At the mention of Junjun, the two Qin brothers looked troubled. Second Uncle did not want them to feel worse, so he comforted them. “The Fan family lives nearby, you will still be able to see Junjun in the future. Save up some money over the next few years, and then you can redeem him. By the way, how much did the Fan family offer?”
Qin Yi did not want to say much, but faced with Second Uncle’s concerned gaze, he could only answer quickly. “Five taels.”
Second Uncle seemed to let out a breath of relief. “Second Uncle still has some silver saved up. If you need it, you can take it anytime.”
Qin Yi nodded silently. The three men quietly pushed their noodles around in their bowls at the table.
Jian Jia held the fire tongs, seemingly focused on roasting the dried chilies over the fire, yet her mind was racing. Raising a horse in these times truly required effort, but Qin Yi was not a lazy man. The tall thatch grass growing higher than a person around the house had all been planted by him for Junjun. Besides that, there were also soybeans stored at home, and Qin Yi would even wake in the middle of the night to give Junjun an extra feeding. A man who cared so much about his horse, how could he suddenly decide to sell it?
In the original owner’s memories, horses were extremely rare animals. Only a handful of households within dozens of miles kept one, so she had always assumed horses were very expensive. Yet a fine horse like Junjun had been sold for only five taels of silver. That was far too cheap. How could Qin Yi bear to sell him? Was he in urgent need of money?
Jian Jia frowned sharply. Qin Lang was somewhat frail, but he was not at death’s door. The family lacked no food, so why sell the horse now instead of earlier?
Suddenly a bolt of realization flashed through her mind. The fifteen taels of betrothal money demanded by Jian Xiaoqiang had forced Qin Yi to sell his property, and that included this horse.
Junjun had not been sold because Qin Lang had been sick for a long time. He had been sold because of her.
Realizing this, Jian Jia felt terrible. Only now did she truly understand what it meant for Qin Yi and the Qin family to sell their possessions. To repay a favor, to keep her from becoming the concubine of an aging landlord, Qin Yi had sold the mount he loved most.
The smell of burnt chilies suddenly drifted from the stove. Jian Jia snapped back to reality and shook her head. Fortunately, five taels was not too much money, and the horse trader would not come until tomorrow. There was still time to turn things around.
Relieved, Jian Jia used the tongs to pick the burnt chilies out of the stove one by one. After blowing away the ash from the skins, the roasted chilies, now red and black, piled steaming in a large bowl.
She had learned this way of roasting chilies back when she had been a food blogger. A follower had shared the method, saying that chilies roasted in plant ash and then crushed would release a stronger fragrance, perfect for dipping sauces or chili oil. At first she was puzzled. If clean chilies were buried directly in ash to roast, would they not become dirty? Could they still be eaten?
Later she learned that plant ash was actually very useful. It could be used as medicine and in the preparation of many foods. Moreover, ash from rural kitchens was quite clean. Most people were simply misled by its dusty appearance.
The roasted chilies released an astonishing fragrance. Once slightly cooled, they became crisp. With a gentle press of the knife blade, they shattered into pieces. After crushing them a bit more, Jian Jia obtained a pile of black-red chili flakes. She added ground Sichuan pepper, five-spice powder, cumin powder, and a small pinch of fine salt, then mixed everything with soy sauce. The preparation was complete.
At that moment, Jian Jia took a copper ladle from a rack nearby. It was polished bright and larger than a fist. She poured in over half a ladle of soybean oil.
In the Great Jing, aside from animal fat, the oil most commonly eaten by the common people was soybean oil pressed from soybeans. Jian Jia had assumed that ancient pressing techniques might produce cloudy oil, but the oil in the copper ladle was clear and fragrant, looking no different from oil extracted with modern methods.
She extended the ladle into the stove, and under the heat of the glowing charcoal, bluish oil smoke soon rose from the soybean oil.
Carefully gripping the wooden handle of the ladle, Jian Jia withdrew it from the stove, waiting for the oil temperature to drop slightly before pouring it over the chilies.
Just as she carried the ladle toward the front of the stove, a furry body stretched across her legs. The Qin family’s big black dog wagged his tail and rubbed against her. He had been lingering outside the kitchen for a long time, drawn by the delicious smell. Now that the family had finished eating, the dog had to come in and make his presence known.
The dog stood half as tall as a person and was strong and sturdy. Normally, if Jian Jia saw such an affectionate and powerful dog, she would stop and rub its big head enthusiastically. But at the moment she was holding scalding hot oil. If her hand shook and the oil spilled, whether on a person or the dog, it would certainly be painful.
Jian Jia hurriedly called for help. “Qin Yi, quickly give the chicken bones to the big black dog. I can barely handle him.”
In her haste she forgot the dog’s name and could only give him a simple name based on his color.
Big black dog?
Qin Yi raised an eyebrow, a smile appearing in his eyes. He picked up the chicken bones Jian Jia had gathered in a bowl and called out, “Big Black.”
To everyone’s surprise, General turned his head. He actually accepted the name Big Black. His large tail wagged so fast it left an afterimage as he happily trotted after Qin Yi out of the kitchen.
Jian Jia could not help laughing. “So clever.” With intelligence and obedience like that, in modern times he would certainly be excellent material for a military dog.
Seeing such a large dog eating only chicken bones clearly would not fill him up. When Qin Yi returned, Jian Jia asked, “Big Black… no, General. What does he usually eat?”
Qin Yi lowered his eyes and gently stirred his noodles with his chopsticks. “He eats whatever leftovers we have. He is not picky. Most of the time he goes up the mountain and catches wild prey to satisfy himself.” Even though he usually ate leftovers, General remained sleek and well-fed, thanks to his ability to fend for himself.
Jian Jia could not help praising him. “What a good dog.” A dog that could guard the home and feed itself was rare indeed. She would have to treat him better from now on.
While they spoke, the oil had cooled enough. Jian Jia slowly poured the hot oil from the copper ladle into the bowl of roasted chilies while quickly stirring them with chopsticks.
A faint sizzling sound rose as large bubbles of oil formed in the bowl. The hot oil reacted fiercely with the moisture inside, stripping away the harsh pungency of the chili powder and deepening its fragrance. Jian Jia stirred quickly, ensuring the chili flakes at the bottom mixed thoroughly with the oil.
At first, the black-red flakes floated on the surface of the oil. As more hot oil was added, the bubbles gradually shrank until they finally subsided. An astonishing aroma spread through the air with domineering intensity. Compared with this chili oil, even the chicken soup smelled less rich.
The scent drew Second Uncle Qin and Qin Lang, who had already finished eating, to lean over and watch. Even though they were full, they still wanted to taste the chilies.
Jian Jia stirred the chili flakes again so the oil and chilies mixed evenly. “The chili oil is ready. Qin Yi, bring your bowl.”
Qin Yi quickly stepped to her side. As soon as he held out his bowl, Jian Jia scooped a small spoonful of bright red chili oil onto the noodles.
While the noodles were still hot, he mixed them with the chili oil. The plain noodles became coated with a vibrant red sheen, looking lively and fiery. Qin Yi picked up a chopstickful and put it into his mouth. Instantly his tongue was enveloped in the numbing and spicy flavor. The chili oil was not merely spicy. It also carried the numbing bite of Sichuan pepper, the fragrance of cumin, and the subtle complexity of five-spice powder. The aroma was even richer than what he had tasted in the army.
The fiery sensation spread from the tip of his tongue throughout his body, and Qin Yi felt his temperature rising rapidly. Even though the spice was already intense, he felt it was not enough and wanted another spoonful.
This time Jian Jia did not need to help. He scooped another spoonful himself and added it to the bowl. After mixing it, the noodles were entirely crimson, making for a striking sight.
Without even returning to the table, Qin Yi held the large bowl and ate mouthful after mouthful. After only a few bites, fine beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose. The exhilarating taste was incredibly satisfying.
The fragrant chicken soup and hand-pulled noodles warmed everyone’s stomachs. Qin Lang and Second Uncle Qin accidentally ate too much, and the two of them soon left the kitchen one after the other to walk in the courtyard and digest their meal. Qin Yi voluntarily gathered all the bowls and chopsticks and now stood at the stove washing them.
The clinking of dishes occasionally sounded. After feeding Junjun, Jian Jia carried the last bowl to the stove. Looking at Qin Yi’s cold and handsome profile, she wanted to discuss Junjun with him, but the words reached her lips and she did not know how to begin. After thinking it over, she went straight to the point.
“You are planning to sell Junjun?”
The coarse porcelain bowl struck the iron pot with a dull sound. Qin Yi paused for a moment. “Yes.”
Jian Jia cautiously asked, “Can you not sell him?”
Qin Yi pressed his lips into a straight line, his eyes dim. “No. I already made an agreement with the buyer.” He lowered his head and murmured almost to himself, “Junjun was the best light draft horse in our army. It is a disservice for him to follow me now. I am no longer in the army, and I cannot take proper care of him.”
It seemed the sale of Junjun was already decided, yet Jian Jia still wanted to try. “Is there really no way to keep him? I can make up the money.”
Qin Yi looked at her in surprise, then shook his head firmly. “That is your dowry.” Jian Jia had come here alone, unfamiliar with everything. A woman’s dowry was the foundation of her security, so how could he take advantage of it?
As if sensing her thoughts, Qin Yi said seriously, “Selling the horse was my decision. It has nothing to do with you. You do not need to worry.”
The occasional sound of dishes clinking filled the kitchen, yet Jian Jia felt the heavy atmosphere pressing on her chest. She stood up and walked toward her room.
Under her bed was the cabinet containing her red wedding clothes. After pulling the cabinet out, she opened it again and reached beneath the red dress, searching with her hand.
Before long she took out a piece of red silk. When she unfolded it, several small pieces of silver and scattered copper coins appeared inside.
This was the red silk that Jian Dayue had given her when he caught up to her earlier. Only after opening it did she realize it contained silver. It was hush money from the head of Jianjia Village, meant to ensure that Jian Xiaoqiang and his wife could continue living peacefully in the village. She had weighed it before, and it was about five taels of silver.
Junjun was not only Qin Yi’s beloved mount, but also an exceptionally fine horse that was rarely found. Whether carrying people or transporting goods, Junjun was excellent.
She would be living with the Qin family for a long time. To her, the Qin household was not merely a temporary refuge but a place where she hoped to remain.
Not only did she need to build good relationships with the Qin family, she also wanted their lives to improve more and more.
For the sake of her future happiness, tomorrow she would do everything she could to redeem Junjun.