Ch 42: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

“Boss Qin, if everything looks good to you, I’ll need to trouble you to settle the bill.”

On the last day of the Lunar New Year, the foreman in charge of the shop’s renovation, along with his craftsmen, officially completed their work and invited Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque to inspect the results.

In just a few days, the front hall and the backyard had been completely transformed, including some minor repairs to the back rooms and the kitchen. The old tiles on the roof were replaced, the weathered walls were freshly whitewashed, and the uneven floors were leveled.

In the backyard, the old walls and earthen kang (heated bed) were entirely demolished according to Qin Xia’s plans, creating two elegant private dining rooms. Although the doors and windows were not yet installed, the overall shape was already evident.

Outside, there was an “L”-shaped wall topped with green tiles. The back of the wall led to the doors of the private dining rooms, and at the end of the corridor to the left, a crabapple-shaped window opened up, with a doorway directly opposite for easy access.

The couple couldn’t find any flaws and promptly settled the payment for the labor. The total cost for labor and materials, including bricks and other supplies, amounted to ten taels of silver, with the most expensive item being the blue bricks. In addition to the agreed amount, Qin Xia also gave each worker an extra twenty copper coins as a bonus—a small token, but one that symbolized good luck for the newly opened shop.

Once the workers left, the carpenters took over. Qin Xia had ordered new doors, windows, tables, chairs, and long counters for the windows from a woodworking shop. The craftsmen, along with their apprentices, worked overtime for a few days to complete some of the doors, windows, and long counters. The long tables by the windows were similar to the decorative counters commonly found in households but were simpler in design and wider.

Once set up, the shop no longer felt so empty, just as Qin Xia had envisioned on his blueprints.

This day also marked Zheng Xinghua’s first day at work. Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque offered her a daily wage of fifty copper coins, with two days off each month, during which she would still be paid. She would also receive holidays and gifts during festivals.

Zheng Xinghua immediately resigned from her other part time jobs and came to work at Qin Family Eatery. She was a diligent worker, and upon arriving, she noticed that while Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque were overseeing the installation of doors and windows in the private dining rooms, she fetched water and thoroughly cleaned the kitchen and other areas that hadn’t yet been properly tidied up.

“Sister Zheng, take a break now and rest,” Qin Xia called out.

Both Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque were equally busy, and when they finally sent off the carpenters and realized they hadn’t seen Zheng Xinghua in a while, they discovered she had even scrubbed the bottom of the iron pots until they gleamed.

They brewed some tea and handed her a cup. Yu Jiuque grabbed a handful of dates to eat and shared some with her.

Zheng Xinghua washed her hands and accepted the snacks, sitting down a bit reservedly.

When she had returned home after leaving Qin’s house and told her in-laws and sister-in-law that Qin Ji was going to open a restaurant and had hired her as a kitchen assistant, her family didn’t dare get their hopes up too high, fearing it might all be too good to be true.

Unexpectedly, less than half a month later, the Qin family reached out as promised. They offered double the previous wage of twenty copper coins and provided both lunch and dinner. Calculating it, Zheng Xinghua would earn a total of one tael and five mace of silver each month—something she never even dared to dream of before!

With such a good job, she naturally intended to put in her best effort. She blew on the hot tea in her cup, took a sip, and felt the lingering fragrance in her mouth. Glancing around at the transformed front hall, she quickly thought about fetching water to wipe down the tables and chairs.

Nearby, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque were discussing the recruitment situation. The job posting had been up at the entrance for a few days, and while there were some inquiries, none of the candidates seemed quite right. If they were to choose, Qin Xia still preferred to hire someone literate, which made the search even more difficult.

As they spoke, Qin Xia turned to Zheng Xinghua and asked for her opinion, which made her feel both flattered and honored. She knew that since Qin Xia had asked, it wasn’t just out of politeness, so she thought carefully before replying, “It’s indeed not easy to find good staff. Over the years, I’ve worked in the kitchens of various eateries and inns, and those who run the front of the house—once they find a good boss—rarely change jobs. Even if they do want to leave, unless they’re the type who engage in dishonest behavior, the shopkeepers would rather increase their pay than let them go.”

Qin Xia sighed. “I had considered that too.”

It seemed that this was not a problem that could be solved overnight.

At this point, Zheng Xinghua reminded them of something else. “Boss Qin, Little Manager, if I may, our shop is quite large, and it was closed for a while under the previous owner. Now that it’s reopening, it might catch the eye of those with ill intentions. If we hire staff and have someone staying in the back at night, and perhaps keep a dog, we won’t have to worry about thieves. But if no one is around, it’s not just money that we can’t leave unattended—even the meat and eggs in the kitchen could be stolen!”

Zheng Xinghua shared these insights from her past experiences. These petty thefts can be a loss for the shop, but if reported to the authorities, the stolen items are often deemed not valuable enough to warrant serious investigation. The thieves could consume the stolen goods, making it difficult to gather evidence, so it’s often impossible to catch the culprits, leaving the shop owners frustrated.

This was the first time Qin Xia had heard about such things, and he thanked Zheng Xinghua for the advice, taking it to heart. It seemed that besides finding suitable staff, they also needed to get a guard dog.

The next morning, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque went to a ceramics shop to purchase cups, bowls, plates, and chopsticks for the eatery, as well as a few vases and a fish tank. Since the ceramics shop was not far from Chengyi Hall, and it was about time for a follow-up visit, the two decided to stop by and see Dr. Xu.

They arrived early, so the clinic wasn’t crowded. Only one woman was there picking up some medicine and chatting with the familiar assistant behind the counter.

“I saw it on my way over. Do you think it’s true?”

“The sign was right there, so how could it not be? It’s a sad sight. Just think how poor their family must be for the brother and sister to sell themselves to bury their mother.”

“Isn’t that the truth! Our Qinan County is fairly prosperous, but it’s been years since I’ve seen a family so destitute…”

Selling themselves to bury their mother?

Qin Xia caught this snippet of conversation as he passed by, surprised to encounter a scenario he’d only seen in TV dramas happening right in front of him.

When they finally found Dr. Xu, they were surprised to see the little beggar they hadn’t seen in a while. He had been renamed Xu Maidong and had been adopted by Dr. Xu to be trained as an apprentice in the clinic.

“Though the boy can’t speak, he’s quite bright and has already learned to recognize a good number of characters,” Dr. Xu explained.

Dr. Xu spoke warmly of Xiao Maidong, his expression kindly as he called the boy over to greet Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque, before sending him to the courtyard to sun-dry herbs.

After a moment, Dr. Xu finished taking Yu Jiuque’s pulse. He withdrew his hand and, after a brief pause, said, “From the pulse, there’s nothing new, just the old issue—deficient qi and blood, lacking vitality. The internal injuries you suffered before have affected your very core, so it’s extremely difficult to completely eradicate the root cause. But with proper care, it shouldn’t cause you trouble in your daily life.”

He continued, “But I can confirm that the blood clot in your brain has dissipated, and you haven’t experienced dizziness or headaches recently, correct?”

After receiving Yu Jiuque’s confirmation, Dr. Xu nodded and then asked, “Given that, have there been any signs of your memory returning?”

Hearing this, Yu Jiuque’s heart skipped a beat. Qin Xia, also concerned, looked down at the young man sitting on the chair. Yu Jiuque replied, “Still nothing.”

Qin Xia’s expression tightened, and he turned to Dr. Xu, who was equally serious. “It shouldn’t be,” the old doctor mused. “In my many years of practice, I’ve encountered many cases of memory loss. Patients generally fall into two categories—those who lose their minds due to severe emotional trauma, such as the loss of a child, leading to heartache, and those who suffer physical trauma to the brain, or poisoning, causing delirium…”

Clearly, Yu Jiuque fell into the latter category. But based on Dr. Xu’s experience, with the blood clot cleared and blood flow restored, there should at least be some improvement in memory.

Unable to resist, he asked again, “Are you sure you can’t remember anything at all?”

Regarding his memory, Yu Jiuque had deliberately kept Qin Xia in the dark, and so he felt compelled to conceal the truth from Dr. Xu as well. Though he felt a bit guilty for misleading the well-meaning doctor, Yu Jiuque had no choice but to nod.

Worried that the doctor might continue probing into this topic, he quickly added, “But whether I remember the past or not isn’t important to me. As long as I’m healthy, that’s enough.”

This statement finally eased some of Dr. Xu’s concerns. “Very well then. Matters of memory are indeed mysterious, and it’s good that you’re not burdened by it.”

Since the patient himself wasn’t troubled by it, there was no need for him, as an outsider, to dwell on it. As a doctor, he knew his role was to do what was necessary for the patient’s health and nothing more.

But in that brief moment, Qin Xia’s mind was racing. He had thought that after nearly three months of continuous treatment, there would be some signs of memory recovery by now. However, seeing Yu Jiuque’s expression, it was clear that nothing had come back to him.

Qin Xia had originally planned to review and sort through the plot of the original story, thinking that if Yu Jiuque ever returned to the capital, he could subtly offer hints to help him avoid the pitfalls that the Crown Prince had fallen into.

Although the story began with the Crown Prince’s death as a past event, the protagonist, upon ascending the throne, worked hard to clear his “late father’s” name. This involved uncovering the truth behind the Crown Prince’s deposition and how he eventually regained the emperor’s trust. Much of this was revealed through Yu Jiuque’s flashbacks.

When Qin Xia read the book, he wasn’t focused on the romantic plot but was more interested in the political intrigue, which left a lasting impression on him. Selfishly, he hoped that instead of the Crown Prince dying in disgrace, the future Crown Prince would ascend the throne, with Yu Jiuque as his trusted aide. In this scenario, Yu Jiuque wouldn’t have to resort to ruthless means to gain power.

But if Yu Jiuque’s memory never returned… Could they really live as an ordinary, peaceful couple in Qinan County?

Qin Xia wasn’t sure he could believe that.

“Husband?” Yu Jiuque’s voice brought Qin Xia back to reality. “What is it?” Qin Xia asked, his voice gentle.

Yu Jiuque coughed softly, covering his mouth. “The doctor has prescribed me ten more doses of medicine, and he has some other instructions for us.”

Clearly, this meant Qin Xia needed to listen as well.

Realizing he had drifted off, Qin Xia quickly stood by Yu Jiuque’s side, leaning in to ask, “Is there anything else we need to be mindful of?”

Dr. Xu stroked his beard and waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing too complicated, just make sure he doesn’t overwork himself. But there is one more thing.”

He looked at the young couple in front of him, his tone neutral as he said, “Previously, Jiuque’s body was too weak for intimacy, but now it should be fine…”

Before the couple could respond, the old doctor continued, “Although you may now engage in marital relations, it’s not advisable to conceive within the next year. Otherwise, it might not be beneficial for the offspring. You young people tend to be impulsive, so you must be mindful of this.”

By the time he finished, both Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque were blushing deeply, embarrassed by the doctor’s straightforwardness.

They quickly agreed and hastily took the prescription to get the medicine, paying the fee before leaving.

After walking a few more steps away from the clinic, they finally began to shake off the awkwardness. When their eyes met again, they couldn’t help but laugh.

Qin Xia was the first to speak. “Well, this is the last batch of medicine. From now on, if we can avoid coming back to the clinic, we should.”

To him, this was the most important thing; everything else was just a bonus.

However, he hadn’t expected Dr. Xu to bring up that particular topic, catching them both off guard.

And truth be told, in this era, trying to avoid pregnancy… was quite challenging.

This was another issue Qin Xia silently sighed about, as he carried the medicine package in one hand and reached out to hold Yu Jiuque’s hand with the other.

Whether it was a trick of the mind or not, it seemed that since the beginning of spring, Yu Jiuque’s hands were no longer as cold as they used to be.

As they walked towards the ceramics shop, they noticed a crowd gathered on one side of the road, people pointing and talking amongst themselves.

Neither Qin Xia nor Yu Jiuque were in the habit of joining crowds, and they intended to walk around it. But then they overheard a few scattered keywords from the onlookers.

Qin Xia suddenly recalled the gossip he’d overheard when entering the clinic earlier.

Without speaking, the two of them stopped and peered through the gaps in the crowd. Sure enough, there were two half-grown children kneeling on the ground.

The older one looked about twelve or thirteen, and the younger no more than eight or nine. Both had tufts of grass stuck in their hair, a traditional sign of distress, and next to them was a wooden sign with four crooked characters: “Selling selves to bury mother.”

The sight was truly pitiful.

In just the brief time they’d been watching, two people had already stepped forward to inquire. But upon hearing that they would need to buy both siblings together, they lost interest.

After all, a half-grown boy was at the age where he could do hard labor; taking him home as a servant without having to pay wages seemed like a good deal. But what could the little girl do?

Wealthy families sometimes did need maids, but they usually bought them from reputable agencies, with guarantees that the purchase could be returned if the girl wasn’t suitable.

Qin Xia observed the two children from a distance and noticed that Yu Jiuque wasn’t inclined to leave. So, he led Yu Jiuque closer to the scene.

Just then, another man stepped forward, offering to take the siblings.

“I promise you’ll have enough to eat and wear, and your little sister won’t have to do any hard labor!”

The conditions seemed too good to be true. However, as soon as the man finished speaking, someone in the crowd exposed him: “Boy, don’t be fooled by this guy! He works for the brothels in Yanliu Alley! He’s planning to sell your sister into a brothel!”

The crowd erupted in shock.

Even though it’s not uncommon for respectable families to fall into such dire circumstances, such blatant deception was truly shameless. Immediately, a few men who disapproved of the man’s behavior spat on the ground near his feet.

The man jumped in place a few times, indignant, and retorted, “All of you just stand here watching and making snide remarks. If you’re so righteous, why don’t you put up the money to buy a coffin for their dead mother!”

Then he turned back to the boy among the two siblings, speaking persuasively, “Don’t listen to those people. What ‘brothel’? I’m offering your sister a place in a respectable house where she can learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She would serve scholars and young gentlemen, and who knows, maybe one day she’ll catch someone’s eye and be taken home as a concubine. She could even have a son and live better than a maidservant! And if you stay there as a servant, you can protect her if any trouble arises. Think about it—isn’t that a good deal?”

The man had his eye on the little girl’s appearance. Having seen countless faces, he knew what kind of bone structure made for a beauty. If he handed her over to a brothel madam, he was sure to make a hefty profit!

His words were tempting, and someone less clear-headed might have fallen right into his trap.

Fortunately, the older brother understood the situation and immediately rejected him, “Selling ourselves to bury our mother is our last resort, but even if we’re desperate, I will never send my sister to such a disgraceful place!”

Frustrated and faced with insults from the surrounding crowd, the man had no choice but to leave, though not without a parting shot, “If you change your mind, you can find me at the Red Plum House in Yanliu Alley.”

It was clear he wasn’t giving up just yet.

After the pimp left, the two children continued to kneel upright. Some onlookers sighed, others shook their heads, but just as the man had said, no one stepped forward to truly help them.

In the end, the onlookers remained just that—spectators.

After a while, the crowd began to thin out as people lost interest and moved on. This allowed Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque to step forward, now standing in the front row.

Yu Jiuque looked at Qin Xia, wanting to say something, but hesitated.

At that moment, Qin Xia took the initiative to speak to the two siblings.

“Boy, I see there’s ink on your fingers. Did you write the characters on that sign?”

The boy instinctively glanced at his hand, then looked up and replied, “Yes, I did.”

Qin Xia appeared surprised. “So, you can read and write?”

The boy nodded again. “I attended a village school for a year when I was younger, so I can recognize a few characters.”

This was an unexpected bonus.

By this point, Yu Jiuque had already grasped Qin Xia’s intentions. He looked at Qin Xia in surprise, receiving a questioning glance in return.

The two of them shared a mutual understanding without the need for words. Yu Jiuque silently nodded, indicating his agreement with Qin Xia’s decision.

Upon realizing that these two adults were willing to take both him and his sister, the boy felt a flicker of hope. However, after the earlier incident, he couldn’t help but scrutinize these potential “buyers” with a wary gaze.

“May I ask what kind of work you intend for us, sir? Will we be servants, or something else?”

He added firmly, “We’re not afraid of hard work, as long as we can stay together.”

Qin Xia chuckled. “Don’t worry about that. The reason I’m offering to help you is that we just opened a new eatery and are in need of staff. You and your sister can work there together and live in the courtyard behind the restaurant. How does that sound?”

This truly sounded like the best possible outcome.

The boy hesitated to believe what he was hearing.

“Are you really willing to take both of us, my sister and me?”

Qin Xia replied earnestly, “Yes, if you’re willing, you can come with us now. You can also tell me where you’d like to bury your mother.”

To prevent any doubt from the boy or the surrounding people, he added, “Our small shop is on Helin Street, previously the He Family Bun Shop. We’ve recently changed the sign to Qin Family Eatery.”

At this point, someone in the crowd recognized Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque and started to vouch for them.

“Kid, Boss Qin really does run an eatery. He used to set up a food stall on Banqiao Street, and it was quite famous!”

“I thought he looked familiar—wasn’t he the one selling pancakes on Liubao Street a while back?”

Some people even began chatting with Qin Xia, saying that although others were now using his recipes and brand, the food just wasn’t the same as when Qin Xia made it himself.

Qin Xia responded with a smile and took the opportunity to advertise his new eatery.

After all this chatter, at least the two siblings were convinced that Qin Xia wouldn’t sell them off to some shady place.

The boy pulled his sister along, and they both kowtowed three times, their foreheads turning red, before they helped each other up.

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque personally removed the grass markers from their heads and threw them aside.

The onlookers, happy to see a good ending, clapped and cheered.

Once they finally managed to leave the crowd, the original plan to buy supplies from the ceramics shop seemed impossible. After a brief discussion, they decided to head directly to Helin Street.

When Zheng Xinghua rushed out to greet them, she was surprised to see that the two shopkeepers had brought back a pair of children.

Yu Jiuque spoke first, “Sister Zheng, these are the new helpers for our shop—a brother and sister.”

Zheng Xinghua understood and smiled warmly, “I see.”

She didn’t ask any more questions; as the assistant, she knew her role was to stay in her lane and do her job well.

Once inside the eatery, though the sign was already up, the place still felt a bit empty since it wasn’t fully set up yet.

Zheng Xinghua offered to go to the back to boil some water for tea. Meanwhile, Qin Xia didn’t take the siblings to the back courtyard immediately but instead pulled out a table in the main hall. After he and Yu Jiuque sat down, they gestured for the two children to sit as well.

The boy shook his head, indicating that he preferred to stand. His little sister followed suit, refusing to sit as well.

Qin Xia, feeling a bit helpless, exchanged a glance with Yu Jiuque before asking, “What are your names?”

“My name is Qiu Chuan, and my sister’s name is Qiu Yao,” the boy answered with his head lowered.

He had heard before that once you sold yourself as a servant, the new master would usually change your name. He had already prepared himself for this, but then he heard the young man who had taken them in say, “Alright, we’ll remember those.”

“Remember them?” Qiu Chuan blinked in confusion and asked, “Sir, you’re not going to give us new names?”

This time, it was Qin Xia who was caught off guard. When he realized what the boy was asking, he smiled and explained, “Don’t misunderstand. As I said, I just wanted to help you bury your mother, and since our shop needs more hands, we hired you to work here. I’m not actually buying you as servants.”

They wouldn’t need to sell themselves into servitude, just work at the shop? Qiu Chuan swallowed hard. If the eatery hadn’t been standing right there, clearly not yet opened, he might have suspected some kind of trap.

After confirming multiple times that he hadn’t misunderstood, Qiu Chuan suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, startling Zheng Xinghua, who had just returned with a tray of tea.

Seeing her brother kneel, Qiu Yao also tried to kneel, but Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque quickly pulled them both up.

Qin Xia sighed and motioned for Zheng Xinghua to set down the tea before turning back to the siblings. “Our relationship is that of an employer and employees, not master and servants. Please don’t kneel like that anymore.”

After saying this, he personally poured two cups of hot tea and handed them to the boy and his little sister.

“Have some tea first. You must be hungry too. We’ll get you something to eat, and then we can discuss how to arrange your mother’s burial.”