Facing her yet another test, Zhou Yuesheng answered decisively, “I do.”
Yu Zhile smiled and didn’t pursue the topic further, beginning instead to prepare the side dishes. She sliced the sour water celery into long strips and the asparagus lettuce into thin diamond shapes. Next, she prepped the minced ginger, onion, and garlic for the boiled oyster meat sauce.
The oyster meat had been shucked by Yu Yue. Using a tool made from a discarded sickle, he and Chen Zhao worked in perfect harmony—one scrubbing the shells and the other removing the meat. They soon had a full bowl of oysters.
Since the fish slices still needed to marinate for about ten minutes, Yu Zhile put the crabs on to steam first. Then, she tossed onion and ginger into an earthenware pot, brought the water to a boil, added the oyster meat, cooked it for one minute, pulled out the firewood, and let it steep with the lid on.
On the other side, Zhou Yuesheng heated oil in a pan, sautéed the minced onion, garlic, and millet chili until fragrant, added soy sauce and salt, and finally ladled two spoonfuls of oyster broth from the pot to create a large bowl of sauce.
[I don’t know how many times I’ve seen this, but the smell of garlic still makes me salivate. I want to eat it so bad.]
[Thinking about how the big boss xxxx gets to eat this soon… I’m so jealous.]
Once this comment appeared, everyone began to copy and paste it. Yu Zhile glanced at the chat and started the Sour Water Celery Fish.
When the oil was hot, she added the ginger, garlic, millet chili, and the sour water celery. The fragrance exploded instantly, capturing the viewers’ full attention. After sautéing for a few seconds, she poured in boiling water. The sharp sourness was diluted, becoming a long, enticing aroma. As the fish slices and side dishes went into the pot, the broth slowly came to a boil. The tang of the celery intertwined with the savoriness of the fish and the freshness of the vegetables, creating a rich scent that stimulated everyone’s senses.
“Sister, this smell is just too good for rice,” Chen Zhao poked his head in, swallowing hard.
Yu Zhile beckoned him. “Come in and carry the dishes.”
“With this smell, I could eat ten bowls of rice,” Chen Zhao said as he carried the crabs, his eyes still glued to the fish in the pot. “This is honestly the most fragrant thing I’ve ever smelled.”
“Fine, I’ll let you eat ten bowls,” Yu Zhile replied with a laugh as she plated the fish.
[Sister, I can eat too!]
[Sister, I want twenty bowls.]
[Sister, just one sip of the soup, I beg you.]
The viewers spammed the screen so much that Yu Zhile almost forgot how to read the word “Sister.”
The oyster meat, having steeped for a few minutes, was scooped out. Yu Zhile poured half the sauce over it and moved the other half into the warehouse, setting up a private link for xxxx. Simultaneously, as the products she had set earlier went live in the Small Window, the sound of clinking gold coins rang in her ear.
“Dear, this is a new feature developed specifically for you as compensation for today’s ‘incident,'” the Warehouse Manager said. “You can monitor the Small Window sales in real-time; every order will make a sound.”
Yu Zhile opened the Small Window to find that all items were sold out. She rubbed her ears and promptly turned off the sound notification.
Zhou Yuesheng entered the kitchen to get the rice, his gaze lingering on the sauce bowl for a few seconds.
The Sour Water Celery Fish was delicious and refreshing, becoming the first dish to be completely finished, with even the side dishes polished off. The oyster meat was plump and juicy, its sweetness paired with the unique aroma of the garlic, making it equally perfect with rice.
“Burp.” Chen Zhao let out a full-bellied burp but still stuffed a piece of crab meat that Yu Yue had deshelled into his mouth. “The crab meat is firm and sweet. Delicious!” He had eaten two and a half bowls of rice, finishing the last half bowl by mixing it with the broth from the fish.
“You should be careful not to eat too much in the future; it’s bad for your stomach,” Yu Zhile cautioned, brewing him a cup of lemon water. Chen Zhao nodded like a chick pecking at grain.
After resting for a while, Yu Zhile asked Zhou Yuesheng to help make crab paste. She tossed the cleaned crabs into a stone mortar, and Zhou Yuesheng was responsible for crushing them. During the process, they added chunks of ginger. Once a batch was crushed, they mixed in a handful of salt before packing it into a jar for preservation.
That night, Yu Zhile received another message from the Warehouse Manager, saying they were developing more new features as compensation. The clinking of coins echoed in her mind again, making her think it wasn’t really necessary. However, when she checked her balance and saw it had broken five figures, her mood became excellent.
The following days brought a “dead tide,” so she stopped the live streams and didn’t stock the Small Window, giving herself a short vacation.
One evening, Yu Zhile was watering the vegetables in the backyard. With a flick of her wrist, the water from the ladle spread out in a fan shape, soaking the soil into a dark hue. The seeds had mostly sprouted, and the seedlings were now five or six centimeters high—a vibrant patch of green that was a joy to look at.
“Sister Le, I brought you some ‘ink-bean’ cuttlefish and mantis shrimp. I caught them on my first trip on the boat!” Yu Yang’s voice rang out from behind her.
A month after the family split, he was finally eating his fill at every meal. Since spring was a season for growth, he had shot up quickly and was now half a head taller than Yu Zhile. Yu Haizong had brought him into the fishing team; after a week, his skin had darkened a shade and his physique had become robust.
“Xiao Yang is so capable. Such a great harvest on your first trip,” Yu Zhile praised with a smile. Although the two families lived far apart, they visited frequently and maintained a good relationship.
Yu Yang gave a bashful smile. “Everyone is like this.”
“Take some sour water celery home. Have Second Aunt make boiled fish slices for you,” Yu Zhile said, putting down the ladle and heading to the kitchen to pack a large plate for him.
Yu Yang couldn’t refuse and thanked her with a wide, toothy grin. Before leaving, he seemed to think of something, and a look of hesitation crossed his face.
“What is it?” Yu Zhile asked softly.
“In two days, it’s the Step-Grandmother’s big birthday. Yu the Third is going to throw a massive celebration,” Yu Yang gritted his teeth, a look of resentment appearing on his face. “He’s making my parents pay the bulk of it, and my father agreed.”
“Second Uncle and Second Aunt have their own plans. Don’t think too much about it.” Yu Zhile reached out to smooth his furrowed brow. When “filial piety” was involved, it wasn’t as simple as just cutting ties privately and ignoring everything. Besides, she could guess that Yu Haiyao held some secret that could threaten her Second Uncle.
The gloom in Yu Yang’s heart faded slightly as he looked at Yu Zhile with admiration. Her two knife strikes from before had left a deep impression on him and given him great courage.
“If you don’t want to be at home that day, come to my house for dinner,” Yu Zhile said, reaching out to ruffle his hair, which was short and a bit prickly.
Yu Yang nodded vigorously. The next second, Yu Qi appeared at the gate, shouting his protest: “Brother! You didn’t wait for me! How could you not wait for me!” He ran closer and looked at Yu Zhile with wide eyes. “Sister Le, I helped pick out the mantis shrimp.”
Yu Zhile’s hand fell on Yu Qi’s hair as she smiled. “Thank you, Xiao Qi.”
“Sister, there are two more brothers here.” Chen Zhao pushed Yu Yue over with a mischievous grin to join the fun. Yu Chi silently emerged from the corner, crouching beside Yu Yue with Crawly.
Looking at the five of them and the dog lined up waiting for head pats, Yu Zhile burst into laughter. “Alright, everyone be good.” She patted each head in order.
As the Yu Yang brothers left, their bickering could still be heard in the distance.
“Sister Le patted my head!”
“Me, twice.”
“Ah, Yu Yang is mean! I’m not being your brother today!”
Zhou Yuesheng, who had no siblings, watched the scene with a stunned expression. Unexpectedly, Yu Zhile walked toward him and leaned in for a hug. “A big hug for my special little steward.”
The warm breath brushed against his ear, and Zhou Yuesheng instantly felt a surge of heat throughout his body.
Late that night, his eyes snapped open. A faint, stinging pain on the inside of his arm cooled the lingering warmth from his dream. He felt the protrusion under his skin and fell into a long silence. Eventually, he pulled out a dagger, its tip glinting coldly in the moonlight.
Just as the point was about to pierce the skin, Yu Yue’s cold voice suddenly rang out.
“Future Brother-in-law, what are you doing?”