Ch 127: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

After the full-month banquet, there were only a few days left before New Year’s Eve.

Heguang Pavilion hung up the “Closed for Business” sign, and Qin Xia gathered all the staff for a meal. After handing out red envelopes and New Year’s gifts, he gave them time off for the holiday.

Gao Yang’s wife had successfully arrived in the capital with their young son just before the New Year, moving into a house that Gao Yang had rented in advance. Because funds were tight, Gao Yang rented a house in an alley near South City in the outer city, where rent was 30% cheaper than in South City, and the place was more spacious with a clean courtyard. The downside was the distance—it was farther from the restaurant, unlike when he used to stay in the restaurant’s back courtyard, so now he had to wake up earlier each day. But this small inconvenience was nothing compared to the joy of reuniting with his family.

The brothers Huang Xing and Huang Guang had also worked diligently over the past few months at the restaurant, saving up a good amount of silver. They mentioned to Qin Xia that if they continued living frugally for another two years, they could afford to marry a wife or husband.

“When that time comes, we’ll be like Big Brother Gao, and rent a house outside.”

Given their age, it was no small matter. In their hometown, men their age would have children running around by now, so the thought of marriage was always on their minds.

When the subject of marriage was brought up, the Huang brothers also took the opportunity to remind the younger Qiu Chuan and Ah Jian: “Once you get your wages, don’t waste it. There will be plenty of places to spend money in the future.”

To this, Qiu Chuan firmly replied, “I won’t waste it. I’m saving up for my little sister’s dowry.”

Hearing this, Qiu Yao blushed and quickly pulled her silly brother away, causing everyone to laugh for a good while.

With the matters of Heguang Pavilion settled, Qin Xia returned home and was pleasantly surprised to see Zhong Cai, the steward of his estate on the outskirts of the capital.

It was a tradition for the heads of the various estates to bring gifts and submit the previous year’s earnings to the master of the household during the New Year holidays.

When Qin Xia arrived, Qiu Yao was already working with Zhong Cai, the estate manager, to reconcile the accounts with an abacus. Over the course of the year, the estate’s total income amounted to 1,000 taels of silver—not a lot, but not too little either—a modest and respectable harvest.

In addition to the silver, Zhong Cai had also prepared an abundance of New Year’s provisions. These included grains like rice, flour, and beans, high-quality charcoal made from the estate’s own firewood, poultry such as chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and sheep, fresh vegetables cultivated in greenhouses, baskets of dried vegetables, mushrooms, and dried fish.

To transport all of these goods, it took ten ox-drawn carts, forming a long line down the street.

Qin Xia accepted the list and, upon glancing at the end, noticed a significant amount of wild game. There were two wild deer, several roe deer, a few wild pheasants and ducks, dozens of pounds of processed wild boar meat, as well as “soup pigs” and “dragon pigs.” A soup pig referred to a slaughtered pig with its hair removed in hot water, and a dragon pig was a term for a suckling pig. These offerings included several items that were exactly to Qin Xia’s liking.

Both Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque rewarded Zhong Cai with silver, and Qin Xia specifically reminded him not to mistreat the tenant farmers during the New Year season.

Zhong Cai bowed and replied, “I wouldn’t dare. As per your instructions, we’ve slaughtered a few big, fat pigs for the tenants so they can enjoy meat. Each family received their share based on household size, and we also distributed rice, flour, oil, and sugar. I can guarantee everyone will have a prosperous New Year.”

Qin Xia knew that Zhong Cai wouldn’t dare cut corners on these matters, and even if he had the audacity to pressure the tenants into falsifying claims, he couldn’t escape the scrutiny of the Eastern Palace’s jinyiwei.

They then discussed plans for expanding beet planting during spring plowing after the New Year and the construction of the sugar factory. After sorting out the details, Zhong Cai gratefully tucked the heavy 20 taels of reward silver into his sleeve and left with a beaming smile.

As he left, he thought to himself, “Both the lord and the master have praised my work this past year. It seems my position as estate manager is secure. As long as I continue working diligently, I can ensure a life of steady wealth and stability.”

On the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, the end of the year arrived.

The first thing to do after waking up in the morning was to perform the rites of worship and invite the gods. For aristocratic families and clans, ancestral worship was a major event throughout the year, with numerous rules and rituals.

However, since Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque did not have an ancestral hall to worship, they focused solely on inviting the gods. The customs for inviting the gods in the capital of Shengjing were slightly different from those in Qin County. In Shengjing, it was customary to set up a long table and display a “Hundred Deities Chart,” a picture filled with all kinds of heavenly gods and sacred beings.

In front of the Hundred Deities Chart, a special honey offering was placed. The honey offering was purchased from the city’s honey shops, consisting of various fried pastries stacked to resemble a pagoda. Preparing such an offering required a great deal of flour, oil, and sugar. It was said that some families of modest means, worried about being unable to afford the honey offering by the end of the year, would start saving up monthly at the honey shop well in advance.

The Grand Attendant’s residence prepared a total of three honey offerings, each in a different color. Alongside them were plates of fresh fruit, dried fruit, New Year cakes, steamed buns, and vegetarian dishes. There were also vases with sacred flowers and incense burners. After offering incense to invite the gods on New Year’s Eve, the altar would remain until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, when the gods would be sent off by burning the Hundred Deities Chart, officially concluding the ceremony.

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque followed the steps of inviting the gods carefully, inserting their three sticks of incense into the burner one after the other. As Qin Xia finished, a small clump of incense ash fell onto the back of his hand, lightly burning him.

Yu Jiuque noticed immediately and quickly took Qin Xia’s hand to inspect it.

“It’s a little red. Let’s apply some ointment when we go inside.”

Qin Xia waved it off. “This is nothing compared to getting splattered with oil while cooking. No need for ointment.”

He chuckled, adding, “Isn’t there a saying that getting burned by incense ash during offering is a good sign? It means the gods have heard your wishes.”

At that moment, an idea struck him. “We should visit Wanfu Temple during the New Year.”

Before Yu Jiuque’s delivery, Qin Xia had gone there alone to pray, and now that his wishes had come true, it was time to fulfill his vow.

Yu Jiuque knew about Qin Xia’s secret trip to Wanfu Temple before the birth. It was only right for them to return together to give thanks, so he agreed, mentioning that they should also visit the temple fair during the trip.

After inviting the gods, they returned to Heguang Courtyard, feeling as if the scent of incense lingered around them. On either side of the courtyard entrance, new peachwood charms had been hung—one side for Shentu and the other for Yulei, exuding a mighty and impressive aura.

As they entered the house, the nanny happened to be carrying little Xi Ge’er over.

The little baby was dressed in bright new clothes today, wearing a small silk liuhe cap on his head. Qin Xia took the jade pendant he had just removed from his waist and shook the tassels in front of the baby, who responded with gleeful giggles.

At just one month old, the baby didn’t recognize people yet, but his instinctive reactions and casual smiles were enough to make both of his fathers burst with joy.

Although it was winter, the weather was pleasant that day. The sky above was a clear, bright blue, without a hint of clouds. Sunlight streamed through the shell windows, casting beautiful light spots on the ground.

After finishing their breakfast, Da Fu and Xiao Fu, the two geese, came into the room, one after the other. The maid sensibly moved their nest to a sunny spot. Da Fu seemed quite satisfied with this and led Xiao Fu over, settling down in a comfortable position—one white, one gray—complementing each other perfectly.

With no relatives visiting, and just the three of them in the household, the family enjoyed a peaceful and quiet New Year’s celebration.

With plenty of free time, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque set up a chessboard, where Yu Jiuque taught Qin Xia how to play Go. Yu Jiuque had learned Go at the inner study hall, and while his skills weren’t particularly advanced, they were more than enough to teach Qin Xia.

In fact, this wasn’t Qin Xia’s first time learning the game, though the last time had been nearly three months ago. Since then, with the busyness of their lives—Yu Jiuque giving birth and going through recovery—Qin Xia had nearly forgotten everything about Go. For him, reading a chessboard was much more difficult than reading a recipe.

Yu Jiuque was very patient, explaining as they played. After a few bumpy rounds, Qin Xia felt he had barely reached the beginner’s level. However, thinking so much left him hungry early.

Since they had a big New Year’s feast planned for the evening, lunch was kept simple. Qin Xia mixed rice flour with starch to make a large batch of pork, egg, and corn rice noodle rolls. The rolls were steamed in batches: the first layer was just the rice batter, and the subsequent layers were filled with the ingredients.

Once fully steamed, the rolls were carefully peeled off and rolled up, then served with a special sauce. The outer layer was smooth and tender, while the filling retained its original savory flavor, with a subtle hint of sweetness, making it a dish one wouldn’t easily tire of.

To supplement the rice rolls, they had a pot of century egg and lean pork congee. The congee was made with tender pork loin and diced century eggs, with ginger strips and a dash of oil added to the rice broth. The unique flavor of the century eggs blended into the congee, making it one of Qin Xia’s favorite porridges.

After tasting it, Yu Jiuque declared that it was now his favorite porridge as well.

This is the benefit of two people living together—they can enjoy meals together.

After lunch was digested, Qin Xia snuggled with his husband for a short nap, and when he woke up around mid-afternoon, he felt refreshed and full of energy.

At this time, starting to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner wasn’t too late. However, what he didn’t expect was that when he got up, Yu Jiuque also got up, put on his robe, and insisted on joining him.

“You cook, and I’ll help with the prep,” Yu Jiuque said.

Yu Jiuque still remembered the scene from their first New Year’s festival together in Qinan County. Although much had happened since then, he had never forgotten the warmth of that time. After a busy year, this was an opportunity he was unwilling to miss.

Qin Xia thought about it and realized it had indeed been a long time since they had spent time together in the kitchen. However, when Yu Jiuque entered the kitchen, everyone inside—from the head cook to the helpers—froze in surprise, unsure where to put their hands.

The kitchen staff were accustomed to working with Qin Xia, but because they spent most of their time in the kitchen, they rarely saw Yu Jiuque. Seeing the lord suddenly appear, everyone felt a bit uneasy.

Yu Jiuque, as usual, remained composed and indifferent toward anyone other than Qin Xia. He put on an apron and calmly told everyone to continue following Qin Xia’s instructions as usual.

Qin Xia wasted no time and quickly assigned Yu Jiuque the simpler tasks like peeling garlic and chopping onions. Yu Jiuque was content with these mundane chores, sitting down to peel garlic and onions, and later even started slicing eggplant.

After a while, everyone in the kitchen got busy with their own tasks, slowly forgetting about the presence of such an important figure, and finally started working without feeling so constrained.

One by one, the dishes were prepared and laid out on the counter, waiting for Qin Xia, the head chef, to assign them their finishing touches.

The New Year’s Eve dinner featured a total of ten dishes, with the highlight being a roasted suckling pig. The main ingredient was the dragon pig that the steward had brought a few days earlier.

The suckling pig was split along the backbone, its innards removed, and the small bones from the shoulder and front legs carefully taken out to ensure better flavor penetration.

A good roasted suckling pig has skin so crispy and shiny it looks like it’s coated in a glaze. The key to achieving this is “scalding the skin.” The technique must be fast, precise, and decisive. To an outsider, it may look like it’s done in the blink of an eye, after which the pig is marinated.

Once the marination is complete and the skin has cooled, it is fixed on an iron spit and slowly roasted over the fire.

Since it was New Year’s, a fish dish was also a must.

No matter whether it’s sweet and sour, steamed, braised with scallions, or deep-fried, Qin Xia had made those dishes countless times. This time, he wanted to create something different.

He found a jar of canned lychees and decided to prepare Lychee Fish.

Using a blackhead fish, he scored crosshatch cuts, coated it with cornstarch, and then fried it until the fish meat curled into delicate flower shapes. He added lychees for flavor and made a sweet and sour sauce, which he poured evenly over the fish.

The sweet, syrupy lychees were arranged around the fish, and goji berries were used as a garnish, resembling bright red dots on a snowy white landscape.

In addition to the dragon pig that the steward brought from the farm, Qin Xia had his eye on the venison.

Venison is known for its warming and nourishing properties. He had consulted a physician, who said Yu Jiuque could eat it, but only in moderation.

Venison, being a wild game, tends to have a rougher texture, which can be difficult for those with weak stomachs to digest.

In Dayong, the most common way to eat venison is roasted, but Qin Xia wanted to do something different. He paired it with his homemade satay sauce and prepared a dish called Satay Venison Hotpot.

The satay sauce itself was complex, blending dried fish, scallops, shrimp skins, dried shrimp, and nearly ten different spices to create a savory, slightly sweet flavor with a unique character.

To prepare the dish, the venison was first simmered in broth until tender. He then used a creamy broth base, added the satay sauce and soy sauce for seasoning, and simmered the venison with mushrooms and goji berries until soft.

At this point, three out of the ten dishes were completed.

Besides these, one of the most time-consuming dishes was called Jin Qian Paoma.

This dish’s name originates from “Jin Qian Bing,” or “money cake,” which is made by roasting white cowpea flour into a bean cake.

Once the cake is done, its fragrance fills the air, and it’s soft and crispy. Qin Xia sliced it open and filled it with minced meat, frying it briefly before plating it.

The name “Jin Qian” refers to its coin-like shape, resembling a cartwheel. Qin Xia thought that aside from “Jin Qian Paoma,” another fitting name might be Cai Yuan Gun Gun (Rolling in Wealth).

As the day grew dark, a team of people was still busy completing the dishes. Yu Jiuque had promised to stay with Qin Xia, and aside from a brief moment when he had to calm a fussy little Xi Ge’er, he truly spent the rest of the time by his side.

Under Qin Xia’s guidance, Yu Jiuque made two cold dishes for the New Year’s feast: Cordyceps with Snow Fungus and Tofu with Scallions. Qin Xia also taught him how to make Steamed Matsutake Mushrooms with Egg, with the smooth, mirror-like surface of the egg custard exuding an irresistible aroma of mushrooms that would stir anyone’s appetite, making it hard to resist the rumbling of one’s stomach.

When mealtime arrived, the ten dishes were brought into the main hall.

Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque took off their aprons and changed into fresh clothes before sitting down to eat. They dismissed Madam Xu and the servants, instructing them to enjoy their own meal and wine, leaving the house quiet for the two of them.

Not far away, little Xi Ge’er, having had his fill, was now amusing himself in his small bed under the watchful care of his wet nurse.

The clinking of their cups in the quiet room sounded especially crisp and pleasant.

“I wish you endless joy and success in all things,” Yu Jiuque said.

“And I wish you health, longevity, and peace in every year to come,” Qin Xia replied.

With smiles on their faces, they exchanged their blessings and, under the warm glow of the many lit lanterns, finished their cups of wine.

The wine they drank was Tusu wine, brewed with medicinal herbs and heated before serving. It was soft as it went down, with the taste of herbs overtaking that of the alcohol.

Besides the Tusu wine, there was also Hehuan soup and Ruyi cake on the table. Hehuan soup, made from pig liver and lungs, garnished with red acacia flower petals, was fragrant and savory. Like the honey offering, it was a traditional New Year dish in Shengjing.

After spending over a month in poor health, Yu Jiuque found himself with a rare appetite that night. He even indulged in a little too much wine, pouring himself an extra cup while Qin Xia wasn’t looking.

Tusu wine has little alcohol, meant for everyone in the family to enjoy during the New Year, even children. But perhaps because Yu Jiuque hadn’t had alcohol in a long time, and had also eaten venison, by the time the meal was cleared away, his eyes were slightly misty, and his cheeks were flushed.

Qin Xia, worried about his health, quickly supported him and asked, “Are you drunk? Are you feeling unwell?”

He touched Yu Jiuque’s forehead and then felt his neck for warmth.

Yu Jiuque slowly shook his head and smiled up at Qin Xia, saying, “I’m not drunk, I’m just happy.”

He was someone who had lost his family at a young age. Though he would burn paper offerings for his late parents on special occasions, he could no longer even remember what they looked like.

As a child, he had entered the palace. Before he gained any standing or respect, even on holidays like New Year’s, the young eunuchs like him would only receive leftovers, and they still had to stay up all night working, watching the palace’s fires burn without end.

Later, when he became the well-known “Eunuch Yu,” earning a decent monthly stipend and receiving occasional tributes, he managed to run a small business outside the palace and rent a little house…

But even then, all he could manage on New Year’s Eve was to add two meat dishes and a pot of wine to the table.

Raising his cup to the bright moon, drinking alone with no one by his side.

As for the feeling of spending New Year’s with family, before meeting Qin Xia, Yu Jiuque had never known it.

At this moment, nestled in Qin Xia’s embrace, he felt his heart as full as Qin Xia’s arms holding him.

He was elated by this sense of completeness and fortunate that this completeness wasn’t fleeting but meant to last a lifetime.

They had promised each other forever, a commitment to grow old together.

Qin Xia noticed that Yu Jiuque was lost in thought, yet his hands clung tightly to him, unwilling to let go. He knew that, despite Yu Jiuque’s tough words, he was indeed a bit tipsy.

After summoning someone to bring them some mouth-cleansing tea and a warm towel to freshen up, Qin Xia scooped up the soft, relaxed little ger and carried him into the inner room.

As Yu Jiuque’s head touched the pillow, he instinctively raised a hand to block the light. Since it was New Year’s, the bed curtains had been changed, adorned with golden and silver charms, casting a brilliant glow as he squinted up at them.

The room was warmed by a fire, burning pine branches that filled the air with a soft pine fragrance.

As Yu Jiuque gazed around, he suddenly noticed the light dimming.

It was Qin Xia gently pulling the hook that held the bed curtain, letting the fabric fall down softly, leaving only the charms swaying slightly at the corners.

Familiar warmth pressed close, and Yu Jiuque tilted his head, following the instinctive pull of a fire smoldering deep within him, responding to the closeness.

The fire burned brighter and hotter, spreading like a blazing flame.

Two silhouettes intertwined, their harmony like a melody perfectly in sync.

…

Even when the moment of passion ended, Qin Xia continued to tenderly kiss Yu Jiuque’s lips.

His thoughts drifted to the delicate hehuan petals floating in the soup from earlier.

Soft and gentle, the petals were as rosy as blushing clouds.

Hehuan fans, shadows of mandarin ducks—both symbols of love and longing.

Qin Xia thought to himself that in both his past life and this one, all he ever sought was the simple joy of home, shared meals, and harmony.

Now, he had everything he had ever wanted.

From this moment on, he was not only a visitor from another world, but also someone fully belonging to this one.

End of main story.

…