Ch 50: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

The meal was finished, and it was time to collect the payment.

Qin Xia packed up the bundle he had brought with him, exchanged brief farewells with the women and maids in the kitchen, and then followed the person who had come to fetch him.

Behind him, a few young maids, still holding their bowls of unfinished food, blushed as they chatted.

“Don’t you think Boss Qin is particularly handsome?”

“Of course we do, we’re not blind.”

“If the master takes a liking to Boss Qin, maybe he’ll be invited to run the kitchen here!”

“I wonder if Boss Qin is already married…”

“Even if he’s not, he wouldn’t be interested in you!”

…

Seeing this group of girls getting more and more carried away, the two head maids coughed heavily in unison.

One of them spoke coldly, “If you’re done eating, put your bowls down and get back to work.”

The maids instantly fell silent, exchanged quick glances, pursed their lips, and hurriedly bent their heads to finish their food.

No matter how handsome a man was, to them, he was like the moon reflected in water or a flower seen in a mirror—unattainable. Upon reflection, it was more practical to enjoy a few more bites of braised radish with pork.

Elsewhere in the residence.

Facing Qin Xia, Sang Chenghua had a much warmer demeanor than when he had first visited Qin Family Eatery. After inviting Qin Xia to sit, he exchanged a few polite words with a smile before gesturing with his hand.

A maid stepped forward and presented what she was holding.

Qin Xia glanced over and saw that the tray held a silver banknote, two small silver ingots, and another maid holding two bolts of fabric.

Sang Chenghua set down his teacup and said, “This fifty-tael banknote is the payment we agreed on, and the silver and fabric are gifts from the old madam. Your vegetarian dishes greatly pleased her.”

Qin Xia hadn’t expected this bonus on top of the agreed payment.

The silver ingots were small and exquisite; he estimated each was worth about ten taels of silver, making it twenty taels in total.

The Sang family was in the silk business, so the fabric they offered was of high quality. Seeing this, Qin Xia felt that his effort in preparing the two tables of dishes had been well rewarded.

“Thank you, Master Sang, and the old madam,” Qin Xia said, cupping his hands in a gesture of gratitude.

Sang Chenghua nodded.

With a look, the steward beside him led the maids out of the room. Sensing something, Qin Xia maintained a calm expression and waited for Sang Chenghua to speak.

Once everyone had left, Sang Chenghua sighed.

“The reason I asked you to stay, Boss Qin, is that I have another request.”

Though Qin Xia had long known about Sang Chenghua’s connection with the Song family, he was still surprised to hear the name “Song” come up again.

“My brother-in-law, Song Luan’s birthday celebration, has already become the talk of the town, so I’m sure you’ve heard about it. Now that Chang Yue Lou is no longer an option, the Song family’s reputation cannot be allowed to suffer. I must admit, although my younger sister passed away early, she left behind two nephews. Even though they don’t bear the Sang name, they still carry Sang family blood, and as their uncle, I can’t turn a blind eye to the Song family’s difficulties.”

By this point, Qin Xia had a vague idea of what Sang Chenghua was about to ask.

As it turned out, he was right.

“Previously, I thought that no chef in all of Qinan County could surpass the skills of the Chang family father and son—until I met you, Boss Qin.”

Sang Chenghua’s gaze towards Qin Xia was noticeably more enthusiastic than before, causing Qin Xia to pick up his teacup and take a sip to calm himself before saying, “I am inexperienced and lack wisdom. I hope Master Sang can enlighten me.”

Hearing this, Sang Chenghua stopped beating around the bush.

“In half a month, it will be my brother-in-law’s birthday. I intend to recommend you to the Song family to be the head chef for this celebration. What do you think, Boss Qin?”

In terms of both reputation and profit, this was a great opportunity for Qin Xia.

He hadn’t expected that a joke made by Wei Chao the other day would so quickly become a reality.

However, he didn’t rush to agree.

“Master Sang, I see your sincerity, and I appreciate it, but there’s something I must ask.”

He looked directly at Sang Chenghua and straightforwardly said, “Compared to Old Master Chang, I lack both experience and fame. How can you be sure that Old Master Song will agree?”

Sang Chenghua confidently stroked his short beard.

“You don’t need to worry about that, Boss Qin. As his brother-in-law, I still hold some influence with him.”

Having received this assurance, Qin Xia agreed to the arrangement.

By the time he left the Sang residence, it was already past the hour of Shen (around 3-5 PM).

The small sedan chair from the household once again carried him back, swaying, to Furong Alley. Upon arriving home, Qin Xia took off his outer clothes and went straight to bed for a nap. When he woke up, he realized it was already dark outside.

Rubbing his eyes, he got up and put on a robe.

Da Fu squeezed through the door crack and circled around him, begging for food.

“I’ll get your food ready right away.”

Qin Xia yawned and herded Da Fu out of the main hall.

He went to the kitchen to prepare a meal for Da Fu, mixing bran, vegetable leaves, and some fresh grass, and then refilled his food bowl with fresh water. While he was thinking about what to cook for himself that evening, he heard someone calling his name from outside the front door.

“What brings you here?”

Outside stood Liu Douzi, who should have been at the night market stall at this hour.

Liu Douzi handed over the basket in his hands.

“I had something to do today, so I didn’t set up the stall. I was passing by and thought I’d stop by. My mother made some tofu pudding and dried bean curd, and she asked me to bring some over.”

Qin Xia lifted the cloth covering the basket and saw a large bowl of tofu pudding and some dried bean curd inside.

“Thank you for making the trip, and please thank Auntie for me.”

After taking the items, he asked, “At this hour, what are you doing out?”

It had been a while since Qin Xia had closed his night market stall, and not long after, Hu Laosi had found Liu Douzi a new spot on Bianqiao Street.

Qin Xia knew Liu Douzi all too well—rain or shine, nothing could stop him from going out to earn money. It was surprising that he would choose not to set up his stall today.

Liu Douzi scratched the back of his head, smiling shyly.

“I had plans with Meng Ge’er to go to the theater and watch a performance of ‘The Story of the Jade Hairpin.'”

No wonder, it turns out he had a date with someone special.

Qin Xia teased him a bit, then went back inside and returned with a bag of peanut brittle and another bag of walnut-flavored roasted sunflower seeds.

“These are snacks I made for your sister-in-law. Take some to Meng Ge’er too; he probably likes sweet things.”

The man in front of him happily accepted.

After Liu Douzi left, Qin Xia had just placed the tofu pudding and dried bean curd in the kitchen when the front door, which had only been closed for a short while, was knocked on again.

Puzzled, he retraced his steps, wondering why his home was so lively tonight.

This time, standing outside was a young man he didn’t recognize.

“Sorry to bother you, sir, but have you seen a black and white tabby cat? It has a butterfly-shaped black spot on its back, and its tail is also black.”

It turned out he was looking for a lost cat.

After the young man described it in detail, Qin Xia listened carefully but could only give a disappointing answer.

“Sorry, I haven’t seen it. However, there are often tabby cats that come around here for food, so I can keep an eye out for you.”

Hearing the latter part, the young man’s eyes lit up again.

“Thank you very much! We’ve had this tabby for many years. It usually goes out to play but always comes back around mealtime. However, it left three days ago and hasn’t returned since.”

As he spoke, his expression grew somber again.

Qin Xia offered a few words of comfort, and the young man thanked him several times before taking his leave.

After seeing him off, Qin Xia closed the door once more. Through the door, he could hear a man outside asking the young man, “Did you find anything?”

Receiving a negative answer, the man sighed.

“If we don’t find it, Ah bao will probably cause a fuss all night again. Let’s go a bit farther and search some more.”

As their conversation faded into the distance, Qin Xia couldn’t help but think to himself that they seemed to be a family of cat lovers.

However, house cats are usually quite smart, and if one hasn’t come home for three days, it’s likely because it’s in heat and has run off with another cat.

He shook his head and, reminded by this incident, went to check the two bowls he used to feed the cats in the backyard.

But what he saw surprised him. The bowls, which were usually empty by this time of day, were still full.

Thinking of the family who had lost their cat, Qin Xia couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

He hoped he was just overthinking things.

After putting the bowls back in place, he glanced at the top of the wall before leaving.

The kitchen fire was already burning, and the two dishes he had eaten at the Sang residence at noon had long since been digested.

Qin Xia looked at the tofu pudding and dried bean curd that Liu Douzi had brought over and decided to make a bowl of savory tofu pudding for his dinner and a sweet one for Yu Jiuque to have as a late-night snack when he returned.

He also planned to soak the dried bean curd and some dried black fungus in warm water, and mix them with some pickled cucumber to make a quick and refreshing side dish.

Once he decided, he got to work.

Of course, just tofu pudding and cold dishes wouldn’t be enough to fill him up, so he didn’t mind the extra effort and kneaded some dough to make two fried flatbreads before starting on the tofu pudding toppings.

The difference between the savory and sweet tofu puddings was simply that one had a savory sauce, while the other had red sugar and sweet beans.

There wasn’t any fresh meat in the house, as during this season, it’s best to buy only what you need and eat it quickly, as it doesn’t keep well.

However, there were some sausages he had previously made, hanging from the beam.

Qin Xia cut down one sausage and diced it finely, along with a few shiitake mushrooms, some thin celery stalks, and a handful of chopped green onions. Once everything was prepared, he heated some oil and sautéed the ingredients—except for the green onions—until they released their fragrance.

Then he added soy sauce and water, bringing it to a boil, creating a savory sauce.

The next step was to thicken the sauce.

He mixed some starch with water and slowly stirred it into the pot until the sauce became thick and sticky, ready to serve.

He poured the sauce over the tofu pudding and sprinkled it with the fresh green onions.

After soaking and blanching the dried bean curd and black fungus, he mixed them into a cold salad, paired with the sliced flatbreads. Since it was just him, he didn’t bother going to the main hall and instead sat in the kitchen, eating his meal bite by bite.

It wasn’t until late into the night that Yu Jiuque finally returned home.

The moment Qin Xia heard the noise, he eagerly went out to meet him, and Yu Jiuque greeted him with a bright smile.

“When did you get back? Have you had dinner?”

Qin Xia answered each question and then added, “Auntie had Douzi bring over some tofu pudding and dried bean curd. I made you some sweet tofu pudding, just in time for you to eat.”

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked into the main hall together. Yu Jiuque petted Da Fu before going into the inner room to change clothes.

By the time he came out, the sweet tofu pudding was already on the table.

The tofu pudding was as white as jade, melting smoothly in the mouth, almost weightless.

Paired with the brown sugar syrup and soft, sweet beans, it retained a hint of warmth, making it neither cold nor uncomfortably cool as it went down, leaving only a lingering sweetness on the palate.

Qin Xia sat beside him, sharing stories of their day.

At the restaurant, everything was business as usual, except for the many customers lamenting that they couldn’t enjoy their favorite dishes because of Qin Xia’s absence.

“Quite a few people liked the steamed pork with rice flour, so I’m thinking of adding it to the menu as you suggested.”

Qin Xia nodded in agreement, then started talking about his experiences at the Sang residence.

When he mentioned that Sang Chenghua wanted to hire him to cook for Old Master Song’s birthday banquet, Yu Jiuque nearly bit down on his spoon in surprise.

“Really?”

Qin Xia handed him a handkerchief, gesturing for him to wipe away the sugar syrup from the corner of his mouth.

“That’s what Master Sang said, but we still need to get approval from the Song family.”

With the spoon still in his mouth, Yu Jiuque couldn’t resist asking quietly, “Did he mention… how much they’ll pay?”

Qin Xia looked at his husband’s bright, eager eyes and couldn’t help but smile.

“That hasn’t been discussed yet, but finish your meal first—I have something else to show you.”

Yu Jiuque finished the large bowl of sweet tofu pudding.

While it might have been too filling for someone else, for him, it was just a light snack.

When Qin Xia brought out the silver banknote, the ingots, and the fabric, the sweet taste still lingered in Yu Jiuque’s mouth.

“Did Master Sang give you all of this?”

Sitting on the kang, Yu Jiuque played with the two small silver ingots, looking especially pleased.

“The ingots and fabric were gifts from the old madam. She said my vegetarian dishes were well-made.”

Sixty taels in wages plus twenty taels in reward made a total of eighty taels.

For the first time, Qin Xia felt that making money in Dayong was this easy.

After counting the silver, he looked at the fabric.

One bolt was light silk, and the other was brocade, perfect for this season.

“I heard that the old madam specifically had these added when she learned I have a husband, so they’re meant for you. The weather is getting warmer, so you can make yourself a new outfit.”

Touching the fabric, Yu Jiuque recalled how, during winter, they were still picking out the most basic cotton clothes at the shop. Now, as spring turned into summer, they could afford to wear silk.

“Thank you for your hard work today, my dear.”

Feeling touched, Yu Jiuque sat beside Qin Xia and started massaging his shoulders.

Qin Xia suspected that he had learned this technique from his time in the palace, as it only took a few moments for him to feel the tension in his muscles melt away.

Cooking is not an easy job, and running a restaurant is even more challenging. For instance, today’s banquet wasn’t particularly large, yet he had spent nearly three hours standing in the kitchen.

Add to that all the chopping, stir-frying, and lifting heavy pots, and by the end of the day, his legs, feet, and arms were all sore.

But just as Liu Douzi found joy in working long hours selling tofu and snacks, Qin Xia felt that as long as he saw Yu Jiuque, all his fatigue would vanish into thin air.

This was his husband.

As long as Yu Jiuque was by his side, Qin Xia was determined to work as hard as he could to give him a good life.

Qin Xia was truly exhausted and fell asleep early.

Yu Jiuque followed him into bed, but even after a long time, he couldn’t seem to fall asleep.

In a state of resignation, he turned over, slowed his breathing, and, in the soft moonlight, used his gaze to trace the contours of Qin Xia’s features.

It wasn’t until much later in the night that he finally felt his eyelids grow heavy.

But as fate would have it, he was once again pulled into an old memory, a haunting dream.

“Lord Yu.”

The figure in his dream was blurred, but the voice addressing him was respectful.

In the next moment, he seemed to dismiss the person, then walked into a quiet courtyard, where he knelt down and bowed to someone.

Wherever his gaze fell, he could vaguely make out the image of a golden coiled dragon.

The dream left Yu Jiuque with a lingering headache when he awoke.

The coiled dragon pattern was exclusively reserved for the imperial family, suggesting that he might not have been an ordinary palace eunuch.

It made sense.

Ordinary eunuchs, once they entered the palace, could see the rest of their lives clearly ahead. Although eunuch attendants, like palace maids, could marry once they reached a certain age or if they were granted special favor, life for a eunuch in the palace was difficult. To put it bluntly, those who lived long enough to leave the palace were considered fortunate; most ended up as forgotten bones within the palace walls.

How could someone like him, with no memory, end up in Qinan, far from the capital?

At this point, Yu Jiuque felt that he was just a thin layer away from uncovering his memories.

But what lay beyond that barrier—whether it would be the bright light of understanding or impenetrable darkness—was still unknown.

He kept these thoughts well-hidden, and as he distractedly finished cleaning up after breakfast, he heard Qin Xia calling him from the backyard.

He thought perhaps the hen had laid another egg, but when he arrived, he found Qin Xia holding the food bowl for the stray tabby cats, looking worried.

“Husband, what’s wrong?”

Still groggy from his restless night, Yu Jiuque was a bit slow to catch on.

Qin Xia showed him the porcelain bowl in his hand, which contained the homemade “cat food” he had prepared—it shouldn’t have spoiled overnight.

“It was this full when I saw it last night, and it’s still the same this morning.”

He then told Yu Jiuque about someone coming to the alley yesterday to look for their lost cat, and Yu Jiuque realized something was amiss.

“Could something have happened?”

Although these stray cats came and went without a trace, they had been feeding them for some time and rarely caught sight of them. Yet, their home had been free of mice for months, which showed the cats had been doing their job.

The couple, worried by this, discussed it at the shop with Zheng Xinghua and the others. After hearing the story, Zhuang Xing spoke up, “Could it be that there’s a thief in the alley who’s found a way to steal these tabby cats?”

A cat thief?

Qin Xia immediately thought of the pet thieves in modern times who steal dogs and cats, never expecting that such a trade would exist even in Dayong.

Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone’s faces, Zhuang Xing realized he was the only one who had heard of such things and began to explain what he knew.

“I heard about this while working in the past. Some people steal tabby cats to disguise them as wild game for sale—it’s a way to make money without any real investment.”

Xiao Qiuyao, looking troubled, couldn’t help but voice her confusion.

“But don’t tabby cats make noise? If so many were stolen, wouldn’t someone notice?”

Zhuang Xing replied, “People who engage in this trade naturally have their methods. I heard they use a peddler’s basket, disguised as selling miscellaneous goods, but inside is a shallow water jar. After catching the cat, they throw it into the jar. A tabby cat has a habit of licking itself whenever its fur gets wet, and it won’t stop until it’s dry. Once in the jar, it’s too busy licking its fur to make any noise.”

Everyone suddenly understood.

Zheng Xinghua angrily exclaimed, “These are heartless people! With so much chicken, duck, and fish to eat, why do they have to eat these poor creatures? I’ve heard of people secretly poisoning their neighbor’s dog to eat it. Are they so desperate that they can’t live without that bit of meat?”

Qin Xia frowned deeply, now truly worried that the tabby cats of Furong Alley might have met a grim fate.

He asked, “Would reporting this to the authorities help?”

Zhuang Xing shook his head. “That, I’m not sure about. If the cats had owners, it might be different, but everything needs evidence.”

Since Qiuyao was present, Zhuang Xing didn’t want to speak too bluntly.

The others, however, understood the implication—that even if they found the thieves, the cats were likely already lost.

Hearing this so early in the morning felt like having a lump of iron in one’s stomach, making everyone uncomfortable.

After thinking for a while, Qin Xia finally said, “If it’s just stealing cats, it might not be a big deal to the authorities. But if these people are selling the cats disguised as wild game, then the street patrol should be responsible.”

After pondering for a bit longer, he decided to take some time to find Hu Laosi and ask whether the street patrol had handled any similar cases and if there were any leads.

In the following days, neither Sang Chenghua nor the cat thieves brought any news.

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque would check the walls a few times daily, refresh the cat food, and carefully observe whether the food was being eaten. They noticed signs that it had been eaten, but it was difficult to tell whether it was by the cats or some other creatures.

Despite their worries, they still had work to do.

Having only made fried rice noodles once, Qin Xia noted that the merchant had recently brought a large supply. Believing there was enough, he added the dish to the restaurant’s menu.

Besides rice noodles, Qin Xia also asked the merchant to try making “ho fun” noodles.

He provided a recipe, and sure enough, the merchant succeeded in producing the noodles.

Qin Xia immediately made a batch of dry-fried beef ho fun. Since beef was scarce, he substituted it with pork, and the dish became quite popular.

Those who had grown tired of the regular stir-fried dishes for lunch occasionally ordered these noodles for a change.

Qin Family Eatery also offered a complimentary bowl of soup with every order of fried noodles, which was much appreciated by the customers.

Before long, nearly five days had passed since Qin Xia had prepared the banquet at the Sang residence.

Just as Qin Xia began to suspect that Master Sang’s plan to recommend him had fallen through, an unexpected guest arrived at the restaurant.

“Miss, the boss of this shop is the same person who used to sell food at the night market on Bianqiao Street. I recognize him!”

The mistress and servant were none other than Song family’s third daughter, Song Dongling, and her maid, Xiaolian.

Upon hearing this, Song Dongling arched her delicate eyebrows and signaled Xiaolian to step back.

The man sitting beside her coughed softly before raising his head.

He had a refined and elegant demeanor, as graceful as bamboo, with an otherworldly air about him. However, his sickly appearance somewhat diminished his charm.

This man was none other than the eldest son of the Song family, Song Dongling’s elder brother, Song Yunmu.

Hearing her brother cough, Song Dongling’s heart tightened with concern.

“With the weather not yet truly warm, why did you have to go through the trouble of leaving the estate, Brother?”

The servant beside Song Yunmu quickly handed him the medicinal tea that he always carried with him, even when going out.

Song Yunmu lowered his head and took a few sips, finally soothing the itch in his throat. He responded in a doting tone, “I haven’t been out of the estate for quite a while. I finally have a chance to get some fresh air—can’t you just indulge me this once?”

Song Dongling pouted.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to go out and enjoy yourself, Brother. I’m just worried that you’ll fall ill again after you return.”

Song Yunmu clasped the cup of medicinal tea in his hands and looked around the room, noticing that he was the most heavily dressed, even with a small blanket covering his knees after he sat down.

Though his sickly appearance was hard to hide, his expression was full of enthusiasm.

“I heard from Xiaolian that this restaurant used to be a food stall on Bianqiao Street. Is this the same place where you secretly brought food from on the night of the Lantern Festival?”

Song Dongling nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, that’s the one. It’s quite a coincidence. Uncle said that the owner of this restaurant has cooking skills that are astonishing, rivaling even those of Chang Yue Lou. I wondered when such a talented person had appeared in the county. Now that I know it’s the same person who ran that food stall, I’m not surprised at all. By the way, you also praised the food back then, didn’t you, Brother?”

Song Yunmu nodded.

He had been physically weak since childhood, and after his mother’s death, the grief took a further toll on his health, confining him to his sickbed even more.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, while the city was filled with joy, he had just recovered from a fever the day before, leaving him weak, with no appetite.

He didn’t attend the family banquet, which spared him from having to endure the smug faces of their second cousins.

The only unexpected delight was that his younger sister had returned from the festivities and brought him two servings of food.

In truth, he had only eaten a small amount, but the taste of the iron plate tofu and the pan-fried dumplings was unforgettable, as if his long-numbed taste buds had suddenly been awakened.

He never imagined that, after all this time, the humble food stall owner would become the chef recommended by their uncle to prepare their father’s birthday banquet.

Both siblings trusted their uncle’s judgment, but the real reason they had come together today was for another purpose.

However, before that, they wanted to first taste Qin Xia’s cooking themselves.