Chen Danian rode in a horse-drawn carriage all the way to Yuxi Village. The sun was high in the sky, and all the able-bodied men were out working in the fields. The elderly and children left at home were also busy cooking and doing housework so that they could have a hot meal as soon as they returned from their work.
The village was quiet, with only the occasional bark of a dog.
To avoid attracting attention, Chen Danian stopped the carriage far away. Seeing the quiet village, he felt that even God was on his side.
He entered the village, avoiding people as much as possible, and easily found his way to the Gan family's old house. After looking around to make sure no one was there, he knocked on the door.
Sun was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed). She didn't pay attention to the noise outside at first, but when she heard the knocking, she noticed that it was very rhythmic: three long knocks followed by one short one. This was the signal that Chen Danian had agreed upon with her last time.
Could it be...? Overjoyed, she quickly got up from the kang (a heated brick bed), and was about to go out when she turned back to the kitchen. She used the water in the bucket to fix her hair before opening the door.
Chen Danian hid in the shadows and only revealed himself when he saw that it was Sun Shi who opened the door.
When Madam Sun saw that it was indeed him, she was both frightened and excited. She scolded him, "Why are you here? Aren't you afraid of being seen in broad daylight!"
Chen Danian comforted him, "Am I such an unreliable person? I saw them all at the dock and only came because I knew you were home."
"And what about my Lin'er! Luckily, he went to play with his friends today and isn't home, otherwise..."
"Are you nagging me like this because you don't want to see me?" Chen Danian said, taking out the box of rouge from his pocket and handing it to Sun Shi, feigning sadness.
"It's pitiful that I'm still thinking about you..."
When Madam Sun saw the exquisite box in his hand, her eyes lit up. She snatched it, opened it, and was overjoyed to find that it contained rouge.
What woman doesn't love beauty? It's just that they haven't separated their households, and all the money in the house is handed over to the mother-in-law for unified management. And then there's Ganli, that bloodsucking sister-in-law, who has never had any spare money to buy these things all these years.
Therefore, upon seeing this, Madam Sun was overjoyed and couldn't wait to go back and dress up.
Chen Danian followed her inside, closed the door behind him, then grabbed her waist and squeezed it hard, eliciting a soft moan.
"You rascal! What are you trying to do in broad daylight?" Sun pounded his chest shyly.
Chen Danian teased, "Shy? Wasn't it daytime last time too?"
Sun became increasingly shy, but Chen Danian did not take it any further. He ignored the expectation in her eyes and changed the subject: "Did you know that Ganli is selling braised pork lately?"
"What?" Sun was annoyed that he had ignited a fire within her, yet he was abandoning her, which made her somewhat resentful. She shrieked:
"I knew you wouldn't come looking for me unless there was something wrong. You haven't taken a fancy to that braised pork recipe again, have you?"
Hearing her words, Chen Danian was delighted and praised her, "That's why I said you're the most understanding person! You know her braised pork recipe, don't you? Good person, if you know it, please tell me quickly."
Sun snorted coldly:
"Of course I know! But why should I tell you? Don't think I don't know that you took this prescription to give to Master Zhao so that you can get married to that widow."
"You'll become a live-in son-in-law and enjoy wealth and luxury, but what benefit will I get?"
This kind of jealousy and tantrums is so childish. Chen Danian has dealt with Gan Li countless times before, and he can do it with ease now. He keeps assuring Sun that once he really takes control of the Zhao family, he will take Sun to live a life of luxury.
Sun was flattered by these words and, in her dizziness, nodded:
"I know, there's one crucial ingredient in her braised pork, the key to making it delicious! You wait here, I'll go get it right now!"
After saying that, she was about to leave when she remembered that she hadn't settled Chen Danian in yet, so she turned back and pulled him out.
She dared not hide the person inside the house, otherwise, if the Gan family members returned and trapped the person inside, she wouldn't even know how she died.
She tucked him into the nearby bushes and told him, "I'll be right back, don't wander around!"
After saying that, he turned and went to Ganli's courtyard.
Although Ganli's little dilapidated courtyard looks neater than before, the fences, walls, and small wooden doors are only good-looking in appearance.
Sun found a corner, kicked it open, and then dug around with all her might, finally creating a hole big enough for one person to crawl through.
She crouched down and squeezed inside, went straight to the kitchen, quickly found the things Ganli had hidden last time, and then went back without looking back.
He sneaked around the whole way, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he got home, then called Chen Danian out.
Chen Danian looked at the thing she brought, which was called chicken essence, and asked, "Is that all?"
Thinking he didn't believe her, Mrs. Sun quickly said, "Don't underestimate this thing. Last time I saw Ganli put it into meat, and it smelled delicious."
Chen Danian knew that what Sun said was probably true, because he could smell the aroma of this thing even before it was put into the dish.
He happily reached out to take it, but Sun pulled her hand back and hid the porcelain jar in her bosom.
She had been completely bewildered by Chen Danian's flattery, but now she had come to her senses.
She risked everything to steal this thing and give it to Chen Danian, but all she got in return were two nice words. If Chen Danian turned his back on her, wouldn't she be completely helpless?
She thought she should at least get one or two tokens, just in case Chen Danian regretted it in the future, so she would have something to say about it.
Upon hearing this, Chen Danian's expression darkened. He knew all too well that this was handing someone a handle against him, something he didn't want to give up.
But seeing that Madam Sun was determined not to give him the item unless he gave her the token, he gritted his teeth, took a jade pendant off his person, and placed it in Madam Sun's hand: "Is this alright now?"
Looking at the jade pendant, Madam Sun was overjoyed.
It is said that this jade pendant was bought by Gan Li as part of her dowry when Chen Danian first married her. It was to make him look good. Since then, Chen Danian has always worn it. Everyone who knows Chen Danian knows this jade pendant. This time, he can't deny it no matter what.
Only after receiving the jade pendant did Madam Sun hand over the chicken essence to Chen Danian.
After finishing their business, she wanted to talk about feelings. However, Chen Danian was in a hurry to leave:
"It's getting late, I can't stay here any longer! Next time, I'll definitely take better care of you next time."
Although Sun was reluctant to let him go, it was almost time for the Gan family to return, so she dared not keep him and could only reluctantly let him go.
As soon as Chen Danian left, Sun's muddled mind cleared up, and she began to feel afraid.
Now Ganli has started a braised pork business. She has to stew pork every day when she comes home. What should she do if she finds that the chicken essence is missing?
After thinking it over, she made up her mind. Since no one saw her take it, no matter what Gan Li said, she would just deny it!
A short while later, the people who had set up stalls at the dock returned. As soon as Ganli got home, she quickly realized something was wrong; someone had been in the courtyard.
She went into the kitchen and, sure enough, the chicken bouillon that had been hidden there was gone.
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