Chapter 257: Ginseng Stewed Pork Ribs

Yan Lao’er treasured that ginseng like it was made of gold.

He carried it from Yongning to Longxing, then from Longxing back to Yongning, asking countless pharmacies along the way. None felt quite right, so he never made a move.

The one Granny Rong used was either the one Li Xuemei had stored away or the one Yan Lao’er had been carrying back and forth like a precious heirloom.

She trimmed off some of the root tendrils with a knife, then swiftly sliced it into thin pieces. The way she handled it was strikingly similar to how she dealt with wild ginger.

Red dates, goji berries, beans…

Just gathering all the ingredients was no easy task.

Yan Yu quickly figured out that Granny Rong was making ginseng stewed pork ribs.

She carefully skimmed off the floating oil bit by bit.

The broth was clear and rich. The once-withered red dates had soaked up the soup, plumping up and bobbing freely in the pot. The aroma was intoxicating, but once the lid was closed, most of it was sealed in.

Slurp!

Yan Yu dashed back to her room.

She was anxious to see if her mother had woken up yet.

By the time Yan Lao’er and his nephew Yan Xiangheng finished their errands and returned home, they were greeted by a pot of fragrant, savory bone broth.

Red dates and goji berries were a perfect match, and the aroma of meat mingled with the herbal fragrance, drifting straight into their nostrils.

A little closer, and there was a faint bittersweet scent layered beneath the richness.

One sip of the soup sent warmth coursing through the body, all the way to the lungs. It was like being wrapped in a cozy blanket from the inside out.

The pork ribs were tender and flavorful, soaked through with goodness.

Yan Lao’er couldn’t quite describe the taste. All he knew was that it was delicious and nourishing—every bite felt like a mouthful of health.

Once Li Xuemei woke up, Granny Rong served her a carefully portioned bowl.

The same went for Daya and Er Ya.

Only Yan Lao’er and Yan Xiangheng were allowed to eat freely.

After the meal, Yan Yu felt like she was brimming with strength.

Of course, that was probably just psychological.

Yan Lao’er hadn’t minded using the ginseng. No matter how expensive it was, if it helped his wife recover, it was worth every bit.

But when Granny Rong later wrote down that the ginseng wasn’t ideal—too old, and better if it were a few years younger—he clutched his chest, heart aching so badly he could barely breathe.

You… you could’ve told me that earlier!

Frustrated, he packed away the remaining ginseng slices and promised to have Maomao find a more suitable one for cooking. Only then did Granny Rong look satisfied.

“Dad, are we still leaving tonight?” Yan Yu asked.

Yan Lao’er thought for a long moment before finally making up his mind. “Yes, we’re going.”

“I’m worried about Mom,” Yan Yu murmured.

Li Xuemei smiled gently.

“With Granny Rong here, you don’t need to worry. If you want to go out and explore, then go. I’m a grown woman—I can take care of myself.”

Yan Yu clung to her mother like a well-behaved child.

So much had happened today. Emotionally, she didn’t want to be apart from her mother for even a second. But logically, she knew that life was hard, and that was exactly why they needed to prepare more—more supplies, more resources to face whatever came next.

She glanced at the countdown timer only she could see.

“Once it hits midnight, the Platform will open. Dad, how about we wait until everything’s done before heading out?”

Yan Lao’er said, “We don’t have time to replant this time. We can’t buy much from the shelves either.”

“If we can connect with Uncle again, I want to trade for another Bionic Machine,” Yan Yu said.

Li Xuemei asked, “What for?”

With Sanbao, Maomao, and Granny Rong already in the household, she felt they had enough.

“It’s not for me. I was thinking… we have a lot of fish now. If Uncle’s willing, maybe we can help Sister Yu or the boy get one…

Sister Yu’s place has constant rain and wind. If she had a Bionic Machine, it’d be easier for her to move around and find safer places.

The boy’s situation is even more dangerous. If he had something for transportation, even if he couldn’t fight, he could at least escape.

Our Sanbao is amazing—it’s fast, can climb mountains, travel on land and water, haul goods, and carry people. We’ve had it this whole time and barely suffered at all.

Uncle also has donkeys and horses. Horses are too conspicuous, though. What if we trade for a donkey? Use it as a middleman, and once we connect with Sister Yu and the boy, we can pass it on to them.”

Yan Lao’er agreed. Their life wasn’t luxurious by any means, but it was stable now.

Those poor folks had it much worse.

Li Xuemei thought seriously for a moment and said, “We can’t be sure when we’ll connect with them. If we’re trading for a donkey, have your dad go to the Luo family next door and talk to the village chief. Let’s buy one of the village’s donkeys.”

“Mom, you’re okay with it?” Yan Yu asked excitedly.

Li Xuemei said, “Didn’t your ‘Uncle’ say before that they would definitely connect to a user from an ancient-era background?

And we haven’t met anyone else in a similar environment. That kind of connection isn’t random. The Platform is doing it on purpose.

So we can help each other…”

Get through this together.

“But actually…” Li Xuemei continued, “I don’t think a donkey is the best choice. In their setting, a donkey would stand out too much. If someone gets greedy and wants to kill it for meat, it could expose them in an instant.”

“Your mom’s right. A donkey’s no good. A cat or dog would be better,” Yan Lao’er added.

Yan Yu: …

You want a cat or dog to pull a cart? Maybe they could manage it, but wouldn’t that look even stranger?

Then Yan Lao’er’s eyes lit up with an idea.

“Hey! Didn’t that kid say he had a mutant beast? What if we customize one based on that? No one would want to eat something that weird-looking.”

Yan Yu: That doesn’t sound very reassuring.

Maybe no one would want to eat it, but it might make people want to dissect it.

“So… are we still trading for a donkey or not?” Yan Yu asked, now unsure herself.

Yan Lao’er thought for a moment. “Let’s do the trade. Let’s get the donkey back first. The connection window’s getting shorter, and I’m worried we won’t have time for a custom order. But with the donkey, we can swap it right away.

If they don’t end up using it, we can just keep it for ourselves. I’m always out and about, so having an extra ride at home wouldn’t hurt.”

Yan Lao’er didn’t waste any time. He got up and went straight to the neighboring Luo Family.

Not long after, he came back.

“I spoke with Village Chief Luo. We can go pick it up anytime.”

Yan Yu asked curiously, “Dad, how much are donkeys selling for in the village?”

“Cheap. Two hundred less than when we bought it.” Yan Lao’er grinned, clearly pleased with the deal.

“If you hadn’t brought it up, I wouldn’t have thought of it. Just Sanbao alone isn’t enough for us. Whether we swap it for a Bionic Machine or not, it’ll still be useful.

Once Heng’er gets some more practice, he can start taking on some of the hauling jobs.”

Things like transporting stone, bricks, or delivering charcoal—he already had the routes figured out. He didn’t need to do it himself every time. His eldest nephew was the perfect candidate for the job.

“Which one should we pick?” The young scouts were now in charge of taking care of the donkeys and mules. Yan Yu often ran over to help, so she had a pretty good idea which ones had good temperaments and which ones were always causing trouble.

“Heh! The cheapest one, of course.” Since they were planning to trade it anyway, it only made sense to pick the one that cost the least. That’s how you maximize profit.

Yan Yu burst out laughing. “Dad, you’re such a cheapskate!”

“Stop flattering me and check the timer. Is it still running?” Yan Lao’er said.

His daughter’s countdown had flickered on and off several times today. Sometimes it showed, sometimes it didn’t, which kept everyone on edge.

“It’s still there, still going.” Yan Yu replied with a cheeky grin.

Just one chapter today~ I’ll make it up tomorrow~

Feeling really tired, and I had to delete and rewrite everything~ kinda frustrated~

(End of Chapter)