The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 186: Dioscorea/Change

Shen Lie came over and, upon seeing what Sang Luo was holding, let out a small exclamation, “Is this thing here?”

Sang Luo looked at him, “Do you recognize it?”

Shen Lie shook his head, “I saw it in the mountains on my way back last year. We had been deep in the mountains for a long time without food, surviving solely on hunting and foraged goods. We roasted a few and fed them to the wild piglets caught in traps. After observing them for two days and seeing that the piglets were fine, we picked quite a few and ate them often during that time. They tasted pretty good. I didn’t expect to find them here in Qiyang as well.”

Everyone, who was already nearby, heard the conversation and realized they had discovered something new to eat. They quickly gathered around.

Chen Dashan and Lu Erlang, upon seeing what Sang Luo was holding, were delighted, “This stuff is delicious. Do we have it here too?”

Saying this, they looked towards the shrubbery behind Sang Luo.

Shopkeeper Xu asked, “Does Miss Sang recognize this?”

Sang Luo nodded and almost blurted out “yam beans,” but remembered that “yam” was a term used in later generations, so she corrected herself, “These are Lingyu seeds, a type of medicinal herb that can be used both as medicine and food. It’s good stuff, but the best part isn’t this; the real treasure is in the roots.”

Her words left Shen Lie and the others confused.

“Does it grow in the ground like taro?”

No, how can something that grows in the ground also bear fruit above? Were they being a bit foolish last year, wasting so much food?

Sang Luo guessed their thoughts from their expressions and laughed, “Yes, but it’s not ready yet. You should recognize this vine. The Lingyu seeds can be picked first. Harvesting them will allow the Dioscorea roots in the ground to grow better. They’ll be ready for digging in about a month.”

In the Daqian Dynasty, there were indeed yams, but they weren’t widely cultivated and were gathered as wild medicinal herbs. Wealthy families also used them in medicinal diets for nutritional supplements. The original body’s memories included knowledge of Dioscorea, having seen it served on dining tables, but she didn’t know about the Lingyu seeds.

When Shopkeeper Xu heard Sang Luo mention Dioscorea, he was surprised and pulled the nearby vine for a closer look, “Is this Dioscorea?”

Their Dongfulou restaurant also served medicinal diets, but Shopkeeper Xu had only seen the Dioscorea sent from the main shop. He didn’t know what it looked like growing in the ground, and he had never received any from mountain folks in Qiyang County. Most of their supply came from the main shop.

Sang Luo nodded, and Shopkeeper Xu was delighted, “If there are Dioscorea in these mountains, we might save a lot of food this year.”

Chen Youtian, a farmer, was most concerned about this. He moved closer to ask Shopkeeper Xu, “Is the yield high?”

His eyes involuntarily glanced towards the roots of the vine.

Shopkeeper Xu wasn’t entirely sure, but he said, “It should be alright. Our Dongfulou receives some every year from the main shop. This thing can grow quite long, the larger ones reaching half a person’s height.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up at these words. Here, they all genuinely relied on digging the earth for their livelihood.

Sang Luo, thinking about the Dioscorea described as half a person tall, realized that modern versions could be much larger. However, those had undergone countless generations of cultivation. For wild ones, half a person’s height might already be considered excellent. She said, “We’ll know once we dig them up. Actually, these things can grow in mountain forests. Next spring, we can find a place to try planting some. We don’t even need to clear new land; we can just plant them in the mountain where we live.”

Knowing there were high-yield wild foods that could be used as staple foods and cultivated, everyone’s enthusiasm soared. Chen Youtian was so excited he was rubbing his hands together. Normally a man of few words, he eagerly discussed with Sang Luo, “A Luo, why don’t you come out with us more often to find wild foods? I feel like you recognize a lot. Today, if it were just us, we might have cut that Dioscorea, right? Either that or just picked a few of the fruits and left, not knowing the roots underground were edible.”

He thought studying was really beneficial and planned to give his second son a good talking-to when he got home. No, even Dashan needed it. In their family, the only one keen on studying was the little girl, while the two older boys were lacking.

Chen Dashan, unaware that he would soon be joining Shen Lie in gnawing through “Thousand Word Classic,” was still laughing foolishly. He recognized the bulblet vine but hadn’t paid much attention to it. He had already run back to continue working, hammering the stakes loudly.

Shopkeeper Xu agreed with Chen Youtian, “Yes, Miss Sang indeed knows a lot about this.”

In just a few short months last year, she had come up with several new foods. Besides the tofu and dried tofu they sold at the market, and the vegetarian tripe they collaborated on, she likely had other partnerships with shops in the county.

Previously, he had already thought she was very capable, even without knowing much about the Shen family’s situation. Now that he was fully aware of their previous hardships, he wondered how Sang Luo had managed to produce the items she sold in the county.

Except for the tofu, which could be traced back to soybeans, the rest were a mystery. For example, he still couldn’t figure out what the vegetarian tripe was made of.

“Alright.”

Sang Luo thought it would be just another ordinary gathering trip. She loved going out and improving her family’s situation, so she readily agreed, especially since it was also an opportunity to get some fresh air.

But on the sixth day, while Sang Luo, Shen Ning, and Shi Erlang’s wife were sun-drying another delightful surprise from this trip—chestnuts—Shen Lie and his group hurried back after just over an hour, their faces extremely serious.

“People have entered the inner perimeter, more than ten of them.”

Sang Luo was a bit surprised. Those capable of entering could have done so earlier, so why now? The things available in the inner mountains should also be found in the outer areas, which suggested only one possibility.

“Is there trouble outside again?”

Shen Lie shook his head, “I don’t know. We wanted to ask, but we saw them from a distance on the mountain, and by the time we got down, they were gone. We decided to come back and regroup with you all.”

A wall might suffice for keeping out animals, but it wasn’t enough to keep out people. The young and strong left here wouldn’t be enough.

Zhou Laizi, who had stayed behind, became anxious upon hearing people had entered the inner perimeter. His home only had his wife and children, and his eldest son was the only one who could protect the family.

Not only Zhou Laizi was anxious; everyone here had loved ones to worry about.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan’s group had already discussed outside. They decided to return immediately. They had had a good harvest over the past few days. Each household had nearly half a sack of chestnuts after removing the spiny husks, plus smoked meat, Lingyu seeds, and other mountain goods. Although their bags and baskets weren’t completely full, they had gathered enough.

“Everyone, pack up. We’re heading back.”

Most of the items that had been sun-dried were already bagged. Only the ones still drying needed to be packed, which was done quickly. In less than half an hour, they were ready to leave, closing the wooden fence gate behind them as they hurried back.

The journey from the camp to the Zhou family’s home took nearly three hours. After traveling for just over an hour, they encountered two groups of people. The first group avoided them as soon as they saw them, but the second group, consisting of over ten people, including elderly and young individuals, had two or three injured members who seemed to have been attacked by wild animals. Due to the injuries, they were moving slowly and couldn’t avoid running into Shen Lie’s group. Chen Youtian and Zhou Laizi called out to them to inquire about the situation.

Seeing that Shen Lie’s group was carrying a lot of goods and included women and children, the other group relaxed a bit. An elderly man at the front explained, “Qiyang County is gone. I heard that a large imperial army came to suppress the rebellion, killing many rebels along the way. The bandits who had taken over Qiyang County either took people with them if they wanted them or killed those they didn’t want and then set the county on fire. Many former bandits have fled into the mountains. The outside is too chaotic now, with grain being stolen at the least. We didn’t dare to stay and had to come deeper into the mountains. Last night, we encountered wolves and lost two young men while three others were injured.”

The old man looked around the mountains with a sorrowful expression, “We’ve fled into these deep mountains, but who knows how many days we can survive or how many of us will make it out alive.”

Hearing that Qiyang County had been burned to the ground left Shen Lie’s group in shock, especially Shopkeeper Xu, who had many old colleagues in the town—the accountant, the head chef, the staff…

He couldn’t bear to think deeply about it. Were they among those taken or those slaughtered? He was too stunned to speak.

Chen Youtian noticed the old man’s eyes glistening with tears and saw that there were many elderly and weak people in the group, with only a few uninjured young men left. Feeling compassionate, he thought they were not far from the safety point they had established before and turned to quietly ask Shen Lie and Chen Dashan for their opinion.

Encountering them on the road, both men agreed to lend a hand and nodded.

Chen Youtian asked the old man, “Where are you heading? Are you going deeper into the mountains?”

He looked at the three injured young men, whose condition didn’t seem good.

The old man hesitated and said, “We were thinking of finding a cave to shelter in before dark.”

Chen Youtian said, “If you trust us, we have a resting place we use for hunting not far from here. You can rest there. We’ve built a wooden fence, and if you reinforce it with stones, it will be safer. At least it will give those young men a chance to heal.”

As for whether they would need to vacate the place later, these were not houses from peaceful times. If they didn’t let the old man’s family stay, someone else would eventually occupy it. In these times, survival was hard enough, and no one cared about such things.

He added, “If many people have entered the mountains, we don’t know if that place is already occupied.”

The old man was excited at the prospect of a safe place to rest but was also cautious because of the women and children in his group. He hesitated, but after looking at Chen Youtian’s group and seeing their kind faces, and noticing they were carrying wolf pelts and that the women and children seemed fine, he relaxed. He repeatedly said, “We trust you, we trust you. A place to rest and heal the children is more than we could hope for. Thank you.”

He bowed in gratitude.

“No need for that,” Chen Youtian quickly stepped aside, “Let’s go. It’s not far.”

Taking the old man’s group was along their route, though it would require a slight detour, adding half an hour to their journey. But seeing the elderly and young, and the injured among them, they couldn’t in good conscience leave them behind.

They led the family to the safe area where they had rested during their last hunting trip. It seemed that the people fleeing from the outskirts had only recently started moving inward, as no one had yet occupied this place.

The family saw the sturdy wooden fence encircling the area, complete with a gate, and several shelters inside that could protect them from wind and rain. Since it often rained at night in the mountains, the shelters were covered with thick straw mats. The family was so overwhelmed with gratitude that they didn’t know how to express their thanks.

Chen Youtian, not wanting to make a fuss over the gratitude, mentioned that they had to continue their journey. After a brief farewell, the group left quickly.

The old man watched them leave until they were out of sight, then turned to his family and said, “We’ve met good people.”

He then instructed his family, “Quickly, gather some firewood and stones to settle in.”

…

For Chen Youtian and his group, helping the family was just a small gesture. They quickly forgot about it and focused on reaching Zhou Laizi’s family.

The Zhou family was doing well, but their home was still a half-hour’s walk from the valley, making it somewhat risky being isolated.

Shen Lie and his group hadn’t expected things outside to deteriorate so quickly, and now they were a bit hesitant.

There were still small caves closer to the village that they hadn’t chosen initially because their entrances were less visible, making them less secure. But the Zhou family knew how many people they originally had, so any absence would be noticeable.

However, they trusted the Zhou family, especially since the Zhou family relied on them for hunting and gathering in the mountains, ensuring they had enough food and drink. There was no reason to suspect any ill intentions.

They asked Zhou Laizi and his son if they wanted to lock the gate and move to a small cave closer to them for the time being.

Zhou Laizi didn’t respond immediately and said, “Let’s see how things go.”

By the time they reached the Zhou family home, it was late noon. They had encountered another group on their way, but seeing that Shen Lie’s group had many strong young men, they had avoided them.

The Zhou family’s wooden gate was tightly closed. Zhou Laizi called out, and his eldest son hurried over to open it. The women of the Zhou family also came out but stayed within the yard.

Zhou Dalang looked slightly tense, “Father, did you know people have come into the mountains?”

He explained that they had seen tracks while using mud and stones to reinforce the yard’s wall earlier. “There were twenty to thirty people, looking like one large family. They stood and watched our yard for a while but didn’t say anything before moving on.”

Zhou Laizi’s heart tightened, “Did you notice any malice?”

Zhou Dalang shook his head, “I don’t think so. They seemed more interested in how our tall fence was built.”

Zhou Laizi sighed in relief.

Indeed, truly malicious people would still be making a living in the outer mountains. The outer areas had more people and more autumn mountain produce, so it was possible to survive there. Those who were terrified by bandits would only take the risk of being attacked by wild animals to flee deeper into the mountains.

At this moment, the people entering the inner mountains were somewhat fortunate. This area had been cleared by Shen Lie and his group, and after passing the outer barrier, this small section was relatively safe. There were wild animals, but not an excessive number.

However, Zhou Laizi realized that his family needed to be more cautious. They couldn’t all sleep through the night; he and his two sons would have to take turns keeping watch.

Chen Youtian looked at him and asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to come to our place? The cave is small, but it’s close to us. If anything happens, we can respond quickly.”

Zhou Laizi shook his head, “No need. Our fence is high enough, and we have enough people. The people entering the inner mountains now seem more like they are fleeing from the unscrupulous ones outside. Ultimately, they are probably like us, so there’s no need to be overly anxious. If things get worse, we’ll ask for your help then.”

Chen Youtian, seeing his refusal, didn’t press further.

Chen Dashan, however, after consulting with Chen Youtian, took out his father’s rarely used bow and arrows and handed them to Zhou Laizi. “Uncle Zhou, keep this for self-defense. Set up a target in the yard and practice your aim regularly. Make more bamboo arrows. I’ll make two more bows with animal hide strings and bring them over tomorrow. I’ll teach you how to use them.”

Zhou Laizi was moved when he received the bow and arrows. The fence had several observation openings, and using a bow and arrow was the best defense. He stroked the arrows and said, “Thank you. This will make us much safer.”

Chen Dashan nodded. He actually had a bottle of arrow poison in his sleeve, but the situation hadn’t become that dire. Moreover, although the poison was his family’s, giving it away would mean entrusting their backs to others. It was better to let the Zhou family move closer to them, where they could be within reach without directly seeing the entrance to the valley. So, he held back on giving the poison for now.

After Shen Lie and his group left, the Zhou family closed the gate and secured it with several heavy bolts. Zhou Erlang then asked, “Dad, are we really not going to live near Shen Lie and his group?”

Zhou Laizi shook his head, “Not unless we have to.”

“Why not?”

Zhou Laizi looked at his wife. His refusal was actually influenced by a recent casual conversation with her about where Shen Lie and his group lived. Something she had said made him decide to refuse twice today.

He wasn’t a very clever man, and being questioned by his son made him instinctively look at his wife.

Zhou Laizi’s wife took over the conversation, “Because it’s not appropriate.”

Seeing the brothers’ confusion, she asked, “How do you think Shen Lie, Dashan, and the other families treat us?”

Zhou Dalang said, “They’ve been great. They brought us into the mountains, helped us settle, and even when hunting, they took care to head in this direction.”

Zhou Erlang nodded, “They’ve been very good to us, thinking of everything.”

Zhou Laizi’s wife continued, “Exactly. From the beginning, they’ve taken great care of us. But you also heard them; there are still caves near where they live. Why didn’t they take us to live near them in the first place?”

The Zhou brothers were stumped.

Brother Zhou said, “Because it would be inconvenient, right?”

Zhou Laizi’s wife nodded, “That’s it. Although we don’t know the exact reason, it must be inconvenient. They’ve done enough for us. Unless it’s an emergency, we shouldn’t cause them any more trouble.”

“In the end, we have to stand on our own. Life is something we have to navigate ourselves. People who stand tall and face challenges are more likely to get help when they encounter difficulties. If you rely on others too much, eventually, even the most willing helpers will get tired.”

The Zhou brothers nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Zhou Laizi’s wife then said, “Alright, you all go and set up some targets like Dashan suggested. Practice with those arrows. Getting good at it is a skill, and when the time comes that we need help, we won’t be completely useless.”

Her voice was soft but filled her sons with enthusiasm. Zhou Erlang and Zhou Sanlang responded promptly and ran off to gather dry grass to make targets.

Zhou Laizi’s wife smiled, then looked at the bags and baskets her husband and sons brought back. “What did you gather this time?”

Zhou Laizi, though not loud, was clearly pleased. “Over thirty pounds of meat, more than half a bag of chestnuts, and something called aerial tubers. A-Lie’s wife recognized them and said they’re medicinal. Steamed, they taste good. In a little over a month, we can dig up the roots of the vine that grows these tubers. The roots can be used as food, so we can stock up.”

“Oh, and A-Lie’s wife said these aerial tubers and the yams we’ll harvest later are good for your health. She said you should eat a bit every day, it’s beneficial for your body.”

“Good for my health?”

“Yes, she said they’re warming and nourishing. I don’t really understand, but if they’re good for you, I’ll gather more. We won’t eat them, you should have them to build your strength.”

Both husband and wife were smiling broadly. Brother Zhou, watching from the side, smiled too. She went inside to get the newly made large basket and placed it on the drying rack, helping her father and brother spread out the gathered items to dry.

**Author’s Note:**

The ancient name for Chinese yam was Shuyu. It was renamed twice for political reasons and became known as Chinese yam. The earliest record is from the pre-Qin geography classic “Shan Hai Jing” (770–256 BC). Its earliest recorded culinary use was during the spring and autumn period when it was presented to the Zhou royal family by the Marquis of Wei (now Jiaozuo, Henan). However, it was probably wild back then, with more records in medical texts and no artificial cultivation. The earliest cultivation record is in the Western Jin dynasty’s “Records of Southern Plants” (304 AD), and it was cited in the Northern Wei dynasty’s “Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People,” but listed among non-native plants. The late Tang dynasty’s “Essentials for All Seasons” referenced Daoist Wang Min’s “Mountain Dwelling Techniques,” which documented methods for planting and making flour from yams, indicating that artificial domestication began in the south, with cultivation spreading to the north after the Sui and Tang dynasties. It wasn’t until the Song dynasty that yams began to be widely cultivated. The above information comes from online sources.