Cold Dishes

Matron Ruan stood up. "I've been away for some time. To keep the old madam and the madam from worrying about the young lady, I'll return to the residence now."

Madam Xie had mixed feelings and was in no mood to ask her guests to stay. After seeing Matron Ruan and the others out, she turned to Xu Xi. "Are you sure?"

Xu Xi nodded. "They've brought proof, and it was issued by the authorities. There can't be any mistake."

Madam Xie fell silent for a moment. "When are you going back to the marquis's residence, then?"

"Tomorrow."

"So soon?" When Madam Xie saw the little red mole, she had known she couldn't keep Xu Xi there. But hearing that she was leaving tomorrow still left her heart painfully constricted.

Xu Yongyi sighed. "If you're wronged after you go back, come home to the Xu Family. Our door will always be open to you."

"Mm." Xu Xi gave him a radiant smile. "I will."

Suddenly, the sound of sniffling and sobbing came from nearby. The three turned to see Xu Xue standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her face. When she saw that Xu Xi had noticed her, she decided that a broken pot might as well be smashed and squatted down, wailing.

Xu Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She went over and helped her up. "Silly, I'm only going to stay at the marquis's residence for one night tomorrow. The day after that, I'm going to enroll at the academy. If I don't board there, I'll still have to live with you in the house in the county seat."

That reminded her of something. She turned to Xu Yongyi. "Uncle, talk to Auntie about where we'll live. When the lease on the house in the county seat expired, you asked a broker to rent it out again. If we're moving there, you'll need to tell the broker quickly. And if we're going to live there ourselves, I'm afraid the house will need some tidying up."

Xu Yongyi hesitated. "All right. Let me talk it over with your aunt first."

He had actually made up his mind not to move to the county seat. Money was tight at home, and renting out the house would at least bring in some income. As for Xu Xi and Xu Xue, he would see how much boarding cost. If it wasn't expensive, they could stay at the academy; if it was, they could travel back and forth by mule cart every day, as Xu Chongwen did.

But things had changed, and now he was wavering.

If they didn't move to the county seat, the marquis's household would certainly have Xu Xi board at the academy and return to their residence on her ten-day breaks. Then it would be hard for them to see her. But if they moved to the county seat, Xu Xi might live at home. Even if she didn't, they could still see her from time to time. In that case, whether Xu Xi returned to the marquis's residence or not wouldn't make much difference.

Besides, moving to the county seat would be good for both Xu Chongwen and Xu Xue. Otherwise, they would have to travel back and forth in wind and rain. Xu Chongwen was a boy, so a little hardship didn't matter much, but Xu Yongyi couldn't bear to make his delicate little daughter Xu Xue make the journey.

Xu Xi saw what was on Xu Yongyi's mind and quickly added, "Uncle, after trying those snacks in the county seat today, I had an idea. I'd like Auntie to try making a snack and see if we can sell it in town. I read about it in a book before. People in Sichuan Province eat it often. If it sells, we'll have an income, and living in town won't be a problem."

Before Xu Yongyi or Madam Xie could speak, Xu Xue fired off a string of questions. "What snack? What snack? How do you make it?"

Madam Xie gave her daughter a light pat and chided her. "Why is a young lady like you so impatient? Look at your sister. She's so much more composed." Then she turned and asked herself, "What snack?"

Xu Xue pursed her lips and muttered, "The magistrate can set fires, but the common folk aren't even allowed to light lamps." When Madam Xie glared at her, she quickly shrank behind Xu Xi.

Xu Xi took Xu Xue's hand and smiled. "Auntie, let me change my clothes, and then I'll explain it to you in the kitchen. Soak some dried kelp, then make a round of the village and see who has dried chilies. They should be different from the ones we have at home. Get two or three of every kind. Then buy some tofu skin too."

She looked at Xu Yongyi. "Uncle, pick a few cucumbers from the vegetable garden."

Speaking of which, Xu Xi was grateful to that transmigrator empress. That woman was probably a foodie too. Somehow, she had collected crops and vegetables like chilies, potatoes, and corn, as well as all sorts of spices, benefiting Xu Xi, who had come after her.

"All right," Madam Xie agreed.

Once Xu Xi and Xu Xue had gone inside, she drew Xu Yongyi into the kitchen and asked quietly, "Husband, do you think this idea of Miss Xi's will work? She hardly ever cooks. Can she really teach me to make something we can sell?"

"No matter what, since Miss Xi suggested it, let's give it a try. Even if it doesn't work, it's no great loss. The things she mentioned aren't expensive. Even if we ruin them, we won't lose much," Xu Yongyi said.

They grew their own chilies, and the tofu skin was made at the village tofu workshop. Half a jin cost only four copper coins. Only the kelp was a little more expensive, since it was brought in from elsewhere. But even that cost less than meat, and half a jin swelled into a great deal when soaked. Besides, Xu Yongyi had bought the kelp wholesale to resell, so it had cost him less than other people paid.

All those things together cost only a dozen or so copper coins, a mere fraction of what Xu Xi and Xu Xue had spent on snacks in the county seat.

Since Xu Yongyi had said so, Madam Xie hurried to get to work.

"You go get the chilies. I'll pick the cucumbers and buy the tofu skin while I'm at it." With that, Xu Yongyi went out and headed for the tofu workshop.

When he returned, Xu Xi was teaching Madam Xie to make chili oil. Xu Xi wasn't much of a cook, but she had seen a classmate from Sichuan Province make this chili oil. Cold dishes mixed with it tasted even better than those from the cold-dish stalls outside.

Xu Xi was glad that Xu Yongyi was a peddler. He had a full assortment of spices among the goods he carried, and she taught Madam Xie to add them to the hot oil one by one, stirring constantly. Before long, a fragrant, spicy aroma filled the kitchen, making Xu Yongyi run into the courtyard and sneeze twice, loudly.

By the time the chili oil was ready, Xu Xue had cut the kelp and tofu skin into shreds and pieces and blanched them. She had also cut the cucumbers into pieces and salted them briefly. Xu Xi drizzled in chili oil, then added salt, soy sauce, fragrant vinegar, sugar, scallions, ginger, and other seasonings. She tasted it first, nodded, and said to the three people watching her with shining eyes, "Try it."

Xu Xue was the quickest. She had already gotten her chopsticks ready and hidden them behind her back. As soon as she heard Xu Xi, she moved quickly, picking up a shred of kelp and putting it in her mouth.

"Ah, it's so delicious!" Her eyes lit up. While she was still chewing, her chopsticks reached for the tofu skin.

Xu Yongyi and Madam Xie tried it too.

Madam Xie had also tasted the kelp first. She couldn't help praising it. "Fragrant, spicy, and refreshing. Oh, that tastes good."

"This is good, this is good." Xu Yongyi, however, was eating the cold cucumber salad.

Ever since cucumbers had been introduced to Great Jin, the Xu Family had grown them every spring and summer, eating them until they were sick of them. But Xu Yongyi had never imagined that cucumbers, which he had long since tired of, could taste so good mixed with chili oil. The fragrant heat of the oil, the saltiness, sourness, and sweetness of the salt, vinegar, and sugar, and the cucumber's own fresh, crisp sweetness spread through his mouth in layers. The more he ate, the more he wanted, and he couldn't stop.