The texture was soft and chewy, almost like the desserts he usually ate. The Qingtuan had crunchy peanut bits inside, completely different from the peanuts he had eaten before. These peanuts were even more delicious than any he had tasted in the past.
Qin Jiu took another bite and finished the rest of the qingtuan. He even licked the crumbs from his hand, though he tried to keep his composure.
“How much are the qingtuan?” he asked.
Ye Qiuling replied, “The prices are different depending on the filling,” and then told him the prices she had just set.
Qin Jiu bought two of each filling and four of the peanut ones.
What a big customer.
Ye Qiuling quickly wrapped everything for him. “Alright, that will be twenty-two copper coins.”
Qin Jiu paid and handed the money to Ye Qiuling.
Xiao Feng and their parents stared in disbelief at the twenty-two coins. In their hearts, they all thought the same thing—Ye Qiuling was truly a little money-making genius.
Many people gathered around the stall. Seeing someone buy so many, they guessed it must taste good. But when they saw the price, many hesitated. After all, a single copper coin could buy quite a lot of things.
Seeing their hesitation, Ye Qiuling broke open several peanut and sesame qingtuan and called out:
“Free tasting! Free tasting!”
Immediately a crowd rushed forward, scrambling for the pieces and stuffing them into their mouths.
Chen Xuanmo had been watching from nearby. Using his impressive martial arts skills, he managed to grab a piece too.
The chewy qingtuan paired with the fragrant sesame was unexpectedly delicious. He used to dislike sesame because he thought it was sticky and unpleasant, but this sesame qingtuan completely changed his opinion.
He closed his eyes in satisfaction.
Just looking at his expression was enough to prove how tasty it was.
In Ye Qiuling’s mind, the system hamster 66 kept ringing: Taste value +1 +1 +1 +10086…
Everyone grabbed pieces, afraid there would be none left.
When Chen Xuanmo finally wanted to buy some, the box was already completely empty.
Ye Qiuling looked up and said apologetically,
“Sorry, everything is sold out.”
Just as Chen Xuanmo was about to speak, an old man suddenly collapsed.
Panic spread through the crowd. People quickly stepped back.
The candied hawthorn vendor aunt immediately shouted:
“It must be that girl’s strange qingtuan! I saw that old man eat it and then he collapsed!”
Shen Wanru quickly stepped in front of Ye Qiuling protectively.
“Auntie, don’t talk nonsense.”
The hawthorn aunt snorted.
“I’m just telling the truth! Everyone saw that he ate her food before falling!”
Ye Qiuling was furious. She stepped forward with her hands on her hips.
“That’s nonsense! Everyone else ate it and nothing happened. It can’t be the qingtuan!”
Chen Xuanmo stepped forward to meditate with a calm smile.
“Auntie, let’s wait for the yamen to arrive and investigate whether her food has a problem. For now, someone should go fetch a doctor.”
When the hawthorn aunt heard this, she panicked for a moment, but quickly regained her composure.
“I have no objections.”
Soon the County Magistrate Su arrived with several officials.
He almost knelt to Chen Xuanmo, but Chen Xuanmo gave him a look. Magistrate Su immediately understood and regained his official posture.
“Who reported the matter?” he asked.
Chen Xuanmo smiled faintly. “I did.”
Hearing that the matter involved the Third Prince, Magistrate Su broke into a cold sweat.
“What exactly happened?” he asked respectfully.
Chen Xuanmo calmly explained everything.
Magistrate Su sighed in relief. Thankfully nothing had happened to the prince, otherwise his life would be over.
He questioned everyone who had eaten the qingtuan. They all said it was fine.
Since the food was not the problem, someone must have framed them.
Chen Xuanmo walked over to the hawthorn aunt and whispered:
“Auntie, I know you were the one who did it. If you apologize to the girl now, you won’t be sent to prison. Otherwise… things might get a little painful.”
The hawthorn aunt immediately panicked and dropped to her knees.
“I was wrong! I took twenty copper coins to frame the girl. I was wrong! Please don’t send me to jail!”
She knocked her head repeatedly on the ground while the crowd criticized her.
“So shameless! She framed the girl out of jealousy!”
Chen Xuanmo hadn’t been certain before. He had only noticed her shifty eyes and decided to bluff. He hadn’t expected her to confess so quickly.
Magistrate Su shouted angrily,
“Who instructed you? Tell the truth and you won’t be imprisoned!”
The hawthorn aunt hesitated. If she spoke, Madam Zhou of Baihua Pavilion might not spare her. But if she didn’t speak, she would end up in the cold, terrifying prison.
Finally she raised her head.
“Really? If I tell you, I won’t go to jail?”
Magistrate Su assured her, “I promise.”
The hawthorn aunt began explaining:
“Half an hour ago, Madam Zhou sent a maid to give me twenty copper coins and told me to poison the food and frame the girl.”
“I asked why.”
“The maid rolled her eyes and said, ‘If her food is poisoned, Young Master Qin won’t buy her qingtuan anymore and will buy our peach blossom pastries instead.’”
“Young Master Qin buys their pastries every day! It’s all that woman’s fault!”
She glared fiercely at Ye Qiuling.
“That ugly green qingtuan bewitched Young Master Qin! Peach blossom pastries are the best!”
That was the whole story.
Ye Qiuling hadn’t expected jealousy to drive people this crazy.
Magistrate Su immediately went to arrest Madam Zhou.
Ye Qiuling walked over to Chen Xuanmo and thanked him.
“Thank you, kind sir.”
Chen Xuanmo chuckled. A kind person? He certainly wasn’t.
“My surname is Chen, my name is Chen Xuanmo. May I ask the young lady’s name?”
His speech sounded so formal that Ye Qiuling almost burst out laughing.
She imitated his tone.
“My surname is Ye, my name is Ye Qiuling.”
Chen Xuanmo silently repeated her name in his mind.
Qiuling…
In his imagination, autumn leaves fluttered through the air as a girl ran through them, bells on her clothes jingling. She turned back with a bright smile, and the entire world faded behind her.
Ye Dazhi watched Chen Xuanmo carefully.
The man’s black silk robes and handsome smile made him seem like some rich young master. Ye Dazhi immediately decided he wouldn’t let this man get close to his daughter.
He nudged his wife.
Shen Wanru understood instantly.
“Qiuling, we should head home now,” she said apologetically.
Ye Qiuling ran over.
“Okay, Mother!”
After packing the box, the family hurried to the donkey cart.
On the way they passed the butcher again, who still had a pile of pig intestines on the ground.
Ye Qiuling asked shamelessly, “Boss, do you still want the pig intestines?”
The butcher looked up and recognized her.
“Oh, it’s you again. Take them if you want, little girl.”
“Thank you!”
Xiao Feng also said politely, “Thank you, boss!”
With a basket full of pig intestines, the family happily returned home.
None of them noticed Chen Xuanmo standing there, staring at their departing figures.
More precisely—He was staring at Ye Qiuling’s back.
On the donkey cart ride home, the sun was already setting, painting the sky orange and pink.
The evening breeze carried the fresh scent of the countryside.
If only the cart weren’t so bumpy.
When they got home, the four of them sat down, exhausted.
Xiao Feng grinned. “Big sister, what are we eating tonight?”
Since tasting her braised pork before, he always looked forward to her cooking.
Shen Wanru laughed. “You little glutton. Qiuling is tired today, so Mother will cook tonight.”
But Ye Qiuling pushed her gently back into her seat.
“Mother, you all sit and rest. I’ll cook.”
Inside the system space, she browsed the recipe list.
“Wow! There’s Mugwort Egg Pancake and Mugwort Scrambled Eggs!”
The hamster 66 nearly dropped its sunflower seeds.
“Host! You scared me! Of course the recipe book has everything.”
Ye Qiuling laughed. “That’s awesome.”
She exchanged some taste points for two eggs and some seasonings, then went to cook.
She washed the rice several times and started steaming it.
Then she chopped the mugwort leaves, added the two eggs, salt, and some pork fat, and mixed everything well.
Xiao Feng exclaimed, “Big sister, that looks delicious!”
Ye Qiuling smiled. She heated oil in the pan and carefully poured in the mugwort egg mixture, spreading it into a circle.
After it set, she gently flipped it with a spatula and fried the other side.
After seven or eight minutes, she placed it on a plate.
The green mugwort and golden egg looked beautiful together.
The fragrant aroma made Xiao Feng swallow repeatedly.
His stomach growled loudly.