Ch 31: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

A New Year’s Eve Dinner with Ten Dishes

The days passed by in eager anticipation of renting the storefront after the New Year, and before they knew it, it was already the twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month.

Today was the last day that Qin Xia and Liu Douzi would set up their stall, and the next time would be on the fifth day of the New Year.

Since Yu Jiuque received approval from Dr. Xu to stop taking his medicine, he had been coming along every day to help out, carrying a hand warmer and not feeling the cold at all.

To thank their customers, they had prepared an extra steamer full of Five-Element Cakes with red bean filling, giving one to everyone who made a purchase. Even the men were happy to take them—if they didn’t eat them themselves, someone at home surely would. And since it was free, who would complain?

After about an hour and a half of busy work, with the moon high in the sky, all the food was sold out.

When they loaded the cart, everything felt much lighter.

“Dear, catch the rope.”

Yu Jiuque threw the hemp rope over the items on the cart to Qin Xia. The two of them secured it tightly with a few loops before calling it done.

Afterward, Qin Xia went to help Liu Douzi.

Recently, in addition to the usual iron plate and wooden tofu box, Liu Douzi had added a soup pot and a small clay stove to his stall to sell a new dish that Qin Xia had taught him—Chicken Soup Tofu Skewers.

Unlike iron plate tofu, Chicken Soup Tofu Skewers used dried tofu, cut into squares, rolled up, and skewered on bamboo sticks, then simmered in chicken soup. Before serving, a ladle of seasoning and some cilantro and minced garlic were added, with an optional spoonful of chili paste for those who wanted it spicy.

A portion sold for two wen, and you got a ladle of chicken soup as well, warming both the stomach and the heart.

Liu Douzi’s tofu stall was already known for being cheap and good, so this two-wen dish with chicken soup quickly revived business, which had taken a hit when others started copying the iron plate tofu.

Having tasted success and with Fang Rong having free time at home, they not only sold it during the day but also made an extra pot to sell at the night market.

With the extra income from helping Qin Xia with the iron plate chicken racks and the money he insisted on giving Liu Douzi, Liu Douzi had now saved up a small fortune.

With money in his pocket, everything seemed to be going well. Tonight, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque heard that Liu Douzi’s aunt planned to arrange a match for him with the Ge’er she had introduced earlier, right after the New Year.

“My mother originally wasn’t planning to make me new clothes for the New Year, but after hearing from my aunt, she went to buy some cloth.”

In these times, a matchmaking meeting was mostly just a formality—like a visit between relatives. Once the man arrived at the house, the two sides would take a look at each other, and then the women and gers would retreat to the back.

The man would stay for a bit, drinking tea and displaying his manners, before the host family assigned him some tasks to see if he was diligent and capable.

During this time, the bride-to-be or the Ge’er would often secretly peek from inside the house or behind a window. After the man left, the two sides would discuss whether they were satisfied. If they were, the marriage could proceed; if not, they would end it there to avoid future resentment.

For such an occasion, how could one not wear a new outfit? Fang Rong was understandably concerned about her son.

“It looks like if everything goes well, we might be drinking at your wedding next year.”

City folk were different from those in the countryside, where weddings had to wait for the farming off-season. In this case, if they took a liking to each other and had a reliable matchmaker, they would likely pick a good day within the year, unless some unforeseen issue arose.

Liu Douzi blushed.

“I’m not sure if they’ll even like me.”

Qin Xia picked up on something from that statement.

“Why are you only worried that they won’t like you? Aren’t you afraid that you might not like them?”

He was slightly surprised and asked, “Could it be that you secretly went to check out the little Ge’er?”

As soon as he said this, Yu Jiuque’s gaze also fell on him, and Liu Douzi quickly waved his hands.

“How could I be so disrespectful! It’s just that based on what my aunt told me, I remembered that their family had come to our stall to buy tofu before, so… I’ve seen him a couple of times.”

The more he spoke, the lower his voice became. Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque, being older, could easily pick up on the underlying meaning.

If that little Ge’er were just ordinary, how could he remember him so clearly after only seeing him twice?

Qin Xia patted Liu Douzi’s shoulder meaningfully.

His sworn brother was likely to secure a good husband in the future, unlike himself…

It seemed like a good match, but in reality, it was nothing more than an illusion.

They continued walking until they reached the fork in the road, where they waved and said their goodbyes.

The next time they would see each other would be during the New Year’s visits.

…

On New Year’s Eve.

It was a rare day off, and with no elders at home, Qin Xia had hoped to sleep in with Yu Jiuque. However, as soon as the time came, his internal “biological clock” still made him open his eyes.

He lay there for a while, trying to fall back asleep, but when he confirmed that he was truly awake, Qin Xia resigned himself to getting up.

In contrast, Yu Jiuque was frail, sensitive to the cold, and enjoyed staying warm, always battling the urge to stay in bed a little longer each morning. This morning was no different.

“What time is it?”

As soon as Qin Xia got up, even though they weren’t sharing the same bed, Yu Jiuque noticed the movement.

He opened his sleepy eyes and immediately let out a small yawn, looking as if he had slept very well last night.

Seeing him like this made Qin Xia’s throat tighten slightly. If Yu Jiuque were truly his spouse, he would have leaned in to give him a kiss by now.

Unfortunately, he was a soul from another world, with an omniscient perspective.

Even though he now had feelings, he knew that Yu Jiuque’s memory had not yet returned, making any advances feel like taking advantage of him.

Even if he were to throw caution to the wind, he couldn’t get past the barrier in his heart.

“It’s still early. I can’t fall back asleep once I’m awake, so I’ll go boil some water and make breakfast. There’s no rush for you to get up; you can sleep a little longer. I’ll call you when the food is ready, and then we can put up the spring couplets on the door.”

Yu Jiuque curled up in the blanket, his feet touching the still-warm bed warmer. Even after a whole night, it retained some warmth.

He blinked, his long eyelashes fluttering, making it easy to overlook the slight darkness under his eyes.

“I’ll get up with you; it’s not good to stay in bed on New Year’s Eve.”

Qin Xia saw that he was about to lift the covers, so he grabbed the outer robe and put it over him.

The clothes had been warmed on the kang (heated brick bed) all night, and the inside was cozy and warm.

Yu Jiuque tightened the robe around himself, quickly slipping his arms into the sleeves, so he wouldn’t feel cold no matter how much he moved around.

“This morning we’ll have congee and simmer some paste at the same time. Do you want pancakes or buns?”

Last night, Qin Xia had prepared some old dough, so they could make anything they wanted.

At first, Yu Jiuque was too shy to choose when faced with such questions, but later, Qin Xia told him that the last thing a cook wanted to hear was “whatever” or “anything’s fine,” so he always gave it serious thought.

“Let’s have buns.”

They had been eating pancakes a lot lately, and he figured Qin Xia might also want to switch things up with some buns.

Qin Xia thought for a moment and said, “Alright, we’ll have buns. I’ll make one with radish filling and one with red bean paste. I prepared too much bean paste yesterday for the Five-Element Cakes, so we can use it up.”

“With a feast of rich foods in the evening, let’s keep it light and vegetarian for breakfast,” Qin Xia suggested. Yu Jiuque smiled sweetly and nodded, “Okay.”

Qin Xia quickly dressed and headed out, while Yu Jiuque stayed behind, slowly exhaling a breath as he began to put on his clothes layer by layer. His expression was far less relaxed than it had been during his conversation with Qin Xia.

Even though today was supposed to be a joyous day, he had once again experienced an incredibly vivid dream last night, just as he had a few days earlier.

He was now certain that the scenes in his dreams were interconnected and most likely linked to his past memories.

And last night’s dream had provided even more clues.

Knowing that Qin Xia would take some time to boil water and prepare breakfast, Yu Jiuque took advantage of the brief moment. He quietly got out of bed, opened his chest of clothes, and retrieved a piece of paper and a brush from the inside lining of one of his garments.

There was still some leftover cold water on the table from the night before. He dipped the brush quickly, just enough to get some ink flowing, and hastily wrote down a few characters that only he could understand.

Over time, he had written quite a few notes like this on the paper.

Using these records, Yu Jiuque was slowly piecing together fragments of his past.

Just as he was deep in thought, Qin Xia’s voice called from outside the bed.

“Ah Jiu, are you dressed yet?”

Yu Jiuque quickly put away the paper and brush, and calmly responded.

“Yes, I’m all set.”

The door swung open, and Yu Jiuque had just finished securing his hair with a silver hairpin, looking as composed as ever.

“It’s really cold today, and the sky is overcast. It might even snow,” Qin Xia said, bringing a gust of cold air into the room, which was quickly dispelled by the hot water he poured from the copper kettle.

On any other day, they’d hope for clear skies, but New Year’s Eve was different. Snow was seen as a good omen, signaling a prosperous year ahead.

After washing up and disposing of the dirty water, they headed together to the kitchen.

Qin Xia prepared breakfast, while Yu Jiuque mixed the feed for the chickens and the goose, Da Fu. He took the chicken feed to the backyard, while the goose feed was left on the kitchen floor for Da Fu to eat on its own.

Before leaving, Yu Jiuque glanced at the wall. The bowl meant for feeding the cat was empty again, but after looking around, he still couldn’t spot the cat.

After breakfast, they grabbed the thick paste and some stools, carefully holding the spring couplets and the “Fu” character decorations, and headed to the front gate.

They had woken up fairly early, but many of the neighbors in the alley were already busy decorating their homes.

After greeting the Wei family across the street and the neighbors on either side, Qin Xia unfolded one side of their spring couplets and started measuring the door for placement.

Last year, during the New Year, the original owner was still in mourning for his grandmother, so he had spent the holiday alone, without any decorations. This year, with Qin Xia in charge, they could finally celebrate with some festivity.

Yu Jiuque sneaked a glance at the spring couplets on other houses. Most were neatly written and flawless, clearly store-bought, as the handwriting on them all looked quite similar.

Only Qin Xia insisted that Yu Jiuque write theirs. Even though the alley had seen its share of scholars and officials, making it likely that people would notice and perhaps laugh at his handwriting, Yu Jiuque no longer felt embarrassed.

Initially, he had been worried about it, but the night he wrote the couplets, Qin Xia kept praising his work so much that his ears practically went numb. Now that it was time to put them up, he felt surprisingly calm.

After all, he had already written them, so there was no point in worrying about what others might think.

“Ah Jiu, can you check if it’s straight?” Qin Xia asked.

Qin Xia’s words snapped Yu Jiuque out of his thoughts. He stepped back, carefully inspected the placement, and nodded. “It’s straight, go ahead and stick it.”

Hearing this, Qin Xia pressed the red paper firmly against the door. Following the same method, they finished putting up the second couplet, the horizontal scroll, and the square decorations on the two doors.

“Qin Xia, the phrases on your couplets this year are really good. How come I didn’t see these when I was buying?” asked Cao A’shuang, who was nearby. She couldn’t read much except for her own name, so she tugged on Wei Chao’s arm. “Husband, what does it say?”

Wei Chao then read it out loud for her. After hearing it, Cao A’shuang also found it pleasant and asked Yu Jiuque with a smile, “Did you buy this at the stall on Liubao Street?”

Yu Jiuque felt it would be boastful to say he wrote it himself, so he hesitated. Luckily, Qin Xia stepped in and said, “I wanted to save a few copper coins, so I just bought the paper and asked Ah Jiu to write it.”

Writing it wasn’t a big deal, but saying he was “asked” to do it made Yu Jiuque glance at Qin Xia. Qin Xia continued chatting, “Ah Jiu insisted his writing wasn’t good enough and worried people would laugh, but I think it’s great.”

With Qin Xia’s endorsement, there was little left to say. Besides, to people like Wei Chao and others, being literate was already uncommon in the marketplace, and someone who could write calligraphy was even more esteemed.

Given the close relationship between the two families, not only Wei Chao and his wife, but even Wei’s mother, Ge Xiuhong, who passed by and overheard, praised them, saying Qin Xia was truly fortunate to have married such a well-educated husband.

In the end, Yu Jiuque practically dragged Qin Xia back into the courtyard, fearing that if they stayed any longer, the entire alley would come to see the couplets he had written!

As the gate closed, Qin Xia still had a smile on his face. “Why the rush? We haven’t even hung the lanterns yet. We’ll need to open the door again in a bit.”

Yu Jiuque closed his eyes briefly, frustrated that he had forgotten about that, all because of Qin Xia’s endless “showing off”!

In the end, it was Qin Xia who took the long bamboo pole and hung the lanterns himself. Yu Jiuque refused to go out again, especially since he could already hear mischievous, literate kids in the alley reciting couplets door to door.

Fortunately, aside from this, the rest of their tasks on the 30th were kitchen-related.

They quickly got through breakfast and lunch, even taking turns enjoying a comfortable bath in the tub. The main event was the evening meal.

Qin Xia had been eager to show off his cooking skills. Although it was just the two of them for New Year’s Eve dinner, he had prepared a full ten dishes, not including dumplings, twists, and other fried snacks.

And, just as Qin Xia had predicted, by the afternoon, large snowflakes began to fall.

“It’s snowing! It’s snowing!” The alley echoed with joyful shouts, and Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque quickly opened the tightly shut kitchen door to look outside.

A gust of cold wind rushed in, bringing with it flurries of snowflakes.

“It’s really snowing,” Yu Jiuque said in delight, holding up a snowflake to show Qin Xia.

Qin Xia also caught a few flakes, but his palms were warmer, and the snow melted instantly, unlike in Yu Jiuque’s hand, where they lingered a moment longer.

“In Qinan County, when it snows during the New Year, it’s never a light snow—it’s always a big one. No need to rush out; be careful not to catch a cold.”

The kitchen was warm, and Yu Jiuque had unbuttoned his coat, while Qin Xia had taken his off completely. Hearing this, Yu Jiuque noticed Qin Xia’s thin clothing and his still-damp hair and quickly closed the door.

Qin Xia couldn’t help but smile. Though he was worried about Yu Jiuque catching a cold, the young man’s first concern was still him.

The two of them continued washing vegetables, chopping, kneading dough, and stoking the fire…

Dafu eventually grew tired and fell asleep in its little straw nest, its head tucked under its wing, looking like a big white ball from a distance.

By evening, a basket full of golden fried snacks had been prepared, and several main dishes were just waiting to be cooked.

“Shall we start now?”

Qin Xia sought Yu Jiuque’s opinion.

“Let’s do it,” Yu Jiuque replied, checking the time and feeling that it was about right.

For a new wife or husband, handling the family’s New Year preparations is a significant task, yet things had been surprisingly smooth for him.

The two of them worked together—one tending the fire and assisting, the other focused on cooking. With the stove blazing, they brought out one aromatic dish after another.

There were four main meat dishes: Three-Cup Chicken, Dried Tangerine Duck, Sweet and Sour Fish, and Lion’s Head Meatballs.

Two cold dishes: Spicy Cucumber Salad and Tofu Skin Sticky Rice Rolls, along with two vegetarian dishes: Steamed Tofu Egg and Stir-Fried Three Winter Vegetables.

They even had dessert covered with Eight-Treasure Rice and Candied Sweet Potatoes.

When Yu Jiuque first saw the menu Qin Xia had written, with its messy handwriting, he was nearly speechless with surprise.

“Is this really just for the two of us for New Year’s dinner? It looks more like a banquet from a city restaurant!”

But Qin Xia was confident.

“After all, it’s New Year. So what if there are only two of us? We can’t just settle for a simple four-dish meal. I won’t make too much of each; what we don’t finish can be eaten on the first day of the new year.”

Despite his words, Yu Jiuque knew that Qin Xia’s intention was to make sure he could eat to his heart’s content and try every dish.

What stood out to Yu Jiuque was that half of the dishes were sweet, clearly catering to his taste. He had been craving sweet flavors since his medicine made everything taste bitter.

“Shouldn’t we add a couple of spicy dishes?” Yu Jiuque asked, knowing Qin Xia loved spicy food and might find these dishes too mild.

Qin Xia shook his head. “It’s New Year’s. No need for anything too intense; it would be too overpowering.”

So, they stuck to this menu and did their shopping accordingly.

Among all the dishes, what impressed Yu Jiuque the most were the Sweet and Sour Fish and Candied Sweet Potatoes.

The fish was deep-fried and then drizzled with sauce, shaped like a leaping fish—so lifelike.

The sweet potatoes were wrapped in sugar that Qin Xia skillfully spun into threads as fine as hair, covering the potato pieces.

Watching the entire process, Yu Jiuque asked if Qin Xia planned to serve these dishes in their future restaurant. Qin Xia simply responded, “We’ll see.”

Yu Jiuque smiled, recognizing this as the confidence that comes with skill.

As the evening progressed, the ten dishes were finally set on the table.

Before they began their meal, they brought out a side table to set up the ancestral tablets of the past two generations of the Qin family. They placed a portion of the meal as offerings and then stood side by side, respectfully lighting incense and bowing.

For Qin Xia, this was his way of expressing gratitude for the identity left by the original Qin Xia, which allowed him to live again and fulfill filial duties.

For Yu Jiuque, it was his sincere acknowledgment as Qin Xia’s husband, grateful for being welcomed into the Qin family.

Even as his returning memories made him anxious, he resolved to find a way for him and Qin Xia to stay together.

The two tables, pushed together and filled with dishes, may have been slightly mismatched in size, but with no outsiders present, there was no need to worry about such details.

Yu Jiuque quickly set aside his brief moment of worry and brought over a wine jar, smiling as he opened the cloth stopper.

A refreshing aroma of wine mixed with the scent of the dishes filled the air. The wine poured out, clear as water, a testament to the quality of this small jar that cost a whole tael of silver.

He took the wine cup and poured some for Qin Xia, who then filled Yu Jiuque’s bowl with the warmed rice wine.

As they sat facing each other, Qin Xia lifted his cup first and said, “Let’s toast.”

Even though the house was quiet, it suddenly felt like New Year’s Eve after clinking their glasses and drinking the wine.

“How does it taste?” Qin Xia asked Yu Jiuque.

Yu Jiuque nodded, “It’s good, a little sweet, but not too much.”

Seeing Qin Xia enjoying his drink, Yu Jiuque poured him another cup after he finished the first one.

After the “appetizer wine,” they began eating the dishes.

Each of the ten dishes had its own unique flavor. Usually, Yu Jiuque could find something to praise about one or two dishes, but this time he was at a loss for words.

The tea-flavored chicken had a subtle tea aroma, the dried tangerine duck carried the fresh scent of tangerine peel, and the sweet and sour fish was even more enjoyable than its appearance suggested. The lion’s head meatballs were so delicious that he couldn’t resist pairing them with a bowl of rice.

Seeing Yu Jiuque focused on eating meat, Qin Xia didn’t forget to serve him a small bowl of steamed tofu and egg.

This dish was presented beautifully, and Qin Xia had even given it a nice name, “Steamed and Rising.”

Both the tofu and egg were soft and smooth, easily sliding down the throat.

The stir-fried Three Winters—a mix of winter bamboo shoots, winter mushrooms, and preserved winter vegetables—was crisp and refreshing, almost like a preview of spring.

The food was delicious, but they didn’t eat too quickly. They chatted, sipped their wine, and exchanged casual words as time slowly passed.

By the time the table was in a state of disarray, with only a little food left, Qin Xia had already had three bowls of wine, his eyes showing a slight hint of intoxication.

Outside, the sound of firecrackers and laughter gradually began to fill the air. Qin Xia sipped some tea to rinse his mouth and said, “We’ve eaten enough. Do you want to go outside and set off some firecrackers?”

They had bought not only strings of firecrackers but also small ones like rockets and double-bangers, just for some fun tonight.

Yu Jiuque glanced at the food on the table. “Should we put it away first?”

Qin Xia waved his hand. “We’ll still be making dumplings later tonight, so let’s just leave it. We can reheat anything we want to eat.”

Yu Jiuque had no objections, so they both changed into warmer clothes and headed out into the alley.

Such activities are more fun with more people around.

With a pile of firecrackers in hand, Qin Xia also held a stick of incense to light them.

As soon as they opened the door, the outside was already filled with smoke and fire.

“Come over here!”

Following Cao A’shuang’s shout, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque noticed a large box in the snow in front of Wei Chao. It looked like they were about to set off something big, so Qin Xia quickly pulled Yu Jiuque over to stand with the Wei family, covering their ears in the process.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The Wei family was well-off, and they didn’t mind spending money on such things for the New Year.

While most families bought small firecrackers to entertain their children, the Wei family, with no young children, splurged on big fireworks that went off in a series of loud bangs.

After a while, Wei Xi, who had returned home with a caravan earlier in the year, lit another one.

Qin Xia also handed out the firecrackers he had bought, and the noise continued, with smoke so thick at one point that they couldn’t see the people on the other side.

Cao A’shuang, though timid, enjoyed watching but only dared to throw small bang snaps, like a child.

Yu Jiuque was much braver, willing to light anything, but he would quickly run back after setting it off.

Every time, Qin Xia would pull him into an embrace, and to anyone watching, they seemed like a perfectly loving couple, despite the fact that they slept separately at night.

When they had used up their stock of fireworks, the only thing left was the long red firecrackers, which they would save to set off at midnight to see out the old year.

Satisfied for now, everyone laughed and parted ways to head home.

Upon returning, the ones in charge of the kitchen all naturally went to the stove to start kneading dough and chopping fillings, preparing for the essential New Year’s Eve dumpling feast.