After feeding her the brown sugar ginger tea, Qin Ke carried the empty bowl to the kitchen, returned with a bowl of millet porridge, and said, "It's not good to eat nothing. I cooked some porridge—drink a little."
At this moment, Lu Youqing was unusually obedient. Whatever Qin Ke said, she did.
After finishing the porridge, Lu Youqing lay back down. Her stomach felt warm, much more comfortable than before, and her hands and feet were no longer as cold.
"Rest easy and sleep. If you need anything, just call me. I won't be going out today," Qin Ke said as he bent down to tuck in the blanket for her. He asked softly, "Is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll make it for you."
Qin Ke's expression at that moment was unbelievably gentle. Lu Youqing looked at his eyes, filled with focus and concern, and froze for a moment before softly saying, "I want to eat the fish you made last time."
Although her complexion was still a little pale, there was a delicate charm about her. Her eyes were clear, carrying a hint of allure. Qin Ke looked down at her and felt his heart melt completely.
"Alright. I'll go make it."
His voice was light and gentle, tinged with indulgence.
Watching his back as he slowly closed the door and left, Lu Youqing bit her lip, clutching the edge of the blanket tightly and pulling it up to just beneath her nose. Her heart was beating wildly, as if it were about to leap out of her throat.
Qin Ke went out and took a fishing rod. The fish Lu Youqing mentioned was one he'd bought earlier when he happened to see villagers catching a few fish.
Wanting her to try something new, he had made sweet-and-sour fish. Only then did Qin Ke realize that tomatoes didn't exist in this era. It seemed that once autumn harvest arrived and his points were credited, he should start building some vegetable greenhouses.
Limited by ingredients, the sweet-and-sour fish wasn't as delicious as he remembered, but for someone like Lu Youqing, who had grown up eating very bland food, it had been remarkably impressive.
In ancient times, sugar was practically a luxury. Moreover, eating sweets stimulated dopamine, which was why sweet foods had always been popular.
There was no supermarket in the village. That time he'd bought fish had been sheer luck. Now, if Qin Ke wanted fish, he could only go to the river himself. Fortunately, he'd heard that the village river had good water quality and plenty of fish.
Although he'd never fished in his previous life, he'd heard that earthworms were the best bait, so his first step was to dig for worms by the river.
On his way out, he ran into Li Nanqiao, who had just returned from washing clothes.
"Boss, you're going to—"
"My wife wants to eat fish. I'll try my luck at the river," Qin Ke replied, putting on his straw hat. He reminded her, "After you finish drying the clothes, you don't need to do anything else. Just listen for any movement inside."
Qin Ke's luck was quite good. This was partly because people in ancient times didn't particularly like fish—the fishy smell was hard to remove, and doing so required generous seasoning.
For ordinary people struggling just to eat their fill, it was impossible to waste so many ingredients on such things.
Qin Ke not only caught fish, but quite a few of them. He planned to cook one and keep the rest alive in a basin.
When he returned home carrying the fish, Li Nanqiao was sitting on the steps by the doorway, holding a stick and writing on the ground.
Qin Ke didn't even need to look to know she was practicing the characters Lu Youqing had taught her. She couldn't bear to use paper, so she practiced with a stick instead.
"Boss, you're back!"
"Has my wife woken up?"
"No," Li Nanqiao shook her head, then smiled at the fish in his hands. "So many fish!"
"Yes. Put the rest in a basin to keep them alive. I'll cook. Stay here for lunch today and try my cooking."
As soon as Qin Ke finished cleaning the fish, Li Nanqiao poked her head in. "Boss, let me help."
"Alright. Help steam the rice first," Qin Ke said, glancing at her as he marinated the fish. He sliced ginger into shreds. With no cooking wine available, he used drinking wine instead, then added egg white to make the fish more tender.
He heated the oil. The most important step of sweet-and-sour fish was frying. He placed the marinated fish into the pot, fried it until golden, then removed it and set it on a plate.
What remained was making the sauce. Li Nanqiao added firewood at the side, staring unblinkingly at the fish while inhaling the aroma in the air, already unable to resist swallowing.
"Alright, no need to add more firewood. Take the rice out first, then go wake my wife to eat," Qin Ke said as he thickened the sauce and poured the cooked syrup over the crispy golden fish.
He planned to make a cold dish as well. As the weather grew warmer, cold dishes were crisp and refreshing, making them more appetizing.
He shredded potatoes, blanched them, then rinsed them in cold water to make them extra crisp.
When he carried the two dishes out, Lu Youqing was already there. Though she wasn't as energetic as usual, she looked much better than in the morning, with some color back in her face.
"You're up. Feeling better?" Qin Ke asked as he set the dishes on the table. These days, they mostly ate outdoors, at a table placed under the pavilion. Straw mats hung on all sides of the pavilion and could be lowered if the sun was too strong.
"Much better. You don't need to worry," Lu Youqing said with a smile. Ever since her periods began, she suffered this every month. Before Qin Ke bought her, she had endured hardship, leaving her body weakened, which made the pain worse. She was long accustomed to it—it wasn't a big deal. Qin Ke was simply too anxious.
"Good. I made the sweet-and-sour fish you wanted and a cold dish to whet your appetite. Try them," Qin Ke said, placing a bowl of rice in front of her.
"It's very good. The shredded potatoes are fresh too—what did you add?"
"A bit of sugar. If you like it, eat more."
Li Nanqiao only started eating after both of them picked up their chopsticks. After one bite, her eyes widened in surprise, followed by an expression of pure enjoyment.
After that, she hardly noticed what Qin Ke and Lu Youqing were talking about, focusing entirely on the food and eating with abandon.
Once the two of them put down their chopsticks, she naturally transferred the remaining food into her own bowl.
Qin Ke had cooked with three people's portions in mind. With the weather growing hot and no way to preserve leftovers, there was basically no leftover food in their household. After finishing, Li Nanqiao took the initiative to clear the table and wash the dishes.
Seeing there was nothing else to do, Lu Youqing told her to head home early.
"Alright. If you need anything, come call me!" Li Nanqiao said as she wiped her hands and prepared to leave.
That evening, when Lu Youqing was about to return to her room, she saw Qin Ke laying out bedding for her.
"Just use this old mattress. It doesn't matter if it gets dirty. And… tonight, I'll sleep with you again," Qin Ke said as he straightened up and looked at her.
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Currently at chapter 130 for advance chapters
https:// ko-fi.com/rabi08