Chapter 44: The Dishes Are Ready, but Where’s the Rice?
“Peel it before you eat it, don’t worry about wasting it. Dahua loves eating the skins.”
Even if Dahua didn’t eat them, they could be tossed into the organic compost pit she had dug. She was an agriculture student, after all; she wouldn’t let a single scrap of food waste go to waste.
Clutching the egg, Lin Sanniang wrestled with her thoughts for a long moment, but she ultimately managed to hold back from asking Jian Xingxia if she could take it home.
Just eat it. Once I’m full, I’ll just work even harder for the Proprietress.
She peeled the egg and cherished every single bite, taking tiny mouthfuls.
It had been so long since she last tasted any oil or meat that even a simple egg tasted incredibly sweet and savory.
Once the large sweet potato was down her throat, Lin Sanniang didn’t dare delay any longer and immediately asked, “Miss, what tasks do you have for me today?”
Jian Xingxia pointed to the few bags of chestnuts resting nearby. “Still these chestnuts. Boil them, then score them.”
Lin Sanniang said joyfully, “I’ll get right to it then.”
Lighting the fire, boiling the water, and throwing in the chestnuts—Lin Sanniang executed it all in one smooth motion.
While the first pot of original flavor chestnuts was simmering, she sat under the eaves of the back door to score the next batch. Once she moved the chestnut-scoring tool onto the small wooden table, she got even faster at it.
Seeing that she had things completely under control, Jian Xingxia felt at ease and went to check on the crops in the fields.
It happened to be the perfect time for morning watering. Some of the amaranth seeds she had sown earlier were already peeking out of the soil. The tomato seedlings were growing the fastest, already reaching the height of her calves. The cucumbers and luffa squashes were only growing leaves so far, with no signs of vines climbing yet, so there was no rush for the time being.
The seeds Jian Xingxia had started in her seedling trays were sprouting even better. She spent some time transplanting them, giving each one its own individual cell so they could continue developing in the trays.
Beside the backyard, there was also a large pit containing Jian Xingxia’s kitchen waste compost pile.
If she had professional airtight containers and temperature-control equipment, the composting process would be much more effective. But right now, Jian Xingxia had no money, so she had to rely on the penniless method—utilizing local materials, burying whatever could be buried in the pit, and sprinkling a bit of plant ash to boost fertility.
By the time Jian Xingxia finished her rounds in the fields and returned, Lin Sanniang was already starting on the second pot of chestnuts.
“Just boil one pot of rock-sugar flavor today. Boil all the rest in the original flavor,” Jian Xingxia instructed.
When she sold the chestnuts yesterday, the original flavor was by far the best seller. The rock-sugar coating had started melting by the afternoon, turning a bit sticky, which most people felt wasn’t hygienic enough.
Besides, people who chose chestnuts as a snack usually cared about their health. Chestnuts were already naturally sweet enough, so very few people would choose a version with extra sugar added.
Lin Sanniang complied, “Yes, Miss.”
Jian Xingxia had managed to correct her use of “this humble woman,” but “Miss” proved difficult to fix. If she didn’t let her say “Miss,” the woman would randomly combine terms like “Fairy,” “Employer,” and “Proprietress” to make up a title on the spot, so Jian Xingxia just let her be.
In any case, “Miss” was a perfectly normal, polite form of address, and she could fully accept it.
The morning quickly slipped away.
Lin Sanniang was highly skilled at kitchen work, taking just over four hours to finish all six pots of chestnuts this time.
Seeing that the chest freezer could no longer hold any more, Lin Sanniang consulted Jian Xingxia, “Miss, shall we keep boiling the remaining chestnuts?”
“Let’s hold off for now. Sanniang, do you know how to cook meals? How about whipping up a couple of dishes?”
Lin Sanniang certainly knew how to cook. She looked over the vegetables stacked in the corner of the kitchen, as well as the cured meat and dried bamboo shoots Jian Xingxia had brought out. She quickly drew up a menu of a few dishes for Jian Xingxia to choose from.
“Stir-fried pumpkin with salted egg yolk, plain stir-fried sweet potato leaves, stir-fried luffa with eggs, and braised cured meat with dried bamboo shoots… We could also change it to a savory soup with dried bamboo shoots and cured meat, or a luffa egg soup.”
Lin Sanniang had worked as a hired hand in wealthy households before, so she had seen her fair share of banquet dishes. Since this meal was meant for Jian Xingxia, she didn’t show any stage fright and meticulously arranged a few dishes.
Jian Xingxia hadn’t had many proper meals since she returned, and listening to the list immediately made her mouth water.
“In an hour… which is half a double-hour, which dishes can you manage?”
Lin Sanniang only had an hour and a half left of her working time. Since Jian Xingxia had promised that meals were provided until she was full, she definitely intended to keep her for lunch, so she left the scheduling to her.
“I’ll go cook the rice, and we’ll eat in half a double-hour.”
Lin Sanniang could tell that this meant she was expected to eat along with her, and her heart swelled with even greater gratitude.
In the past, hired kitchen helps were absolutely not allowed to eat before the masters. Only some clean leftovers could be used to reward them—and that was only after the estate’s internal servants had picked through them first. Most of the time, they could only eat some radishes and cabbage. Being able to fill their bellies was already a blessing; they never dared to dream of sitting down to eat with the employer.
Lin Sanniang no longer had any doubts about Jian Xingxia’s kind heart. Even if she were a fox spirit who feasted on human hearts, given the goods and respect she had received over the past two days, she felt it would be worth it.
What was more, no matter how she looked at her, she couldn’t see any sign that Jian Xingxia was a monster.
Lin Sanniang put forth her absolute best effort, turning out three dishes and a soup in an hour.
Stir-fried pumpkin with salted egg yolk, plain stir-fried sweet potato leaves, cured meat with dried bamboo shoots, and luffa egg soup.
The dishes were finished and kept warm by the side of the stove. Lin Sanniang waited expectantly—the Proprietress had said she would cook the rice herself earlier, but even after all this time had passed, the young mistress had only occasionally popped into the kitchen to grab a sneak taste out of greed. She hadn’t seen the Proprietress cook any rice at all.
Lin Sanniang didn’t dare criticize the employer’s actions arbitrarily. She merely looked around the kitchen; there was still flour left, but she didn’t know if there was enough time to roll out noodles.
Just as she was pondering this, the young mistress slipped back into the kitchen, inhaling deeply through her nose as she smiled. “Wow, it smells amazing! Sanniang, your cooking skills are excellent!”
Jian Xingxia couldn’t resist using her fingers to snag a couple of bites, feeling deeply satisfied.
Lin Sanniang felt a touch nostalgic, mixed with a hint of sorrow. “My husband’s culinary skills were far better than mine. It is just a pity…”
Lin Sanniang’s husband had passed away from an illness.
In the Daliang Dynasty, very few people could afford to see a doctor. A family could toil away relentlessly—avoiding keeping a bedridden elderly relative and minimizing the number of crying infants to feed—yet even with several laborers working together, they could only save two or three taels of silver a year.
A single visit to the doctor and one round of medicine could wipe out nearly all of it. If it wasn’t cured the first time, or if they had to buy a few more doses of medicine, the household would fall into debt.
Borrowing money meant high interest rates where you received nine but had to repay thirteen; practically no one could afford to pay it back, and it was highly likely that the entire family would be dragged down from then on. Because of this, enduring the illness and stubbornly refusing to seek medical care was the choice of the vast majority.
Thinking of her husband, Lin Sanniang couldn’t help but feel heavy-hearted. If only her husband could have held on for another two or three years, until she and Taoya could come work at this mountain villa… perhaps there would have been a cure.
But what was past was past, and there wasn’t much point in constantly dwelling on “what ifs.”
Lin Sanniang pulled herself together. At the very least, today’s life was better than yesterday’s, which was already a blessing from the heavens.
Lin Sanniang informed Jian Xingxia about the oil situation. “Miss, I used three teaspoons of oil. The remainder is all here.”
Jian Xingxia hadn’t bought an oil dispenser yet, so the large jug of oil she bought was still being poured into a cup for daily use.
Lin Sanniang’s approach was standard practice for hired kitchen helps. After finishing the work, they had to clearly account for the use and amounts of major staples like rice, flour, oil, fish, meat, and eggs.
But as a modern person, who actually cared about using oil? If anything, she only cared about using less oil—for the sake of health and weight loss!
Jian Xingxia naturally wouldn’t be strict about this, waving her hand casually. “Alright, got it.”
Seeing that Jian Xingxia didn’t say anything about the oil usage, Lin Sanniang breathed a sigh of relief—she had guessed correctly. The employer cared much more about whether the food tasted good or not. As long as she didn’t waste the oil, the employer wouldn’t say a thing.
Displaying the service mindset of a hired maid, Lin Sanniang quickly became a considerate helper to Jian Xingxia.
Except… where was the rice?
Lin Sanniang had already moved the three dishes and one soup onto the small wooden table under the eaves of the back door according to Jian Xingxia’s instructions, but she still hadn’t seen any rice.
Could the young mistress really have forgotten?
