Ch 4: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Going to the Market

If the original owner could be summed up in eight words, they would be: “high aspirations, low abilities; loves eating, hates working.”

A young man with a healthy body, yet he idly ate away his family’s wealth day after day, and at over twenty years old, still couldn’t find a wife.

Out of desperation, he emptied his savings to buy Yu Jiuque from a broker.

But even then, he didn’t cherish him, living day by day with nothing left for the next, dragging Yu Jiuque into his misery, and ultimately, reaping what he sowed.

This was the conclusion Qin Xia drew from the original owner’s memories, so when he saw Liu Douzi’s surprise, he wasn’t at all shocked.

As for the change in behavior, the reason was already prepared.

“Before, I only had to worry about myself. Now, it’s different.”

Liu Douzi glanced between Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque, finally giving Yu Jiuque a thumbs up.

“Sister-in-law, you’re more impressive than I thought.”

Yu Jiuque looked confused, having no idea why Liu Douzi suddenly said that.

To prove his determination to Liu Douzi, Qin Xia decided to act immediately.

After lunch, under the pretext of taking a walk to digest, he pocketed the few taels of silver and the jade dice, and followed behind Liu Douzi, leading Yu Jiuque out the door.

Soon after, they stopped in front of a pawnshop.

Liu Douzi knew that the jade dice were Qin Xia’s prized possession, something he couldn’t go a day without playing with before bed.

Now, he was willing to pawn it off for money to start a business and support his family.

Marriage, truly terrifying!

“Xia Ge, are you sure? Even if it’s a temporary pawn, you’ll need to pay significant interest to redeem it later.”

Even the best items lose half their value in a pawnshop, and Liu Douzi felt the pain for Qin Xia.

But Qin Xia entered the pawnshop with a calm expression.

Liu Douzi waited outside, anxiously pacing back and forth. When Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque finally emerged, he rushed over.

“How did it go? Did you really pawn it?”

Yu Jiuque stood to the side, hesitant to speak, worry in his eyes as he looked at Qin Xia.

He hadn’t expected Qin Xia to walk in and ask for an outright sale.

An outright sale meant there was no chance of redeeming the item, but it also meant getting slightly more money.

When Liu Douzi heard “outright sale,” his jaw nearly hit the ground.

“An outright sale? Xia Ge, you know that dice is worth more than twelve taels.”

Though twelve taels was already a lot, enough to feed a typical county family for half a year if they tightened their belts.

Qin Xia patted the now heavier money pouch in his chest.

“You know the origins of this dice; it was ill-gotten gains from a gambling house. Holding onto it feels like it’s burning a hole in my pocket. Now that I’m married, I’ve resolved to reform, quit drinking, and give up gambling. Keeping this is useless, so I let it go.”

His words were firm and resolute, leaving Liu Douzi in awe. He patted his chest and said, “Xia Ge, as long as you’re determined, you’ll surely succeed! We’re brothers, no need for formalities. If you need anything, just ask!”

Qin Xia clapped Liu Douzi on the shoulder, not holding back.

“There is one thing you can help with. Do you know which medical clinic in town has the best doctor? I want to take Ah Jiu for a check-up.”

Liu Douzi didn’t ask what was wrong with Yu Jiuque. The other was older than him, and a little brother-in-law. Asking too many questions would be impolite.

The three of them weaved through the bustling streets until they reached a corner, where Liu Douzi pointed ahead.

“That’s ‘Chengyi Hall.’ The old doctor Xu inside has a great reputation and charges fairly. He only asks for ten coins, regardless of who it is.”

Qin Xia thanked Liu Douzi and asked for the locations of affordable grain stores, oil mills, and general stores before letting him head home.

Tofu making was tough business; every day, they had to start grinding beans before dawn, so Liu Douzi often took naps in the afternoon.

After walking around for most of the day, he was already yawning.

Inside the clinic, they paid the consultation fee.

When the nearly sixty-year-old doctor took Yu Jiuque’s pulse, his bushy eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“This pulse indicates internal injury with blood stasis. The weak pulse and depleted energy mean a dangerously shortened lifespan if left untreated!”

With the compassion of a true healer, the old doctor fixed Qin Xia with a stern gaze, as if he was the one responsible for Yu Jiuque’s precarious condition.

Luckily, Yu Jiuque quickly spoke up to defend him.

“This has nothing to do with my husband. I was once homeless, lost my memory, and was sold by a broker. Now that I think about it, I might have been injured before.”

If he had fallen into a broker’s hands, anything could have happened to him.

The old doctor considered the peculiarities of the pulse he had felt and let out a deep breath, still eyeing Qin Xia with a bit of suspicion.

Qin Xia scratched his nose.

“Doctor, since I’ve brought him here, I want him to be treated. Please just prescribe the medicine, and we’ll follow your instructions carefully.”

The old doctor huffed, taking Yu Jiuque’s pulse again before writing a prescription.

“This is not a matter to take lightly. His internal weakness means he cannot take strong tonics; rushing things will do no good. Take these ten doses, then we’ll discuss further.”

He handed over the prescription, glancing at the two of them, and added patiently, “Young man, it’s natural to be full of youthful vigor, but until this condition improves, avoid any bedroom activities.”

Yu Jiuque’s face instantly flushed bright red.

Qin Xia wasn’t much better, his ears burning as he quickly went to get the medicine.

Ten doses cost eighty coins, plus a bottle of calming pills for thirty coins. Over eight taels of silver were gone in the blink of an eye.

Yu Jiuque felt a mix of emotions.

He was distressed by the money Qin Xia spent on his medicine, but also worried that he might be a big burden to Qin Xia.

Would Qin Xia still have the patience for him in the long run?

As they descended the clinic’s steps, Yu Jiuque turned to Qin Xia, walking beside him, and said, “I’ll find a way to pay you back for the medicine. I heard that some families or shops in town hire helpers. Even if it’s just a few coins a day, I can save up to repay you.”

Qin Xia only gave him two words in response.

“No need.”

Yu Jiuque’s heart tightened with anxiety.

From last night until now, Qin Xia had been incredibly kind to him.

This kindness felt almost unreal, making him even more worried about losing it.

Qin Xia noticed Yu Jiuque’s expression.

His “no need” was because everything he had done so far was not just out of kindness; deep down, there was a selfish reason too.

Being so good to Yu Jiuque was an investment in the hope that when the time came for him to regain his memory, he would remember this kindness and spare his little life.

He had already made up his mind: once he earned some money by selling street food, he would find another place for Yu Jiuque to live in the city and return the contract of sale to him. At that point, they would have no real marital ties, and a simple divorce document would be enough to sever their relationship.

However, these plans were something he couldn’t explain to the young man.

“We’re family now, so there’s no need to say such distant things. Just focus on taking your medicine and resting well.”

What else could Yu Jiuque do? He could only hold the package of ten doses of medicine as cautiously as if he were holding gold.

Seeing the doctor was only one of the reasons for going out. Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque also went around the streets, purchasing quite a few items.

Their first stop was the grain shop. The rice and flour at home were completely used up, and if they didn’t buy more, they’d truly be left with nothing.

It was a peaceful time, and grain prices were stable.

They bought a dou (about 10 liters) of white flour and a dou of white rice, costing 80 wen and 100 wen, respectively.

Refined grains were expensive, and with Qin Xia’s current financial situation, they couldn’t afford to eat them every day, so they also bought two dou of mixed grain flour.

Mixed grain flour was much cheaper, at 50 wen per dou, so two dou only cost 100 wen.

In addition, they bought some millet, sorghum, glutinous rice, red beans, and peanuts.

Among these, glutinous rice and peanuts were the most expensive, with the former costing 15 wen per sheng (about 1 liter) and the latter 3 wen per liang (about 50 grams). That meant a sheng of peanuts cost 30 wen, which could buy three sheng of white rice.

Upon asking, they learned that peanuts were a relatively new crop, introduced by the government and only recently cultivated in the region. Few farmers grew them, so the price was naturally high.

Qin Xia was grateful to have transmigrated to a time when crops like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and chili peppers were common. Although peanuts were expensive, just being able to access them was a blessing, especially for a chef like him, who would otherwise feel constrained without such ingredients.

After leaving the grain shop, they headed to the oil mill.

They bought a jug of cottonseed oil for lighting lamps and a jug of rapeseed oil for cooking, spending a total of 50 wen.

Qin Xia specifically asked the shop assistant if they could get a discount for buying more in the future, to which the assistant nodded, though he wasn’t sure how much of a discount they would get.

Their last stop was a general store.

The shop recommended by Liu Douzi was well-stocked with a wide variety of goods. Qin Xia bought salt, sugar, and selected some spices like pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, and star anise, spending 150 wen in total.

In fact, buying these items at a general store was not cost-effective. Peppercorns and chili peppers could easily be grown in their backyard.

Unfortunately, the Qin family’s vegetable garden had been left completely untended, with only a few wild scallions still standing tall, while everything else was barren.

If they wanted to be self-sufficient, they would have to wait until spring to start planting.

At this point, both of them were carrying large bundles, and they still hadn’t bought the bulk of the groceries, like vegetables, eggs, and meat.

Qin Xia noticed passersby carrying baskets and shoulder poles, and he realized just how inexperienced he was in daily life.

Just then, he spotted a carpenter’s shop across the street.

His eyes lit up, and he strode over.

After a brief conversation, Qin Xia bought a slightly flawed wooden cart from the carpenter for three and a half taels of silver.

The cart had a designated spot for placing a stove, with supports to keep it steady when parked, the same kind used by many street food vendors.

Though it was a practice piece made by an apprentice, with mediocre wood and some rough spots, Qin Xia didn’t see this as a problem.

With the cart, both of them were able to free up their hands.

“Now we just need a stove, a set of spice jars, and an oil-paper umbrella that can be fixed to the cart…”

Qin Xia pushed the cart, mentally listing what else they needed to buy before they could set up their food stall.

Yu Jiuque also tried to think and reminded Qin Xia, “Husband, didn’t you forget the containers for the snacks? I noticed that most people use oil-paper wrappers on the street.”

Qin Xia slapped his forehead.

“You’re right, I really forgot about that. Let’s go buy some oil-paper and bamboo skewers.”

Counting the days, in five days it would be the tenth day of the winter month.

Wenhua Temple in the city held a fair every fifth and tenth day of the month, similar to the village markets, and it was the busiest time of the month in the city.

Qin Xia decided that he would set up his stall at the temple fair and see if his iron-plate tofu could earn him his first pot of gold.