Chapter 1575 - 1564: Honest Fool

Chapter 1575: Chapter 1564: Honest Fool

After deciding what business to do, Ye Qiu first drew the blueprints and asked Niu Xue Mei to go to the blacksmith shop in the county to order some things. Although it was best for him to go himself, wasn’t he still pretending to be ill? He had been so seriously ill before; how could he get better immediately after splitting the family?

Niu Xue Mei took the blueprints to the county as Ye Qiu instructed, and Ye Qiu sat at the door sunbathing when he had nothing to do. The two children didn’t have to work as they did before; they played with the two puppies they just got.

"Dad, I like Saihu and Sheng Bao," said Ye Congying, holding a puppy and smiling happily, her little face full of joy.

"As long as you like them." Ye Qiu patted the two children on their heads and then the puppies in their arms, "Take good care of them in the future, they can protect you."

"Okay." Ye Congying and Ye Congzi agreed very quickly, "Mom said that Saihu and Sheng Bao can not only protect us but also our chickens and ducks!"

"Yes, that’s smart." Ye Qiu smiled as he watched them. This is also why he insisted on keeping two dogs. In the countryside, dogs are meant to guard the house, which is very useful. He also planned to keep two geese because his house was near the back mountain. There were not only foxes and yellow weasels stealing chickens but also snakes. People in the countryside know that where there are geese, there are no snakes. It seems that if a snake crawls over goose droppings, its whole body will rot.

Thinking that Niu Xue Mei wouldn’t be back soon, Ye Qiu went into the kitchen. No matter which world he was in, he wasn’t the traditional type. He decided to make a meal for the two children and also wanted to reassure Niu Xue Mei that he wouldn’t lose money making pancakes.

There was meat bought by Niu Xue Mei to nourish him, along with some chicken and duck eggs and some vegetables at home. He thought, anyway, now that their family was living separately, he didn’t have to worry about others’ opinions. He simply cut all the meat to make Braised Pork Belly, and also made a soup with egg mince and vegetables.

So when Niu Xue Mei came back, she saw the two kids and the two dogs staring eagerly at the kitchen door, her nose twitching with the alluring aroma. She looked over with a face full of surprise and then froze.

Ye Qiu smiled honestly at her: "You’re back? Just in time to eat."

"You made this?" she asked, filled with shock.

"Yes." Ye Qiu scratched his head, "I saw you hadn’t come back, was worried Cong Ying and Cong Zi would be hungry, so I made it first. Don’t worry, I’ve done this before, and the two sisters just tasted it and said it was delicious."

Ye Congying nodded vigorously: "Dad is right, it’s super tasty."

Ye Congzi, being more straightforward, smacked her lips and said: "It’s tastier than Mom’s cooking. I want to eat Dad’s cooking in the future."

Now, Niu Xue Mei was even more curious. Her husband’s cooking was actually better than hers? Why did she find this so unbelievable? But there was no need for the daughters to lie to her, and the scent was really nice.

She walked into the kitchen and her heart sank when she saw the meat stewing in the pot: "You used up all two pounds of meat?"

"Yes." Ye Qiu nodded, "I saw it wasn’t much, so I used it all."

"But that was to nourish your body," Niu Xue Mei said with aching heart.

Ye Qiu chuckled and then spoke earnestly: "Didn’t I eat it too? Xue Mei, we’ve split the family now. In the future, we can eat whatever we want. This family doesn’t only need me to be nourished; it’s the same for you. I was foolishly filial before. From now on, for my wife and children, I’ll give you the best I can."

Niu Xue Mei was deeply touched by his words. They had been married for many years, and recently she was easily moved. Her husband seemed like a completely different person, but she particularly liked this change.

"The meat is ready, and there’s also a soup, we can eat soon. You set the table." Ye Qiu ladled out the Braised Pork Belly, rich and steamy, looking especially appetizing.

Niu Xue Mei couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. She was particularly curious about how her husband could cook so well. How did he get this skill? Since marrying him, she had never seen him cook!

"I learned while working away." Ye Qiu explained at the table, "Back then, I’d be away for two or three months at a time. Tired of the dry rations on the road, I’d go hunting with my companions for better meals. I learned to cook then and realized many herbs or spices make dishes particularly fragrant."

"So you’ve had such experiences." Niu Xue Mei felt only heartache, "That must have been hard then!"

"Yes, it was hard, so after returning I never mentioned I could cook, fearing my mom would assign me more chores." Ye Qiu smiled bitterly, "Fortunately, I woke up in time and took you all out of misery, or we’d still be contributing to my eldest brother and Fourth."

"As long as I’m here, we’ll work hard together, earn more dowry for Cong Ying and Cong Zi, and carefully find good matches for them. Let them not suffer as we did." After experiencing ease, Niu Xue Mei realized how oppressive the past had been. She was determined to prove herself. So what if her eldest brother and sister-in-law had two sons? Her own family might well live better in the future.

"Let’s eat, don’t say so much. Try my cooking and see if it’s as good as the town’s restaurant." Ye Qiu personally picked some meat for Niu Xue Mei, then watched her expectantly.

Ye Congying and Ye Congzi could hardly hold back and had already eaten several pieces while their parents talked. Ye Qiu feared they’d get tired of it, so he served each a bowl of soup.

"Mmm...delicious!" Niu Xue Mei’s eyes widened. In her memory, there were only so many ways to cook meat. Having eaten little before, she thought any way was delicious, but after tasting Ye Qiu’s cooking, she realized the previous methods wasted it.

"I knew you wouldn’t be disappointed. Now, I’m confident about selling at the stall." Ye Qiu ate a piece of braised pork belly and sighed contentedly.

He wasn’t one to crave food, but his mom was truly stingy and didn’t care for him. Throughout his illness, he didn’t see any oiliness from his mom’s place. Now, eating hot delicious food again with his wife and children by his side, he felt greatly satisfied.

Niu Xue Mei still felt a little worried: "But after all, this is meat. We can’t sell too much meat; it looks like a loss."

"Don’t worry, it won’t be a loss. Tomorrow I’ll make you two vegetarian dishes, and you go to the place where they slaughter pigs to buy all the offal, and get some spices. I’ll make a few delicious dishes. Not only are they tasty, but they’re also cheap."

"Pig offal? That stuff is so strong-tasting, can you make it delicious?"

"I guarantee it’ll be memorable."

Niu Xue Mei was skeptical. Eating the delicious Braised Pork Belly, she decided to give her husband a try.