Ch 78: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

After buying the distillery, Qin Xia and Peng Zheng temporarily stayed in Chuntai County.

That evening, he invited Peng and Tao to dinner at a restaurant, listening to the two of them talk extensively about brewing. In this field, he was an outsider, while the two before him were experts.

Midway through the meal, Qin Xia intentionally brought up the idea of hiring Tao Ke to manage the distillery locally for him.

“I can’t come here often. Going back and forth, along with dealing with other trivial matters, would take at least a day. I can’t completely neglect the business at the restaurant.”

Peng Ke thought it was a good idea and joined Qin Xia in persuading his old friend to agree.

“The wine that Boss Qin plans to brew will surely be one of a kind, and by then, your tavern could also help with sales.”

Tao Ke’s tavern business was just average. It was enough to get by but didn’t bring in much profit.

Moreover, the tavern was opened with the support of his wife’s dowry, which made it hard for him to hold his head high in front of his in-laws.

If he could really establish a relationship with Qin Xia, not only would he earn extra income, but as Peng Zheng said, it would also benefit the tavern’s business.

Even if they couldn’t brew top-quality private-label wine, just ordinary distilled spirits would be cheaper for him to obtain.

Tao Ke came around and immediately stood up to offer Qin Xia a toast.

“Thank you, Boss Qin, for thinking highly of me. I will definitely manage the distillery as if it were my own business.”

Qin Xia also raised his cup and drank it all in one go.

The three of them could all handle their liquor, and even after drinking until midnight, the next morning they each downed half a pot of strong tea and were back to full spirits, meeting again at the distillery.

Qin Xia called over the master distiller Zhao Laodie and his two sons, Zhao Da and Zhao Er.

“Have you ever brewed fruit wine?”

Zhao Da and Zhao Er both looked at their father, and Zhao Laodie, bowing slightly, replied, “To answer the boss, we’ve never brewed it before, only sorghum wine and rice wine.”

But Qin Xia believed that the essence of winemaking didn’t change much, no matter the ingredients.

He knew the method for brewing wine, especially grape wine, and had even successfully made it at home before.

He shared the method with the Zhao family and then searched among the villages and farmers around Chuntai County who grew grapes, purchasing a batch of grapes that, based on his judgment, should be suitable for winemaking.

The skins weren’t particularly thin, and the grapes weren’t large, but they had a more intense fragrance than other varieties. The farmers who grew these grapes were all from the same village, and according to them, the grapevines had been brought in two generations ago from elsewhere.

“They’re definitely not local to Pingyuan Prefecture.”

As for the exact origin of the grapes, even the village elders couldn’t say for sure, and Qin Xia didn’t delve into it.

If the winemaking succeeded, he planned to purchase grapes from this village every year.

In addition to grapes, Qin Xia also found a grove of wild persimmon trees in the village. At this time of year, the persimmons hadn’t fully ripened and were still mostly green.

“These wild persimmons aren’t good to eat, they’re too astringent.”

A child leading the way pointed up at the trees. “Only birds eat them.”

Qin Xia looked up and asked if he could pick the persimmons.

Though they grew wild, the trees were still part of the village’s property.

When the village head found out, he had several young men from the village help with picking, without asking for any payment.

“As long as the boss keeps coming back to buy our grapes, that’s the best payment we could ask for.”

As for why the wealthy merchant from the city wanted green persimmons, and what he planned to do with them, no one bothered to ask.

Qin Xia wanted the unripe persimmons for brewing. He had heard of a type of “persimmon wine” made from astringent, unripe persimmons, and decided to give it a try.

Several large baskets of grapes and persimmons were transported back to the distillery together.

“I’ll come by once every seven days from now on. If any issues arise, you should first consult Manager Tao. If he can’t solve the problem, wait for me.”

He specifically reminded them not to wash off the powdery coating on the grapes before fermenting.

“You can think of this as a natural yeast.”

Zhao Laodie nodded, though he only half understood.

As for the persimmon wine, Qin Xia left it to the Zhao family to figure out on their own.

On their way back, they were met with autumn rain halfway, and the cold suddenly intensified.

In the carriage, Qin Xia and Peng Zheng rubbed their hands to keep warm.

Peng Zheng lifted the curtain to look outside. The trees on both sides of the official road were sparse, and the autumn wind blew bleakly.

“Boss Qin, once we return, it’ll be Mid-Autumn. Business will pick up again.”

Qin Xia was momentarily lost in thought.

“Time flies.”

“Indeed.”

Peng Zheng stuck his hands in his sleeves and sighed, “With this chilly weather, we’ll need some ginger soup to warm up when we get home.”

By the time they reached Qinan County, the rain had lightened significantly.

Peng Zheng asked Qin Xia to drop him off at the entrance of an alley, planning to run home through the rain.

Before getting off, he said, “In a few days, I’ll bring my family to the restaurant for dinner. Oh, by the way, do you still have any of those rabbit heads from last time? I’d like to buy a few more.”

“If the hunter brings more rabbits, I’ll make them for you.”

Satisfied, Peng Zheng went on his way.

…

“Boss, you’ve returned!”

When he arrived at the restaurant, it was just around meal time, but without him in the kitchen, combined with the rain, business had slowed down quite a bit.

Qiu Chuan shouted out a greeting, and the accountant behind the counter quickly stood up to greet him as well.

Qin Xia glanced around and saw some familiar customers, nodding in acknowledgment with clasped hands.

One of them said, “We’ve been waiting for your return. Only your dishes hit the spot.”

Qin Xia smiled slightly. “Is there anything else you’d like? I can go to the kitchen and add another dish.”

The customer waved his hand.

“After all that traveling, you should rest first. We’ll come back next time.”

Hearing this, Qin Xia felt relieved; he was indeed tired and didn’t want to spend another hour in front of the stove.

After exchanging pleasantries, he made his way to the backyard.

In the kitchen, Zhuang Xing was still cooking alone.

Aunt Xiang, who had been chopping vegetables, stopped and came out to ask Qin Xia, “Boss, have you eaten?”

Qin Xia shook his head. “Whatever’s ready, I’ll have that. No need to trouble yourself.”

Aunt Xiang glanced around, feeling a bit embarrassed. “We had noodles with egg stew for lunch.”

“Then make me a bowl of that.”

After finishing a big bowl of noodles with egg stew, he at least had something in his stomach.

He then made a quick round through the dining area to show his face before returning to the back room for a nap.

When he woke up, feeling more refreshed, he instructed Qiu Chuan to buy two red lanterns with the character “Qin” on them the next day.

“In the future, if I’m in the kitchen, hang up this lantern. Even if it’s not lit during the day, it can be seen from afar. If I’m not around, take it down and replace it with the original yellow one.”

Zhuang Xing, who was passing by, was the first to react.

“Boss, does that mean you won’t be in the restaurant as often anymore?”

Qin Xia didn’t say much to the group of workers.

“I might be a bit busy from now on. To avoid disappointing customers, it’s better to be prepared.”

Truthfully, Zhuang Xing’s cooking skills weren’t quite good enough to take full responsibility yet.

But with the new distillery business, Qin Xia couldn’t keep himself tied to the restaurant every day.

…

On Mid-Autumn Day.

Qin Ji Eatery had already pre-ordered a large number of crabs from crab farmers. Due to the season, crab prices had been rising daily.

Since Qin Xia placed his order early, he could still get them for around 50 wen per pound, whereas in the market, even a two-tael male crab had gone up to 60 wen, and female crabs to 70 wen.

“This isn’t eating crabs, it’s eating silver!” Aunt Xiang exclaimed as she picked crab meat in the courtyard. After painstakingly finishing another one, she tossed the shell into a basket and shook her head in amazement.

A pound of mixed pork only cost a little over 20 wen, and crabs, with their hard shells, were something most families could only afford to buy for their children during festivals.

But in the past few days at Qin Ji, she’d had more than her fill of the smell of crabs and no longer found them anything special.

“Aunt Xiang, have you gathered enough crab roe? We need it for the dish.”

“Yes, it’s ready. I’ll bring it right over!”

Aunt Xiang scooped up a bowl and headed to the kitchen.

At first glance, raw crab roe looked somewhat dark, but after stir-frying, it would turn into a bright golden color.

Adding a ladle of broth for simmering, seasoning with salt, and combining it with pre-blanched fish maw, the dish was thickened and plated—thus completing the crab roe-braised fish maw.

“Xiao Yao, come serve the dish!”

Qiu Yao hurriedly ran over, and just as she entered the hall, she passed by Qiu Chuan, who shouted back toward the kitchen.

“Two orders of spicy crab, one crab stir-fried with rice cakes, and three plates of crab roe noodles!”

After calling out, he hung the order ticket on the kitchen wall and turned around, busy welcoming more customers.

“We’ve really fallen into a crab pit,” Zhuang Xing muttered to himself. Just as he was about to ask Qin Xia what else they needed, an old regular customer from the private room came to the kitchen door to order more food.

“Boss Qin, that drunken crab earlier was great! Can we get another serving? And another pot of warmed yellow wine.”

Qin Xia responded, and Aunt Xiang, being quick-witted, wiped her hands and said, “I’ll go get the crab and warm the wine.”

Seeing they were truly too busy, Qin Xia hurriedly instructed her, after she had delivered the wine, “Auntie, since the dining hall isn’t delivering meals today and it’s not busy, go borrow two more people.”

Aunt Xiang breathed a sigh of relief. She had been so overwhelmed just picking crab meat that her eyes were starting to blur.

“Who do you want me to bring over?”

Qin Xia wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “Have Sister Zheng arrange it.”

A little more than a quarter-hour later, Su Ge’er arrived, leading Wang Po to help, and also reported to Qin Xia, “Boss, Sister Zheng said the dining hall isn’t busy today, so my mother and I will stay here. She’ll come over later too.”

Qin Xia then had Wang Po learn from Aunt Xiang how to pick crab meat, while Su Ge’er kept an eye on things around the kitchen.

The crab meat and roe were still being used for the crab roe stir-fry, but much more remained unpicked for the moment.

Seeing how progress was going, Qin Xia decided to start with the other two dishes.

This year, the crab dishes that Qin Ji Eatery introduced were quite different from the usual ways of eating crabs in Qinan County.

Locally, most people steamed crabs and ate them directly with ginger vinegar, though some preferred not to dip the crabs at all, savoring their original flavor.

There were also dishes like crab roe tofu, commonly found in the city’s restaurants.

Crab roe buns, too, had made certain bun shops famous.

But spicy crab and crab stir-fried with rice cakes were something many had never heard of.

To some, adding spicy flavors to crabs, which are meant to be enjoyed for their fresh taste, seemed like a waste.

This was a common opinion.

As for crab stir-fried with rice cakes, the combination was considered odd by local standards.

In Qinan County, people usually thought of rice cakes as the yellow ones eaten during the Lunar New Year. The rice cakes Qin Xia used for stir-frying crabs, however, were a southern specialty—water-milled rice cakes, specifically ordered for this dish.

The crabs were chopped into pieces, and the legs were cracked to allow the flavors to seep in. The crab was coated in a layer of starch and then deep-fried.

A large amount of scallions, ginger, and garlic was finely chopped and sautéed until fragrant, after which the fried crab was added. At this point, a splash of huadiao wine, sugar, salt, and soy sauce was added. The oil sizzled loudly, and the aroma of the dish filled the air.

Water was boiled in the pot, and slices of rice cakes were added to cook until softened, then simmered on low heat to absorb the flavors.

Once plated, the stir-fried crab with rice cakes was drizzled with the leftover oil from frying the crab. Instantly, the colors of the dish seemed to brighten, and the thick sauce soaked into the crab meat and rice cakes, making the flavors rich and unforgettable.

Meanwhile, two large bowls of freshly picked crab roe and crab meat were brought in.

Qin Xia quickly stir-fried a batch of crab roe paste using pork lard, enough to make seven or eight servings of crab roe noodles.

When the dishes were served, they immediately caught the eyes of the diners, who couldn’t help but stare at the waiters delivering them.

“Is that the dish we ordered?”

“I think it is.”

“I regret not ordering the stir-fried crab with rice cakes. It looks fantastic.”

“Too much effort with the shells. Crab roe noodles are much better.”

The diners chatted, each with their own preferences.

However, the most fragrant and intense dish in the air was undoubtedly the spicy crab.

“Manager Peng, can crab really taste good like this?”

Someone caught a whiff of the spicy aroma from the neighboring table, and it made their mouth water—not from hunger, but because the spiciness was so overpowering.

“Why wouldn’t it taste good?”

Peng Zheng held up a crab leg, partially cracked to reveal the crab meat. He took a bite, as if eating a piece of fatty meat, and his eyes squinted in satisfaction.

“Just try it, and you’ll see.”

Indeed, for spicy dishes, Qin Ji Eatery was the place to be.

The spicy crab dish didn’t only contain crabs but also river prawns, split open along the back. After being fried, the shrimp shells had already cracked, and a light pull with the mouth would easily peel them off.

Compared to the soft crab meat, the shrimp meat had a firmer texture, making it perfect for slow chewing, with each bite releasing more flavor.

Peng Zheng hadn’t come alone today; he had brought his husband and two children.

The whole family could handle a bit of spice, especially his younger son, who resembled him the most.

At only five or six years old, the boy had been gnawing on a bright red piece of spicy crab for a while. Although he had to drink water after every few bites, smearing oil all over the rim of his teacup, his enthusiasm for the dish was unstoppable.

“I can’t take it anymore, it’s too spicy.”

Peng’s husband gasped, wiping sweat from his brow as the dish overwhelmed him. He called over a passing waiter.

“I remember you have a sweet soup here. What’s it called? It’s made with corn. Bring us a serving of that.”

Qiu Chuan immediately responded, “You’re referring to the corn soup, right? I’ll add that to your order right away.”

He didn’t forget to make a suggestion, “If the spice is too much, perhaps a pot of milk tea would help. Milk is the best way to cool down from the heat.”

“Papa, I want milk tea!” the older child chimed in.

“Alright, alright, let’s get a pot.”

“Do you still want the corn soup?”

“We’ll take both.”

In no time, two more dishes were added, prompting Peng’s husband to remark, “No wonder Qin Ji’s business is so good.”

Whenever they went to other restaurants, they never ended up ordering extra dishes, but here, it felt as if they hadn’t eaten enough unless they tried a few more.

After finishing the meal and settling the bill, it came to just over two taels of silver, despite not eating in a private room—thanks to the expensive crabs.

On the way home, they passed by Liubao Street, where the two children clamored to stop by Gan Yuanzhai to buy some pastries.

Peng’s husband glanced over and saw that Gan Yuanzhai had set up a stall at the entrance, drawing a large crowd.

He wasn’t fond of crowds, but Peng Zheng gently nudged him from behind, “Since we’re here, let’s take a look.”

With no choice, Peng’s husband followed along.

“They’re selling mooncakes! Custard mooncakes! Yunnan ham mooncakes! Snow skin mooncakes with rabbit designs!”

What’s all this?

Many of the people gathering around, like the Peng family, were confused. Mooncakes were typically filled with red bean paste or five-nut filling—where had all these new varieties come from?

Seeing more people approaching, the shop assistant Bai Zao flashed a broad smile.

“Esteemed guests, these are the new mooncakes from Gan Yuanzhai this year. I guarantee you’ve never tasted them before! Take some home and enjoy something fresh, or pack them in a gift box for friends and family. They’ll certainly be impressed!”

With that, he presented a tray of mooncakes cut into small pieces with toothpicks for sampling.

“Even if you don’t buy, you can still taste! Try it first, and then decide if you’d like to buy!”

The plate of samples was quickly snapped up, with Peng Zheng and his husband each taking an extra piece for the children.

“Custard mooncake—seems like it’s made with egg yolk? It’s sweet with a hint of savory, not too heavy.”

“Try the Yunnan ham one. I think it’s made with ham.”

Bai Zao overheard and immediately chimed in, “You’ve got a sharp eye! That mooncake is indeed made with ham from the south.”

“Ham in mooncakes? Won’t that just burn?”

Someone, eyeing the sample on their toothpick, muttered while popping it into their mouth.

“This taste…”

They chewed for a while, unsure how to describe it, but one thing was certain—they liked it.

Without hesitation, they stepped forward to ask, “How much for these?”

Each of the three new flavors of mooncakes found their own fans.

Those who liked a bit of meat opted for the Yunnan ham mooncakes, where the ham had been marinated in honey, the crust was flaky, and the filling was savory and fragrant.

Those who preferred a milky, eggy flavor went for the custard mooncakes. When broken open, the custard filling wasn’t fully solidified, with lotus seed paste on the side. This wasn’t ordinary mung bean paste, but rather a delicately sweet lotus seed flavor.

Children favored the rabbit-shaped snow skin mooncakes. Made from white glutinous rice, with small red eyes dotted on their adorable forms, these mooncakes were soft, fragrant, and delightfully novel to eat.

Inside the shop, Xing Yiming sat at the counter, fiddling with his abacus and patting his plump belly, laughing like the Buddha.

Seeing the mooncakes sell out one batch after another, all thanks to the new recipes he had gotten from Qin Xia, business at Gan Yuanzhai was booming more than ever.

Looking back, it was a stroke of luck that he had given in to his craving last year and bought that portion of sizzling tofu from Qin Xia’s small food stall, thus making his acquaintance.

Otherwise, where would all this good fortune have come from?

…

On Mid-Autumn night, everyone returned home to reunite with their families.

After finishing the lunch service, Qin Xia gave the employees at the restaurant and dining hall a holiday break.

He handed each person five qian of silver, a box of mooncakes, and some crabs.

The Qiu siblings and Zhuang Xing had nowhere to go, so Zheng Xinghua voluntarily offered to take them home to celebrate the festival together.

Naturally, Qin Xia didn’t spend the festival alone either. After feeding the cats, he took Da Fu with him to the Liu family’s home. Before he even entered the door, the aroma of food greeted him.

“Godmother, Douzi, I’m here!”

“Xia ge!”

Liu Douzi ran out to open the door, with a white cat perched on his shoulder.

This cat was one of the four kittens born to the white cat that had once stayed at Qin Xia’s house. All of the kittens had been taken by others, and when Fang Rong heard, she also adopted one.

She said its white color reminded her of tofu, which she found endearing. Qin Xia initially thought they might name the cat “Tofu,” but instead…

“Xishi, get down!”

Liu Douzi shooed the cat to the ground, and as soon as its paws hit the floor, Da Fu darted after it. Da Fu had grown used to playing with cats at home, and whenever he saw one, he couldn’t resist bothering it.

Soon enough, the two white creatures—one big and one small—were rolling around together, but Qin Xia wasn’t surprised and simply looked away.

Liu Douzi brushed off the cat hair on his clothes and took the items from Qin Xia’s hands.

“Xia ge, my mother said you’re not allowed to cook today. Just stay inside and wait to eat.”

“That’s right. Today, all the dishes are my specialties.”

Fang Rong heard them and poked her head out from the kitchen.

Qin Xia lifted the crabs he was holding and approached her, “Godmother, how should we cook the crabs?”

“Steam them. I can’t handle all those fancy methods. Just leave the crabs to me, and don’t worry about anything else.”

Fang Rong took the crabs and refused to let Qin Xia step into the kitchen.

On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Liu family set up a table in the courtyard for moon worship. It was adorned with incense, fruits, pastries, vegetarian dishes, and tea. Qin Xia also added a plate of mooncakes, temporarily considering himself part of the Liu family.

Fang Rong started preparing dinner early, and before long, the dishes were served.

The table was filled with an array of meat and fish, all cooked in simple, homestyle ways, but the aroma was mouthwatering.

As Qin Xia helped set the table, he casually remarked, “Godmother, how can we finish all this food?”

Fang Rong wiped her hands on her apron and only then realized, “It’s a habit. I realized halfway through that I’d made too much. But it’s fine, the weather’s cool, and it won’t spoil by tomorrow.”

Qin Xia immediately understood where Fang Rong’s “habit” came from.

When Yu Jiuque used to be here, even though it was just one more person, the table would always be emptied clean.

He knew it wasn’t just him who still missed the young man far away in Shengjing. Many people here did too.

The topic was soon tactfully avoided.

“Come on, everyone sit down to eat.”

Fang Rong placed a piece of braised pork on each of her sons’ plates, and the cat and Da Fu—had their own bowls in the corner, happily eating their meals.

During dinner, they talked about Liu Douzi’s upcoming wedding in the winter. Now that times were better and money was more readily available, Fang Rong had long since started preparing for it.

“The house also needs some repairs.”

Several rooms in the Liu family home would be renovated, including the one Liu Douzi currently lived in, which would soon become his wedding chamber.

The houses in the county were made of brick and tile, sturdy but showing signs of age.

Fang Rong planned to hire someone to replace the roof tiles and repaint the walls.

“The courtyard will also be paved with bricks, so we won’t step into mud when it rains.”

Qin Xia was happy for Liu Douzi, who had been waiting so long to marry, and it was finally about to happen.

“When the time comes, this house will be lively.”

Fang Rong, hearing this, also smiled.

“Exactly. Life is like that—worrying about the old, then the young.”

She had been widowed for many years, with only one son, and the household had indeed felt quite empty. She hoped that once her son’s husband joined the family, they could have children and fill the house with energy, giving the place a lively atmosphere.

As for Qin Xia, he had just started making her worry less for a few months…

Well, it’s a holiday—no need to bring that up.

At least business at the restaurant was getting better day by day. As long as Qin Xia didn’t get distracted and focused on his business, there would come a day when Jiu Ge’er would return.

After dinner, the three moved to the courtyard to worship the moon.

Fang Rong stood in front, holding incense, whispering prayers. Qin Xia and Liu Douzi each held three incense sticks, bowing in respect.

No matter which deity they were worshipping, Qin Xia silently prayed in his heart: May they protect his Ah Jiu and ensure his safety, and may the two of them reunite soon.

Once the ritual was over, the incense was placed in the burner, the moonlight paper was burned, and the offerings were cleared away. Each of them took a mooncake that Qin Xia had placed on the table to eat.

One person got a Yunnan ham mooncake, another a custard mooncake, while the rabbit-shaped snow skin mooncakes remained untouched, left on the plate. They were so lifelike that no one wanted to ruin them.

After a bit of small talk, they realized the night had grown late.

Qin Xia stayed to help wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen before finally heading home with Da Fu, walking through the alley.

Time moved forward, and as people walked, so did the moon.

The silver moon hung high in the sky like a jade disc.

The wisteria in the alley bloomed and withered again, but realizing that the same moon was being admired across the world brought some comfort to the loneliness in his heart.

Qin Xia exhaled deeply, turning to check on Da Fu, who was lagging behind.

Without hesitation, he scooped up the large goose into his arms and quickened his pace toward home.

…

At the same time, within the deep palace.

The emperor’s bedchamber was brightly lit, palace lanterns glowing, illuminating the room as if it were daytime.

The consort attending to the emperor stood by his bedside, her hands tightly clasped, staring at the imperial physicians who were taking turns diagnosing the emperor.

The news quickly reached the Directorate of Ceremonial.

The elderly Eunuch She had a genuine look of concern on his face as he called the name of the eunuch on duty that night, Yu Jiuque.

“Grand Eunuch Yu, stay here and keep watch. I’ll go check on His Majesty.”

Yu Jiuque personally helped him to the door.

A young eunuch holding a lantern quickly stepped forward, taking over the task.

“The night air is cold, be careful, Grand Eunuch.”

But Eunuch She was too focused on the emperor to respond, hurrying down the steps and off into the distance.

Yu Jiuque stood where he was, as if seeing him off.

A gust of wind rose, shifting the clouds and covering the bright moonlight.

It was going to change weather.