Chapter 6

Yu had emptied her family's savings to marry her off. It was impossible to just marry her and abandon her. Since her son wouldn't give in, she decided to try another method.

The Zhou family was already in such a state, how could there be any rules? First, move them both into the same room. She didn't believe her son could bear to sleep in the same bed every night! Furious, she went to harass Ye Jia again. Ever since Ye Jia had heard about their private conversation, she had been incredibly calm. She didn't say no, but simply said she'd wait until her husband recovered.

Yu took this as her agreement and immediately smiled. She turned around and focused on thinking about how to heal Zhou Jingchen's injuries.

Ye Jia remained calm. Zhou Jingchen clearly had someone in his life, and he was probably keeping his virginity for her. In the original novel, he married the original owner without even touching her. If they had to move, they could just think of it as having an extra roommate. And who knew Zhou Jingchen might not even want to move.

After a while, the room was wet all over.

In ancient times, farmhouses were built entirely on earth, often fine soil. When wet, it became slippery, and a careless step could easily lead to a fall. It was her mistake. If she had known it was going to rain today, she should have taken advantage of the clear weather to repair the roof in the morning.

Unlike the south, where the rain is abundant, the northwest boasts dry, cold winters. Houses here are mostly single-slope, flat, tunic, or felt-covered. The roofs have a gentle slope and thick walls, ideal for withstanding the harsh cold. For a house like the Zhou family's, which constantly leaks, it's likely that the tiles weren't stacked tightly together when the house was first built, or that the tiles were of poor quality, shattered by rain, snow, and hail, leaving the roofing unsecured. It's likely that the Yu family, bothered by the rain, hired someone to cover it with a layer of straw, but the strong north winds blew away the straw, rendering it useless.

Repairing it wasn't difficult; she could do it herself. The hard part was she had no money; even small black tiles like these cost money.

A penny can make a hero fall.

Ye Jia figured she couldn't keep wasting money like this. One ounce of silver wasn't enough to feed a family of four. One of them was still on medication, so it was like swallowing gold. Thinking about it, she grabbed a handful of corn and headed to the kitchen. Worried they wouldn't survive the cold, she kept the four chicks she'd brought home the day before under the stove. Within a day, the chicks had already scavenged the entire area Ye Jia had enclosed with firewood sticks.

You know what, it’s really dirty.

But there was no other way. If you raise chickens, you have to put up with their shit. In this part of the country, you can't eat eggs and still complain about chicken shit. Yu saw this when she came to fetch water that morning, and she wanted to say something to Ye Jia several times, but she hesitated. The words came to her lips, but she didn't say them. She knew that with the way things were at home, there was no need for such fuss. She herself didn't like raising these things, and if her daughter-in-law did, she shouldn't say anything.

She was being tactful by staying silent. Ye Jia changed the chickens' food and water bowls and swept the small area clean. The chicks' chirping was pleasant to the ear, a kind of leisurely escape from life. Ye Jia then took out the large bag of radishes, fetched a bucket of water from the well, and went inside to wash the radishes. He planned to shred the radishes and make radish cakes for lunch.

Shredded radish pancake is a common snack. The ingredients are simple, but it tastes delicious when cooked well.

While Ye Jia kneaded the dough, he quickly shredded the radish, blanched it, and fished it out. He wrapped it in gauze, wrung out the water, and then chopped it into small pieces, adding salt and seasonings to the dish. Ye Jia used to add thirteen spices, but the Zhou family didn't have that kind of stuff. He simply prepared it with chopped scallions, ginger, and soy sauce. Thinking about it, he went to the next door to exchange another bowl of flour for two eggs, fried them, and chopped them up to mix in the mixture.

She was busy here when she turned around and bumped into a soft little thing. Looking down, she saw Rui Jie'er grinning at her ingratiatingly. She had eaten the dumplings Ye Jia had made yesterday. Even a child this young knew who cooked delicious food, so she came over when she heard the noise.

Ye Jia actually didn't like children very much. She was an only child. She was busy with work and never went home all year round. She didn't interact with her relatives. Occasionally, relatives would bring their children to visit the house for the New Year, and they would cry and make a fuss. It was simply a nightmare. Ye Jia had a negative feeling about creatures like children. But Rui Jieer didn't make a fuss or cry loudly. Ye Jia thought the child was very well behaved: "Go sit behind the stove and don't get in the way."

The little girl sniffed, stood back obediently, pointed her short little finger at the basin, and said with sparkling eyes, "Auntie, it's delicious!"

"Um."

Seeing her ugly yet cute appearance, Ye Jia couldn't help but smile.

I turned around and pinched the dough into large balls. Then I felt the light in front of me blocked. Looking up, I saw a tall figure standing by the door against the light. The kitchen wasn't big, divided into two small rooms for storing firewood. The man stood near the door, half blocking it.

When their eyes met, Ye Jia saw a pair of calm and bright eyes.

The man looked at her quietly, then glanced at Rui Jie'er, who was sitting next to him on a small stool. She seemed to be looking for someone. His eyes swept around the small room, and after a long moment, he spoke: "Ye, Jianiang, have you seen mother?"

It seemed that he was not used to calling a girl by her maiden name, and he felt a little awkward when he opened his mouth.

Ye Jia was stunned for a moment, thinking, isn't Yu at home? She was here just now. Thinking about it, he lowered his head to look at the little bean sprout.

Rui Jie'er frowned and stammered, "Someone's looking for me. Grandmother is out."

Ye Jia then looked up, and the man standing by the door nodded slightly.

He turned around and was about to go back. However, his leg was injured, and he had already done his best to get up and walk here. Now it was a bit difficult to walk back with one leg dragging. It must be painful, because his forehead was covered with cold sweat in the cold weather. Ye Jia was still rolling noodles, and seeing him like that, he sighed. He turned around and washed his hands in the basin, then walked over and took his arm and put it on his shoulder.

Perhaps because he had been in a high position for so long that no one dared to tease him, Zhou Jingchen's eyes turned cold at first, but then returned to normal after a moment when he was dragged so roughly.

Ye Jia didn't care what he was thinking. He brought him into the house and made him stand by the stove. He then dragged a stool out from behind the stove, turned around, and forcefully pushed the man down to sit down. "Sit here first. I'll take you back when we're done."

After finishing, I ignored him, washed my hands and continued to make radish cakes.

Zhou Jingchen sat upright on the bench for a long moment, his expression gradually stiffening. His long lashes half-hid his eyes. The light from outside the door fell on his shoulders, casting a soft, fluorescent edge on him. He glanced at his niece, who sat beside him on a small stool. She was staring intently at the people working over there, her saliva practically dripping.

He looked up again at the busy young woman. Steam curled from the stovetop, boiling water. Standing there, her figure dazzlingly graceful. The delicate fragrance of shredded radish blended with the pungent, fresh flavors of scallions and ginger. The woman lowered her eyes, absorbed in her work. Her movements were deft and swift, her expression peaceful, and for a moment, she felt as if time had settled peacefully.

The oil heated up, and a pancake was dropped in, sizzling. The fragrance filled the room, the simple taste of food. Zhou Jingchen, who had only eaten a small bowl of corn porridge today, actually felt a little hungry at the smell.

There are many ways to prepare shredded radish pancakes, as different regions have their own unique ways of eating radish. Ye Jia's version is a common northern Chinese pastry. First, soak the dough in oil, roll it out into long strips, wrap the radish balls inside, and roll them into balls before pressing them into a pancake. This recipe is similar to Xinjiang beef pancakes. Once cooked, simply add a little oil to the pan and fry.

The fried ones are crispy on the outside and fresh on the inside. They are so delicious that you can swallow your tongue.

Ye Jia had just finished making one, and Rui Jieer was so greedy that she couldn't sit still. She circled around Ye Jia like a little tail, calling her "Auntie". Ye Jia picked one up and put it on the plate: "It's hot, let it cool down before eating."

Rui Jieer nodded obediently, standing by the small table, staring at the plate and blowing.

It's true, the child was a little ugly, but she was so well-behaved that it was heartbreaking. She was so greedy that she'd listen to whatever Ye Jia said. Zhou Jingchen sat watching, his dark eyes flickering. Ye Jia turned and met his gaze, the man not shying away. Instead, he curled his lips slightly. That smile softened the cold and distant aura around him; he was as gentle as jade.

Ye Jia's heart skipped a beat. After a pause, he took another bowl and handed it to him: "Alright, alright, I'll give you one too."

Zhou Jingchen: “…”

After politely thanking him, he raised his hand and was about to take it. Ye Jia took the bowl back and put it back on the stove: "No, I forgot you are still taking medicine. Forget it, you should just drink the porridge."

Radish has antidote properties, so eating radish while taking medicine will disrupt the treatment. She spent more than one or two taels of medicine, so she can't let it go to waste.

Zhou Jingchen: “…”

...So this is Ye's temper? It was so long ago that he couldn't remember clearly.

Ye Jia ignored his strange thoughts and fried thirty radish pancakes in one go. They were very filling, and even someone with a small appetite could last the entire afternoon on just one. Thirty would be enough for a family of three to eat for several days.

After the cakes were made, the medicine on the small stove was also boiled. Yu Shi hadn't come back yet, and no one knew what she had gone to do. Ye Jia took a wet towel and wrapped the small hanging pot to filter out the medicine. It must be said that the smell of Chinese medicine is really strong. Ye Jia felt that it was so bitter that she vomited bile just by smelling it. Holding the black bowl of medicine, she pinched her nose and brought it directly to Zhou Jingchen: "Drink it, it's just boiled, drink it while it's hot."

Zhou Jingchen silently held a bowl of extremely hot medicine and shivered almost imperceptibly.

Ye Jia brought him a chair after giving him the medicine. She placed a radish cake across from Zhou Jingchen and Xiao Douyacai, each holding a radish cake. They munched on it with a delicious crunch. While eating, she urged him, "Drink it! It won't taste good if it gets cold."

Zhou Jingchen: “…”

"What are you looking at me for? Take your medicine!" Ye Jia chewed the radish cake until his mouth was full of fragrance. While eating, he asked Rui Jie'er if it tasted good.

Rui Jie'er ate with a humming sound without even raising her head.

Zhou Jingchen drank it in one gulp with an expressionless face, his face twitching with bitterness.

He wiped the corner of his mouth and asked Ye Jia if he had any water to rinse his mouth.

"Why rinse your mouth? It's all medicine!" Ye Jia blinked innocently, without any intention of secretly retaliating. She wiped the grease from her hands, stood up, took his bowl and put it back in the basin. Turning around, she said virtuously, "Wouldn't drinking water wash away the medicine? My husband, you're not a child anymore. Are you afraid of the bitterness of taking medicine?"

She turned around and picked up another radish cake, taking another big bite in front of him.

Zhou Jingchen: “…”

Ye Jia snorted, proudly picking up four radish cakes, placing them on a plate, and bringing them to the elderly neighbor she'd just exchanged for eggs. Last time, she'd gone to several houses to borrow a stove, but most had refused. The elderly neighbor, returning from collecting firewood in the mountains, overheard her and generously offered her a large bowl. "Neighbors, I remember your kindness." When it was ready, Ye Jia would send some over.

The old lady took a mouthful and praised it: "This is better than the ones sold in the wine shop in town. You are so skillful, girl!"

"No, I'm just playing around." Ye Jia delivered the things and went back.

She said it was just for fun, but the old lady's words had Ye Jia thinking about it. It was true. The last time she'd been in town, she'd noticed there were only a few food shops, seemingly only one. And it was primarily a liquor store. The food they made was just a side dish, meant to satisfy the customers who bought the wine. Ye Jia wondered how much money she could make selling radish cakes in town.

Radishes weren't expensive, weighing in at two cents for three pounds. Flour was more expensive, but a single pancake didn't actually require much flour. If a radish pancake sold for five cents, she'd be making a profit. If it sold well, it might even be enough to make her her first pot of gold.