Chapter 5: Under the Lemon Tree, You and I

After mealtime, Xu Nuo was busy contemplating what items needed to be prepared and what was still lacking at home. She planned to buy everything this time around to avoid multiple trips and waste time, especially since this trip had already been so laborious.

Since the dormitory was full of boys and everyone was resting after lunch, Shangguan could not take Xu Nuo and Wang Shi back to the dorm. They could only say hello to the teacher and take the two of them to the classroom for a brief rest.

It was the first time Xu Nuo saw an ancient classroom. Upon entering, she was enveloped by the scent of ink and books, and the antique desks and chairs revealed the marks of time.

Xu Nuo leaned on the table, utterly clueless about the ingredients she needed to prepare.

“How about we just forget it? Nuo Nuo, your body can’t handle all this trouble right now,” Wang Shi said, looking at the young couple. She genuinely didn’t want them to be so exhausted.

Originally in deep thought, Xu Nuo suddenly raised her head upon hearing this. “Mama, that’s not right! We’ve already promised them, how can we go back on our word? What will we do in the future if we can’t establish ourselves in the academy?”

Shangguan Ziqian originally intended to persuade Xu Nuo to give up, but he didn’t expect that Xu Nuo’s determination was partially influenced by his own feelings. His impression of her improved significantly. He thought that if this was how things went in the future, it might actually be pretty good. It seemed that his initial intention to form a connection was indeed the right decision.

“What we need to consider now is what ingredients to prepare and what seasonings to buy,” Shangguan said. He wasn’t very skilled at cooking and could only ask Xu Nuo, thinking he would take a couple of days off to help her with the preparations and transporting things.

Xu Nuo thought for a moment and muttered, “Actually, the ingredients don’t need to be too complicated. The key to making cold dishes is mainly the sauce.”

“There are still many cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, and lettuce in the yard at home. We don’t need to buy those vegetables. As for ear fungus and mushrooms, we can try our luck in the mountains. If not, we can also go to nearby villagers’ homes to collect a bit.”

The only thing Xu Nuo was worried about was the meat. “It’s just… we need to buy meat. Also, we’re not sure how much meat everyone will want for the cold dishes.”

After all, the vegetables were all grown in their own fields, so if they made a little too much, it wouldn’t be a significant loss. But meat had to be purchased in advance!

“The meat shop in the county doesn’t likely have any fresh meat left by now. We can look for someone to buy pork from in the village tomorrow; the price should be cheaper. For now, let’s go buy some seasonings since there might not be enough vinegar at home,” Xu Nuo calculated in her mind how to minimize costs.

In the afternoon, Shangguan took his leave and accompanied Xu Nuo and Wang Shi to stroll around the marketplace. Compared to the shops on the main street, this place was filled with a lively atmosphere; you could hear the vendors calling out on the roadside and hear the sounds of bargaining.

Following the principle of going where it was lively, Xu Nuo dragged Wang Shi into the crowd. Shangguan quickly realized that they had run quite far.

He hurriedly followed the two of them to a vegetable stall, where he overheard the sound of their bargaining.

“Boss, you can’t do business like this! Look at these; you didn’t pay much for them. We’ll take this whole basket for ten coins.”

Shangguan couldn’t help but chuckle; his little wife was surprisingly tough in her bargaining, completely unafraid that the vendor might get angry and retaliate. It seemed he’d need to work a bit harder in the future, or he wouldn’t be able to protect her.

Before Shangguan could step forward to dissuade them, he saw his mother step in again, “Boss, my daughter-in-law is naive and has never bought vegetables before. She doesn’t understand the current market situation. It’s not easy for you to set up a stall in this hot weather.”

Shangguan let out a silent sigh of relief. Fortunately, they had a dependable mother at home; just having Xu Nuo was enough.

But the next moment, Wang Shi’s words left Shangguan speechless, realizing that the two of them were actually putting on a double act.

“Everyone is having a hard time these years; what do you say to this? I’ll give you ten more coins, and you can throw in those ten yellow things on the ground too. How about that?”

If Shangguan hadn’t seen the exchanges and side-eyes between Xu Nuo and Wang Shi, he probably would have been deceived by their antics. It turned out that these two had never really wanted the so-called fungus; they were after the yellow fruit on the ground. But what exactly were these? It was curious that they would go to such lengths for something he had never seen before. He would need to ask Xu Nuo about this later.

“Oh, this is fine! I don’t even know what these yellow things are. They’re seedlings my little son bought from the Western Regions last year. This stuff doesn’t taste good; it’s sour and astringent. If you want it, I’ll just give it to you,” the old farmer never imagined he would make such a big deal out of those forgotten fruits.

“Grandma, I see you’re really interested in this. I have plenty more at home; would you like some?” The old farmer thought it would be great if he could sell off the pile at home since it was just taking up space.

Xu Nuo didn’t expect to find lemons at a bargain, and with a stable supply, she could make cold dishes and even lemon chicken feet. This was going to be a lucrative venture! The more she thought about it, the more excited she became; she could even make lemon-honey water with some ice. It would definitely become a major summer beverage.

These were the types of snacks modern young people loved, and back in that time, they would surely sell like hotcakes. Xu Nuo’s eyes sparkled at the thought of riches pouring in.

Thus, Xu Nuo negotiated with the old farmer to deliver the remaining lemons and a lemon tree three days later, paying ten coins for a basket.

After a lengthy haggling session, Xu Nuo happily purchased the old farmer’s remaining basket of lemons along with one lemon tree for the modest sum of ten coins.

This was an incredible bargain! All the way back home, Xu Nuo trotted along, grinning from ear to ear.

“What exactly are these things? Are they worth this price?” Shangguan asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

Xu Nuo giggled as she hooked her arm through Wang Shi’s, skipping ahead cheerfully, “These are called lemons! They’re very sour and astringent when eaten raw, but they’re amazing for cooking! They’re one of the essential ingredients in a dish!”

“Nuo Nuo, what else do we need to prepare?” Wang Shi, not quite understanding the specifics, relied on Xu Nuo’s culinary knowledge.

Shangguan looked at the duo ahead, laughing and chatting, and couldn’t help but smile. It seemed that life was going to get even more interesting; he was increasingly looking forward to the days ahead.

The three strolled leisurely, during which Xu Nuo bought the necessary vinegar and sugar for the cold dishes and a small jar of honey from a beekeeper. They ended up spending nearly one hundred coins on these items alone, leaving Shangguan empty-handed.

They rushed back home before dark, unpacking their goods in the kitchen. After a long day of walking, everyone was quite tired. Xu Nuo quickly made some porridge, stir-fried vegetables with mushrooms, and tossed a cucumber salad. She thought there might be leftovers, but to her surprise, everything was devoured.

After washing up, she finally settled down to enjoy a proper sleep, but when she looked around the room, she was taken aback—there was only one bed and one quilt.