In the Pan family's home, the modest meal had indeed been laid out on the table.
Boiled radishes in plain water, stir-fried cabbage with a couple of fatty meat slices subtly wrapped inside, and two bowls of mixed grain rice—it only took one glance to feel its bland and flavorless presence.
In those days, ordinary people were very frugal in their lives; not to mention those who were short on money, but even those who had no worries about food and clothing would not spend their money recklessly. Satisfying hunger was their only concern.
Seeing the bowl in Hua Xiaomai's hands, Pan patriarch's eyes lit up instantly. He stood up with a start and said with a beaming smile, "Look at this child, bringing us food again. Haven't I told you? You don't need to send anything to us elders anymore. Your family of three should eat by yourselves!"
"It's rabbit meat cooked with the fermented black bean sauce you gave me. I brought it over for you and Grandma to taste," Hua Xiaomai set the bowl on the table with a smile on her lips. "The rabbit meat I stewed should be tender enough for both you and Grandma to chew." As she spoke, she glanced at the boiled radishes.
Pan patriarch felt a bit embarrassed, he pushed the bowl with the radishes to the side and said sheepishly, "When you get older, your teeth aren't as good. I've boiled these radishes until they've lost their spirit, not nearly as skilled as your cooking. I could smell the delicious aroma even from across the wall."
Hua Xiaomai didn't mind at all. "Grandpa, if you don't mind, next time I cook extra, I'll bring some over for you both. It won't be anything fancy, but it will give you a change of flavor."
She leaned in closer and said mysteriously, "Don't worry. I'm in charge of our stove now, and my second sister can't meddle anymore!"
Pan patriarch laughed heartily and comfortably. Grandma Pan, whose eyesight wasn't great, groped her way over, took Hua Xiaomai's hand, and was about to chat with her when a shout came from outside the yard: "Is Uncle Pan home?"
With a visitor arriving, Hua Xiaomai couldn't stay any longer. She quickly bid farewell to the elders and dashed out. Pan patriarch followed a few steps behind her and called out, "What's the rush, child? You might as well stay and eat with us!"
Hua Xiaomai smiled back, "No need, my second sister and brother-in-law are waiting for me to eat!" With that, she passed by a middle-aged man entering the Pan family's yard and ran back to the Jing family's courtyard.
...
The weather turned colder day by day, and in the blink of an eye, it was the Winter Solstice.
Although Hua Erniang and Taihe had set up their own household, they still had to visit their in-laws during festivals and holidays. As the trailing 'oil bottle' of her own elder sister, Hua Xiaomai naturally couldn't go with them. Early that day, the couple took the prepared pastries and left the house, not forgetting to remind Hua Xiaomai to watch the house and not wander around.
Vegetables were scarce in winter, and with the Chinese New Year approaching, Hua Xiaomai planned to prepare some special food for the holiday. A couple of days earlier, she had gotten two coins from Hua Erniang, and taking advantage of the free day, she bought several taels of two-year-old pickled mustard to make mustard sauce, as well as some vegetables and meat to marinate in the jar. After more than a month, by Chinese New Year's Eve, they would be ready to eat.
She was busy working alone in the courtyard, her body breaking out in a thin layer of sweat despite the chilling well water. Feeling uncomfortably both hot and cold, and her nose uncomfortably stuffy, she was afraid of actually getting sick. She quickly went back into the house to put on an extra thick layer of clothing. When she came out, though, she saw a person standing at the entrance of the yard, not speaking, just squinting at her with a smile.
It was a middle-aged man about forty years old, of medium height, stocky, wearing a grey-blue padded jacket with a trim of fox fur around the collar and cuffs—an indication of reasonably good financial status in Fire Knife Village.
Having not been in Fire Knife Village for long, Hua Xiaomai found the man unfamiliar. She wiped her wet hands on her apron and asked with some hesitation, "You... who are you looking for?"
"You're the Hua family's younger sister, right?" The man stepped inside the door matter-of-factly, laughing heartily, "You might not remember, but we've met before. My surname is Qiao."
Hua Xiaomai scrutinized him with a frown, feeling a twinge of vigilance in her heart.
In her previous era, around the time leading up to the New Year, it was often ripe with theft and scams, with thieves and con artists actively pursuing their trades to make some New Year's money. Although Fire Knife Village was known for its simple customs, she couldn't guarantee that such people did not exist, could she?
"Sorry, I don't know you." With that thought, her voice became colder as she stooped to stuff a big cabbage into the jar, clearly indicating she wanted him to leave.
The man chuckled, "Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person."
As if anyone would have the words "bad person" written on their face. Hua Xiaomai rolled her eyes internally but didn't respond.
"We really have met before. A few days ago, weren't you the one who brought a fragrant and spicy rabbit meat dish to Old Man Pan next door? I had just walked in the door as you were leaving!" the man said unperturbed, patiently explaining with a pleasant tone.
With that, Hua Xiaomai instantly remembered and looked up, "Are you the man who was looking for Old Man Pan that day?"
"Exactly, remember now?" The man slapped his thigh, "Old Man Pan's son and I grew up together. Before he left for the prefecture to do business, he specifically asked me to look after his parents. That's why my family and the Pan elders visit each other quite often. Here, if you don't believe me, I can call him over right now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he actually started calling out loudly, "Uncle Pan, come over and vouch for me, will you? Miss Hua here is doubting me!"
Soon enough, Old Man Pan really tiptoed over from the next yard, and upon seeing the man, he started laughing, "Ah, you kid, you really take this to heart, don't you? Xiaomai, don't be scared; his name is Qiao Xiong, and he's from our village, just living on the eastern side. You don't get the chance to see him often, so it's normal to find him unfamiliar."
"Oh." Only then did Hua Xiaomai relax, looking up with a hint of a smile, "So... Uncle Qiao, what brings you here today?"
"I'm here for a reason, of course!" Qiao Xiong said eagerly, "That day you brought the rabbit meat to Old Man Pan, right? I happened to visit then, and he insisted on sharing a couple of drinks with me. I tasted the rabbit meat you made, and wow, it was absolutely marvelous! We people of Fire Knife Village often eat rabbit meat, stewed, braised, or roasted with firewood, and there are many ways to prepare it. But I have never tasted anything as delicious as yours in my life! For someone so young to be so skilled, it's not easy, is it? What other dishes do you usually cook?"
"I can make any of the common dishes." Hua Xiaomai never saw the need to be modest about her cooking skills and felt a sense of possibility stirring within her.
This man made all the effort to come here; could it be that...
"That's just wonderful!" The man clapped his hands together, "Here's the thing, I have a shop in the east of the village, and with Chinese New Year's Eve coming up, I plan to host a New Year's reunion dinner for my workers on the third day of the twelfth lunar month, and invite some friends over too. We've been busy all year, and it's time for everyone to get together and have a good time. My wife isn't a great cook, and in previous years, we'd order the meal from a restaurant in the county. It was not only expensive, but also not guaranteed to be tasty, and I didn't want to always trouble the neighbors for help. Your cooking skills are so exceptional; would you be willing to come and help me out then?"
"...You mean," Hua Xiaomai's heart thrummed excitedly, "you want me to be the chef and prepare the reunion dinner?"
Everyone wants to make the most of their talents, and she would obviously not be content with just preparing two meals a day for her family. Besides, if Qiao Xiong was asking her to be a chef, he would surely pay her for the work, right? If it worked out, this would be her first time earning money with her own hands since transmigrating!
"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I mean!" Qiao Xiong's voice was loud and clear, "I won't lie to you, ever since I tasted your rabbit meat that day, I just can't stop thinking about it! If you agree to help, I will definitely not let you down. I'll pay you four dang of silver. As for the cost of ingredients and expenses, you won't have to worry about any of that. How does that sound?"
Hua Xiaomai almost jumped three feet in the air.
Four dang of silver, that is, four liang of silver, was almost equal to half a year's living expenses for Jing Taihe and Hua's mother. To earn so much money just for making one meal was a great opportunity she had to seize!
She was momentarily speechless, and Qiao Xiong became a bit anxious, nudging Old Man Pan.
"Heh, Xiaomai, don't worry," Old Man Pan stroked his white beard and said with a smile, "Your Uncle Qiao here runs a paper shop on the east side of the village, and he's not short of money. He'll pay you what he owes, without fail. If he dares to delay or withhold payment, I promise to get it back for you!"
"A paper shop?" Hua Xiaomai was a bit curious and glanced at Qiao Xiong, "Is it the kind that makes lanterns and ceremonial sheds?"
Qiao Xiong's face turned slightly embarrassed, "We do make lanterns and paper sheds... but they're for specific purposes, not useful for anything else... Well, to be straight with you, my shop actually specializes in funeral arrangements!"