Chapter 197 - 79: To Suffer a Loss in Silence
"I like learning how to cook. I want to be as good as Second Auntie," Jie Jingshan said with childlike innocence before humbly turning to the woman beside her. "Second Auntie, how much salt should I add?"
"A small half-spoon if you like it less salty, a large half-spoon if you want it saltier," Second Auntie directed with a smile from the side. Jie Jingshan was eager to learn, and she was happy to teach.
"Oh, Jing Qi! Your Second Auntie’s ancestors on her mother’s side were Imperial Chefs. Her cooking is exceptional, and she has decades of experience. You’re still so young. Wanting to be as good as her... it’s difficult without decades of practice!" Granny Guo wasn’t trying to be discouraging; she was just stating the facts.
Second Auntie fell silent, and Jie Jingshan didn’t respond either. After a moment’s thought, she added a large half-spoon of salt. "My sister-in-law likes her food salty."
"Jing Qi, you’re not learning to cook just for your sister-in-law, are you?" Granny Guo asked, surprised. She had thought Jing Qi’s interest in cooking was just a passing fancy.
"Mhm." Jie Jingshan nodded obediently. "My sister-in-law loves Second Auntie’s cooking, so I’m learning from her. Once I get the hang of it, I can cook for her. My goal isn’t to become a chef, so I don’t need to master everything. Just learning the basics is fine."
"You’re so good to your sister-in-law," Granny Guo said, her tone a little odd. All the neighbors knew about the Jie Family splitting up. But this was no ordinary split; it was obvious that Jing Si and his wife had been kicked out to fend for themselves. ’And they even took Jing Qi with them. They really don’t see her as a burden, huh.’
Second Auntie had been praising the new kitchen and three bathrooms that Jing Si and his wife built to the high heavens. She was especially pleased with the kitchen. Some neighbors even teased her, telling her she should go cook in their kitchen instead.
"My sister-in-law is the one who’s truly good to me." Jie Jingshan’s eyes lit up whenever she mentioned Qin Mei. ’Qin Mei is like a beacon, illuminating my gray existence.’
"Jing Qi, the dish is almost done. Add a pinch of MSG," Second Auntie reminded her.
"Oh, okay." Jie Jingshan carefully distinguished between the salt and the MSG, adding only a tiny amount of the latter. As she stirred the vegetables in the wok, Second Auntie handed her an enamel bowl. Jie Jingshan took it and scooped the dish into the bowl.
The hot broth splashed onto the back of her hand, stinging with pain, but Jie Jingshan endured it, continuing to scoop out the vegetables as if nothing had happened.
Qin Mei stood just outside the doorway, silent. A warmth spread through her chest. ’Jing Qi is learning to cook for me.’
’Jing Qi is a wonderful person. If you treat her with genuine kindness, she’ll give it right back to you.’
Second Auntie washed the wok and prepared to teach Jie Jingshan the second dish: shredded potatoes. The potatoes had likely been cut by Jie Jingshan herself, as the pieces were far from uniform. They were less like shreds and more like sticks.
"Jing Qi, your sister-in-law has been treating your legs for over a month now. How’s it going? Is it having any effect?" Granny Guo changed the subject, her eyes locked on Jing Qi’s legs.
At the mention of her legs, Jie Jingshan beamed with pride. "The results are remarkable."
Granny Guo fell silent. ’Remarkable results? I certainly don’t see any. She’s been getting treatment for over a month and she’s still in a wheelchair. How is that remarkable?’ Granny Guo suspected Jing Qi had a misunderstanding of the word "remarkable."
Only Jing Qi herself knew for sure if there was any improvement in her legs. But it was true that she had changed, becoming as cheerful and lively as she used to be.
"Jing Qi, stand back! The oil’s hot, I’m about to add the potatoes," Second Auntie called out. Afraid Jing Qi would get burned by splattering oil, she didn’t let her add the ingredients herself. Only after the sizzling died down did she let her take over stir-frying.
Following Second Auntie’s instructions, the shredded potatoes were soon ready. With both dishes finished, Jie Jingshan spotted Qin Mei standing in the doorway. Her eyes glinted, and she broke into a wide smile. "Sister-in-law, Second Auntie taught me how to cook today!"
Qin Mei suppressed the wave of emotion in her heart, smiling as she stepped into the kitchen. She handed the medicinal plaster she was holding to Second Auntie. "Second Auntie, this is for you."
"So many?" Second Auntie stared for a moment, then wiped her hands on her apron. Grinning from ear to ear, she took the plasters from Qin Mei, praising them endlessly. "Fourth Wife of Jing, this plaster of yours is a miracle cure! I used a few, and my chronic leg chill is completely gone. Even my old problem of my legs aching on rainy days hasn’t flared up."
Second Auntie was clearly exaggerating, and Qin Mei just smiled without saying anything. Granny Guo, however, perked up and asked, "A miracle cure? Is it really that amazing?"
She also suffered from a chronic leg chill; her joints would ache whenever it rained. Hers wasn’t as severe as Second Auntie’s, who sometimes couldn’t even get out of bed when it acted up.
"You forgot? The last time it rained, I was the one who took my two grandsons to school," Second Auntie said to Granny Guo.
Granny Guo looked at her. "I just assumed your son and daughter-in-law were in a rush to get to work and didn’t have time, so you had to push through the pain to take your grandsons."
Second Auntie rolled her eyes. "It rained for several days straight last time. I might be able to bear it for one day, but for several days in a row?"
"But didn’t you say you were cured? Why do you need so many more?" Granny Guo was tempted. ’I’ll ask Second Auntie for some after Qin Mei leaves,’ she thought.
"Who said these are for me? My sister’s chronic leg chill is even worse than mine. I’m buying these from the Fourth Wife of Jing for her." As soon as she finished speaking, Second Auntie turned to Qin Mei with a smile. "Fourth Wife of Jing, how much are they?"
Qin Mei was taken aback. She was playing the long game and wasn’t focused on short-term profits. Giving the plasters to Second Auntie for free would let her sister try them, which would in turn generate some good word-of-mouth. "Second Auntie, these are just samples. They’re free of charge."
Second Auntie didn’t quite understand "samples," but the word "free" hit her hard. "They can’t be free. Fourth Wife of Jing, I know the Jie Family isn’t short on money, but the herbs themselves have a cost. You went to all the trouble of making these plasters; if you don’t charge for them, I’d be too embarrassed to accept."
"Does she even dare to accept money?" Granny Guo insinuated.
Qin Mei lowered her head slightly, a dark glint flashing in her eyes. The current climate wasn’t good. If she sold them openly and someone reported her, she could be arrested for "speculation and profiteering."
As long as she wasn’t too brazen about it, Qin Mei wasn’t afraid for herself. She didn’t have a formal job to lose. Her only worry was whether she might get Jie Jingchen into trouble.
"Guo Xiaofang, if you dare spout any more nonsense, you’ll have me to answer to," Second Auntie snapped, glaring at Granny Guo furiously.
Granny Guo fell silent. She’d done her own share of buying and selling on the sly. ’Once Qin Mei leaves,’ she thought, ’I’ll give Second Auntie some money and have her sell me a few.’
"Fourth Wife of Jing, let’s go eat." Second Auntie tucked the plasters into her apron pocket, lifted the large cooking pot, and headed out of the kitchen. Qin Mei carried the two enamel bowls filled with vegetables and followed her. A moment later, Second Auntie returned for the bowls and chopsticks as Qin Mei came back to wheel Jie Jingshan out.
At the dinner table, Second Auntie proposed a bold idea to Qin Mei: Qin Mei would make the plasters, and she would sell them on the sly. She even thumped her chest, promising Qin Mei that her sales channels were completely safe. She guaranteed she wouldn’t be discovered, let alone reported. And even if things went south and someone did report her, she would take full responsibility and never let it affect Qin Mei.
Fortune favors the bold.
Qin Mei watched Second Auntie with a placid expression. She hadn’t even needed to drop a hint, and Second Auntie was already on the same page. Qin Mei saw the value in Second Auntie’s way with words. Though she had a big mouth, her mind was sharp as a tack. She knew exactly what to broadcast and what to keep quiet.
’If this were the modern era, Second Auntie would be a top salesperson, no doubt.’
Qin Mei put down her bowl and chopsticks and got straight to the point. "You can get the plasters from me for forty cents a piece. I won’t ask how much you sell them for, but, Second Auntie, I have to remind you... people don’t have much spare cash. They’re all pinching pennies to get by. If you set the price too high, it’ll..."
"I understand," Second Auntie cut in. She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Fourth Wife of Jing, forty cents a piece is too expensive."
"Is forty cents expensive?" Qin Mei didn’t think so at all. She had only mentioned the price to caution Second Auntie, worried the woman might get too greedy and try to sell them for double.
’Middlemen in the future are ruthless,’ she thought. ’People from this era are so sincere.’
"It really is," Second Auntie insisted with a nod.
"Jing Qi, is it expensive?" Qin Mei asked, turning to Jie Jingshan.
Jie Jingshan paused mid-chew and, without a moment’s hesitation, shook her head.