Chapter 128

Chapter 128: Two-in-One (Including Reader Support Extra)

Breakfast preparations in the courtyard were almost ready.

Lin Zhaodi was preparing the last two dishes following Lin Shu's instructions.

Although Lin Shu claimed to be assisting, she hadn't done much—just washing vegetables or passing items before sitting on a bamboo stool and fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan.

It wasn’t that Lin Shu was lazy; it was just that Aunt Lin wouldn’t let her do anything.

While preparing breakfast, Aunt Lin’s most frequent phrase was, “A Shu, leave it be, I’ll handle it!”

He Guixiang found these words comforting. When Lin Zhaodi had asked to borrow Lin Shu, she had initially felt it was inappropriate, as she herself was usually reluctant to let A Shu do any work.

Preparing meals for a small group was manageable, but for a larger crowd, not only did it require more food, but cleaning up afterward was also exhausting. That’s why He Guixiang had suggested Lin Zhaodi use her kitchen instead—cooking and washing were tasks village women were accustomed to.

Of course, He Guixiang also wanted to lend a helping hand. Having struggled through hard times alone herself, she understood the hardships. Zhao Laosan and Lin Zhaodi’s situation was similar to what she had experienced, if not worse, so she was willing to help however she could.

Just then, under Lin Shu’s guidance, Lin Zhaodi finished stir-frying dried radish with chili. She heated oil to sauté garlic slices, Sichuan peppercorns, and Zanthoxylum, then added rehydrated and diced radish, stirring in two spoonfuls of lard until the radish turned bubbly and golden. Finally, she added diced cucumber and other ingredients, resulting in a shiny, oily dish.

As Lin Shu moved to serve the dish, Lin Zhaodi quickly called out, “A Shu, leave it, I’ll do it—be careful, it’s hot!”

He Guixiang laughed. “If you won’t let A Shu do anything, why did you ask for her help?”

Lin Zhaodi carried the dish to the table herself and replied, “I didn’t really need A Shu to do physical labor. I just thought she had many good ideas and wanted her advice. Last time, just talking about the bamboo fungus from the mountains, A Shu suggested so many ways to cook it! I know she’s quite knowledgeable about foraged foods, so I wanted to learn from her. But before I could even ask, A Shu brought it up last night!”

At this, she suddenly remembered that she had only mentioned asking A Shu to assist without explaining further, worried that Sisterinlaw He might misunderstand. She hurriedly added, “If I just needed help with labor, I would’ve asked seasoned village women like Sisterinlaw He. Why would I need a young lady like A Shu? I had originally made plans with Aunt Li, but when she heard you were here, Sisterinlaw He, she didn’t come.”

Just looking at Lin Shu’s soft, white hands, Lin Zhaodi couldn’t bear to make her work. In her eyes, Lin Shu was like royalty!

Some might mock Lin Shu as a "fake noble daughter," but even so, she had been raised as a Marquis's daughter in a noble household for over a decade—nothing like the village women.

“The results speak for themselves—A Shu is truly capable! Look, she suggested several more dishes than I had originally planned. Following her instructions, the flavors turned out wonderfully fragrant!”

He Guixiang was delighted to hear this. After all, who doesn’t enjoy hearing their child praised? In her eyes, A Shu was perfect in every way, and she was glad others thought so too.

Lin Shu, fanning herself nearby, sighed. “It seems Aunt Lin sees me as a pampered young lady who can only talk and not work. I’m ashamed—truly ashamed. Today, I’ve done even less than Xiao Pu.”

Lin Xiaopu chuckled. She hadn’t done much either, but she was quick to notice tasks and faster than her sister at passing winnowing baskets, plates, or chopsticks.

Still, in Aunt Lin’s eyes, she was probably considered more “capable” than her sister?

When the final Termitomyces soup was simmered and served, the two tables in the courtyard were filled with dishes.

Knowing there were guests today, Lin Dashan returned early from the fields.

He familiarly opened the bamboo water pipe in the courtyard to wash his face, cheerfully saying, “I took a glance across the way earlier—everyone’s busy working. The two lads Zhao San Uncle found are quite good. Of course, none can compare to our A Ye.”

He Guixiang shot him a look. “Praise others if you want, but why bring A Ye into it?”

Lin Zhaodi chimed in with a smile, “Lin Dashan isn’t wrong—no one in our Sweetwater Village can match A Ye.”

Lin Dashan chuckled sheepishly. “If I’d known the food was ready here, I would’ve called out to them earlier.”

“The food’s just been served; it won’t hurt to wait a bit. Let Xiao Pu go call them.” Lin Shu turned to Lin Xiaopu. “Xiao Pu, can you go call Zhao San Uncle and the others over to eat?”

Lin Xiaopu immediately replied, “Of course!”

It was just calling people over, after all.

Lin Shu walked her to the courtyard gate, whispered a few instructions, and watched her run off.

Across the way, several men were toiling away, covered in dust and sweat.

Lin Xiaopu watched for a moment, cleared her throat, and called out loudly, “Zhao San Uncle, Aunt Lin and my mom have breakfast ready! They’re calling you four over to eat in the courtyard—”

After shouting, Lin Xiaopu let out a breath and grinned.

Her sister was right—it was just calling out to people, no big deal. She had a loud voice, and the more she did it, the easier it would become.

Her sister had quietly reminded her to call out only to Zhao San Uncle. Without that advice, she would’ve called for Brother A Ye first.

She didn’t understand at first, but after calling out and seeing Zhao San Uncle gesture to Brother A Ye and the others to finish up and come eat, it suddenly made sense.

Even though Aunt Lin was using their kitchen, the rice, vegetables, and other ingredients belonged to Aunt Lin and Zhao San Uncle’s family. Most of the breakfast dishes were prepared by Aunt Lin herself, with her mom and the two of them just assisting. They weren’t the hosts, so they shouldn’t overstep their role.

The four men were Zhao San Uncle, Zhou Ye, Liu Erzhuang (the second son of the Liu family), and Wang Zhangshun (the eldest of the Wang family).

Sweetwater Village had both wealthy and poor families—the Wang family was among the latter.

Wang Zhangshun was twenty-five and still unmarried due to his family’s poverty. Their farmland barely provided enough to eat, and even when Ping Er went to the market, he could only sell dried bamboo shoots or vegetables, earning very few copper coins year-round.

When Zhao Laosan approached the Wang family, Old Wang agreed readily. Besides Zhao Laosan having helped them before, it was also because their food was scarce—sending his eldest son to help would save them one mouth to feed.

He knew Zhao Laosan hadn’t gotten much from the family partition and that the meals might not be rich, but he trusted Zhao Laosan’s integrity. Even if the dishes were simple, the portions would be filling. As long as his son could eat until 70-80% full, it would be worth it.

However, when Wang Zhangshun followed Zhao San Uncle into Lin Dashan’s courtyard, he was stunned.

If Zhao San Uncle hadn’t been leading and Zhou Ye following behind, he would’ve thought he’d entered the wrong place.

Was this entire table of food really prepared for them??

Did Lin Dashan have other guests today?

Liu Erzhuang was also surprised. Before leaving, his father had specifically warned him that if Zhao San Uncle’s meals were too simple, he shouldn’t show any disdain to avoid straining relations. His father had also explained how difficult Zhao San Uncle’s situation was and urged him to be understanding.

But… could this be called simple?

Liu Erzhuang’s eyes immediately landed on the plate of fried fish on the table.

That was it!

The delicious aroma he’d smelled earlier was from this fried fish—it was incredibly fragrant.

Both helpers were honest, hardworking lads. They’d been working since dawn and were now ravenous, eyeing the table hungrily.

Even Zhao Laosan himself was astonished.

Did his wife prepare all this?

Since when was her cooking this good?

He knew his wife’s temperament—most of these dishes were undoubtedly her doing.

“Why are you all standing there? Come, wash up here. This bamboo water pipe we set up is really handy—just remove the cloth plug, and water flows out. It’s great for cooking, washing rice, cleaning vegetables, and washing faces—very convenient!” Lin Dashan warmly invited them.

Zhao Laosan came back to reality and led the way to wash his face and hands. Liu Erzhuang and Wang Zhangshun followed, with Zhou Ye bringing up the rear.

There were two tables of food in the courtyard, one for the male guests and one for the female guests.

The female guests' side was quieter, with some conversation during the meal.

The male guests, having just finished work, were wolfing down their food, heads down, just eating.

The five hearty eaters meant the table was loaded with plenty of food—a large plate of fried fish chunks, enough for each to have four or five pieces. There was also a big pot of soup and various other dishes, each piled high.

Wang Zhangshun was a man of few words, while Liu Erzhuang was a chatterbox, but his mouth was too full to speak, so he could only think to himself.

This fried fish smells amazing! It smells great and tastes even better!

What're these cucumber shreds mixed with? So tasty!

What kind of soup is this? So good!

The dried radish is so crispy and fragrant—must have been cooked with lard!

This amaranth is better than how my mom cooks it!

Seeing the men devouring their food, Lin Zhaodi raised her voice to remind them, "There’s plenty of rice, a whole potful, right on the stove. Help yourselves to more when you finish!"

Liu Erzhuang quickly swallowed the mouthful of rice and replied, "Oh, yeah, we got it. Aunt Lin and Auntie He must’ve worked hard today too. You should eat more as well!"

Wang Zhangshun, being more reserved, wasn't one for sweet talk but nodded in agreement, his bamboo chopsticks still shoveling rice into his mouth.

At home, he usually ate one bowl of rice, but the bowls here were piled high. With one bowl of coarse rice and all these dishes, he was pretty full and was too embarrassed to ask for another.

But as he slowed down, reluctant to stop eating, he noticed Zhou Ye beside him going for a second and then a third bowl—both heaped high—and Zhou Ye showed no signs of stopping even as he neared the end of his third bowl.

Wang Zhangshun was amazed. The rumors were true: Zhou Ye was not only strong but also a big eater. Remembering that he had worked hard too, though not as much as Zhou Ye, he decided to go for it. He wanted another bowl!

Wang Zhangshun took his empty bowl to the stove and found a wooden pot covered with a lid. When he lifted it, he felt a wave of warmth. To his surprise, there was still half a pot of coarse rice left!

He immediately scooped two shovel-fulls into his bowl—not as high as Zhou Ye’s, but enough for him to be stuffed after this second bowl.

It wasn’t just the rice; the dishes were too delicious to resist. Even the simplest stir-fried vegetables were glossy with oil, let alone the large plate of fried fish—coated in flour, deep-fried until golden, crispy outside and tender inside, slightly numbing and spicy, leaving the mouth greasy and satisfied.

There was also the dried radish with diced cucumber, and several other dishes he couldn’t name, all incredibly delicious. Finally, the mushroom soup was incredibly fragrant, rivaling chicken broth. He drank three full bowls.

Who knew mushroom soup from the mountain could be this good!

By the end of the meal, Zhou Ye had eaten four heaping bowls of coarse rice, while Zhao Laosan and the others each had a second bowl, though not piled as high. Only Lin Dashan, who ate well daily and didn’t work too hard in the fields, stopped after one bowl.

Liu Erzhuang let out a burp after eating, quickly covering his mouth in embarrassment.

As if to cover up, he hurriedly said, "Uncle Zhao San, I haven’t finished the work yet. I'm done eating—I’ll get back to it!"

Wang Zhangshun also stood up.

Zhao Laosan motioned for them to sit back down. "Don’t work right after eating. Rest a bit first."

Just then, Lin Zhaodi and He Guixiang brought over several bowls of tea.

Lin Zhaodi explained, "It’s pine needle tea made by A Shu. She says it helps relieve fatigue. Have a bowl."

Lin Shu didn’t join them. Zhou Ye couldn’t help looking for her and saw her sitting at the women’s table, lost in thought after finishing her meal.

The pine needle tea was made by Lin Shu a couple of days earlier using fresh tender pine needles brought back by Zhou Ye. It could be stored after drying, though it wasn’t fully dry yet, but it was still drinkable.

Since the pine needles weren’t completely dry, the tea was a clear yellowish-green.

Zhou Ye looked away and slowly sipped the tea. The subtle pine fragrance was soothing.

After such a hearty meal, Liu Erzhuang and Wang Zhangshun felt too awkward to rest for long and voluntarily went back to work.

They could rest later when the sun was hottest. Now, while it was still cool, they wanted to get more work done—they couldn’t let such a good meal go to waste.

Zhou Ye didn’t linger either, though he glanced in Lin Shu’s direction before leaving.

He didn’t know why A Shu wasn’t looking at him. Not catching her eye left him feeling a little disappointed.

After the men left, He Guixiang and Lin Zhaodi started clearing the messy table.

Lin Shu wanted to help but was kindly shooed away by Lin Zhaodi. "A Shu, go play with Xiao Pu. Your mother and I can handle this."

"I can at least clear the bowls and wipe the table. Aunt Lin, are you really treating me like a young lady?" Lin Shu laughed.

Lin Zhaodi relented and let her help with the dishes but wouldn’t allow her to touch the pot or bowls for washing.

They hadn’t been working long when Li Chunmiao unexpectedly showed up. After greeting everyone, she rolled up her sleeves and joined in. "I had nothing to do today, so I thought I’d see if you needed help. Am I too late?"

Lin Zhaodi, who was close to her, knew she had deliberately come after breakfast but appreciated the gesture. Still, she politely said, "It’s just washing a few bowls and cleaning up. We don’t need so many people."

Li Chunmiao replied, "Not much? Just a big basin of bowls and plates—would take one person half an hour to wash, plus cleaning the stove and tables, so about an hour total."

Lin Zhaodi and He Guixiang both laughed.

It wouldn’t take that long—the bamboo water pipe in the courtyard made washing and changing water convenient.

The three women divided the tasks: one scrubbed the pot and cleaned the stove, another tidied the tables and swept the courtyard, and the last sat on a small bamboo stool, bent over washing bowls, all while chatting.

Lin Shu couldn’t help much, so after a short rest, she went to her third aunt’s house. Lin Xiaopu stayed in the courtyard, tinkering with her bamboo slingshot.

Seeing this, Li Chunmiao said to He Guixiang with a smile, "My Yingen has been playing with a bamboo slingshot in the courtyard lately too—so absorbed he doesn’t cause trouble anymore, all thanks to your Xiao Pu. That rascal says Xiao Pu is even better with the slingshot than him! But I’m surprised you let Xiao Pu play like this. Most girls her age in the village are either stuck indoors doing needlework or feeding chickens and ducks."

He Guixiang smiled slightly. "I didn’t expect Xiao Pu to be so good at it either. Her older sister says something about balancing work and play—study seriously when it’s time to study, play seriously when it’s time to play. A Shu knows a lot, and I usually listen to her. As for needlework, I don’t push it; as long as she can thread a needle and mend clothes like me, it’s enough."

He Guixiang didn’t want her children to suffer the hardships she had endured. Her needlework was average not because she didn’t do it, but because she spent most of her time laboring.

Her parents had put her to work from a very young age, even making her wash clothes by the river during her periods. The winter river water was freezing, making her hands tremble, but she had no choice.

Later, as she grew more beautiful, her parents considered marrying her off as a concubine to a wealthy man in town. But though her face was pretty, her hands were too rough—the wealthy preferred soft hands—so she escaped that fate and even ended up doing less work.

But her parents remained unsatisfied. Capitalizing on her beauty, they demanded a high bride price, starting with an outrageous ten strings of cash. The villagers thought they were mad. When that didn’t work, they gradually lowered it to five strings, then three, and finally one string.

Back then, one string of cash was far more valuable than it is now. With famines and banditry, people struggled to save money. One string could be a lifesaver—much more useful than today’s equivalent.

Matchmakers heard the price and visited less and less. In the end, it was Lin Dashan, determined to marry her, who paid the string of cash, freeing her from that home. Though life in the Zhao family involved hard work, having a husband who cared for her made it worthwhile.

After her in-laws passed away and the Zhao brothers divided the family property, she and Lin Dashan built a house at the village edge, and life gradually improved. Then they bought A Ye, A Shu returned, and Xiao Pu’s health got better… The heavenly life she had only dreamed of was drawing closer.

Lost in these thoughts, He Guixiang couldn’t help smiling contentedly.

But Li Chunmiao focused on the earlier part of her words. "Sister-in-law He, is Xiao Pu learning to read? Is A Shu teaching her?"

He Guixiang paused, a flicker of regret crossing her face. How had she let that slip!

Fortunately, A Shu had anticipated this, so she made an acknowledging sound and replied, "As you know, A Shu came back from the capital. Xiao Pu thinks A Shu knows a lot and admires her, so she pestered A Shu to teach her characters. She is A Shu's own sister—how could I refuse? But A Shu warned her that if she wants to learn, she must apply herself properly. If she gives up halfway, A Shu won't teach her again in the future."

Upon hearing this, Li Chunmiao's hands gradually slowed.

In fact, she had heard some gossip these past few days—that Lin Yushu from Lin Dashui's household had been visiting Lin Dashan's home every day. No one knew what he was doing there, but he would stay for an hour each time.

At first, no one paid it much mind, assuming it was just more frequent visits now that the two families had recently mended their relationship.

But later, some said that Lin Yushu hadn't been to the fields for a long time, and his father, Lin Dashui, was working the fields by himself. Others claimed they had heard the sound of reading coming from Lin Dashui's house.

Lin Yushu didn't go to school, so what was he reading? And who was teaching him?

Li Chunmiao had already suspected. After breakfast today, she saw the Lin Shu girl heading out, presumably to Lin Dashan's house. Lin Yushu must have been studying with the Lin Shu girl.

It was only after He Guixiang's slip of the tongue just now that Li Chunmiao realized—not only was Lin Yushu studying, but even Lin Xiaopu, a girl, was learning to read and write with Lin Shu?!

Li Chunmiao's mind immediately became active.

Teaching one is teaching, and teaching two is still teaching. Since A Shu could teach Xiao Pu, could she also teach her Yingen along with them?

Author's Note: Thank you all for the nutrient solution support—here’s a hefty chapter~

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