During Wen Ranran’s initial recovery period after transmigrating, she had heard several commotions in the courtyard. These days Third Uncle had been relatively quiet, but unexpectedly he had gone gambling again.
She couldn’t help rolling her eyes: A leopard truly cannot change its spots.
As soon as Wen Yiliang pushed open the courtyard gate, a robust fighting cock came fluttering toward him, startling him so much his hand trembled.
Wen Ranran peeked out and thought: Good heavens, literal chickens flying and dogs running.
The flying was done by chickens.
The jumping was done by her Third Uncle.
Hearing the noise, Wen Junliang turned around and, seeing his reliable second brother and niece had returned, quickly said: “Second Brother! Wen Ranran! Help me keep an eye on my darling, make sure that vicious woman doesn’t catch it!”
At this moment, Wen Ranran couldn’t hear anyone else, her attention completely captured by the two sturdy fighting cocks in the courtyard. She couldn’t help swallowing, as if seeing roasted chicken dancing before her eyes: Good gracious! So plump!
“You call me a vicious woman?” Sun Shi gasped angrily, “Fine, fine… Today I’ll live up to that reputation and slaughter those worthless fighting cocks of yours!”
Slaughter?!
Wen Ranran’s ears perked up, her eyes now shining with excitement: What? They’re going to kill the chickens? Now you’ve got my attention!
Preferably braised in soy sauce – first chop the chicken into pieces and blanch them to remove the blood, then toss them into a hot wok and stir-fry for six or seven minutes until the skin shrinks and excess oil is rendered out, then add scallions, ginger, and garlic…
Or stewed with bamboo shoots – fresh and flavorful; or made into three-cup chicken – rich and savory would also be quite satisfying… In just these few moments, Wen Ranran had already thought of several cooking methods.
Wen Junliang’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, his pointing finger trembling uncontrollably: “If you dare slaughter my precious darling, I’ll write you a letter of divorce!”
“You… you…” Sun Shi’s eyes widened, she gasped for breath and nearly fainted.
Shen Shi nearby hurried to support her, pressing her philtrum and fanning her, busying herself for quite some time before Sun Shi could breathe evenly again.
Even Liang Shi, who usually remained aloof, couldn’t help saying: “Younger brother-in-law, you’re truly being unreasonable. Who would divorce their wife over a chicken?”
Wen Yiliang grabbed the furious Wen Junliang and advised: “Not that Second Brother wants to criticize you, but how can you talk about divorce? Third sister-in-law has borne your children – if there’s no merit, there’s at least labor.”
“Remember when our family encountered difficulties, Third sister-in-law’s family all came to persuade her to return home and remarry, but she absolutely refused, staying with you through hard times, even cutting off contact with them for this. With such deep affection, Third Brother, you should consider her feelings too.”
Wen Junliang was in a fit of rage, veins bulging on his neck, refusing to listen to anyone: “Second Brother and Sister-in-law, don’t speak for this vicious woman!”
“Fine, today I’ll show you what a vicious woman really is!” Sun Shi shook off Shen Shi’s hand, rolled up her sleeves, grabbed a knife, and chased the chickens around the courtyard.
“Father, Mother, please stop arguing.” Wen Ruru cried in the courtyard, sobbing uncontrollably.
Sun Shi came from an official’s family – when had she ever caught chickens? She was now so tired she couldn’t straighten her back: “Ruru, quickly help Mother catch that beast so we can slaughter it!”
Hearing this, Wen Junliang immediately flew into a rage, and the couple’s argument grew even more intense.
Wen Ranran silently watched the proud, strutting fighting cocks in the courtyard, her nose seemingly catching the rich aroma of braised chicken pieces.
The craving was real, but these chickens were Third Uncle’s treasured pets – absolutely couldn’t be killed for meat! Eating someone’s pet would bring retribution!
After arguing for half the day, the couple was exhausted. Wen Junliang sat straddling the well curb, neck stiff with indignation as he turned to Wen Ranran: “Ranran, you tell Third Uncle – isn’t she being unreasonable! This shrew ought to be divorced and sent back!”
Wen Ranran glanced at Sun Shi and chuckled carelessly: “Third Uncle, if you want to divorce her, then just do it.”
Hearing this, Sun Shi trembled with rage, eyes nearly shooting flames: “This is none of your business!”
Nearby, Wen Ruru wept bitterly, her gaze toward Wen Ranran venomous.
Shen Shi opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing to her daughter. In her eyes, Ranran was a sensible child who must have her reasons for speaking this way.
Seeing Wen Ranran taking his side, Wen Junliang lifted his head triumphantly, his expression brightening considerably: “Only Third Daughter understands me in this whole family!”
Wen Ranran smiled, her dimples dancing charmingly: “I’ll go fetch writing materials for Third Uncle right away. If we hurry, Third Aunt might make it back to her maternal home before supper. If Grandmother Sun works quickly, she could find Third Aunt a new match by tomorrow – soon enough Third Aunt can remarry.”
“Though poor Cousin will suffer. When it’s time for her marriage prospects, respectable families likely won’t want her if they learn her father’s a gambler. She’ll probably only be matched with common laborers, toiling all her life.”
Wen Ranran paused, then continued cheerfully: “But it’s nothing really. Third Aunt can just take Cousin back to the Sun family when she leaves. The Suns aren’t nobodies in the capital – under their protection, Cousin should still marry well.”
“Third Uncle, you’ll be free to do as you please afterward. Third Aunt won’t bother you anymore, and Cousin will have another father. As for you, Third Uncle – given our family’s poverty, probably no one would marry you as a second wife. You can just spend your life hugging those two chickens!”
Wen Ranran remained smiling throughout, her words flowing effortlessly until several people in the courtyard were suppressing laughter.
Sun Shi and Wen Ruru finally caught on, realizing Wen Ranran was actually speaking up for them!
“Third Uncle, what wonderful days await you!” Wen Ranran blinked at Wen Junliang.
Wen Junliang had initially listened with relish, but gradually found the conversation turning sour. He stomped furiously: “Wonderful my ass! My precious daughter calling someone else ‘father’ – what kind of damned wonderful life is that!”
Sun Shi shot him a contemptuous look: “Go on, write it! I’m waiting to go home for dinner!”
“You!” Wen Junliang choked with anger, face red and neck thick, but didn’t dare mention divorce again.
“Enough! Arguing in broad daylight!” Old Mrs. Wen emerged from the house, face stern. “Making us a laughingstock!”
Sun Shi remained expressionless, long accustomed to the old woman’s biased mediation. Over the years, whenever they quarreled, if Wen Junliang had the upper hand, the old woman never spoke up for her. But whenever Wen Junliang faltered slightly, her lameness would miraculously disappear as she rushed wind-like to support her son, fearing he might suffer the slightest grievance.
Old Mrs. Wen frowned deeply as she watched the two chickens roaming freely in the yard. “If what the third girl says is true, then my third son will grow old alone with no one to rely on in his later years?!”
At this thought, the old lady hardened her heart. Avoiding Wen Junliang’s gaze, she waved her hand and said, “Get rid of these two creatures!”
“Mother!” Wen Junliang called out tremblingly, but Old Mrs. Wen remained unmoved.
Seeing that Sun Shi still held a knife in her hand, Wen Ranran quickly spoke up, “Grandmother, let me handle this!”
“Very well.” Old Mrs. Wen nodded, then turned and went back inside, considering the matter settled.
Wen Ranran swiftly caught both chickens. As she left, she met Wen Junliang’s gaze filled with resentment and pain.
The sunlight in the courtyard gradually shifted angles. Wen Junliang stood at the gate looking out, anxious and sorrowful, as if he had lost his soul.
Wen Ranran hurried home with four chickens, sweat beading on her forehead, yet her heart was light and cheerful.
Her day had gone surprisingly well. She had originally planned to browse the market to see if she could buy some fighting cocks to raise. Unexpectedly, while passing by Li’s Meat Shop, she happened to meet Aunt Li who was about to go out with her donkey cart. Aunt Li warmly asked where she was going and offered her a ride if it was on the way.
Wen Ranran lifted the two chickens in her hand and explained her plan. No sooner had she finished speaking than Aunt Li slapped her thigh and laughed, saying her younger brother raised fighting cocks and was quite skilled at it, with many nobles and wealthy families buying from him. She even enthusiastically put aside her work to take Wen Ranran to her brother’s house.
When Uncle Li saw the two fighting cocks in her hands, he couldn’t take his eyes off them. They immediately struck a deal – two fighting cocks exchanged for three hens and one fine breeding rooster.
The more Wen Ranran thought about it, the more she felt everything was going her way. Just as she was feeling pleased, she suddenly spotted her Third Uncle looking anxiously into the distance. When he saw the four chickens in her hands, his eyes filled with astonishment.
She quickly walked over, about to explain what happened to his two precious chickens, when Wen Junliang’s eyes darted away and he turned to leave.
He really holds a grudge…
“The third girl is so capable!” Sun Shi marveled at the chickens Wen Ranran brought back. “Two turned into four – what a great deal! The third girl is really clever!”
It was rare for Sun Shi to be so pleasant, praising her with genuine sincerity instead of sarcasm. Wen Ranran felt quite unaccustomed to it and forced a laugh, saying, “It’s because Third Uncle’s two chickens were good.”
Sun Shi praised her a few more times, then her eyes lit up. “This should be enough for several meals.”
“Meals?” Wen Ranran looked up in surprise. “Third Aunt, these are all carefully selected. Never mind the three hens for now, but this rooster is their breeding cock. I had to use baskets full of sweet talk to convince them to trade with me.”
“In the future, chickens will lay eggs, eggs will hatch into chickens – four will become eight, eight will become sixteen… Third Aunt, you just wait to make silver!”
Sun Shi looked captivated by the description, as if she could already see the yard full of chickens and eggs.
“By the way.” Wen Ranran took three eggs from her basket. “These were given when we exchanged the chickens. If you don’t mind, Third Aunt…”
“Don’t mind at all! Do whatever you want with them.” Sun Shi waved her hand generously.
Wen Yiliang and Shen Shi, who had been watching from the side, exchanged glances: this was the first time they had seen Third Sister-in-law be so generous!
Sun Shi couldn’t stop grinning as she looked at the chickens, but after a moment’s thought she added anxiously, “I’ll take the eggs, but these four chickens belong to me now! Don’t come asking for them later!”
Wen Ranran nearly laughed aloud. “These chickens were exchanged for your family’s fighting cock, so of course they’re yours. Why would I want them?”
“Right!” Sun Shi nodded emphatically, her face breaking into a delighted smile. “They’re definitely mine!”
Wen Yiliang and Shen Shi exchanged another glance: Well, there’s the third sister-in-law we know!
With the chicken matter settled, Wen Ranran finally had free hands to prepare braised dishes.
She swiftly butchered the duck, setting aside the head, neck, feet, and wings separately for braising later. The remaining duck meat was chopped into pieces and placed in a basin, then mixed with salt and a small amount of rice wine. After letting it sit for a few minutes, she rinsed the duck with clean water, squeezing out the blood, then added soy sauce, salt, rice wine, Sichuan peppercorns, scallion sections, ginger and garlic slices. She repeatedly massaged the mixture until the duck meat absorbed the marinade and turned reddish-brown.
While the duck marinated, Wen Ranran boiled water to blanch the chicken carcass and duck parts, removing any blood foam before rinsing them clean. With practiced speed, she then prepared caramel coloring.
Following her habits from her previous life, she assembled the braising spice packet. She added appropriate amounts of chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger slices, rice wine, caramel coloring, and oil to cold water in the pot, bringing it to a boil before simmering. A numbing-spicy aroma wafted through the courtyard, making Shen Shi sneeze repeatedly.
Wen Ranran couldn’t help laughing. “Mother, why don’t you rest inside? I can handle this.”
Shen Shi shook her head. “You’ve been working so hard lately, Ranran. As your mother, even if I can’t help much, I should at least keep you company.”
“Then please stand further away, Mother.” Warmth flooded Wen Ranran’s heart, and her eyes grew slightly moist—whether from the chili fumes or emotion, she couldn’t tell. Having a mother truly was wonderful…
When the numbing-spicy aroma had fully developed, Wen Ranran added soy sauce, salt, and other seasonings. Since there was no chicken bouillon or MSG in ancient times, she used the chicken carcass instead. After simmering a while longer, the original numbing-spicy flavor gained rich savory notes. Once the broth had developed full umami, she added the spice packet and boiled it for several minutes before adding the duck parts to braise.
With the braising pot now requiring only maintained heat, Wen Ranran turned to preparing the duck.
She planned to make ginger fried duck. This dish wasn’t exactly difficult but wasn’t simple either—it involved numerous techniques where oil temperature and heat control were particularly crucial.
When stir-frying, the oil temperature needed to be very high to quickly evaporate moisture from the duck meat and develop its fragrance.
The oil sizzled and crackled as the duck pieces turned golden and crispy. When they looked about right, Wen Ranran sprinkled in some rice wine, causing flames to leap up suddenly and startling Shen Shi.
Wen Ranran skillfully pushed and pulled the wok while stir-frying, eliminating any remaining gaminess until the air filled with rich meaty fragrance. After the excess duck fat had been rendered out, she added crushed garlic cloves and ginger slices, stir-fried until fragrant, then added some pickled peppers from the pickle jar along with a small amount of broad bean paste. She seasoned with salt and added a bit of sugar to enhance freshness. After thorough mixing, she tossed in the ginger shoots for quick frying.
Wok heat rose steadily amid sizzling sounds. As she stir-fried, the aroma grew increasingly intense—the duck fragrance now carried a hint of spiciness, savory and utterly tempting.
While previously frying the duck, she had timed it perfectly to add prepared tofu, lotus root slices, potato slices, bamboo shoots, and other vegetables to the braising pot.
As the Ginger Fried Duck came out of the wok, the spicy marinade had also finished stewing, needing only two more hours of soaking to absorb the flavors fully.
The courtyard was filled with the aromatic scents of ginger-fried duck and marinated dishes—savory, fragrant, numbing, and spicy—making stomachs growl incessantly. The few people in the main house could hardly sit still, yet too proud to step outside, they occasionally peeked through the windows, with Wen Rong being the most restless.
Wen Ranran divided the Ginger Fried Duck into two portions. The larger portion was reserved for her own family and Third Uncle, while the smaller one, barely enough for one person, would be sent to Old Mrs. Wen. The old lady was easy to please, and keeping her content would make life easier for her mother at home.
As for the others… they had hands and feet but preferred idleness over work, always expecting free meals. She had no intention of indulging such bad habits.
“Mother, take the dishes to our room and call Third Uncle over,” Wen Ranran called out, then picked up the other portion to deliver to the main house.
The moment she stepped inside, the aroma of the Ginger Fried Duck immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Old Mrs. Wen stared at the bowl of duck for a long while, feeling deeply gratified, and found Wen Ranran increasingly pleasing to the eye. However… recalling her past mistreatment of the girl, the smile on her face twisted awkwardly and faded.
The old lady coughed twice, reassuming a stern expression, yet said, “Ruru, make room for your third cousin to sit.”
Wen Ruru was reluctant, but considering how Wen Ranran had helped her mother earlier, she pouted and stood up.
Wen Ranran quickly interjected, “Cousin, don’t trouble yourself. I still have work to do.” As she spoke, she placed the duck and rice on the table and addressed Old Mrs. Wen, “Grandmother, I made Ginger Fried Duck. Please try it.”
Wen Rong, tormented by cravings all afternoon, leaned forward and frowned upon seeing only one bowl. “Third Cousin, you only brought this little from a whole duck? How stingy.”
Before Wen Ranran could respond, Wen Zhengliang scolded, “And what have you ever offered to Grandmother? Who are you to criticize?”
Wen Rong shrank back, not daring to say another word.
“Rong Ge’er is still young!” Liang Shi quickly defended him. “Glaring and scolding like that will frighten the child.”
Old Mrs. Wen, heart aching to see her eldest grandson chastised, said, “Why must you blame him?”
As she spoke, she guiltily glanced at Wen Ranran. By siding with Rong Ge’er over Third Girl, wasn’t she making the latter resentful?
But after stealing a few more looks, she saw Wen Ranran still smiling cheerfully at her, without a trace of displeasure. Could it be the girl was too simple-minded to notice?
Such naivety wouldn’t do—she’d be easily bullied outside.
Unaware of the old lady’s tangled thoughts, Wen Ranran bowed and withdrew once her delivery was complete.
After Wen Ranran left, Liang Shi rolled her eyes and sniffed, “Third Girl is quite cozy with Third Brother now, saving all the good food for him.”
Wen Zhengliang shot her a look. “How much work has Third Brother done for Ranran? Do you think those sprouts in the vegetable patch grew on their own? What have you done for her? Nothing but nitpicking and mocking her daily. If I were Ranran, facing an aunt like you every day, I’d have long moved out to live separately!”
Humiliated by her husband’s rebuke in front of their son, Liang Shi turned to Old Mrs. Wen, hoping for support. Instead, she found the old lady nibbling on a piece of duck glazed with sauce, her lips gleaming with oil.
“Mother, didn’t you usually dislike eating duck?”
The old lady, whose complexion had been growing rosier lately, smacked her lips, swallowed the tender and flavorful duck meat, and narrowed her eyes: “That’s because theirs wasn’t as delicious as Third Girl’s.”
After saying this, the old lady happily scooped up a mouthful of rice, and in the end, even forgot to save any meat scraps for Wen Rong.
＊
Wen Ranran returned to her room, where Wen Yiliang and Shen Shi were waiting for her to eat. She looked around but didn’t see Wen Junliang, so she couldn’t help but ask: “Where’s Third Uncle?”
“He said he isn’t hungry,” Shen Shi replied.
He isn’t hungry?
Every day he acts like a starving ghost reincarnated—he can devour two large jianbing all by himself—and he says he isn’t hungry?
Wen Ranran curled her lips. Wasn’t he still angry with her?
After a moment’s thought, she ladled some meat gravy over the rice, added a few pieces of duck meat to the bowl, and turned to go find Wen Junliang. On her way out, she picked up some tofu, lotus root slices, and bamboo shoots from the braising pot.
Wen Ranran scanned the courtyard but didn’t see him. Just as she was about to push the door open to look outside, she suddenly caught sight of a familiar white hem of clothing near the straw shed. She turned and, sure enough, saw Wen Junliang sulking as he crouched by the straw shed, looking rather pitiful.
She walked over and crouched in front of him, holding the bowl and chopsticks out toward him: “Third Uncle, time to eat! There’s meat today!”
Wen Junliang glanced at the bowl in her hand. The rice was glossy white, drizzled with shimmering meat gravy that looked irresistibly tempting. Paired with the richly sauced duck meat and the tofu and lotus root slices, the spicy aroma rushed straight into his nostrils, making him swallow his saliva greedily.
But then he thought of his two precious fighting cocks, whose fate was unknown, and his expression faltered. He hung his head again.
“Third Uncle, are you still angry with me?” Wen Ranran tilted her head to look at him.
“Not angry,” Wen Junliang muttered softly. “I’m just worried about my darlings. By now, they’ve probably become a dish on someone else’s table.”
As he spoke, his nose tingled with emotion: “They didn’t have much of a good life following me, and in the end, they even lost their lives. I can’t defy Mother—it’s all my fault for being useless and not protecting them…”
The more Wen Junliang thought about it, the sadder he became, and he started crying sorrowfully: “Actually, I am a little angry, but I know it’s not your fault.”
Wen Ranran listened quietly, somewhat surprised. For dandies like him, raising fighting cocks, mynah birds, or crickets was usually just a pastime—if they fell ill or died, it wasn’t a big deal; they’d just buy new ones. But he was so heartbroken and full of self-blame, which suggested he was a soft-hearted and kind person.
What surprised her even more was that this unruly fellow was actually being reasonable!
Wen Ranran’s opinion of him improved considerably. She patted his shoulder gently and said, “Third Uncle, your two treasures haven’t become a meal! I gave them to Uncle Li, who specializes in raising fighting cocks. I went to see—his yard is much bigger than ours, and they’re fed a mix of meatworms, greens, and cornmeal.”
“Ah?” Wen Junliang looked up at her words, two trails of tears still on his face.
She smiled and continued: “Third Uncle, your two darlings now have a harem of three thousand beauties. Their lives couldn’t be more comfortable.”
Wen Junliang stared blankly for a moment, unable to believe it. “Really?”
“Really! Don’t you trust me to handle things?”
“Of course, of course! You’re the most capable in our family!”
Wen Junliang nodded wildly, so overjoyed that he waved his arms and danced around. After laughing and crying for a while, he finally felt as if the heavy stone weighing on his chest had been lifted.
“Third Uncle, hurry up and eat before it gets cold.”
Wen Junliang took the bowl, wiped his tears, and scooped a large mouthful of rice before freezing momentarily. Without a word, he buried his head and ate.
The rice was soaked with rich meat broth, fragrant and intensely spicy.
The duck meat was tender and falling off the bone, with no excess grease or gamey taste. Each bite filled his mouth with savory, umami-rich flavor—fragrant with a hint of spiciness that paired perfectly with the rice!
And that dried tofu, soaked through with the braising liquid, burst with a soft pfft when bitten, flooding the mouth with the aroma of beans mingled with a rich sweet-spicy flavor, so fragrant it made one squint with pleasure.
The duck neck, somehow braised to perfection, was thoroughly infused with flavor, growing more fragrant with each chew. He held it unceremoniously in his hand, gnawing on it and not even sparing the shreds of meat tucked in the bone crevices.
The lotus root slices and bamboo shoots were also deeply flavorful—sweet, spicy, crisp, and tender—a delicacy he had never tasted before!
Wen Junliang quietly devoured two large bowls, not leaving a single grain of rice behind, and let out a comfortable burp: “San Yatou, your Third Uncle here has seen a thing or two in his time. With skills like yours, if you opened a restaurant, earning eight to ten thousand taels a year would be no trouble at all!”
Wen Ranran couldn’t help but laugh at his words: “Thank you for the auspicious words, Third Uncle.”
Wen Junliang, uncomfortable from squatting for so long, simply sprawled on the ground. With his belly full, he sighed as he gazed at the quiet courtyard: “San Yatou, do you think I’m useless?”
Seeing his low spirits, Wen Ranran asked softly, “Why would you say that, Third Uncle?”
Wen Junliang looked up at the sky, his voice muffled: “Actually, it’s just these past few days, watching you busy every day—a niece in her teens being so capable. I don’t want to be an idler anymore; it’s embarrassing to talk about. I want to contribute silver to the household too, but I don’t know how to do anything except gamble. That’s why I’ve been having these thoughts again…”
As he spoke, he turned to look at Wen Ranran, “Do you think I’m useless?”
“How is Third Uncle useless?” Wen Ranran pulled him up and pointed to the lush vegetable patch, saying, “This is all your doing, Third Uncle! When I’m not home during the day, Mother always praises you to me at night, saying you squat here guarding it every day, sometimes loosening the soil, sometimes catching insects—no one could be more diligent than you.”
Wen Junliang looked at the vegetable patch he had tended with his own hands, a proud smile spreading across his face.
He tilted his head toward Wen Ranran, his eyes suddenly welling up with tears: “Only San Yatou understands me. Only you can see my good points. You’re better than all my sworn brothers!”
Wen Ranran watched as his gaze grew brighter and brighter, and she couldn’t help but suspect that her Third Uncle wanted to become sworn siblings with her.
A woman’s intuition is strong indeed, for the next moment, she heard her unreliable Third Uncle excitedly propose: “San Yatou, let’s become sworn siblings!”
Wen Ranran: “…”