By the afternoon, Elena’s speed had picked up significantly. She didn't overextend herself, taking short breaks between bursts of work. Even so, she was faster than the others and finished her tasks earlier.

  With her work done, Elena was free to head back. Anita, determined to keep up, wasn't far behind her.

  The two women left the field together, but instead of heading straight home, they went over to the transplanting area to wait for Lucy. From time to time, they helped the men carrying seedlings by tossing bundles into the middle of the field, making it easier for the transplanters to grab them.

  "What’s for dinner?" Luis asked as he hauled over a load of seedlings, unable to help himself.

  He had to ask. Working under the relentless sun was exhausting. It was his first time carrying a shoulder pole; beads of sweat rolled into his eyes, but he didn't dare wipe them, forced to walk with a squint. The sun baked his skin until he felt like he might explode.

  Now, his only hope was a good meal. Having a delicious dinner to look forward to was like hanging a carrot in front of a donkey—it was the only thing keeping him going.

  "How about this: we each contribute an egg for some scallion scrambled eggs. I'll add a bit more oil to the steamed eggplant, and I’ll use the pickling juice Granny Agnes gave us to make a cold melon salad." Cooking was Elena's job, and a plan formed in her mind almost instantly.

  In these times, eggs were treated as meat dishes. But eggs weren't real meat. Elena wished she could get her hands on some fish, shrimp, or swamp eels to make a nourishing soup for everyone.

  At the mention of the menu, Luis’s spirits soared. Even Lucy urged them to head back and start cooking instead of waiting for her.

  Nearby, Sienna heard their conversation and grit her teeth in frustration. How is it that the moment I leave the group, their meals get so much better?

  Actually, the food at the local farmer's house was decent. Since it was the busy season and the main laborers needed strength, there was even dried fish in the lunch spread. Although Sienna only got a small piece, it was still meat.

  However, she didn't get a share of the fresh eggs at the farmer's house. She could only watch with envy; if she wanted to eat them, she’d have to pay extra.

  Even though she knew Elena’s group bought their eggs from the villagers too, Sienna’s heart burned with resentment. She felt deeply isolated and excluded.

  This was a strange and unfamiliar position for Sienna.

  She was used to being the sensible, sweet, and considerate girl—the beautiful and talented one. Back in their city neighborhood, everyone her age wanted to play with her and shared their treats. She had never been given the cold shoulder like this.

  It’s only because Elena knows how to cook, Sienna comforted herself. Trying to please people with a bit of culinary skill won't last. In the long run, Elena will just become everyone’s kitchen maid.

  Thinking this made Sienna feel much better.

  On their way back, Elena and Anita passed a stream bank where a group of children were huddled around a fire roasting loaches. Even though the uncleaned fish had a heavy, muddy smell, the kids were eating them with gusto.

  Seeing quite a few loaches left in their small basin, Elena felt a stir of interest. No matter how small a loach was, it was still meat.

  Anita had seen loaches in the seedling fields and had no love for the slippery creatures. But when she saw Elena’s eyes light up, calling it "meat," Anita stopped questioning. She immediately followed Elena’s instructions and ran back to the barracks to grab the candy she had brought from the city.

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  While Anita was gone, Elena waited by the stream. Seeing the kids finish playing and prepare to dump the remaining loaches back into the water, Elena gasped and rushed to stop them.

  She had assumed the kids were roasting some for fun and taking the rest home for a treat. She had forgotten that loaches and eels were currently considered too "muddy" to eat. They required a lot of precious oil to taste good, so most rural families couldn't be bothered to cook them.

  "What are you doing?" There were about six boys, aged six to eight. They were thin but looked spirited. About a dozen loaches had already been tossed out.

  Luckily, there were plenty left in the basin. Looking closer, Elena saw a few tiny swamp eels mixed in. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  "How about I trade some candy for those loaches?" Elena didn't beat around the bush. Kids were direct, so she spoke plainly.

  The leader of the group was clearly the sharp one. While the other kids were bewildered or delighted, he spoke up immediately. "I know you. You're one of the new soldiers. What do you want these for? They don't taste good."

  "Even if they don't taste good, they’re still meat," Elena replied.

  The boy blinked. He couldn't argue with that—they had already roasted and eaten plenty themselves. Muddy or not, meat was meat; there were just too many bones and not enough flesh.

  Right now, you could pick up a bucket's worth of these things whenever a field was plowed. Big swamp eels were everywhere, too.

  However, the town’s purchasing station only bought eels that met a certain length. These "undergrown" eels were rejected, and their families wouldn't waste oil to cook them just to satisfy a child’s craving.

  "Then how much candy will you give us?" the leader asked, shifting the basin from his right hip to his left.

  The stream was to his right, and he was afraid a loach might flip out. After all, these loaches were now worth candy!

  Anita returned with peppermint drops—a common, affordable treat in the city that country kids rarely tasted. Loaches were worthless, but candy was precious.

  Elena wouldn't cheat the children, but she wouldn't throw Anita’s things away recklessly either.

  She promised each of the six boys one candy, on the condition that they catch another basin of loaches for her tomorrow. A trade for a trade.

  One candy each was a massive surprise. The leader had secretly hoped for just two candies for the entire lot. Trading something they were going to throw away for six candies was a huge win.

  Just then, Anita arrived with the sweets. When she opened her handkerchief to reveal the pale pink and light green drops dusted with powdered sugar, even the leader couldn't help but gulp.

  "I’ll trade! I’ll catch more and bring them to the barracks tomorrow," the boy said decisively, handing the basin to Elena.

  Elena nodded. "Help me take the eels out and release them; they're too small. Then, everyone wash your hands before taking your candy."

  The boy moved nimbly, pinching the snake-like little eels and tossing them back into the stream. He then set the basin at Elena’s feet and raced to wash his hands. The other boys followed suit, only approaching shyly after their leader had stepped forward.

  One candy per person, exactly as promised. Elena placed them into their palms. Some popped them into their mouths immediately; others held them tight, saying they’d save them for later. One boy licked his candy twice, then spat it back into his hand, unable to bring himself to finish it.

  "My name is Marco. Remember me. I’ll definitely bring you a full basin tomorrow—even more than today." Marco’s eyes were dark and bright. Elena found him strangely familiar.

  Who does this kid look like?