Xu Chenglin had fallen into a deep sleep and didn’t need watching for the time being.
After locking the main gate, the two headed toward the market.
Along the way, they encountered many neighbors. Xu Jinnian introduced each one to Sheng An, helping her become familiar with the people nearby.
This way, if he happened to be away from home someday and there was an emergency, Sheng An could promptly seek help from the neighbors.
Most of these neighbors were very warm and greeted Sheng An with friendly attitudes, inviting her to visit their homes for a chat whenever she had time.
As Sheng An followed Xu Jinnian further away, she could faintly hear the discussions about her from behind:
“The Xu family’s new daughter-in-law is really pretty, just too thin—she needs to be well nourished.”
“I heard she lost both parents and was raised by her grandparents. Her family often didn’t have enough to eat—she’s a pitiable child.”
“She is quite pitiable, but fortunately, she had some luck marrying into the Xu family. Once the Xu boy passes the Imperial Examination and becomes a Cultivated Talent, she’ll become a Cultivated Talent’s Niangzi, and her future days will be comfortable.”
“…”
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the bustling market.
Five hundred years ago, when the Grand Canal opened for navigation,
As a crucial waterway, countless boats passed through each year, and Qingzhou gradually developed into a prosperous area.
With a large population within Qingzhou city, people from surrounding villages and towns also came early to the market. At this moment, the long market was bustling with noise and excitement, extraordinarily lively.
Not only were the shops on both sides of the street open for business, but stalls selling vegetables and food stretched along the road like a long dragon, seemingly endless.
In her previous life, Sheng An often traveled and visited many ancient streets and alleys, but none of the scenes they presented could compare to the vivid realism of the market before her.
In a daze, Sheng An realized that she might have to completely replace the original host and spend the next few decades in this unfamiliar Great Wei Dynasty.
As soon as this thought arose, Sheng An couldn’t help but shudder.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling cold?”
Xu Jinnian had been paying close attention to Sheng An and noticed her unusual behavior immediately.
On this early summer morning, the air carried a slight chill.
Sheng An took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable unease stirring in her heart: “Just now, a foul smell drifted by, and it overwhelmed me.”
Xu Jinnian glanced at the nearby poultry and livestock stalls without overthinking it: “It really doesn’t smell good.”
As he spoke, he took Sheng An’s hand and quickened their pace forward.
Sheng An looked at Xu Jinnian’s perfect profile and, this time, did not pull her hand away.
Xu Jinnian led Sheng An from one end of the street to the other, passing by the Zhang family meat stall along the way.
A crowd of people had gathered in front of the meat stall buying meat, so the two didn’t step forward to greet Butcher Zhang and his son.
Sheng An wasn’t wandering aimlessly; from time to time, she approached the stalls to inquire about the prices of goods.
The original host rarely came to the city and had very limited knowledge of prices.
Upon realizing that the piece of broken silver Xu Jinnian had given her was only enough to buy fifty catties of rice / ten catties of pork / two hundred eggs, Sheng An’s spirits instantly dampened.
In the end, she spent three coins to buy a piece of tofu.
When she saw the stalls selling live fish and shrimp, Sheng An asked about the prices but didn’t make a purchase.
With several catties of pork at home, she decided to save a little where she could and leave the live fish and shrimp for next time.
On the way back, Xu Jinnian said to Sheng An:
“I will work hard to earn money so that you can be free from worries about food and clothing.”
Sheng An shook her head: “Earning money isn’t urgent; you should focus on preparing for the Imperial Examination in three months.”
Even three years of severe drought couldn’t starve a skilled cook—with her abilities, how could she worry about going hungry?
Xu Jinnian said nothing but decided to copy books upon returning home and delay his bedtime by another two hours that night.
Returning home while it was still early, Sheng An rubbed her sore waist, planning to catch up on sleep.
Having exhausted herself in the first half of the night and dreamed restlessly in the latter half, she hadn’t slept well at all. Now her eyelids felt heavy, and she had no energy for anything else.
Glancing at Xu Jinnian, who had exerted more effort yet remained completely unaffected, Sheng An felt a pang of unfairness. “Aren’t you tired?”
Xu Jinnian, thinking she wanted his company but was too shy to say so directly, feigned drowsiness. “Mm, a little.”
With that, he stepped forward and took Sheng An’s hand, leading her toward their newlywed room.
Sheng An: “…”
That really wasn’t what she meant!
Lying beside a man of exceptional physique and appearance, Sheng An thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
Yet as soon as her head touched the pillow, drowsiness washed over her like a tide. Within a few breaths, she was fast asleep, completely unaware of her surroundings.
Xu Jinnian slowly opened his eyes, quietly gazing at Sheng An’s sleeping face as a faint joy welled up in his heart.
This was his wife, the one who would accompany him for a lifetime.
Sheng An slept for nearly two hours. When she woke, the space beside her was empty.
She went to the main hall and saw the study door ajar, with the man bent over his desk writing. Not wanting to disturb him, she headed straight to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
Sheng An had little regard for Xu Jinnian’s mediocre cooking skills and had no intention of compromising her palate, so she naturally didn’t call on him to cook.
Spotting half a basket of fresh vegetables on the cutting board, she knew Xu Jinnian had picked them from the garden.
There were tender green Jimao vegetables, a cabbage as large as a head, and a bunch of spring onions.
Chop, chop, chop—
Sheng An wielded the kitchen knife, swiftly and deftly mincing the meat filling.
Before long, Xu Jinnian, hearing the commotion, came in and reached for the knife in her hand. “Let me do it.”
Without looking up, Sheng An said, “The rice is in the pot. Go tend to the fire and cook it.”
Xu Jinnian obediently sat by the stove, stuffed a handful of pine needles into the fire chamber, and blew on the fire starter to ignite it.
With only three people in the household and limited ingredients, Sheng An planned to make two dishes and one soup:
Stir-fried Jimao vegetables, cabbage with braised tofu, and pork meatball soup.
Since Xu Chenglin was taking medicine, he had to avoid spicy and strongly flavored foods—no spring onions, ginger, or garlic allowed.
Sheng An had her own secret methods. Even without spring onions, ginger, or garlic to remove gaminess and enhance flavor, she could still create delicious, visually appealing dishes that whetted the appetite.
By the time she finished preparing the ingredients, the rice in the pot was cooked.
Lifting the lid, billows of white steam rose, filling the small kitchen with the rich aroma of rice.
Even Xu Jinnian, who seldom indulged in culinary pleasures, found himself enticed by the fragrance.
He couldn’t imagine how fragrant and soft the cooked rice would be.
Having tended the fire from ignition to the rice boiling, Xu Jinnian couldn’t understand why it smelled exceptionally delicious this time—so much so that he could hardly believe it was ordinary rice.
It was as if each grain had gained a spirit, no longer merely a simple means to fill the stomach.
Recalling the thick flour soup from the morning, Xu Jinnian’s gaze fell on Sheng An’s back, and a bold, absurd suspicion surfaced in his mind.
When the two dishes and one soup were successively ready, their overpowering aromas drifted through the doors and windows, carried by the gentle breeze in all directions. Cats and dogs from nearby were drawn over, clustering stubbornly outside the closed courtyard gate, refusing to leave.
The stir-fried Jimao vegetables were emerald green and glistening, exuding a fresh, delicate fragrance.
The cabbage with braised tofu featured crisp, sweet cabbage and golden-brown tofu, excelling in both appearance and aroma.
The pork meatball soup had a clear, bright broth, with plump, round meatballs floating on the surface, steaming enticingly and tempting one to taste.
Sheng An couldn’t resist picking up a meatball with her chopsticks. After blowing on it gently, she placed it in her mouth and took a light bite, immediately closing her eyes in satisfaction.
The meat was springy, fragrant, and juicy, without a hint of gaminess.
“You should try one too.”
Noticing Xu Jinnian staring intently at her, Sheng An thought he must be craving it as well. She casually picked up a meatball and brought it to his lips: “Be careful, it’s hot.”
The tips of Xu Jinnian’s ears turned slightly red, his gaze growing even more profound as he opened his mouth to accept the meatball.
Sheng An, belatedly realizing the intimacy of the gesture, trembled and nearly dropped her chopsticks.
Glancing at the man whose eyes were curved in a smile, she suddenly felt justified—
What was the big deal about an indirect kiss? They’d already slept together—why be so prudish now!
Xu Jinnian swallowed the incredibly delicious meatball and stared at Sheng An without a word.
Sheng An grew increasingly unsettled under his gaze, almost unable to resist grabbing his collar to demand what he was looking at. Just then, Xu Jinnian’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he finally voiced his bold, absurd speculation:
“Niangzi, are you the reincarnation of a culinary god?”