In the blink of an eye, two weeks passed.
Last night, Cheng Baozhu had been woken by the cold. She was someone who feared both heat and cold, more sensitive to temperature than most.
Half-asleep, she vaguely heard faint sounds from outside, a soft rustling, as if something were gently falling.
Gradually waking, she wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and asked, “Is it snowing outside?”
The system replied: [Yes.]
Cheng Baozhu murmured in acknowledgment, snuggled closer to Xu Chuan’s warm body, and drifted back to sleep.
The system, monitoring the outdoor weather, felt a bit concerned. By the time Xu Chuan woke up, the snow on the ground would likely reach his ankles.
Weather like this made going out difficult. What if Cheng Baozhu used it as an excuse not to go to work?
Morning!
Before dawn had even broken, Xu Chuan pushed open the door and was stunned at the sight of the accumulated snow.
It wasn’t just Cheng Baozhu who would have trouble getting to work, even he would struggle to ride his bicycle to the county. He had originally planned to go to the supply and marketing cooperative today to finally buy the bicycle he had been thinking about.
Scratching his head and unable to come up with a solution, he decided to first prepare the zenggao and egg cakes.
Now that competitors had appeared in the county, the method for making zenggao had already been cracked by others. It started being sold last week.
Seeing this, Xu Chuan actually felt relieved.
At times like this, having a monopoly was too conspicuous. If something went wrong, careful people might trace it back to him.
However, when it came to food, most people stuck to their first impressions. Combined with Xu Chuan’s generous ingredients and better craftsmanship, his business had not been affected.
He had no intention of expanding for now. His daily output was already fixed, supplying only his regular customers.
The end of the year was the best time to make money.
Xu Chuan had already decided he wouldn’t do this long-term. At most, he would continue until the middle of next year before stopping. Before that, he needed to earn enough to build a house.
So, he planned to introduce a new dish: strange-flavor chicken.
The main ingredient was three-yellow chickens purchased from the system. He bought ten already-plucked roosters.
At four in the morning, the kitchen lit up with a dim yellow glow.
After finishing the zenggao and egg cakes, he glanced at the sky, and once he judged the timing right, he began making the strange-flavor chicken.
He first boiled the chicken with spices until it was about eighty percent cooked, then ladled out a large bowl of chicken broth before turning off the heat and letting the residual warmth finish cooking the chicken.
During this time, he prepared the sauce. The broth quickly cooled in the cold air.
He thinned sesame paste with the broth, then added salt, soy sauce, minced garlic, Sichuan pepper powder, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil, mixing everything thoroughly.
Once the sauce was ready, the dish was already halfway complete.
The sky gradually brightened.
Xu Chuan was lifting the chicken from cooled boiled water, removing the large bones and slicing it into strips when movement came from the room.
With a trembling, tearful voice, Cheng Baozhu called from inside—
“Xu Chuan.”
“Come in quickly.”
He hurriedly washed his hands and rushed in. “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Baozhu lay stiffly on the bed, gripping the quilt tightly, afraid to move.
Her eyes were slightly red as she said pitifully, “My period came. It’s so irregular, and now it’s stained the bed.”
Xu Chuan froze, scratching his head. “Then… what should we do?”
She pointed at the cabinet. “Get me the menstrual cloth first. It’s on the right side.”
He quickly fetched it.
Holding her increasingly sore abdomen, Cheng Baozhu stared at the ceiling, on the verge of tears.
Her previous body had been well cared for by her grandmother. Her periods had always been regular and painless.
But this body… the cycle was irregular and came with pain. Cheng Baozhu began to feel uneasy.
After handing her the cloth, Xu Chuan quickly stepped out. He had no mind to return to the kitchen and simply stood at the doorway waiting.
Cheng Baozhu soon finished changing. Before the discomfort turned into pain, she started worrying about the mattress.
“Don’t touch water, I’ll wash it,” Xu Chuan said, rushing in, rolling up the bedding at lightning speed before rushing out again.
Cheng Baozhu followed him, not particularly shy. “What are we going to sleep on tonight? It’s so cold.”
Xu Chuan soaked the bedding while replying, “I’ll go to my mom’s at noon and borrow a quilt. Don’t worry, go sit down first.”
“Okay.” She relaxed, then added, “I’m not going to Old Zhang’s today. When you come back from delivering goods, help me ask for leave.”
Xu Chuan nodded. Even if she wanted to go, he wouldn’t allow it in such cold weather.
The system fell silent. It had a feeling something like this would happen.
After soaking the bedding, Xu Chuan had to head out. He boiled a bowl of brown sugar ginger tea, steamed some egg custard, and after repeatedly reminding her, finally left, turning back every few steps.
Once he was gone, Cheng Baozhu shut the courtyard gate and stayed inside for a while before entering the system space.
This body wouldn’t do. There was no reason she should suffer menstrual pain here when she had been perfectly fine before.
Her skills were still limited. After checking her pulse, examining her tongue, and considering her symptoms, she concluded it was likely qi stagnation and blood stasis.
“System, did I diagnose correctly?” she asked.
The system replied: [Sorry, host. I am a Chef God System and cannot determine whether your diagnosis is correct.]
Cheng Baozhu scoffed.
It could monitor weather down to rainfall amounts, yet couldn’t identify a human condition?
She guessed correctly. The system could know, but scanning intelligent lifeforms was prohibited. It was a more serious violation than forcing a host to remain in space.
“Why? Afraid I’ll rely on you to diagnose everything?”
[No. It is to prevent the system from possessing complete human biological data.]
“And what happens if you do?”
[If that happens…] the system paused, [the system could roughly predict the individual’s time of death.]
Cheng Baozhu’s eyes widened.
“Don’t tell me things like that!” she snapped, heart racing. After a moment, she added, “If I ever ask you that again, don’t answer no matter what.”
[Understood.]
Calming down, she spent five points to attend a lesson.
After class, she consulted the intelligent teacher with her diagnosis.
The teacher nodded. “It is indeed qi stagnation and blood stasis. It’s not severe. Motherwort will suffice.”
Cheng Baozhu brightened. “Motherwort boiled with eggs, right? Eat the eggs and drink the broth for five to seven days.”
The teacher looked pleased. “If the pain is severe, what can you add?”
“Huangjiu.”
“And if there’s blood deficiency?”
“Brown sugar.”
“That’s one formula. There is also an alternative,” the teacher said, beginning the lesson.
The topic was from Taiping Shenghui Fang, introducing motherwort juice porridge.
Cheng Baozhu listened, completely absorbed, feeling as though she had plunged into a vast ocean of knowledge.
Since she had asked about menstruation, the intelligent teacher adjusted the curriculum to focus on blood-activating and stasis-removing treatments.
“Activating blood and removing stasis promotes circulation and disperses stagnation. Related medicinal diets are suitable for blood stasis syndrome, whose symptoms include localized pain, stabbing pain…”
Cheng Baozhu carefully took notes.
After class, she asked the system to let her bring her notes out of the space.
As expected, she was refused.
[The host may spend ten points. The system will copy your notes and place them in the system store.]
“And then I have to spend points to buy them?”
[Yes! Another ten points.]
Cheng Baozhu blinked. “Do I look like a sucker to you?”
[Your head circumference is not large.]
“Get lost.”
After leaving the space, she searched for motherwort in the store, only to find it absurdly expensive. She angrily exited.
What a rip-off.
This herb grew everywhere. Even if she didn’t have any at home, the old house probably did.
Taking advantage of the fact that her pain hadn’t worsened yet, she quickly changed into a long coat, wrapped herself in a scarf, and headed to the old house.
At the village entrance.
Jiang Yulan sat by the stove warming herself, occasionally glancing toward the village entrance. She hadn’t told anyone about Xu Chuan’s affairs and kept it bottled up, feeling anxious whenever she thought about it.
On a snowy day like this, most villagers gathered in the communal canteen, huddling around fires for warmth.
They weren’t just warming themselves. Some elderly men played chess, while younger ones organized card games.
With the team leader watching, no one dared to gamble money. Instead, they used roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes as stakes.
Xu Xingli turned a blind eye as long as things didn’t get out of hand.
At that moment, he pulled Xu Baoguo aside and asked quietly, “Why has Chuanzi been going to the county so often?”
Xu Baoguo, engrossed in watching a game, replied dismissively, “That kid likes excitement. He never tells me anything… Hey, hey, move the rook! Ah!”
He slapped his thigh in regret and squeezed back into the crowd.
Xu Xingli nearly choked on his frustration. If the father didn’t care, why should he?
Still, he couldn’t just ignore it, so he went to find Xu He. Xu He took it seriously, thanked him, and hurried home.
At the door, he ran into Cheng Baozhu, who had come to get medicine.
“Baozhu, did Chuanzi go to the county today?” he asked.
She didn’t answer directly. “He went to help me ask Old Zhang for leave.”
Only then did Xu He relax. As for why she was taking leave, he didn’t ask.
At home, only Jiang Yulan and the two boys were present. Seeing Cheng Baozhu, Jiang Yulan was startled at first, then relaxed upon hearing she had come for motherwort.
“There’s plenty. I gathered and dried it this summer. I’ll get you some.”
Cheng Baozhu didn’t stand during the ceremony. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll need enough for six or seven days.”
Jiang Yulan packed it quickly. When Cheng Baozhu mentioned the bedding, she immediately fetched a quilt.
“This used to be your sister-in-law’s before she got married. We made her a new one, so this stayed behind.”
She sighed. “I used to think she’d come back to stay for a few days, but she lives so far away now. It’s been two or three years since I’ve seen her. Take it, don’t let yourselves get cold.”
After chatting for a few minutes, Cheng Baozhu left with the quilt and herbs.
Fortunately, the village roads were quiet, otherwise word would have spread again.
Once she left, Xu He came out.
“Mom, has Chuanzi been going to the county a lot? What’s going on?”
Jiang Yulan shook her head. “Nothing. He’s just helping me send letters and parcels to your sister.”
“Don’t tell your wife,” she added.
Xu He finally relaxed. Back home, Cheng Baozhu set up the bedding and lay down immediately.
About an hour later, Xu Chuan returned, rushing inside as soon as he entered.
“How are you?”
“Not too bad,” she said, touching her stomach. “It doesn’t hurt much anymore.”
Relieved, he listened as she told him about Xu He’s questions, then asked him to make brown sugar eggs.
Soon after, she scrambled out of bed and rushed to the toilet.
Holding her stomach, she said, “Xu Chuan, before next month, you must build me a proper toilet.”
What had she done to deserve this?