Li Yunluo froze, startled. “I wonder what Sister Lin would like?” she asked, maintaining a pleasant smile.
“Would you write down the recipes and preparation methods for those dishes you brought today for me?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Dongyue sneered mockingly from the side. “Mistress Lin is daydreaming! To think you don’t even treat yourself as an outsider, daring to make such a demand of our young mistress!”
Yunluo offered a polite rejection and turned to leave.
Standing behind the pair, Yuhe spoke up in an unhurried, measured tone. “Last night, I had a dream. I dreamt of a young woman who claimed she hailed from a future generation, possessing extraordinary abilities. She even boasted of having something called a ‘spatial realm’—that nothing in this world could ever stump her. Miss Li, you are a woman of broad knowledge; I merely wished to ask whether such a person truly exists in this world.”
Yunluo’s face turned deathly pale. Her footsteps faltered, and she ground to a halt.
Turning to her maid, she ordered softly, “Go wait for me in the carriage at the intersection first. I will join you shortly.”
Once Dongyue was out of earshot, Yunluo’s expression hardened into a glare. “My apologies, but I cannot answer Sister Lin’s inquiry.”
Yuhe reached out, gently grabbing Yunluo’s wrist, and offered a soft, delicate smile. “Oh, but you can.”
Her smile was alluring, and her almond eyes held a captivating charm that made it easy for anyone to lose themselves in her gaze. A sudden pang of envy flared in Yunluo’s chest; if only I possessed a face like that, I could save myself so much effort.
Feeling guilty and unsettled, Yunluo pushed Yuhe’s hand away. “I have no idea what Sister Lin is talking about.”
Yuhe remained completely unbothered, casually shifting to another topic. “My great-aunt is a famous spirit medium in these parts. Almost everyone who suffers from a spiritual possession goes to her. Though I am quite foolish, I’ve picked up a few things from her. Just now, when I took your pulse…”
Panic flared in Yunluo’s heart. The concept of transmigration was bizarre and mystical enough on its own, yet Yuhe had described her secret down to the finest detail. Her resolve began to waver.
“If Sister wants the recipes for those dishes, Yunluo will naturally oblige,” Yunluo said, her voice tight. “However, as for the matter you spoke of, I have truly never heard of it.”
Unsure of the full extent of Yunluo’s abilities, Yuhe had only meant to test the waters first, not daring to make rash or excessive demands. Knowing how mysterious that spatial realm was, she knew better than to clash head-on with her.
Besides, Yunluo’s obstinate determination to marry Xie Shuhuai suggested that she, too, possessed knowledge of what the future held for him.
“You are truly kind, Little Sister,” Yuhe purred, her eyes curving sweetly. “No wonder everyone adores you so. In the future, my child will surely have to rely on your generous care. The reason I asked for those recipes is simply to cook them for Shuhuai and Mother, so that you won’t have to make such frequent trips here.”
Yunluo was left speechlessly stunned. “…”
Yuhe followed Yunluo onto her carriage, stepping off only after securing the detailed recipes and preparation methods for the dishes.
The moment Yunluo departed, Yuhe returned straight to the kitchen. She washed the dishes, carefully packed up the leftover food, and boarded an ox cart bound for the largest tavern in Xuyang County, taking the written recipes with her.
After sampling the resulting creations, the tavern manager was thoroughly impressed by the novel, rich flavors. He instructed the head chef to prepare the braised pork belly, lion’s head meatballs, and Kung Pao chicken according to the instructions, and readily agreed to pay Yuhe fifteen taels of silver for the three recipes.
Upon receiving the silver, Yuhe immediately deposited twelve taels into a local bank, reserving the remaining three taels for daily household expenses.
She was no fool; using Yunluo’s recipes to curry favor with Shuhuai would only serve to remind him of Yunluo’s virtues. Instead, she visited the market and purchased tofu and fresh black carp—Shuhuai’s personal favorites.
None of the delicacies Yunluo had brought that morning aligned with Shuhuai’s preferences. He favored clean, light flavors; even if he went without meat for a month, he would never touch greasy, fatty pork. This preference stemmed from habits formed during his upbringing.
Shuhuai’s late father had been a prominent medicinal herb merchant in Xuyang County, so Shuhuai had grown up in comfortable luxury until he was twelve years old. That year, a fatal incident involving the family’s herbal stock led the imperial court to confiscate all their property and shops overnight. Unable to survive such a crushing blow, his father perished in prison.
After leaving the bank, Yuhe headed to her brother’s shop on Wencheng Street to retrieve her belongings. Sorting through her bundles, she selected a few unworn cotton garments and several pieces of silver jewelry—many of which Shuhuai had bought for him in better days.
She singled out only one item for herself: a simple jade hairpin she had bought for Shuhuai when he set off for the capital to take the imperial examinations. The remaining bundle of clothes and trinkets she handed directly to Madam Wu.
“Sister-in-law, I must trouble you to help me sell these dresses and jewelry,” Yuhe said politely.
Madam Wu stared at her in utter disbelief, completely stunned by her sister-in-law’s respectful and gentle tone. In the past, Yuhe had relied heavily on her brother’s indulgence, often making life exceedingly difficult for her sister-in-law. Possessing a soft and timid nature, Madam Wu had been taken in by Lin Yuping off the road; having no family of her own to back her, she had never dared to stand up for herself.
Noticing her sister-in-law staring at her in dazed silence, Yuhe realized her sudden change in demeanor was far too stark. Unable to offer the true explanation, she used a dream of her late mother as a pretext instead.
“Sister-in-law, Mother scolded me severely in my dream last night. I shouldn’t have treated you so poorly in the past. It will never happen again.”
Madam Wu’s eyes widened in astonishment. A moment later, her eyes welled up, and she wiped away the stray tears slipping down her cheeks. “Little Sister, I don’t blame you. I only blame my own ill fate.”
As Madam Wu’s tears began to flow uncontrollably, Yuhe sensed something was deeply wrong. Her sister-in-law rarely cried; even when her husband berated her, she would never shed a single tear. Yet today, she was weeping so heart-wrenchingly.
Even her two young nieces refused to eat the candied haws Yuhe had brought them. The younger one, Yun’er, clung tightly to Madam Wu’s skirts in silence, looking up from time to time to wipe away her mother’s tears.
“Sister-in-law, what on earth happened? Tell me.”
Madam Wu shook her head, intending to let the matter rest, but five-year-old Xing’er spoke up on her behalf. “Auntie, could you please tell Daddy not to marry a concubine?”
“Grandmother brought the woman to our house today, and Daddy agreed to it. Mommy has been crying for so long.”
“Xing’er can work hard too—I’m not any worse than a little baby brother!”
A wave of realization washed over Yuhe as she recalled that this was yet another sin caused by her past loose tongue. After Madam Wu gave birth to two daughters in succession, Auntie Qu had egged Yuhe on to push her brother, Lin Yuping, to take a concubine.
Smacked hard by remorse, Yuhe slapped her own cheek with a sharp crack, startling the mother and her two daughters into a stunned silence.
“My brother agreed to it?”
Madam Wu nodded weakly. “The woman is fair-faced—she’s the daughter of Concubine Qu’s cousin. Of course my husband likes her.”
Those words jolted Yuhe’s memories from her past life awake. After her brother took that concubine, his health rapidly deteriorated—beginning with coughing up blood. Before long, he passed away, reduced to a gaunt shadow of a man on his deathbed.
At that time, Yuhe had already been murdered by Min Zheyuan; it was only when her wandering spirit followed Xie Shuhuai back to her brother’s household that she learned the truth. Although Madam Wu eventually gave birth to a son for her eldest brother, the child was far too young, leaving Madam Wu to watch helplessly as Concubine Qu seized control of the family business.
From the moment Concubine Qu entered the household, their father had effectively become a cold stepfather, refusing to stand up for her brother’s children.
The more she reflected, the clearer the picture became—the entire sequence of misfortunes had been orchestrated by Concubine Qu.
She grew even more certain that her mother’s death was inextricably linked to Auntie Qu.
Ever since she woke up, her mind had been consumed with thoughts of Xie Shuhuai, completely neglecting her brother’s affairs. It was all due to her past stupidity; not only had she jumped into a pit of fire herself, but she had also indirectly driven her eldest brother to his grave.
The more she pondered, the angrier she grew. She slapped herself hard twice more across the face, causing Madam Wu to hastily rush forward and catch her hands. “Little Sister, what are you doing to yourself?!”
Filled with bitter regret, Yuhe choked back a sob. “Sister-in-law, it is all my fault.”
“Rest assured, my brother will not take that woman into the house. Next year, you will give birth to a big, healthy baby boy for him.”
“Remember, never trust a single word from Auntie Qu again, and stay as far away from her as possible.”
“Tell my brother that I will be waiting for him by Mother’s grave at the hour of the Rooster.”
Without waiting for Madam Wu to reply, Yuhe slung her basket onto her back and rushed out like a whirlwind, lacking even a trace of her former lazy, delicate airs.
Upon returning home, she immediately marinaded the fresh black carp and sliced the tofu, preparing to make stewed carp with tofu for Xie Shuhuai.
When Yun’er saw her carry back the fresh fish and tofu, she bounded over joyfully to Shuhuai, who was outside chopping firewood.
“Uncle, Auntie sold things to buy your favorite fish and tofu! She even bought candied haws for Yun’er!”
Shuhuai’s hands paused mid-motion. His gaze turned heavy as he cast a lingering look toward the busy figure in the kitchen, before withdrawing his eyes and quietly resuming his work.
After dinner, Yuhe returned to her room to rest. Running back and forth all day had truly taken a heavy toll on her pregnant body.
She slept straight through until the hour of the Rooster, waking up only when Yun’er gently shook her awake.
Stepping into the courtyard, she happened to bump into Shuhuai, who was returning with a pair of freshly drawn water buckets.
“Husband, I have business to discuss with my brother. I will be back shortly.”
Shuhuai’s expression remained detached and cold. Pouring the water into the large vat, he offered a lukewarm response. “Your affairs have nothing to do with me. You do not need to inform me.”