Chapter 5 (Lean Meat Porridge (Part 1)..)

Yan Qiushu returned to her room feeling a bit discouraged.

But after a short time, she started counting her money again.

Because Xiao Huaiting had rescued her, all the property that the bandits took had been returned. The original owner was the daughter of a concubine and didn’t have much money, but in this ancient world, her wealth was enough to live comfortably. It wasn’t enough to make her rich, but it was enough to get by.

If Xiao Huaiting rejected her, she would stay in Wucheng.

Anyway, the area had beautiful mountains and rivers, and seafood was nearby. She could buy a nice yard, grow vegetables, and live self-sufficiently!

While she was thinking, there was a knock on the door.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Xiao Huaiting.

“General Xiao!” she exclaimed.

Xiao Huaiting nodded. “I can take you back to the Xiao Mansion, but your identity must remain secret. You will enter as my adopted sister. Is that okay?”

This was obviously for her own good. If she entered the Xiao family directly, her reputation would be damaged. But if she entered as his sister, her position would be safer.

Although Yan Qiushu didn’t want to serve others, she understood the situation. She didn’t expect Xiao Huaiting to be so reasonable, and she agreed. “Okay!”

Xiao Huaiting was satisfied. He handed her an agreement, asking her to sign it. This was in case the Yan family caused trouble later. It would serve as proof.

Yan Qiushu signed it and took a copy for herself. Xiao Huaiting said, “We’ll leave tomorrow. We’ve been delayed by the bandits, so we need to move quickly. Be ready.”

Yan Qiushu took the money and went out to buy things.

This was her last chance to eat and drink to her heart’s content. She also needed to buy some daily necessities, like facial wipes.

Xiao Huaiting had been delayed by the bandits, handling the situation and helping women who were bullied by them.

That night, Yan Qiushu made another seafood feast to celebrate, inviting Yan Xiang and some of his friends.

Xiao Huaiting had his own separate meal.

The group wasn’t full after the spicy crab, so Yan Qiushu used the leftover soup to cook noodles. The spice made the men’s faces turn red, and they complained that they couldn’t drink alcohol because of it.

After finishing all of this, Yan Qiushu went back to her room to rest.

The army set off early the next morning. They left at 5 a.m., and Yan Qiushu was called a little earlier.

They traveled for several days, only stopping occasionally to eat. Finally, seven days later, they arrived near the capital.

A large number of troops stayed in camps near the capital, while Xiao Huaiting led a small group into the city.

Though the battle wasn’t large, it lasted for half a year and forced the enemy to ask for peace. When Xiao Huaiting returned to the capital with a victory, the people lined the streets to welcome him.

Yan Qiushu sat in the carriage, following far behind the army. She could see the capital, which was familiar to the original owner.

She lifted the curtain a little because she didn’t want people to see her. Even though the original owner wasn’t famous, everyone in the Yan family knew her.

When she saw the city, she couldn’t help but look. The buildings were more advanced than she expected, and the streets were filled with people of all kinds, all watching the victorious army. 

Many well-dressed girls threw sachets ^[1]refers to small, scented bags given for good luck or as gifts. at the soldiers.

However, Yan Qiushu’s carriage was at the very back, looking plain, so when she passed by, people had already gone back to shopping. As she peeked out the window, a man carrying candied haws accidentally scratched her face.

After that, she decided not to lift the curtain again.

Above the crowd, at a restaurant window with a good view, a man and a woman watched Xiao Huaiting’s returning army. They kept watching until the soldiers disappeared. Suddenly, the woman saw something and focused on a plain carriage in the middle of the group. Her eyes narrowed slightly. 

“Why did the woman in that carriage look familiar when I threw the sachet?”

Most people were gathered along the main road leading into the city.

Once they entered the city, the crowd thinned. Yan Xiang, who was driving for Yan Qiushu, changed directions. The carriage entered a quiet alley and made several turns until they arrived at Luming Lane in the north of the city.

The southern part of the city was where civil officials lived, while the northern part, where military generals lived, was larger, more open, and less crowded. In the Zhou Dynasty, civil officials were valued more than military officials.

The Xiao family home was in Luming Lane, very close to the imperial palace.

Yan Qiushu thought she would enter quietly through the side door.

But when she got off the carriage, she saw a woman standing at the gate of the Xiao family’s home. She looked about 30 years old, with delicate features and an elegant presence, yet seemed friendly. When she saw Yan Qiushu, she smiled and walked forward: “Is this Miss Yan that Lao Liu ^[2]nickname for Xiao Huaiting mentioned in his letter? She’s truly beautiful. Lao Liu went to see His Majesty and asked me to take care of you for now. Please, come inside.”

Yan Qiushu was surprised. She didn’t expect Xiao Huaiting to be so responsible.

The woman was none other than Xie Qingyun, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xiao family and the legitimate daughter of the Governor of Changzhou.

Although the book didn’t mention much about the Xiao family, the original owner, as a concubine’s daughter, remembered important family connections so as not to be rude when meeting powerful people. However, the original owner had never actually met these people. As a concubine’s daughter, she rarely left home, and if she did, she had to wear a mask due to her status.

In this era, the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children was huge. Legitimate daughters could go out freely, but concubine-born daughters had to cover their faces and, after marriage, couldn’t meet outsiders.

Even though the original owner was beautiful, her aunt only taught her how to please men, which meant always appearing weak and delicate.

But Yan Qiushu wasn’t like that. She reshaped her eyebrows to look more confident and acted differently. It would be hard for people to recognize her unless they knew her well.

She smiled shyly, pretending to be a timid woman meeting a high-ranking lady for the first time, and kneeled to greet: “I greet the lady of the house.”

“You are Lao Liu’s adopted sister, so you are part of the Xiao family. No need to be so formal.”

Xie Qingyun, cheerful and observant, noticed Yan Qiushu’s innocent and simple appearance, which made her like her more. She took her hand and led her inside, saying, “Your room has been ready for a while. If anything is uncomfortable, just let the maids know.”

“Thank you, Madam,” Yan Qiushu replied, following her inside.

The Xiao family was wealthy and respected, and they treated Yan Qiushu well since Xiao Huaiting had brought her back. They gave her a separate courtyard to live in, with maids and everything she might need already prepared.

Two maids, Shui Yu and Shui Lu, were introduced to her. They had been arranged by Madam Xiao herself. Madam Xiao was sick and couldn’t greet Yan Qiushu in person, so Xie Qingyun apologized for it.

Yan Qiushu didn’t mind. She just wanted a safe place to stay. Considering her deal with Xiao Huaiting, where they signed an agreement like a labor contract, she was grateful for the arrangement. She hadn’t expected this job to come with so many benefits, even though she hadn’t done anything yet!

So she kept thanking them over and over.

Both sides were polite, and the meeting soon ended.

Xie Qingyun, being in charge of the household, had many duties, especially since Xiao Huaiting had just returned victorious. Many people were visiting, so after sitting for a while, she left.

Once she was gone, Yan Qiushu looked around her spacious new courtyard and smiled.

She had definitely made the right choice!

This job had amazing benefits!

Shui Yu, the head maid, then approached and softly said, “Miss, you must be tired from the trip. I’ve prepared hot water and new clothes. Would you like to wash up now?”

Yan Qiushu happily agreed, and Shui Yu went to prepare. Soon after, Yan Qiushu was soaking in a hot bath. If she hadn’t refused, Shui Yu would have helped her scrub her back.

After her bath, it was already Youshi ^[3]which in 5-7 PM, in ancient Chinese time.. While drying her hair, Shui Yu asked, “Miss, it’s time for dinner. Should we take food from the main kitchen, or would you like to eat something from your small kitchen?”

“Small kitchen?” Yan Qiushu asked, surprised.

The lady of the Xiao family hadn’t mentioned a small kitchen.

Shui Yu smiled. “The Sixth Young Master specifically asked the housekeeper to build a small kitchen for you, with the same expenses as the main kitchen. He even sent a cook who can prepare food for you.”

She added with a playful tone, “I’ve never seen the Sixth Young Master be so thoughtful~”

Yan Qiushu: ?

What did this have to do with Xiao Huaiting?

But seeing Shui Yu’s knowing look, as if to say “I get it, you get it, we all get it,” she understood the hint. Embarrassed, Yan Qiushu quickly explained, “General Xiao was kind enough to take me in. He’s just a good person.”

Shui Yu didn’t understand that she was flattering someone and kept nodding like an excited fan: “Yes! The Sixth Young Master is a great person. I heard he even fought off bandits on his way back, and many people praised him!”

Yan Qiushu: …

She stopped thinking about it and went straight to the small kitchen. Nothing is more important than eating!

When Yan Qiushu arrived at the kitchen, she was pleased. The kitchen was small but had everything. There was a clean shelf with dried food and some fresh ingredients in baskets. Basic seasonings like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar were all there, but there were no spices like bay leaves or cinnamon.

That’s fine, she didn’t want to make anything too fancy right now.

After checking the kitchen, she already knew what she wanted to make. There wasn’t much food, only some cabbage and meat marinated with soy sauce.

The meat was coated in soy sauce to keep it fresh for a few more days without tasting too salty like pickled meat.

Seeing this, she immediately thought of lean meat porridge.

Yan Qiushu rolled up her sleeves and started cooking. This surprised Shui Yu and the kitchen helper, Aunt Xu, who hurried over and said, “What do you want to do, Miss? Let us do it!”

“It’s okay, I can handle it,” Yan Qiushu said, waving them off.

It was easy. She picked up a knife and cut off a small piece of lean meat. She needed to chop it finely, so soon the sound of “chop chop chop” filled the kitchen.

Shui Yu and Aunt Xu stood there, not knowing what to do.

The girl brought back by the Sixth Young Master was given the title of “mistress” as soon as she entered the house. Though she was called an adopted sister, everyone believed that she might be the Sixth Young Master’s future wife.

She didn’t act like she was from an ordinary family either, so they were shocked to see her cook.

But her movements were so skilled that she looked completely at home in the kitchen, making others feel like they shouldn’t interfere. Aunt Xu glanced at Shui Yu for help.

Shui Yu also didn’t know what to do. In the end, they decided to follow Yan Qiushu’s orders. There was no harm in doing that.

Yan Qiushu noticed their nervousness. After thinking for a bit, she said, “Aunt Xu, could you light the fire, fetch some water, and help wash the rice?”

“Okay!” They both breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got to work.

Soon, the rice was washed and put in the pot, and the fire was burning, casting a warm red glow around the kitchen. Yan Qiushu had finished chopping the meat and took a break, walking around the yard to stretch her legs.

She had been sitting in a carriage for days, and her body felt stiff.

After a short walk, Yan Qiushu returned to the kitchen just in time. The rice was cooked, and the white porridge was ready. She added the minced meat, a bit of salt, and stirred it to mix the meat with the porridge. After a little while, she added chopped vegetables.

Now, the kitchen smelled wonderful. The porridge had a soft, light flavor with a hint of meat. It wasn’t too heavy, but it smelled delicious.

***

T/L Notes:

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