Chapter 29: Aunt’s Family Delivers Vegetables

Chapter 29: Delivering Vegetables to Aunt's House

"Alright then." Even as she said "okay," Jiang Yingxue kept working, using magic to make one of each of the seven types of Spiritual Flowers bloom.

While Lu Caiyun and her companion were amazed by the flowers, they also gave Jiang Yingxue a safety lecture, not stopping until they were sure it really sank in.

After planting the flowers, it was only a little past 4 p.m. Jiang Yingxue caught a few fat perch and scooped up a large bag of shrimp from her Space. She also took several jars of Drunken Immortal Bean Paste, Spirit Chili Powder, and Spirit Guzhi Powder from home. Jiang Xianzheng also picked a bag of fresh vegetables from the yard. Jiang Yingxue packed all the food into a burlap sack, started her electric bike, and set off for her aunt's house in the city with the sack.

About twenty minutes later, Jiang Yingxue knocked on Jiang Mingzhen's door.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

"Auntie, it's me, Ying Xue."

Hearing Jiang Yingxue's voice, Jiang Mingzhen quickly opened the door and welcomed her inside. "Yingxue, you're here already! Come in, come in."

Jiang Mingzhen took the burlap sack from Jiang Yingxue and carried it to the kitchen, then returned to the living room with a fruit platter and made hot tea.

Jiang Mingzhen had a real soft spot for this niece she'd watched grow up. As soon as they met, she asked how she was doing and what she'd been up to. She had spoken to her mother on the phone today, who said Yingxue was as thin as a kitten when she first returned home. She looked much better today, but was still thin.

"Yingxue, how's your health now? You need to eat more, and don't take after your cousin Si Qin with all that dieting to stay skinny, you hear?"

Jiang Yingxue replied, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie. I'm so healthy now I could go up the mountain and fight a tiger."

Jiang Mingzhen laughed, "If you're really that healthy, this aunt of yours will be overjoyed. I heard you're running a small business in town. How's business? Going well, I hope?"

"Business is pretty good. The students are crazy about it." Thinking of the kids who came running to her stall the second school let out, a faint smile appeared on Jiang Yingxue's face.

Jiang Mingzhen held Jiang Yingxue's hand, her face etched with concern. "That's good if business is good. Is it hard work? Are you tired? I see other vendors starting early and finishing late, it looks exhausting." She still hoped Jiang Yingxue could find a job like her daughter He Siqin's, one that didn't involve being exposed to the elements.

"I'm not tired at all. I get up around seven or eight in the morning, spend two or three hours preparing, and the stall is open for at most three hours. It's a lot less stressful than an office job." Jiang Yingxue was quite satisfied with her little stall.

"That's good. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters to me. If you ever get too busy, just tell me, and I'll come help you sell."

"Okay, thank you, Auntie."

As they chatted, they started talking about He Siqin. He Siqin was 27 this year, and Jiang Mingzhen was really worried about her finding a husband. However, He Siqin worked year-round in Y City and only came home during holidays and long vacations.

Because she was so far away, Jiang Mingzhen could only drop hints, talking about how this one and that one her age were already grandparents, urging her to get married soon while she, Jiang Mingzhen, was still healthy enough to help with childcare, and so on.

He Siqin took it all in stride, even proactively suggesting blind dates. However, her list of requirements for a partner filled an entire page. She told her family to find someone matching these criteria; otherwise, she'd stay single for life. While this gave Jiang Mingzhen a headache, she carefully reviewed the list and found the points reasonable, so she actually started looking according to those requirements.

The National Day Holiday was in two months, and Jiang Mingzhen was dead set on setting He Siqin up on a blind date then.

The two chatted in the living room for quite a while. Noticing how late it was getting, Jiang Mingzhen got up to cook dinner. She said to Jiang Yingxue, "Yingxue, you're staying for dinner at your auntie's tonight. The last time you ate here was during the New Year, over half a year ago."

Jiang Yingxue said, "Auntie, they made enough for me at home, too. It would be wasteful if I didn't go back to eat." She had originally planned to just deliver the items and head home, but she hadn't counted on her aunt keeping her talking until the sun went down.

Jiang Mingzhen smiled, "Don't worry, they didn't cook your portion tonight. When my dad called to say you were coming over with vegetables, I told them you were coming and asked them not to cook for you. You're staying for dinner tonight, that's settled."

Since her aunt put it that way, Jiang Yingxue couldn't very well refuse. "Alright, I'll stay. Thank you, Auntie. Let me help you."

Jiang Mingzhen took the vegetables out of the burlap sack, sorted them, and put the ones not needed for tonight into the fridge to keep them fresh.

She pulled out a bag of fish and shrimp and said, "Yingxue, when you go back, tell your grandparents they don't need to specially send fish and shrimp over. We can buy them here. If they buy any, they should keep it at home to eat. It's also a hassle to send it over."

Jiang Yingxue knew her aunt had misunderstood and quickly explained, "Auntie, the fish and shrimp are raised in our family pond, not bought. They taste really good."

Jiang Mingzhen was surprised. "The family raises fish and shrimp now?" She truly hadn't known they were from home; she thought they were bought and didn't want the family to spend extra money.

"I raised them. I sell rice balls, remember?"

Hearing this, Jiang Mingzhen laughed. "Yingxue raised them? Well then, your auntie simply has to try some tonight!"

Dinner that night was sumptuous: steamed perch, poached shrimp, chicken soup with cordyceps flowers, stir-fried cabbage, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

At 6 p.m., Uncle He Minsha also returned home from work.

"Old He, hurry up and wash your hands for dinner, we're waiting for you!" Jiang Mingzhen called out loudly to her husband who had just arrived home. While cooking, the smell had already sold her on it and she had sampled a few bites, thinking to herself how skilled Yingxue was at raising them. With this skill, working in an office would be a waste.

He Minsha changed into his house slippers. "Coming, coming. What's for dinner tonight?"

Jiang Mingzhen said, "You'll know when you eat."

Jiang Yingxue stood up from the sofa to greet him. "Uncle."

He Minsha smiled. "Yingxue is here! Your uncle came home a bit late. If you and your aunt were hungry, you should have started eating, no need to wait for me."

Jiang Yingxue said, "We weren't hungry. We waited for you to come back to eat together."

During the meal, Jiang Mingzhen and her husband praised the taste of the perch and shrimp repeatedly. When He Minsha learned Jiang Yingxue had raised them, he gave her a thumbs-up. This kid had a bright future!

He Minsha even brought out his treasured fine wine, pouring a glass for Jiang Yingxue and Jiang Mingzhen present. Taking a bite of fish followed by a sip of fine wine was pure bliss.

"Old He, drink your own wine yourself." Jiang Mingzhen laughed, scolding him for being so happily muddled that he poured wine for Jiang Yingxue too.

"Auntie, Uncle, I'm an adult, I can drink. Let me try Uncle's fine wine too." Jiang Yingxue smiled, accepting the glass and even clinking glasses with her uncle.

Jiang Yingxue took a small sip of the fine wine, but her mind was on which Spiritual Plants at home could be used to make wine. She concluded that any that flowered or bore fruit could be used for brewing.

"Yingxue, don't go back tonight, stay at your auntie's. You can stay in your cousin Si Qin's room. I clean it often, it's clean and you'll be comfortable." Since it was already dark after dinner, Jiang Mingzhen wasn't comfortable with Jiang Yingxue driving home alone, so she insisted she stay the night and leave after breakfast the next day.

"Alright, thank you, Auntie." Knowing they were concerned for her, Jiang Yingxue readily agreed.

"What's there to thank among family? If you need anything, just tell your auntie."

"Okay."