Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Lu Yuan rose and went to the courtyard to wash up. Hearing voices from the old lady's room, she turned to her two sisters and asked, "Who's in Great-grandma's room?"

Chun Hua replied, "It's the granny from next door, along with Granny Liu and Granny Chen."

The old lady was certainly popular. She'd been in the city for less than half a month, and already people were coming to visit.

Unlike other country-dwelling old ladies who moved to the city and struggled to integrate, often staying indoors all day, their old lady was quite the opposite.

Lu Yuan knocked on the old lady's door. Pushing it open, she found the old lady and several white-haired women gathered around a brazier, doing needlework and chatting.

At the sound, the women all turned to look.

Seeing it was Old Lady He’s granddaughter-in-law, the two grannies, aside from the one from next door, looked a little flustered.

The granny next door smiled and greeted her, "Oh, Li Niang, you're awake! Your grandmother said you were busy at the night market all last night. Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?"

Lu Yuan smiled and replied, "I've had enough sleep."

The old lady told her, "I left breakfast for you in the pot."

Lu Yuan nodded, returned to her room, and filled a plate with sunflower seeds. She also added some dried fruit she'd bought from the night market stall owner's shop and brought them to the old lady's room.

She warmly offered, "Grannies, please help yourselves. I'll bring you a pot of tea in a bit."

The grannies quickly said, "No need to be so polite."

Lu Yuan smiled. "It's no trouble. You all keep chatting; I'll go wash up."

After Lu Yuan left, the grannies in the room quietly remarked to the old lady, "Your granddaughter-in-law is quite easy to talk to and seems very filial."

The old lady's smile deepened. "My grandson and I have excellent taste."

The granny next door interjected, "Don't say that. Your granddaughter-in-law seems like a clever person—it's not just about your good taste that she married in. If your grandson didn't have good character in addition to being good-looking, why would she have married him, right?"

Everyone loves hearing compliments. As praises filled the room, Lu Yuan couldn't help but smile.

Although her transmigration had started with a disastrous turn of events, it was a comfort that she hadn't encountered many difficult people; everyone around her was quite good.

After washing up and eating lunch, Lu Yuan went to the children's room to work on Qi Cheng's shoes.

She had originally intended for Qi Cheng to finish them himself, but he was so busy it was as if he were split in two. She couldn't bear to ask for his help.

She regretted promising a few days ago to finish them quickly; she had only created more work for herself, and it wasn't even something she was good at.

With her rough needlework, she was too embarrassed to join the others in the old lady's room.

Thinking of Qi Cheng, she'd grown so used to having him around every day that his sudden involvement in other work left her feeling a little unaccustomed.

As she was sewing the shoe upper, the old lady suddenly opened the door. Seeing her at work, she exclaimed in surprise, "Did the sun rise from the west today? You're actually making shoes?!"

Lu Yuan pouted, annoyed. "You complain when I don't do it, and you complain when I do."

The old lady waved her hand. "I won't say anything more. That's not what I came to tell you."

Lu Yuan blinked. "Then what is it?"

The old lady said, "I just mentioned the fish matter with the neighbor again. Another family said they're raising two sheep and will slaughter them at the end of the year. They asked if our family wants any."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan quickly asked, "Did they mention the price per *jin*?"

The old lady said, "If we reserve now, it'll be at the current market price of thirty-five copper coins per *jin*. They won't raise the price by the end of the year."

During the New Year, mutton prices in the market were sure to rise, probably up to fifty copper coins per *jin*.

Lu Yuan said, "Then let's get thirty *jin*?"

The old lady was surprised. "That much? Can our family finish it? Although meat keeps better in winter, it'll only last a few days—any longer and it'll go bad."

Lu Yuan said, "Aren't we planning to go back to Weishan Village for the New Year? We can bring some back, set up a stove at home, and have hot pot."

Not to mention, seventy or eighty percent of the public office folks would likely come to pay New Year's visits.

The old lady was worried about the cost. "Thirty *jin* would cost a full string of coins, and those six or seven fish would easily be over a hundred coins too."

Lu Yuan said, "We work hard all year—isn't it all for good eating?"

Hearing this, the old lady saw through her. "It's not even New Year yet, and I've never seen you hold back on treating yourself."

Then, double-checking, she said, "Are you sure about thirty *jin*? We'll have to pay a deposit."

Lu Yuan nodded. "Thirty *jin* it is. How much for the deposit?"

The old lady said, "I'll have to ask."

The old lady went back to her room and returned after a while. "They said to pay a deposit for ten *jin* first."

Lu Yuan got up and went with the old lady to her room to get the money. She took one string of coins, thought about it, and gave the old lady an extra half-string, saying, "Here's the money for the mutton and fish in advance."

The old lady said, "Alright. I'll return any leftover to you."

Lu Yuan smiled. "No need to return it; use it for groceries."

Then, lowering her voice, she asked, "Does that granny's family really have sheep?"

The old lady said, "I'm not stupid. I heard the neighbor mention it before, and I just brought it up again, so I thought I'd ask you."

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and added, "Since our family is buying so much, remember to ask them to give us some offal and sheep's blood."

The old lady said, "Of course."

Remembering there were others in her room, the old lady took a few hundred coins first and said, "I'll come back for the rest later."

Lu Yuan nodded.

After working on the shoes for most of the day, progress was still slow.

When Lu Yuan stepped into the courtyard to stretch, she remembered her idea of making homemade spicy strips for the New Year.

She had been thinking about it for a while, so after moving, she had brought some spices from the night market courtyard.

She took some dried tofu skin from the old lady's room.

The old lady asked, "What are you going to do with that?"

Lu Yuan said, "I want to try making a new snack."

The old lady asked, "Are you not running the food stand anymore?"

Lu Yuan replied, "That's not it. I just thought that during the holiday season, these children have some spending money, and I could earn a little extra money too."

The old lady asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Lu Yuan shook her head, "I can handle this little bit of work myself."

She was just soaking the tofu skin in cold water. As for how long it needed to soak, Lu Yuan wasn’t sure either—just until it softened naturally.

Soaking it in hot water would make it less chewy, only suitable for cooking. Soaking it slowly in cold water would give it a more chewy texture, making it better for spicy strips.

After soaking the tofu skin, Lu Yuan went back to her room to continue making shoes, checking on the soaked tofu skin every hour or so.

She spent the whole day in her room. By late afternoon/early evening, she started cooking, simmering bone and radish soup. She planned to stir-fry the vegetables once Qi Cheng returned home.

With the old lady tending the fire, she took the two children for a walk by the river, hoping to meet Qi Cheng on his way home.

It was Qi Cheng’s first day at the public office, and she didn’t know what time he’d get off work.

After walking a full circle along the river with the children and still not seeing any sign of Qi Cheng, she was about to head back when she spotted him on horseback in the distance.

A smile immediately spread across Lu Yuan’s face, and she waved eagerly, calling out, "Qi Cheng!"

A few others were also on their way home and turned to look at the sound of her voice, but Lu Yuan paid them no mind.

Hearing her, Qi Cheng glanced in their direction, a smile appearing on his face as well. He dismounted and led his horse toward them.

As they drew closer, Qi Cheng asked, "What brings you out here?"

Chun Hua said, "Mom said we should take a walk, but she kept looking in the direction you’d come from."

She had gotten used to calling him "Dad" these past few days and wasn’t the least bit shy about it—it rolled off her tongue quite naturally.

Lu Yuan didn’t deny it, saying, "I haven’t seen you all day, and I really missed you."

Hearing this, Qi Cheng glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby, his ears turning slightly red. "Save those words for when we’re at home, not out in the open," he said.

Lu Yuan narrowed her eyes at him, thinking—*so reserved*.

Qiu Hua looked at him eagerly, then stretched out her arms and said, "Horseback ride."

Qi Cheng smiled, lifting both her and her sister onto the horse, then led the horse back home.

Neighbors who were gradually getting familiar with them greeted them warmly, "Mr. Qi, you’re back."

Qi Cheng smiled and nodded in response.

Once home, he carefully helped the children down from the horse and then tied it up.

Lu Yuan went into the kitchen to start stir-frying the dishes.

She took a moment to check on the tofu skin that had been soaking for two hours. Picking up a piece and pinching it, she found it still a bit firm. She estimated it would need to soak until tonight to soften properly.

Returning the tofu skin to the basin, she heated the wok, added oil and ginger slices, then tossed in the sliced pork belly to stir-fry.

Once the pork was fragrant, she fished out the soaked dried bamboo shoots, squeezed out the water, rinsed them several times, and finally sliced them thinly on the diagonal before adding them to the pork to braise together.

One dish was pork belly with dried bamboo shoots, another was cabbage fried in pork fat, and there was also a pot of bone and radish soup.

The old lady was right—she wouldn’t shortchange her own taste buds or her health. As long as money wasn't too tight, she had no intention of living frugally just to save.

At the dinner table, the old lady asked her grandson worriedly, "It’s your first day at the public office. Did anyone give you a hard time?"

Qi Cheng explained, "I’m not an official employee, so there’s no work conflict with others at the public office. Besides, the Deputy Magistrate hired me personally, so no one would dare make things difficult for me."

Hearing this, the old lady breathed a sigh of relief.

That evening, Lu Yuan was applying face cream in the room when Qi Cheng came in after feeding the horse.

Lu Yuan asked him, "Be honest—on your first day, did anyone really try to put you in your place?"

Qi Cheng sat down on the stool, took off his shoes, and replied with a smile, "Today was just about getting acquainted with the public office. I didn’t do much work. Besides, everyone there both fears and respects the Deputy Magistrate. Since he introduced me to everyone personally, no one dared to test me."

Lu Yuan turned to look at him and said, "That doesn’t sound right. If the Deputy Magistrate is so revered, doesn’t that overshadow the County Magistrate? Wouldn’t the County Magistrate have objections?"

Qi Cheng said, "I only saw the County Magistrate from a distance today. I don’t know what kind of person he is yet, but I heard from the other constables that the County Magistrate generally supports the Deputy Magistrate’s decisions. Only the Scribe and the County Sheriff occasionally express dissatisfaction."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan looked at him sympathetically and said, "Then you’re in trouble. The Scribe and the County Sheriff will definitely make trouble for you in the future."

The public office was like a company—there was bound to be scheming and rivalry.

Qi Cheng slipped on his wooden clogs, placed the shoes and socks he’d taken off behind the door, and replied, "Life can’t always be smooth sailing."

Lu Yuan murmured, "You certainly take things in stride."

Qi Cheng smiled without responding, picked up his clothes, and went out to the washing area to bathe.

When he returned from the bath, the kitchen was still lit. Carrying a lantern, he walked over and saw Lu Yuan adding spices and seasonings to a basin.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Without turning around, Lu Yuan replied, "Spicy tofu skin."

Qi Cheng approached and saw the tofu skin in the basin coated with various seasonings and sesame. It smelled quite fragrant.

Lu Yuan said, "I crushed some prickly ash and added some previously prepared spices. I also lightly fried the sesame to enhance the aroma. Letting it marinate overnight will allow the flavors to seep in."

Qi Cheng asked, "Is this the new food you want to sell?"

Lu Yuan "mm-hmm" in agreement, "We’ve accumulated almost ten *jin* of tofu skin. Our family can’t eat that much, so it’s good to use it for business and earn some money."

Qi Cheng frowned slightly, "If you add a new item to the stall, won’t that make things even busier? You’ll be more tired."

Lu Yuan shook her head, "Not necessarily. The spicy tofu skin needs to be prepared in advance—just pack it and it’s ready. Besides, you’re not busy on your off days, and we’ll need to hire help eventually. We’ll manage."

Speaking of hiring, Qi Cheng said, "Tomorrow, I’ll go to the bakery and ask the shopkeeper’s wife for help about finding someone."

Lu Yuan agreed, "We should definitely ask."

And they needed to do it quickly.

Although Qi Cheng had agreed with the Deputy Magistrate to work only on alternate days, the work at the public office wasn’t your typical nine-to-five job.

If he were to take the constables into the mountains for field training, it would take at least three to five days to return.

As they talked, Lu Yuan mixed the tofu skin, making sure the seasonings were evenly distributed. Then she placed it in the pot and covered it. By tomorrow morning, it should be fully seasoned.