Chapter 27 Using Underhanded Methods
After leaving the clinic, Grandma Sheng pulled Sheng An aside, wanting to find a good doctor to examine her.
"Having offspring is a major matter; we must take good care of it!"
Grandma Sheng was heartbroken and filled with guilt towards her granddaughter: "It's your grandfather and I'm so useless. We made you suffer since you were little, which is why your health is so poor..."
At this point, Grandma Sheng burst into tears: "We are sorry for you, and we are sorry for your deceased mother!"
"Grandma, how can this be blamed on you and Grandpa?"
Sheng An felt a pang of sadness and gently hugged the old lady, whose body was already hunched over: "Without you and Grandpa, I wouldn't have been able to grow up, and I wouldn't have the good life I have today."
At this point, Sheng An's tone became cheerful: "Look how well our wontons are selling! We've earned several hundred coins yesterday and today. That's enough for me to eat meat every day for a year or two and recover my health!"
Grandma Sheng's distress was indeed diverted. Thinking of the customers lining up to buy wontons these past two days, with thousands of wontons still not enough to meet demand, her expression improved somewhat.
"We need to eat meat, and we also need to see a doctor. We need to get better as soon as possible so we can have a child for Jin Nian."
A marriage cannot last without children.
Women who cannot have children are better off if their maternal family is powerful, as they can still make a living by having their husbands take concubines to carry on the family line.
A woman who cannot rely on her natal family will eventually be divorced and sent back to her natal family, where she will be hastily married off to a widower and become a stepmother to a group of children.
If those children are good, they will at least have food to eat when they get old.
If you raise a few ungrateful children who will be kicked out of your home, then you'll truly have no way to survive.
No matter what you say, you still have to give birth to your own child.
"Grandma, I know what I'm doing, so don't worry about it."
Sheng An couldn't change Grandma Sheng's ingrained ideas, so she gently assured her, "I will take care of my health, and I will definitely make you my great-grandmother in the future."
Having said all that, Grandma Sheng couldn't force her granddaughter, so she could only earnestly instruct her, "This is a big deal, you have to take it seriously, or you'll regret it later."
Sheng An nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know, don't worry."
When the grandmother and granddaughter returned home, the neighbors came over to check on Grandma Sheng.
Seeing that Grandma Sheng's wound was covered with a layer of dark green ointment, and a conspicuous large bump had formed from the bluish-purple discoloration, she couldn't help but scold Granny Sun for being inhumane and hitting an old woman so hard.
They seemed to have forgotten that this was an accident, and that Granny Sun did not intentionally attack Granny Sheng.
However, Granny Sun was not innocent.
Xu Chenglin's condition has improved somewhat, but he is still unable to get out of bed. Before the grandmother and grandson returned, he learned from the neighbors that Grandma Sheng had been beaten by Granny Sun.
Seeing Grandma Sheng's miserable state, Xu Chenglin was so angry that he slammed his fist on the bed: "When Jin Nian comes back, I'll have him have a good talk with that brat from the Sun family."
Grandma Sheng, not wanting to escalate the situation, quickly spoke up to persuade, "A scholar's reputation is important. Don't let Jin Nian get involved in this kind of thing. Besides, Granny Sun didn't get away with it either. I doubt she'll dare to do it again."
Xu Chenglin seemed to have taken it to heart: "Yes, I'll listen to my aunt."
Grandma Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
Not long after, Xu Jinnian returned.
As soon as he got home, Xu Chenglin called him into his room.
The father and son talked for a while, and when Xu Jinnian came out, his expression was normal. He just went to the kitchen to check on Grandma Sheng's injuries.
He was relieved only after confirming that Grandma Sheng was alright.
After the meal, Sheng An went to the study to study as usual, but Xu Jinnian did not check the new words she had learned yesterday. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and carefully checked her for any injuries.
"It was Granny Sun who got beaten up; I wasn't hurt at all."
Sheng An laughed like a villain, his face full of smugness at beating up Granny Sun: "Her face is swollen like a pig's head, I reckon she won't dare to go out and see anyone for the next couple of days."
"You hit him with your hand, doesn't your hand hurt?"
Xu Jinnian opened his wife's right hand, looked at her calloused palm, paused for a moment, and then made a rare joke: "I wonder if Granny Sun's face is scratched."
Sheng An glared at him: "She's shameless."
Xu Jinnian's smile faded, and his tone became more serious: "Grandma Sun is a scoundrel. Don't confront her directly next time."
Granny Sun was so domineering that no one in the neighborhood dared to interfere in her affairs.
Having suffered a great loss at An'an's hands this time, they must be holding a grudge against her.
"Why would I be afraid of her?"
Sheng An hated old hags like Granny Sun the most, and didn't regret slapping her across the face at all: "She better not mess with me again, or I'll go to her door and show her what happens when she crosses me."
Looking at his eager wife, Xu Jinnian felt both amused and helpless: "I'm afraid you'll suffer a loss."
Sheng An waved her hand: "Don't worry, I know my own strengths and weaknesses. If I encounter someone with my aunt's physique, I will definitely avoid the fray for now and find someone to deal with her later."
Xu Jinnian was relieved: "If you encounter something like this again, tell me first."
Sheng An squeezed his strong arm: "You want me to fight? Can a scholar like you even fight?"
Xu Jinnian raised an eyebrow slightly: "How do you know I can't do it if you haven't seen it before?"
Sheng An looked him up and down, unable to imagine what he looked like when he was fighting: "Okay, I'll definitely find you next time, and I'll cheer you on from the sidelines."
Whether she was afraid of being beaten or was plotting revenge, Granny Sun, who never suffered a loss, did not come to make trouble.
The neighbors also found it strange, thinking that Granny Sun had changed her personality.
Two days later, Sun Pozi's only son, Sun Youzhi, lost all his money in the middle of the night and came out of the gambling den, only to be severely beaten with a sack over his head.
Sun Youzhi was beaten so badly that he couldn't get out of bed. He lay on the bed all day groaning and crying, disturbing the sleep of the neighbors on both sides.
When Sheng An found out, he made no attempt to hide his schadenfreude: "Serves them right, mother and son are cut from the same cloth, neither of them is any good!"
Xu Jinnian was reading a book and didn't even look up when he heard this: "Sun Youzhi is a bully at home and unlikely to offend outsiders. He must be after Granny Sun."
Upon hearing this, Sheng An felt that this was very likely: "Grandma Sun is indeed very hateful. She might forget about it after a short while if you beat her, but she will remember it for a long time if you beat her precious son."
Xu Jinnian's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
An'an is so smart, she guessed it right away.
For the next few days, Sheng An maintained a regular routine, continuing to go to the market with her grandmother early every morning to set up a stall.
After closing up shop, he went straight to Ding's carriage to cook for Ding Tianci.
After eating vegetarian porridge for five days, Ding Tianci's appetite increased at a visible rate, and two full bowls of porridge a day were no longer enough to satisfy his body's needs.
That day, Sheng An decisively changed the ingredients and cooked a pot of fresh shrimp soup for Ding Tianci.
The people in the kitchen surrounded Sheng An again, watching her prepare the fresh river shrimp she had just bought that morning.
The river shrimp are quite large, each about the size of a middle finger. Their bodies are completely transparent, and when they swim in the water, the first thing you see is the intestinal tract hidden inside their bodies.
This was the first time Sheng An had ever seen such beautiful river shrimp. Even though the food at home had been good lately, she still felt a craving for the shrimp and decided to buy two pounds of them tomorrow to satisfy her craving.
Under Sheng An's guidance, the cook deftly picked up scissors to process the river shrimp, removing the heads, tails, and shells, leaving only a small piece of shrimp meat.
After all the river shrimp were processed, Sheng An added scallions, ginger, and garlic to remove the fishy smell from the shrimp meat.
Actually, with the help of the super buff, even if you skip the step of removing the fishy smell, the final shrimp soup will not have a fishy smell. However, the scallions, ginger and garlic can enhance the flavor and add a touch of taste to the shrimp soup.
Next, Sheng An did not let the cook interfere.
Scoop a bowl of flour, sprinkle water into it, and stir with chopsticks until it forms granules.
Sheng'an precisely controlled the amount of water, ultimately turning the flour into cotton wool the size of rice grains.
The cook watched in amazement, exclaiming, "Madam Sheng, your skill is something most people can't learn."
Sheng An laughed and said, "Practice makes perfect."
The cook shook her head. She had been cooking for decades, and no matter how skilled she was, she couldn't do it like that.
With all the ingredients prepared, Sheng An set up the clay pot again.
Once the water in the pot boiled, she poured all the granular flour flakes into the clay pot and quickly stirred them with chopsticks.
As the boiling water flows clockwise, the rice-grain-sized pieces of dough dance in the air, gradually turning translucent.
Next, Sheng An poured the shrimp meat, which had been chopped and minced (after removing the scallions, ginger, and garlic), into the pot. Then, he picked up a spoon and slowly stirred it clockwise to allow the freshness of the river shrimp to fully blend with the noodles.
In an instant, a rich, savory aroma rose from the clay pot, quickly filling the entire kitchen and slowly drifting into the yard.
Everyone who smelled this delicious aroma was completely captivated, forgetting what they were doing, their eyes only on the fresh shrimp soup in the casserole.
So fresh, so incredibly fresh!
Sheng An was also amazed by the deliciousness and swallowed hard, completely losing his composure.
As the shrimp meat in the pot gradually turned bright red, she sprinkled in a handful of chopped greens and added a small spoonful of salt.
The vibrant red and emerald green colors complement each other, and the rich umami aroma in the air is mixed with a delicate fragrance, perfectly neutralizing the greasy and overpowering scent.
In the backyard, Ding Tianci leaned against a bench, while Jianying sat beside him reading to him.
Ding Tianci already knew that Sheng An would change the ingredients today, and he was filled with anticipation for the delicious food that was about to be served. His eyes were unconsciously looking towards the direction of the courtyard gate, and he didn't even hear what Jian Ying was saying.
Mr. Ding rarely has free time, so he took the opportunity to come here and have dinner with his grandson.
Seeing that his grandson's spirits were improving day by day, and that his face seemed to have gained a little weight, Old Master Ding was overjoyed.
"Good child, after you finish eating, let the doctor come and take a look at you. If you need any treatment, your body will definitely recover faster."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ding Tianci's expression turned ugly at a visible speed: "No need!"
Realizing his tone was too harsh, he softened his tone and explained to Master Ding:
“Grandpa, every time I finish eating the porridge made by Madam Sheng, I feel a warm sensation flowing from my stomach to my whole body, which is much more effective than the medicine prescribed by the doctor.”
At first, Ding Tianci thought it was his imagination.
In the last two days, his limbs regained strength and his senses improved, making the warmth even more pronounced, proving it wasn't his imagination.
The porridge made by Madam Sheng seems to have some very strange effects.
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