In the afternoon, Jiang Jingyi had taken a wonderful nap, so naturally she wasn’t asleep now.
When Ji Qiuyang spoke those words, Jiang Jingyi was momentarily shocked, then quickly understood. This man truly deserved to be the father of the villain boss—so clever that in just a few days, he had noticed all her changes.
See? Now he was suspicious of her.
Jiang Jingyi even secretly wanted to answer yes, but mischievously chose to remain silent. Since he suspected her, let him suspect. She wouldn’t admit it—what could he do about it?
With such mischievous thoughts, Jiang Jingyi actually fell asleep, even delighting in this matter within her dreams.
The next morning when Jiang Jingyi awoke, Ji Qiuyang was nowhere to be seen. Only upon going out did she learn that Ji Qiuyang had already left for the academy. Ji Dongyang and his wife had risen early to make two batches of tofu to sell in town, taking Ji Qiuyang with them.
Seeing that the carriage left by the He family yesterday was still there, Jiang Jingyi asked, “Why didn’t they take the carriage?”
Old Lady Ji smiled and said, “It’s not far; the cart is fine.” With that, she ladled out some porridge and handed Jiang Jingyi a pancake, telling her to eat.
She had risen late; everyone else had long since eaten. Seeing her eat, Old Lady Ji took Ji Linxia and the Ji Dehong brothers to the fields.
As for Yingtao, who had never worked the fields, she voluntarily stayed home to do housework. By now, she could handle feeding the chickens, sweeping the yard, weeding and watering the vegetable garden, and even tending the pigs in the pen outside the yard.
Compared to them, Jiang Jingyi was idle—truly idle with nothing to do. She did want to write down the recipes in her head, but her brush calligraphy was a weakness. If she wasted the paper Ji Qiuyang kept at home, he would surely be angry when he returned next time.
By noon, Ji Dongyang and his wife returned with their cart. Of the two batches of tofu made that morning, over half remained. After eating, Ji Dongyang took the cart out again, traveling through nearby villages to sell the remaining tofu. Otherwise, if kept overnight, the tofu would spoil.
Jiang Jingyi asked Lady Yun, “Sister-in-law, does our family only sell tofu? Don’t you sell bean sprouts or bean curd sheets?”
“Bean sprouts are sold elsewhere, but they’re difficult to grow properly if not done right, they have an odd taste. As for bean curd sheets, we don’t know how to make them.” As Lady Yun spoke, a trace of worry appeared between her brows. Others might think the Ji family had married a cash cow, but the Ji family couldn’t just live off Jiang Jingyi. They still had to rely on themselves. Their branch had two sons—the eldest showed no promise in studies, but they planned to send the second to the academy.
Relying solely on farming and selling tofu while also supporting Ji Qiuyang’s education was, frankly, very exhausting.
Jiang Jingyi raised an eyebrow and said, “You know what? I know how to grow bean sprouts and make bean curd sheets. How about we give it a try?”
Upon hearing this, Lady Yun’s eyes immediately lit up. “Can it be done?”
Jiang Jingyi said casually, “We’ll just try it out. Let’s start with a small batch. If it doesn’t turn out well, we’ll just eat it ourselves instead of selling it.”
And so, trying it out was exactly what they did. Jiang Jingyi had Lady Yun soak several jin of soybeans. By afternoon, they transferred them to the bamboo baskets used for making tofu. The baskets had been lined with clean fine sand in advance. They placed the soybeans inside, covered them with cloth, and then carried the baskets along with wooden basins for catching water into Jiang Jingyi’s room.
Jiang Jingyi said, “Actually, bean sprouts aren’t difficult. Bean curd sheets are a bit more troublesome, but still manageable. Sister-in-law, what time do you and Big Brother get up to make tofu?”
Lady Yun smiled and said, “We have to get up in the middle of the night.”
Jiang Jingyi stiffened—in the middle of the night, she was still sleeping. So, she said, “Then call me once the beans are ground, and I’ll get up to teach you how to make bean curd sheets.”
“Alright.” Lady Yun smiled. Whether or not Jiang Jingyi actually followed through, just her willingness to help made Lady Yun feel comforted. At least in her observation, Jiang Jingyi wasn’t as harsh and vicious as the rumors outside suggested.
The sisters-in-law had settled it. The next day, Lady Yun indeed woke Jiang Jingyi. Making bean curd sheets was a bit more troublesome, though similar in principle to making tofu. Fortunately, with Yingtao and Ji Linxia helping, they managed to produce over sixty bean curd sheets in a morning. Jiang Jingyi also taught Lady Yun some techniques, then watched as the couple loaded up their tofu and bean curd sheets and headed out.
Ji Linxia looked at the bean curd sheets and smiled, “Second Sister-in-law, shall we stir-fry some bean curd sheets for breakfast?”
Jiang Jingyi rolled up her sleeves and said, “Let me show off my skills.”
Ji Linxia’s eyes immediately lit up. She still remembered Jiang Jingyi’s cooking display that day—the flavors were absolutely incredible.
The sisters-in-law chatted and laughed as they went to the backyard to pick two green peppers and a few cucumbers. Back inside, they stir-fried the bean curd sheets with green peppers and smashed the cucumbers for a salad. Paired with thick meat porridge, this breakfast was truly delicious.
Everyone enjoyed it immensely, especially the two Ji brothers, who gobbled down plenty of bean curd sheets with their porridge.
Although the Ji family sold tofu, they rarely ate it themselves. The two boys knew it was meant to be sold for money and never made excessive demands.
After the meal, Jiang Jingyi took Ji Linxia to check on the bean sprouts. Overnight, the beans had swelled and some skins were splitting—it seemed sprouts would emerge within a couple of days. Jiang Jingyi directed Yingtao to sprinkle water on the bean sprouts and then cover them again. “Once the bean sprouts are ready, we’ll stew them with meat—that tastes excellent too. Don’t underestimate soybeans; tofu, bean curd sheets, bean sprouts, there are many ways to prepare them. I’ll show you gradually.”
Hearing this, Ji Linxia’s mouth watered, and she eagerly anticipated the bean sprouts’ completion.
Since this was their first time making bean sprouts, Old Lady Ji and Ji Linxia still had some concerns. However, when Ji Dongyang and his wife returned at noon, their faces were wreathed in smiles—clearly sales had gone well.
Lady Yun smiled and said, “Tofu sold as usual, but the bean curd sheets did very well. At first, not many people bought them, so I explained the recipes Second Sister-in-law taught me. People thought they’d give it a try, and unexpectedly, they sold quite well.”
Jiang Jingyi breathed a sigh of relief. “Once the bean sprouts are ready, if they turn out well, we can also grow mung bean sprouts and green bean sprouts. That would give us more options.”
“Mung bean sprouts are edible too?” Lady Yun asked in amazement. “If that’s really the case, that would be wonderful.”
The next day, they again made over sixty bean curd sheets and sold even better than the day before. Those who had bought bean curd sheets the previous day tried the recipes Lady Yun had shared, and the flavors were indeed excellent. Especially with chili peppers, the taste was even more marvelous. Some also stir-fried the bean curd sheets with chives or served them cold—in any case, it added one more dish to their tables.
Any remaining distrust Lady Yun had toward Jiang Jingyi had now transformed into complete trust. Particularly because bean curd sheets were still a novelty at this time, and others couldn’t replicate them anytime soon, this was the perfect opportunity to sell more.
Lady Yun smiled and said, “Your older brother and I discussed it, maybe we should make more. Tomorrow, we’ll go earlier to Qingshui County and try selling there.”
“Then take the carriage so you don’t waste time on the road,” Jiang Jingyi suggested.
Lady Yun shook her head. “Never mind, horses are troublesome to care for. Your brother and I can just walk quickly.”
Jiang Jingyi didn’t press the issue, nor did she offer to maintain the horses herself, so she let it drop. At noon, Jiang Jingyi stir-fried bean curd sheets with chives and also made a cold dish, the whole family ate with great enjoyment.
Ji Linxia and the Ji brothers had gone from fearing Jiang Jingyi to liking her; now they even dared to talk with her.
Ji Linxia smiled with narrowed eyes and said, “Second Sister-in-law, your cooking is so delicious. Could I learn from you?”
“Why not?” Jiang Jingyi revealed an auntie-like smile. “That would be wonderful.”
It was one thing for her to be skilled at cooking, but quite another to actually have to do it herself—she could be somewhat lazy. If she could train Ji Linxia, wouldn’t that make things easier for her?
Ji Linxia hadn’t expected her second sister-in-law to be so agreeable and was immediately overjoyed. The next day, after seeing off Ji Dongyang and his wife, Ji Linxia excitedly told Jiang Jingyi, “Second Sister-in-law, my needlework isn’t bad. If you need clothes made or anything, I can do it.”
Hearing this, Yingtao suddenly felt her position was somewhat threatened and quickly said, “Miss, I can handle making our young lady’s clothes.”
Jiang Jingyi burst out laughing. “Enough, there will be plenty for both of you to help with.”
Ji Linxia chuckled and said, “Second Sister-in-law, you’re really pretty. Even prettier when you smile.”
Jiang Jingyi couldn’t help reaching out to touch her face. “Linxia is pretty too.”
The two were similar in age, both underage girls, and both good-looking. But Jiang Jingyi, raised in comfort, had delicate skin, while Ji Linxia had followed Old Lady Ji to work in the fields, her skin roughened by wind and sun. Compared to other village girls, she was a beauty—could be considered the village flower but compared to Jiang Jingyi, she fell somewhat short.
Jiang Jingyi said to Yingtao, “Go to the cabinet and find a bottle of skin oil for Linxia.”
Yingtao pouted slightly, not particularly liking this hidden rival, but obediently went to get it.
Ji Linxia whispered, “Second Sister-in-law, does Yingtao not like me?”
“Nothing of the sort.” Jiang Jingyi denied it. “Linxia will soon be of marriageable age, so it’s good to take care of her skin.”
Whether grown girls or young ones, whenever marriage was mentioned, they always felt shy—Ji Linxia was no exception. When Yingtao came over, she saw Ji Linxia’s face was bright red.
Jiang Jingyi said, “Apply this to your face after washing every day. Remember to wear a sunhat when you go out to work. If you get sunburned again, it won’t look nice.”
Ji Linxia’s eyes sparkled as she nodded repeatedly. Second Sister-in-law was so kind—beautiful and gentle.
The little girl’s admiration was impossible to miss. Jiang Jingyi, with her twenty-something-year-old core, was experiencing genuine admiration from such a sweet young girl for the first time, and it made her heart soften.
When her heart softened, Jiang Jingyi liked to cook delicious food. “Yingtao, take some money and buy a jin of spare ribs. We’ll make sweet and sour ribs tonight. If there are pig trotters, get two of those too.”
Yingtao was also fond of eating. Hearing this, she immediately licked her lips, crisply acknowledged the instruction, and went out to buy the meat.
Ji Linxia, however, hesitated somewhat. For a family like theirs, eating meat during festivals was already a big deal. Thanks to Second Sister-in-law, they’d been eating more meat than usual lately, and now Second Sister-in-law was buying more. If Mother found out, she’d surely scold her.
“Second Sister-in-law, we don’t have to eat meat…” Ji Linxia said awkwardly. “The bean curd sheets you stir-fry are delicious enough.”
Jiang Jingyi smiled. “I’m the one who wants to eat it.”
“Oh.” Ji Linxia relaxed. Since Second Sister-in-law wanted to eat it, Mother probably wouldn’t scold her.
Before long, Yingtao returned with the spare ribs and pig trotters. Jiang Jingyi directed Yingtao to blanch the trotters in boiling water, then rinse them with cold water. She heated the wok and added oil. Only then did she realize the Ji family had no sugar.
No sugar, then no sugar. There was plenty of Sichuan pepper and star anise. She stir-fried scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, added the blanched trotters to the wok and stirred evenly, then added a little liquor and soy sauce before pouring in boiling water to stew.
Yingtao crouched before the stove, tending the fire, sweat beading on her face from the heat, but her eyes sparkled as she stared at the trotters in the pot.
Jiang Jingyi said, “Come out for a bit. Just put a log in and check on it later.”
Yingtao shook her head. “I can’t.”
“What can’t you?”
Jiang Jingyi turned around—it was Ji Qiuyang, he was back.
Jiang Jingyi’s brow furrowed slightly. Hadn’t he said he came home once every ten days? It had only been two days, why was he back again?
Perhaps reading the expression on her face, Ji Qiuyang couldn’t help pressing his lips together.
**