A Good Country Wife
Chapter 331 - 325 Fresh Food_1

Chapter 331: Chapter 325 Fresh Food_1

When Jiang Ziqi planned to collaborate with their family in business, Lin Yue thought of this. However, simply talking about it seemed too bland, and at that time, Zhao Erhu wouldn’t allow her to overexert herself, so she didn’t speak up. Anyway, Jiang Ziqi didn’t plan to leave anytime soon, so it might be more convincing to let people taste the food instead. Sweet potatoes were easy to grow and yielded a high production, and in years of famine, they could even serve as emergency sustenance. Moreover, they could be turned into more than just vermicelli and strips; the benefits were numerous. Lin Yue planned to expand the cultivation area next year.

Lin Yue was quick with her hands and feet, bustling in the kitchen for quite some time, and by noon, she had prepared a large table full of dishes.

Lin Qing saw the feast Lin Yue had prepared and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but considering Jiang Ziqi and his servant would be dining with them, he thought better of it and remained silent. It wasn’t a big deal for him, but he had only just learned that this Mr. Jiang was the famed Divine Doctor of Dazhou Country.

The most famous Divine Doctor of Dazhou Country was this young man; it was hard to believe. However, seeing that he was refined in speech and manners and had saved Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue, Lin Qing couldn’t help but believe it. To think such a person would deign to associate with Zhao Erhu made Lin Qing finally regard him with new respect. Seeing Zhao Erhu’s generous behaviour and his children’s sensible obedience, perhaps his sister might truly have a good life ahead of her.

"Brother, what are you daydreaming about? Go wash your hands, it’s time to eat. Today you’ll get to taste my cooking skills," Lin Yue said with a smile upon seeing Lin Qing lost in thought while looking at the table full of dishes. Spending more time together, she realized that her brother could sometimes be quite an absent-minded scholar.

Lin Qing smiled when he heard Lin Yue calling him, "I’m well aware of my sister’s cooking skills; they’re excellent. Back when we were home, you were the one who always cooked, and you were more skilled and made tastier meals than mother did."

Lin Yue had no recollection of their thrifty mother who had sold her, and she responded non-committally to Lin Qing’s mention, "Well, brother, today you should taste it and see if my skills have improved. My cooking has even been praised by Big Brother Jiang."

"Hehe, little sister’s skills must have improved for sure. Just by looking and smelling, it’s clear they’re great, but such a big table full of dishes, with fish and meat, must have cost quite a bit of silver, right?"

Lin Qing had seen Jiang Ziqi and his servant go out to fetch water and wash hands, so he pulled Lin Yue aside, "Little Yueyue, I’ve heard before that Zhao Erhu’s family was so poor that their poverty clanged like bells. Although they don’t seem that poor now, they are still just a hunter’s family and can’t be that well-off. With several children to support, after this meal, your family will probably have to cut back on expenses. Here, I have six taels of silver that I earned from writing and painting for others. I was saving them to buy back your freedom, but since you’ve decided to stay with Zhao Erhu’s family, I won’t need them. Consider it your dowry from your brother."

As he spoke, Lin Qing took a slightly worn pouch from his bosom, which Lin Yue had once made for him. It was filled with loose silver coins, bulging with fullness. Lin Qing stuffed the pouch into Lin Yue’s hand.

Lin Yue looked at the clothes Lin Qing was wearing; although the fabric was still decent, the edges had begun to fade from frequent washing.

Lin Qing looked quite thin, with not the best complexion on his face, which showed he must have been scrimping and saving, reluctant to indulge in food and drink. Those six taels of silver must have taken a long time to save. Since his family wasn’t wealthy, they wouldn’t have sold her for fifteen taels of silver if they were. Silver was hard to come by, and of course, Lin Yue was unwilling to accept it, especially since she didn’t lack that amount of money.

"Brother, I don’t need it. Our family has earned quite a bit of Silver Coin. Zhao Erhu treats me well, and I am in charge of all the household finances. He wouldn’t stop me from buying anything I want. You should take this silver back and don’t be so frugal all the time. Buy yourself some good food to nourish your body. Look how thin you are. Don’t push yourself too hard with your studies. Your health is the most important thing," Lin Yue said as she tried to put the silver back into Lin Qing’s hands, but he was adamant about not taking it back.

"Little sister, it’s not much, but it’s a token of your brother’s affection. Please keep it. You’re not unaware of how much our parents dote on me. All the good food and drink are kept for me; I’m not starving. Brother owes you an apology. If it wasn’t for my sake, our parents would not have sold you like that. Little Yue, I can only have peace of mind if you take this money."

Upon hearing Lin Qing say this, Lin Yue had no choice but to accept the Silver Coin. She could see his guilt; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so defiant with Zhao Erhu on the previous occasions, probably blaming Zhao Erhu, the man who took her away, which made it difficult for him to view Erhu favorably.

"Brother, then I’ll accept it. But if you ever run out of Silver Coin, just come to me. All the money Erhu earns is managed by me. Your sister is quite the little rich lady now. Don’t be too hard on yourself. From now on, just focus on your studies and stop writing and painting for others; it’ll only distract you from your education."

"Of course, brother knows his limits. You silly girl, you’ve really grown up and know how to care for others. That’s truly heartwarming," Lin Qing said, comforting Lin Yue by patting her head.

Jiang Ziqi and Zhao Erhu were both outside. Washing their hands wouldn’t take too long, but they had waited outside because they saw the siblings whispering to each other. However, the pushing and shoving between the brother and sister were not silent, and they could hear almost the entire conversation from outside. It was then that Jiang Ziqi began to see Lin Qing in a better light, and for the first time, Zhao Erhu thought his brother-in-law was actually quite a decent person, albeit a bit too engrossed in his studies.

After hearing the conversation end inside, Jiang Ziqi, pretending to clear his throat, entered and said, "Ah, just by the smell, I know the food will be delicious. Zhao Erhu, didn’t you say there was also wine brewed by Little Yueyue? Hurry up and bring it out. I want to taste the wine she made herself. Exquisite food and fine wine are truly one of life’s greatest pleasures. Don’t just stand there like fools. Come, sit down, and let’s eat!"

Jiang Ziqi never bothered with formalities at Zhao Erhu’s home, sitting down and starting to eat as soon as he arrived. His favorite dish was Lin Yue’s pickled fish, which he asked for every time he visited. He had eaten it several times without tiring of it and was the same today, but he hadn’t expected that Lin Yue would have come up with a new delicacy. Lin Yue’s hot pot was specially forged at the Blacksmith’s Shop according to her own design. It was an ancient version of the mandarin duck pot, with one side spicy and the other mild, catering to whatever taste one preferred, simply by adding ingredients.

Even Jiang Ziqi, well-traveled and knowledgeable, didn’t recognize what sweet potato noodles were, only knowing they felt smooth and chewy in his mouth. Cooked in the well-seasoned spicy broth and garnished with cilantro, the taste was sublime, just as good as the pickled fish, if not better. Having eaten the pickled fish several times, Jiang Ziqi found the sweet potato noodles a fresher and more delicious novelty.

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