“Please pick up some acorns.”
After parting with the farmer, Fei Ling stepped into the autumn-colored forest and first asked Lanxin. Lanxin blinked his eyes, as if to say, “What will you do with acorns?”, but still replied, “Understood.”
“Good, it’s not bee larvae or anything.”
Sometimes, acorns are inhabited by larvae that resemble bee larvae, but it seems better not to mention that.
“If possible, fill the背篭 (a traditional carrying basket) with them.”
“That’s a lot! But, I’ll do my best.”
The fields were荒れ (uncultivated), but the forest was overflowing with abundant produce. Mushrooms peeked out from various spots in the forest, and Akebi vines were heavy with fruit. Just listening carefully, you could hear the calls of pheasants and mountain pigeons, and even the sound of acorns falling onto the carpet of dry leaves.
Even though there was a famine, it wasn’t on the scale that Fei Ling had experienced during her travels.
(It’s good.)
This was not hell.
“Oh, also, please pick up some chestnuts. Don’t go too far.”
Fei Ling called out to Lanxin, who was bending his waist as he moved further away, then turned her gaze upward, like a hawk’s eye.
(Found it.)
It was at a height that could not be reached even by stretching up.
Fei Ling tightly tied the hem of her dress, then took out a rope. She tied the rope around her ankle and, with force, jumped onto the trunk of a larch tree. This was a tree-climbing technique used by indigenous people of the continent. Despite the unseemly appearance, not at all like a princess, she climbed up the trunk and borrowed eggs from a pigeon’s nest perched on a branch.
After gathering some eggs, she went to collect mushrooms and also checked inside tree hollows.
At that moment, a bee flew past her head. Fei Ling ’s eyes sparkled as she chased after it, her heart pounding with excitement, thinking that it might be easier to gather food than she had imagined.
The sun began to set.
With a large amount of acorns and chestnuts piled into the背篭, Lanxin returned to the original spot.
“Fei Ling -sama! With this much, it looks like it should be enough.”
Fei Ling wasn’t there, and Lanxin tilted his head in confusion when a scream-like voice came from behind.
“Lanxin, run away!”
Fei Ling , breathless, came running down the slope. A dark, ominous cloud, emitting a disturbing moan, was chasing her. It was a swarm of bees.
“What’s that, no way!” Lanxin screamed in a panic while running.
“I just took the honeycomb with the bees’ nest!” Fei Ling shouted.
“That’s why! I thought you were carrying something bulky, and it turned out to be a bee’s nest!”
“A great harvest.”
Fei Ling gave a wonderful smile, proudly sticking out her thumb. Lanxin, unable to decide whether to be exasperated or angry, held his head in his hands and then screamed, “I can’t take this anymore!”
By the time they managed to scatter the bees, twilight was approaching.
There was no time bell like in the palace, so the sense of time was somewhat off, but it was probably after the Monkey Hour (around 4 PM).
Since they couldn’t borrow a kitchen, they decided to collect fallen leaves and firewood on the edge of the village and cook over a campfire. Luckily, they had brought cooking utensils from the palace.
“Now, let’s start cooking.”
First, Fei Ling took the acorns and placed them in a pot to soak in water. Any worm-eaten nuts floated to the surface and were removed. Then, she boiled them and soaked them again. As she stirred the wok, the shells started to crack open.
She took the nuts out and ground them into powder using a mortar and pestle.
“Ugh, my arms are sore.”
“You’ll do it at least ten more times.”
“Ugh.”
Then, the dark brown powder was kneaded with water to form a dough, and the mushrooms that had been pre-cooked were wrapped in the dough and steamed.
“Are you still grinding the acorn powder?”
“Because this one changes the flavor.”
Fei Ling smiled while whisking the egg whites from the pigeon eggs with a tea whisk.
It would be ready soon.
“Please call everyone. Let’s have dinner.”
◇
Appetite is something irresistible.
No matter how stubborn you are about being an outsider or how much you doubt, when you’re hungry and something delicious is offered to you… you can’t resist the temptation.
“These are roasted rice cakes. Please enjoy them while they’re warm.”
Fei Ling wrapped them in leaves and handed them to the farmers. Everyone remained silent, looking confused, but their faces showed—how delicious they must be. Someone swallowed audibly. That only stirred their desire more.
“…”
The farmer was the first to bite into the soft, steaming dough. The hot filling oozed out. Mushrooms, Yamato potato, and chopped wild carrots. Simple but delicious ingredients.
“Ugh… it’s delicious…”
The farmer exclaimed.
“…Did you bring the ingredients from the capital?”
“No, all the ingredients in this rice cake come from this land.”
When Fei Ling said that, the elderly farmer furrowed his brows.
“You’re lying. That can’t be right. There’s not even a handful of wheat here.”
Fei Ling picked up an acorn lying in the forest and said to the farmer:
“It’s acorns. I ground them and kneaded them.”
“Acorns? They’re too bitter to eat. And I heard acorns are poisonous, that eating them makes you unable to speak.”
“There’s no poison. It’s just bitter. If you don’t remove the bitterness, you might not speak for a while, but if you do, you can eat them like this, and they’re delicious.”
Additionally, acorns are highly nutritious and have a detoxifying effect. In distant lands, pigs that were raised only on acorns are sold at a high price. That’s how nutritious they are.
Fei Ling continued and handed over another one that had just finished cooking.
“Ugh…”
This time, it was soft like steamed buns.
(Since I whisked the egg whites properly.)
Well, compared to Lanxin, who ground all these acorns, this was easy.
“Mm, mm, mm…”
Though trying not to be swept away by the foreigner’s momentum, the farmer turned his gaze away, but the sweet aroma wafted, and he bit into it, as if drawn to it. The honey generously poured over it tangled, and the chestnuts mixed in melted on his tongue. The farmers, not used to sweet things, surely felt like they had tasted heaven.
“…Damn, it’s so good.”
The farmer sniffled and rubbed his nose. At his words, everyone, from the old man to the woman carrying a baby, nodded in agreement.
“How long has it been since we had something this delicious?”
“Really… it’s been so long since my belly’s been full.”
Food is equal. As the farmer had said earlier, when you’re hungry, whether you’re an emperor or a slave, you can lose your life.
(They say you can’t fight on an empty stomach.)
Whatever you’re going to talk about, you need to fill your stomach first. When you’re hungry, your heart becomes poor as well. After everyone finished eating, Fei Ling bowed her head once more.
“Please, may I see the patient?”
The farmer sighed deeply, then smiled and nodded.
“…You’ve won, little girl, no—food doctor young lady, right? First, take a look at my son. But it’s not just an illness.”
“I understand.”
