Chapter 313 Wishing the Pockmarked Face a Multitude of Wives and Concubines

Some things must be kept to oneself, even from the closest people. Lin Yuesha was also keeping the fact that she wasn't the original owner of this body a closely guarded secret. Having been in Daqi for less than half a year, aside from occasionally complaining about the low status of women, Lin Yuesha had already integrated into the community.

No matter where she is, as long as she has family, sisters, and people who care about her, that's enough.

"Young master, what brings you here?"

Liu Quan's wife had already piled up cypress leaves, waiting for the ribs to be cooked and smoked. Seeing Xiao Qi come into the main kitchen, she said knowingly, "It's not dinner time yet. If you're hungry, young master, you can have some cakes or pastries to tide you over."

After Liu Quan's wife finished speaking, she took out a plate of fresh rotten food from a cabinet. She smiled shyly and said, "It's not as good as Miss's. If you don't mind, please try it first."

"Yes, young master, you are getting in the way in the main kitchen."

Qingxing suppressed a laugh and spoke frankly. She did it on purpose; given the chance to get revenge on her master and see his predicament, Qingxing wouldn't let it pass.

Lin Yuesha looked at Xiao Qi suspiciously, then slapped her head and said with annoyance, "I knew it! Big brother was in the kitchen, he must be hungry."

The excuses about her being in a bad mood were just that—excuses. Her stepbrother was shy and embarrassed to say he was hungry, so he always made it very tactful.

Today, seeing that her stepbrother was asleep, she hurriedly went out without preparing any food. She figured that given her stepbrother's personality, he wouldn't be so embarrassed as to ask the kitchen for some.

"Brother, if you're hungry, have Qi'er bring you some food. Sister-in-law Liu's jujube cake is soft and delicious."

Lin Yuesha wiped her hands, took the tray from Liu Quan's wife, and shoved it directly into Xiao Qi's hands. She rolled her eyes and thought to herself that her older brother's scholarly nature needed to be changed. He was clearly the master of the house, but he acted like an outsider, even in his own home.

Xiao Qi: ...

He came to appease the little girl, but was mistaken for a beggar...

"Brother, studying takes a lot of brainpower, so eat something good. It was my oversight this time."

Even a hundred pockmarked faces couldn't compare to her stepbrother; at least to Xiao Qi, she wasn't a substitute.

Lin Yuesha suddenly cleared her mind. She shouldn't think too much. From now on, the pockmarked face would be her savior. She shouldn't have any nonsense thoughts.

My brother is right. If she wants to repay kindness with her body, that would be repaying kindness with enmity.

Lin Yuesha's future husband would certainly not have three wives and four concubines. If the pockmarked man married her, he would have to cut off all his romantic entanglements. For a man who dreamed of having women on both sides, this was like torture.

Alright, she stopped coveting the pockmarked man. From now on, she would only wish him a life with many wives and concubines!

"Brother, you should go back to your room quickly. You'll be smoking ribs later, and you'll smell it on you."

Lin Yuesha chased Xiao Qi out of the kitchen and then started circling around the stove.

A scholar should carry the scent of books and ink; it is a unique fragrance belonging to scholars. It would be unbecoming if he were tainted by the smells of everyday life.

Xiao Qi stood blankly at the door, holding a plate of jujube cakes, unable to utter a single word.

...

The steaming pork ribs came out of the pot, and the kitchen was instantly filled with the aroma of meat. Lin Yuesha closed her eyes, twitched her nose, and took a deep breath of the pork's fragrance, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

The soil and water were better in ancient times, free from pollution and harmful substances, making the pork taste even better.

If you're talking about making meat rolls, the meat from the spine and large bones is better. But in Daqi, ordinary people don't have much oil, so they'll scramble to buy large bones to make soup. When Liu Quan's wife went to buy meat, all that was left were some spare ribs.

"Brother, why are you still standing at the door?"

Lin Yuesha was amused to see Xiao Qi in a daze. The ribs were about 80-90% cooked, not quite falling off the bone yet, but they tasted great.

She picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece on her stepbrother's plate, feeling quite pleased with herself. This meant her cooking skills had been recognized. Her stepbrother, a proud and vain scholar, couldn't resist coming to the kitchen and lingering there, all to wait for the ribs to be cooked.

"You're too impatient. I'll just wait until it's done and then send it to you."

Lin Yuesha smiled, and all the affectation and turmoil in her heart vanished instantly.

Xiao Qi was speechless; he had been completely misunderstood!

After finally getting rid of her stepbrother, Lin Yuesha lit cypress leaves to smoke the ribs. She was quite skilled at smoking, and her control of the heat was very precise.

Before long, the smell of smoked meat began to spread again.

“Miss, I sympathize with the people who live next to you.”

She makes so many delicious dishes every day, the aroma wafts far and wide, while the neighbors can only smell them from home but can't get a single bite. They're so envious!

“Back in the village, we didn’t have much money and couldn’t afford to cook meat for many meals.”

Lin Yuesha was deeply moved. Upon arriving in the prefectural city, she found that every household was separated by high walls, and no one could spy on other people's lives. She had a lot of freedom when it came to food, which was also a reason why she liked it.

However, the prefectural city also has its inconveniences. Firewood has to be bought, and the water from the well at home is not as sweet as the spring water in the village.

Once the ribs are smoked, the rest of the process is simple.

Lin Yuesha made pancakes, rolled them with some small cilantro that she grew next to the kitchen at home, and added chopped boneless meat.

There are small pickled vegetables in the pickle jar. Grab a handful, wash and chop them, add vinegar, a little bit of white sugar to enhance the flavor, and sesame oil to make a dressing. They are bright green and very appetizing.

"Make another soup, and then we can send it over to Doctor Yan."

Lin Yuesha worked quickly and efficiently, with Liu Quan's wife and Qingxing assisting her. In no time, the egg drop soup was ready.

Lin Yuesha had Liu Quan's wife pack the food for Doctor Yan and the others, while she prepared a portion for herself before heading straight to Xiao Qi's study.

A murder had occurred at the academy, and Lin Yuesha was worried that Xiao Qi would be traumatized and unable to eat or sleep properly, so she rushed over to comfort her stepson.

It's only been half a year, but the brother and sister have seen too many dead people.

"Big brother, dinner is ready. Come and try your little sister's cooking."

Lin Yuesha placed the prepared pancakes, pickled vegetables, and egg drop soup on the dining table outside the study. Seeing her older brother staring blankly, he hesitated to pick up his chopsticks.

"Don't worry, these foods are not poisonous. If you don't believe me, try them with a silver needle."

The poisoning case at Changqing Academy involved food that she had prepared for her stepbrother. Lin Yuesha was afraid of leaving Xiao Qi with psychological trauma, so she wanted to eat it but dared not.

Xiao Qi was both amused and exasperated. If he didn't guide her, his little sister would definitely misunderstand him; she had misunderstood countless times already.

"Little sister, you've misunderstood your brother."

Xiao Qi explained that he wasn't disgusted by Lin Yuesha's cooking, but rather that he was feeling down, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

He can't exactly say that he offended the girl because of his alternate account, so he's trying to make amends!

As Xiao Qi said this, Lin Yuesha automatically filled in the blanks in her mind and understood.

"Brother, I understand you. You must have felt sorry for Red Peach when you learned that she was on her last breath."

Lin Yuesha sighed. Her kind-hearted stepbrother was just like that, with a heart of gold. She remembered that in Chenjia Village, when a neighbor's old hen that could lay eggs died, her stepbrother sighed and lamented that the neighbor's family had fewer eggs to eat.