Chapter 16: The Finished Product

Li Peach Blossom saw Qin Huiyin entering with a bundle of firewood on her back and spoke unhappily, “Who told you to do such rough work?”

Tang Yixiao followed closely behind.

Li Peach Blossom glanced at Tang Yixiao carrying a light basket, then looked again at Qin Huiyin burdened with a large bundle of firewood, her beautiful eyes aflame with anger. “You actually let Huiyin carry firewood! She’s a young lady, delicate and tender—how could she possibly bear such heavy things?”

For once, Tang Yixiao didn't retort to Li Peach Blossom's scolding.

He looked at Qin Huiyin, set down his basket, took the firewood from her back, and carried it into the kitchen.

Li Peach Blossom hadn’t expected Tang Yixiao to be so obedient today, and looked at Qin Huiyin in confusion. “What’s gotten into him today?”

“Mother, don’t blame him. He didn’t ask me to carry it; I insisted on doing it myself. Just now, I saw him…” Qin Huiyin wanted to say something, but seeing Tang Yixiao come out, she swallowed her unfinished words.

Tang Yixiao picked up the water bucket, clearly intending to fetch water.

“No need to go,” Qin Huiyin said. “There’s enough water for today; fetch more tomorrow.”

Tang Yixiao looked at her with a complicated expression, pursing his lips in silence.

“I need someone to tend the fire. Help me with that,” she continued.

Tang Yixiao put the water bucket back.

Qin Huiyin turned to Li Peach Blossom, “Mother, the braised meat in my pot isn’t dried out, is it?”

“If you told me to watch the fire, how could I let it burn dry?” Li Peach Blossom replied irritably. “But the smell is truly wonderful—several people have been lingering by our courtyard gate, asking what delicious thing I was cooking. It’s stirred up the hunger in their bellies. Bah! They hope to be offered a taste but won’t say so outright, expecting I’ll give it to them. I’d have to be foolish to volunteer. With so many mouths at home still needing food, they want to take from ours?”

At that moment, a few mischievous children were peering through the gate, gazing longingly inside. One shouted, “Aunt Peach Blossom, what are you cooking? It smells so good!”

Li Peach Blossom snapped, “What else would I be cooking? Of course it’s food. Whose food isn’t fragrant? Even corn cakes smell good!”

“Aunt Peach Blossom, let us try some, your house smells too delicious.”

“No, no, there’s not enough for us as it is!” Li Peach Blossom replied, then turned to Qin Huiyin, “Don’t be too soft-hearted. There are so many mouths in the village. Block one, and another appears. Trying to save face only brings trouble—not worth it. But you’re a young lady; let your mother handle the unpleasant business of offending people.”

“Mother, you’re so good,” Qin Huiyin said, clinging to her arm coquettishly. “With a mother as wonderful as you, I’m so lucky. But mother, could you be a little kinder to them in the future? Today on the mountain…”

Qin Huiyin described what she’d seen to Li Peach Blossom. Seeing the complex expression on her mother's face, she knew her words had been taken to heart.

“But mother must always be the best to me, or I’ll be jealous. I’ll be the best to you, too, because you’re the most important person to me.”

Li Peach Blossom stroked her hair. “Mother will listen to you.”

Her daughter had never liked Song Ruize, and Song Ruize’s personality wasn’t endearing. Though she’d been his stepmother for nearly a year, she’d never cared for him. Now her daughter wanted to get along with the Tang family, so she’d treat Tang’s stepchildren better, just as companions for her daughter.

Her own reputation was poor, making it hard for her daughter to find friends in the village. Tang Green Reed was an honest girl and shouldn’t bully her daughter. But since they were to get along with the Tang family, the marriage proposal previously mentioned for Tang Green Reed would have to be refused. Fortunately, the bride price hadn’t been settled last time, so nothing was finalized.

“Mother, these wild mountain peppers are important. Help me transplant them to the corner of the courtyard.”

“Alright, mother will plant them.”

Tang Green Reed had just returned from the vegetable garden and overheard their conversation. “Aunt Li, let me do it instead!”

Li Peach Blossom pointed to the pea starch drying in the yard. “Those have dried. Help Huiyin collect them.”

Mentioning the pea starch brought up Qin Huiyin’s next task. She took a small quantity into the kitchen and began her work.

Qin Huiyin planned to go to the city tomorrow to sell cold noodles. According to the original owner’s memory, cold noodles didn’t yet exist in this world. It was the heat of summer, ordinary folk couldn’t afford ice, nor find ways to cool off. If one could eat cold noodles now, surely it would feel like coming back to life.

Tang Yixiao sat by the stove, tending the fire, his gaze unconsciously following Qin Huiyin’s movements.

When he saw the pale, clean pea starch being slowly stirred and thickening over time, his eyes widened.

The process for making cold noodles wasn’t complicated—just control the heat and act quickly. When it looked about right, scoop it up.

“All done, quickly put out the fire,” Qin Huiyin instructed Tang Yixiao. “Remove all the firewood at once and extinguish it, or it won’t taste as good.”

Tang Yixiao moved swiftly. As Qin Huiyin spoke, he’d already put out the fire.

Qin Huiyin placed the cold noodles in the water jar to chill.

She began preparing various condiments, using two wild mountain peppers. She knew people in this era weren’t accustomed to spice, so dared not add too much—just enough for flavor.

She tasted some store-bought vinegar and soy sauce, finding them mediocre. If time allowed, she’d have made her own vinegar and soy sauce. Besides these, she wanted to make fermented black beans, but for now, she’d solve her immediate problems first.

Tang Yixiao coughed as the peppers irritated him.

“You’re not needed here, go outside,” Qin Huiyin sent him off.

Tang Yixiao took the initiative to ask, “What is this? Is it really edible?”

Don’t poison everyone, he thought.

“Don’t worry. Once you taste it, you’ll wish you could swallow your tongue.”

Qin Huiyin busied herself alone in the kitchen.

Li Peach Blossom came in briefly, realized she couldn’t help, and went back out to wait.

Tang Green Reed washed her hands and stood nearby, a bit nervous. “Is there anything I can do?”

“The braised meat is about ready. Help me take some out. There aren’t many of us, we won’t eat much—just take a piece of pig intestine and an ear.”

Tang Green Reed never feared work, only feared having nothing to do. She knew a person must be useful to have a place in the world, or else she’d end up like Chrysanthemum Sister in the village, sold to an old bachelor and dying of childbirth the next year.

When Qin Huiyin asked her to help, she felt most at ease.

Moreover, Qin Huiyin’s temperament had improved; she no longer spoke sarcastically or deliberately sent her to sleep on the floor. Li Peach Blossom no longer withheld food from her; whatever others ate, she ate. These past two days had been especially comfortable—if only things could stay that way.