally by a hoe."
"Oh, you silly child, why can’t you be more careful? That’s a pretty big gash. Using those burdock leaves won’t do. Leave the field for now; I’ll watch it for you. Go back ho and get it bandaged."
No, that wasn’t it—it wasn’t from a hoe; it was from being pushed by soone bad. ng Shuyan pursed his small lips and quietly listened to their conversation, lowering his head in silence. It was all because he was useless—he couldn’t protect his mom.
Hearing Aunt Zhong’s words, Tian Sangsang had no choice but to wrap her hand with so cloth for now. But the fieldwork still needed to get done; she couldn’t let Aunt Zhong bear all the labor herself. So after an entire afternoon’s effort, by around four o’clock, they had finally finished with this patch of land.
Thanks to Aunt Zhong’s help, they managed to carry a massive haul of peanuts and sweet potatoes back ho.
Tian Sangsang counted through the sweet potatoes—not all of them had been dug up from the field, but the amount they brought back was plenty. She lugged the basket into the main hall and emptied it onto the floor. Goodness! It ford a little mountain. Just by eyeballing it, there were about a hundred sweet potatoes in total.
But leaving all these sweet potatoes in storage like this wasn’t a long-term solution. Tian Sangsang made a plan to divide them into four parts. One portion would be kept aside for cuts to toss into porridge on regular days; another portion would be reserved for baking now and then—it was a little treat all its own. One portion would be cleaned and sliced into pieces—not too thick—to fry up and eat. Tian Sangsang especially loved these. Fried sweet potato chips, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, golden and glistening, were far superior to any French fries. Oh, fries! She could also turn so into French fries, and even make so ketchup herself. Her son would surely love that.
"Oh! How silly of !" Tian Sangsang slapped her forehead. "French fries are made with potatoes, not sweet potatoes, orz..." Besides, as simple as French fries might look, cutting them properly is an art. If only there were a machine to cut fries!
As for the fourth portion, she’d wash the sweet potatoes, slice them into thin pieces, and dry them to make sweet potato snacks. There were two kinds of dried sweet potatoes: raw and cooked.
Raw dried sweet potatoes were mainly for boiling soup. Add a bit of sugar to the broth, and it made for a refreshing, cooling drink—sothing she’d loved since childhood. She and her childhood friends had cherished these sweet potato snacks dearly. Or, when making so other soup, you could toss in a chunk or two for a unique flavor. But as life grew busier with work, it had beco rare to enjoy that authentic, ho-dried taste from her childhood in the countryside. Cooked dried sweet potatoes, on the other hand, needed to be boiled first, cut into strips or thin slices, then air-dried. Once dried, they could be stored in low temperatures. These dried sweet potatoes were chewy and perfect for nibbling on when bored. You could even snip them into little pieces with scissors, put them on a plate, and snack on them anyti—so sweet and flavorful, reminiscent of simpler days.
The more Tian Sangsang thought about it, the more excited she beca, marveling at just how versatile sweet potatoes were. So many possibilities! Like the sweet potato pancakes and fried sweet potato balls she used to eat as a child. If she had all the ingredients, she could even make sweet potato milk buns, sweet potato milk soup, or stir-fried sweet potato strips with vinegar...
Just thinking about it was enough to make her mouth water.
She glanced at the pile of sweet potatoes, then suddenly crouched down. "Huh?"
"Mom," ng Shuyan squatted beside her as well. He had been watching her face the entire ti, seeing her expressions shift unpredictably—it was fascinating to him.
"Look, son! This one’s a purple sweet potato!" Oh my goodness, who would’ve thought there’d be a purple sweet potato mixed in here? "And this one here—its skin is darker. See, it has red skin, which ans its flesh inside is likely a deep orange, apricot-yellow, or even reddish-orange. This type is sweet, soft, and has a great texture. And look at this yellow one—if it’s a good variety, it’ll be firr and fluffier when cooked. All of them are wonderful, really."
Tian Sangsang’s smile lit up her whole face. In this little pile of sweet potatoes, she had discovered such excellent varieties!
ng Shuyan perked his ears up, listening intently. "I got it! Mom, you’re amazing~"
Tian Sangsang patted his little head. "Hungry? Mom will make sothing yummy for you right away!"
After working all morning and dealing with so many interruptions, Tian Sangsang was both physically and emotionally drained. She was so hungry her stomach had gone past growling. If she felt like this, there was no doubt her son was even worse off. She lovingly handed over a bowl of water she had poured earlier, now cooled off, and held it up to ng Shuyan’s lips. "Here, son, have so water to quench your thirst first."
Parched, with dry lips, ng Shuyan gulped down half the bowl in no ti. Then he handed it back to Tian Sangsang. "Mom, you drink too."
Tian Sangsang obediently took a sip. Then she wrung out a towel and used it to wipe her son’s face. The poor little guy had sweat and dirt smudged all over his face. Even as a "dirty little kitten," he was impossibly adorable—proof of the magic of genetics!
The peanuts in the yard were another big project. First, the soil needed to be shaken off, then each peanut had to be plucked by hand and set out to dry. If they weren’t dried in ti, they’d start to mold. But storing peanuts brought its own challenges. Part would be boiled, part roasted, and part sun-dried.
As she looked at her wrapped-up hand, Tian Sangsang felt a headache coming on. This hand wouldn’t heal anyti soon; it was best to keep it dry so it could recover faster. But given the current circumstances, every task required the use of her hands. She wasn’t so pampered young lady with people waiting on her hand and foot. Oh well, she’d just have to endure. At worst, it might take longer to heal. After all, she had endured every hardship in her past life—what was this compared to that? Tian Sangsang gave herself a pep talk.
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