Ch 102: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Yu Jiuque saw Ah Jin, who had a birthmark on her forehead, while attending a court hearing at the Office of Military Affairs.

In an instant, he thought of GAO Yang’s daughter who had gone missing. Afterward, he secretly ordered an investigation into Ah Jin’s background and age. The more he compared the details, the more he believed that they were likely the same person.

Once he was at least 60-70% certain, he passed the news to Gao Yang through Qin Xia.

The day of the reunion soon arrived.

Due to Xue Qi’s attempted assault on Ah Jin, which had resulted in her being gravely injured, the case had been concluded with the testimonies of two concubines who had been present in the room that day.

Since Ah Jin was the victim and had lost her mental clarity, she was sent to the Ciji Institute in the city for temporary shelter after the case was closed.

People discovered that as long as no one mentioned the Xue family or their affairs in front of her, Ah Jin would quietly go about her work, behaving no differently from anyone else.

The matron in charge of Ciji Institute grew quite fond of her and intended to keep her there to work, ensuring she would not go hungry or be mistreated.

However, the matron had not expected that Ah Jin had living relatives.

Since the order had come from a superior, she dared not slack off. Before Qin Xia and Gao Yang arrived, the matron had already sent someone to help Ah Jin bathe, change clothes, and settle her in a room to await their arrival.

When they finally arrived, the matron discreetly observed Gao yang’s features. They said daughters resembled their fathers, and when compared to Ah Jin, she indeed saw some similarities.

Upon entering the room, father and daughter were reunited. The moment Gao Yang saw the birthmark, he was certain that Ah Jin was his lost daughter, Gao Han.

“There’s no mistake!”

His lips trembled with excitement, but he feared scaring her, so he sat to the side, softly rambling on about stories from her childhood.

As he spoke, Ah Jin—or rather, Gao Yang’s daughter Gao Han—seemed to recall something. She turned her head toward Gao Yang and slowly called out, “Father.”

After so many years of separation, who would have thought there would be a day when they would meet again?

When Gao Han remembered even the grape trellis in the family home at Qinan County, Gao Yang was both shocked and overjoyed. At the same time, he vaguely realized that his daughter might never have been truly mad!

Everyone present, including the matron of the Ciji Institute and Qin Xia, had noticed the clues but had tacitly agreed not to say anything.

In that situation, it was clear that Gao Han had feigned madness to protect herself. Now that Xue Qi had been punished, her family had been reunited, and things had turned for the better, the truth of the past no longer seemed important.

Gao Yang thanked the matron of Ciji Institute and took Gao Han back to Heguang Pavillion.

There were four rear rooms in the courtyard house; Gao Yang occupied a small one, and the Huang brothers shared a large one. With an extra room available and some cleaning and tidying up, Gao Han settled in for the time being.

Moved by their deep father-daughter bond, Qin Xia advanced Gao Yang’s monthly wages so he could buy some things for Han.

When Yu Jiuque learned Ah Jin’s true identity as Gao Han from Qinan County, he instructed Madam Xu to find some materials and accessories suitable for a young woman from the estate’s storeroom and send them over.

“So, what are their plans now? Have they sent word to their family?” Qin Xia asked as he and Yu Jiuque sat at the table in their room, eating peaches.

The peaches were freshly ripened, and the estate had quickly delivered the best-looking ones—two varieties in total: one crisp and one soft.

Qin Xia preferred the crisp ones, while Yu Jiuque favored the soft ones. They each ate their preferred peaches, sharing a moment of peaceful harmony.

“Although Gao Yang originally came to the capital to find his daughter, he has made it clear to me that he intends to stay at Heguang Pavillion long-term. Since he cannot leave here, and he doesn’t want to put me in a difficult position, he wrote in the family letter asking his wife to bring their son to the capital for a visit. After that, it will be up to Gao Han to decide whether she wants to return to the countryside with her mother or stay in the capital with her father.”

Yu Jiuque scooped out a piece of the honey peach with a small spoon and placed it in his mouth. The sweet juice moistened his lips, causing him to lick them slightly.

“That seems like a reasonable arrangement. Gao Yang is someone who repays kindness. Now that you have such a capable head chef, you won’t have to spend all your time tied to the stove in the future.”

Qin Xia finished his peach, but Yu Jiuque still had quite a bit left in his bowl.

The young man ate slowly, his whole demeanor radiating a sweet, contented aura.

Recently, both in the imperial court and the inner palace, people had been saying that Lord Yu appeared much more gentle.

Though his methods remained as sharp as ever, and he could still frighten people with just a few words, there was an undeniable softening of his edges.

What no one knew was that this change in Lord Yu’s character had been forged over time. Every night before bed, he would burn incense and copy two pages of the Heart Sutra, praying for the well-being of his unborn child.

His reasoning was that, as someone skilled in political machinations, he was not truly a good person at heart. This was his way of seeking peace of mind and reducing his sins.

It was a process of self-comfort. Qin Xia didn’t say much about it, but every time it happened, he would quietly take out a brush and paper to accompany Yu Jiuque.

After writing so much, there had been an unexpected benefit:

At least his calligraphy was no longer so terrible.

…

In June, as the scorching heat of summer arrived, the blazing sun burned intensely.

Along with the sweltering heat, the fiery hotpot at Heguang Pavilion was also “boiling” in popularity.

Customers, drenched in sweat while eating the beef tallow and chili-based hotpot, all felt as if they were possessed.

In such weather, why couldn’t they go for something cool and refreshing? Yet, for some reason, they craved this intense flavor, unable to stop once they started.

As a result, the demand for herbal medicine to dispel internal heat surged throughout the southern city’s medical clinics.

The pharmacy closest to Heguang Pavilion quickly seized the business opportunity, setting up a table outside to sell “traditional herbal tea.” Qin Xia noticed that many diners would stop by the pharmacy to buy a packet of herbal tea after their meal, taking it home to brew.

It could be said that this was truly a case of people “braving fire and water” for good food.

…

As the season progressed, although the lotus root had not yet matured for brewing, Qin Xia could still recreate the famous “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” shaved ice bowl, a dessert that once swept through Qinan County, using the convenience of the lotus pond in the capital.

For this, he specially invited an artist to paint a scene of the “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea,” cleverly integrating the shaved ice bowl into the painting. The result was the Eight Immortals crossing the sea while sitting atop an ice bowl.

(T/N: Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea is a popular Chinese legend featuring the Eight Immortals, a group of eight deities in Taoist mythology. Each immortal possesses a unique magical item, and the story emphasizes their use of personal skills and magical objects to cross the sea.)

Zhong Hanli’s plantain fan became a lotus leaf, Tieguai Li swapped his gourd for a lotus root segment, Zhang Guolao rode a water caltrop, and Lan Caihe’s basket of flowers and fruits was replaced with gorgon fruits.

Even He Xiangu, with her lotus flower crown, had her earrings switched to red cherries.

The painting was set on a large canvas, framed and mounted on a wooden stand outside the restaurant, visible to all passersby.

The old gentleman Master Gu, who had previously enjoyed the fish, returned once more, though this time he came alone.

He stood in front of the painting of the Eight Immortals sitting on the ice bowl for a long time, stroking his long beard with a smile before entering the restaurant.

In his view, the boss of Heguang Pavillion was truly a clever person.

After sitting down and ordering, Qiu Chuan recommended the restaurant’s new dish—eel rice.

“It’s said that eating eel in the hot summer surpasses consuming ginseng,” for in summer, eel is fat and nourishing, earning it the reputation of “ginseng of the water.”

The eel available in Shengjing is called white eel, also known as white loach. Many people in Dayong likely think eel is just a larger version of loach and can’t tell the difference.

But that’s alright, as long as the chef knows.

To cater to the ever-increasing number of restaurant customers, preparing a pot of teriyaki eel, serving it over rice, and bringing it to the table was indeed an excellent choice.

Thus, the two maids and Gao Han, the daughter of Gao Yang, were already in the back courtyard early in the morning, preparing the eel.

Since Gao Yang’s wife and son had not yet arrived in the capital, Han stayed at Heguang Pavilion with her father. After resting for just one day, she rolled up her sleeves and started helping the two old maids. When Qin Xia offered her wages, she declined.

Seeing how efficiently she worked, Qin Xia thought that if she chose not to return to her hometown and wanted to stay here as an employee, he would gladly take her in.

Take the task of killing the eel, for example. The creature was slippery and long, resembling a snake, which frightened many young girls. Yet Gao Han remained unfazed.

She would stun the eel, coat her hands with flour to rub off the eel’s slimy outer layer, cut open its belly, drain its blood, remove the entrails, rinse it clean, and place it in a basin to be sent to the kitchen.

From this point on, it became Qin Xia and Gao Yang’s task.

The eel needed to be beheaded and have its tail removed, and the large bones were picked out. The remaining meat was transferred into a large bowl and marinated in a teriyaki sauce made from soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and rice wine.

The bones weren’t discarded; they were placed in a flat pan and roasted until golden brown, then simmered with another batch of teriyaki sauce.

The umami from the eel bones would seep into the sauce, which was cooked until bubbling, thick and sticky, clinging to the spoon—then the heat was turned off.

The marinated eel is placed on an iron grill, brushed with sauce, and roasted until the fish slightly curls and browns, with the juices gradually drying out. The result is a sweet and savory flavor, perfect for eating with rice.

Before serving, a large porcelain bowl with a green rim is used. A layer of rice is placed at the bottom, topped with pieces of eel, and garnished with dried nori flakes, strands of fried egg, white sesame seeds, and finely chopped scallions. A complimentary bowl of seaweed soup is also provided.

Due to the high cost of eel, this set meal is priced at six silver coins at Heguang Pavilion.

Even so, it’s considered a fairly affordable meal among the restaurants in the southern part of Shengjing.

“Be careful, sir, while the eel’s large bones have been removed, there are still fine ones,” Qiu Chuan reminded as he placed the dish down.

But small bones posed no challenge for Old Master Gu. He skillfully picked them out one by one with his chopsticks, savoring the eel with the teriyaki sauce over rice, occasionally enjoying the crispy nori, the soft golden strands of egg, and the fragrant roasted sesame seeds.

As people age, they tend to eat less.

However, this eel rice was served in a large bowl. After finishing it and sipping the seaweed soup, Old Master Gu realized he might have to take some digestive hawthorn pills, the kind his eldest grandson usually takes, when he got home.

Satisfied, he called a waiter to settle the bill. Along with the six silver coins, he also gave an extra ten copper coins as a tip.

“Waiter, do you still have writing tools available for guests to compose poems on the walls?”

Old Master Gu, in good spirits, was inspired by the cleverness of the “Eight Immortals” painting at the entrance and found his thoughts flowing freely.

When Qiu Chuan heard this, he was astonished. The boss had always said that this frequent customer was likely a great scholar!

Such an opportunity was not to be missed.

He quickly brought out high-quality writing materials directly sourced from the little boss’s mansion, including fine brushes, ink, an exquisite inkstone, and paper.

Old Master Gu glanced over them, satisfied, and immediately walked to the white wall. With his sleeves rolled up, he picked up the brush and, without hesitation, composed a piece in a fluid, flowing style, signing off with a single flamboyant character.

Qiu Chuan couldn’t recognize it, but he bowed with deep respect.

At that moment, no one in the restaurant, including Qin Xia, knew the true value of the “calligraphy treasure” now on their wall.

A few days later, a scholar who had previously written a verse about the yuan yang hotpot came to dine with friends. The moment he saw the writing next to his own modest work, he recognized it as a piece by the famed Master Xianyu!

Gu Gaoyuan, courtesy name Changting, pen name Xianyu, was a widely respected scholar with his own distinctive style, renowned for his erudition.

The scholar was so overwhelmed that he was nearly incoherent, wishing he could take the entire wall home with him.

Thus, just as the yuan yang hotpot had become the “exclusive dish for lovers,” the Eight Immortals Shaved Ice and eel rice suddenly became a must-try odd combination for the scholars of the capital.

Meanwhile, in a quiet study somewhere in the capital, Master Xianyu himself was drafting a brand-new manuscript.

But this time, it wasn’t about governance or poetry. On the first page, he slowly inscribed the title: The Xianyu Food Guide.

The very first entry began: “In the capital, there is a restaurant named Heguang…”

Each word savored, its taste infinite.