Ch 25: Reborn to Raise My Husband

Qi Beinan roughly calculated when Xiao Hu would return and figured he might set aside some of the meat dishes to share with him.

But Xiao Hu wouldn’t be back for another two or three days, and he wasn’t sure if the food would keep that long until he came down from the mountain.

Zhao Guangzong had brought over so much meat all at once, but there were only two people at home—him and Xiao Yuanbao. They couldn’t possibly eat that much in one sitting.

And lamb was expensive—even offal cost twenty or thirty copper coins per jin. Even families who had enough to eat wouldn’t easily splurge on it. A plate of it might only show up during New Year’s, and even then it’d be sliced paper-thin.

Zhao Guangzong had clearly gone all out.

With such good meat, and perfect to go with wine, it would be wrong not to save some for Xiao Hu.

It was the second month, and if the meat was sealed and stored in the well or large jars, it could keep for a while. But still, it wasn’t a sure thing.

So Qi Beinan figured he and Xiao Yuanbao would eat a portion now and leave the rest for Xiao Hu. That way, if it did spoil, at least not all of it would go to waste.

He chopped up half the roast chicken and took out around half a jin of lamb offal, wrapped it tightly in oiled paper, packed it in a jar, and hung it down into the well.

The rest he shared with Xiao Yuanbao. That way, they didn’t need to cook any extra dishes that night.

Qi Beinan picked out a piece of lamb offal that wasn’t soaked in sauce and fed it into Xiao Yuanbao’s mouth.

“We’ll cook some porridge tonight and eat it with the roast chicken. And we’ll toss in the shepherd’s purse you and Fang Ge’er dug up.”

Xiao Yuanbao had never tasted lamb offal before and immediately noticed the difference from the chicken and duck offal they’d bought previously.

Maybe it was because he’d just eaten the sugar cakes Zhao Guangzong brought him—now, tasting the savory braised meat made it seem especially fragrant.

He licked his salty lips, clearly wanting more, but didn’t fuss. Instead, he grinned and said, “Okay! When it’s time to cook, I’ll wash the shepherd’s purse!”

Qi Beinan smiled and gave his head a gentle pat.

That afternoon, the weather wasn’t too good, and by that hour the wind had already picked up.

It looked like it was going to rain.

This time of early spring, once the rain started, it could get very cold.

But right before the rain was the best time to plant vegetables. Qi Beinan put on a straw hat and helped Xiao Yuanbao into a smaller one.

They placed the seedlings they bought from town into a bucket, then carried it together toward the fields, trying to beat the rain.

There were quite a few people out in the fields loosening soil and planting—not everyone rushed home before the rain. It was rather lively.

Qi Beinan jumped into the field with his hoe. “You stay up on the path for a bit. There are peach blossoms over there—they look like they’re about to bloom.”

But Xiao Yuanbao stretched out his arms and asked to be carried down. “I want to help Brother plant eggplants.”

Qi Beinan let out a helpless smile. “Alright.”

He dug planting holes with the hoe, and Xiao Yuanbao would take a seedling wrapped in a big lotus leaf and place one into each hole.

“Look at these two kids, working so hard!”

A woman walked by the path, a bright silk flower in her hair and clothes neat and clean.

Hands on her waist, she was catching her breath.

“Madam Qiao, where are you off to in such a rush? You look flushed.”

A man in the field spat into his hand and swung his hoe with renewed strength.

Madam Qiao, seeing someone greet her, came closer, pulled a cloth from her waist, and wiped her face and neck.

“I saw the sky turning. I’m hurrying back to the village to avoid the rain—walking this fast got me sweating.”

“A little spring drizzle and you’re worried? Who are you matchmaking for this time?”

Qi Beinan raised a brow—so she was the village matchmaker.

Judging by her appearance, she seemed more like a freelance one; the official matchmakers usually carried themselves with more pomp.

“I just ran over to the neighboring village. But it wasn’t a wasted trip—the young lady’s family was quite taken with the man I’m helping.”

The man in the field raised his brows. “That’s great news. Must be your silver tongue making it happen. Better have the groom’s family give you a thick red envelope!”

Madam Qiao beamed, fanning herself with the cloth.

“They’re all ordinary folk—how big of a red envelope can they give? Everyone’s tightening their belts just to get by. I can’t just demand a bunch of money.”

“That’s why folks say you’re kindhearted, Madam Qiao. That’s why the whole village trusts you for matchmaking.”

Flattered, Madam Qiao was all smiles and chatted even more happily.

“Let me tell you—if I can land this one, there might be some nice wedding money involved.”

The man leaned in, nosey. “Whose match is this?”

“There’s a new steward in the village as of the end of the year. Surname Zhu. Came here alone—his wife and kids didn’t come with him. Living all by himself in a strange place, it’s got to be lonely.”

She lowered her voice. “He’s hoping to find a girl nearby to keep him company. Just someone to help with cooking and such, no hard labor involved.”

“Steward Zhu has plenty of silver—his employer pays him well each month. And he’s got private property too: paddy fields, dry land, a house—he’s got it all!”

The man’s heart stirred. He couldn’t help but ask more. “And what kind of girl is he looking for?”

Madam Qiao smiled mysteriously.

She made a vague gesture in front of her chest and said, “Curvy, gentle, and sensible. Must be a woman.”

Hearing that, the man sighed—his family’s ger clearly wouldn’t be eligible.

“Well, even if he’s well off, a steward is still just someone managing things for others. And asking a girl to go be his concubine? I doubt many would agree.”

Madam Qiao smiled knowingly. “Better to be a rich man’s concubine than a poor man’s wife. In the end, it all comes down to fate.”

The man stopped speaking.

Madam Qiao turned to Qi Beinan, who had remained silent the entire time. “Hmm? You look unfamiliar, young man—where’s your family from?”

Qi Beinan replied politely, “The Xiao family at the foot of the mountain.”

Madam Qiao paused, as if recalling something. “Oh~ you’re from the household of that hunter Xiao? The one who came from out of town to stay with his uncle and study? This is my first time seeing you.”

Her eyes lifted slightly as she stepped a bit closer and teased, “Your uncle’s all alone now—shouldn’t he be thinking of finding himself an auntie? Auntie here is quite free these days~”

Qi Beinan thought to himself that this woman had sharp ears. Xiao Hu didn’t interact much with the villagers, yet she already knew about him.

He gave an awkward smile, feigning shyness. “That kind of decision’s not for someone younger like me. Madam Qiao would probably have to ask my uncle directly.”

Seeing how easily embarrassed Qi Beinan was, Madam Qiao was even more tempted to tease.

“Auntie’s just joking with you! If your uncle really wanted me, he’d have come looking. But what about you—how old are you? You’re quite the handsome one. Anyone in town trying to match you yet?”

Xiao Yuanbao was quietly holding the vegetable seedlings to the side, listening to the conversation. He only understood part of what was said, but when he heard Madam Qiao’s words, his soft little brows furrowed in suspicion.

“Brother is ours. He’s not going to look at anyone else’s family!”

“Well now! What a possessive little one!”

Madam Qiao laughed until wrinkles creased the corners of her eyes. “How about this, little guy? Auntie will trade you a bag of honeyed candies—let your brother come to my house and be a son-in-law. How about it?”

“He’s not going to be anyone’s son-in-law. He’ll stay at Xiao Bao’s house and be my big brother!”

Xiao Yuanbao said seriously. He could tell from the tone and scent of things that Madam Qiao was trying to snatch his brother away—and she wanted to use just a single bag of honey candies? Ridiculous!

He had exchanged things like osmanthus cakes, eggplants, tofu, and all kinds of treats for this brother—how could a mere bag of sweets be a fair trade?

Madam Qiao saw how puffed up the soft-spoken child looked—his fair, harmless little face, those round sparkling eyes, and the way his pout made his eyes seem even rounder when angry.

She couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“What an adorable boy you are! Fine, fine, Auntie won’t take your brother. How about this instead—why don’t you come live with Auntie as a daughter-in-law? Auntie will cook meat for you every day!”

Xiao Yuanbao shook his head and quickly hid behind Qi Beinan, eyeing Madam Qiao warily.

“When Xiao Bao grows up, he’ll cook meat for himself. No need to go be anyone’s daughter-in-law.”

Even the men in the nearby fields planting vegetables burst out laughing at that.

Qi Beinan felt that Xiao Yuanbao had grown quite a bit braver—he used to shy away from strangers, but now he could speak to them without fear, though his cautious nature remained. That was a good sign.

“Madam Qiao even knows me, though I haven’t been here long—you really do know everything about the village.”

Madam Qiao proudly replied, “As a matchmaker, I may not have other talents, but I don’t labor much in the fields like others. I’m always going back and forth from East Village to West, constantly walking around. It’s not just our village—I know more about the goings-on in the whole region than most people.”

Qi Beinan knew she was speaking the truth. Official matchmakers didn’t just arrange marriages—they also acted as informal information brokers.

He said courteously, “I haven’t been here long, and my uncle’s not much of a talker. I haven’t met many of the villagers. If Madam Qiao ever has time and doesn’t mind, please come by for a hot bowl of soup and help me get to know who’s who in the village.”

Madam Qiao glanced at the sky. A light drizzle seemed imminent, but she had nothing urgent to do. She had never visited the Xiao household before either, and maybe she could even bring up a potential match with that hunter Xiao. So she replied:

“Auntie can’t bear to turn down good kids like you. I’ll just run back to grab a paper umbrella and be right over.”

Qi Beinan readily agreed.

After Madam Qiao left, Qi Beinan and Xiao Yuanbao quickly finished planting the vegetable seedlings.

Up in the distant hills, the wind rustled the camphor tree leaves loudly, and before they knew it, fine misty rain had begun to drift down.

The temperature dropped all at once.

Spring rains were fine and slow—not urgent, but long-lasting.

After planting the last scallion bulb, Qi Beinan washed his hands at the edge of the field, then took Xiao Yuanbao’s hand, and the two of them jogged home.

They tidied up, and by the time Madam Qiao arrived with a plain yellow oil-paper umbrella, the courtyard paving stones were already soaked through.

Qi Beinan welcomed her into the main room and poured her a bit of rice wine—lightly alcoholic, just enough to taste, not strong enough to make anyone drunk.

Madam Qiao noticed a small bowl of roast chicken on the square table, half a bowl of lamb offal, and even a pot of boiled water greens. She thought to herself—this hunter’s household was really living well.

That Qin woman truly had no blessings. She couldn’t even appreciate a good life and ended up mistreating the child.

“Please, Madam Qiao, have a seat. Apologies for the humble reception—hope you won’t mind.”

“You’re too polite. And you speak so well too—truly a scholar. So different from the rest.”

Madam Qiao sat right down without hesitation. Who wouldn’t be happy to eat meat? Her face was full of cheer.

After a few bites, she asked Qi Beinan which families he wanted to know about. She’d been in this matchmaking business for years—if a kid invited her over like this, it wasn’t for a marriage discussion, but to gather information.

She thought this child really knew how the world worked, so she got straight to the point. The lamb offal paired with wine was too fragrant to forget about business.

“I know Madam Qiao is well-versed in all the village affairs. I wanted to ask about Master Jiang from Cat Slope and Madam Li from Big Rock. What are they like as people? And how’s their skill?”

“And I ask Madam Qiao to speak frankly and truthfully, without holding anything back.”

“Those two?”

Madam Qiao chuckled when she heard the question. “You’re asking the right person. Auntie’s attended more banquets than she can count—of course I’ve dealt with those kitchen folks plenty. I do know a bit.”

She more or less understood what Qi Beinan was aiming for and didn’t press for details. Instead, she got straight to answering his question.

As for the two cooks, neither had any major flaws in terms of character, but their temperaments were vastly different.

Master Jiang from Cat Slope was a quiet, reserved man who didn’t like to socialize. He wasn’t someone easy to get along with.

He lost his fulang (ger wife) years ago and never had children. Madam Qiao had tried to matchmake for him more than once or twice, but he never responded kindly. Every time, she was left feeling embarrassed. After being rebuffed so many times, she stopped trying to talk to him altogether.

But when it came to his skills—nothing to complain about. Anyone who’s had a meal cooked by him at a banquet would sing praises.

Whether it’s steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or braised—he can do it all.

Even as she described it, Madam Qiao couldn’t help but swallow a bit of saliva.

“As for Madam Li from Big Rock—she’s the younger sister of Li Dalang from Osmanthus Mouth. Their family’s been in the food business for generations.”

Maybe because she grew up in a family that ran small food stalls, Madam Li was very talkative and approachable. She’d greet you from far off and was welcomed by many households to be the head cook when hosting events.

In terms of cooking skills, she was a bit behind Master Jiang. But for most ordinary households, flavor perfection wasn’t the priority anyway.

“But this Madam Li is also very calculating. She tends to skim off the top—taking a little something for herself while working in the kitchen. Every time she does a job, she manages to bring back a bit of meat or seasoning. Her household’s doing quite well—she’s got three sons, all tall and strong!”

Qi Beinan listened and began forming his judgment.

Madam Qiao popped a piece of meat into her mouth and said, “You planning to learn kitchen craft? Let Auntie be blunt—asking about those two, there’s not much hope. Plenty of folks have tried to send their kids to learn from them over the years, and all got turned away. They’re not the kind to take disciples easily.”

“If you really want to learn,” she continued, “let me tell you—might as well go find Old Master Wang. Though people don’t like him much—say he’s full of hot air and cooks the books when buying banquet supplies—he’s still got the skill and does take on students.”

“As long as you prepare a generous offering, he’ll accept you. He’s already taken three apprentices.”

Qi Beinan said, “Thank you for the information, Madam Qiao—but I’m not the one looking to learn.”

Madam Qiao glanced toward Xiao Yuanbao, who was quietly eating. Seeing Qi Beinan smile faintly, she understood.

She picked up a thick piece of chicken and placed it in Xiao Yuanbao’s bowl. “Well then, in that case, those first two might indeed be more suitable. The husband-wife types—they tend to be more patient and gentle with children.”

“But Auntie can only share what she knows. As for persuading them to take on a student—that’s beyond me. If I could manage that, I’d have sent my own kids to study under them a long time ago.”

Madam Qiao added, “But Bao Ge’er is such a lovable little one. If you brought over a basket of chicken eggs or duck eggs to ask politely, who knows—there just might be a chance.”

Qi Beinan poured her another cup of wine to thank her.

They chatted a while longer about the village’s trivial happenings. When it got nearly dark, she finally left, torch in hand, heading back from the Xiao household.

Outside, the rain had grown heavier. After sending her off, Qi Beinan came back inside and shut all the doors and windows tight.

Seeing Xiao Yuanbao by the stove scooping charcoal into the clay brazier, Qi Beinan quietly began to think over how they might get a teacher to accept them.

˙✧˖°🎓 ༘⋆｡ ˚