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While Jiang Xia was preparing to search, another question came to mind. How should she extract the Fleece Flower Root? Would it be like pulling out radishes?

Suddenly, she heard a chuckle from behind. Startled, she whipped her head around to find that Su Zhen had been following her all along.

With just the two of them present, Jiang Xia cautiously asked, “Why are you following me?”

Su Zhen found the young girl amusing. He hadn’t expected her to be so alert. Lifting the shovel in his hand, he replied, “1 brought this shovel for you. How else would you dig out the Fleece Flower Root? Were you planning to use your hands?”

Ignoring his teasing, Jiang Xia huffed, “Yes, 1 was going to dig with my hands. So what?”

Su Zhen saw Jiang Xia as a porcupine, displaying all its quills in defense.

He smiled, kneeling down to search for the Fleece Flower Root and continued to tease her, “Alright, I’ll use the shovel, and you use your hands. Let’s see who finds more.”

Not wanting to turn her back to him, Jiang Xia squatted at a spot not far from him to begin her search.

The recent rain made the surface soil soft and moist, but the deeper layers were still hard. Digging with her hands was near impossible, so Jiang Xia used a flat stone as a makeshift shovel.

As darkness approached, making it unsafe to navigate the mountain paths, Third Brother Zhang emerged from a distant forest, calling them back home. Only then did Jiang Xia realize he had been watching over them all along, hidden from view.

In fact, as soon as Jiang Xia left the Zhang residence’s courtyard, Zhao Wan had noticed her. While she had avoided Jiang Chuan’s line of sight, Zhao Wan’s room directly faced the courtyard entrance, offering her a clear view. She signaled Third Brother Zhang, who then discreetly followed them, ensuring their safety.

Despite her efforts, Jiang Xia didn’t find any Fleece Flower Root. Su Zhen, however, managed to find one. Offering it to her, she declined.

Originally, she had planned to secretly collect Fleece Flower Root and plant it in her interspace. But with Su Zhen’s constant presence, her plan was foiled. Accepting his Fleece Flower Root would be meaningless under such scrutiny.

Upon their return to the Zhang residence, they were greeted by the tantalizing aroma of dishes being prepared.

The scent of savory fish head soup immediately made Jiang Xia’s stomach rumble. She quickly made her way to the kitchen.

The Zhang family’s kitchen was quite expansive. It was housed in a separate building all by itself. Inside, neatly chopped wood was stored for the hearth, distinctly different from the dried orange branches and leaves used in Jiang Xia’s home, which emitted a pungent smoke when burned.

The kitchen also boasted a full cabinet, adorned with finely crafted wooden bowls, chopsticks, and plates.

On the stove were three iron pots, each containing a different dish: one had a stew of fish head and tofu, another was simmering with chicken and mushrooms, and the third was being used to fry a dish.

Jiang Xia couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy at how well-equipped the Zhang family’s kitchen was. She silently resolved that, once she got back home, she would ensure that everything her home lacked would be procured.

In Pushan Village, no more than five households owned an iron pot. While the old Jiang family did have one, it was chipped and damaged, with rust at the bottom that wouldn’t wash off. Jiang Xia feared that cooking with it might be harmful.

But here, the Zhang family owned three large iron pots, a testament to the fact that their living conditions were significantly better than that of the Jiang family.

Jiang Qing’s decision to marry into the Zhang family had indeed been a fortunate one. With this thought, Zhou Lan’s guilt over Jiang Qing’s distant marriage years ago somewhat lessened.

Zhou Lan was in the middle of stir-frying pork intestines with chili, causing Jiang Gu to tear up from the spicy fumes. However, she still tried to keep her eyes open, keenly observing what seasonings her mother added, silently learning her techniques.

Jiang Xia nodded in response. She gazed at the nearly overflowing dishes on the wooden table, her eyes lighting up. It had been a long time since she had such a sumptuous meal.

There was stir-fried mushrooms with cured meat, stir-fried celery with meat, potato and green bean stew with ribs, sweet and sour fish cubes, steamed fish belly, and pickled cabbage fish. It was truly a feast focused on fish.

Even though they were all home-cooked dishes, each one was a tantalizing combination of color, aroma, and flavor that made one’s mouth water.

Jiang Xia tried not to take in too much of the aroma. She quickly collaborated with Jiang Qing to serve the dishes on the table.

For the finishing touch, Zhou Lan sprinkled finely chopped spring onions over the chicken and mushroom stew and the fish head tofu soup, instantly enhancing their aroma.

The round dining table at the Zhang residence was sizable, comfortably accommodating ten people without feeling crowded.

Zhang Ping even brought out the family’s wine, pouring a glass for each of the gentlemen present..