“Today’s dinner smells so fragrant! Hongyue, what delicious thing did you make?”
Successive footsteps echoed from the doorway. A dark-skinned man in his sixties called out as he pushed open the gate, followed by three others. They each carried hoes, clearly having just returned from the fields. Su Tian recognized him as the original owner’s grandfather, Su Dashu. Behind him was her lean father, Su Wanqing. The other two were the sons of the Eldest Uncle’s branch: the taller one was Su Wenzu, seventeen years old, and the younger one was Su Wenyang, who was just twelve. He had likely gone to the fields just to play.
“Dad, Grandpa, you’re back! Mother and I have just finished the meal. Put your things down, wash your hands, and come eat.”
“Alright, we’ll go put the hoes away first,” Su Wanqing nodded to his daughter.
Su Wenyang scampered over to Su Tian. “Sister, you’re finally better! I feel like you’ve gotten thinner,” he said, pouting slightly.
Su Tian patted his head. “I’m much better. Xiao Yang, don’t worry.”
“Mhm!” Su Wenyang nodded vigorously, his eyes drifting toward the house. “Sister, it smells so good. What are we eating tonight?”
Seeing him swallow his saliva several times like a little glutton, Su Tian couldn’t help but laugh. “Tonight we’re having egg porridge. We haven’t had eggs in a long time, so I asked Mother to beat the eggs directly into the porridge to give everyone a little taste.”
Su Wenyang’s eyes went wide. “Eggs! Hooray!” He followed his brother to the woodshed to store the tools.
While they spoke, a refined-looking man entered. It was the Second Uncle, Su Wanhe, who worked as a bookkeeper in the county town. After greeting Su Tian, he headed into the east room.
Once Su Dashu and the others entered the house, the rich aroma of eggs was now even stronger than before. The delicious aroma wafted over them. “Hongyue, your skills are unusual today!” Su Wanqing sat down, beaming. Li Hongyue glanced at him.
“That wasn’t me. Dad specifically said to make egg custard for Tian-jie’er, but she was too concerned for you all and insisted on making egg porridge for everyone instead.”
“Tian-jie’er is far too modest; she should be nourishing her own body,” said the Eldest Aunt, Zheng Chunmiao. She was supporting the Eldest Uncle, Su Wanhai, as they entered. His leg was still unsteady, and it was estimated he would need to drink medicine for another two months.
Su Tian arranged the chopsticks and helped steady her Eldest Aunt. “It’s the middle of the farming season; Grandpa and Dad are all working hard. If they don’t eat well, how will they have the strength to labor? Besides, I’m much better now; there’s no need to give me special treatment.”
Seeing Su Tian’s rosy complexion and no sign of illness, Su Dashu nodded, though he still cautioned her, “Even if you are better, do not overexert yourself. Take it easy and rest more for a few days.”
“I understand, Grandpa,” Su Tian replied obediently. “The food has just come off the stove; let’s eat while it’s hot.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Wen’an grabbed a spoon and shoveled a large mouthful into his mouth. “Ah… so hot… so delicious! This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten!”
Seeing his son grinning through the heat, Su Wanhe laughed and scolded him, “Look at that lack of refinement[1]Lack of refinement (没出息): A common scolding term used by parents, meaning “good-for-nothing” or “having no prospects,” often used affectionately regarding his greed for … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1773589_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1773589_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.” However, after taking a bite of the egg porridge himself, he froze. “Wait, Tian-jie’er, this porridge…”
“See! You’re saying the same thing, hmph!” Su Wen’an made a face at his father.
As Li Hongyue ate the porridge Su Tian had prepared, she marveled, “I didn’t know our Tian-jie’er had such a talent. This porridge fills the whole mouth with fragrance.”
Zheng Chunmiao and the Second Aunt, Wu Fen, didn’t even have time to speak; they simply nodded in agreement. The three daughters-in-law of the Su family took turns in cooking, and today was the third branch’s turn. If Su Tian hadn’t made this porridge, no one would have known she possessed such skill. Su Wanqing drank his porridge with a smile, reaching over to wipe the corner of his youngest son Su Wenchen’s mouth. Seeing her younger brother eating with such gusto, Su Tian also smiled and took a bite of the stir-fried cabbage.
“…”
Even though she was mentally prepared, Su Tian was shocked by the taste of the cabbage. It was bland, flavorless, and entirely devoid of oil—it was simply cooked through. Forcing herself to swallow, she looked around. Everyone seemed accustomed to the taste, eating it bite by bite alongside the egg porridge.
Is the level of cooking here really limited to this? Su Tian’s thoughts took a turn. Could I return to my old profession and use my skills as a food blogger? The urgent matter now was how to reveal her culinary knowledge to her parents.
Everyone was satisfied, having not eaten such a flavorful meal in a long time.
After dinner, the two aunts hurried to clear the table. Su Tian followed Li Hongyue to the backyard to feed the chickens, hoping to fish for some information. “Mother, I noticed the salt is almost gone. Should we go to the county town to buy more?” Su Tian brought up the topic as if casually.
Li Hongyue stirred the chicken feed in the basin and threw out a handful. “Is that so? Tell your Grandma tomorrow, and have your Second Uncle bring some back from the county.”
“Mother~ let me go buy it! I haven’t been to the county in so long.” Su Tian grabbed Li Hongyue’s sleeve and acted coy. Li Hongyue was nearly overwhelmed by her daughter’s sweet, sticky tone.
She gave her a sidelong look and said, “Go talk to your father. Talking to me is useless.”
“Hehe, then I’ll ask Dad when we go back inside.”
As another handful of feed was scattered, Su Tian’s eyes flickered as she spotted something familiar. “Mother, what are you mixing in there?” she asked, unsure.
“Beans. They’re old and hard; you can’t bite through them at all, so they’re used specifically for chicken feed.” Li Hongyue handed Su Tian a small handful of them.
Su Tian brushed off the debris and sniffed them. These were clearly soybeans! Do people here not eat soybeans? Soybeans are wonderful things! Su Tian’s breathing quickened with excitement. “Mother, do other families use these to feed chickens too?”
Li Hongyue gave her a strange look. “Pretty much. Except for the truly destitute who force themselves to eat these to survive, most families use them for chickens. They aren’t worth anything. We still have a whole sack inside.”
Su Tian barely registered the rest of the conversation; her mind was already flooded with soybean-based delicacies. Her heart was racing, and her hands were trembling with excitement.
After feeding the chickens, she ran to her parents’ room to tell Su Wanqing she wanted to go to the town tomorrow. Su Wanqing thought for a moment and said, “You may go, but let your Big Brother go with you so you can look out for each other.” Su Tian nodded; as long as she could go, having an extra person who knew the way was actually better.
With the next day’s trip settled, Su Tian went to her grandparents’ room to explain she was going to buy salt with her Big Brother. Grandma Zhang Guihua took out ten copper coins and told her to go and return quickly.
After tucking the money safely against her body and washing up, Su Tian returned to her room. Without phones or computers, every household slept early. The Su family, being frugal, retired early to avoid wasting lamp oil.
The night was dreamless.
The next day, Su Tian rose very early. She had a plan and wanted to check the situation in the county town as soon as possible. After washing up, Su Wenzu was also awake, and she urged him to set off immediately.
It took about an hour to walk from the village to the county town. The sky was just beginning to brighten—roughly the hour of Mao [2] Hour of Mao (卯时): 5:00 AM – 7:00 AM. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1773589_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1773589_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. They would arrive just after the hour of Chen [3]Hour of Chen (辰时): 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1773589_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1773589_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, perfect for seeing what breakfast was being sold on the streets.
That was right. After seeing those soybeans last night, Su Tian had decided: her first pot of gold would start with soy milk!
The county town was bustling. The streets were lined with teahouses, taverns, and workshops, interspersed with many small shops. Many villagers from surrounding areas were dressed in coarse cloth, so Su Tian and Su Wenzu did not stand out. Su Tian had been here before, but always with Su Wanqing or Zhang Guihua; she had never had the chance to wander on her own.
“Big Brother, you’ve done short-term labor in the county before. Have you eaten anything delicious here?” Su Tian nudged Su Wenzu with her elbow while looking around.
Su Wenzu thought for a bit. “There’s a place that makes very good flatbreads if you turn left up ahead. Further on, there’s a noodle shop that’s quite decent too.”
Su Tian nodded. “Let’s buy the salt first. After that, we’ll check out those two shops!”
“Whatever you say.”
Inside the seasoning shop, Su Tian looked around and found only basic condiments like oil, salt, vinegar, and sugar. There was nothing else. “Little brother, is this all the seasonings you have?” Su Tian pointed to the shelf and asked the clerk.
The shop assistant glanced up. “It’s all here.”
“How much is the salt?”
“Sixty coins per catty,” the clerk quoted.
“Sixty??” Su Tian felt the ten coins Zhang Guihua had given her. With a look of regret, she said, “Then just give me ten coins’ worth.”
The clerk nimbly took the money, weighed the salt, and handed it over. “Here is your salt, Miss. Please take it.”
Su Tian took the package and left the shop with Su Wenzu. “Haih… Big Brother, it looks like we can’t go to those shops you mentioned. All the money Grandma gave me went to the salt,” Su Tian said regretfully.
“What can we do? Maybe Brother will bring you next time,” Su Wenzu comforted her.
Su Tian was unwilling to give up. “Big Brother, why don’t you just lead me past them? I just want to look.”
Seeing his sister like this, Su Wenzu thought she was craving food and felt a pang of pity. “Alright. It’s my fault for being useless and having no coins on me. I’ll find some short-term work later and bring you back to eat once I get paid.” He then led her forward.
After scouting the two food stalls, Su Tian had a general idea. The people here cooked by stewing, boiling, or steaming. Occasionally there were stir-fries, but they couldn’t control the heat well, not to mention the pitiful variety of seasonings she had seen. With her plan formed, the next step was to come clean with her parents and convince her grandparents. With her mind preoccupied, Su Tian’s pace unconsciously quickened. In Su Wenzu’s eyes, he thought she was so upset about seeing delicious food she couldn’t eat that she simply wanted to leave this sad place.
Su Tian put the salt into the jar on the stove and found the sack of soybeans Li Hongyue had mentioned. She estimated there were about twenty kilograms. Based on the calculation that one catty of beans makes five catties of soy milk, she didn’t need to use the whole bag at once.
However, how should she confess her culinary skills to the family? Su Tian’s fine brows knitted slightly. Should I tell them I dreamed of an ‘Old Immortal’ during the two days I was unconscious? It seemed this was the only explanation that could pass, as there was no concept of “abolishing feudal superstition” in this era.
Su Tian clenched her fists and decided she would speak up as soon as the family finished lunch.
“Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom… I… I have something to tell you…”
References[+]