Yu Li brought back some offal today.
In the afternoon, Yu Jin came with a gift to learn how to braise offal from Zhou Shi.
When Yu Li woke up from her nap, she saw Zhou Shi teaching Yu Jin how to clean the offal in the courtyard.
To make good offal, the first step is to clean it thoroughly and remove as much of the odor as possible. If the odor is too strong, no matter how it’s cooked, it won’t taste good and will be hard to swallow.
Yu Jin was very focused on learning. Although the process was stinky, her expression didn’t change at all.
When Yu Li walked over, both Yu Jin and Zhou Shi noticed her.
Zhou Shi greeted her and said there was red bean soup cooking in the pot, suggesting she have some to replenish her blood.
Yu Jin said, “Elder Sister, don’t come over here. It stinks.”
“It’s fine,” Yu Li said, standing nearby and watching them work. In truth, she was curious about how the offal was cleaned. She added, “It’s not worse than the pigsty smell.”
Hearing this, Yu Jin smiled slightly and said nothing more, continuing to focus on cleaning the offal.
Zhou Shi gave Yu Li a curious glance. The Yu family raised two pigs, and tasks like feeding them and cleaning the pigsty were usually handled by the girls of the second household. Before Yu Li got married, she must have done these chores.
Being used to the smell of a pigsty, the odor of offal was actually nothing. People who grew up in the countryside weren’t that particular.
But from the way Yu Jin behaved, it seemed like she was quite concerned about protecting Yu Li from the smell.
After cleaning the offal, they started braising it.
Zhou Shi and Yu Jin worked busily for a while, and by dinnertime, the Fu household was filled with the rich aroma of braised offal, which was very appetizing.
Meanwhile, Yu Li and the Fu siblings, Fu Yanhui and Fu Wenxiao, were inside studying. Or rather, the siblings were learning to read and write while Yu Li practiced her calligraphy.
Although she had declined Fu Wenxiao’s offer to teach her painting and calligraphy, she still needed to learn how to write.
Otherwise, if she ever had to write something in the future but ended up with illegible scribbles, it would be embarrassing.
When the aroma of braised offal wafted over from the kitchen, Yu Li started feeling restless.
She put down her brush and said to Fu Wenxiao, who was sitting nearby reading and supervising their studies, “I’m going to take a look and see if Mother is done cooking.”
Fu Wenxiao: “….”
As she left, the two children also began to fidget, unable to sit still.
However, when Fu Wenxiao glanced at them lightly, they didn’t dare move again. They obediently continued studying, not daring to say they wanted to follow their little aunt outside.
Having grown up without a father, the two children regarded the only male elder in the family as a father figure and usually listened to their little uncle’s words. Without completing the tasks Fu Wenxiao assigned them, they wouldn’t dare run off like Yu Li did.
Unaware that she had set a bad example for the children, Yu Li wandered into the kitchen. Upon entering, she saw Yu Jin taking the braised offal out of the pot and placing it on a plate to cool.
Seeing her, Yu Jin said, “Elder Sister, the offal is ready. I’ll cut some for you to try later.”
Yu Li responded with a nod and went to help Zhou Shi with the cooking.
Once the braised offal had cooled slightly, Yu Jin cut a plateful and invited Zhou Shi and Yu Li to taste it.
Zhou Shi ate a piece, nodded, and said, “The flavor is good. If it soaks in the marinade overnight, it’ll taste even better.”
“Delicious!” Yu Li affirmed. “Although it can’t compare to Chef Bao’s cooking, it’s better than what most braised food shops can make.”
Yu Jin was about to ask who Chef Bao was when Zhou Shi chuckled and said, “Chef Bao’s skill in braising meat is unmatched by most. It must be his secret recipe. If anyone could easily surpass him, he wouldn’t have become the head chef of Fulai Restaurant.”
Although Yu Li’s remark was bluntly honest, Zhou Shi didn’t mind.
Her own cooking skills were learned from the family chef of the household she served. Back then, she learned to cook solely to prevent anyone from tampering with Fu Wenxiao’s food to harm him.
She never thought of herself as a great cook. While her skills were better than those of most rural folks, they were no match for professional restaurant chefs.
Zhou Shi said to Yu Jin, “You’re running a small business. Cooking to this standard is already enough.”
Yu Jin’s primary customers for her rice balls were laborers and low-income workers who did physical work. They weren’t picky about taste; being able to fill their stomachs was already good enough. To them, braised offal was just an extra touch of meaty flavor. As long as it wasn’t too unpalatable, they wouldn’t complain.
Yu Li nodded. “Mother is right. They’ll probably find it delicious. It’s doable.”
After all, she also thought it tasted good.
Hearing their reassurance, Yu Jin finally felt more confident about her rice ball business.
When dinner was ready, Zhou Shi invited Yu Jin to stay and eat with them.
Yu Jin, feeling a bit embarrassed, was about to decline when Yu Li pressed her down to sit, insisting she eat before going back.
“Then… then I’ll impose,” she said, her face turning red.
Zhou Shi smiled and said, “Child, no need to be so polite! You’re all Li Niang’s younger sisters; there’s no need to stand on ceremony here.”
She genuinely liked the Yu family girls. Seeing them reminded her of her younger self, who had been so poor she was forced to sell herself into servitude. Fortunately, she had met a kind family, and her life had steadily improved.
Because of this, she wanted to help these girls too. Seeing them live well brought her joy.
Yu Jin was deeply moved. Her lips twitched slightly, but she said nothing. Gratitude didn’t need to be constantly spoken. She would remember it in her heart, and one day, when she had the means, she would repay their kindness.
By the time dinner started, the two children had finally finished their assignments.
They came to the main hall to eat, accompanied by Fu Wenxiao.
Seeing Fu Wenxiao appear, Zhou Shi exclaimed in surprise, “Xiao Ge’er, why are you out? How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
Fu Wenxiao smiled faintly and said, “Mother, I’m feeling a bit better today, so I came to join you all for dinner.”
Yu Jin, who was already seated, quickly stood up and softly called out, “Brother-in-law.”
Fu Wenxiao nodded slightly at her and naturally sat down next to Yu Li.
Yu Li brought over the dishes Zhou Shi had specially prepared for him and set them in front of him, saying, “It’s perfect timing that Second Sister is here. Join us for dinner.”
Lately, in addition to treating her own body, Yu Li would also use any leftover energy from her abilities to help him. Although his health was still frail, it was better than before, allowing him to take a few steps outside.
So, seeing him come over wasn’t surprising to her.
Fu Wenxiao smiled and nodded.
The Fu family had few members, so there were no rules about men and women dining separately. Everyone sat together.
It was rare for Fu Wenxiao to join them for a meal, and Zhou Shi was overjoyed. To her, Fu Wenxiao being able to come out was proof that his health was improving. She hoped he would continue to get better.
After dinner, Yu Jin helped tidy up the dishes and clean the kitchen before preparing to leave.
Zhou Shi gave her the leftover braised offal to take back, suggesting she share it with the rest of the second household and use it to experiment with making rice balls the next day.
Now that the autumn winds had begun to blow and the weather wasn’t as hot, the braised offal could keep until the next day without spoiling.
Yu Jin agreed and turned to Yu Li, saying, “Elder Sister, come over tomorrow and try the rice balls I make.”
“Alright,” Yu Li nodded and saw her off at the door.
At the doorway, she said, “Ah Jin, when will you set up a stall in the county town? There’s nothing going on there anymore, so you can go anytime.”
Yu Jin looked at her in surprise and delight. “Really?”
Yu Li nodded and shared the news she had heard from Skinny Wu earlier that day.
Regarding the matter of Steward Cui being beaten, the two yamen officers had handled it quite well. Publicly, they had pinned the blame for Steward Cui’s injuries on some “villain.” For those who knew Steward Cui, they subtly guided them to believe that his injuries were likely the result of revenge from people he had bullied in the past.
Currently, everyone in the county who knew about the incident believed that whoever had beaten Steward Cui must have held a grudge against him and was focusing their suspicions on the people he had wronged.
As long as the two yamen officers kept quiet and Steward Cui couldn’t speak up, no one would suspect them.
Yu Jin was elated and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Tu Laoda had also assured them not to worry, how could they not?
Fortunately, the two yamen officers had done as expected, and Steward Cui would no longer be a threat in the future.
Happily, Yu Jin said, “Elder Sister, I’ll try making rice balls tomorrow and let you all taste them. If everything is fine, I’ll go to the county to sell them the day after tomorrow.”
Since there was no longer anything to worry about with Steward Cui, she wanted to get her business up and running as soon as possible. Yu Jin was very eager to make money and couldn’t wait to start.
After sending Yu Jin off, Yu Li returned to her room to change into a fresh set of clothes.
By now, the evening had deepened, and she began practicing her physical techniques in the courtyard.
This set of physical techniques was something she had been practicing since childhood. Every child sent to the training camp had to learn it. Designed to temper the body, it was highly effective and scientifically developed to maximize human potential.
Yu Li trained for an hour, and by the time she stopped, the sky was completely dark.
A lamp had been lit in the main hall.
Sweating profusely, Yu Li walked into the main hall to pour herself some water. She noticed Fu Wenxiao sitting there and asked, “Why haven’t you gone back to your room to rest?”
Fu Wenxiao poured her a bowl of water first, then gestured for her to sit down. He took a cloth and started wiping her sweat.
Yu Li paused mid-sip and looked up at him.
He acted naturally, as if there was nothing unusual about his actions. Noticing her gaze, he asked gently, “Li Niang, does practicing this consistently help strengthen your body?”
The west wing’s window faced the courtyard, so he had known about her physical training since the first time she practiced it.
These days, she had been practicing diligently, rain or shine, without skipping a single day.