I survived the famine by scavenging and supported my family.

[System: Congratulations, host, for unlocking a new area: the kitchen]

Zhao Ningning had just woken up and was still groggy. When she saw the system notification that popped up in front of her, she thought she was dreaming.

Rubbing her eyes, Zhao Ningning noticed the system notification was still there and jumped up from the bed.

"Finally unlocked!"

For the past few months, she has been exploring space upgrade techniques, placing carefully prepared "trash" at the elevator entrance at a fixed time every day.

However, it was only upgraded once, when Zhao Ningning unlocked the bathroom and gained the freedom to use the toilet.

But this area is the kitchen that their whole family has been longing for!

Thinking of the long-missed food and drinks in the kitchen, Zhao Ningning threw off the covers, got out of bed, and looked out the window.

It was snowing heavily outside. Before her family got up, Zhao Ningning put on her cotton-padded coat and flashed into her spatial dimension.

Open the front door and walk forward along the foyer. On the right is the family's Chinese kitchen. After fishing, Ning's father loves to think about cooking, and Ning's mother loves to hoard things. When the kitchen was renovated, they simply combined the dining area and expanded it to 20 square meters.

In addition to the double-door refrigerator, Ning's mother also bought two 200-liter freezers during the pandemic, one for raw food and the other for cooked food. After everyone resumed normal travel, Ning's mother did not let the two freezers sit idle and filled them with food.

Zhao Ningning opened the double-door refrigerator—the top two shelves were filled with fresh cabbage, lettuce, spinach, radish, potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, broccoli, corn… and also the green beans she hated the most.

These were originally ingredients that Ning's mother prepared for making hot pot.

The middle shelf is for drinks; there's cola on the left, several bottles of lemonade on the right, and three one-liter bottles of milk on the far right.

The bottom two layers contained heavier fruits. When Zhao Ningning's family arrived, it was still summer. Inside were peaches, red grapes, apricots, oranges, pineapples, apples, passion fruit... as well as several kinds of lemons and a whole watermelon.

Although there are many varieties, there are only two or three of each kind. This is because Zhao Ningning said she wanted to make fruit tea, so her father bought so many.

Zhao Ningning glanced longingly at the cola, then opened the sealed drawer. Inside, the eggs were neatly arranged, with salted duck eggs and zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) placed beside them.

The shelves on the two doors above the refrigerator are filled with various sauces that need to be refrigerated. In addition to the sauces, there is also yeast that Ning's mother occasionally uses to steam buns and chocolate that Zhao Ningning likes to eat.

Opening the refrigerator's crisper compartment, you'll find ice cream that Zhao Ningning's family loves. To prevent odors from mixing, the refrigerator also contains some sealed frozen foods.

These are just small change; the main attraction is in the freezer. Zhao Ningning lifted the two lids of the freezer, and a chill wafted out. Inside were marinated meats that Ningning's mother had stockpiled, whole chickens, ducks, geese, pork, beef, and lamb ribs, as well as large, uncut pieces of frozen meat.

Ning's mom divided the freezer into sections. The other half of the freezer was filled with fish that Ning's dad had caught, as well as seafood that Ning's mom loved to eat, such as fish, shrimp, squid, and cuttlefish...

After closing the lid of the raw food freezer, Zhao Ningning went to check the cooked food section. It was mostly filled with frozen foods bought from outside, including various hot pot meatballs, wontons, dumplings, steamed buns, and hand-pulled pancakes...

There were still some leftover rice and noodles in the kitchen cabinet. Zhao Ningning had just opened a cabinet door to check when she heard a noise coming from outside.

Outside the space, Zhao Ningning heard her father grumbling about how cold it was. Zhao Ningning snapped out of her reverie amidst the food, put on her clothes, grabbed a can of cola, and flashed out of the space.

"Dad! Look what I brought!" Zhao Ningning held up a can of cola. Her father, who was standing under the eaves of the main room, was stunned at first, then overjoyed.

Ning's father: "My God! What is this?!"

"What's wrong?" Zhao Qi hurriedly came out of the room, not even having properly put on his sleeves. Seeing that nothing had happened in the yard, and noticing what his sister was holding, Zhao Qi blinked.

"Cola!" Zhao Ningning exclaimed, "The kitchen is unlocked!"

Hearing the noise, Ning's mother came out as well. The group brought the cola into the kitchen, admired it for a while, and then Ning's mother asked, "Can we take the frozen dumplings out of the freezer too?"

Zhao Ningning nodded, "Mom, you remember so clearly."

Ning's mother rolled her eyes. "How could I not know? The ones in the plastic bags were all wrapped one by one by me when I had free time."

"It just so happens that today is the Winter Solstice, so we don't need to make any dumplings. I'll take out the dumplings and we can eat them right away!" Zhao Ningning raised her hand. If she remembered correctly, her mother's dumplings contained a whole shrimp!

After asking her family if they wanted anything else from the kitchen, Zhao Ningning grabbed a small basket and went into her spatial dimension to search for food.

Ning's father lit the wood-fired stove, smacked his lips, and said, "Hey, it's really not easy. Half a year has passed, and Ningning has finally unlocked the kitchen. We can say that we're all sharing in the good fortune."

"Upgrading your space isn't that easy," Ning's mother sighed. Half a year had passed, and her space was now only six square meters. Fortunately, she could see changes in her space every month, so Ning's mother remained calm.

Since Ning's father returned to the village, the number of fishing spots that refreshed has decreased. After his leg was almost fully recovered, four more fishing spots refreshed when he went to the mountains and town. Most of these spots contained items that Ning's family could buy with silver.

Zhao Qi's repair function has advanced a bit; he can perform a second "upgrade" on repaired items.

Overall, the family members' luck with money is improving for the better.

The two adults pondered for a while and then gave up. Just then, Zhao Ningning took the frozen dumplings out of the freezer.

After the dumplings were cooked, everyone opened a can of Coke. Zhao Ningning stood up and raised her glass: "Happy Winter Solstice!"

"Happy winter solstice!"

Sipping the long-missed cola, the tingling and itchy feeling of the bubbles made Zhao Ningning miss the pile of snacks she had in the modern world.

If only the living room and storage room could be unlocked, Ning's mother specially bought a shelf for her two children, which was full of snacks bought from the supermarket. Before Zhao Ningning's college entrance examination, Ning's mother never let the shelf be empty.

Thinking of snacks, Zhao Ningning remembered that she had frozen durian in the refrigerator. She flashed back to her space, took out the durian and put it on aluminum foil, then sprinkled shredded cheese on top. She put it into the air fryer along with the aluminum foil, set the timer, and then Zhao Ningning started preparing the food in the kitchen.

There was half-eaten rice and noodles in the cupboard, along with newly bought grains that hadn't been opened yet.

In addition, there are some seasonings and supplies. When Ning's parents have free time, they like to learn how to cook for the family by following online tutorials. Zhao Ningning has nothing to say about this. Before she transmigrated, she also learned how to make fruit tea by following online tutorials! It can only be said that they are truly a family.

Besides seasonings, the kitchen mainly contains various pots, pans, bowls and plates. Zhao Ningning took out a set that her mother had bought in Jingdezhen but hadn't used yet, saying she would use it during the New Year.

This set of porcelain is celadon with underglaze decoration. Zhao Ningning took out a bowl and held it up to the light. The bowl has a hollowed-out peony pattern around its body.

This technique was unheard of in ancient times.

Zhao Ningning took a bowl and brought it out of the space.

The group had just finished eating, but they were still feeling cold and hadn't gone back to their rooms yet. So, Ning's mother lit a fire in the kitchen, intending to make some noodles for the family while the fire was still burning.

As soon as Zhao Ningning came out, she stopped what she was doing. "What's wrong, Ningning?"

This was the first time she had ever seen her daughter looking so worried.

Zhao Ningning placed the celadon bowl on the table. "Mom, do you remember this bowl?"

Ning's mother glanced at it and didn't immediately recognize it, until she noticed the faint patterns on it. She clapped her hands, "I remember now! Isn't this the one we bought at another store after we bought that vase?!"

"Why did you take it out?"

"I'm thinking, should we take it out and sell it?" Zhao Ningning rubbed her hands together, eager to try. "That way, my family can get out of poverty in one step. But its craftsmanship is too special, so selling this might not be as easy as selling the last vase."

After sitting in front of the stove for a moment, Ning's father said, "Let's go to the prefectural city, disguise ourselves, and sell it there. With so many people around, it'll be chaotic, and no one will be able to find us."

Thinking of this, Ning's mother also began to worry, "Our family isn't short of money, why don't we keep it for now?"

Zhao Ningning shook her head. "Mom, look at this weather. We can barely make it to the prefectural city now, but if it snows again, we probably won't be able to get there."

"We're going to the prefectural city for two reasons: first, to sell it for silver; and second, to stock up on more medicinal herbs, food, and supplies for the winter."

Fengning County is too small, and it has never been this cold before. Ning's mother originally wanted to inquire about buying some fur coats, but it turned out that there were none in Fengning County.

When it came to leather jackets, Ning's mother finally opened up.

Originally planning to go to the prefectural city together, Ning's father put his arm around Ning's shoulder and said, "The more people go, the more dangerous it will be. I'll take Ning with me. If anything happens, she can hide, and I, an adult, can run away."

Thinking about it, Ning's mother had no choice but to let go and allow the two of them to go together.

Without further ado, Ning's father took an oxcart to the county town to inquire about how to get to the prefectural city, while Ning's mother took the two children and prepared some dry food for them to take on the journey.

Ning's mother had bought some wheat flour in the county town before. She took out a bag, poured some into a wooden basin, and then took out some mixed grain flour. After mixing the two types of flour, she added water and yeast to knead it into dough flakes.

Knead it again and place it near the fire pit to let it ferment slowly.

Taking advantage of the free time, Ning's mother poured out some more flour, and while she was pouring it, she asked Zhao Qi to heat the pan. She was going to make a fried pancake that everyone in the family would love to eat.

This time, we need to scald the flour with boiling water. After scalding, use chopsticks to break up the dough flakes, let it cool slightly, knead it into dough balls, and then knead the oil paste into the dough balls.

Finally, roll out the whole pancake with a rolling pin, heat a pan, pour some oil on it, and put it in to bake. A crispy on the outside and tender on the inside pancake is ready.

The three of them worked together: one tended the fire, one baked the pancakes, and one rolled out the dough. In no time, a small stack of fried pancakes was piled up in the basket next to the stove.

When Ning's mother placed her hand on it, the basket disappeared instantly. The three of them were unfazed. Zhao Ningning continued to stir the pancakes in the pan with a wooden spatula.

After the fried dough was ready, Ning's mother asked Zhao Ningning to take out some meatballs and sliced ​​meat from her space. Together with vegetables, she made a pot of meatball and sliced ​​meat soup. The three of them ate lunch in the kitchen, each with a fried dough in one hand and meatball soup in the other.

In the afternoon, the dough in the basin had risen. Ning's mother poured the dough out and kneaded each one into the shape of a steamed bun. Considering that it wouldn't be very hot on the way, Ning's mother specially made them the size of a child's fist so that they wouldn't be noticeable.

After kneading the dough for the steamed buns and setting it aside, Ning's mother prepared pancakes for the two of them to eat on the road—also made of mixed grains. This method is simple: just mix the two types of dough, roll them out, and bake them.

The freshly baked multigrain pancakes smelled sweet and fragrant. Zhao Ningning couldn't resist. Taking advantage of her proximity, she held a spatula in one hand to bake the pancakes, and with the other hand, she secretly tore off the bottom edge of a pancake from the pile of baked ones and handed it to her brother in front of the stove as hush money. Zhao Ningning secretly ate a bite of her spoils.

So delicious! I risked getting scolded by my mom to sneak a bite of these pancakes, they were just too good!

After making the pancakes, Ning's mother added water to the pot and placed the risen steamed buns in the steamer.

As the steam rose, the entire kitchen became warm.

Zhao Ningning thought, "Eating flatbread on the road is fine, but we also need side dishes to go with it! The kitchen area is unlocked, we can't let her eat pickled vegetables, can we?"

She went back to her space, took out a large piece of beef from the freezer, along with the seasonings, and asked Ning's mother to make her spicy beef strips.

Ning's mother, having just washed her hands, couldn't refuse her daughter's request and could only direct Zhao Ningning to do the work—first, go back to her space to thaw the meat, then take out dried chili peppers and have Zhao Ningning slowly chop them.

After Zhao Ningning finished cutting the beef, the beef that had been soaking in water in the space had only thawed by half. Ning's mother said it was fine, so Zhao Ningning took the meat out and put it on the cutting board. Ning's mother then divided it into several large pieces and put it in a pot to boil water.

While the water was boiling, Zhao Ningning threw in the prepared scallions, ginger, and bay leaves. Once the pot boiled, Ningning's mother used a large spoon to skim off the foam. She then had Zhao Qi remove two pieces of firewood and simmered the pot over a low flame for a short while before taking it out.

After letting it cool for a while, cut the beef into strips, put it into a hot oil pan and fry it until it turned golden brown. Then, Ning's mother used a strainer to scoop it out and set it aside.

While waiting, Zhao Qi lit a small pot, and Ning's mother put the fried beef strips, peppercorns, and chili shreds that Zhao Ningning had chopped into the pot and stir-fried them together.

An irresistible aroma wafted from the small pot, and Zhao Ningning, standing to the side, was practically drooling from the smell.

Seeing her daughter's expression, Ning's mother found it amusing, picked out a few, put them in a bowl, and let the two children taste them.

"Delicious! Just the right flavor!" Zhao Ningning gave a thumbs up. "No wonder she's my mom!"

Zhao Qi nodded and echoed, "It's been so long since I've had this, it's still so delicious!"

Ning's mother smiled and put the stir-fried beef strips aside.

At this moment, Ning's father returned with the information he had gathered.

Food and clothes were prepared. Fearing that the heavy snow on the road would make their clothes wet and they wouldn't have any spare clothes, Ning's mother packed up both of their clothes and asked Zhao Ningning to put them in her space.

Before leaving, Ning's mother took out thirty taels of silver from the family's savings and gave it to the father and son, telling them that it didn't matter whether they could sell it or not, and that they should come back safely.

Mrs. He didn't know what her little granddaughter was going to do in the prefectural city. When she heard that she and Zhao Lao Er were going on a long trip in the dead of winter, she packed up the unfinished hat she had made overnight and rushed to the village entrance early in the morning to stuff the cotton hat into Ningning's arms.

After thanking her, Zhao Ningning put on the cotton hat, which immediately warmed her up. She tucked the hat in tightly and wrapped herself up warmly with the cotton scarf her mother had made. She then sat on the oxcart and left Wangli Village into the morning mist.

The main purpose of this trip to the prefectural city was to buy some leather coats and winter supplies.

The two men, carrying bundles to conceal their identities, rode in a village oxcart to Fengning County. After a short stop, they boarded a caravan that Ning's father had inquired about at the county gate.