Chapter 31: Sending Gifts of Peaches and Plums

Searching through the space, she found two bamboo curtain covers. With swift hands, she quickly wrapped up dumplings with the covers. The large pot in the kitchen, already heated by Luo Qiao, had reached boiling point, perfect for cooking the dumplings.

The pot was large enough to cook one cover at a time, approximately seventy or so dumplings. The remaining dumplings from the other cover were prepared to be cooked later and stored in the space.

She set aside twenty dumplings for herself and packed the rest into a small porcelain basin. Taking a small bamboo bowl from the space, she filled it with plenty of garlic sauce before heading towards Lu Yichen’s house.

When Luo Qiao arrived, Lu Yichen was in the yard chopping firewood. He looked up upon hearing footsteps and saw Luo Qiao.

He was already aware of what had happened in the afternoon. He hadn’t expected this little girl to be quite capable, preventing the Zhao family from taking advantage of her. Only by standing up for herself could she avoid being bullied.

Luo Qiao smiled faintly. “Brother Lu, I’ve come to bring you dumplings.”

Lu Yichen hadn’t expected this little girl to actually bring dumplings to him, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Luo Qiao walked into the yard, heading towards the kitchen with familiar ease. She even said, “Don’t bother washing up; dumplings are best eaten hot. I’ll find something to put them with. I still need to take the basin back.”

Having stayed at Lu Yichen’s house for two days previously, she knew exactly where everything was. Lu Yichen was a neat person, keeping everything spotless.

Luo Qiao found a basin and bowls for the dumplings and garlic sauce. She covered the bamboo bowl in the porcelain basin with cheesecloth. Just as Lu Yichen finished washing his hands and approached, she stepped out of the kitchen.

Seeing Lu Yichen approach, Luo Qiao said, “Brother Lu, eat while it’s hot. I’ll take my leave now.”

Lu Yichen glanced at the dumplings served in the kitchen and frowned. “Where did you get the white flour?”

Luo Qiao glanced outside the yard and whispered, “I went up the mountain this morning to gather some medicinal herbs, which I sold at the herbalist’s in town for cash and a coupon. I thought plain cornmeal wouldn’t do for dumplings, so I bought some wheat flour, just enough for two meals. Alright, I won’t bother you anymore. My dumplings will get cold; I should go.”

Without waiting for Lu Yichen to ask more questions, Luo Qiao ran off with the basin.

Lu Yichen sighed with amusement. How could he, a grown man, feel comfortable eating her food? Yet, refusing might make the girl uncomfortable. He thought he could compensate by helping her gather firewood in the future.

He picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks. It’s delicious. This girl really knew how to cook; her skills were even better than the chefs in state-owned restaurants.

—

In her previous life, when Luo Qiao was in college, her mother bought her an apartment near the school. She didn’t want any traces of outsiders in her private space, so she didn’t hire a maid.

Initially, she either ate instant noodles or ordered takeout. However, she eventually grew tired of it and began learning to cook by watching cooking videos on her phone.

One day, when she was on vacation and the maid had taken leave due to an emergency, she cooked three dishes and a soup. Her parents returned home just in time to eat with her. That meal made her parents very happy, and since then, she treated cooking as an important task.

She didn’t just follow videos; she also enrolled in a culinary class. She learned all eight major Chinese cuisines, not to mention Western dishes and desserts.

Unfortunately, no matter how well she learned, her parents were always busy. They were always in meetings, discussing things, signing contracts, and never stopping.