By the time Jiang Shiyue opened her eyes, the sky was already bright.
She yawned, rubbed her eyes, and then sat up.
She glanced at the sky outside the window, stretched lazily, and then slowly got out of bed.
As expected, Gu Yian had probably gone to work again.
She picked up the watch on the side and checked the time. It was past eight, a little earlier than she had woken up the past two days.
On the table was the meal Gu Yian had left for her, but as usual, it tasted just as… awful.
Jiang Shiyue wondered if she should make some pickles. Otherwise, having to rework the food every morning was a bit of a hassle.
Besides, porridge should be paired with some pickles to be truly satisfying.
After breakfast, Jiang Shiyue browsed the system's mall. She bought two carrots, a head of cabbage, two glass jars for pickling, and some auxiliary tools for making pickles.
She washed the carrots and cabbage, sliced the carrots, shredded the cabbage, drained the excess water, and packed them separately into the glass jars.
After busying herself for half the day, she started making lunch.
It felt like she hadn't done much, yet the entire morning had flown by.
Hu Tianyou returned with Gu Yian, a wild rabbit dangling from his hand. His voice echoed in the courtyard from a distance, "Sister-in-law, I'm here to freeload! Did you make enough for me?"
Jiang Shiyue had just finished plating the last dish. Hearing his voice, she immediately popped out of the kitchen.
She wiped her hands on her apron. "Of course I did!"
When she saw the rabbit in Hu Tianyou's hand, the corner of Jiang Shiyue's mouth twitched. "You could have just come. Why bring anything?"
Although Spicy Rabbit Head was delicious, she couldn't stand eating it every day.
Hu Tianyou grinned. "I'm just regifting a borrowed flower."
Gu Yian placed his hoe in a corner and smacked Hu Tianyou on the head. "Put the rabbit down, wash your hands, and get ready to eat."
Hu Tianyou shrank back, his voice laced with grievance. "I know."
While the two were washing their hands, Jiang Shiyue returned to the kitchen. Just as she finished washing the bowls and chopsticks, Gu Yian appeared and asked in a low voice, "Yueyue, do you not like eating rabbit?"
Jiang Shiyue turned her head. "Hm? Why do you ask?"
Gu Yian licked his lips. "I thought I saw you frown just now."
Jiang Shiyue hadn't expected Gu Yian to be so observant. She chuckled and explained, "It's not that I don't like it. It's just that you can get tired of even the most delicious food if you eat it every few days."
Her eyes darted around as she added, "But if you guys can still catch wild rabbits, you could actually keep them and raise them, then sell them in town."
Rabbits multiplied quickly, after all, having a litter roughly every three months. Even if no one bought live rabbits, she could make them into braised snacks or Cold-Eaten Rabbit. This was a clear business opportunity.
Plus, the rabbit pelts could be saved to make clothes or small decorative items. It was a complete win-win.
Just thinking about it excited Jiang Shiyue. She wished she could start a rabbit farm right now.
Hearing this, Gu Yian frowned instinctively. "Rabbits might not sell well."
Jiang Shiyue patted Gu Yian's shoulder. "It's fine. You just be in charge of finding the rabbits."
Once an idea took root, she was eager to implement it immediately.
A thought struck her, and she spoke again, "Oh, and don't kill the rabbit that Little Brother Hu just brought. Leave it for me."
Gu Yian nodded. "Alright. I'll make a separate hutch for it later so it doesn't run away."
The moment Hu Tianyou entered, he saw the two of them standing so close they were almost touching. He covered his eyes with his hands, but his eyes peeked through the gaps as he teased, "Well, well! What secrets are you two lovebirds whispering about in the kitchen, standing so close!"
Gu Yian shot Hu Tianyou a glare, as if annoyed by his lack of tact.
Jiang Shiyue, however, was completely unfazed. "If you know they're secrets, then don't ask."
She raised an eyebrow. "Besides, look at you. You're not much younger than A Yan, yet he's already married and you don't even have a girlfriend. You have the nerve to laugh at us."
The hand Hu Tianyou had on his face now moved to his chest as he protested, "Sister-in-law! Not only are you not introducing me to anyone, but you're also ganging up on me with Second Brother. How could you!"
"We're husband and wife, a single unit. Of course I'll side with your Second Brother."
Hu Tianyou sighed and shook his head dramatically. "In the end, all my years of devotion were for nothing!"
"Pfft—"
Jiang Shiyue couldn't help but burst out laughing.
This Hu Tianyou was such a drama queen. He wasn't suited for farm work; he should be an actor in the movies.
She even suspected that Hu Tianyou might also be from the modern era. Otherwise, how would he know the phrase "devotion for nothing"?
Meeting Hu Tianyou's mournful gaze, Jiang Shiyue cleared her throat twice. "Alright, alright, it wasn't for nothing. If I meet someone suitable, I'll introduce you, okay?"
With that, she gave an order, "Bring the dishes to the table."
After all, only a fool wouldn't use free labor.
Jiang Shiyue had made twice-cooked pork, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and fish-fragrant shredded pork.
Although they were three very common dishes, for someone like Hu Tianyou who was used to eating from the communal canteen, it was practically heaven.
Especially since he had already witnessed Jiang Shiyue's culinary skills yesterday.
Without even waiting for Jiang Shiyue to be polite, he filled his bowl with rice and started digging in, attacking the food as if he feared it would all be gone if he were a second too late.
Jiang Shiyue nudged Gu Yian's arm with her elbow and asked in a low voice, "Are you sure he wasn't a hungry ghost in his past life?"
A hint of helplessness flashed in Gu Yian's eyes as he placed a piece of food in Jiang Shiyue's bowl. "Could it be that your cooking is just too delicious?"
This comment made the corners of Jiang Shiyue's lips curve upward. After all, what chef could refuse praise for their cooking?
"Is there anything you want to eat? I'm going to town this afternoon, so I can buy some ingredients on the way back."
Gu Yian shook his head. "I'm not picky. I'll eat whatever you make."
Jiang Shiyue had already noticed this. Since she didn't know Gu Yian's preferences before, she had always cooked according to her own taste.
Gu Yian never said a word, just ate quietly, drinking water when things got too spicy. He was truly a great dining companion.
Jiang Shiyue raised an eyebrow. "Then let's just have something simple tonight. I'll make you guys a big meal tomorrow at noon."
In any case, Gu Yian and Hu Tianyou did manual labor, so they definitely needed to eat more meat.
Hu Tianyou was in the middle of grabbing more food when he noticed the other two weren't eating much. He looked up, only to wish he could poke his own eyes out. "I know you two are newlyweds, but do you have to whisper sweet nothings even while eating?"
Gu Yian said irritably, "Just eat your food."
Hu Tianyou looked at Jiang Shiyue with a pitiful expression. "Sister-in-law, can't you do something about my Second Brother!"
Hearing this, Jiang Shiyue blinked. "He's not wrong. Just eat your food."
Forget it. This couple was two peas in a pod.