After taking a few steps, he turned back around, "Hold on, you're really eager for trouble, aren't you? Why should I, a man, be made to cook instead of you?"
Su Pan'er's voice rose by octaves: "Are you sure?"
"About what?"
Qin Yi was perplexed. Why should he be the one to discuss cooking?
Su Pan'er looked shocked, "Are you sure you're a real man?"
A real man would pant while walking, boss around, disallow this and that? A real man's voice would sound even better than a woman's?
Qin Yi: "..."
What on earth was this woman blabbering about!
"Can you stop being so sharp-tongued? There aren't many men who can put up with such a fierce woman like you."
"That's good then. We can part ways."
Su Pan'er scoffed, making it sound like she cared about staying here.
Had she not wanted to avoid a scandal, she would have left the moment she woke up!
Qin Yi choked, it took him quite some time to regain his voice: "Instead of daydreaming, go and cook some food! We're married, start acting like it."
"You want me to cook? Seriously?"
Su Pan'er pointed to her own nose, snatched the basket backpack and headed toward the kitchen, "Fine! If you asked me, then I will do it, but if anything happens later... well, frankly speaking, I can't guarantee anything!"
Her stomach was grumbling, and she was getting increasingly worked up. Meanwhile, persistent curses from an old woman outside the gate continued.
Upon hearing her, Qin Yi seemed to remember something and quickly snatched the basket backpack back.
"I'll do it, I will cook! Just sit tight here. I'll get the meal ready very soon, no need to rush..."
Su Pan'er rolled her eyes. Which part of her looked desperate?
If people saw Su Pan'er as a fool, it was truly because her past brilliance made them think so!
One of the reasons involved tales of her housekeeping skills.
For instance, the first time she tried to light a fire in the kitchen, she ended up burning a pot. Or the time she chopped a cutting board in half while cutting vegetables. Or when she shattered an entire cabinet of dishes while washing a single one…
Every time she messed up, her mother would chase her away with a knife, sending her running through several villages.
It was a game of cat and mouse between mother and daughter. Su Pan'er, who faced disasters every time she attempted to cook, never defended herself. Instead, she kept trying, undeterred by repeated failures.
Looking at the kitchen that always ended up in a state of disaster, Old Master Su issued a strict order forbidding Su Pan'er from taking even one step into the kitchen.
Qin Yi could not even imagine the kind of disaster that would result if Su Pan'er were to cook!
Now, faced with Su Pan'er's questioning, memories from the past surfaced, leaving Qin Yi with no desire whatsoever to let her cook again.
"Thi-Third uncle, how about I... I cook." Said a timid voice from behind, belonging to the pale-faced Qin Yueshi who stood at a distance, not daring to approach.
Qin Yi was overjoyed! Like a hot potato, he quickly handed over what he was holding, "That would be most kind of you."
"I should…"
Qin Yueshi forced a smile, shrunk back, and headed into the kitchen.
Su Pan'er glanced back at the still loudly banging door and the ongoing flow of curses, dug her buzzing ears, and followed into the kitchen.
"That wild duck has oil and water, just chop it up and cook it with tender ginger and braised in pickled pepper. Also, dress the wild rabbits and stew them directly. These rabbits lack oil and won't taste good when red cooked. Stew them till the rabbit meat is tender... No, just stew both the duck and the rabbit together for a clear stew."
Su Pan'er looked reluctant.
She loved spicy food and liked to add a lot of chili to whatever she made. However, considering the sick individual beside her, the clear stew of wild duck was nutritional and not too greasy, suitable for a patient.
"Why stew all five wild rabbits? Even if the whole family eats it, it's too much... Save half?"
Qin Yi thought about his illness, how he not only burdened his family, but also accumulated a heap of debts. In order to provide a successor, his father had braved public opinion and arranged a wedding ceremony with Pan'er to save his life. This added a new debt to their already heavy burden.
He agreed with the idea of selling the rabbits for green salt. But seeing Pan'er looking long-faced, he quickly took his words back.
"Who said it's for the whole family? I caught these rabbits, so naturally I'll eat them! Deicide Mountain isn't off-limits. If anyone wants to eat, they can catch their own."
Su Pan'er was very unceremonious. She plunked herself onto a stool and looked at the two people who were still in a daze. She let out a clear cough: "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and get started!" She was starving, okay?
"Alright... I'll get started straight away... right away..."
Qin Yueshi didn't dare delay and quickly called Qin Shuan'er into the kitchen as well. Mother and daughter got to work speedily.
In no time, the smell of food wafted out of the kitchen and spread around with the breeze.
The tantalizing aroma whetted everyone's appetite, saliva flooded out uncontrollably. Everyone craned their necks, their eyes green, all looking towards the kitchen, wishing they could stuff the meat into their mouths right away.