Chapter 108

Watching Fan Jin and Shuiqing walk away, Mu Niu raised his head in a daze and said to his brothers, “Mother said that Brother Fan is a scholar and sees things far ahead;

We are clumsy, so we must listen to Brother Fan and Sister Shuiqing and do as they say!”

“In that case, we should work harder during the twelfth month and burn a few more kilns of charcoal for our own use!” Tie Niu decided without hesitation.

Tong Niu laughed and said, “Recently, when I was helping at their house, not only did I eat well, but I also had several meals with meat.

Even now, I still feel like I have plenty of fat in my belly, so it’s okay if we get a bit tired while burning charcoal.”

Tie Niu and Mu Niu were practically drooling with envy.

Every day they listened to their three brothers talk about what they had for lunch, and their mouths watered!

Their mother helped Sister Shuiqing, so she also got lunch. It was just the two of them and their sister at home eating, and they really wanted to help out too, even if they didn’t get paid!

As long as they could have a full meal, especially if it included some meat, they would be more than satisfied.

Jin Niu, seeing the envious expressions of his two younger brothers, brought them back to reality, reminding them, “Our family can eat black bread during the slack farming season now, thanks to Brother Fan!

Previously, our family was the only one in the village to take on three helpers, especially Tong Niu, who is the only one underage but got paid the same as a strong adult man. You two must not be greedy!”

The other brothers, hearing their eldest brother’s words, turned their gaze to the two younger ones.

Mu Niu and Tie Niu’s dark, honest faces turned red, and they hurriedly defended themselves, “No, not at all! I am very grateful!”

“Me neither, I…I was just thinking.”

Thinking about the delicious taste of meat and eggs, but just thinking about it.

Zhang Jin Niu felt relieved and instructed his younger brothers, “There are still about twenty days until the twelfth month. When it comes, we need to burn charcoal, which will take us close to the New Year;

After the New Year, it won’t be long until spring, and we’ll have to plow and sow the fields. Where will we find the time to build a house? We need to speed up!”

“Got it!”

·

After finishing their business, Fan Jin and Bai Man Shan headed back.

“Brother, your preparations for next year’s charcoal are quite sufficient,” Bai Man Shan said, feeling very satisfied.

If Qian’er really stays here next year, seeing their preparations in advance would ease his worries.

Fan Jin, not hiding anything, said sincerely, “Not just the charcoal, Shuiqing is also worried about what crops to plant next year. We are inclined to plant potatoes.”

Bai Man Shan raised his eyebrows, looking puzzled.

“I often hear Qian’er mention this potato, saying it can be fried, boiled, or cooked in many different ways. What exactly is it?”

Potatoes had already been introduced, so Fan Jin explained the ‘facts’ known to the villagers: “To be honest, when we first separated from the family, we had little food and money, barely enough clothes and food;

Shuiqing had no choice but to go to the nearby woods to find food and discovered that some animal had gnawed on it. Thinking that if animals could eat it, so could humans, she brought it back to try. It turned out to be not only edible but also delicious, so we planted some in the garden.

Because the tubers grow underground and are round, we call it a ‘potato’. You can try it at dinner and see how it tastes.”

Previously, everyone thought the food came from the woods, but only the couple knew it was bought from a mall.

Now, with plenty of potatoes growing in the garden, they could eat them openly.

Bai Man Shan, intrigued, eagerly awaited dinner.

It was understandable that Fan Jin and his wife didn’t recognize it, as they rarely traveled due to financial constraints. If Qian’er didn’t recognize it, it simply meant he had little exposure.

Given his extensive travels and wide culinary experiences, he might identify it with just one bite!

Shuiqing estimated the number of people and prepared a dish of rabbit with fresh peppers and young ginger. As soon as the hot oil was poured over it, the spicy and savory aroma immediately stimulated the taste buds, making Li Huyu, who already loved rabbit meat, swallow hard.

There was a large bowl of sweet and sour ribs, perfect for those who didn’t eat spicy food and for children.

In one clay pot, a stew of braised pork and eggs simmered, with the eggs cooked, shelled, scored, and stewed whole in the rich sauce of the braised pork, making it look incredibly appetizing.

Another clay pot contained old hen soup.

This was a genuine, high-quality old hen, with a thick layer of golden oil floating on top.

Shuiqing gently skimmed off the oil, adding in thinly sliced winter bamboo shoots that several children had dug up.

She picked five or six large bamboo shoots from a full basket, peeled them, and stewed them with the chicken soup. The bamboo shoots absorbed the oiliness of the old hen, becoming even more tender and sweet.

The skimmed chicken soup oil wasn’t wasted either; Shuiqing used it to steam a bowl of egg custard.

The five meat dishes were prepared.

For the vegetarian dishes, there were sour and spicy shredded potatoes, stir-fried cabbage hearts, and mushrooms with greens.

Cold dishes included chilled wood ear mushrooms, cold century eggs, and boiled peanuts.

For dessert, she made sweet glutinous rice balls cooked in fermented rice, sprinkled with a small handful of goji berries, making it sweet and delicious.

There were two main dishes: chive and egg dumplings and sausage and potato rice.

By the time the last dish was served, Li Huyu’s admiration for Shuiqing had reached its peak.

“Shuiqing, you’re amazing! I never knew cooking could be so effortless. Watching you cook is so comforting.

Every time I cook, it’s chaos. The kitchen maid jokes that cleaning up after me is more exhausting than cooking itself,” Li Huyu praised while sharing her past mishaps.

Shuiqing was unapologetic about her cooking skills: “It’s just practice. You just need to practice more.”

Li Huyu sniffed and shook her head, fully aware of her limitations: “It’s no use. You don’t know how much food I’ve ruined!”

Fortunately, the Bai family was wealthy, and Man Shan indulged her, never saying a word.

But she had her pride.

Every time she cooked, it was like an alchemical experiment, and she never knew what would come out. After many failed attempts, how could she continue to waste food?

“Then stay with me for a while longer, and I’ll teach you every day!” Shuiqing was more excited about teaching cooking than teaching business to the kids.

Li Huyu’s heart was moved.

But after a moment, she said bitterly, “I can’t stay. We came secretly without my mother-in-law’s knowledge. If she finds out, my sister-in-law, Zi Qian’s aunt, will also know.

She lives in Guangning Prefecture. If she finds out we’re here and didn’t visit her, who knows what trouble she’ll stir up.”

In truth, even if they did visit, it wouldn’t matter much, but if they didn’t, her sister-in-law would definitely have something to say.

Shuiqing thought of the woman adorned with gold and jewels last time and her arrogant demeanor. Her gaze towards Li Huyu was filled with sympathy.

Luckily, her own mother-in-law had few children, which spared her much trouble.

Then she thought of Fan Qian’s grandmother and her group…they weren’t much better!

“Don’t think about unpleasant people and things. Let’s enjoy the moment and worry about tomorrow when it comes.”

“Alright!”

Today was the first day in their new house. Back in the thatched hut, there was no cutting board, no way to knead dough, and the kitchen was a makeshift structure, extremely crude.

Shuiqing always made whatever was simple and quick.

She never made anything complicated.

Now, this table full of dishes made everyone’s mouths water.