Ch 38: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Boiled river shrimp, with its fresh and sweet meat.

Crispy pork belly, rich and full of flavor.

Mushroom rice, where every grain of rice is infused with the unique aroma of the forest.

The textures of matsutake and porcini mushrooms are completely different: the former is crisp, the latter smooth. Qin Xia actually prefers the taste of porcini mushrooms, finding matsutake better when fresh.

The rice is glossy, coated with the savory oil from the sausage, adding layers of complexity to the dish.

The sausages had been air-dried on the beam for over half a month, becoming firmer and more flavorful than when they were freshly made. A spoonful of rice mixed with all the ingredients is so aromatic that it almost feels like it shoots straight to the top of your head.

In fact, after swallowing and then eating the pork belly, it even starts to feel a bit too rich.

Yu Jiuque decided to pause and moved his chopsticks toward the river shrimp.

Having washed his hands before the meal, he picked up a shrimp, finding that it wasn’t too hot anymore, and carefully began peeling it with his fingertips.

However, the river shrimp were so small that it felt like a lot of effort for just a little bit of meat that didn’t even fill his teeth.

After peeling enough shrimp, Yu Jiuque didn’t immediately eat them himself but instead offered them to Qin Xia.

“Husband, have some shrimp.”

Qin Xia had been watching Yu Jiuque for a while out of the corner of his eye, noticing how earnestly he was peeling, though it was clear he wasn’t very skilled at it.

The few small shrimp curled up on the porcelain plate looked rather cute.

“Let’s eat together.”

Qin Xia divided some shrimp into Yu Jiuque’s bowl and, after they had eaten, said, “Let me show you a way to eat shrimp without getting your hands dirty.”

He then demonstrated.

Yu Jiuque watched wide-eyed as his husband ate shrimp as if he were cracking sunflower seeds: a bite and a pull, and the entire piece of shrimp meat came out cleanly, leaving the shell intact!

Yu Jiuque was amazed.

“How did you do that, husband?”

It’s the same mouth and the same set of teeth—how can someone be so good at eating?

Qin Xia, noticing the slightly dumbfounded expression on Yu Jiuque’s face, couldn’t help but smile.

He picked up a whole shrimp and pointed to a spot on the shrimp’s back.

“Bite here. The back of the shrimp will break open, and you can pull the whole piece of meat out.”

However, this method only works with fresh river shrimp. If they’ve been frozen, the meat can easily break apart inside.

Yu Jiuque tried it and soon succeeded.

With this technique, the large plate of river shrimp quickly diminished, and both of them ended up with a pile of shrimp shells in front of them.

Feasting on river shrimp in the winter is certainly a luxury.

Not to mention the crispy pork belly and the fragrant mushroom and sausage rice.

While Yu Jiuque was still focused on finishing the last bowl of rice from the pot, Qin Xia quietly patted his stomach, feeling that this meal had filled him up to about 90% full.

Standing up to test…

Yes, it’s 100% full.

“Ah Jiu, can you still eat yuanxiao?”

During the festival, you have to eat some yuanxiao. There weren’t any ready in the morning, and by the time they returned in the evening, it would be too late, so lunch was just the right time.

Yu Jiuque pressed his lips together, restraining himself as he said, “I think I can still eat a few.”

“A few? How many?”

The young man thought for a moment and said, “Maybe a dozen or so… I should still be able to eat that many.”

In the end, Qin Xia boiled twenty yuanxiao. He struggled to eat five, feeling like he might get indigestion, so the remaining fifteen were given to Yu Jiuque.

The black sesame yuanxiao were sweet, soft, and glutinous, making them a perfect little dessert after the meal.

After finishing a bowl of yuanxiao soup, Qin Xia felt that the full and satisfied Yu Jiuque resembled a large, soft glutinous rice ball. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window lattice, and the young man slowly blinked and let out a yawn.

…

In the afternoon.

Qin Xia delivered a box of yuanxiao to the Liu family and the Wei family, bringing back two items in return.

One was a hand-sewn rabbit fur from Fang Rong, and the other was a gift from the Wei family—a smoked fish.

Entering the kitchen, Qin Xia hung the smoked fish on the beam and then carried the cloth-wrapped sleeping rabbit into the house.

With a creak, he pushed open the old wooden door, finding Da Fu sound asleep on a cloth cushion in the living room, its head tucked away and out of sight.

The room was very quiet, and Qin Xia tiptoed to peek into the inner room. As expected, he saw Yu Jiuque had taken off his outer clothes and was sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall, dozing off under a thin blanket.

Initially, Qin Xia didn’t intend to disturb Yu Jiuque if he was resting, but when he saw the young man’s sleeping posture, he couldn’t help but frown.

Just as he stepped over the threshold of the inner room, Yu Jiuque groggily opened his eyes.

“Husband, when did you get back?”

He rubbed his eyes and tried to push the blanket aside, but Qin Xia pulled it back over him.

“Why aren’t you lying down to sleep properly? Be careful not to strain your neck.”

Qin Xia had just returned from outside, still wrapped in the chill of winter.

As Yu Jiuque snuggled closer, his eyes regained clarity.

“I didn’t intend to sleep. I just finished eating, and lying down might not be good for digestion. But my eyelids were heavy, so I thought I’d take a quick nap.”

Qin Xia had also felt sleepy before heading out, but the cold wind outside had fully awakened him.

“If you’re not going to sleep, take a look at what Godmother made for you.”

He smiled and handed over the small bundle he was carrying. Yu Jiuque, full of anticipation, untied the cloth.

“A sleeping rabbit? Mother Rong made it so quickly.”

Yu Jiuque’s face lit up with a smile as he gently stroked the soft white rabbit fur.

Since a sleeping rabbit also serves as a head wrap, it needed a button to fasten the two ends of the fur strip.

Earlier, when they passed a silver shop, they had chosen a delicate silver button, and Fang Rong had remarked on how beautiful it was when she received it.

Now that it was sewn onto the sleeping rabbit, it truly stood out.

“Even though we still have to set up the stall tonight, it’s a festival, so why don’t you wear this? It’ll keep you from catching a chill.”

Yu Jiuque hesitated.

“If it gets splattered with oil, it would be such a pity. I should just wear my usual headscarf.”

Thinking about it, Qin Xia had to admit that was a possibility, feeling a bit disappointed.

Noticing the expression on Qin Xia’s face, Yu Jiuque, who was about to put the sleeping rabbit back, hesitated for a moment before handing it over to Qin Xia.

“Husband, could you help me put it on… just to try it out?”

Qin Xia was happy to oblige.

He unfolded the fur piece, while Yu Jiuque sat down next to the dressing table, propping up the copper mirror on the table.

The sleeping rabbit circled around the forehead, gathering in the front and fastening with the silver clasp to hold it in place.

The white rabbit fur gently swayed in the breeze stirred by Qin Xia’s movements.

In the mirror, a beautiful face was reflected, as graceful as an orchid and as delicate as jade.

Noticing Qin Xia’s unabashed gaze, Yu Jiuque shyly averted his eyes from the mirror.

“It feels a bit warm wearing this indoors. I’ll put it away for now, but I’ll wear it next time we visit Mother Rong’s house.”

Since he wasn’t skilled with needlework and had troubled Fang Rong to make it, it was only natural to wear it and show her.

Qin Xia was already accustomed to Yu Jiuque’s shy demeanor.

Reflecting on the description of this character in the book and comparing it to the person before him: one gentle and understanding, the other decisive and ruthless.

They were completely different, yet clearly the same person.

A sigh never quite made it to Qin Xia’s lips, as he realized that instead of worrying about Yu Jiuque leaving one day, it was better to cherish every moment they had together.

That way, when he looked back, there would be no regrets.

After putting away the sleeping rabbit, Qin Xia didn’t rush to the kitchen but instead stayed with Yu Jiuque, returning to the warm bed to take a short nap together.

…

In the afternoon.

Zheng Xinghua arrived at the Qin family’s doorstep, carrying a hundred newly folded oiled paper boxes on her back, and knocked on the door.

According to what was discussed when she was hired, today was supposed to be her last day working here.

Because of this, Zheng Xinghua hadn’t slept well for two consecutive nights.

Over the past month, she had saved a few coins from this job, and even during the New Year holiday, her wages had been paid as usual.

Such a good job might be hard to find again in the future.

Today, she had in mind to discuss with the couple whether she could continue folding paper boxes for them in the future, as it would still provide some income.

With this thought in mind, she greeted Yu Jiuque, who came to open the door, and entered the house with a heavy heart.

“Sister Zheng, tonight we’ll be selling yuanxiao at the stall, so I’ll need your help.”

Qin Xia, overwhelmed by the amount of food he had to prepare for the evening, noticed that Zheng Xinghua had arrived two quarters of an hour early, just as usual.

Zheng Xinghua put down her basket, glanced at the black sesame filling and glutinous rice flour already prepared on the counter, and rolled up her sleeves.

“Don’t worry, I’ve made yuanxiao before.”

Hearing this, Qin Xia felt reassured.

He made space by moving some of the items with Zheng Xinghua, creating room to work on other tasks.

Marinating chicken racks, wrapping shengjian, steaming five elements cake, brewing milk tea…

Qin Xia didn’t plan to sell spicy sour noodles tonight, simply because there wasn’t an extra stove available to cook them. But the remaining dishes were enough to keep the three of them busy in the kitchen, practically running circles around each other.

By the end of the youshi (around 6 p.m.), the evening’s ingredients were finally ready.

A large basin held fifty marinated chicken racks, five full trays of five elements cake, thirty servings of thumb-sized shengjian, the newly added fried yuanxiao, and a water jug full of milk tea.

The kitchen was warm as spring, and all three of them had worked up a sweat.

After tidying up, Zheng Xinghua had just pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the sweat from her forehead when she heard Yu Jiuque calling her.

She tucked the used handkerchief back into her sleeve and quickly walked out.

“Little boss, did you call me?”

When she first started working there, she called Qin Xia “boss” and Yu Jiuque “master.” Later, Qin Xia noticed this and asked her to call Yu Jiuque “little boss,” implying that there was no difference in status between the two of them. The “little” was merely for distinction.

Yu Jiuque was standing at the entrance to the main hall, waving her over.

“Could you come over here for a moment?”

Zheng Xinghua clenched her fingers, knowing that it was time to settle her wages.

Inside the main hall, Qin Xia wasn’t present; it was always Yu Jiuque who handled the money and accounts.

Although Zheng Xinghua was illiterate, she had glimpsed the account books kept by the little boss and noticed the neat and beautiful handwriting.

“Today’s wages are 20 wen, plus 10 wen for the oil paper boxes, making a total of 30 wen.”

Yu Jiuque counted out thirty copper coins, quickly strung them on a short string, tied a knot, and handed them to Zheng Xinghua.

A month ago, they signed a labor contract, agreeing to work until the Lantern Festival, which meant that Zheng Xinghua would no longer be needed after tomorrow.

Originally, the plan was to begin preparing the restaurant after the Lantern Festival, which would allow them to continue employing Zheng Xinghua. However, with the setback regarding the storefront, that plan had to be postponed.

Even so, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque decided to have a word with Zheng Xinghua first.

“It’s been a hard month for you, Sister. Have you found the work at our place to your satisfaction?”

Yu Jiuque clicked the abacus beads, then looked up with a smile.

Zheng Xinghua clutched the heavy copper coins in her palm and forced a smile.

“It’s been more than satisfactory. Over the years, I’ve worked in many households, and you two are the best bosses I’ve ever met.”

Saying this, she mustered the courage to bring up the words she had rehearsed countless times at home.

“I just wanted to ask, little boss, if I may be so bold, whether you might still need someone to help fold paper boxes afterward? I wouldn’t mind if the price were lower.”

She thought the two kind-hearted bosses would likely agree, but to her surprise, Yu Jiuque shook his head.

“There’s no need for that. After tonight, we won’t be running the night market stall anymore, and during the day, we won’t need as many boxes. We can fold a few ourselves when we have some spare time.”

“I see,” Zheng Xinghua murmured softly, lowering her gaze.

The thought of facing the disappointment in her father-in-law’s and mother-in-law’s eyes when she returned home made her heart ache.

It was at this moment that Yu Jiuque spoke again.

“Actually, there’s something else I’d like to ask your opinion on.”

Zheng Xinghua, hearing this, felt a glimmer of hope.

“Please, go ahead,” she replied.

Yu Jiuque smiled gently and said, “Sister, you may have heard that our family rented a stall on Banqiao Street to earn some extra money for renting a storefront and opening a restaurant. Although the storefront is not yet finalized, it should be settled within the next month. When the time comes, would you be willing to come and help in the restaurant? The work would be full-day, and the wages would be paid monthly, with lunch and dinner provided.”

After a moment of thought, he added, “The wages aren’t set yet, but they definitely won’t be lower than what you’re getting now.”

Zheng Xinghua’s heart skipped a beat, feeling as if a light had pierced through the gloom!

She immediately replied, “I’m willing! As long as you and the big boss give the word, I can come anytime!”

“That’s the best news,” Yu Jiuque said, clearly relieved to see how enthusiastic she was.

Over the past few weeks, both he and Qin Xia had noticed Zheng Xinghua’s diligence and efficiency. She was trustworthy, and when the time came to expand the restaurant, having a familiar and reliable person on board would certainly reduce any complications.

“Then it’s settled. Once the restaurant is ready to open, I’ll visit Aunt Rong and ask you to come over,” Yu Jiuque said.

Zheng Xinghua nodded repeatedly, thanking him over and over.

Yu Jiuque escorted her out of the hall, just as Qin Xia emerged from the kitchen, carrying a basket.

Recognizing it as the one she had brought to carry groceries after work, Zheng Xinghua quickly stepped forward and said, “Thank you for bringing this out for me, Boss. I can take it from here.”

She assumed Qin Xia had taken it out while heading out, but when she took the basket, she realized it was unexpectedly heavy.

Lifting the cloth cover, she found it filled with yuanxiao and several pieces of five elements cake!

“Boss, what’s this?” she asked, surprised.

Qin Xia looked at her with a warm smile and said, “Even though it’s your last day of work, you should still receive a festival gift. Take these home to enjoy the holiday with your family. As for the restaurant, I’m sure Ah Jiu has already spoken with you about it. I hope we’ll have the chance to work together again.”

Zheng Xinghua understood that the boss wasn’t just being polite. According to him, this was a standard “benefit” for workers at Qin’s household.

So, she didn’t refuse further. Even as she left the Qin household and walked through the alley, she still felt a bit dazed.

If she really could work at the Qin family’s restaurant in the future, even if the wages stayed the same, it would be six silver coins a month, which was more than enough. Besides, the little boss had promised that it would be higher.

With two meals provided at the restaurant, she could save on household expenses as well.

The more Zheng Xinghua thought about it, the more excited she became, and her pace quickened.

She had never doubted that the Qin family’s restaurant would succeed. With the big boss’s skills, it wouldn’t just be opening a restaurant—once it was up and running, it might be hard to even get a seat!

She needed to hurry home and share the good news with her parents and sister-in-law!

After Zheng Xinghua left, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque quickly had a simple meal to fill their stomachs, then started loading everything onto the cart.

The streets would be packed tonight, so they decided to head out earlier than usual to avoid getting stuck in the crowd.

The wooden wheels left deep tracks in the dirt road, and on the night of the Lantern Festival, the town was truly aglow.

As they made their way from Furong Alley to Banqiao Street, the sights they saw brought to Qin Xia’s mind several lines of poetry passed down through the ages:

Fire trees and silver flowers, the lantern market is like daylight.

The bright moon like frost, the Milky Way like fallen stars.

Some traditions, which had become sparse and diluted in modern cities after a thousand years, could only be truly appreciated by returning to this time. Here, Qin Xia could feel how much ancient people, who had few entertainment options, valued the Lantern Festival.

Even noblewomen and gentlemen who rarely ventured outside would bring their servants to the streets to enjoy the lanterns today.

At the entrance to the alley, passersby could be seen carrying various colorful lanterns, with children pulling wheeled rabbit and ball lanterns, rolling along as they ran ahead.

“Watch out!”

“Sorry, sorry!”

A few children ran by quickly, the leader holding up a fish lantern high, laughter trailing behind them as a few adults followed with exasperated expressions, apologizing to anyone the kids bumped into along the way.

Qin Xia couldn’t help but recall the scene from Dream of the Red Chamber where Xiangling gets lost while viewing the Lantern Festival, and he glanced back at the children running around wildly a few more times.

Were these parents just too carefree, or was the security in Qinan County really that good, with not even a trace of kidnappers or abductors?

Yu Jiuque, walking on the other side of the cart, noticed Qin Xia’s gaze lingering on the playful children.

Sure enough, his husband still liked children. Didn’t he notice how many passersby were already showing signs of impatience?

Yu Jiuque interpreted Qin Xia’s distraction this way, completely unaware that their thoughts were entirely divergent and unrelated.

Since they weren’t traveling with Liu Douzi today, they chose a different route to avoid the crowds of people enjoying the lanterns.

On the way, they passed over a small river that flowed through the county. The stone bridge arched like a rainbow, decorated with lights for the festival, far more dazzling than usual.

Soon, they heard the sound of gongs and drums filling the air.

“It’s the lion dance team!”

“The lion dancers are here!”

On festival nights, the city not only had various lanterns but also lion dance performances.

Attracted by the sound, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque stopped to watch.

The lion dance team came from the other end of the bridge, leaping and twirling with impressive agility.

When they reached the highest point of the bridge, they stopped and began performing acrobatic stunts.

First, they formed a human pyramid, then they climbed high stools, did somersaults, and even had a small “lion” climb a bamboo pole!

The crowd around them gasped and cheered, thoroughly impressed.

Qin Xia thought that if they weren’t standing so far away, he would have thrown some coins into the cymbal in appreciation.

After the lion dance, a group of elaborately dressed women and gers followed.

From the original host’s memory, Qin Xia knew this was the “Walking for Health” procession.

“Walking for Health” was a Lantern Festival custom of the Dayong Dynasty, especially popular in the northern regions. They would set out during the day, walk through the entire town, cross every bridge, and pray at every temple, finally ending at the city gate to “touch the nails.”

It was said that touching the nails on the city gate on the Lantern Festival could bring prosperity and fertility to one’s household, so it was mostly married women and husbands who participated.

In the past few days, some neighbors had even asked Yu Jiuque if he wanted to join them. Now that Qin Xia was doing well, many were eager to interact with the couple. However, Yu Jiuque declined, citing the need to work their stall that night.

The “Walking for Health” tradition carried a good meaning, but the thought of joining a large group of unfamiliar women and husbands made Yu Jiuque’s scalp tingle.

He much preferred spending time with Qin Xia, even if it meant being busy together—it made him happy.

After navigating through the crowd, taking a quarter of an hour longer than usual, they finally managed to push their cart to Banqiao Street.

As soon as they set up the stall and hung the lit lanterns, they were immediately surrounded by a crowd.

“Boss Qin, you’re finally here!”

“Do you have anything new tonight?”

“See, I told you Qin’s food stall would sell yuanxiao tonight! How much for a couple of bowls?”

The innermost circle was filled with regular customers, while the outer circle was made up of curious passersby drawn by the commotion.

But as these people got closer and saw the lantern with the character “Qin” hanging from the stall, they quickly realized that this was the famous Qin family food stall!

When it came to buying food from Qin Xia, the earlier the better. If you were late, what you wanted would likely be sold out already. Over time, people learned to keep an eye on the time and come early to ensure they could choose from everything available.

Amid the chaos, Qin Xia heard someone predict that he would be selling yuanxiao, so he raised his voice to introduce it: “Everyone, we are indeed selling yuanxiao tonight, but they might not be what you’re expecting.”

“What kind of twist could there be with yuanxiao?”

“Probably something unique with the filling.”

“Boss Qin, stop teasing us and just tell us the price!”

This question was soon answered.

Qin Xia did set up a large iron pot, but instead of water, he poured oil into it!

People only knew of boiled yuanxiao, but they had never seen fried yuanxiao!