Ch 147: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

In the afternoon, when the children were not attending lessons, Shen Yunxuan washed the crabapples, added sugar and water, and brought them to a boil. Once it started bubbling, she immediately lowered the heat and let them simmer for a while. Afterward, she scooped them out and spread them on a bamboo sieve to dry.

She then took out a ceramic jar, spread a layer of honey at the bottom, placed a layer of crabapples, sprinkled a layer of white sugar, and repeated the process until the jar was full. Finally, she sealed the jar and placed it in the cool storage room.

Grandma Wu, who was weaving fish baskets, looked over curiously and asked, “What are you making?”

“Sugar-preserved crabapples, a modified version of candied fruit. They’ll be ready to eat tomorrow,” Shen Yunxuan said as she wiped her hands and stretched her body. Since she had been reborn, one of the most important things was maintaining good health—only by living long could she have the opportunity to live well.

Grandma Wu was puzzled. “Are these for sale too? With so much sugar in them, they must be expensive. Will people buy them?”

Thinking of her recent encounter with Li Yaosheng, Shen Yunxuan smiled. “These are meant for wealthy households. We’ll give it a try—if they don’t sell, we can eat them ourselves. Grandma, I also dug up some things, I’ll go take care of them now. You should rest and not overwork yourself.”

“Oh, I know. Need my help?”

“No, I can manage.”

Shen Yunxuan stored the hawthorns and wild vegetables in the storage room, then spread out a batch of black fungus on a bamboo sieve to dry and processed some astragalus root. Grandma Wu occasionally glanced at the girl busily working in the courtyard, feeling reassured. If only her grandson could return safely, that would make everything perfect.

By mid-afternoon, Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua returned. They were rushing back, sweating despite the cool autumn weather.

Grandma Wu stood up and looked behind them. Seeing the empty baskets, she grinned, “Sold everything?”

They both nodded and set down the baskets, wiping their sweat with their sleeves. Excitedly, they said, “Everything sold out! Even three of the five scallion pancakes were bought—we ate the last two ourselves. Here’s what we earned today.”

They pulled Shen Yunxuan and Grandma Wu into the house and placed their heavy cloth coin pouch on the table. With a loud thud, it was clear that it contained a hefty amount of copper coins.

Grandma Wu immediately started dividing the coins into four piles, motioning for them to sit and count. She moved quickly, but she noticed that Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua were counting sluggishly and stealing glances at Shen Yunxuan. Something wasn’t right.

“What happened? Did you run into trouble?”

Shen Yunxuan looked at them curiously. The couple exchanged glances, their earlier joy fading into hesitation. They wanted to speak but held back.

“Does it have to do with me?” she asked.

Wang Xinghua nodded. “A well-dressed steward came up to us, saying… saying he was from the Li family. He bought all the remaining forty-something buns and asked why you weren’t there.”

“Yes,” Shen Fu added. “He asked a lot about you.”

Grandma Wu frowned. “And what did you tell him?”

“Nothing! We didn’t say a word!” Both of them shook their heads firmly. Wang Xinghua continued, “We figured the Li family isn’t a good household, and there’s probably something fishy going on. We’re just ordinary folks; we don’t want to get involved with them. Why would they come looking for us?

“We tried turning them down a few times, but they insisted on buying the buns. It felt weird to refuse, so we sold them. The steward said he’d come again tomorrow and hopes Yunxuan can visit the Li household.”

Shen Yunxuan had expected this. Given Li Yaosheng’s personality, he was bound to come looking for her—after all, she had rejected him outright, which must have bruised his ego. However, no matter what, she had no intention of ever setting foot in the Li household again.

She calmly said, “Father, Mother, I made a jar of sugar-preserved crabapples. Tomorrow, bring a small jar with you.”

Grandma Wu’s eyes narrowed. “That jar of fruit is for the Li family? You already predicted they’d cause trouble?”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head. “I had a feeling, but the fruit isn’t for the Li family—it’s for the county magistrate. Father, Mother, tomorrow go near the government office and call out, ‘Special recipe for sweet and sour appetite-boosting beauty fruit—only 100 wen per jar.’”

The three of them gasped. Shen Fu was stunned. “One hundred wen? For crabapples?”

Seeing their disbelief, Shen Yunxuan chuckled. “Crabapples are just wild fruits, sure, but no one else knows how to candy them the way I do. Even if they try, they won’t make them as delicious as mine—that’s why they’re worth the price. Besides, I added special ingredients that cost money. Regularly eating these will boost appetite, improve complexion, and even protect the liver.”

“Crabapples… can improve complexion and protect the liver?”

“No, it’s the way I prepare them that gives them those benefits.”

The three of them still didn’t quite understand—it was hard to believe something as common as wild fruit could be so valuable. But Grandma Wu had seen how much sugar and honey Shen Yunxuan had used in the process, so maybe it was indeed worth the price?

After some hesitation, the three of them decided to follow Shen Yunxuan’s plan. Over the past few days, her ideas had never failed. Without realizing it, they had already begun to treat her as their pillar of support.

That afternoon, after resting for a bit, Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua continued repairing the house. Since this was their home now, they suggested several improvements—raising and reinforcing the courtyard fence to block outside view and adding thorny vines on top to ensure the safety of Grandma Wu and Shen Yunxuan.

“Maybe we can tie a swing under the tree so Yunxuan can play on it when she has free time. And let’s get a reclining chair for Grandma Wu so she can relax in the courtyard and enjoy the sunshine. We should also pave the courtyard with stones so it won’t get muddy when it rains or snows.

The backyard is quite spacious—we could build a chicken coop and raise more chickens. Since we’ll be selling food in the future, we’ll definitely need a lot of eggs. We can also build pens for pigs and sheep—raise pigs for the New Year’s feast and keep sheep so we can have fresh goat’s milk for nourishment. If we save up enough money in the future, we should buy an ox cart and keep it in the backyard. That would make our home perfect!”

Grandma Wu loved hearing about these lively and prosperous plans and let them continue dreaming. Since their shoes were wearing out quickly from the daily trips to town, she kept herself busy making new ones, while Shen Yunxuan experimented in the kitchen, thinking about what else she could create.

That day, they had earned around 600 wen. Shen Yunxuan had already instructed them to buy several pounds of pork on the way back. She trimmed off some of the fat to render lard for future use. Then, she scalded the pork skin in hot water, scraped off the excess fat, cut it into thin strips, and boiled it for fifteen minutes before draining it.

Once the oil in the wok was hot, she sautéed scallions, ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili peppers until fragrant. Then, she added soybeans and pork skin, stir-frying them together. After adding a bit of soy sauce and letting it thicken, the dish was ready. She transferred it to a plate and covered it with a large bowl to keep it warm.

Next, she sliced a good cut of pork belly and pan-fried it until the fat was released. Once the slices curled slightly, she removed them from the pan and quickly stir-fried chopped chili peppers.

The pungent aroma of the chilies spread throughout the courtyard, making the three people working outside wonder what she was up to.

“What’s she doing with so many chili peppers?” they murmured. “She usually doesn’t use that many. Is she making stir-fried pork with hot peppers?”

Inside, the chilies had already softened. Shen Yunxuan quickly tossed in sliced carrots and onions, added two spoonfuls of her homemade spicy soybean paste, and threw in a handful of sliced garlic. Finally, she returned the crispy pork belly slices to the pan, stir-frying everything until the flavors blended together.

She plated the dish, and soon, the entire courtyard was filled with a mouthwatering aroma.

Shen Fu called out, “Yunxuan, what did you make? It smells amazing!”

She called back, “It’s farmhouse stir-fried pork. You’ll know how good it is once you try it!”

As she spoke, she also prepared a large bowl of cold salad with shredded cucumbers, wild greens, scallions, and garlic, seasoned with a little sesame oil. Then she announced, “Dinner’s ready! Come and eat!”

The three had been waiting eagerly. As soon as they heard her, they rushed to wash their hands and came over to help carry the dishes. Shen Yunxuan also brought out bowls of steaming rice.

As the family sat in the hall, Shen Fu’s stomach suddenly growled loudly. He scratched his head and laughed. “Yunxuan’s cooking smells so good it woke up my hunger. What is this? Farmhouse stir-fried pork? It really does look different from regular stir-fried pork with hot peppers.”

Wang Xinghua was curious. “Is it called that because we’re farmers? I’ve never heard of it before. Did you read about it in a book?”

Shen Yunxuan nodded and picked up a piece of meat for each of them with her chopsticks. “It’s said to be a dish from the south. I made a few modifications so it would better suit our tastes. But this is my first time making it—try it and tell me what you think!”

Under her expectant gaze, the three of them took a bite. As soon as the meat entered their mouths, they felt an explosion of flavor—spicy, savory, and incredibly rich. The dish paired perfectly with rice, making each bite irresistible.

They looked at Shen Yunxuan in amazement. “This is delicious! But why? Isn’t this just pork with chili peppers? Why does it taste so different from the usual stir-fried pork with hot peppers? Is it because of the carrots and onions?”

She laughed. “It’s mainly because of the cooking method and seasonings. Cooking is like that—just a small change in technique or ingredients can completely alter the taste. Do you like it? If we open a shop in town in the future, do you think this dish would sell?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Shen Fu, who was most familiar with the town, was the first to affirm. “So much meat, such an amazing flavor—this could be a signature dish! And no one else is making it. Yunxuan, you’re amazing!”

Wang Xinghua was both proud and emotional. “Daughter, you’re incredible. You just read a book and figured out how to cook all this? I’ve never met anyone as impressive as you.”

“Mother, don’t praise me too much,” Shen Yunxuan said, feeling a little embarrassed. She had actually learned these recipes in her past life, but she couldn’t exactly explain that. “If you had the chance to study, you’d be just as capable.”

Grandma Wu, happily eating another bite, chuckled. “Your parents are right. You have real talent. Someday, we’ll have so many marriage proposals our doorstep will be worn down! And this pork skin with soybeans—oh, it’s so good! When I was young and visited the provincial city, I had something like this once and thought about it for years. But yours is even better! The pork skin is soft yet chewy, just right, and there’s no gamy smell at all.”

Shen Yunxuan explained, “I pre-treated the pork skin properly, and I soaked the soybeans in advance. Preparing ingredients carefully is just as important as the cooking itself—every step has to be done right for the dish to turn out well.”

“It’s truly delicious. So fragrant! This pork skin and soybean dish should be sold in the shop, too,” Shen Fu said as he ate bite after bite. Because both main dishes were spicy, he quickly finished his first bowl of rice and went for a second.

When they had eaten plenty of meat and started feeling a little full, they finally turned to the cold salad. At first, no one expected much from a bowl of simple shredded wild greens. But as soon as they took a bite, they were completely surprised—the taste was unlike any wild vegetable salad they had ever had before.

Grandma Wu was stunned and leaned in for a closer look. “Isn’t this shepherd’s purse? Why does it taste so good?”

Wang Xinghua savored it carefully. “It seems like there’s more seasoning? What did you put in it? It tastes much better than how we used to make it.”

Shen Yunxuan explained, “I added vinegar and soy sauce—more vinegar than usual—along with some salt, sugar, and sesame oil. The key is pairing it with shredded cucumber and adding a tiny bit of minced meat and chili. When mixed together, the flavors complement each other and make it taste even better.”

“So that’s the secret! We used to just wash the wild greens and mix them with a bit of salt, or sometimes dip them in sauce. We never thought of adding so many seasonings, let alone minced meat! No wonder it’s delicious! How did you come up with this? Is this how rich families eat their vegetables?”

Wealthy families wouldn’t eat it this way—they preferred elaborate and ostentatious presentations. For example, they might stew meat just to infuse flavor into eggplants and then discard the meat, eating only the eggplants. While Shen Yunxuan knew how to make those dishes, they didn’t suit her current circumstances, nor were they practical for selling. She much preferred studying folk cuisine—simple, easy to make, and incredibly tasty.

After finishing his second bowl of rice, Shen Fu instinctively reached for a third serving. Then he suddenly realized he was eating white rice—something they used to only have half a bowl of during the New Year. Now, he’d already eaten two full bowls in one meal! He hurriedly put his bowl and chopsticks down.

Shen Yunxuan noticed his hesitation and immediately scooped a full bowl for him. “Dad, we work hard and sell food to eat well, dress well, and live comfortably. From now on, we’ll always eat like this. Everyone needs to be full to have the energy to keep working and earning more money. A healthy body means a happy family, right? Just think—these past few days, we’ve already earned more than half a tael of silver! In a month, that’s more than ten taels. Don’t worry, we can afford to eat.”

Shen Fu and the others instinctively believed in saving and being frugal. In these times, no one in the village could truly say they ate to their fill—at best, they weren’t starving. Most people lived in a constant state of hunger, and having a full meal was considered a luxury.

However, looking into Shen Yunxuan’s eyes, they remembered how she had changed since hitting her head—always worrying about their well-being, sometimes even waking from nightmares. It was clear that their past hardships had left a shadow in her heart. While they couldn’t do much else, they could at least make sure she didn’t worry about them.

So, none of them argued about it. They all ate heartily until everything was finished. As the night fell, Shen Yunxuan urged them to rest early, warning them not to overwork and strain their eyes or bodies. The three listened obediently, washing up and going to bed.

---

At dawn, when the rooster crowed, Shen Yunxuan was up, and the whole family followed suit. Though they had been uncertain in the past few days about what to do, they now worked seamlessly beside Shen Yunxuan, helping wherever they could. They weren’t skilled at seasoning food, but they had learned how to shape flower rolls.

Since the sugar triangles and bean buns had sold okay but not completely, Shen Yunxuan adjusted the quantity, reducing them to twenty each. She then minced pork and wild vegetables, added seasonings like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, and prepared a batch of filling for steamed buns.

The buns were small, about the size of a child’s fist. Wang Xinghua was puzzled. “Why are these buns so small? They’re not even half the size of the usual ones.”

Shen Yunxuan explained, “Smaller means we can sell them for a cheaper price. In town, large meat buns cost ten wen each. Ours will be five wen. Even though they’re a little smaller than half, we use a generous amount of meat, and my special recipe makes them tastier. Five wen is just right—affordable enough that people will want to try them. If two people share, one can pay two wen and the other three wen—they can split it themselves.”

“Father, mother, if you get hungry, eat the meat buns. They’re filling and nutritious, and the smell will attract more customers.”

Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua knew she was trying to find ways to get them to eat better, so they smiled and agreed.

For breakfast, they ate the buns with a small dish of salted shredded cucumber—it was delicious.

Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua, now well-fed, well-rested, and earning money, felt more energetic than ever. They walked with straight backs, chatting and laughing along the way.

When they ran into Old Man Shen on the road, he snorted coldly. “Ungrateful wretches.”

Shen Fu paused for a moment, and Wang Xinghua immediately tensed up, her smile vanishing. Seeing this, Shen Fu suddenly realized that his every reaction could affect his wife and daughter. He took a deep breath and simply walked past Old Man Shen without so much as a glance, continuing to discuss with Wang Xinghua whether they should head to the dock.

Old Man Shen turned back in disbelief. His third son had just ignored him—completely! He watched as they continued chatting and laughing as if they didn’t even know him. In all these years, this was the first time his third son had disregarded him so openly. His face darkened with fury, his hands trembling.

“Ungrateful beast! Disobedient son! You unfilial brat!” he cursed through clenched teeth.

Just then, a nearby courtyard door opened, and Zhang Lishan and his mother, Qin Shi, stepped out. Qin Shi greeted him, “Uncle Shen, what’s the matter?”

Zhang Lishan, sharp-eyed, noticed Shen Fu and his wife. He immediately said, “Mother, look, that’s my master’s father and mother. What should I call them? Should I say ‘Grandmaster’ and ‘Grandmistress’? They’re really hardworking—up early and off to work. No wonder they raised such an amazing teacher!”

“Wait a moment, Mother.”

Zhang Lishan suddenly ran back into the courtyard and returned shortly with a straw hat, placing it on Qin Shi’s head. He earnestly reminded her, “Mother, when you’re working in the fields, you must take more breaks and take care of your health. The work will never end, but your body is the most important thing. I can eat wild vegetables with you, and I don’t need to eat meat every day. You shouldn’t overwork yourself just for that.”

He continued, “This is what my teacher taught me. A person must be filial, have the right values, and care for their family. Only then can a family prosper. If one side is suppressed to support the other, there will be no good outcome—it will all fall apart sooner or later.”

Qin Shi almost laughed out loud. Wasn’t this a direct jab at Old Man Shen? She felt a bit awkward, as she had never spoken so boldly before, so she hurriedly nodded as a response and then turned to Old Man Shen. “Uncle Shen, I’m taking my child to his lessons.”

Old Man Shen, feeling humiliated at being lectured by a mere child, scowled and said, “If he wants to study, he should be attending a proper academy. What’s the point of learning from a girl? Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Women and petty men are difficult to deal with’?”

Qin Shi’s face darkened. “Uncle Shen, when the time comes, I will send my child to an academy. But for now, he’s just starting out, and I think Yunxuan teaches excellently—better than the kids who attend academies. In just two days, he has learned poetry, writing, and even important life lessons. For farming families like us, isn’t that the real purpose of education? Yunxuan’s tuition is also very affordable. If she were a man, she could open a school in the village.”

Old Man Shen flicked his sleeves in anger. “Absurd! Even if she were a man, she hasn’t passed the scholar exams. How could she open a school? She would only mislead the children!”

Zhang Lishan wasn’t having it. “My teacher always says that one shouldn’t speak without reason or evidence. You’re much older than my teacher, yet you don’t seem to understand this principle. My mother just said that I’ve learned more from her than at an academy, yet you’re still fixated on gender and scholarly titles. You value empty status over real skills! No wonder my teacher lived in your house for over ten years, and you never noticed how capable she was.”

He continued, his voice growing sharper, “And about that saying—what’s truly difficult isn’t raising women and children, but raising scholars who never pass their exams and refuse to work! The whole family slaves away to support them, spending endless amounts of money, and sometimes they even have to support them for life! That’s the real burden. I’m sure Grandpa Shen knows this feeling well.”

With that, Zhang Lishan quickly grabbed Qin Shi’s hand and ran off, leaving Old Man Shen seething with rage. That little brat! How dare he call Jiaoyao a burden to raise—right to his face!

And they talked about morality and etiquette? What about respecting elders? Shen Yunxuan was clearly corrupting these kids!

Fuming, Old Man Shen turned on his heels and stormed toward the village head’s house. He was going to put a stop to this nonsense. This was nothing but Shen Yunxuan trying to win people over and turn them against the Shen family.

When Old Man Shen arrived at the village headman’s house, he saw the village head leading his six-year-old grandson outside. The village head greeted him with a smile. “What brings you here so early? Something wrong?”

Old Man Shen grumbled angrily, “Village head, no matter what, the younger generation is the key to our village’s future! They are the most important thing! And yet that wretched girl, Erya, dares to deceive the villagers into sending their children to her for schooling, even charging tuition! This is fraud! She could be thrown in jail for this!”

He continued, growing more agitated, “You have to put a stop to this! Just now, that brat Zhang Lishan dared to disrespect me! How can these kids grow up properly if they’re being taught like this? Shen Yunxuan is leading them astray. We can’t let this continue!”

The village head’s face darkened. Shen Yunxuan was now family with his elder sister, Grandma Wu. If she got into trouble, their whole family’s reputation would be affected. And what was Old Man Shen even talking about, throwing a little girl in jail? This old man was ridiculous.

The village head said firmly, “It seems you don’t know how well Yunxuan is teaching these children. They’ve learned to read, memorize poetry, and even understand how to care for their families and appreciate others’ strengths. I see nothing wrong with that. In fact, I was just about to send my grandson to her classes.”

He continued, “You should get your facts straight before making baseless accusations. Go home. You don’t even have a child of the right age to be affected by this, so it’s none of your concern.”

Old Man Shen froze, his face twisting with frustration. He hadn’t expected even the village head to side with Shen Yunxuan. He wanted to argue further, but just then, the village head’s grandson tugged on his sleeve and looked up eagerly.

“Grandpa, let’s go! If we’re late, I’ll miss the lesson. I heard from Brother Lishan that today, Sister Yunxuan is going to teach arithmetic! If I learn well, I can become an accountant when I grow up. Grandpa, I want to be an accountant! Take me to see Teacher Yunxuan!”

“Alright, alright, Grandpa will take you.”

The village head chuckled and turned to go, but before he could leave, his wife came out from the house. She handed him a basket and reminded him, “Don’t forget to pay the tuition. That girl has had a hard life—she deserves to be properly compensated.”

Old Man Shen felt like he had been slapped in the face. Was she implying that he hadn’t let his third son’s family eat well or live comfortably? What was happening? Why was everything suddenly turning against him?

His breath caught in his chest, and he stormed away, too furious to stay any longer. If he stayed, he might just collapse from anger.

All he could do now was wait. In a month, when Shen Jiayao returned from his time at the Li family, he would finally restore the Shen family’s honor. He would show the entire village that their future still lay with the Shen family!

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆