After Lin Qi returned, it was clear he did not have much time left. Xia Ning set aside all other matters and devoted herself entirely to staying by his side, wishing only that time would pass a little more slowly.
Naturally, the responsibilities that had once belonged to Xia Ning fell to Lin Shuyi, while the heavy burden of managing the marquis household came under Lin Jingchu’s control.
Madam Xu, hired as a tutor and household instructor, remained by Lin Shuyi’s side to guide and assist her.
The affairs of the marquis residence all followed established precedents. Whenever the stewards encountered problems they could not decide on, they came to consult Lin Jingchu. Comparing matters against the old account books, she answered everything appropriately and with ease.
After all, this had essentially been her profession in her previous life. Once she understood the prices and detailed expenditures, managing things felt no different from accounting work.
One old servant woman, seeing that Lin Jingchu was young, deliberately inflated several expense reports. Lin Jingchu merely took out the account book and tapped it lightly.
“In previous years, the household allowance for pork was fifty jin a day. Now that Father and Younger Brother have returned, while the number of servants and attendants remains unchanged, at most there are only the fifty personal guards Father brought with him. Even doubling the amount should be more than enough, so why do we suddenly need two hundred jin?”
With a hundred jin of pork distributed across the household, every person would already receive about one jin each. At that amount, the purchasing steward could still skim plenty for herself.
Lin Jingchu considered that this was ancient times, and one could not be too harsh with household managers. If it were according to her former company’s management system, every expense would need to be calculated down to the exact ounce.
The steward woman’s eyes shifted uneasily.
“Those rough soldiers eat without restraint. This servant merely thought our marquis residence mustn’t be looked down upon. If word got out that people couldn’t even eat their fill in the marquis household, it would damage our reputation.”
Lin Jingchu blinked her dark eyes and looked at the steward woman.
“That does make sense.”
The steward woman grinned broadly.
“Second Miss is truly kind-hearted and considerate of us servants. We naturally cannot disgrace the marquis residence’s reputation.”
After being flattered so extravagantly, Lin Jingchu smiled like a child who had been successfully coaxed into happiness.
Though the steward woman continued praising her aloud, she exchanged glances with several familiar matrons nearby. All of them now understood exactly what sort of person this Second Miss was.
“Miss Baodian?” the steward woman said as she stepped forward to collect the tally plaque.
But the tally plaque flew past her eyes and landed instead in a pair of slender jade-like hands.
“Father is gravely ill, and Elder Sister is busy managing the wedding arrangements and household affairs. As the younger sister, I cannot hide away lazily. Today I’ll personally cook several good dishes for them.”
Lin Jingchu smiled faintly, clutching the tally plaque and keys in her hand.
“This…” the steward woman hesitated.
“Lead the way,” Lin Jingchu ordered directly.
“Yes.” However unwilling she was, the steward woman could only obey.
Inside the marquis residence kitchen—
Baodian tied protective sleeve bands around Lin Jingchu’s arms. After sweeping her eyes over the ingredients in the kitchen, Lin Jingchu quickly formed a plan.
The cuisine of the Tianqi Dynasty emphasized delicacy and health preservation. Common cooking methods were simmering, stewing, and braising. It lacked the rich chili oils and bold sauces she was used to, always feeling as though something was missing.
Before, unfamiliar with the world and afraid of exposing her identity, she had strictly followed local tastes.
But yesterday, Lin Qi had opened the ancestral registry and added her name. Her identity was now legally recognized. So long as she committed no major wrongdoing, she was unquestionably a member of the Lin family.
Taking advantage of today’s opportunity, she also wanted to repay them in some way.
She cut the pork into cubes, blanching it with scallions and ginger to remove the odor. Then she heated oil in the wok and added sugar to caramelize it into a rich syrup. Once the color turned glossy and amber, she added the pork cubes and stir-fried them until the fat rendered out.
She used nearly all the pork visible in the kitchen. A quick-witted cook stepped in to take over the stir-frying while Lin Jingchu stood nearby watching the heat carefully.
She could not find the spices she remembered from modern times, so Cook Chen said:
“Second Miss, there are some finely ground seasonings on the stove passed down through my family. See whether they might be useful.”
Cook Chen had never seen this cooking method before, but based on experience, she felt adding some spices might enhance the aroma.