Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 110: If It’s Sour, Dip It in Salt

Chapter 104

If It’s Sour, Dip It in Salt

After negotiating with the three monkeys, they helped Tianchen gather good quality mature coconuts. Despite still being scared, Tianchen refused to stay away from his niece, so Xiaolin rode on his back, watching the monkeys run around collecting coconuts. She sent the twins back to collect more holy basil leaves, knowing they needed a larger quantity.

"So, where do you all stay? How will you manage in winter?" Xiaolin asked the monkeys, while she herself was perched on her uncle’s back like a chubby little monkey.

Whoop Whoop

The monkeys chattered and one of them pointed deeper into the forest. Xiaolin nodded, deciding that when winter came, she would cook sweet potatoes and bring plenty for them. The cold weather would help preserve the food for many days, maybe even a week.

Judging by their thin bodies, they probably didn’t get enough to eat. Her Uncle Zhou had told her that the northern side, where the coconut forest extended, was just an ordinary forest and likely didn’t have much to forage, which explained their scrawny appearance.

Seeing the large pile of coconuts, Xiaolin told the monkeys to stop collecting. She promised them that she would bring boiled sweet potatoes the next day, as she hadn’t brought anything with her today to give them in return. The monkeys chattered in agreement before jumping back into the forest. Tianchen let out a long sigh of relief.

"What’s wrong, Uncle?" Xiaolin asked as they walked back to fetch the cart for the coconuts.

"Those monkeys were so scary when they were chasing me, baring their teeth. But when they saw you, they were as meek as Xiao Zhong," Tianchen replied, still shaken.

"Maybe animals just like me, Uncle," Xiaolin said, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder.

"And I like you too," Tianchen said, planting a big kiss on her chubby cheek.

The uncle and niece laughed as they walked back to where the boys were collecting holy basil leaves. Tianchen told his niece to stay and help the boys while he went to gather the coconuts, as it wouldn’t take long now that they were already piled up. Xiaolin slid off her uncle’s back and sat down to help the boys, who had already filled their small baskets.

"Xiaolin, I found some strange plants," Ling Han said, his eyes sparkling with excitement, certain that his chubby friend would be interested.

“What kind of strange plant did you find?” Xiaolin blinked curiously at Ling Han, who was unusually smiling from ear to ear. He rarely smiled like this.

“Come, I’ll show you,” Ling Han said, standing up and gesturing for his friend to follow. Xiaolin got up and walked after him.

Seeing that the two weren’t going far, the older boys stayed behind. Ling Han explained that he had wandered off to relieve himself and stumbled upon some unusual plants. They had tough leaves with sharp thorns and bore green fruits, with some turning yellow. Xiaolin’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she listened to Ling Han’s description. If she wasn’t mistaken, these had to be pineapples!

But...why are there pineapples during this season? This world is indeed strange...

“There it is, look,” Ling Han pointed to the plants he had found.

Xiaolin’s eyes widened as she saw a vast stretch of pineapples, probably around a hundred plants. She jumped up and down, pointing at the pineapples, but was too excited to speak. The fruits were ripe and filled the air with a sweet fragrance.

Ling Han watched his friend with a puzzled expression but could tell from her enthusiasm that the strange fruits were edible. He grabbed her hand, and together they jumped around in excitement.

“Xiao Han! Go get Uncle quickly! We need to harvest these. Tell him to stop collecting coconuts for now. Hurry, Xiao Han!” Xiaolin, panting from all the jumping, urged her friend since she was too tired to run herself.

“Got it!” Ling Han sprinted off, quickly passing the four older boys. Realizing he didn’t know exactly where Uncle Tianchen was, he ran back to ask the twins.

Ching Lang, seeing his little brother out of breath, offered to go instead. Ling Han, worried that his friend would be waiting too long, urged Ching Lang to hurry because Xiaolin was the one who asked. Upon hearing this, Ching Lang ran off so fast that dry grass flew up in his wake. When he returned, Ling Han led the way to where Xiaolin was waiting, with the remaining boys abandoning their basil baskets to follow.

“What is it, Xiaolin?” Tianchen asked as he arrived, immediately catching a whiff of a fragrant scent carried by the wind.

“Uncle, can you help me gather these? Only pick the ripe ones, please,” Xiaolin said, pointing at the ripe pineapples.

While waiting for her friends, she had done a quick survey and found many ripe fruits, though some had already rotted on the plant. She was surprised that there were no bite marks or scratches from animals like squirrels or wild chickens, which usually peck at the fruit. These pineapples, however, were untouched.

“The fragrant smell comes from these?” Tianchen asked as he followed her, seeing the unusual yet delicious-looking plants.

“Yes, Uncle. Let’s gather these and take them home first. We can come back for the coconuts later. Many of these are very ripe, and I’m afraid they might rot soon,” Xiaolin explained.

“Alright, tell me which ones to pick,”

“You got it, uncle.”

The chubby girl had the duty of pointing out the fruits she wanted with Tianchen harvesting them as these fruits would have thorns which children should stay away from. The wins and Ling Hai had a duty of loading the harvested pineapples into the cart. Xiaolin also told them to separate the ripe ones at the bottom before then the other ones might sit on them, causing them to miss the sweet and juicy pineapples.

Ling Han and Huan Luwen ran around, helping Xiaolin find more pineapples. What began as a trip to gather holy basil and mature coconuts turned into a fruitful pineapple harvest, with their cart now full of pineapples and only half a large basket of holy basil. Leading the group back, Xiaolin began singing a playful song,

“Pineapple, pineapppppple~ Eyes all around, head so striped, Hula Hulaaa, If it’s sour, dip it in salt, If it’s sweet, dip it in salt.’’ The round figure danced energetically while walking, swaying and twirling. Ling Han, amused by his friend’s antics, laughed heartily but joined in, attempting to mimic her dance moves.

"If there’s no salttt, you don’t need to dip it. Just eat it, eat it allll~"

By the time they reached the Tang house, Ling Han was laughing so hard his stomach hurt. The children helped unload the pineapples from the cart because Tianchen needed to go back for the coconuts to finish the work in one day. On other days, he wanted to have some time to relax because he had been overseeing the work and helping the workers carry dishes, which had left him very thin.

Before leaving, he didn’t forget to remind his niece to save some of the delicious food for him. Xiaolin nodded vigorously, her cheeks jiggling. With such a large pile of pineapples, how could there not be any left?

At that moment, Huan Tan, who had been lounging inside, came out after hearing the children’s chatter from the back of the house. His eyes widened at the sight of the large pile of pineapples, with his chubby little friend standing there, arms crossed, smiling broadly and waggling her eyebrows at him.

Annoyed but amused, he knocked her lightly on the head and sat down to pick up a pineapple. He then asked his son to fetch a knife and a wooden tray from the kitchen and went to sit on the wooden platform at the back of the house. Xiaolin quickly ran to the edge of the platform, watching him with bright, eager eyes.

“What?” Huan Tan looked down at the chubby-cheeked child beaming up at him.

“I want some too!”

“And if I don’t let you?”

“I’ll eat it anyway,” she insisted, climbing onto the platform. Her loyal followers followed suit, sitting next to her in a row.

“Go get more ripe ones. One won’t be enough for all of us,” he told the gluttonous bunch.

“I’ll go!” Ling Hai jumped down and swiftly picked two more ripe pineapples, their sweet scent filling the air.

Huan Tan began peeling the pineapples, feeling the pressure of many pairs of eyes watching him intently. Soon, juicy pineapple slices were arranged on a plate. Xiaolin was the first to grab a piece, popping it into her mouth.

The chubby girl closed her eyes in bliss as the sweet, slightly tangy flavor spread across her taste buds. The ripe pineapple was easy to chew and bursted with juice. Seeing her reaction, the others quickly followed suit, experiencing the same delightful taste.

Huan Tan, seeing the children’s eagerness, laughed and instructed his eldest son to fetch three plates and two trays. He then turned to his second son to bring more pineapples because he intended to peel them and share them with the workers at the factory and those digging up sweet potatoes. There were still more than five mu of sweet potatoes left to harvest.

The twins carried the trays of pineapple separately to the factory and the sweet potato field. The three plates were divided among the new mothers and his wife, who were taking care of the babies in the house. The second plate was given to the little workers of the chubby child, while the last plate was carried by Xiaolin to her grandfather, who was supervising the villagers digging up sweet potatoes. Along the way, she munched on the core of the pineapple.

"Grandpa, I brought some delicious fruit for you,"

Xiaolin called out to her grandfather, who was cautioning the villagers to be careful while digging up the sweet potatoes. Hui Song turned to see his little granddaughter happily munching on something. Seeing her cheeks flushed from walking in the sun, he took off his hat and placed it on her head, covering her eyes and face completely.

"What kind of fruit did you bring? Can you feed it to me? I haven’t washed my hands yet," Hui Song said, sitting down on a pile of sweet potato vines and accepting the plate of fruit from his granddaughter.

"Pineapple, Grandpa. Uncle Tan cut it up to share with the villagers too. Please tell them to wash their hands and take a break to enjoy the fruit,"

Xiaolin said, waving her small hand to call her brother Lang, who had followed her. When he saw her waving, he walked over. Uncle Tan had cut the pineapple into long pieces rather than bite-sized ones, so the villagers could grab a piece or two to hold and eat. Hui Song clapped his hands loudly, getting the villagers’ attention.

"Take a break and wash your hands. My granddaughter brought some fruit for you. Everyone can take two pieces each." There were only fifteen workers today and looking at the number of pineapple pieces in the tray, Hui Song thought there should be enough for everyone, with possibly a couple of pieces left over.

The villagers eagerly got up and went to wash their hands at the stream. Every time the Tang family generously provided food, it was always of good quality, with plenty of meat, eggs, and vegetables, making them happy every time they received something to eat from the Tang family. Once their hands were washed, they lined up to take two pieces of pineapple each.

Having worked at the Tang household many times, the villagers knew the rules well: if you don’t queue properly, you might miss out on the delicious treats. They knew it was better to wait a little longer to get their share since the Tang family always prepared more than enough, sometimes even having leftovers to take home. They weren’t worried about missing out.

Xiaolin, pleased with how orderly the villagers were, nodded approvingly. She fed her grandfather a piece of pineapple with one hand while munching on the pineapple core with the other. She had always loved the core of the pineapple because, in the past, the pineapple flesh was often too sour, but the core was less so, making it her favorite part since she was young. Now, seeing the core, she quickly grabbed it.

"Where did you get this, dear? Did your uncle buy it?" Hui Song asked, pulling his granddaughter onto his lap and playfully squeezing her soft tummy twice.

"I found it in the coconut grove, Grandpa. We filled the whole cart with them," the chubby girl replied, nibbling on the pineapple core.

"Oh, will you be able to finish all of it? How about sending some to the governor’s manor?" Hui Song suggested.

"I was thinking the same, Grandpa. Let’s send ten to Uncle Zhou, five to the blacksmith shop, the pharmacy, and Grandpa Song," Xiaolin nodded eagerly, speaking in a cheerful tone.

"Great, then ask your father to take them in the morning. Or do you want to go to town too, Xiaolin?" Hui Song asked his granddaughter before opening his mouth to take another bite of the pineapple she offered.

"I’m not sure yet, Grandpa. I’ll see if there’s anything I need to do," Xiaolin replied. Hui Song nodded and sat with his mouth open, waiting for more of the delicious fruit.

Xiaolin returned to her house with the empty plate, accompanied by Ching Lang, who also carried an empty tray. The villagers loved the sweet and slightly tangy pineapple. The Tang family was known for their generosity, always sharing delicious treats with the hired workers. It made them well-respected as wealthy people who were kind and down-to-earth.

Tianchen, pushing a cart full of coconuts, called out to his niece, asking for some of the delicious fruit. Xiaolin quickly brought him a plate of pineapple before sorting out the ripe ones into a separate pile. She then asked the other boys, now full and lounging around, to help carry the rest into the grain storage room.

Xiaolin also planned to make pineapple preserves with the overripe fruit, thinking about various dishes like sweet and sour pork, pineapple curry with pork, and barbecue. However, since she didn’t have any sauce for the barbecue, she decided to make grilled pork skewers with bell peppers and pineapple, using her homemade chili dipping sauce instead. She wasn’t sure how it would turn out but was eager to try.

She shouted for her grandmother, causing Zhang Ruo to leave her pickling station and stand with hands on her hips, looking at her chubby granddaughter.

"What are you yelling for, you little piggy?"

"Grandma, have you started making lunch yet? Hehe,"

"All you think about is food. Sigh! I haven’t started yet. What do you want to eat?" Zhang Ruo sighed loudly, looking at her granddaughter’s plump cheeks and round belly, worrying that it might burst one day.

"Let’s make sweet and sour stir-fry, pineapple pork curry, and grilled pork skewers. I’ll help you, Grandma," Xiaolin said enthusiastically.

Xiaolin asked her older friends to peel the ripe pineapples while she went to pick bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other vegetables. She filled her small basket and ran back to the kitchen, her belly jiggling with each step. Soon, the sound of pounding chili paste echoed from the kitchen, followed by the enticing aroma. Xiaolin dashed out to grab the plate of pineapple, asking her older friends to whittle skewers for the pork.

With everything prepared, Xiaolin brought out a tray of diced pork, pineapple, bell peppers, and a bowl of chili dipping sauce. She instructed the boys to wash their hands and help skewer the ingredients.

Huan Tan helped the children by starting the fire for grilling. Ching Lang named the dish "pineapple pork skewers" because it had pineapple in it. Not too long to wait, the delicious aroma of grilled pork filled the air. The children each took a skewer to taste. At first, the combination of chili sauce and pineapple seemed odd, but the more they ate, the more they enjoyed it.

It was good but in a strange way...

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