Chapter 39: Muddled Noodles

Chapter 39: Muddled Noodles

Shen Miao stood there watching them walk away before turning back to clean up the bowls left by Garrison Troops who had finished their meals one after another.

The drillmaster pondered over the finished noodles for a moment, then took out a piece of silver and placed it on the table, saying, "Keep the change." He then called his noisy subordinates to leave.

Shen Miao's frightened heart was immediately soothed by this small piece of silver.

Someone actually paid with silver!

She weighed it in her hand, feeling it was at least one tael, which was almost equivalent to a string of coins! Her quick noodles with egg and meat were sold for 18 wen a bowl, and this small piece of silver could buy more than fifty bowls.

So she quickly tucked it into her pocket, her eyes curving into thin crescents, and enthusiastically bade them farewell at the door: "You all ate well, come back next time! I have many other delicious noodles, you must come back to try them!"

Her attitude changed so drastically that the middle-aged man glanced back at her as he mounted his horse.

Shen Miao was not embarrassed at all, smiling brightly and waving her small handkerchief: "Take care on the road, have a smooth journey."

The only response was a cloud of dust raised by the sound of hooves.

Shen Miao hummed a song as she went back to wash the bowls.

After sending off a few more customers, Shen Miao took the cash box and tallied up the earnings for the morning.

She now had two types of soup and six types of noodles in her shop.

Lamb soup was 30 wen a bowl, lamb noodles 35 wen, these were the most expensive.

Quick noodles without meat and egg were 12 wen, with meat and egg 18 wen.

Fried sauce noodles and steamed noodles were 12 wen; muddled noodles 15 wen.

Vegetable dumpling soup was 15 wen; meaty dumpling soup 18 wen.

The cheapest was pork bone clear soup noodles at 10 wen.

In the morning, she sold 25 bowls of quick noodles for 450 wen, 8 bowls of lamb soup for 240 wen, 3 bowls of lamb noodles for 105 wen, 16 bowls of fried sauce noodles for 192 wen, and 10 bowls of pork bone clear soup noodles for 100 wen. Not counting the extra given by the drillmaster, the revenue was nearly a string of coins.

In addition, Xiang Jieer sold 25 baskets of mini buns, 40 red bean buns, and other assorted buns and steamed breads in the morning, earning more than a string of coins from breakfast.

Half a day's work brought in more than two strings of coins, which was enough to cover costs.

Starting tomorrow, she would make more mini buns and red bean buns for breakfast, and reduce the quantity of other flavors that didn't sell well.

Shen Miao didn't expect that the "Lin'an mini buns," which borrowed the name of Hangzhou mini buns, would become the top-selling breakfast on the first day of her small eatery—25 baskets of mini buns were almost sold out in a blink of an eye. When Xiang Jieer bounced in and asked if there were any left, she was stunned. She had thought the red bean buns, which already had a customer base, or the cheap and uniquely stuffed shredded radish and dried shrimp buns would take the lead, but it turned out to be the mini buns she considered "run-of-the-mill."

These mini buns were just smaller versions of pork buns.

Bianjing was not short of shops selling pork buns. From her house, there were four or five shops specializing in "buns," all selling pork buns, and cheaper than Shen Miao's, generally a large pork bun was around 5 wen.

Shen Miao's mini buns looked like eight in a basket, each with thin wrapper and generous filling, but the actual cost might be much lower than a large pork bun, after all, they were small, and no matter how thin the wrapper and generous the filling, they couldn't hold much filling.

Moreover, making these mini buns was much easier than other buns! No need to work the dough or roll out wrappers, just mix with water using chopsticks to form a dough and let it rest; to make the wrapper oily, just chop a pound of pork belly into mince, take half and sauté in a pan, add sweet sauce, soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon and other seasonings to make a fragrant meat sauce, then mix with other raw meat filling, minced garlic, and minced scallions. With one pound of meat and one pound of flour, you could make 48, exactly six baskets.

Some shady vendors, when making these pork buns, would buy day-old meat that had been sitting for two or three days, add more garlic and scallions to the filling, and because the meat was heavily seasoned and minced, and masked by garlic and scallions, it was impossible to tell if the meat was fresh, thus making seven or eight baskets at a very low cost.

But Shen Miao didn't do this. Ultimately, she wanted to make delicious, healthy, and well-selling food, not to make money at the expense of her conscience. Although she earned a few wen less per basket, she felt at ease, which was the long-term way of doing business.

Not only the mini buns, but also the meat toppings for other noodles were the same. Shen Miao never bought day-old meat from Butcher Zheng, and she was very good at picking meat. The pork belly used for these buns or noodle toppings was always finely marbled, rich in fat but not greasy, just right.

The sun continued to climb higher, gradually approaching noon.

The number of customers had dropped significantly. Perhaps it was because the people of Bianjing primarily consumed wheat-based foods for their daily meals, leading to an overload of carbohydrates. Every household loved their midday nap, and once the sun was high, the entire street became sparsely populated. Even the shopkeepers and waiters along the street were sprawled out, fast asleep. The "carb coma" was in full effect.

Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer were asleep too, and the place was dead quiet. Shen Miao, who wasn’t big on naps, was bored stiff by midday.

Out of boredom, she swept the floor, cleaned the stove, and washed another batch of bowls. She stood with her hands on her hips, squinting up at the bright sun, and decided to wash the two dogs at home.

The little dog and Thunder, also napping, were yanked out of their sleep and were so drowsy that they could barely keep their eyes open. They let Shen Miao scrub them down with an old loofah. She even trimmed their paw fur and nails.

After finishing up, Shen Miao gave in and took a quick nap. In her previous life, she had also been a person of boundless energy. While others needed a full eight hours of sleep to feel refreshed, she could keep going like the Energizer Bunny on just five hours of sleep.

Her grandpa used to gripe about how tiring it was to keep up with her as a kid, saying she had an endless supply of energy and that it took two Red Bulls to tire her out.

Others might think she was overdoing it, but she loved it. Perhaps it was because she was doing what she loved, making the busyness feel sweet rather than tiring.

Sometimes, when she had downtime, she felt a little off.

After her nap, it was still early before mealtime, so Ji Geer told Shen Miao he was heading to Lanxin Bookstore to read. Shen Miao was pleased. Even though the exam results hadn’t been announced yet, Ji Geer had already developed a habit of daily reading, which would surely benefit him in the future.

Xiang Jieer, the breakfast seller, had clocked out too. With the two coins Shen Miao gave her as "pay," she eagerly grabbed the little dog from home and went to find Li Gouer to walk the dog and visit the candy shop to buy sweets.

Since Shen Miao hadn’t yet decided on a name for the little dog, Xiang Jieer kept calling it "Gouer," which greatly displeased Aunt Li, who felt that Shen Miao was insinuating something.

A few days ago, Aunt Li angrily bundled up some sesame seeds and salt and went to the private school where Li Gouer studied to ask the old teacher with a goatee to give her son a proper name.

Now Li Gouer was renamed Li Bo, but no one could remember it, and everyone still called him Li Gouer.

Yesterday, Aunt Gu secretly came to tell Shen Miao that Aunt Li had been griping to the neighbors for days, indignantly saying that since the exam results hadn’t been announced yet, Ji Geer might not even get into Biyong Academy. How could Shen Da Jieer, who had suddenly come into some wealth and opened a shop, flaunt herself and make a big deal out of her son’s name? It was utterly despicable!

Shen Miao felt unfairly accused. She hadn’t intentionally named the dog to match Li Gouer’s name… So she was wracking her brain to find a good name for the dog to avoid further misunderstandings.

However, the minor conflicts among the adults didn’t affect the friendship between Li Gouer and Xiang Jieer. When Li Gouer was young, he was frail, and Aunt Li watched over him like a hawk, forbidding him from fishing in the river, wandering the alleys, or climbing trees to steal bird eggs. Later, he was confined to studying. Only Xiang Jieer didn’t mind his bookishness and often played house with him in the yard, so the two became very close.

Since Xiang Jieer had returned to live here, Li Gouer was the happiest guy in the alley. Taking advantage of Shen Miao’s busyness, he often slipped out to the back door to see Xiang Jieer and even gave her two crude porcelain dolls made by his father, Li Tiaozi. The dolls were like Russian nesting dolls, with a tiny one inside, crude yet delicate. They now sat on the windowsill in Xiang Jieer’s room.

Although Aunt Li had grumbled several times, Li Gouer didn’t think there was anything wrong with Xiang Jieer’s dog sharing his name. Xiang Jieer had once declared to him with all seriousness: This dog is my brother, and I finally have a younger sibling!

Now, in the Shen family, Shen Miao was the eldest, Shen Ji was second, Thunder was third (Thunder was eight years old), she was fourth, and the little dog was fifth.

So Li Gouer seriously discussed with Xiang Jieer: "Since it’s your brother, then it’s also my sworn brother. I’ll be the big Gouer, and it’ll be the second Gouer. That way, when you call ‘Gouer,’ we’ll both respond!"

Xiang Jieer immediately shook her head: "Shen Er Gou sounds awful."

Li Gouer was anxious: "Awful? How could it be awful? Do you think my name’s awful too?"

Xiang Jieer silently looked at him, her expression saying it all. The child was amusing, with her round face and sidelong glance, as if to say, "Do you really need me to tell you if your name sounds good or not?" Shen Miao, who was nearby picking veggies, nearly choked laughing.

As Shen Miao wiped the table, she thought about these trivial matters and found life quite interesting. She had been too busy before, opening branches, participating in competitions, and inspecting new ingredient factories. It seemed she’d forgotten that life was supposed to be like this—whether good or bad, it adds different flavors, just like oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea.

Sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty—life is complete with all five flavors. No matter the taste, Shen Miao was willing to embrace and enjoy it.

After wiping the table, Shen Miao stretched and prepared to go to the backyard to water the vegetable garden and feed the chickens. Just as she stepped in, a weary, hesitant voice called from the door: "Is anyone here?"

"Yes, yes."

Shen Miao quickly lifted the curtain from the kitchen and looked out. Coincidentally, it was the hunched, elderly woman she had seen in the morning. Her hair was streaked with gray, neatly tied back with a flat wooden hairpin and wrapped in a cotton cloth with a lotus pattern, not a strand out of place.

She was still tightly holding the hand of the simple-minded girl, who followed her mother closely, like a little bird easily frightened outside its nest.

The old woman seemed used to the odd looks from others. After entering, she didn’t mind Shen Miao’s sudden silence, but she didn’t sit down right away either. First, she looked around at the shop’s furnishings, then lowered her head to examine the clean floor tiles and tables and chairs. When she looked up again, she gazed somewhat bewildered at the menu on the wall. This shop was unusual—no eager waiters greeted her, and the menu was just posted on the wall.

Could it be that only scholars frequented her shop? The woman regretted coming in. She had thought the shop might not be too expensive because the signboard looked old and the entrance was small.

But since she was already here... She was illiterate and couldn’t understand the menu on the wall at all, so she asked hesitantly, “Ma’am... do you... do you have that plain noodle soup for four coins a bowl? Just one bowl is enough, with... with more broth if possible.”

Shen Miao snapped back to attention, put away her gaze, and placed two bowls of water in front of them, smiling, “Yes, please sit and have some water first. It’ll be ready soon.”

The old woman breathed a sigh of relief, led her daughter to the most out-of-the-way corner, and sat down. After sitting, she kept busy. First, she tucked a cloth into her daughter’s collar and rolled up her sleeves. The girl let her mother take care of her, occasionally grinning goofily at her.

The old woman then gently reached out and lovingly tucked away her daughter’s stray hair.

Perhaps because her daughter couldn’t speak well, she had gotten used to the quiet. After that, the mother and daughter waited quietly.

Shen Miao’s shop had simple noodles, but her simple noodles relied entirely on the broth, inspired by Jiangnan’s Yangchun noodles, and the cost was actually quite high.

Why was a bowl of simple noodles from Gaoyou, Yangzhou, and Shanghai called “Yangchun”? It was because in the Jiangnan region, October was often called “Little Yangchun,” and gradually, “ten” became a metaphor for Yangchun. So, in places like Yangzhou, a bowl of Yangchun noodles cost ten coins, which is how it got its name.

Therefore, Shen Miao’s pork bone clear soup noodles were also priced at ten coins. Especially since the wheat flour she used for the noodles was re-sifted from coarse flour, and the meat was of good quality, it was worth the price.

Moreover... not to mention the affluent Jiangnan, even in Bianjing, noodles for four coins were hard to come by. Perhaps only in the taverns near the outskirts of the city.

Were they outsiders who had come into the city? Shen Miao speculated in her heart while secretly watching them out of the corner of her eye.

The old woman took out a small porcelain bottle from her cloth bag, poured out a few small pills, and took them with the water Shen Miao had brought.

After taking her own medicine, she pulled out another bottle from her bag, poured out a few pills into her palm, and turned to patiently coax her daughter to take the medicine: “Youyu, if you take your medicine obediently, Mama will buy you sugar cake, okay?”

But the girl acted like she’d seen a monster, shaking her head vigorously: “No... no...”

“Take your medicine, and Mama will take you to get two pieces of malt sugar, okay? Remember? The one that always goes ding-dong, ding-dong.”

The girl hesitated, then reluctantly swallowed the pills. Her distinctive face scrunched up.

Shen Miao quietly averted her gaze, used chopsticks to scoop up two portions of noodles and a few slices of bok choy that had been cooked in the pot. Amidst the rising steam, she turned around and scooped a ladle of the simmering pork bone broth to use as the base for the plain noodles. Finally, she placed the bok choy on the noodles, added an extra spoonful of minced meat topping, sprinkled with chopped green onions, and drizzled a few drops of scallion oil. The simple but fragrant clear soup noodles were ready.

After that, she grabbed an extra bowl from the cupboard.

She served what was really two portions of noodles in a large bowl and brought it out with a smile: “Sorry for the wait, the noodles are ready. They’re just out of the pot and very hot. I’ve brought an extra bowl so you can share.”

But the old woman panicked at the sight of the large, full bowl of noodles and hurriedly grabbed Shen Miao, who was about to leave: “Oh, Ma’am, why did you make so much? I just told you I only wanted one bowl of plain noodles, nothing else. Why did you add meat? We... my daughter and I came to the city to find work, and we have to be very frugal with our food and drink. We really didn’t bring that much money...”

Shen Miao had to explain with a smile: “It’s not forced selling, please eat without worry. You came at the right time. Today is my first day of business, and you’re the first customer at noon. There’s a rule in my house—the first customer gets a half-price discount. Don’t worry, even with the meat, it’s only four coins.”

The old woman sat down, half-believing: “Really?”

“Really.”

Shen Miao pulled her sleeve out of the old woman’s gnarled hand and pointed to the kitchen: “Take your time, I’ll go back to work.”

“Ah... ah...” The old woman sat down awkwardly, her dazed gaze falling back on the large bowl in front of her. After a while, she tremblingly picked up her chopsticks, first giving her daughter a large portion and carefully picking out the meat to put into her bowl.

Shen Miao went back to the kitchen to clean the chopping board and wash the pot, but she couldn’t help sneaking glances at them.

The girl wasn’t very good with chopsticks, so the old woman used a spoon to break the noodles into smaller pieces so she could scoop them into her mouth. Seeing her daughter eat with relish, she finally started eating the remaining bowl, which was mostly broth.

Shen Miao watched as the old woman took a bite and seemed to pause, then gradually began to eat the noodles voraciously, finally unable to resist drinking up all the broth.

She smiled slightly and then lowered her head to knead the dough again.

In those days, there were no prenatal check-ups, nor was there any concept of children with congenital conditions. These special children were born into the world, and it was not the mother's fault. Moreover... they might die within a few years due to severe conditions such as congenital deafness, intellectual disabilities, heart disease, or digestive tract deformities. Even if they survived by chance, they would likely be abandoned or even strangled by their family or community elders. Therefore, in ancient times, even in the prosperous Song Dynasty, it was rare to see special children among ordinary commoners, let alone one who grew up, especially a girl.

In such a patriarchal society, the old woman's daughter had been raised to adulthood.

She did not know she would give birth to a child with intellectual disabilities, and after finding out, she did not abandon her. Instead, she persevered and raised her. Shen Miao couldn't even imagine how much effort she had expended, how many external and even familial battles she had fought, to miraculously raise her in such a world.

A bowl of noodles was a gesture of respect for her mother's love.

Additionally, she had another thought: to wait until they had a good, peaceful meal before asking them in detail. But as soon as they finished eating, they seemed to fear that Shen Miao might change her mind or ask for more money, and they hurriedly left.

"Miss, thank you. The money is on the table."

Hearing this, Shen Miao looked out, only to see the old woman pulling her daughter and hurrying out of the shop. She quickly came out from the kitchen and called after them, "Hey, wait!" But they only ran faster, quickly disappearing around the corner.

She could only return helplessly.

On the corner table, there were two clean bowls and four polished coins, neatly placed.

After that, no one came to the shop. As Shen Miao had expected, lunch wasn't considered a main meal, and few people gave up their nap to eat out. Many shops simply closed half their doors and went back to rest.

Inside and out, it was quiet. Shen Miao finished her work and, feeling bored, rested her chin in her hand. The sunlight filtered through the window, casting a warm glow on her. It was so cozy that she also dozed off at the kitchen counter.

Perhaps because she had seen the mother and daughter, her dream seemed to take her back to her childhood in her previous life. She stood on a stool, secretly frying the fresh fish her grandfather had just bought. She had learned cooking early, so she was always the one in charge of sneaking food, with her cousins gathered around the stove, chopsticks in hand, waiting.

The sunlight was orange, so the old dream was also tinted orange. In the end, they sat on the kitchen floor, finishing several fish, so salty that they were desperately looking for water. They were scolded by their grandparents, but the mischievous children just looked at each other and laughed, even after being reprimanded.

It wasn't until the sun began to set that she was awakened by the gentle knocking of knuckles on the half-wall counter.

When she woke up, she was still a bit confused between dream and reality, as it had been a long time since she last dreamed of her past life.

With a few crooked red marks on her face from the pressure, Shen Miao unconsciously smoothed her loose bun and, with a somewhat dazed step, pulled back the half-curtain.

Unexpectedly, the visitor seemed to be peeking in to see if anyone was there. As soon as Shen Miao pulled back the curtain, she met a pair of bright, clear eyes. Both she and the visitor were startled, leaning back and creating distance before they could see who it was.

Before her stood Xie Qi, wearing a scholar's cap and a simple, elegant robe with wide sleeves, carrying himself with grace... but leaning on a cane.

Looking down a bit, there was Yan Shu, hands on the counter, looking up with a smile.

Shen Miao was fully awake now: "Ninth Geer Xie?!"

"Yes, Madam Shen, I wish you a prosperous opening and smooth sailing in the future, with all things going your way." Xie Qi's gaze slid over the red marks on Shen Miao's face, a hint of a smile in his eyes. He gestured for Yan Shu to present a long-necked white porcelain vase with jasmine flowers. He took it and placed it next to the wooden statue of the God of Wealth on the counter. "The jasmine in my mother's courtyard bloomed, filling the yard with fragrance overnight. I thought it was lovely, so I picked a couple of branches to bring as a gift."

A couple of branches? It was more than that. To choose the best branches for the vase, Ninth Geer had squatted there, cutting left and right, nearly pruning the carefully nurtured jasmine bare. When Madam woke from her nap and saw the fallen leaves and flowers all over the ground, she was so angry that she grabbed the Xi family's long stick from behind the door and rushed to the front yard to beat the still-drunk Third Geer, who was so confused he could only dodge and say, "Mother, I'm sorry..."

Poor Third Geer, always so unreliable, now unjustly beaten.

Yan Shu scratched his head but kept his master's secret.

"Ninth Geer, you're too kind. Next time you come, don't bring anything. Besides, didn't you already send Yan Shu over with a gift yesterday? There's no need to send another! But your calligraphy is truly remarkable. Displaying them in my little shop almost feels like an injustice to them. I haven't thanked you for that yet. Also, I heard from Yan Shu that you were injured. Why are you out and about?"

Shen Miao gestured toward the two pieces of calligraphy on the wall and bowed in thanks again. As she lowered her head, she caught sight of Xie Qi's leg, wrapped in bandages and sandwiched between two wooden splints, peeking out from under his robe. She added a word of concern, "Is your hand better? Your leg looks serious. You should be careful. They say it takes a hundred days to recover from a bone injury. You should rest more."

"My hand is fine. I've been using medicine for two days, and it's improved now," Xie Qi said without changing his expression. "I came out to change the dressing on my leg."

Yan Shu secretly thought to himself: Originally, they had arranged for the old physician from Grand Physician Zhao's house to come and change the dressing daily. But today, Ninth Geer insisted he was bored and, after reporting to Madam, said he might as well go out in a carriage to change the dressing and get some fresh air.

And so, he ended up at Shen's Noodle Shop to change the dressing.

As Yan Shu pursed his lips behind Xie Qi, Xie Qi had already complimented everything in Madam Shen's shop, from the lanterns hanging from the beams to the green bricks on the floor.

Xie Qi’s compliments were filled with classical references, each sentence different. Though not overly flattering or direct, they still made Shen Miao blush. She hurriedly said, "Did you only have snacks for lunch? Are you hungry now? Ninth Geer, you’ve helped me so much these days, and I’ve been wanting to thank you but didn’t know how. How about I make you some soup noodles?"

Xie Qi didn’t decline, and Yan Shu was overjoyed. The master and servant sat down at the table nearest to the counter, smiling, "Then we’ll trouble you, Shen Miao."

"No trouble at all. Sit down... Let me think, you’re still injured, so it’s not good to eat anything too heavy—it might interfere with the medicine. How about I make you a bowl of 'confused soup noodles'?"

Xie Qi looked up at her. Shen Miao didn’t seem to notice her own habit—whenever she was relaxed, she would unconsciously smile, her eyes curving first, then naturally revealing two small canine teeth.

Unlike other women who would use a handkerchief or fan to cover their teeth, keeping up the noble lady’s grace and the "smile without showing teeth" rule, Shen Miao never seemed to think about these things. She smiled whenever she felt like it, her cheeks tinged with pink, her eyes curving, and under the afternoon sunlight, she appeared so bright and radiant.

It always reminded him of a lotus swaying among endless green leaves in the midsummer garden of the Xie family’s mountain villa.

The sunlight slowly shifted from the zenith to the west, spilling over the long street and gradually filling Shen Miao’s small shop. Xie Qi gazed at her standing in the warm yellow light for a long time and couldn’t help but smile, "Sure, thank you."

He didn’t know what "confused soup noodles" were, but at this moment, he too became confused, not wanting to ask more.

Only Yan Shu was full of curiosity about the food, eagerly following her, "Shen Miao, what are 'confused soup noodles'? I’ve never heard of them!"

"You’ll know when I make them."

Shen Miao smiled and blinked, then turned and entered the kitchen.

The name "confused noodles" comes from using whatever’s on hand. In the past, when people were poor and didn’t have enough grain, they would use various vegetables and wild herbs to make up the difference. Whatever was on hand would end up in the pot. Like dumpling soup, it was nutritious and had stomach-nourishing properties.

But later, when Shen Miao went to the Central Plains to try the "confused noodles" in those big restaurants, this dish born out of poverty had become exceptionally refined. It wasn’t just thrown together; the master chefs made "confused noodles" with great care. The noodles were hand-rolled, and the broth was made with Taihang Mountain millet, adding all sorts of good vegetables and meat before finally adding the noodles. A bowl of "confused noodles" could be thick, fragrant, delicious, and nutritious.

Shen Miao didn’t explain what "confused soup noodles" were, leaving Yan Shu burning with curiosity. He tiptoed over, using his head to push the curtain aside, and leaned on the counter to watch her busy.

Xie Qi also took the opportunity to see her busy figure.

"Shen Miao, your kitchen is spotless," Yan Shu suddenly exclaimed after watching for a while. Not just here, but even in the Xie family’s kitchen, when Chef Fang was too busy to clean up, the kitchen could turn into a disaster. There would be dirty water on the floor, vegetable leaves and eggshells everywhere, and the meat and vegetables on the counter would be piled up in disarray.

But Shen Miao’s kitchen was not only clean with pots, pans, and utensils neatly arranged, but the counter was also filled with bowls and basins, each neatly placed with the various ingredients Shen Miao needed to make the soup noodles. The vegetables and meat were cut and washed, covered with bamboo covers, and even the dough was kneaded and left to rest. Any extra veggies were cleaned up and stacked in corner baskets and on shelves. A whole piece of wood was nailed to the wall, with neat wooden pegs arranged on it. The spatulas, spoons, and knives were all tied with hemp rope at the handles and hung on the wall.

Although the kitchen was filled with things, it was spotless and well-organized. Even the rags were washed clean, either hung up or folded into squares and placed on the table corners, making it a joy to see.

Yan Shu grew more impressed as he looked around, and when he caught sight of the vegetables in the baskets, he couldn’t help but marvel, "Shen Miao, how did you even stack the radishes in the baskets so neatly?"

On the wooden shelf opposite the counter, there were several woven baskets filled with white radishes and carrots. Not only were they separated by color, but each radish was also placed with the leafy top facing the same direction, neatly stacked layer by layer.

Shen Miao followed Yan Shu’s gaze and looked at the radish baskets on the floor, smiling, "I didn’t stack them; Ji Geer did. He helps me clean the kitchen every day. The kitchen is so clean because, first, I have a good habit of cleaning up while cooking, and second, Ji Geer is diligent and helpful. Whenever he’s back, he comes to help."

She was used to cleaning up while cooking. Her dad and grandpa’s kitchen rules were way stricter than this. After all, kitchen hygiene was of utmost importance. If the junior cooks dared to make the kitchen a mess with vegetable leaves everywhere, they’d get a spatula to the head.

Yan Shu was deeply impressed and nodded seriously, "We should get Chef Fang to come and learn from this. As a chef, he’s too careless!"

Xie Qi leaned on the counter, his gaze lingering on Shen Miao’s hands as she quickly chopped vegetables. Shen Miao’s hands could not be described as "soft as silk, smooth as cream." Her hands were long and strong, with well-proportioned joints. The thin, faint blue veins would rise under her skin when she exerted force, and there was even a small, thin callus on the tiger’s mouth from her habit of holding a knife.

He looked down at his own hands. His hands, from martial arts and frequent injuries, also had calluses. But they were very different.

He was quietly admiring Shen Miao’s figure as she cooked the soup noodles, and it seemed as if a rich aroma of cooking filled his heart. She had two stoves going at the same time, one frying peanuts and the other simmering a thick soup. She worked methodically, busy but not chaotic, like a female general commanding a vast army.

You’re amazing, Shen Miao. Xie Qi thought of himself, who was clueless about cooking and only knew how to read and write, and felt truly inadequate.

Just as he was watching intently, a tall, dark figure pushed three jars of wine into the half-open backyard of the Shen family, and familiarly walked straight into the kitchen, calling out, "Da Jieer, where should I put the wine you ordered?"

Xie Qi quietly turned his gaze, and the dark, burly man also looked over.

Their eyes met across the room.