Self-Reliance

Behind Tang Tianshu, Tang Tiansong had a knife at his left hip and a large ladle in his right, looking like someone who could go to the battlefield and work in the kitchen.

Tang Tiandong followed behind, carrying two large wooden buckets in his hands.

The wooden bucket contains a broth made from the ground and filtered Crayfish Beast.

Next was seven-year-old Tang Tianya, who was carrying a small wooden bucket of crayfish fat with some difficulty.

Zhou Lixin, the seven-year-old grandson of the Dangwu Village, also came to join in the fun, sometimes in front and sometimes behind.

The classic Materia Medica, Volume 43, Insect Section, records. "The crayfish is bluish-brown or bluish-green, with a round head, and is also known as the Northeast crayfish."

They are rare and have strict requirements for water quality; the water source must be a mountain spring.

Extremely delicious, nourishing yin and yang, a top-quality ingredient, recommended recipe: Crayfish Tofu.

Note: Crawfish are aquatic insects native to the Central Continent, and their appearance is similar to the reddish crayfish produced in the Western Regions.

Crayfish are a common food ingredient; they can survive in various harsh water conditions, so it's not advisable to eat too much of them.

This Crayfish Beast was caught yesterday by my eldest brother, second sister, third sister, and fourth brother at the edge of Three Graves Mountain after a lot of effort.

"This Crayfish Beast, weighing over three or four hundred pounds, my mother told my family to bring it out and share it with the whole village. Fellow villagers, hurry up and bring out your bowls to serve it!" Tang Tianshu recited a few lines of text while shaking his head, and then struck the gong.

The crayfish soup was, of course, raw. Firstly, if it were cooked with water and made into crayfish tofu, Tang Tiansong and his team didn't know how long it would take to deliver it all.

Secondly, even the Tang Household doesn't have a pot that big.

Thirdly, the Tang Household doesn't have enough firewood at home to cook a crayfish tofu meal for the whole village.

Because most of the grain and livestock had to be offered to a demon rat in Three Graves Mountain, the villagers of Dangwu Village rarely saw meat, let alone the delicious crayfish meat.

So, as soon as the gong sounded, everyone on the street held their bowls and shook their heads in anticipation.

"For families with many members, each household will receive two ladles of crayfish meat."

"For families with few members, each household will receive a ladle of crayfish meat." Tang Tiansong served the crayfish meat with a smile.

The villagers' enthusiastic praise truly made the five Tang Household brothers enjoy an extraordinary experience.

"The precious knife that Tiansong used to kill the Crayfish Beast belongs to my family."

Tianshu told me that his older brothers and sisters were going to kill Crayfish Beast, so I immediately stole my grandfather's treasured sword and delivered it to Tiansong.

This precious sword in my house is a weapon used by immortals; it's incredibly sharp.

"So, I deserve at least 10% credit for Tiansong and his team being able to take down this giant crayfish weighing over 300 jin." Zhou Lixin kept taking credit for himself.

The vast majority of villagers were very happy to receive crayfish meat.

However, some villagers not only refused the crayfish meat but also made sarcastic remarks from the sidelines.

"There are several people in one household, who can eat two spoonfuls of meat?"

No, I'd rather not. It'll only make me crave it and then I'll feel nauseous every day.

"That is.

Adults are fine, but once children get a craving for it, they cry and demand it every day.

I wouldn't dare go to Three Graves Mountain to catch crayfish; there are Demon Beast there.

It's not worth risking your life for a bite to eat.

Tang Tiansong never refuted such sarcastic remarks; he would simply smile and move on to the next crayfish stall.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I think you guys don't know what's good for you."

Remove the fishy smell when eating meat.

If you think there's not enough meat, you can add more water.

Crayfish tofu is all about the fresh flavor; you're mainly there to drink the broth. It's not like you're gnawing on a big piece of meat, eating bites of meat.

If you can grind a giant Crayfish Beast weighing 300 pounds into about 100 pounds of soup after removing its shell and internal organs, that's already pretty good.

How can a hundred kilograms of broth be divided among more than four hundred households?

Our village owes the Miao Household Stronghold to the west a lot of rice and grain, and my grandfather is almost worried to death.

I think you're all just eating too much. I'll have my dad raise the land tax by one cent another day and pay back the rice owed to the Miao Household Stronghold.

"I bet you guys still complain about the lack of meat." Zhou Lixin said indignantly.

Those who were making sarcastic remarks, upon seeing that it was the old village chief's grandson speaking up for the Tang Household, naturally dared not say anything more.

Tang Tiandong pulled Song Lixin aside and whispered, "Stop making things worse."

There's not enough crayfish meat to go around, so it's better if more people don't want it.

Upon hearing this, Song Lixin immediately changed his strategy.

As soon as he saw someone hesitate even slightly, Song Lixin immediately pulled Tang Tiandong toward the next player.

Tang Tiandong was also very good at teamwork. As soon as Song Lixin made a gesture, he would immediately grab the bucket and run away, leaving the hesitant people standing there dumbfounded: without even a polite greeting, he immediately stopped sharing the crayfish meat.

Tang Tiansong could only manage an awkward laugh. He understood that a hundred-odd pounds of meat, divided among more than four hundred households, wouldn't be enough no matter how it was distributed...

... After the four Tang Household brothers finished dividing the crayfish meat, it was almost evening. Just before they were about to go home, Tang Tiandong stopped Tang Tiansong and whispered, "Brother, that woman surnamed Yu who lives next to the schoolteacher looks unfamiliar."

Why did you give her three spoonfuls of crayfish meat?

She's not from our Dangwu Village, is she?

With a happy smile on his face, Tang Tiansong whispered, "Oh, her name is Yu Wei. She's not a naturally gifted [Aperture Opener], so she can't cultivate immortality."

I met her on the way to Huai'an City to sell Wulingzhi.

Yu Wei is from the Southern Continent of the Purple Mother Continent. She lost her family and home and wandered to our Central Continent.

She saved my life, so I brought her back.

"Brother, you like her and want to marry her?"

"Oh, you could even tell that?"

"Brother, you're all smiles and your face is all wrinkled when you mention Yu Wei." Tang Tiandong's lips twitched.

"But...

Brother, let me remind you.

You are engaged to the second son of the Ye Household in Iron Bridge Village.

The second son of the Ye Household is a naturally gifted "Aperture Opener." His father once said that if he marries a naturally gifted "Aperture Opener," his children will most likely also be naturally gifted "Aperture Opener."

Moreover, the Ye Household is ruthless and profit-driven, so it's not easy to offend them.

"What if you break off the engagement and the Ye Household comes to my family demanding an explanation?"

"Know.

Anyway, the engagement is for two years from now, so there's still plenty of time.

Besides, our family isn't short of gold and silver. If the Ye Household wants Spirit Stone used by cultivators, well, my father is a Rogue Cultivator cultivator, so I think he should have a few Spirit Stone. I can just ask him for them...

Hey, fourth brother...

"If I take a concubine before marrying a wife, will Father agree?"

You want to take Yu Wei as a concubine?

"Did they agree?" Tang Tiandong pursed his lips.

I've told Yu Wei about my engagement.

She took the initiative to suggest becoming his concubine.

However, I feel that making her a concubine would be too unfair to her.

"No, I have to see if there's any way to make her my wife..." Tang Tiansong muttered to himself as he walked into the courtyard.

"Dad has said several times that he won't interfere too much in our lives, for fear of affecting our destiny."

When faced with difficulties, the six of us siblings have to solve them on our own; we have to rely on ourselves.

Nine out of ten Ye Household are treacherous, petty, and heartless.

It's better to offend a gentleman than a petty person...

No, the Ye Household is not a family we, the Tang Household, can afford to offend right now.

"I'll have to give my older brother a good talking-to another day..." Tang Tiandong frowned, looked at his older brother's back, and then walked into the courtyard.

Before Tang Tiansong could even rest at home for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Zhou Lixin rushed over and called him away, saying that the old village chief had something important to discuss with Tang Tiansong...