Chapter 16.2

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Something was definitely odd about him today, Fan Changyu thought, but she decided not to dwell on it. She poured the scalding water over the pig, soaking its hair thoroughly, then began the task of scraping it off.

Xie Zheng sat on a low stool behind the stove, observing her work, his gaze lingering with a faintly raised brow. He found, unexpectedly, that he preferred seeing her like this—focused, determined, in her element.

After a while, he asked, “Did your father teach you your fighting skills?”

Her hands paused briefly in their work before she resumed scraping. “Yes. My father traveled far and wide as a guard-for-hire. He learned various survival skills from different masters, and I picked up a few things from him here and there.”

Xie Zheng, sensing she had said all she intended to on the matter, didn’t pursue the topic further. Instead, he leaned back and continued to watch her scrape the pig hair, a subtle air of fatigue softening his sharp features. Even sitting among the firewood, his well-defined face was strikingly handsome.

By nightfall, Fan Changyu had sorted the pork, setting aside a small piece to braise for dinner while salting the rest. She rubbed coarse salt evenly over each piece, placed them skin side up in a clean stone vat in the yard, and covered it with a bamboo sieve. The salted pork would cure for a week or so before she smoked it over cypress branches to make cured meat.

Salt was a hot commodity in many areas, but Qingping County was fortunate enough to produce blue salt, making it relatively affordable at just over ten wen per jin. Salt merchants who bought salt permits could take it to other regions and sell it at several times the local price. In some places, it was said they drove prices as high as a hundred wen per jin, leaving the common folk struggling.

With the fire still burning under the large pot she’d used to heat water for the pig, and the pot itself big enough for the task, Fan Changyu decided to blanch the freshly cleaned pork, bones, and offal right there.

The pork belly would be for tonight’s braised meat rice, the bones for a soup base, and the offal and pork head meat would go to the butcher shop for sale in the morning.

After blanching, she lifted all the meat out with two bamboo sieves, refilled the pot with clean water, and added a mix of spices and seasonings. Once it came to a boil, she poured in some of her well-aged braising stock and put the meat and bones back in to simmer.

As the broth began to boil again, a rich aroma seeped through the gaps in the lid, filling the air with the mouthwatering scent of slow-cooked meat.

Fan Changyu’s stomach betrayed her with a grumble; after only having a simple steamed bun at noon and spending the entire afternoon working, the rich aroma was making her painfully hungry.

Beside her, Changning sniffed the air, looking at her sister with puppy-dog eyes. “Sister… I’m starving…”

The only one seemingly unaffected by the enticing smell was Xie Zheng, who sat behind the stove, tending the fire with an impassive expression.

Feeling a bit embarrassed by her own hunger, Fan Changyu patted her stomach and stood up. “The meat’s not ready yet. I’ll go fetch a couple of sweet potatoes to roast.”

Unbeknownst to her, as soon as she went inside, the man behind the stove, though still expressionless, swallowed slightly, his throat bobbing ever so subtly.

Growing impatient, Xie Zheng glanced at the steaming pot. Does it really take this long to cook?

Changning, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle, leaned closer. “Brother-in-law, you’re hungry too, aren’t you?”

Closing his eyes to avoid looking at the cheeky child, Xie Zheng replied curtly, “No.”

Fan Changyu placed two sweet potatoes in the ash under the stove, covering them carefully. Since Xie Zheng had difficulty moving, she didn’t ask him to get up. Instead, she crouched beside him, using the fire tongs to adjust the ash over the sweet potatoes.

The narrow square opening of the stove made it hard to see clearly, so she leaned slightly toward him to check if they were properly buried. As she shifted closer, Xie Zheng instinctively leaned back, but in the cramped space, her hair brushed lightly against his chin. She didn’t notice, but Xie Zheng’s expression tightened.

She had changed out of her work clothes, and her fresh scent—likely her mother’s homemade fragrance—lingered faintly on her clothes and in her hair. Where her hair had brushed him, he felt a cool yet strangely tingling sensation that left an itch he wanted to scratch.

Just as he was about to say something, Fan Changyu finished burying the sweet potatoes and pulled back.

Noticing he had shifted away, she looked apologetic. “Did I crowd you just now?”

His jaw still tingled slightly where her hair had brushed against it, but Xie Zheng avoided her gaze and simply replied, “No.”

As snow began to fall again, Fan Changyu sat on a stool beside the fire, playing cat’s cradle with her sister. The flickering firelight illuminated their faces, and when they laughed, the warmth in their eyes was nearly identical, as if their smiles could melt away the chill of the winter night.

Xie Zheng observed them briefly, then turned to watch the snow swirling outside.

Soon, as the rich scent of roasting meat mingled with a subtle sweetness, Fan Changyu once again moved beside him, this time using the fire tongs to retrieve the two sweet potatoes from the ash.

Their skins were charred a dark gray, hot and soft to the touch. She handed one to Xie Zheng, then split the other with her sister.

Without hesitation, Fan Changyu snapped hers in half, revealing bright golden-orange flesh inside, steam rising in delicate threads from the tips. Just the smell was enough to make one’s mouth water.

She gave half to her sister, and the two of them, laughing and blowing to cool the pieces, began eating. The sweet potato tasted even better than it smelled, and a bit of the char from the skin smeared the corner of her mouth as she bit into it.

Xie Zheng peeled his and took a bite. It was indeed sweeter than the roasted sweet potatoes he remembered.

The highlight of the evening, naturally, was the pot of braised meat that had been simmering for over an hour. The pork belly, thoroughly infused with the rich flavors of the marinade, was diced and stir-fried with minced shiitake mushrooms. Once the mushrooms released their aroma, a ladle of braising sauce was added, creating an irresistible glaze. The mixture was then ladled over a steaming bowl of white rice, topped with a halved braised egg for the finishing touch.

Xie Zheng enjoyed the most satisfying meal he’d had since falling on hard times. His mood remained remarkably good even as he drifted off to sleep that night.

Of course, if the gyrfalcon hadn’t suddenly let out its blood-curdling screeches from the roof, his pleasant mood might have lasted even longer.