The uncle didn’t dare make a fuss about it either. He immediately wrapped the items up tightly and stuffed them into Han Jiaojiao’s hands.
Cursing under his breath, he hurried off.
Han Jiaojiao handed the things to Zhao Yunxia. “Sister-in-law, take these. They’re good for steeping in water and drinking.”
But Zhao Yunxia was troubled.
“Jiaojiao, this stuff won’t help me have a boy, will it?”
“Well…”
She knew that Zhao Yunxia’s husband was the only son in his family, and the old folks at home were counting on him to carry on the family line.
If the first child turned out to be a girl, Zhao Yunxia’s life in her husband’s household would likely become difficult.
But who could say for sure whether it would be a boy or a girl?
If it were her, she’d actually hope for a girl—she’d buy the little one pretty dresses every day.
Seeing how upset Zhao Yunxia was, Han Jiaojiao smiled. “I’ve heard people say that the healthier the mother, the higher the chance of having a boy. There’s no harm in supplementing your nutrition!”
“You’re right. Boys are more rambunctious, so I need to be strong to withstand all his antics!”
Zhao Yunxia beamed as she accepted the herbs, insisting on pressing money into Han Jiaojiao’s hands.
Han Jiaojiao refused, but she didn’t want to get into a tug-of-war either. In the end, Zhao Yunxia bought her a dress to settle the matter.
Although Han Jiaojiao lacked for nothing, she wanted to appear normal and also put Zhao Yunxia’s mind at ease.
She also bought a set of clothes for Shen Junshan, along with a bundle of steamed buns and a soft-shelled turtle.
When she spotted someone selling eels, she scurried over and bought three pounds of those too.
These things that everyone else considered cheap goods carried great weight in her heart.
In the past, a plate of braised eel at a restaurant would cost seventy or eighty yuan, but here she could eat her fill for just two yuan. How delightful!
Zhao Yunxia saw that although the things she bought weren’t expensive, they were all for Shen Junshan, and that made her happy too.
“This trip to the Wushi market was really worth it. When we get back, Junshan will definitely praise you.”
“I’ll come again next time!”
“Once I give birth, I’ll take you to the Wanshi market in the west. There’s more and better stuff there, but you need skill—ordinary people might get cheated if they go in.”
“What’s the big deal?”
Zhao Yunxia leaned in and whispered in her ear, “They’ve got everything—cigarettes, liquor, even medicine. As long as you have money and a sharp eye, anything hard to buy or arrange can be handled there.”
“They can handle anything? Can they get me a chubby baby boy?”
“Oh! You little minx, I’ll smack you! I’m being serious! The other day, a pregnant woman I know—before she gave birth, her family sold a carton of cigarettes there. It was this much!”
Zhao Yunxia proudly held up seven fingers.
Seventy yuan was indeed a big sum.
Han Jiaojiao thought about how she had quite a bit stored in her space. If she took it all out to exchange for money, she could get rich.
She thought about the dream she’d had last night, and then about the Wanshi market.
If she had money, she could take Shen Junshan to a big hospital to treat his eyes, and everything in her dream wouldn’t come to pass.
At that thought, Han Jiaojiao’s mood suddenly brightened.
On the ride back, she was even humming a little tune. She greeted everyone as she walked in, leaving the whole crowd baffled.
She paid no attention to the courtyard residents’ reactions and washed the eels at the communal water basin downstairs.
Then she went to find the gatekeeper uncle and traded some meat buns for a few scallions.
It wasn’t until she went upstairs that everyone snapped out of it.
Were they hallucinating?
Han Jiaojiao had looked so beautiful just now—walking with a spring in her step, carrying the pleasant scent of herbs.
And most importantly, she was carrying a vegetable basket.
The fool was actually doing housework!
Han Jiaojiao finished preparing the eel, then set out scallions, ginger, garlic, and various seasonings in the kitchen.
She hadn’t run into anyone selling bullfrogs today, but after a moment’s thought, two cleaned bullfrogs appeared in her hands.
“Good thing these are prepped—I wouldn’t dare kill a live one myself.”
With a swift chop of the knife, she cut the bullfrogs into pieces, blanched them in boiling water, and set them aside. Oil and garlic went into the pot first, the garlic cloves cooked until crispy on the outside and tender within. Then cooking wine, doubanjiang, and sliced ginger joined the mix. Once everything was fragrant, the bullfrog went in first, simmered to absorb the flavors, and then the eel followed.
The sizzling eel dish was done in no time.
Afraid the food would go cold, Han Jiaojiao deliberately kept it warm over a small alcohol burner.
She then stir-fried two wild greens and boiled a soup with fish head and tofu, sprinkling the remaining scallions on top as a garnish. The fish head tofu soup looked even more appetizing.
“Wow! Sis, are you possessed or something?!”
Han Fang and Shen Junshan arrived home at the same time.
They could smell the aroma of the food from the stairwell.
That kind of fragrance—only Han Jiaojiao in the entire building could produce it.
Shen Junshan froze for a moment. Her changes had been too drastic lately. She’d given him a surprise in the morning, and now another in the evening.
He was starting to feel afraid.
If this continued, if she became too good, would she fly away and vanish from his world…
“Hot, hot, hot!”
Seeing her clumsily carrying the clay pot out, Shen Junshan hurried over to take it from her hands.
The buns fresh from the pot were steaming, and even the clay pot itself was scorching hot.
He blew on her hands, frowning as he said, “You don’t have to do all this housework if you don’t want to.”
“But someone has to do it. You’re busy at work, and you don’t always make it home on time for meals. Someone has to do it.”
“Right, from now on A Fang can do it when he gets home.”
Han Fang looked utterly aggrieved, stuffing a bun into his mouth to console himself.
Han Jiaojiao immediately shooed the two of them off to wash their hands. By the time they came out, the bowls and chopsticks were set, and the soup was ladled out.
In a small basin nearby, a softshell turtle was still swimming around.
Han Fang poked at it with his chopsticks: “It’s alive! Sis, can you even kill it?”
“Nope, I’m counting on your brother-in-law to do it for me.”
“Brother-in-law? Sis, say that again—I swear those two words sound so good coming from you, right, brother-in-law?”
Shen Junshan didn’t respond. He picked up his soup bowl and took a sip, warmth spreading through his body and soul.
Han Jiaojiao had also made rice, served in a clay pot. She ran her chopsticks along the edge of the pot, flipping the rice over a few times.
The top layer was fine, but the bottom had stuck to the pot and burned.
She smiled sheepishly: “I still can’t quite get the heat right. You two eat the buns—I’ll take my time with the rice.”
“It’s fine.”
Shen Junshan scooped himself a bowl of rice, scraping most of the burnt parts into his own bowl.
Han Fang followed his example, taking the remaining burnt rice into his bowl.
Han Jiaojiao rested her chin on her hand and grinned at him goofily: “Honey, you look so handsome when you spoil me.”
“Cough, cough!”
Shen Junshan turned red in the face and nearly choked.
To his ears, her words sounded like she was seriously unwell—even sillier and more naive than before.
Han Jiaojiao quickly blew on his fish soup: “Honey, have some soup.”
“Jiaojiao, is something going on with you?”
“No, nothing.”
“Then why aren’t you eating? Is something wrong?”
She was beautiful, with stunning starry eyes.
But here she was, staring at him unblinkingly from just twenty centimeters away—either she’d lost her mind, or something was definitely up.
“Nothing’s wrong. I just want to admire my husband’s stunning good looks.”
Han Jiaojiao smiled sweetly, pink hearts practically bubbling off her, turning the whole room pink.
As for Shen Junshan, he turned the color of a steamed crab—he was mortified…