The chicken vendor waved his hand. “You’re welcome, miss.”
Chen Xuanmo took the bag from her hands. “Let me carry it,” he said.
Seeing how eager he was, Ye Qiuling let him take it.
Ye Feng glanced over at a nearby stall and noticed a young scholar selling something unusual. “Sister, what’s that?”
Following his gaze, Ye Qiuling saw a handsome young scholar holding a book in his hands, with a stall displaying what looked like bamboo shoots.
She wasn’t entirely sure they were bamboo shoots either. Approaching the stall, the scholar continued reading aloud, oblivious to Ye Qiuling and her family.
Bending down for a closer look, she confirmed it was bamboo shoots, though still unpeeled, with some tender soil clinging to the dark brown outer layer, still damp—proof they were freshly dug.
Ye Qiuling wondered if people in the Chaoyang Dynasty still ate bamboo shoots, or if these were particularly popular now. She couldn’t recall the original owner’s memories.
Squatting down, she asked, “Hello, sir, what are these?”
The scholar froze mid-sentence, looking up to see a beautiful young woman with bright, large eyes, a straight nose, slightly upturned lips, and dark brown hair tied neatly with a black ribbon. She smiled warmly at him.
Stunned by her beauty, he paused before answering. Ye Qiuling didn’t rush him, just waited.
The scholar blushed and glanced down at the bamboo shoots. “These are called bamboo sprouts… they’re edible,” he said, clearly worried she might not believe him.
He peeled back the layers until he revealed the tender, white-and-yellow inner shoots, explaining, “These can be stir-fried, but they must be blanched first. Without blanching, they’re bitter and astringent.”
He continued with a small story: “An elder in the village once insisted on eating them raw. The sprouts were so bitter that the next day they had to consult the village doctor. The doctor warned them not to eat it that way. But the elder insisted, boiled them, and discovered they were actually delicious, soft, and no longer bitter.”
Ye Qiuling nodded, pretending to understand, then asked, “How much for these bamboo shoots?”
The scholar was surprised she would buy them. Many others had heard his explanation and just shook their heads, walking away.
Still a bit hesitant, he said, “Three bamboo shoots for one copper coin. There’s a lot of peels, so it’s fair for you.”
Ye Qiuling expected a higher price, but seeing him being reasonable, she smiled and said, “Alright,” quickly handing him the coin.
The scholar didn’t immediately take it, instead peeling all the bamboo shoots completely, revealing the tender inner shoots before placing them in a bag. He then accepted the payment, hand for hand.
“Thank you,” the scholar said, his eyes full of gratitude.
Ye Qiuling, feeling slightly overwhelmed by his intense gaze, smiled awkwardly. “I should be thanking you for peeling them for me.”
Before he could respond further, Ye Qiuling picked up the bag and walked away.
Ye Feng looked at his sister. “Sister, can we really eat these?” His voice was full of doubt.
Ye Qiuling pretended to worry. “What if we can’t? But we already bought them,” her small face scrunched in mock concern.
Seeing her expression, Ye Feng felt a twinge of regret. He shouldn’t have asked about the bamboo shoots; if he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have listened to the scholar and bought them. He should have persuaded her more.
Shen Wanru and Ye Dazhi overheard and felt a bit guilty for not intervening.
Ye Feng looked like he was about to cry, his voice catching as he spoke.
Ye Qiuling interrupted gently. “I was just teasing. My sister can cook. Besides, the scholar is right—bamboo sprouts are edible.”
She patted his head. “Little Feng, you’re so big, yet you still cry? Shame on you.”
Ye Feng’s face flushed red, ears tinged with color, and he didn’t respond.
Seeing he wasn’t crying anymore, Ye Qiuling smiled and reassured him. “Alright, I won’t tease you next time.”
He still had tears in his eyes but looked at her sincerely. “No, sister, I didn’t cry. I just had something in my eye.”
Shen Wanru and Ye Dazhi exchanged amused glances, quietly smiling at their children’s interaction.
Ye Qiuling didn’t expose him, taking his small hand as they continued walking.
Chen Xuanmo watched her gentle hand holding Ye Feng’s, remembering the last time her small hand touched his and how it had made his heart ache.
He glanced at her other hand, wanting to hold it too, but restrained himself.
Looking at her profile, he smiled faintly. He would hold it one day, sooner or later.
While Ye Qiuling pondered what ingredients would go best with the bamboo shoots, a chime rang in her mind. Hamster 66 spoke: “Host, host! Stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork, haha! Eat stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork!”
He recalled a joke from the online world: in the Two Guang regions, misbehaving children were threatened with a meal of stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork to scare them.
Ye Qiuling wasn’t sure if that was the exact reference. Hamster 66 continued mischievously: “Haha! It’s like getting spanked with bamboo sticks, hahaha!”
Ye Qiuling laughed, entering the system space. “Believe it or not, when you become humanoid, I’ll make you stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork too, haha.”
This made Ye Qiuling laugh, and Hamster 66’s little face fell. “Just kidding! Besides, the stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork in the Gourmet Recipe System are delicious!”
Ye Qiuling replied, “Yes, yes, dear system. When you take humanoid form, I’ll treat you to a feast. Whatever you want to eat.”
The hamster’s face brightened with excitement, paws outstretched. “Really? Really? Really?”
Ye Qiuling nodded. “Of course.”
The hamster waved its tiny hand. “Alright, you may step back now.”
Ye Qiuling watched the little creature, thinking to herself that when it emerged, she would treat it to a spicy feast.
Ye Qiuling then went to the pork stall, buying pork belly. The vendor kindly asked if she also wanted large or small intestines.
She hadn’t planned to buy them, but seeing his kind offer, she accepted. After thanking him, she looked around and, seeing nothing else to buy, they returned home.
Opening the door, tired from an afternoon out, they sat down to rest.
Seeing dinner hadn’t started, Ye Qiuling got up to head to the kitchen. Shen Wanru smiled. “Qiuling, you’ve been making cakes all day. Why don’t I cook tonight?”
Ye Qiuling refused. “Mother, no need. I’m not tired.” Shen Wanru tried to insist again.
Feigning energy, Ye Qiuling said, “See, I’m really fine.”
Shen Wanru, still uneasy, finally said, “I’ll help from the side then.”
Ye Feng piped up, “Sister, I’ll help too!”
Ye Qiuling looked at the little carrot-top, struggling to raise his arms but insisting on helping.
Ye Dazhi said nothing, though he also intended to assist.
Ye Qiuling said, “No need, I’m really not tired. You all go sit for a bit; dinner will be ready soon.”
Without waiting for their reply, she entered the kitchen, with Chen Xuanmo following. Thinking it was Shen Wanru, Ye Qiuling scolded, “I told you to go rest, didn’t I?”
Chen Xuanmo, unfazed, said softly, “Qiuling, it’s me.”
Hearing his voice, Ye Qiuling turned apologetically. “I thought it was Mother. Sorry.”
Chen Xuanmo smiled gently. “It’s alright.”
Ye Qiuling said, “You should rest too. You helped me so much today.”
Chen Xuanmo replied, “I’m not tired, it’s fine,” but Ye Qiuling insisted he rest.
Unable to persuade her, Chen Xuanmo finally left.
Ye Qiuling patted her chest. “Goodness, I’m glad he went. Otherwise, how could I roast the chicken?”
She washed the purchased chicken thoroughly, removing blood and dirt, and set it aside.
From the system space, she retrieved some green onions, mixed them with oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, and chicken bouillon in another bowl, then coated the chicken inside and out with the mixture using the green onions as a brush.
Once the chicken was evenly covered with a reddish-brown glaze, she set it aside to marinate for the duration of an incense stick.
She wrapped the chicken in foil, placed it in the oven at 200°C for about half an hour.
Next, she cleaned the bamboo shoots, sliced them thinly on a cutting board, and submerged them in water to prevent oxidation.
The crisp bamboo shoots made a satisfying crunch as she cut them, like chopping ribs.
She then prepared the other ingredients: slicing the pork belly, cutting green peppers into strips, peeling garlic and slicing it, and adding two dried chili peppers.
The pork slices were marinated with soy sauce, starch, and cooking wine until evenly coated.
Ye Qiuling lit the stove, poured water into a pan, and blanched the bamboo shoots. Once boiled, she drained and set them aside.
She cleaned the pan, added the pork slices, and fried out the oil, then added the garlic slices and dried chili to bring out their fragrance. The chili’s aroma made her cough slightly.
Chen Xuanmo, sensitive from his martial training, heard her cough and rushed in, worried, but seeing she was fine, he stood aside watching her cook.
The first time he saw her, she was thin and sharp-featured; now her face was full and fair, her features fully developed.
The young scholar who had been staring at Ye Qiuling earlier had developed a dark thought—he wanted to hide her, not allowing anyone to see his precious treasure.
Then he reconsidered. That wasn’t right. She loved sunlight and should bloom in it, with him always by her side, shining together.
After the pork changed color, she added the bamboo shoots and green peppers, stir-frying over high heat, then added soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a pinch of salt, mixing everything evenly.