Three days had passed, and Xiao Ji was due to return to the Guard Station for duty.
He had originally planned to go out and buy breakfast first, then wake Xie Linlang and lock the door before leaving.
In the past, when he lived alone, he only needed to hang a lock on the door when going out. But now that there was a woman in the household, there were more things to worry about. If he simply left without locking the door, he feared some reckless person might barge in and disturb Xie Linlang.
Unexpectedly, while he got up to change clothes and wash up, Xie Linlang also rose, sleepily entering the kitchen.
Xiao Ji followed her in and, seeing her prepare to light the fire, said, “It’s still dark. You don’t need to make breakfast. I’ll just buy it from outside as usual.”
Xie Linlang didn’t want to get up so early to cook either, but now that she was married to Xiao Ji, if he continued to eat out every day, it wouldn’t look like they were living a proper life, and he might even be talked about by his colleagues at the Guard Station.
For the sake of future harmony, Xie Linlang felt she could endure this small hardship.
Seeing that Xiao Ji hadn’t even dried the water droplets on his face, Xie Linlang waved him away. “Now that you have a wife, how can you keep eating out every day? My cooking skills are quite decent. You’ll see for yourself in a moment.”
Seeing her insistence, Xiao Ji could only help her light the stove fire before stepping out, half-convinced and half-doubting.
With no need to go out to buy food, Xiao Ji still couldn’t stay idle. He rolled up his sleeves and tidied up every chore he could find around the house.
Truth be told, apart from the courtyard and a few rooms that needed tending, there really wasn’t much else to do in the Xiao household.
At Xie Manor, aside from learning needlework, Xie Linlang had spent most of her time in the kitchen learning to cook from the cooks. She suspected Madam Xie might have intended to train her as a cook, so she could later help Xie Yurou win over her husband’s heart through his stomach.
She had once envied Xie Yurou’s daily routine of playing the qin and painting, but now she thought it was fortunate she had learned cooking. Otherwise, would she now have to play the qin for Xiao Ji every day? The thought alone seemed absurd.
Xiao Ji truly couldn’t imagine Xie Linlang knowing how to cook. He thought that no matter how unpalatable the food she made might be, he would eat it all clean. At worst, he could gently persuade her later to eat out on the streets again.
Xie Linlang had no idea her cooking skills were being underestimated.
After these three days together, she had gradually figured out Xiao Ji’s eating habits: the food didn’t need to be refined, but it had to be plentiful and filling.
There were plenty of vegetables and meat left over from the wedding feast a few days ago. Although some had been shared with the neighbors who helped out, quite a bit remained in the kitchen.
Since it was summer, the vegetables had wilted after a few days. The meat, salted, had no strange odor yet, but it needed to be eaten soon.
Xie Linlang thought for a moment and decided to cook rice porridge first—not for Xiao Ji, but because she was used to having something soupy in the morning. However, when she opened the rice jar, she found it nearly empty.
Even though she knew Xiao Ji lived roughly, Xie Linlang was still taken aback by the bare rice jar. A mouse falling into it would probably feel depressed for a while.
Unable to make rice porridge, she was relieved to find some provisions left in the flour jar.
Xie Linlang quickly took two bowls of flour, kneaded and let the dough rest, then deftly sliced a piece of lean meat into shreds, adding chili peppers and a few other vegetables.
After finishing all the chores he could find around the house, Xiao Ji entered the kitchen again. Tall and sturdy, he stood there, and Xie Linlang didn’t hesitate to put him to work, ordering him to tend the fire.
Xiao Ji had initially been worried that Xie Linlang was just putting on a brave face, but when he saw the neatly arranged meat and vegetables on the cutting board, he suddenly realized that his wife really did seem to know how to cook.
In the blink of an eye, he watched as Xie Linlang took the dough, kneaded it, and divided it into small pieces, unsure of what she intended to make.
For breakfast, Xie Linlang made flatbreads, served with a plate of stir-fried shredded meat that was rich in color, aroma, and flavor. Xiao Ji immediately took a flatbread, wrapped it around the filling, and took a bite. With just one taste, he was thoroughly satisfied, once again marveling at the fact that Xie Linlang truly knew how to cook!
Since it was still early, Xie Linlang didn’t have much of an appetite. She simply took a flatbread and chewed it slowly. When she noticed Xiao Ji looking over, she smiled and said, “I’m not hungry yet.”
Not knowing that Xie Linlang would be preparing breakfast this morning, the timing hadn’t been planned well. Xiao Ji didn’t have time to say much else. In no time at all, he devoured eight flatbreads and then, feeling completely satisfied, headed out the door.
Before leaving, he reminded Xie Linlang with some concern, “It’s still early. Lock the door from the inside and go back to sleep for a while. If you want to go out during the day, go to Aunt Qiao’s house and ask Sister-in-law Qiao to accompany you.
The money at home is in the clay jar in the bedroom. You can take it yourself.”
Xiao Ji turned out to be more thoughtful than he seemed. Xie Linlang smiled and nodded, saying, “Come back early after your shift ends tonight. Have dinner at home too.”
As for lunch, Xie Linlang didn’t worry about it.
The words “come back early tonight” reminded Xiao Ji of when his mother was still alive. Whenever he had to go out, she would lean against the doorway and urge him to return early. Now, with Xie Linlang standing there, the once-empty house suddenly felt like a home again.
With a full stomach and a heart swelling with contentment, Xiao Ji headed off to his shift.
When he arrived at the Guard Station in high spirits, his comrades teased him about his cheerful demeanor. What else could make a newly married man look so pleased?
But Xiao Ji let them joke without saying a word. In his heart, he believed his wife was still young and not in the best health, so she needed to be well taken care of for at least a couple of years.
He also didn’t feel like telling anyone that his wife not only knew how to cook but was also an excellent cook, even better than the food sold on the streets.
……..
After Xiao Ji left, Xie Linlang locked the main door, tidied up the kitchen, washed up, and, just as Xiao Ji had suggested, returned to the bedroom to catch up on sleep.
She slept until nearly Chen hour before slowly waking up. Remembering the nearly empty rice jar at home, she mentally listed the things she needed to buy, then took some copper coins and headed to the Qiao family’s house.
Sister-in-law Qiao was twenty-six years old and had been married into the Qiao family for seven or eight years. She had a son and a daughter. During the day, while Aunt Qiao set up a stall outside, she stayed home to take care of the children and her husband.
She was a bit surprised to see Xie Linlang arriving at her house at this hour. “Madam Xie, you’re here. Please come in.”
Sister-in-law Qiao was from the same village as Aunt Qiao’s maiden family. Her family worked a few acres of poor farmland, and before marrying into the capital, she had never even seen the carriages of the nobility. After marrying into the Qiao family, she rarely went out and was quite shy by nature.
Knowing that Xie Linlang was from a wealthy family, she felt particularly reserved around her.
As if unaware of this, Xie Linlang smiled and asked, “Sister-in-law, my rice jar is almost empty, so I was thinking of going to the market to buy some rice. Do you need to buy anything? We can go together.”
Sister-in-law Qiao usually went out to buy groceries at this time every day. The vegetables were still fresh at this hour but cheaper than in the early morning, so Xie Linlang’s timing was just right.
“I’ll go, then wait for me a moment while I fetch the silver.”
Xie Linlang was quite satisfied with her first step into the streets and alleys, smiling as she beckoned to the little one playing with ants in the yard. “Two pieces of candy—one for you and one for your sister. Go on.”