Chapter 46 - Two-in-One Minced Meat Steamed Egg
Following the doctor's advice, he heated the wine over a fire, poured it into her palm, and rubbed it repeatedly until her palm turned red. After struggling with this for half the night, her high fever finally subsided just before dawn.
Lin Chunxing was thinking about Lin Chuntao, so she got up early and cooked a pot of rice porridge.
Before the porridge was even cooked, Pei Ying got up.
"Brother-in-law, how is my sister?"
"The fever only subsided when it was almost dawn, and she still hasn't woken up. Did you cook porridge?" Pei Ying asked.
Lin Chunxing nodded, "I'm afraid my sister will be hungry when she wakes up, so I'll cook something first."
"Okay, let her sleep a little longer." Pei Ying said, then added, "You take your sister and make her something to eat. I'll rest a bit more too."
Lin Chunxing responded and Pei Ying went back into the house. He touched Lin Chuntao's forehead; it was neither cold nor hot. Then he leaned against her and closed his eyes.
Lin Chuntao slept until noon. The courtyard was quiet. Pei Ying lay on the bedside, quite a distance away from her.
She wasn't feeling well last night and didn't eat much. Now her stomach felt empty and uncomfortable. Thinking about how Pei Ying hadn't slept much last night while taking care of her, and how she hadn't bothered him, she sat up and tiptoed to the bedside to put on her shoes.
Before she could even climb to the bedside, Pei Ying suddenly opened her eyes and sat up. Her blank gaze instantly cleared the moment she saw her.
"My wife, you're awake? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Lin Chuntao shook her head slightly, "Much better, I don't feel so bad anymore."
Pei Ying breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. Chunxing cooked porridge this morning. I'll get you some so you can have a little to tide you over."
As he spoke, the man quickly put on his shoes and walked outside.
Lin Chunxing and her younger sister had been sitting in the courtyard waiting. When they saw the door open, they quickly stood up. Seeing Pei Ying and Lin Chuntao come out one after the other, Lin Chunxing hurried over and asked, "Sister, how are you?"
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Lin Chuntao smiled softly and said, "I'm much better, don't worry."
"Are you hungry? I've cooked some porridge, or would you like something else? Let's make it now."
Lin Chuntao was a little hungry, but there was nothing she wanted to eat, so she didn't bother with it.
"Let's just have some porridge, I don't really want anything to eat."
"Then I'll go get some for my sister." She said, and ran off, her steps light and her face beaming with joy. Lin Chuntao turned back and asked Pei Ying, "Did I scare them?"
Pei Ying nodded. He hadn't noticed it before, but after Lin Chuntao fell ill this time, he saw a sense of unease and confusion in his sisters' eyes.
"Yes, your sisters are very worried about you. You need to get better soon."
Lin Chuntao said, "I caught a cold from being caught in the rain the day before yesterday. It's just a cold, and I'll be fine in a few days."
Pei Ying recalled the doctor's words and quietly nodded at her.
"Yes, drink two more bowls of medicine in a bit, and you'll be all better tomorrow."
Lin Chuntao sat down on a chair in the yard. Lin Chunxing brought her some porridge and handed it to her. Then she looked at Pei Ying and asked, "Brother-in-law, would you like some porridge or rice? We stir-fried potato slices and eggplant for lunch and saved some for you."
Upon hearing this, Pei Ying said, "Then let's eat. You stay with your sister, I'll take care of the food."
Pei Ying heated up the food and also heated up Lin Chuntao's medicine before sitting down to eat with her bowl in hand.
Lin Chuntao was hungry, but the porridge tasted bland and bitter. After a few bites, she didn't want to eat anymore.
Seeing that she ate very little, Pei Ying asked, "Would you like something sweet?"
Lin Chuntao also shook her head, "I don't want to eat."
Pei Ying then asked, "Would you like to eat steamed egg custard?"
"I can make steamed minced meat and egg custard. Shall I make one for you?" he asked, preparing to put down his chopsticks. Lin Chuntao looked at him, smiled, and said, "You eat first. I'm not hungry anyway. I'll make it after you finish eating."
Pei Ying nodded slightly, and ate much faster.
After they finished eating, the medicine in the earthenware pot had boiled. Pei Ying chopped the meat into minced meat. After mincing the meat, he sprinkled some pepper on it, stirred it, and let it sit. Then he beat two eggs with water and poured the minced meat into the egg mixture, sprinkled salt on it, stirred it evenly, and finally put the bowl into the pot, covered it with a straw lid, and started steaming.
"Steaming the egg custard is quick; wait until you finish the custard before taking your medicine."
After Pei Ying finished speaking, Lin Chuntao smiled and nodded, "You can even steam egg custard?"
Pei Ying smiled and said, "My master's wife's steamed egg custard is delicious, so I learned to make it. Although it's not as good as hers, it's still edible. You can try it in a bit."
Steamed egg custard should be ready in about 15 minutes, but because of the minced meat, Pei Ying steamed it a little longer before taking it out.
The smooth steaming egg custard wafted into Lin Chuntao's nostrils with a gentle breeze, and a hint of joy flashed in her eyes, "There's no fishy smell at all?"
Pei Ying smiled and said, "Try it first."
Lin Chuntao took the small wooden spoon, scooped up a spoonful that looked like jelly, blew on it to warm it, and put it in her mouth.
The minced meat was chopped very finely, with no grainy texture, and the steamed egg custard was very smooth. She took a sip and swallowed it.
"It's delicious." After Lin Chuntao finished speaking, Pei Ying smiled and said, "Then I'll make it for you often in the future."
After she finished eating half a bowl of steamed egg custard and rested for a while, Pei Ying went to bring her medicine. The dark-colored medicine looked bitter, so Lin Chuntao asked Pei Ying to put it aside to cool down. Pei Ying looked at the bowl and said that the medicine was at the perfect temperature to drink now, but Lin Chuntao's expression clearly showed that she didn't really want to drink it and wanted to delay it.
He smiled but didn't expose her, simply placing the medicine bowl on the table beside him.
He didn't leave; he just sat there waiting. Lin Chuntao glanced at him a few times, then finally took a deep breath, picked up the bowl, and drank it down in one gulp.
After two days of rain, the sky finally cleared up.
Lin Chuntao sunbathed in the yard for a while, but felt very tired and went back inside to sleep.
Pei Ying stayed home to look after her, while Lin Chunxing took her younger sisters out to cut pig feed.
She wasn't fully recovered yet and wasn't sleeping very soundly. When the sun was shining brightly, the sound of gongs came from the village, and Lin Chuntao suddenly woke up. She looked blankly at Pei Ying next to her.
Pei Ying said, "You lie down, I'll go out and take a look."
But Lin Chuntao couldn't sleep anymore. She put on her shoes and followed them out of the courtyard gate. In the distance, she saw several officials leading Lin Miaomiao and the others back.
The officials banged gongs and read aloud the verdict against Old Man Lin and his entire family, warning the villagers that this was the fate that awaited those who stole from graves.
After they had finished reading, the group went to Old Lin's courtyard and took away all the livestock, grain, money, and brand-new tables, chairs, and cabinets.
Lin Miaomiao and the others stood outside the courtyard, their eyes vacant and blank as they stared.
The government also took away Old Man Lin's land, leaving only this dilapidated house to shelter them from the rain.
When the villagers heard the gong, they all came out of their courtyards. Everyone listened quietly, and no one spoke until the official left the village and went far away. Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
The villagers initially thought the Lin family hadn't returned because they were having a major falling out with the Qian family, but they never expected that the Lin family had gotten themselves into big trouble.
Everyone in the village was surnamed Lin, and they were all relatives within five degrees of kinship. The crowd sighed with relief and felt a lingering fear.
Of the twenty-odd people in Old Man Lin's family, six of the children returned.
Lin Lao Si's family has Lin Miaomiao, Lin Jiacai, and Lin Jialiang; Lin Lao Wu's family has Lin Jialang, Lin Jiarong, and Xiao Dujuan. Among the siblings, Lin Miaomiao is the oldest, and she is fourteen years old this year.
The officials had been gone for quite some time, but the group still hadn't entered the house; they stood blankly at the doorway.
The villagers looked at them with mixed expressions, but no one invited them to their homes or greeted them.
Lin Cunzheng, being their great-grandfather, brought Lin Changzong and the others to help tidy up the messy yard.
The official didn't kill them all; he left them pots and pans, as well as some buckwheat flour, which Lin Cunzheng estimated to be more than a bushel.
Lin Cun looked at the group of girls, hesitating several times before finally speaking, unable to offer any words of comfort.
If it were one or two children, he might discuss with Mrs. Sun about taking them to his own home to raise, but there are six, which he cannot afford. He can only wait to discuss it with his three younger brothers.
Looking into Lin Cunzheng's eyes, Lin Miaomiao felt a lump in her throat and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Grandpa, how are we going to live from now on?"
Lin Cunzheng took a deep breath. He couldn't guarantee anything now, nor did he dare to give them hope. He simply said, "We still have this much food, and the pots and pans are still here. Let's eat our fill, get some sleep, and we'll talk again tomorrow."
She listened to Lin Cunzheng's words and nodded silently.
After Lin Cunzheng and Lin Changzong left, Lin Miaomiao took Lin Jiacai and the others to start a fire and make buckwheat cakes.
Once they were some distance away, Lin Changzong finally spoke up and asked Lin Cunzheng, "Father, what do you plan to do with those guys?"
Lin Cunzheng sighed deeply, "Let's ask your second uncle and the others first. If they're willing, they can each take two. If they're not, there's nothing we can do."
Lin Chang-tsung said, "I think it's unlikely. After going through a prison sentence, my second uncle and the others will all be resentful."
Lin Cun remained silent. Not to mention the resentment of others, he also harbored resentment. Old Man Lin was his youngest brother, and he often helped clean up messes and mediate various matters. Those were all minor issues, just trivial matters in the village. He never expected them to be so foolish. Lin Changhai and Lin Changbo had brought that silver back for more than ten years, and Lin Hongtai had kept it tightly under wraps. If he had kept it under wraps for two more generations, it would have been fine, but he dared to send that silver to the government, which almost implicated his entire clan.
He would think of his younger brother, who still had several descendants, and then he would let the matter drop.
But the second, third, and fourth brothers might not think that way, and he can't expect others to be magnanimous.
Lin Chuntao was far away, and she only saw the officials come in empty-handed and leave fully loaded, so she figured the Lin family's courtyard must have been ransacked.
The Lin family is despicable; she's happy to see them fighting like dogs.
If someone has committed a crime, they deserve to be punished.
But she clearly remembered that when she was interrogated, the official said it was tens of thousands of taels of silver. It wasn't that she looked down on the Lin family, but even if tens of thousands of taels of silver were placed in front of them, they wouldn't dare to take it.
Lin Chuntao had no idea whether Lin Changhai and his group had stolen silver, whether it was a lot or a little, or whether they had actually stolen it.
It was as if an entire family was unjustly punished with caning and demoted to slavery.
She doesn't feel sorry for anyone, but she fears this fate of being easily implicated and crushed by others.
She grew up in a civilized world, but when she fell down and woke up, everything had changed. She had accepted poverty and having nothing. She still had her hands, and she had the ability and strength to change things.
But she couldn't change the rules of this world. She didn't want to wake up one day to find herself enslaved by a thin contract, nor did she want to lose her head without knowing why.
Disappointment and helplessness spread endlessly in my heart.
Pei Ying stood beside her, watching Lin Chuntao's face grow paler and paler. He said in a low voice, "It's getting windy. Let's go home first."
Lin Chuntao nodded and let Pei Ying help her back into the house.
As evening approached, Lin Chunxing returned with her sisters carrying pig feed. The first thing she did upon returning was to ask if she was feeling better.
Seeing the worried faces on their faces, Lin Chuntao smiled and patted them on the shoulder.
"Much better. Are you hungry? Go wash your hands and cook something to eat."
Lin Chunxing nodded and looked at her, asking, "Sister, what would you like to eat?"
Lin Chuntao said, "I'm fine with anything."
Before Lin Chunxing could speak, Pei Ying said, "How about I steam another egg custard for you?"
"OK."
Seeing that she agreed, Lin Chunxing said, "Brother-in-law, shall we steam some for my sister first?"
Lin Chuntao shook her head: "No need, you guys steam the rice and stir-fry the vegetables first, I'll eat with you in a bit."
"That works too. I'll get it and put it in the steamer. The steamed egg custard can be cooked at the same time as the rice."
After saying that, they busied themselves with cooking.
After dinner, Lin Cunzheng called the other adults from the Lin family to his home, firstly to discuss the repair of the ancestral graves, and secondly to ask about the six children.
Repairing the ancestral graves is easy to discuss; everyone can contribute money and effort.
But after Lin Cunzheng asked about the six children, everyone fell silent.
Lin Changsen from the second branch of the family said, "Uncle, what do you plan to do about this? Should each family take in two?"
Lin Cunzheng shook his head slightly: "That's not what I meant, but after all, they are the children left behind by your fifth uncle, so we still have to take care of them. That's why I'm asking for everyone's opinion."
Lin Changsen sighed upon hearing this: "If you ask me, Uncle, there's no need to ask. Chun Tao and the others were kicked out and ended up with nothing. Miao Miao and Chun Tao aren't that much younger, they can take care of themselves, right?"
The people inside the room echoed, "I also think what Brother Sen said makes sense."
Lin Cunzheng said, "That's true, but your fifth uncle's land has also been confiscated by the government. Lin Miaomiao and her siblings don't have a single acre of land. They won't have land to farm or food to eat in the future, which will be a problem."
Lin Changsen frowned slightly and said, "Doesn't marrying someone from another place mean you get to share land? If there are more in a while, should we arrange something for Miaomiao?"
Lin Cunzheng said, "Their family's land allocation quota has already been used by Chun Tao, so we need to think of another way."
Everyone remained silent, and no one spoke.
After a long while, Li, the eldest daughter-in-law of the fourth branch, said, "Uncle, aren't Chun Tao and the others still living in your old house? Now that Fifth Uncle's house is spacious, why don't you go and talk to Chun Tao and the others and ask them to move back? In the future, the sisters can take care of each other and live together. Now that the adults are gone, although they are cousins, they are not much different from biological sisters."
Her sister-in-law sitting next to her chimed in, "It just so happens that Chun Tao and the others also have more than ten acres of land, so this is perfect."
Upon hearing this, Chen Dongniang looked up at Li Honghua, who had spoken, and said, "Sister-in-law, this is a good idea, but I don't know if Chuntao is willing to be the sucker."
“We usually get along quite well, so it’s really hard to ask Chun Tao for help. Let’s see who can do it for us.”
Li Honghua pouted and argued, "Sister-in-law, how can you say she's being taken advantage of? Chun Tao doesn't have a single younger brother. It just so happens that she moved back at this time. From now on, Jia Lang and Jia Cai will be her own brothers. When her brothers grow up, they can also support her, right?"
Chen Dongniang raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled, "Why don't you talk to Chun Tao about this, sister-in-law?"
"We don't want to be together, so she definitely won't agree if I tell her."
After a long silence, Lin Changhua looked at Li Honghua and said, "Sister-in-law, your method is really despicable. If you were Chun Tao, would you agree to this? Don't cause trouble and invite trouble."
Li Honghua blushed instantly upon hearing Lin Changhua's words, craning her neck and saying, her face burning red, "Second Brother, what do you mean by 'immoral'? Tell me, do Chun Tao and the others not have a place to live? Have they been living in Uncle's old house all this time?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Sun Shi chimed in: "Chun Tao has drawn up the land plot, and they'll probably be building a new house in a few days. Besides, our old house is just sitting idle, so it won't bother them living there."
Upon hearing Sun's words, Li Honghua said awkwardly, "Since my aunt says so, then I don't have any good ideas."
After a long silence, Lin Changhua continued, "If you ask me, Miaomiao is already a teenager, so let's just leave it at that for now."
"Look at Chun Tao and the others, they've gotten through it all just as slowly."
After Lin Changhua finished speaking, everyone stopped discussing it and only said that they were going to find someone to find an auspicious date to repair the ancestral graves.
Lin Chuntao ate a small bowl of steamed egg custard and drank a bowl of medicine tonight, and went to bed when night fell.
Seeing that Lin Chuntao was in much better condition, Lin Chunxing and the others were relieved.
Pei Ying, on the other hand, managed to doze off a bit last night, but tonight he didn't dare close his eyes. He could hear Lin Chuntao's breathing, sometimes deep, sometimes shallow, and he stayed up until midnight, when he couldn't hold on any longer and finally dozed off.
When he suddenly woke up, he touched Lin Chuntao's forehead. Her forehead was burning hot; she had gotten hot again.
Pei Ying quickly put on her shoes, went out to light a fire, warmed the wine, and rubbed her palms together.
There was a moon tonight, and he didn't close the door, letting the soft moonlight stream into the room.
He was focused on rubbing her palms to cool her down, thinking Lin Chuntao hadn't woken up. But when he looked up, he saw Lin Chuntao looking at him with tears streaming down her face.
He was somewhat taken aback and stopped what he was doing.
Her tears were still flowing. Pei Ying got up and sat on the pillow. He reached out and helped Lin Chuntao half-up to lean against him. He wrapped his arms around her body and gently continued to rub her palms.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Pei Ying's voice rang in her ears, and Lin Chuntao shook her head slightly.
Pei Ying pursed her lips and asked again, "Is something on your mind? I'm your husband, you can tell me anything."
Lin Chuntao simply shook her head and did not speak.
Pei Ying was silent for a moment before saying, "The Lin family's matter is over, we will be fine."
Lin Chuntao didn't reply, but just shed tears. Pei Ying thought of the doctor's words and gently comforted her with some heartache: "The doctor said that you were too frightened, your liver qi was stagnant, and your liver fire disturbed your heart. Don't keep anything to yourself, it's easy to harm your health. No matter what, your health is the most important thing."
"Actually, things are already pretty good right now. Whether your uncles were enslaved or exiled after being flogged, they are still in Yizhou. At least they weren't exiled thousands of miles away. If they had been exiled three thousand miles away, they might have died halfway there."
"What they do is none of my business."
After Lin Chuntao finished speaking, Pei Ying said, "I know, I wasn't talking about them."
"Are you thirsty? Shall I get you some water?" Pei Ying asked. Lin Chuntao shook her head and said, "No, I'm not thirsty."
Pei Ying said, "The doctor said to rub your palms with wine to cool them down, and it will take a while. Are you sleepy? If you are, go to sleep."
"Not sleepy."
"If you're not sleepy, I'd like to tell you about my situation."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chuntao turned her head slightly to look at Pei Ying, who then said softly, "Actually, my parents are both alive and well, and they are quite wealthy."
This surprised Lin Chuntao. She remembered that Pei Ying had said that both her parents were dead, so why was he saying that they were still alive?
"I said before that my parents were dead because I thought that I would never see them again, so it was no different from them being dead."
Pei Ying looked at Lin Chuntao, his expression shifting from surprise to calm. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Aren't you curious?"
Seeing his expression, Lin Chuntao said softly, "I'm listening, you go ahead."
“My family owns a very famous restaurant in Guangling. Even the emperor has dined there and praised it highly, even writing an inscription for it. The business has always been very prosperous. Unfortunately, something happened when I was a child. I got lost and lost my memory. It wasn't until last year that my parents found the butcher shop and said that I was their biological son, so they took me back.”
Lin Chuntao listened to Pei Ying's words as if she were reading a novel.
"You've already been recognized and taken back, so why aren't you inheriting the family business? What are you doing in Yizhou?"
Pei Ying smiled and said, "I only know how to slaughter pigs, I don't know many words, and I've never been to school. How could I possibly inherit the family business?"
Lin Chuntao raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly, "As for inheritance, all you need is to be your parents' biological son. There are no other conditions, right?"
“In the years I’ve been missing, they’ve had a son they love even more.”
"Your younger brother?" Lin Chuntao asked.
Pei Ying chuckled: "If it were my own brother, I probably wouldn't have come to Yizhou alone."
"The housekeeper said that after I went missing, my mother almost cried herself blind. She searched for me like a madwoman. In the end, she found a boy outside who looked about the same age as me and wouldn't let go, saying that was me. In order to stop my mother from being sad, my father recognized the boy and raised him as his own son. The boy was obedient, sensible, and good at studying. He was much better than my own son."
Lin Chuntao frowned slightly: "So, after you went back, they weren't very close to you, but were actually nicer to that person?"
"You guessed that?" Pei Ying said with a smile.
Lin Chuntao thought to herself that this sounded more and more like a novel about a real and fake young master.
"So you came to Yizhou in a fit of anger."
Pei Ying shook his head slightly. "It wasn't out of anger. Although they are my biological parents, I didn't feel at home when I went back. On the contrary, I felt more at ease outside. Perhaps the vast world outside is my home. So I came to Yizhou with the southward migration group."
"I don't regret coming to Yizhou; in fact, I'm quite glad I did."
“You have to take good care of yourself.” Pei Ying paused after saying that. “I finally have a family.”
Pei Ying said, "Although we are insignificant, we have no grand ambitions. We just want to live our own little lives. The vast world can accommodate our small wishes."
Lin Chuntao wanted to nod, but thinking of everything she couldn't say, she instantly turned to sobbing. She cried softly, and Pei Ying hugged her and coaxed her gently, "It's okay, everything will be alright from now on."
Lin Chuntao cried for almost fifteen minutes before she stopped. After letting loose and having a good cry, she felt much lighter.
She told Pei Ying, "It's okay, I'll be fine tomorrow."
Pei Ying nodded slightly, sniffed, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm a little thirsty."
"Then I'll go get you some water."
Lin Chuntao nodded, sat up straight, and Pei Ying poured a bamboo tube of warm water, which Lin Chuntao gulped down.
Pei Ying touched her forehead again; it was still a little warm.
"Go to sleep if you're sleepy, I'll rub you a little longer."
Lin Chuntao lay down, turned to look at Pei Ying, and whispered, "I'll wait for you."
Pei Ying breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she had stopped crying.
He continued rubbing her forehead for a while longer, and only after it cooled down a bit did he pack up his things and lie down.
The two lay side by side, with enough space between them for two more people to sleep.
Lin Chuntao reached out and gently took Pei Ying's hand.
She said, "I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight."
Pei Ying gave a soft "hmm" and then drifted off to sleep.
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