Ch 10: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Cabbage Stuffed Pancakes

The grilled cold noodles received high praise from Xing Yiming.

He had only taken a few bites before asking Qin Xia how long he would be running the stall.

“If there’s still some left before dinner, I’ll come back and buy more to take home for my wife and kids to try.”

Qin Xia glanced at the remaining tofu and noodles. “I’m afraid we might sell out before dinner, but if you want, I can reserve some for you and make it fresh when you return.”

Xing Yiming swallowed another mouthful of grilled cold noodles and nodded repeatedly.

“That sounds great. Set aside two large portions of grilled cold noodles and two portions of iron plate tofu for me, with one half spicy and the other not. Add two eggs to each portion of the grilled cold noodles.”

Yu Jiuque quickly calculated the total.

“That’ll be fifty-four wen, but since that number doesn’t sound too good, just give us fifty-three.”

Xing Yiming, however, counted out fifty-five wen.

“You’re running a small business; it’s not easy. Let me round it up for you. This is a deposit, and I’ll pay the remaining thirty wen when it’s delivered.”

Yu Jiuque accepted the payment and thanked him several times.

Xing Yiming then asked Qin Xia, “Since you can reserve the food, could you also deliver it? My shop, Ganyuan Zhai, is just up ahead. You can bring it by at the beginning of the You hour.”

So he’s the owner of Ganyuan Zhai?

Qin Xia had inherited memories from the original owner and knew that Ganyuan Zhai was quite famous in the county town.

They had a signature pastry called soft fragrant cake, which was a best-seller, especially during festivals. Many people would bring Ganyuan Zhai’s “Ten Fruit Pastry” box as a gift when visiting relatives and friends.

“I’ve got it noted. I’ll make sure it’s delivered by the beginning of the You hour.”

Xing Yiming nodded in satisfaction and strolled away leisurely with the grilled cold noodles that he hadn’t finished.

In the afternoon, after making three more servings, Qin Xia massaged his slightly sore arm and prepared to warm up some stuffed pancakes they had brought from home to fill their stomachs before getting busy again.

Street food wasn’t cheap, and it might not suit everyone’s taste. Since the weather was cold and food wouldn’t spoil quickly, Qin Xia had made plenty of cabbage and meat stuffed pancakes early in the morning at home.

The pork was separated into lean and fatty portions. The lean meat was minced, and the fatty meat was diced and rendered into crispy bits, with the resulting fat reserved.

The cabbage was finely chopped and mixed with the crispy pork bits into the minced meat, seasoned with salt, sugar, and soy sauce, then mixed with a bit of starch and chopped green onions before adding the reserved fat to create the filling for the pancakes.

Making the stuffed pancakes was quite enjoyable.

The dough was spread out in the palm, the filling placed in the center, and the edges of the dough were pulled towards the center without worrying about it tearing.

Once the filling was completely enclosed, the pancake was shaped and slightly flattened, ready to be cooked.

The result was a pancake that oozed juice with every bite.

It had to be made with cabbage; no other vegetable would produce the same flavor.

At the stall, the stove was already set up, so they could just reheat the pancakes, which tasted almost as good as when they were freshly made.

However, eating only pancakes might be a bit monotonous, so Qin Xia took some money and went to a nearby stall to buy two bowls of small wontons.

These small wontons were tiny, with just a bit of meat filling, but the broth was excellent. Qin Xia could tell immediately that it was made from a well-boiled bone broth.

The two of them started eating with the wonton soup. Qin Xia was full after two pancakes, while Yu Jiuque finished the remaining five.

Even then, Qin Xia was still worried that he hadn’t eaten enough and went to the neighboring stall to buy two fried sugar cakes.

You Ge’er selling the cakes noticed and was surprised at how much Yu Jiuque, who appeared so delicate, could actually eat.

He shook his head to himself—people really can’t be judged by their appearance.

After eating, despite using oiled paper, it was inevitable that their hands got a bit greasy from the meal.

They scooped some water to wash their hands and sat on the stools, chatting quietly.

Yu Jiuque said, “This morning, we must have made over five hundred wen. We’re almost out of eggs. After accounting for the four reserved for that shopkeeper, we only have five left.”

The eggs they bought cost four wen each, so they only made one wen of profit per egg.

Even though Qin Xia believed that grilled cold noodles were incomplete without an egg, he had to admit that there were few who were willing to spend extra for it, so he only brought twenty eggs today. As expected, only a few customers had opted for the additional egg so far.

“If someone wants these last five, that’s great. If not, it’s no big deal—eggs don’t spoil easily.”

The other ingredients were also running low, and they hoped to sell out by early evening. After delivering the order to Ganyuan Zhai, they could close up shop.

Having been busy since early morning, both of them were quite tired, and having just eaten, they were naturally feeling a bit drowsy, so they didn’t rush to get up. The cart in front blocked the wind, and the stove was still warm, making it quite cozy.

Yu Jiuque tucked his hands into his sleeves and fell silent, his eyelids growing heavy. The medicine from the clinic he had been taking for a few days had reduced his dizziness, but it made him sleepier than before. Qin Xia had explained that the medicine had calming and sedative effects, and while Yu Jiuque understood this, he still felt it hindered his work.

Seeing Yu Jiuque struggling to stay awake, nodding off like a little chick pecking at grain, Qin Xia felt a warmth in his heart, as if a feather was gently brushing against it.

“If you’re sleepy, lean on me and take a nap. I’ll wake you if someone comes.”

He pointed to his own shoulder. “You haven’t fully recovered yet, and it’s too tiring to be out here every day with me. If it’s too much…”

He was considering suggesting that Yu Jiuque return home earlier or come later in the morning, but before he could finish his sentence, Yu Jiuque quickly responded, “I’m not tired!” as if afraid that Qin Xia would leave him behind.

Qin Xia had no choice but to keep the rest of his thoughts to himself. In the end, he persuaded Yu Jiuque to lean on him and take a short nap. It was just under half an hour before a passerby stopped to ask what they were selling and how much it cost.

Yu Jiuque immediately woke up, rubbing his eyes and sitting up straight. Qin Xia couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss as his shoulder lightened.

…

As evening approached, there wasn’t much left at the stall. Qin Xia kept track of the time and prepared the two portions of iron plate tofu and the large grilled cold noodles that Xing Yiming had ordered, leaving Yu Jiuque to watch the stall while he jogged over to Ganyuan Zhai to make the delivery.

At the shop, Xing Yiming looked as if he had been waiting eagerly.

“I’ve been thinking about that taste all afternoon since lunch, imagining enjoying it with some good wine when I get home. Isn’t that just perfect?”

Seeing that Qin Xia was so punctual, Xing Yiming’s favorable impression of him grew. He cheerfully paid the remaining thirty wen and noticed Qin Xia looking at the shop’s pastries.

“Are you thinking of buying some to take home?”

Qin Xia nodded.

“My husband has a sweet tooth, and no other pastries in the city can compare to yours. Since I’m already here, I can’t leave empty-handed.”

Xing Yiming, who had already held Qin Xia in high regard due to his culinary skills, was impressed that a street vendor could speak so smoothly, rivaling someone from a merchant family.

Whether it was true or not, Qin Xia’s words were crafted to be pleasing to the ear.

“Pick whatever you like, and I’ll give you a good price.”

Qin Xia smiled and cupped his hands in thanks. “Thank you, shopkeeper. May I ask for your esteemed surname?”

“My humble surname is Xing. And yours?”

“Ah, so it’s Shopkeeper Xing. My surname is Qin.”

“Then you must be Boss Qin.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qin Xia didn’t just offer empty words; he seriously selected several pastries, including Ganyuan Zhai’s famous soft fragrant cakes and tuckahoe pies, five of each, and also took a bag of peach crisps.

The two kinds of pastries were five wen each, totaling fifty wen, and the bag of peach crisps, which contained six, was fifteen wen.

Xing Yiming rounded down the total, only charging Qin Xia sixty wen.

“It turns out I ended up eating yours for free and even made an extra five wen.”

He then instructed a worker to bring a small bag of sesame candy and placed it together with the pastries Qin Xia had bought.

“These got accidentally broken during production, but they taste just the same.”

The implication was that he was giving them to Qin Xia as a gift.

Both sides were being straightforward, effectively meaning that Qin Xia had traded his own snacks for Ganyuan Zhai’s pastries.

After expressing his thanks, Qin Xia took his leave. It wasn’t long before he spotted his stall.

To his surprise, despite the ingredients being sold out, which should have meant that anyone inquiring would quickly leave upon finding out there was nothing left to buy, three men were still lingering in front of the stall.

Even from a distance, he could vaguely hear that the three men were raising their voices.

Realizing something was wrong, Qin Xia furrowed his brow and quickly jogged a few steps forward to see what was happening.