The meal was so delicious that not only was Xu Jinnian completely won over, but Xu Chenglin also found himself craving more.
“I never expected your Niangzi to have such culinary skills. In my younger days when I traveled extensively, I sampled countless delicacies from land and sea, yet none could compare to these three homely dishes.”
Whether it was his appetite returning or his improved mood, Xu Chenglin felt his illness seemed to be getting better. When he first woke this morning, he had been suffering from chest tightness, shortness of breath, and weakness in all four limbs. Now, after speaking so much at length, he wasn’t breathless at all, and could even move his hands and feet slightly.
Hearing his father praise his Niangzi so highly, Xu Jinnian’s lips curved upward: “Your son was equally surprised.”
Although Niangzi claimed to be the reincarnation of the Kitchen God, he knew she was joking. Nevertheless, her extraordinary talent in cooking was undeniable, much like those geniuses who never forget what they see.
After exchanging a few lighthearted words, Xu Chenglin instructed his son:
“Tomorrow is your Niangzi’s homecoming day. You must go to the market early to buy meat, and also get two boxes of pastries. When you arrive at your Niangzi’s parental home, be observant and make sure her grandparents feel at ease.”
Xu Jinnian responded gently: “Your son understands.”
With Xu Jinnian handling the dishes, Sheng An found herself with nothing to do. Feeling somewhat bored, she considered returning to her room to lie down.
When Xu Jinnian emerged from the kitchen and saw her squatting on the ground watching ants with nothing better to do, like a child who never grew up, he couldn’t help but laugh.
Hearing his laughter, Sheng An turned her head and glared at him: “What are you laughing at?”
Xu Jinnian suppressed his smile and stepped forward to help her up: “Niangzi, how about your husband teaching you to read?”
Reading?
Sheng An’s eyes lit up.
That’s right, why hadn’t she thought of something so important?
“Let’s go, let’s go! Teach me right now!”
Sheng An grabbed Xu Jinnian’s hand in return and eagerly pulled him toward the study.
When she went to the market this morning, she had noticed that the characters on the shop signs were the same traditional characters from her previous life. She could recognize some through guesswork, but writing them posed difficulties—she truly needed systematic study.
Xu Jinnian’s desk was spacious enough to comfortably seat two people.
“Let’s start with Niangzi’s name. This character is Sheng, meaning prosperous and magnificent; this character is An, meaning peace and tranquility. Combined, the two characters represent flourishing peace.”
Xu Jinnian wrote Sheng An’s name on paper, his brushstrokes powerful and flowing, perfectly embodying the saying that handwriting reflects character.
Sheng An listened quietly to the man’s gentle explanation, gazing at her name for a long time without speaking.
In her previous life, she had been abandoned by her parents at birth. Because she didn’t cry or fuss, remaining quiet unlike a normal child, the orphanage had given her the name Sheng An. Sheng was the unified surname for all children in the orphanage—strictly speaking, they had no real family names, but this character was chosen for its auspicious meaning.
This life was different. Sheng was her original family name, while An represented her grandparents’ heartfelt blessing for their granddaughter—
They didn’t expect their granddaughter to achieve great success, only that she would be safe and sound, living a smooth-sailing life.
Sheng An suddenly smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons: “This name is very good. I like it very much.”
Her calloused fingertips gently traced the characters “Sheng An,” and she no longer felt apprehensive about visiting her grandparents during tomorrow’s homecoming.
If the original host could not return, these two elders would be her closest family.
Since they were her closest family, she had nothing to fear when facing them.
Xu Jinnian proved to be an excellent teacher, showing great patience with his student Sheng An. For each character he wrote, he would provide detailed explanations of its meaning and stroke order.
Sheng An had no intention of pretending to be a genius. After recognizing a dozen or so characters and familiarizing herself with their strokes, she left the study without disturbing Xu Jinnian’s reading.
Even so, Xu Jinnian was amazed by her learning speed and comprehension, feeling a surge of pride.
Sheng An didn’t idle around. She went to the kitchen and started kneading dough to make wontons for dinner.
With over three catties of pork left, she prepared a bowl of minced meat filling and wrapped about a hundred wontons.
The remaining pork was handled by slicing the lean meat into shreds and dicing the fatty parts.
The fatty meat was rendered into a small bowl of fragrant lard, while the shredded meat was stir-fried and stored in the lard—a method that would preserve it for a long time in such weather.
By evening, Sheng An had boiled all hundred or so pure pork wontons.
The broth was simply the boiled wonton water seasoned with salt, a spoonful of soy sauce, a dab of lard, and a sprinkle of chopped scallions—yet it was exceptionally delicious.
As each plump, white wonton, its filling nearly visible through the thin wrapper, plunged into the soup, the aromas of dough and meat blended seamlessly, making it hard to tell which was more fragrant.
The tender, savory wontons once again won over the stomachs of the Xu father and son.
If not for Xu Jinnian stopping him, Xu Chenglin would have had another bowl.
After the meal, Xu Chenglin’s energy levels had noticeably improved compared to the daytime.
Xu Jinnian washed his father, gave him a full-body massage, and settled him to sleep before returning to his own room.
Seeing Sheng An curled up small on the inner side, leaving most of the bed empty, he paused for a moment before walking over, pulling back the thin quilt, and lying down.
Sheng An’s eyes were tightly shut, but she wasn’t asleep.
The movements beside her felt magnified infinitely, and for some reason, she grew tense, her mind flooded with a jumble of chaotic images.
Although they had slept together the previous night, in Sheng An’s heart, it was purely accidental.
Fulfilling marital duties—she admitted she wasn’t ready for that yet.
Even if the man beside her was overwhelmingly tempting.
Just as Sheng An’s thoughts ran wild, the man’s voice, gentle like a clear flowing spring, broke the silence:
“Thanks to Niangzi today, Father’s appetite has improved quite a bit, and his condition is much better than yesterday.”
Sheng An rubbed her ears, her throat slightly dry. “No need for formalities among family.”
Heavens, not only is he good-looking, but his voice is so pleasing too.
Thankfully, she had strong willpower and didn’t pounce on him like last night.
Sheng An took a quiet breath, reminding herself to stay composed.
She wouldn’t tell this husband-of-convenience that she possessed the Golden Finger of culinary skills.
In her previous life, after obtaining her advanced chef certification, the Golden Finger had suddenly landed in her lap—
Any dish she personally cooked could be enhanced with a super buff, unleashing all the energy inherent in the ingredients.
Normal people would find it unforgettable, while the ill would benefit health-wise, proving that food therapy surpasses medicine.
“Regardless, thank you, Niangzi.”
Xu Jinnian turned toward Sheng An and, before she could react, wrapped his long arm around her, pulling her close and planting a soft kiss on her smooth forehead:
“Sleep early. We need to wake up early tomorrow.”
Sheng An froze completely, staying motionless in the curve of his arm.
A low, pleasant chuckle sounded by her ear: “Sleep.”
Sheng An: “…”
With a handsome man beside her, how could she possibly fall asleep!
Moments later, a certain someone was already fast asleep, eyes shut tight like a log.
The next morning, the couple informed Xu Chenglin and set off for Huai Tree Village, bringing along the purchased pork and pastries.
Huai Tree Village was a village under the jurisdiction of Qing Zhou City, only three or four li away. Since the distance was short, the two of them didn’t hire an ox cart and walked the entire way.
As they reached the ancient locust tree at the entrance of the village, a sharp, mocking female voice rang out:
“Oh, look, the golden phoenix of our village has returned! But wait—weren’t you supposed to marry into the city and live a life of luxury? How come you couldn’t even afford to hire an ox cart?”
Sheng An fixed her gaze on the speaker. Recognizing the woman’s face, she slowly wiped the smile from her own.
So it was her.