Chapter 35: Xu Nian Cooks & Tian Shi Buys a Servant

Tian Shi was sorting through the items her daughter had brought when she saw the beautiful dresses and jewelry. Shocked, she asked, “Where did these come from?”

“Changsheng brought them over. There are still several more dresses at home that I didn’t bring,” Xu Nian replied.

Tian Shi put down the dress in her hands, feeling a bit uneasy. Could it be that Changsheng had taken a liking to Nian’er?

Xu Nian, unaware of her mother’s thoughts, took out the gift she had prepared and showed it to her.

“Mother, what do you think of the things I prepared?”

Tian Shi snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the potted plant in her daughter’s hands with curiosity. “What kind of flower is this? It even has fruit on it.”

Xu Nian smiled. “Mother, this isn’t a flower—it’s a cherry tomato. It can be used in cooking or eaten as a fruit.”

Tian Shi examined the potted plant with fascination. “This really is something new. I wonder if it’s easy to take care of.”

“Anything that passes through my hands is easy to care for! Hehe~”

Tian Shi dotingly tapped her daughter’s nose.

“You really are a shameless little girl.”

Since Xu Yaozu usually ate at the county yamen’s dining hall at noon, only Tian Shi and Xu Nian were home for lunch.

The mother and daughter had a simple meal of snacks in the afternoon, and Xu Nian decided to make a few of her specialty dishes for dinner.

While picking vegetables, she chatted casually with Tian Shi.

“Mother, I think you should buy a servant woman. She could help with cooking and lighten your workload.”

Tian Shi hesitated. Buying a servant wasn’t just a one-time expense—it wasn’t just about the silver spent to purchase one. A servant would need food, and there would be additional costs for rewards and gifts during the holidays.

Xu Nian could tell what her mother was thinking just by looking at her expression.

“Mother, money isn’t saved by pinching pennies—it’s earned by using your brain.

If you had a servant helping you, you’d have more time for other things. In the future, when I buy a shop and an estate, won’t you need to oversee them?”

Tian Shi chuckled. “You sure have grand dreams.”

Xu Nian didn’t agree with that. She wasn’t just dreaming—she took action.

“Just wait and see, Mother. Maybe before the end of the year, we’ll have our own estate.”

Tian Shi simply smiled and didn’t say anything. An estate cost at least a few hundred taels. Where would their family get that kind of money?

Xu Nian didn’t say much more. Talking was useless—what mattered was putting results in front of them.

Since Xu Nian had insisted on cooking dinner herself, she didn’t let Tian Shi follow her to the large kitchen.

Upon arriving at the kitchen, she saw that an elderly woman was already cooking. Fortunately, there were four stoves in the kitchen, so there was plenty of space for her.

The elderly servant, Granny Liu, who was busy with her tasks, saw a fresh and youthful girl enter the kitchen. She guessed this must be the county assistant’s daughter.

“Greetings, Miss Xu.”

“Hello, Granny. This stove is free, right?”

Granny Liu smiled. “Yes, it is. I’ll light the fire for you.”

“Thank you, Granny.”

Granny Liu stole several glances at Xu Nian, marveling at her delicate features and sweet voice.

Then, as she looked at the ingredients Xu Nian brought out, she was taken aback—she didn’t even recognize some of them!

Noticing Granny Liu’s curiosity, Xu Nian picked out a few cherry tomatoes and handed them to her.

“Granny, have a taste. These are all vegetables I grew myself. You can eat these cherry tomatoes raw.”

Granny Liu looked at the bright red fruit, wiped her hands, and accepted it.

“Thank you, Miss. You sure have skillful hands—growing fresh vegetables even in this cold weather.”

Xu Nian smiled and then started preparing the meal.

For dinner, she planned to make braised pork belly, crispy scallion pork bites, pan-fried tofu, stir-fried bean sprouts with shredded pork, cherry tomato scrambled eggs, and spinach soup.

Once the ingredients were chopped and the oil heated, the rich aroma of cooking quickly filled the kitchen. Granny Liu, standing nearby, couldn’t help but swallow her saliva—it smelled too good.

People said the county assistant’s family was poor, but it sure didn’t look like it. Every time Lady Tian sent something over, she treasured it dearly.

Granny Liu took another glance at the glistening braised pork belly before sighing, picking up her bland meal of boiled vegetables and tofu, and heading to the dining hall. It wasn’t that she was bad at cooking—she just didn’t have the ingredients to work with.

Since the large kitchen was separated from Madam Rong’s courtyard by only a wall, the fragrance of Xu Nian’s dishes drifted over.

Madam Rong turned to County Magistrate Liu and said, “I wonder what delicious dish Nanny made today. The aroma is making my mouth water.”

Magistrate Liu chuckled. “Nanny’s cooking is indeed excellent.”

But when they saw the plain boiled meat and cabbage tofu dish that Granny Liu brought in, both Magistrate Liu and Madam Rong fell silent.

When Tian Shi arrived at the kitchen, all the dishes were ready.

“Mother, you came at just the right time. Help me carry the dishes back.”

Looking at the table full of vibrantly colored dishes, Tian Shi couldn’t help but marvel at their enticing appearance and fragrance. In the Sheng Dynasty, seasonings were relatively simple, so it was rare to see dishes with such rich, flavorful aromas.

As the two of them carried the dishes back, Xu Nian saw that Xu Yaozu was already seated at the dining table, waiting.

“Father, you’re back from the yamen?”

“Haha, of course! Knowing that my dear Nian’er is cooking today, I had to come home early.

I could smell the delicious aroma before I even stepped into the courtyard.”

Seeing her father’s exaggerated expression, Xu Nian couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Not only had she prepared a feast today, but she had also brought out a jar of the family’s best wine. She could still remember the reluctant expression on her grandmother’s face when she took it.

Xu Yaozu was in high spirits tonight and even asked Tian Shi and Xu Nian to share a drink with him.

After dinner, Xu Nian told her parents about Luo Jin’an’s true identity. Since Xu Yaozu worked in the government, there were things he couldn’t be kept in the dark about.

The moment Xu Yaozu heard that Luo Jin’an was a prince, his previously tipsy mind instantly sobered up.

“No wonder… no wonder…”

Tian Shi was also utterly shocked. That was a prince—a member of the royal family! And she had actually suspected that he was interested in her daughter.

If Xu Nian knew what her mother was thinking, she would have argued back immediately. Why couldn’t she be someone worthy of a prince’s attention?

That night, while the carefree Xu Nian slept soundly, Xu Yaozu and Tian Shi lay awake, unable to sleep.

—

The next day, after Xu Yaozu left for the yamen, Xu Nian didn’t just sit around at home. She was still thinking about buying a servant.

“Mother, hurry up!”

Tian Shi was utterly helpless. Who would have thought that her daughter would be so decisive? She had just mentioned the idea yesterday, and today she was already acting on it. She was more efficient than some government officials!

The two of them left the yamen and headed straight for the brokerage house, where professionals dealt in such transactions. Naturally, these brokers were skilled at assessing people.

Because of this, Xu Nian and her mother’s business was handled smoothly. Since the servant was meant for Tian Shi, Xu Nian let her mother make the final decision.

Tian Shi chose a woman in her thirties who had a ten-year-old daughter. The broker introduced the woman, saying her surname was Zhao and that she was originally from Qingyuan City in the south. She had changed hands several times before being sold to Beijiang.

Tian Shi felt an unexpected connection with this woman—after all, Qingyuan City was where they had originally planned to go.

Thanks to Xu Yaozu’s position, the paperwork at the county yamen was processed quickly. Xu Nian couldn’t help but sigh—having connections in the government really did make things easier.