Chapter 17: Fuquan, The Bully

Grandma Wang had saved a jar of eggs, about seventeen or eighteen in total. Wang Yuan’er took them all out, washed them carefully, and placed them neatly in a pot of cold water to boil.

Thinking about the money she could soon make, Wang Yuan’er was full of energy, even humming a little tune, which made Madam Zhang, who passed by the kitchen, snicker.

Making tea eggs was actually quite simple. It involved boiling and cooking the eggs with various seasonings to infuse flavor. The key was in the seasonings.

Changle Town has a mountain called Changbai Mountain, which is covered in dense forests. Deep in the mountains, there were even wild boars. Ordinary people didn’t dare venture into the deep forest; only experienced hunters with hunting dogs would go in. Some brave souls also went to find valuable mountain goods, as a big mountain always had some treasures.

For making tea eggs, the usual seasonings were cooking wine, soy sauce, tea leaves, and cinnamon. To make the eggs flavorful, additional ingredients like bay leaves and star anise were needed. Wang Yuan’er knew that Changbai Mountain had plenty of bay leaves.

In her previous life, Xiu Niang had taught her to recognize many aromatic leaves. Wang Yuan’er knew which ones could be used for medicine and cooking, not only for tea eggs but also for other delicious dishes. So, she and Qing’er went into the mountains and gathered a lot of these leaves.

Once the eggs were boiled, she took them out to dry and then gently cracked the shells with a spoon. This way, the eggs would absorb the flavors when cooked in the sauce.

Humming a tune she had heard somewhere, Wang Yuan’er sliced ginger and the sour fruits they had picked in the mountains, added bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, and dried chili peppers, and put them all in a specially sewn cloth bag. She placed the bag in the pot, added soy sauce, salt, sugar, and cooking wine for seasoning, and then put the eggs in to simmer.

“Eldest sister, how long until we can eat them?” Qing’er and the others, having never seen such a novel thing, gathered around the stove and asked.

“It needs to simmer for at least a quarter of an hour. Be patient,” Wang Yuan’er said with a smile, bending down to add more firewood.

As the fire grew stronger, the aroma of the seasonings began to rise, making the younger ones swallow their saliva.

“What is that smell? It’s so fragrant!” Fuquan from the second household came in, sniffing like a dog, following the scent to the pot and reaching to lift the lid.

“What are you doing?” Qing’er blocked him, glaring with her big eyes. “This has nothing to do with you. Get out.”

“You get out. My mother said this kitchen is mine, and this house will be mine someday. What business is it of yours? I’ll look if I want to,” Wang Fuquan said, hands on his hips, chin raised.

Wang Yuan’er frowned. Seeing Fuquan still trying to lift the lid, she took a large spoon and smacked his hand. “This house belongs to Grandpa and Grandma. I made what’s in this pot. If I say you can’t touch it, you can’t touch it.”

Fuquan, in pain, glared at Wang Yuan’er like an angry calf. Seeing her sharp gaze, which reminded him of Grandma’s angry look, he shrank back and muttered, “Fine, I don’t care.” Saying this, he kicked the burning firewood, causing it to fall out, and then ran away.

“Fuquan, if you have the guts, don’t run!” Qing’er, furious, wanted to chase him.

“Qing’er, let him go,” Wang Yuan’er said, pulling her back and picking up the firewood to put it back on the stove. She was frustrated with Fuquan’s bullying behavior and, thinking of his fate in her previous life, pursed her lips and frowned.

Chapter 18: The Fragrance of Tea Eggs

In her previous life, after marrying into the Landlord Li’s family, although she wasn’t allowed to visit her natal home, she always kept tabs on the news from her family. In the third year of her marriage, when Fuquan was sixteen, he got involved with the gambling dens and pleasure boats through Madam Zhang’s cousin. In a dispute over a courtesan with a young noble, he injured the noble’s private parts, resulting in his own hand and reproductive organs being crippled, making him a complete invalid. His second aunt cried so much she lost an eye.

Wang Fuquan was Madam Zhang’s first son, the eldest grandson of the third generation of the Wang family, always receiving affection, especially from Madam Zhang, who gained face from this son, spoiling him even more than her younger son, Fuduo. This upbringing made Fuquan a little tyrant, prone to yelling and hitting when things didn’t go his way.

Currently, Fuquan was just a spoiled child, a little tyrant without much malice. His grandparents could still manage him, but if this continued, he might face the same fate as in his previous life.

A single stroke can’t write two “Wang” characters. Wang Yuan’er wasn’t malicious; even if she wasn’t close to Fuquan, he was her cousin, sharing the same ancestry. She naturally didn’t want him to end up like that, especially as it would break her grandparents’ hearts.

After being reborn, she thought she’d resent her grandparents’ favoritism. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have ended up as she did in her past life. But thinking of the great flood six years later that destroyed everything, she couldn’t harden her heart. Especially after being defended twice by her grandparents, she wondered if she had misunderstood some things.

“Eldest sister, it’s been a quarter of an hour already,” Qing’er pushed her, seeing her lost in thought.

The kitchen was filled with a strong fragrance, making everyone drool.

Wang Yuan’er shook her head, thinking it was useless to dwell on it. She had to remind her grandparents, but it wasn’t her business if her second aunt listened. Now, the most important thing was to make money. She was really worried about Madam Liang’s health.

Lifting the lid, the cracked eggs sat in a pot of dark tea, the cracks soaked with broth, releasing an enticing aroma.

“So fragrant, really fragrant,” Qing’er took a deep breath, her throat moving, eyes on the eggs like a wolf eyeing meat.

“Yes, even more fragrant than mother’s stewed meat,” Little Lan’er also looked at the eggs, swallowing.

Even the usually quiet second sister couldn’t take her eyes off the eggs.

Seeing the younger ones gulping, Wang Yuan’er felt both amused and pained, more determined to make money. With money, the family could live well. She scooped an egg, peeled it, took a cutting board and knife, carefully sliced it, and shared it with her sisters, “Try this tea egg. Is it fragrant?”

Their eyes lit up, not caring about the heat, and they quickly popped the pieces into their mouths, exclaiming, “Fragrant, very fragrant! Eldest sister, this is the best egg I’ve ever eaten!”

Wang Yuan’er tasted a small piece herself, her face relaxing. It was perfect, just like in her previous life.