Chapter 23: Stunning

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Stunning

Qiao Suluo picked up a steamed bun and held it right to Qiao Feishuang’s mouth. "Mom, just take a bite. You’ll know how good it is once you taste it."

In her previous life, she would make acacia flower and meat buns every spring. Sometimes, on a whim, she would even set up a stall to sell them. Everyone who bought her acacia flower buns couldn’t stop praising them, so she was very confident in her cooking.

Qiao Feishuang looked at the bun her daughter offered. It was so white and smelled incredibly fragrant. It instantly stimulated her appetite, making her stomach rumble with hunger. She wanted to swallow her saliva, but she held back and politely refused. "Here, keep these for you and your Beast Husbands. Mom isn’t hungry."

As long as her daughter ate well and lived well, she was happier than if she had eaten it herself.

How could Qiao Suluo not see through her mother’s expression? She sighed inwardly, wondering why her past self had been so cruel to such a good mother.

"Mom, I made a lot. If you don’t eat it, it means you don’t forgive me and you’re still mad at me," Qiao Suluo said, feigning anger.

Terrified that her daughter was truly upset, Qiao Feishuang hurriedly took a bite. The moment the food entered her mouth, she realized just how delicious the bun was. There was actually meat inside! They usually only splurged on meat during the New Year.

In the past, Beastmen relied on hunting to survive. However, as they evolved and developed, everyone grew accustomed to farming for a living. Even when they caught wild game, they mostly sold it at the market for copper coins to subsidize their household expenses.

The taste left a lingering rich flavor on her lips and teeth. It was so fragrant, so exceptionally delicious. Eating such wonderful food brought a warm, satisfying feeling.

Qiao Feishuang’s eyes grew even redder. She choked back a small sob and said, "It’s delicious, absolutely delicious. This is the best food Mom has ever eaten."

She was fully content knowing it was made by her daughter’s own hands.

"Mom, if you like it, I’ll make it for you all again in the future," Qiao Suluo said.

Qiao Feishuang quickly suppressed her emotions and said earnestly, "You can’t do that, Su Luo. Now that you’re married, you must prioritize your own family as a wife. You can’t always be looking out for us. As long as you live well, your father and I will be at ease."

Qiao Suluo didn’t argue. She planned to continue making good food and bringing it over regardless. According to the memories in her mind, her parents and brothers were wonderful people who deserved to be treated well.

After chatting with her mother for a while, Qiao Feishuang urged her to go home early for dinner, seemingly terrified that her Beast Husbands would grow dissatisfied or disgusted with her.

Qiao Suluo had no way to explain the change in her husbands’ attitudes. However, she did mention that she had started a small business with her stall and would pay back the one tael of silver herself, just to put Qiao Feishuang’s mind at ease.

By the time she returned home, Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo had already finished delivering the buns.

"You guys are back, too," she said.

A gentle ripple of light appeared in Que Hongjin’s warm, elegant eyes. "They were all very grateful to you," he said softly. "At first, they felt too embarrassed to accept them. They politely declined a few times before finally taking them."

Thinking of the villagers’ surprised, excited, and grateful expressions, Que Hongjin couldn’t help but sigh in awe.

"Yes, that’s exactly what happened," Bai Qianluo added quietly.

Qiao Suluo knew that the people of their tribe were quite simple and honest.

"Well, as long as they accepted them, that’s good. I’ll filter this soy milk first and boil some to go with the buns. If you’re hungry, you can eat first."

"We aren’t hungry. I’ll keep my wife company," Que Hongjin said, helping Qiao Suluo with the chores. The soy milk was quickly filtered and placed in the pot to boil.

Once it was done, each of the three had a large bowl. They took the buns out of the other pot while they were still piping hot, then sat down together to eat.

Taking a bite of the bun followed by a sip of soy milk, Qiao Suluo sighed in contentment as she ate. "Mmm, so good." A look of complete satisfaction covered her face.

Holding his bun, Que Hongjin looked a bit dazed. He felt that it was whiter and softer than the buns sold in the Capital City. "This bun is exceptionally white."

Qiao Suluo paused, feeling a little guilty. "Maybe the flour I bought this time was a bit whiter."

In truth, she had secretly exchanged some white flour from the Space Mall and mixed it in, which was why the buns looked so bright.

Que Hongjin didn’t press the matter and began to eat. It wasn’t until he took a bite that he realized just how stunningly delicious it was.

The dough was thin yet elastic, holding a generous amount of filling. The rich aroma of the meat burst in his mouth—it was fresh, tender, juicy, and refreshing.

Even the soy milk was incredibly rich and mellow. People always said that food made from beans didn’t taste good, but it turned out that soy milk could be this fragrant, leaving one craving another sip right after the first.

"It really is delicious," Que Hongjin remarked. He couldn’t help but look at Qiao Suluo, thinking that someone with such unique culinary skills couldn’t possibly be a good-for-nothing fool. The food they had eaten over the past two days was many times better than anything made by an Imperial Chef in the Capital City.

She seemed to harbor incredibly deep secrets that no one could see through.

Bai Qianluo quietly ate his bun and drank his soy milk with his head bowed. He also chimed in, "Yes, it’s very delicious. You’ve worked hard, wife."

After dinner, they all worked together to prepare the Konjac early. Que Hongjin also finished making the last cloth doll.

Looking at the ten cloth dolls he had completed, Qiao Suluo exclaimed in amazement, "These are so well-made! They’re even better than mine."

She had to admit that Que Hongjin’s dolls were far superior to hers. The stitching was exceptionally fine, and the toys looked incredibly lifelike. Considering he was skilled in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as needlework, she wondered just how much time he had spent learning it all.

Que Hongjin gazed deeply at her with his picturesque eyes and offered an elegant smile. "My skills can’t compare to my wife’s craftsmanship."

Qiao Suluo figured he was just being modest. However, if they were going to make more cloth dolls later, they were running low on mugwort. She would need to gather more dried grass to stuff inside the dolls and give them shape.

After a good night’s sleep, Qiao Suluo woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning to wash up. She thought she had woken up early enough, but to her surprise, Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo were up even earlier.

The water vat was already filled, and the firewood had been chopped. The Konjac and the cloth dolls were all packed and ready to go.

"Wife, the soy milk has already been boiled," Bai Qianluo said in his usual cool tone.

A look of surprise flashed across Qiao Suluo’s face; she thought they were incredibly diligent.

She had gotten up this early specifically to make tofu. Last night, she had only boiled a small portion of the soy milk for them to drink, leaving the rest in the wooden buckets out of fear it would spoil if she boiled it all at once. She planned to make the tofu first thing in the morning, completely unexpected that Bai Qianluo would have done the prep work in advance.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Saying that, Qiao Suluo watched as the soy milk cooled for a little while, then began to curdle it with lactone. Once it all turned into tofu pudding, she poured it into a mold lined with a clean cloth. The mold was made of wood; after pouring the mixture in, she covered it and pressed it down.

However, she saved a portion of the tofu pudding to serve as jellied tofu. Heating up the leftover buns from last night and eating them with the jellied tofu for breakfast would be delicious.

By the time they finished eating and tidying everything up, the tofu was ready. She removed the heavy stones pressing down on it and opened the lid to reveal the perfectly pressed block.

Looking at the fresh, mouth-watering tofu, a bright, sunny smile blossomed on her face. "Look, this is tofu."

Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo watched, both finding it incredibly magical. If left to their own devices, they never would have imagined that soybeans could be turned into such food. But seeing it with their own eyes proved just how unbelievable it was.

Moreover, the jellied tofu had been exceptionally tasty. It seemed soybeans were far more valuable than red or green beans. It was just that the rest of the world didn’t know it. Yet, somehow, Qiao Suluo did.

Seeing Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo fall silent, Qiao Suluo used a small knife to cut a piece and placed it in a bowl, urging them to try it with their chopsticks. "Have a taste."

She already knew what tofu tasted like, but since Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo had never had it before, she wanted them to try it before they headed to the county town to set up their stall.

The two men grew even quieter after eating it. Just how many other foods did she know about that they had never seen or even heard of?

Now, they truly believed she had the ability to earn enough to redeem Tushan Feishang and the other two. It wasn’t just her blowing hot air.