Transmigrated into an Ancient ABO Fantasy World: A Culinary Comeback - Chapter 9

Before Wang Xiaojin could figure out how to deal with Qin Yin, tragic news came from Deng Shu, Liu Fujin had suddenly passed away.

The Liu matriarch felt as though the sky had collapsed. Convinced that Deng Shu had seduced her son and caused his early death, she directed all her resentment and fury at her, driving her out of the house on a rainy day. Deng Shu had nowhere to go, her clothes soaked through, utterly disheveled. It wasn’t until the next day, when Wang Xiaojin was setting up her stall, that she found her.

At the time, Deng Shu’s face was deathly pale, her eyes vacant, clearly devastated. Unable to bear it, Wang Xiaojin first took her back to her own home to settle in. Her mother didn’t ask many questions, simply giving Deng Shu fresh clothes and boiling water. Only then did Wang Xiaojin return to the market.

And so, Deng Shu stayed at her home. Living under someone else’s roof, she felt deeply embarrassed and uneasy, constantly on edge. Wang Xiaojin reassured her to stay without worry having her at home to look after her mother gave Wang Xiaojin peace of mind while she worked the stall. Deng Shu gradually relaxed, her mental state improving day by day.

When Xie Yu’an heard about the Liu family’s incident, she rushed to the stall to inquire. Learning that Wang Xiaojin had rescued Deng Shu, she begged to visit.

Wang Xiaojin hesitated, feeling her home was too shabby, but she couldn’t very well refuse. “Then you’ll have to ride this donkey cart home,” she said.

Xie Yu’an’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. “Great! I’ve never ridden in this kind of cart before.”

Around one-thirty, Wang Xiaojin loaded her things onto the cart, patted the wooden plank, and gestured for Xie Yu’an to sit. The girl carefully settled in, and Wang Xiaojin drove the cart, first heading to the market to buy ingredients. Xie Yu’an also picked up some pastries and tonics as gifts.

On the country road, a gentle breeze blew, the sunlight warm and comforting. The girl swung her legs, giggling, and Wang Xiaojin felt an unprecedented sense of peace in her heart.

At the doorstep, Wang Xiaojin pushed open the rickety wooden gate to reveal a worn thatched cottage and earthen floor. Her expression stiffened slightly, a hint of discomfort in her heart. The girl, however, noticed nothing. She had already spotted Deng Shu and the elderly woman washing clothes in the yard and dashed over, greeting them playfully. Soon, the three were chatting warmly together.

Wang Xiaojin couldn’t help but smile, quietly tidying up their belongings on the side.

Xie Yu’an and Deng Shu whispered inside the house. When Xie Yu’an learned of Deng Shu’s ordeal, her eyes reddened with indignation. “Sister Deng, I’m so glad you’re alright. I never thought Liu’s mother could be so cruel.”

Deng Shu wiped the corner of her eye. “This is probably what Xiaojin meant, the fate of us Kunze marrying into another family.”

Xie Yu’an huffed in disagreement. “Hmph, I refuse to accept that.” Deng Shu laughed through her tears. “Of course you wouldn’t, Yu’an. People would be falling over themselves to serve you. Xiaojin only said that to speak up for us Kunze.”

Xie Yu’an thought for a moment and nodded. “I didn’t expect Wang Xiaojin to be such a decent person. But why is she always so busy? She hasn’t stopped for a second.” The girl glanced curiously out the window at Wang Xiaojin, who was spinning around like a top.

Deng Shu understood and smiled. “She’s probably nervous. Actually, you don’t know…” She then told Xie Yu’an about their earlier joint plan.

While the girls chatted, Wang Xiaojin cooked. She had bought some lamb skewers and was just about to grill them when Fan Xi, drawn by the smell, rolled in. Recently “unemployed,” he had been coming to Wang Xiaojin’s place daily to fill his stomach before returning to his own village to sleep. Wang Xiaojin didn’t shoo him away.

“Hey! Xiaojin, such a feast today lamb skewers, no less! Your friend’s got good taste,” Fan Xi exclaimed as soon as he entered, spotting the pile of skewers and rushing over.

“Enough chatter. The meat’s already marinated, keep an eye on the grill. I’ll make something else.”

“Anything else? That’s enough, I can’t eat too much, and Auntie and the others won’t eat much either,” Fan Xi said as he took the skewers and started grilling them.

“What do you mean, you eat? Xie Yu’an is here.”

Wang Xiaojin had him watch the skewers, flipping them constantly, while she quickly fried some salt-and-pepper mushrooms to serve as a snack for the three of them. Xie Yu’an took a bite crispy, savory, with a strong mushroom flavor: “Sister Deng, these are delicious. I didn’t expect her cooking skills to be this good.”

While the two of them were eating, Wang Xiaojin hurriedly prepared a pot of meatball soup, grilled vegetables, roasted flatbread, a few cold dishes, and some iced drinks before the skewers were done.

They all gathered in the small courtyard to eat. Fan Xi’s grilling skills were on point the skewers were charred and fragrant, tender and juicy, generously coated with cumin and chili flakes, rich but not greasy. Wang Xiaojin, exhausted, wolfed down several skewers in one go, drawing a surprised look from Xie Yu’an.

Embarrassed, she slowed down, and Xie Yu’an smiled, saying, “It’s fine. We were too busy chatting to help you. Let me toast you.”

She raised her glass of iced drink, her slender arm faintly visible beneath her sleeve.

Wang Xiaojin raised her glass along with everyone else, wiped her mouth, and stammered, “Uh, no problem, it was nothing, really.”

Fan Xi burst out laughing: “Hahaha, Xiaojin, why are you stuttering? That’s hilarious.”

Deng Shu also chuckled behind her hand, while the young girl looked innocent. Wang Xiaojin kicked Fan Xi under the table: “Eat up, Miss Xie, try this meatball soup.”

Fan Xi scooped himself a small bowl first. He knew how to enjoy his meal eating a few skewers plain, then taking a piece of flatbread, similar to a baijimo, and wrapping it around some grilled tendon skewers to make a grilled meat-stuffed flatbread, which he devoured in big bites.

When he got too full, he washed it down with a sip of the delicious meatball soup, completely unconcerned with appearances. The others didn’t tease him either, copying his method to make their own stuffed flatbreads. Each bite was a perfect mix of meaty, savory, and doughy goodness, utterly satisfying.

Wang Xiaojin nibbled on some cucumber salad, relieved she had made plenty today.

After eating his fill, Fan Xi remembered the main reason for their gathering and glanced at Wang Xiaojin before clearing his throat. “So, Miss Xie, since we’re all here today, could I ask you for a favor?”

Xie Yu’an, her lips glistening with oil, looked up innocently. “What is it? Go ahead.”

“Well, it’s a long story, but basically.” Fan Xi explained everything in one breath. Wang Xiaojin didn’t stop him though it was a bit embarrassing, given her status, she really couldn’t handle Qin Yin on her own.

When Xie Yu’an heard the whole story, she slammed the table in anger. Wang Xiaojin quickly steadied it as Xie Yu’an declared, “This is outrageous! Wang Xiaojin, don’t worry, I promise he won’t bully you again.”

The evening light fell on her face, highlighting the fine down on her skin. After her fierce declaration, she grinned at Wang Xiaojin, her eyes sparkling with confidence and purity in the golden glow. For a moment, Wang Xiaojin felt as if her soul had been sucked into those eyes, stirring an unfamiliar sensation in her heart.

As Shakespeare (not really) once said, the heart is always feeling something. If emotions toward others are physical reactions, then the feelings for this person were a chemical reaction more wondrous, more profound, more heart-stirring.

From that moment on, Wang Xiaojin finally understood how shallow she had been before. It had all been superficial attraction, downright roguish.

Seeing Wang Xiaojin lost in thought, Fan Xi nudged her. She snapped back to reality and raised her glass. “Well, uh, thank you! Miss Xie. Thank you so much.”

The words came out stiff and awkward, lacking finesse. Fan Xi fell silent, while Xie Yu’an sighed helplessly, “Alright, no need to stand on ceremony.”

Deng Shu, chewing on a skewer of meat, watched the scene with a sigh. “Wang Xiaojin, you’re really hopeless. With skills like yours, no matter how good your cooking is, it’s useless.”

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