Qi Yunwei spoke with a northern accent, likely indicating a fondness for wheat-based foods.
Su Xiaoqi, playing to his preferences, feigned a trip to the cellar and retrieved flour from her spatial storage.
She cracked an egg, picked some scallions from the yard, and made scallion oil pancakes.
Thinking that pancakes needed soup, she also whipped up a bowl of dough ball soup.
Before the hour of You (7-9 PM), the kitchen was already emitting a mouth-watering aroma.
Qi Yunwei, who had initially come to visit with Shen Yun casually, was now drawn by the scent to stay for supper at the Shen residence.
Thanks to the silver coins, Su Xiaoqi put a great deal of effort into this meal.
Not only were there the wheat-based dishes favored by northerners, but she also steamed white rice. Using the wild rabbit caught last time, she made stir-fried diced rabbit.
Additionally, she caught seven-tailed crucian carp from her spatial storage for fish soup, then scooped out the fish meat to make a cold seasoned crucian carp.
The variety wasn't extensive, but it made up for it in quantity, filling an entire eight-immortal table.
After some polite formalities, everyone began to eat.
Upon tasting, Qi Yunwei couldn't help but exclaim with praise, "Mmm, fragrant, so fragrant."
The scallion oil pancakes were crispy and delicious, the diced rabbit was perfectly spicy, and the crucian carp was tender and fragrant.
Qi Yunwei felt that everything she had eaten before in her life was wasted.
He turned to look at Su Xiaoqi, wondering how this dark-skinned, delicately featured woman possessed such skillful hands.
He truly wished he could take her back to cook for him.
Of course, he only thought this; a friend's wife was not to be trifled with.
However, it was strange that Shen Yun had such a virtuous wife, yet he had never met or heard of her in his previous life.
The meal was exceptionally lively, especially for Old Madam Yu.
She felt that the day had been somewhat surreal.
Previously, she was a half-paralyzed old woman, ignored by everyone and awaiting death.
But today, people had successively brought her delicious food and drinks, treating her with respect as a true elder.
Even this meal was more delicious than anything she had ever tasted in her entire life.
She felt it would have been worth it even if she closed her eyes then and there.
However, after enjoying herself, she remembered her old husband and her son's family.
After the meal, she requested that Zhao shi divide the gifts she received that day into five portions, one for each of her five children present.
As dusk began to settle, Qi Yunwei took his leave, repeatedly urging Shen Yun to provide him with more calligraphy and paintings when he had the time.
He would send the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones over when he had a moment.
Su Xiaoqi found his words odd and looked at Qi Yunwei a few extra times, thinking he was acting strangely!
This was her thought, but for the sake of the money, she not only packed him some buckwheat tea but also made him some scallion oil pancakes to take home.
Could these foods be more fragrant than money?
Returning to the county town, Qi Yunwei looked at the still-warm scallion oil pancakes placed on the mahogany round table. He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, his fox-like eyes half-closed, his gaze filled with calculation.
Meanwhile, in the small Shen family cottage, Su Xiaoqi was rubbing her eyes while grinding ink for Shen Yun.
As she ground the ink, she would occasionally shake her arm, it was so sore.
Shen Yun saw this and told her that Qi Yunwei had given him two taels of silver for the two calligraphy pieces he had written earlier.
"One tael of silver per calligraphy piece?" Su Xiaoqi's eyes widened.
"Then how much does he give for a painting?"
"Ten taels," Shen Yun replied, looking up.
Su Xiaoqi hooked her finger, calculating a thousand taels minus ten, three thousand taels minus ten, five thousand taels minus ten...
Damn it, she was now seriously suspecting that Qi Yunwei was reborn.
Knowing that Shen Yun's calligraphy and paintings would be very valuable after he became famous, he was stocking up in advance.
Su Xiaoqi had only guessed casually at first, but the more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
After all, she herself had transmigrated into a book she had read, so it wasn't surprising if others were reborn.
Thinking of this, she became unwilling for Qi Yunwei to take advantage of Shen Yun. She sidled up to him and whispered,
"Husband, your calligraphy is so beautiful. Will it one day be as sought after as Wang Xizhi's, difficult to obtain even with a thousand pieces of gold?"
Her words were meant to be suggestive, and Shen Yun, hearing them, put down his brush. His star-like eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice,
"What do you think?"
Su Xiaoqi felt a bit uncomfortable under Shen Yun's gaze, which felt almost tangible. She turned her face away:
"I think everyone should have dreams; what if one day they come true?"
Shen Yun pondered. Su Xiaoqi's words were quite telling; if he desired it, he had the potential to achieve it.
"Setting aside its future value, looking only at the present, though one tael is little, it is what I need.
If it were worth a thousand jin later, it might not be necessary." Shen Yun was rarely so pragmatically clear-headed.
If he truly had the ability to make his calligraphy and paintings increase in value a millionfold, he wouldn't be worried about food and clothing.
"Husband, you're right. Then why don't you draw two more for me!" Su Xiaoqi coaxed softly.
He might not care, but she did; it was tens of thousands of taels of silver.
Shen Yun glanced at her, "Are you perhaps harboring the same intentions?"
Su Xiaoqi nodded frankly, "Yes, yes."
"Then I won't draw anymore," Shen Yun lowered his gaze and crossed his arms, looking at her.
"Oh, husband, think about it. I'm different from Young Master Qi. I'm your wife; yours is mine, and mine is still mine..."
Su Xiaoqi spoke without thinking, not even realizing what she was saying.
Shen Yun shook his head helplessly, his hands reaching for her shoulders without warning, but it was too late.
The person in his embrace had already collected herself. He only sensed that she was silently praying in her heart for him to draw more that day.
Shen Yun granted her wish, locking himself in his room to write and paint all day long.
He produced ten calligraphy practice sheets and painted five landscape paintings in one go.
Su Xiaoqi stayed by his side, serving him food and drinks, grinding ink for him, and assisting him; she was quite busy.
In doing so, she overlooked what was happening around her.
At some point, the timid and delicate Shen Xiaomei began to have troubles on her mind.
"Little sister, are you unhappy?"
Su Xiaoqi was overjoyed, having received two calligraphy sheets and two paintings, but then she noticed Shen Xiaomei's eyes were slightly red, as if she had been wronged.
Shen Xiaomei had initially intended to keep it from her, but Shen Erdan, who was sitting in the corridor writing with a stick, revealed it with a single sentence.
"Grandmother scolded sister, saying sister sleeps with a bamboo tube – dreaming pointlessly."
Su Xiaoqi listened, bewildered. Just as she was about to ask for details, she saw Shen Xiaomei cover her face and run into the kitchen to cry.
Su Xiaoqi was puzzled and chased after her. Through a few sentences, she managed to coax the story out of Shen Xiaomei.
It turned out she had fallen for Qi Yunwei, who had visited that day.
He was handsome, wealthy, and gentle, and it was normal for a young girl to develop a crush.
However, Shen Xiaomei was young, and when she confided in her mother, Old Madam Yu overheard her and berated her harshly.
She flatly told her that it was improper to think about such things before being betrothed.
She also said that Qi Yunwei was clearly from a wealthy family, with a vast difference between them, and she was not aware of her own station.
For the past two days, besides her chores, Shen Xiaomei had done nothing but cry.
"Oh, little sister, don't cry, don't cry," Su Xiaoqi comforted her.
"In the future, you will surely marry a very good husband. Your elder brother will have great prospects.
He'll be a high-ranking official, live in a large mansion, with servants all around..."
Su Xiaoqi recounted Shen Yun's future life as described in the book.
"Really?" Shen Xiaomei listened intently, leaning her head on Su Xiaoqi's shoulder, and stopped crying.
"Of course, of course. Even if you don't believe me, you have to believe your elder brother.
He is so talented, reads so well; what’s a mere scholar, provincial graduate, even the top scholar at the imperial examinations are within his grasp."
Unable to bear Shen Xiaomei's tears, Su Xiaoqi was spurred on and blurted out whatever came to mind.
She didn't realize at all that a pair of probing eyes were watching her from behind.