Mu Simiao herself didn’t find anything inappropriate about these words, but to Qi Yuze’s ears, they sounded like an eternal vow sworn by the sea drying up and rocks crumbling.
His tears immediately burst forth like a broken dam. He reached out to wrap his arms around Mu Simiao’s waist, burying his face against her shoulder as he sobbed.
Mu Simiao gently patted Qi Yuze’s back, only releasing him after his emotions had stabilized: “Alright, tomorrow I’ll buy some wooden planks to make a simple bed for Liu Haoxuan. After all, we can’t just stand by and watch him get beaten by his mother.”
Qi Yuze could understand Mu Simiao’s perspective. He straightened up and wiped away his tears: “This servant understands, Mu Niang.”
After comforting Qi Yuze, Mu Simiao walked into the courtyard where Liu Haoxuan was sitting on a stone stool, staring at the steaming cooking pot.
Instead of asking what he and Qi Yuze had discussed while visiting the fish pond, Mu Simiao went to the kitchen and scooped half a bowl of Sour Jujube Drink, handing it to him: “Have some to moisten your throat first.”
Liu Haoxuan accepted the bowl and looked up at Mu Simiao’s expression: “Aren’t you angry, sister?”
“Why would I be angry?” Mu Simiao feigned confusion. Liu Haoxuan assumed Qi Yuze hadn’t told her about what happened earlier, so he guiltily lowered his eyelids and murmured, “I was just asking…”
From Mu Simiao’s perspective, Liu Haoxuan seemed genuinely wronged. However, not being from ancient times herself, she had encountered plenty of such “green tea” behavior in the modern era. Yet she still found it difficult to refuse him.
Before her cousin died, he had come to her for help. At that time, Mu Simiao didn’t fully understand and watched helplessly as he was taken back home by his uncle. After that, he never voluntarily spoke to her again.
To be honest, even if Mu Simiao could see through the situation now, she still wouldn’t know how to help him. After all, he was blood-related to his uncle. But despite this, she always carried some guilt regarding her cousin’s death.
After responding briefly, Mu Simiao turned away to continue preparing ingredients for the next day, avoiding Liu Haoxuan’s gaze.
Soon after, Qi Yuze composed himself and came out, though his eyes remained red. He ignored Liu Haoxuan and went to sit by the kitchen stove to tend the fire.
The potatoes bought a few days earlier were about to sprout, so Mu Simiao added green peppers and eggplants to make Di San Xian.
Northern cuisine generally suits most people’s tastes. Qi Yuze wasn’t picky about food, and since Liu Haoxuan was essentially a guest, Mu Simiao merely glanced at him without intending to ask for his opinion.
As a guest, he didn’t have the right to be choosy – he would naturally eat whatever she prepared.
The method for making Di San Xian wasn’t difficult. She cut the potatoes, eggplants, and green peppers into rolling wedges, coated them with a layer of starch, then fried the potatoes and eggplants in hot oil until golden brown before removing them.
She placed cinnamon, plums, starch, sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a bowl, adding water to make a seasoning sauce. After stir-frying the previously fried potatoes and eggplants until tender, she added the seasoning sauce and green peppers, sprinkled with minced garlic, covered the pan for a few minutes, then mixed everything well and served it in a bowl.
The three of them couldn’t just eat one dish. Besides Di San Xian, Mu Simiao directed Qi Yuze to peel the loofah, shred the remaining half green pepper from the Di San Xian preparation, and cut the loofah into strips before stir-frying it until cooked.
There were still some wild vegetables left from earlier, so she blanched them in hot water. Only when preparing to make the cold dish did she finally look at Liu Haoxuan and ask: “Can you eat spicy food?”
“It’s edible.” After Liu Haoxuan responded, Mu Simiao divided the wild vegetables into two portions—one plain for Qi Yuze, and the other with more Cornel for herself and Liu Haoxuan to share.
The Dry Cakes from earlier had already been finished, and there wasn’t much flour left. Mu Simiao simply mixed the flour into a batter and stirred in an egg.
She heated oil in the pan, scooped half a ladle of batter into it, and spread it flat with a spatula. Once one side was cooked, she flipped it over. When both sides turned golden brown, she cut the egg pancake into four pieces with the spatula and removed them. The remaining batter was fried into pancakes the same way.
Three dishes and a bowl of pancakes were set on the table, while the Rice Soup was still simmering in the pot. Mu Simiao motioned for the two to sit down. “Eat first. You can have the Rice Soup afterward.”
Although Qi Yuze was always satisfied with Mu Simiao’s cooking, this was the first time he had tried this dish. He rolled the vegetables in an egg pancake and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing so eagerly that he had no time to offer praise.
Liu Haoxuan, however, was full of chatter. Holding an egg pancake in one hand, he chewed and praised at the same time: “Mu Jiejie, your cooking is amazing. I’ve never tasted anything so delicious.”
A diner’s praise is a form of recognition for the cook, but Mu Simiao felt little reaction to Liu Haoxuan’s compliments. She gave a perfunctory reply and glanced at Qi Yuze, who was eating with his head down, unable to suppress a smile.
She remembered how thin and sallow Qi Yuze had been when he first arrived. Now he had filled out a bit, but when she had embraced him earlier, she could still feel how slender his waist was—still too thin.
“Chew slowly. Don’t eat so fast,” Mu Simiao said, placing a piece of potato in Qi Yuze’s bowl and signaling him to take his time.
Qi Yuze paused his chewing and slowed down as she suggested, but his gaze drifted toward Liu Haoxuan.
“By the way, you still need a few days to recover from your injuries. Don’t go to work tomorrow—I’ll go alone. You should rest properly here at my place.”
As the saying goes, it takes a hundred days to recover from injured muscles and bones. Liu Haoxuan was still young, and if he didn’t rest well, any lasting effects would be a greater loss.
“No need, Jiejie, I’m fine.” Liu Haoxuan had no desire to stay here with Qi Yuze. He would rather endure the pain and accompany Mu Simiao to the market stall.
“Even minor injuries need care. If you delay, they could get worse,” Mu Simiao advised. But judging by his reaction, being beaten seemed a common occurrence for him. An idea suddenly came to her. “This can’t go on. Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for? I’ll see if there’s anyone suitable around.”
Mu Simiao’s meaning was clear. Liu Haoxuan’s smile cracked, and he spoke urgently, not caring that Qi Yuze was right there: “What I want is you, Mu Jiejie. I only like you.”
Flustered, Mu Simiao looked at Qi Yuze and quickly cut Liu Haoxuan off, her tone sharp and harsh: “I’ll help you keep an eye out for other women. Don’t say anything unnecessary.”
Hearing Mu Simiao speak so harshly was such a stark contrast that Liu Haoxuan’s eyes slowly reddened. Tears welled up, and his voice grew choked: “If Mu Jiejie dislikes me, there’s no need to take me in. I’m already used to bearing my mother’s anger—I don’t need your pity.”
As he spoke, he set down his chopsticks, pulled out a handkerchief from his waist, and bowed his head to wipe his tears.
Mu Simiao let out a heavy sigh and turned her gaze to Qi Yuze, seeking help.
Having just been sweet-talked by Mu Simiao, Qi Yuze was currently quite tolerant toward Liu Haoxuan. He set down his chopsticks, washed his hands, then grabbed Haoxuan’s wrist and pulled him aside to a quieter spot.
Watching their retreating figures, Mu Simiao breathed a sigh of relief. Qi Yuze’s usual comforting words for Yue’er should have some effect on Liu Haoxuan—perhaps he could genuinely make him change his mind.
While the two were having their heart-to-heart talk, Mu Simiao returned to the kitchen and ladled out three bowls of Rice Soup, placing them on the table. When she turned to glance over, she happened to see the two embracing, with Qi Yuze gently patting his back—it truly looked like a caring older brother comforting him.
By the time Liu Haoxuan turned around, tears were streaming from the corners of his eyes. Mu Simiao guessed he must have been moved by Qi Yuze’s words.
Sure enough, after he sat back down on the stone stool, he no longer brought up his feelings for Mu Simiao. However, regarding helping out the next day, he didn’t compromise: “The stall business is too busy. Sister would definitely struggle if she’s alone. I can help collect money like I did today.”
His reasoning was quite sound. Mu Simiao thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. Upon hearing this, Qi Yuze’s mood began to dip, but unexpectedly, she suddenly added: “How about this—tomorrow, Yuze, you carry Yue’er to the market. She sits very well-behaved in her stroller, but we’ll still need to trouble Haoxuan to help keep an eye on her nearby.”