Escape: I rely on the food exchange system to survive to the extreme

"Is my aunt not well?"

As spring passed and autumn came, Han was the only one left among Mei Qian's elders.

When Mei Qian first became the empress, she was busy when she suddenly heard people around her say that Wei Yongbo's family often invited the imperial physician.

Mei Qian had a vague guess in her heart, so she called Mei Shitou, and sure enough, Han's health was not very good.

“It’s not that there is no cure, but the doctor said that mother needs to eat more tonic food, but she has been seriously ill recently and doesn’t want to eat.

Sometimes when she was very ill, she would mumble about wanting roast meat, roasted eggs, cakes, etc., but when the cook finished cooking and she regained some of her spirits, she would not be willing to eat.

"Roasted bird eggs?"

Mei Qian seemed to be thinking about something.

"Brother, why don't you and your sister-in-law make some food for your aunt?"

"what?"

Mei Shitou was a little dumbfounded and said hesitantly, "But, but the food Cui'er and I cook is terrible..."

Mei Shitou still remembers the strange flavors of the home-cooked dishes he had when he was a child.

"When grandma was alive, she said that everyone else in the family cooked terrible food, including grandpa, dad, and uncle, except me."

Mei Qian recalled the past, her face full of nostalgia.

"These foods that my aunt is talking about, roasted bird eggs and the like, haven't you eaten them for years?"

"Oh, yes." Mei Shitou nodded.

"How do you know if the other foods that appear with roasted bird eggs are also the ones that my aunt-in-law has eaten with roasted bird eggs?
As for the cakes, it might be a little more troublesome. Big brother, can you send someone back to our hometown to look for a cook who has been making these cakes for many years? Who knows, maybe my aunt’s health will improve?”

Mei Shitou suddenly understood Mei Qian's opinion. After hurriedly saying goodbye to Mei Qian, he turned around and left the palace.

···
"I went to the town to sell wild boars today, and I happened to see the man selling sour jujube cakes. I bought them especially for you because you've been pregnant and working hard these days."

Others say that the conditions of the Old Mei family at the end of the village are not good. There is the sickly Old Man Mei, the fierce Old Lady Mei, and the two sons who are diligent and busy all year round, but all their money is spent on buying medicine for Old Man Mei.

When Mei Dahu came to propose marriage, Han Erya was afraid that her mother would reject the marriage.

Han Erya knew that her limit was not high. If she was prettier, her parents would not have kept her until she was eighteen without finding someone else.

Those who are better off look down on her, and even more so on the group of scoundrels in her family.

Her family won't look down on those with poor conditions, and they probably won't be able to afford the bride price.

However, even she did not expect that when her mother asked for four taels, the Mei family agreed.

However, her mother originally wanted to go back on her word, but unexpectedly, when she mentioned the dowry, the Mei family specially asked the village chief to come and act as a witness.

They can't regret it.

Even though she didn't bring anything back, her in-laws never treated her badly.

Although life at home was hard, it was not as bad as people outside said.

After she became pregnant, she could eat an extra egg every two days.

Moreover, whenever her husband went out hunting, he would bring some food for her when he came back.

My mother-in-law knew it, but she never said anything.

"This...isn't cheap?"

Looking at the amber-colored pastries, Han was a little nervous. She looked up at Mei Dahu and asked, "Have you bought Dad's medicine?"

"Don't worry, I bought it. In addition to the wild boar, I also shot a rabbit..."

Mei Dahu said this in a low voice, and then handed over to Han a not-so-beautiful purse that Han had sewn for him before.

"Here's half a pound of silver. Keep it."

"it is good."

Han took the purse with a smile, but she was a little worried and said, "What if mother..." "It's okay, my mother knows that my second brother and I have some private money..."

As long as you pay the mileage fee regularly, he won’t care about the extra money.

After all, now that I have my own family, my heart is divided into two.

"Second uncle also has private savings?"

Han was a little surprised. She remembered that her second uncle was not married yet. He was not too old but had a lot of thoughts, right?
"How can you meet the person you like if you don't keep private property?"

Han Dahu washed his hands carefully in the basin, handed the cake to Han's mouth, and whispered to Han about what he had discovered: "I'm afraid my second brother has someone he likes."

"Huh? Is that true? Then I will soon be... um."

Before she could even utter the word "sister-in-law", cakes were stuffed into her mouth.

Han glared at Mei Dahu, and then heard Mei Dahu say, "But I guess it won't be easy for mother."

"What? Which young lady do you like? Your mother-in-law doesn't like her?"

Han looked at Mei Dahu curiously, but knowing that his wife could not hide her thoughts, Mei Dahu did not tell Han and just picked up two random topics to get rid of her.

"When the baby is born, I'll take you to the mountain to eat barbecue~"

"it is good!"

···
"Brother Dahu?"

"Brother Dahu?"

Mei Shitou awkwardly served the black barbecue.

Although he tasted it and found it was not burnt, just a little too smoked, and did not cause diarrhea, he dared to serve it. However, he regretted it after serving it.

Of the food on the plate, Mei Shitou felt that only the sour jujube cake was edible.

But just as he put down the food, Mei Shitou was a little at a loss when he suddenly heard his mother calling his father's name.

"Eat it while it's hot, or it'll get cold."

Mei Shitou responded vaguely, but he didn't expect that Han, who hadn't eaten much for many days, would actually take the initiative to eat.

Mei Shitou picked up the sour jujube cake, took a bite, and saw Han suddenly burst into tears.

After eating the cakes and pastries, Han started to eat roasted bird eggs and roasted meat. Although Mei Shitou was still worried, he asked the chef to prepare a bowl of sour juice for Han to use as a dipping sauce when she couldn't eat anymore.

But from beginning to end, he never saw his own mother dip a bit of the sauce.

On the contrary, Han ate all the food on the plate carefully, as if he was eating some delicacies from the mountains and the sea.

Just when Mei Shitou was happy, his mother seemed to be in better spirits and could recognize people.

The first thing he said after seeing himself clearly was: "Your roasted bird eggs and roasted meat taste much worse than your father's."

Mei Shitou: “…”

You've already finished eating and you still have the nerve to say this?

"Your father's roasted bird eggs are crispy but not burnt, and his roasted meat is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside...unlike you, who are equally tough inside and out."

Mei Shitou: “…”

Although he could hardly remember what his father's barbecue was like, he was sure that it was not as delicious as his mother said.

He still remembers the scene when, as a child, he was secretly fed by his father until he had diarrhea, and his grandmother chased his father around the yard with a mallet and beat him.

It seems that in his mother's memory, everything his father did was excellent.

That year, his mother's 80th birthday was also very lively.

A few years later, Han was unable to eat again on her deathbed, but this time she did not force anything.

In his last moments, he reminded himself to be buried together with Mei Dahu, and added:
"Son, in the future, you should put something delicious in the tribute. Don't make it yourself. It tastes terrible... It would be bad if your father misunderstood that I taught you." (End of this chapter)