BXBX NOVEL Chapter 75 - 75: This Was Her Secret
“Just put more seasoning in it. Since you like it, come to my house for holidays in the future. When Ruxin gets married, call me to cook for you when she visits.”
“Of course. Not only will you come to cook, but your whole family will be invited to accompany us.”
“Speaking of that, do you not have any siblings?”
“I have one older brother; no one else. My family is from Plum Blossom Village in Tianshui Town. Although my family is from a village, my six uncles have a united front. My brother is a scholar, so in the village, my parent’s words hold weight. I’m not easily bullied in Tianshui Town.”
“If I knew your parents live so close, I would have paid them a visit.” “Why don’t you come to my hometown with me tomorrow?”
“Haha, never mind. Let’s pick another time. That day is special for you.”
“What about you? If you don’t visit your parents, how will you spend the festival?”
“I’ll eat, drink, and sleep at home. Or I might take the whole family out for a trip.”
“The roads are covered in snow, and the weather is freezing. It’s better to stay warm at home. Plus, Ling’er is still young.”
Shopkeeper Lu brought the cold dishes to Xiu Hong and Xiu Yu and then reheated the hot dishes.
Watching her awkwardly handle the food, Qiao Mai had her hold the baby while she took over the cooking.
Shopkeeper Lu chuckled awkwardly, “I’m worse than my two daughters in the kitchen. Maybe I’ll go to the market and hire a cook. We won’t have to buy food from outside anymore. The cook can prepare everything for us at home.”
“Home-cooked meals that are delicious, affordable, and clean are the best.’
“Yes, indeed.”
They dined at Shopkeeper Lu’s house for lunch on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Qiao Mai couldn’t eat much. Yuan Jiaqi and the children were still polite, eating and drinking their fill.
Qiao Mai ate a few bites, then put down her chopsticks and stopped eating.
After sitting for a while, she took her family back home.
As soon as they arrived home, Qiao Mai left the children to watch over Ling’er and entered the kitchen. She fried a bowl of meat sauce for herself and cooked noodles.
The scent filled the air, and the children’s appetites immediately reignited. After Qiao Mai finished her noodles, she cooked a bowl for the children and Yuan Jiaqi.
Looking at the unappetizing appearance of the dish that was actually very delicious, Yuan Jiaqi couldn’t help but ponder.
If they left the Qiao family in the future, he would never get to eat such delicious food again. If Madam Qiao found a beloved man in the future, he, as the pretend husband, would have to step aside.
That man would enjoy Madam Qiao’s cooking every day. The noodles in Yuan Tiaai’s mouth instantly lost flavor. making him uneasy.
Before he could delve further into these thoughts, Chuan’er’s shout snapped him out of his reverie.
“Dad, I want to eat hawthorn candy. Can you get me a few pieces?” Yuan Jiaqi gently patted his son’s belly. “Did you eat too much again?”
“Hehe, blame it on Mother’s delicious cooking. Aunt’s food isn’t as good as
Mother’s, so I didn’t eat enough.” “What will you do if we leave the Qiao family?”
“Then we won’t leave. Why would we?”
Yuan Jiaqi sighed. He decided to let it go. His son was still too young to understand these things.
Seeing everyone finish their noodles, Qiao Mai picked up Ling’er.
“We won’t cook dinner tonight. Everyone should rest early. Ling’er and I will go to bed.”
“Sure, go rest. If they aren’t hungry tonight, I won’t cook. But if they are, I’m here. You don’t need to worry about household matters.”
Qiao Mai smiled at Yuan Jiaqi, hugged Ling’er, and went inside. Once the door closed, they entered the space.
Since Ling’er was still young, she could bring her into the space. However, as she grew older, she wouldn’t be able to enter with her.
This was her secret, something she wouldn’t tell anyone, not even the closest person.
After harvesting winter melons, Qiao Mai started planting pumpkins. She had already finished planting most non-tree fruit varieties. Currently, she is planting vegetables.
Her plan was to finish planting vegetables, then move on to fruit trees, and finally to medicinal herbs. The types of medicinal herbs were numerous.
The three hundred types of seeds she brought back from City Wei included only common ones. She would have to collect many rare varieties herself.
For now, she needed to finish planting the seeds she already had.
Qiao Mai took a bottle of beer from the shelf and grabbed a bag of chicken-flavored tofu. As she ate, she sipped on the beer.
She reminisced about the past few months, smiling to herself.
This space was the reason she could survive. It made her life better and less tough.
She set a goal for herself: to raise Ling’er, watch her grow up, and then embark on a journey riding Dong Zao to explore the world after Ling’er was married.
She planned to travel wherever she wanted, rest wherever she felt like, and stay in one place when she got tired. Once she felt refreshed, she would continue her journey.
Traveling wasn’t just for men; women could do it too. The same went for adventure. It wasn’t exclusive to men.
She believed that ancient times had even more unknown territories than the present.
After breakfast, Qiao Mai had nothing to do. She left the children in charge of watching over Ling’er and entered the kitchen to prepare snacks.
The children couldn’t go out to play, so she wanted to make sure they ate and drank well.
Qiao Mai prepared fifty skewers of fruit-studded candy hawthorns.
She found a sturdy piece of wood in the firewood shed, carved it round, and sharpened the bottom into a point. She planted the wood in the courtyard’s center, drilling holes all over it.
Then, she stuck the skewers of candy hawthorns on it and called, “Children, put on something warm and come out. Mother has prepared something for you.”
A burst of excitement followed, and the children, being held or led by Yuan Jiaqi, rushed out. They were all wide-eyed.
“Wow, Mother, are these candy hawthorns?” “Yes.”
“Aren’t they supposed to be made of hawthorns?”
“Who said they could only be made from hawthorns? As long as it’s fruit, it can be used. You can pick your favorite flavor.”
Yuan Jiaqi’s mind was spinning. Having green vegetables during winter was understandable, but where did these various fruits come from?
He looked at Qiao Mai, who was interacting with the children with a bright smile, and wondered, what kind of woman is she?
How can she obtain all these things? Before knowing her, Madam Qiao was just an ordinary village woman. Since leaving the Tian and Qiao families to come to town, she had changed. She was no longer the weak woman she used to be; she had become strong and mysterious.
Suddenly, this woman could fight, acquire rare items, and even do double-sided embroidery.
Thinking carefully, she was completely different from the woman she used to be. He could say that she had changed entirely.
Could she be another person?
Yuan Jiaqi did not dare to think about it. After all, she couldn’t have changed. The concept of changing souls was absurd.
He could only categorize her as someone whose luck turned around after leaving her old family. Fate favored her, and she started turning things around.
Regardless of who she was or how she changed, Qiao Mai was kind and good to the children. She was always thinking about their well-being. That was enough.
Once he came to terms with this, Yuan Jiaqi stopped obsessing. When he looked at Qiao Mai, he even had a smile in his eyes, filled with the glow of happiness.
Qiao Mai brought a skewer of strawberries over and handed it to him. She reached out to take Ling’er from his arms.
“Why don’t you pick a skewer as well?”
Qiao Mai extended the skewer of candy hawthorns to Ling’er, who stuck out her little tongue and licked it. She tasted the sweetness, and her giggles filled the air.
Just then, someone knocked on the courtyard gate. Everyone turned to look at Qiao Mai. “Mom, should we open it?”
“Who’s asking?”
Yuan Jiaqi walked over. “Who is it?”
“We’re from the town. It’s the second day of the Lunar New Year, and we’d like to buy some snacks from you. Do you have any?”
The children eyed the candy hawthorns. “Mother, there are so many. How about we sell some?”
“Brother Yuan, go to the storeroom and bring out chestnuts, melon seeds, peanuts, quail eggs, pine nuts, and licorice cakes. Then get a bowl. We don’t have a scale, so we’ll sell by bowls.”
“What about the candy hawthorns?”
“It will be one hundred coins per skewer. Each of you can keep two skewers for the kitchen. Sell the rest..’