“Qingyun, where is the donkey cart?”
As Mu Yuqing lightly stepped down from the carriage, she suddenly realized that the donkey cart, which should have been parked nearby, was nowhere to be seen. Her delicate brows drew together, and a flicker of confusion and concern crossed her beautiful face.
Seeing her reaction, Qingyun hurried forward to explain.
“Madam, please don’t worry. I saw that the donkey cart had already served its purpose, so I returned it to its owner.”
As she spoke, she felt a slight pang of guilt while watching Mu Yuqing’s anxious expression.
Hearing this, Mu Yuqing placed a hand over her chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
“You really frightened me just now. I thought some blind fool had stolen our cart.”
She gave a playful huff, then waved her hand dismissively.
“Since that’s settled, let’s walk around a little longer. We still need to buy rice.”
With graceful steps, she made her way deeper into the bustling marketplace.
Before long, Mu Yuqing stopped in front of a grain shop.
After carefully comparing the different selections, she finally purchased a full one hundred catties of high-quality rice. Once that was done, she headed to a nearby general store and bought various seasonings and necessities for daily use.
With their shopping complete, Mu Yuqing and Qingyun climbed back into the carriage and began their journey home.
Along the way, they passed the same butcher stall they had visited earlier.
Though the day was already growing late, quite a bit of fresh meat remained on display, and it all looked excellent.
Mu Yuqing immediately asked the driver to stop.
Her eyes settled on a neatly arranged row of fresh pork ribs.
“Boss, how much are these ribs?”
The butcher’s face broke into a welcoming smile.
“Madam, these came from a pig slaughtered this very morning. They’re as fresh as can be. Ten copper coins per catty, ah, but if you’re buying in bulk, I can let them go for seven.”
Mu Yuqing considered it for only a moment before nodding.
“Very well. Give me ten catties of ribs. And weigh this piece of lean meat too.”
As she spoke, she picked up a cut of pork collar.
Most people in this era did not care much for lean meat, finding it too dry and lacking the rich flavor of fatty cuts.
After paying, Mu Yuqing was about to leave when something in the corner of the stall caught her eye.
Four pig trotters had been set aside, seemingly ignored by everyone else.
Her eyes brightened instantly.
“I’ll take those four pig trotters too.”
The butcher chuckled warmly.
“Madam, you really are refreshingly straightforward. Since you’re buying so much, I’ll sell them to you at a lower price.”
Satisfied, Mu Yuqing loaded all the purchases onto the carriage and set off once more with Qingyun.
As Qingyun sat at the front, expertly guiding the horse forward with a flick of the reins, her heart was full of confusion.
She truly could not understand why her mistress was always so interested in things other people treated as worthless.
Every time they went shopping, Mu Yuqing returned with ingredients others would never bother to buy.
But then Qingyun remembered the pig intestines from before.
At the time, they had smelled awful and looked completely inedible. Yet after passing through Mu Yuqing’s miraculous hands, they had become one of the most delicious braised dishes she had ever tasted.
Thinking of that, all her doubts immediately disappeared.
Facts spoke louder than words.
No matter how strange or unappealing the ingredients looked at first, every dish Mu Yuqing prepared always ended up perfect in color, aroma, and flavor, enough to make anyone drool and remember it long after the meal had ended.
Perhaps Madam simply sees what others cannot, Qingyun thought.
If that was the case, there was no point in questioning it.
As long as she could continue enjoying the food her mistress prepared, nothing else really mattered.
“Whoa!”
With a sharp command, Qingyun pulled on the reins.
The galloping horse immediately understood and slowed before coming to a steady stop in the middle of the road.
She turned back toward the carriage.
“Madam, the carriage ahead appears to have a pregnant woman inside. Judging by the sounds, she may be giving birth.”
Mu Yuqing froze for only a second.
Immediately, she focused her thoughts and quietly retrieved a medical kit from her mysterious Space.
Her heart tightened with urgency.
Without hesitation, she reached for the curtain and prepared to jump down from the carriage.
But just as she moved, Qingyun lunged forward and caught her firmly.
Only then did Mu Yuqing realize she had forgotten something important.
She was no longer riding her familiar donkey cart.
This luxurious carriage sat much higher off the ground.
Had Qingyun not stopped her, she likely would have landed flat on her back in an embarrassing heap.
Once she regained her footing, Mu Yuqing looked ahead.
A lavish carriage stood nearby.
Inside lay a pale and exhausted pregnant woman, her face drained of color.
And beside her, wrapped in cloth, was a newborn infant who had only just entered the world.
Without wasting another moment, Mu Yuqing hurried over.
After briefly introducing herself, she skillfully pulled on a pair of spotless white gloves from her medical kit.
With practiced precision, she clamped and cut the umbilical cord, then carefully cleaned and attended to the mother who had just endured the painful ordeal of childbirth.
Her movements were calm, efficient, and steady.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
By the time it would take for a single stick of incense to burn, everything had been properly handled.
At last, Mu Yuqing gently covered the mother with a warm blanket and instructed the anxious man standing nearby.
“Take her home quickly. The weather is too cold, she must not remain exposed.”
Only after ensuring everything was settled did she finally return to her own carriage.
By the time they arrived home, the sun had already begun to set.
Golden light stretched across the land like a silken veil, and evening had quietly descended.
The moment Mu Yuqing stepped through the front gate, she called out excitedly.
“Qingyun, quickly, hurry and bring that bag of rice inside!”
Her voice was filled with barely contained anticipation, as if that sack of rice were a priceless treasure.
For her, after such an exhausting day, nothing could be more comforting than a steaming bowl of fragrant white rice.
Standing at the kitchen entrance, she waited eagerly while Qingyun carried the rice indoors.
At the same time, her mind was already planning tonight’s meal.
Since she finally had proper rice, she naturally needed equally delicious dishes to accompany it.
Her gaze landed on the neatly arranged ribs.
Immediately, Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs came to mind.
She could almost imagine the perfect balance of sweetness and tang, the tender meat coated in glossy sauce.
Just the thought made her swallow unconsciously.
But Sweet and Sour Ribs alone would not be enough.
Her eyes shifted toward the pork collar meat she had bought earlier.
Although she had no fresh green peppers, stir-frying it with dried chilies would work just as well.
That would be more than enough to satisfy her craving.