“Uncle!” Wan’er shouted, jumping off Yan Qiushu’s lap. “Dongdong~”

Yan Qiushu stood up to greet them, “Come in quickly.”

“I’m sorry to disturb you so late.” Xiao Huaiting bowed shyly, ready to apologize when Dongdong rushed over, saying, “Sister Shu, this is my good friend Heng! I thought he wouldn’t come to my birthday, but my uncle brought him!”

Ah Heng? 

Yan Qiushu remembered Dongdong often talked about this child from school. However, she was shocked to see him in such plain clothes.

“Hello, Ah Heng. Did you eat yet?” she asked with a smile.

Dongdong quickly replied, “No!”

He winked at Yan Qiushu, who understood. She had planned to let them taste some noodles, but now that wouldn’t happen. She pretended to be angry and pinched Dongdong’s face lightly, not really wanting to hurt him.

Even though today was his birthday, she still wanted to spoil him.

Dongdong looked up at her, letting her pinch his face without complaint.

Yan Qiushu let go of him and brought the little boy to a stone table. “Sit down first. Shui Yu, bring the sour plum soup over. Drink it first to whet your appetite, and then we’ll eat the meat.”

“Thank you, Sister Shu.” The little boy smiled shyly, his face turning red as he sat next to Wan’er.

Yan Qiushu instructed a few things and headed to the kitchen with Xiao Huaiting watching her.

Dongdong followed her into the kitchen, pulling out a bag filled with meat he had hidden. “Sister Shu, can you make something tasty? Ah Heng rarely eats this. I asked him to come over and eat a lot of food, but he came too late, and all the food was gone…”

Dongdong had thought Ah Heng wouldn’t come, so he was upset and didn’t save any food for him.

Fortunately, he spotted his uncle and Ah Heng waiting for him on the way back from the party. He felt guilty for not saving anything, so he insisted on getting something from the big kitchen. If Sister Shu was resting, he would just eat something simple.

Good thing she was still awake!

Yan Qiushu smiled, “Okay, go greet your friends. I’ll handle this.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Sister Shu!” Dongdong replied happily. He hesitated, then leaned closer and whispered, “Sister Shu, when you get married, I’ll give you a lot of dowry! Then when you become a general, no one will dare to bully you!”

Yan Qiushu: “?”

She felt embarrassed and waved her hand: “Go away, go away!”

“Sister Shu, don’t be shy! Girls are all getting married.” Dongdong left, but before going, he smiled and said this, then skipped away.

Yan Qiushu closed the door, irritation bubbling within her.

Who should she marry?

In ancient times, marriage offered women numerous advantages, yet it felt more like a losing game to her. The idea of tying herself down felt suffocating. Instead, she envisioned a different path: with the Xiao family’s support, she could buy a farm and become a local landlord, cultivating crops and raising chickens and ducks. That seemed far more appealing than the constraints of marriage.

While she was thinking, the door was pushed open.

Yan Qiushu didn’t even turn around: “What else? If you have nothing else, go out and play. I can handle it myself.”

“It’s me.” A clear young voice said.

Yan Qiushu turned around quickly, and the young man smiled and said, “I’m sorry to bother you so late. I’ll help you.”

“No, go play with them.” Yan Qiushu refused.

Xiao Huaiting didn’t leave. Instead, he walked over to her and took the garlic she was processing: “Is that so?”

“…Yeah.” Yan Qiushu nodded, quietly making some space and glancing over there.

The boy was tall, and when she stole a glance at him, she could only see his strong jawline and an obvious Adam’s apple.

Looking down, she saw a pair of slender hands peeling garlic carefully but clumsily.

Her lips curved secretly.

These hands are so beautiful.

The ingredients Dongdong brought were all meat.

There were lamb chops, pork chops, and even a whole chicken. It was clear what he wanted to eat.

Yan Qiushu decided to satisfy him, but it took a bit longer because the whole chicken needed to be marinated. To save time, she asked Xiao Huaiting to poke holes all over the chicken with a needle while she prepared various seasonings.

She waited until Aunt Xu came over and said the stove was lit before putting the roast chicken and lamb chops in.

It takes longer to roast the chicken, so she put it inside and the lamb chops outside. While waiting, she found some oranges, put two in the oven to roast. This can help with coughs and prevent colds.

Additionally, she made orange tea with oranges, which helps digestion.

Yan Qiushu learned this from the doctor in the mansion after discovering the magical effect of her golden finger ^[1]is a term that refers to a special ability or skill.. It works well for Dongdong, who likes to eat too much.

They would definitely need it later.

Three children were talking and chatting in the yard. Soon, only two were left. Wan’er was carried by the wet nurse to say goodbye to Yan Qiushu. The little girl had a good schedule and seldom stayed up late. It was late now, and she could hardly keep her eyes open. She said goodbye to Yan Qiushu in a baby voice.

After she left, the yard seemed quieter.

Until the aroma of barbecue filled the air, the two children, who were also a little tired, sat up and turned to the barbecue oven, staring at it intently.

Zhou Zhaoheng, who had never smelled such a fragrance, murmured, “What a nice smell…”

Dongdong raised his chin proudly: “Yes, my Sister Shu is really good at cooking! Not only is the food fragrant, but it’s also super delicious! I guarantee you’ve never tasted anything like it!”

“Yeah!” Zhou Zhaoheng nodded vigorously, his eyes full of anticipation, and he finally swallowed secretly.

It smells so good.

In fact, he had already eaten dinner, but now he felt so hungry he could eat a cow! 

As if she had heard their thoughts, Yan Qiushu moved. She was about to open the oven, but Xiao Huaiting said, “Let me do it. What should I do?”

Seeing this, Yan Qiushu stood aside and gave instructions. When the lid of the oven opened, a wave of heat came out. It was the first time the boy did something like this. Feeling the heat that seemed to burn his hair, he realized that cooking could be dangerous.

He carefully took out the oranges, which were roasted and juicy.

The two hot oranges were still smoking when he brought them over through the cloth and placed them in front of the two children.

Yan Qiushu took out other items with tongs and looked. The oven could not control the temperature, so she had to estimate the time herself. When it was almost done, she would check and turn it over.

After taking out the lamb chops, they were cooked enough to eat, but not fully done, so she spread the prepared garlic sauce on them. Children don’t like spicy food, so they prefer garlic.

The roasted chicken also needed to be turned over and coated with a layer of oil.

After sending it back in, Yan Qiushu went to the kitchen again to start a fire and cook.

The two children put their heads close together and shared an orange, enjoying it, especially Zhou Zhaoheng. He had heard Dongdong talk about roasted oranges several times, but this was the first time he tasted it. Xiao Huaiting helped him peel the orange. After peeling off the thin skin, the unusually plump flesh inside looked delicious.

He waited until it cooled a bit before putting it in his mouth. As soon as he bit into it, the sweet and sour juice, along with the warmth, felt amazing!

Zhou Zhaoheng was already excited for this delicious meal, but after just one bite, he felt satisfied!