31. Enjoying the slow-paced conversation while cooking porridge.
◎It turns out he's been protecting her all along.◎
Yan Yunzhao did not follow Fang into Guiyue Tower, but returned to the Dragon King Temple, calmly waiting for her return.
Chen Yue was simple and capable. Even when there were no customers, she was busy sprinkling water, sweeping the floor, and wiping this and that. Yan Yunzhao was very satisfied.
"Miss Chen, do you know what Fang's background is?"
Chen Yue paused in her busy work, seemingly thinking for a moment: "I really don't know. She seems to be in a bad mood lately, and she's been distant, not talking to me much. But she's very efficient at handling ingredients; she probably used to cook a lot, maybe she was a cook in some family."
Yan Yunzhao nodded thoughtfully: "And what about you?"
“I was originally hired to farm, but it’s hard work, really tough.” Chen Yue scratched her head, seemingly a little embarrassed: “Being a kitchen helper is much easier than that.”
Yan Yunzhao couldn't help but laugh.
It's probably lunchtime. The sky is overcast today, and I'd like to have a bowl of hot mutton noodles.
Yan Yunzhao asked Chen Yue to help chop and wash the celery, green peppers, and cilantro. She then stir-fried the minced mutton over low heat, added water to the noodles, and a rich aroma of meat filled the temple.
Most of the noodles are Northwest Chinese cuisine, especially mutton noodles. Although Yan Yunzhao doesn't like celery and cilantro, these two vegetables effectively mask the mutton's gamey smell and enhance the flavor of the noodles. Occasionally, some sweet potato starch is added, along with a sprinkle of pepper, making the broth numbing and spicy, causing people to sweat profusely while eating.
Having a bowl of this on a cold winter's day would be incredibly comforting.
As the children finished serving the last bowl of noodles, not even leaving a drop of broth, and were enjoying their hot meal, Fang stepped leisurely in from outside.
Seeing Yan Yunzhao washing dishes at the stove in the Dragon King Temple, she paused for a moment, then stepped forward and timidly nodded: "Master Yan."
"Don't worry. There are no customers right now, so you won't be shortchanged from your wages even if you don't stay at the Dragon King's place." Yan Yunzhao glanced at her and smiled knowingly.
"I'll do it, you go and rest."
Since Miss Fang insisted on doing it for her, Yan Yunzhao didn't insist any further. He shook the water off his hands and emptied the stone pool filled with porcelain bowls for Miss Fang.
"Miss Fang, what brings you to the market today?"
Miss Fang worked swiftly and said, "I went home to visit my grandmother today. She is seriously ill, but there is no one to take care of her. I hope Master Yan will understand. I will definitely not let the shop's business suffer."
"That's natural."
Yan Yunzhao nodded, feeling quite sympathetic towards her. If she had a seriously ill grandmother to care for at home, then it was understandable for her to seek additional business at Guiyue Tower.
But the simultaneous occurrence of a series of events, such as the leak of the shop's recipe and the spread of rumors, is no coincidence.
Although there are already many reasons for the harmonious coexistence between humans and demons in this era, the social atmosphere is still not so open, and people have always been wary of demons. Yan Yunzhao still has some hidden worries.
"What illness does Grandma have? Perhaps I can help find a good doctor."
Upon hearing this, Miss Fang seemed startled and put down the porcelain bowl in her hand, waving her hands repeatedly: "I would never dare to do that. Business at my shop is not as good as before, but Master Yan still pays me a lot for food and pays me. I am already very grateful, how could I trouble you any further?"
Yan Yunzhao patted her shoulder reassuringly: "It's nothing. Grandmother needs money for medical treatment, so I'll give you an advance on your salary. Just let me know if you need anything else, and I'll help you in any way I can. Would it be convenient for you to take me to see Grandmother?"
Miss Fang lowered her head and covered her eyes with her sleeve. She sniffed and nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Master Yan."
Fang's home was in a remote alley in the east of the city. Yan Yunzhao followed her, winding through narrow alleys piled with clutter, until they finally stopped in front of an ordinary courtyard gate.
The courtyard was dusty and neglected, with a small vegetable garden overgrown with weeds. Outsiders would hardly believe that anyone lived there.
Miss Fang noticed Yan Yunzhao looking around the courtyard and said apologetically, "I'm working away from home and usually only come here in a hurry to cook for my grandmother. I haven't even had time to sweep the courtyard. I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Master Yan."
Yan Yunzhao smiled and shook his head, then followed her into the house.
An old woman lay on the low kang (heated brick bed) against the dark wall, looking listless and seemingly weak. When she saw Yan Yunzhao arrive, she lifted her eyelids slightly and weakly ordered, "Fang girl, why didn't you tell us you had a guest? Quickly pour tea for the guest."
Seeing that the old woman seemed to be struggling to get up, Yan Yunzhao quickly helped her up: "It's alright, Grandmother. You should rest well."
As she spoke, she placed a box of hibiscus jade cakes she had brought on the table: "I heard from Miss Fang that your spleen and stomach are not very good, so I brought you some jujube-filled hibiscus cakes to warm your stomach and replenish your qi."
Fang placed a cup of tea on the table and handed it to Yan Yunzhao, then smiled and explained to her grandmother, "This is my current employer, Mr. Yan, who is now my kitchen helper. He came here specifically to see you."
Upon hearing this, Grandmother smiled and nodded at Yan Yunzhao, "Good, good."
Fang went over and tucked the blanket around her grandmother, then picked up a piece of hibiscus cake and put it to her lips, saying, "Grandmother, eat slowly, be careful not to choke."
This hibiscus jade cake is exquisite and translucent, shaped like a flower. It is soft, sweet and fragrant, with bean flour and jujube paste inside. It is smooth and delicate, and it is also very suitable as a filling snack with porridge.
"Master Yan is really thoughtful. The last time I had such delicious snacks was when Fang was focused on being a cook and tinkering with ingredients every day."
Fang felt a little uncomfortable after hearing this and quickly explained, "I was just doing it for fun, how could I become a cook?"
What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. Yan Yunzhao pretended not to understand the implication and asked curiously, "Miss Fang actually has this kind of skill? Why don't you start your own small business instead of being content to work as a kitchen helper?"
“I need initial capital to open my own shop, and my grandmother is still sick, so I can only find some jobs that pay wages.”
Miss Fang was absentmindedly adding tea for Yan Yunzhao when she suddenly lost focus and spilled the hot tea on the table.
"Oh dear, Fang girl, why are you being so clumsy today?"
Grandmother scolded her, and Miss Fang felt guilty, so she quickly grabbed a cloth to wipe it, while repeatedly apologizing to Yan Yunzhao.
Yan Yunzhao smiled and smoothed things over: "Miss Fang must be missing her grandmother so much. She's usually busy with work, and it's rare for her to come back today, so she's bound to be a little neglectful."
"But what's wrong with Grandmother's health?"
"I'm getting old, and my body isn't as agile as I used to be. The doctor said it's because my heart and spleen are weak, but it's not a minor issue either. I'm really sorry to trouble you, Master Yan."
Yan Yunzhao took a sip of tea and replied with a smile, "You need to take good care of your heart and spleen, and you should also pay attention to your diet."
"But Miss Fang is quick-witted and good at cooking. Guiyue Tower pays her a higher price. Why didn't you give it a try?"
Fang paused in wiping the table; the tea had already been wiped dry.
"These big-name restaurants are strict with their staff, but they have the will but not the means."
“I happen to know the owner of Guiyuelou, I can introduce you to him.”
Upon hearing this, Miss Fang looked up and was flustered for a moment, unsure how to answer. She simply said, "Master Yan has already helped us so much, so there's no need for you to trouble yourself."
Yan Yunzhao merely mentioned it casually, with no intention of trying to win their favor. Having asked enough questions for the day, he bid them farewell amicably and did not linger.
In the following days, Yan Yunzhao continued to bring various snacks to visit Miss Fang's grandmother, such as jade noodles, pastries, and lotus seed porridge. Jingming helped prepare the ingredients but didn't understand: "Eldest brother, why do you seem to like doing good deeds more and more? It was fine when you were supporting the Dragon King Temple, since the magistrate had repaired the road for you. But now that the small shop is losing money, why are you going to spend your own money to send food to Miss Fang's grandmother?"
Yan Yunzhao chopped some scallions and ginger and put them into the sauce bowl. He then carefully rubbed the meat strips to marinate them, without looking up. "Miss Fang's family is in dire straits. Her grandmother is kind but seriously ill. I will help as much as I can. However, I suspect that the rumors in town may be related to Miss Fang. This is also a way of investigating."
Jingming nodded and peeled lotus seeds for Yan Yunzhao: "But this can't go on forever. The warehouse is almost empty. Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"
Yan Yunzhao remained calm, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Of course not. Autumn in Lixi Town is short, and the harsh winter can come in an instant. That's when we'll really make money."
Jingming looked up with delight: "That's right, we have Xiaofu! We can grow vegetables even in winter."
Yan Yunzhao nodded approvingly at her: "That's right. There are fewer food options in winter, and no fresh vegetables to eat, so the villagers like to stock up on potatoes as early as possible. We can't completely eradicate those rumors. To run a restaurant, you need real skills to last. Once the restaurant is open, those rumors will fall apart on their own."
"But we neither harm nor hurt anyone, so why must we be universally condemned just because we are demons?"
Jingming seemed a bit troubled. He peeled a few lotus seeds and put them in his mouth, chewing them with relish.
"I've heard that many demons in the demon realm are kind-hearted and not all of them harm people. We are demons, so why don't we open a shop in the demon realm?"
Jingming's words made sense. Yan Yunzhao said, "I have also considered this matter. However, we know too little about the demon realm, and we know nothing about its food and customs. We still need to make a long-term plan. Besides, Lou Su is still being treated. As a mortal, he certainly wouldn't want to go to the demon realm with us."
Despite saying this, Yan Yunzhao had some doubts in his heart about whether he was truly an ordinary person. He only said this to reassure Jingming and the others.
"But isn't Young Master Lou's home on the edge of the demon realm? Perhaps there's still room for maneuver in this matter."
That makes sense.
Lou Su has been receiving treatment from the disciples of the Tianlin Sect in shifts recently. Yan Yunzhao visits him several times a day, but since he is still unconscious and unable to eat, he takes a pot of soup back to the small shop and makes a simple lotus seed porridge with Sancao Yao for dinner.
With funds tight and one less person, Yan Yunzhao had little appetite and only ate a few bites before putting down his chopsticks with worry.
"Boss, with Sister Ye and the others treating Young Master Lou, he'll definitely get better," Shu Yu comforted her, seeing her troubled.
Yan Yunzhao nodded, and as usual, smiled and asked, "You usually eat a lot, but lately you've only been able to make do with rice porridge. Are you getting used to it?"
On the small round wooden table was only a dish of pickled vegetables and a plate of sliced charcoal-grilled cured meat. The three grass demons all loved meat, and Yan Yunzhao had made them picky eaters. They ate only salted vegetables and thin porridge every day. I wonder if they ever felt wronged.
Qingxi put down her chopsticks and shook her head vigorously: "It's better to eat something light. Everything that Boss makes tastes good. Although I don't like eating porridge, I especially like the porridge that Boss makes. It's sweet and thick, and it's really delicious."
Jingming and Shuyu chimed in, and Yan Yunzhao smiled at them and also picked up a spoon to take a bite.
She added red dates, longan, and lotus seeds to the porridge and simmered it for a long time; the taste was indeed quite good.
Perhaps to avoid worrying Yan Yunzhao, the three grass demons ate their food with smiles and laughter, but once back in the house, the silence was unsettling.
Yan Yunzhao looked at the empty bed next to him, a mix of emotions welling up inside him.
I wonder how Lou Su's illness is, and how he was poisoned by such a rare poison that requires the great efforts of the Medicine Sect Immortal Master.
Although Lou Su often took care of all the work in the shop for her and was extremely considerate, she and Lou Su each harbored secrets and could never break through the veil between them.
After lost in thought for a long time, Yan Yunzhao fell into a deep sleep, but was startled awake by a sudden downpour in the middle of the night.
The vegetables planted in the garden were still seedlings and couldn't withstand such a torrential downpour, so she hurriedly threw on a piece of clothing and ran out.
Large raindrops pounded on the ground, and the cold wind made the wooden planks of the eaves creak. Yan Yunzhao stopped in front of the vegetable garden, stunned.
Outside the vegetable garden, a torrential downpour had kept the small plot of land sheltered from the storm. The seedlings stood tall and unaffected by the downpour.
"This is... a barrier?"
Yan Yunzhao summoned a wisp of spiritual energy to probe forward. The spiritual energy floated above the vegetable garden but was blocked. A faint golden array pattern was faintly visible on the ground.
Jingming and the others have weak magical power, so it's impossible for them to set up such a formation. And there's no trace of Ye Qin in the flowing spiritual energy of the formation. So who could it be?
For some reason, Lou Su's face appeared in Yan Yunzhao's mind.
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