My Villainess Is Definitely Not a Black Lotus - Chapter 18

Do not look upon what is improper… Do not look upon what is improper…

The garment fit perfectly, every seam and curve tailored just right. Ji Xiaoyu closed her eyes, savoring the unfamiliar sensation of the soft fabric clinging intimately to her skin. Soon, she carefully removed it, folding it away with the reverence one might reserve for a precious treasure.

As she was about to put it back in the bundle, she noticed another peculiar item—long, thick, and tied with fabric straps at both ends.

Curious, she squeezed it. Was this also made of cotton?

Sister Jianxu, is this for me too? she asked, holding up the long, rectangular object.

Fu Jianxu turned around and nodded, explaining, Yes, it’s a menstrual pad for you.

Menstrual pad… what’s that? the young girl asked, her face full of confusion.

Fu Jianxu’s eyes widened in shock, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. A sixteen-year-old girl who not only lacked proper undergarments but didn’t even know about this…

Menstruation is a sign of a woman’s physical maturity. It happens for a few days every month… She carefully chose her words. Your… lower body will bleed, so you need this.

Xiaoyu… has never had her period before?

Ji Xiaoyu’s face flushed crimson, then paled, her expression a mix of shame and embarrassment. She shook her head gently.

Fu Jianxu felt a bit awkward herself. Though she understood this was a normal physiological phenomenon, explaining it to the young girl with such seriousness made her ears burn.

Stand tall, Fu Jianxu! You’re the older sister here! she mentally cheered herself on.

Some girls start their periods later than others. It’s perfectly normal, she reassured softly, gently patting Ji Xiaoyu’s head. When it does come, the menstrual pad will be useful.

Feeling the gentle touch on her head, Ji Xiaoyu felt something stir in a corner of her heart, as if it had been lightly touched as well.

The next day, Fu Jianxu set down the last bag of rice, dusted off her clothes, washed her hands, and flicked the water droplets off her fingers as she walked over to Ji Xiaoyu.

While stirring the pot with one hand and sprinkling seasonings with the other, she whispered to Ji Xiaoyu during a brief lull in her work, Let’s go to the market again after we finish up here.

To the market again?

Though puzzled, the young girl obediently nodded.

I want to buy some ingredients to try making a new kind of dessert, Fu Jianxu explained as she pushed the cart alongside Ji Xiaoyu after work. Let’s get some japonica rice today. That dessert requires it.

Unfamiliar with prices and unable to haggle, Fu Jianxu relied entirely on Ji Xiaoyu for all her purchases.

Rounding the corner, they arrived at the grain shop on East Street. Ji Xiaoyu stated their request, and the shopkeeper replied, Japonica rice? Fifty cash per dou for top-grade, thirty cash for lower-grade.

How much is a dou? Fu Jianxu, who was only familiar with buying by the pound, quietly asked Ji Xiaoyu, her brow furrowed in confusion.

…About half a xun’s worth of rice, Ji Xiaoyu replied.

Enough for half a month? Understanding dawned on Fu Jianxu. Then give me two dou of the thirty-cash kind.

Besides the rice for the dessert, they needed some for their own meals. Fu Jianxu reasoned that after eating coarse grains and flour for so long, it was time for a change. So she bought two dou of rice at once.

The sun set earlier each day. By the time the two returned home, dusk had already fallen. Fu Jianxu immediately soaked the japonica rice in clean water, estimating it needed an overnight soak. She then washed her hands and began preparing dinner.

Life is hard enough we must take our meals seriously.

Fu Jianxu lived by this maxim. She cracked two eggs, roughly chopped two potatoes, and added the leftover chives Fu Zhixiao had brought over recently. Stir-frying the chives with the eggs would enhance their flavor.

Moments later, two steaming dishes were ready. She eagerly rinsed the japonica rice—the main event of the day. Rice steamed in an earthen stove was the most fragrant, not only producing delicious rice but also allowing her to make guoba tang crispy rice soup with the rice water. The memory of her grandmother’s guoba tang from childhood made Fu Jianxu swallow involuntarily.

Xiaoyu, which family in our village has a stone mill? Fu Jianxu asked, lifting the pot lid and poking holes in the half-steamed rice.

Second Aunt Fu at the village entrance might have one, Ji Xiaoyu replied after a moment’s pause, her hand still holding firewood.

Come home early tomorrow and bring the soaked japonica rice to the mill, okay? Fu Jianxu poured out the rice water, set up the steaming rack, and placed the cooling dishes back in the pot to reheat.

She planned to buy milk after work, while Ji Xiaoyu would grind the rice at noon. By the time she returned home, she could start making dessert. We’ll need to grind it several times until it becomes a fine, smooth rice paste, she instructed.

The aroma of rice grew richer with each passing moment. Ji Xiaoyu nodded, swallowing hard.

Dinner’s ready! Fu Jianxu announced, her eyes crinkling into a smile as she carried the sour and spicy shredded potatoes and stir-fried eggs with chives to the table.

She skipped back to the kitchen to scoop out the fluffy white rice, leaving only a layer of crispy, golden rice crust at the bottom of the pot.

Splash! She poured in the rice water and used a spatula to scrape up the crust, breaking it into smaller pieces. The aroma of toasted rice filled the air. No need for extra heat—just the residual warmth of the stove, covered with a lid for a few minutes, would transform it into a pot of fragrant, sweet, and crispy rice crust soup.

Fu Jianxu poured herself a bowl first and drank it while leaning against the stove. Mmm…

Oh, Grandma in heaven, this is exactly the taste I remember!

She closed her eyes in contentment. Back in modern times, she couldn’t replicate this flavor without a traditional earthen stove. Who would have thought that a single bite in this ancient era could bring it back?

I must let the little girl try this too.

She carried the rice and rice gruel outside, her heart softening at the sight of the little girl already setting out the bowls and chopsticks, sitting obediently on her stool, waiting for her.

Fu Jianxu eagerly ladled a bowl of scorched rice soup and placed it in front of the girl. Drink this first to warm your stomach.

Scorched rice soup? Ji Xiaoyu gazed at the creamy white liquid before her, a dish she’d never seen before. She picked up the bowl and took a tentative sip, the fragrant aroma of rice instantly filling her mouth.

Her eyes lit up, and she gulped down another mouthful of the soup.

Without even needing side dishes, the two of them drained the bowl of rice gruel completely.

Fu Jianxu leaned back in her chair, her eyes half-closed as she savored the aftertaste. She was utterly delighted by the meal. After a moment, she rose again to refill both their bowls with rice. Now that our stomachs are warmed up, we can enjoy even more delicious food!

The fluffy, distinct grains of rice piled high in the bowls were truly a sight to behold. Ji Xiaoyu carefully picked out a single grain and held it in her mouth for a moment.

Soft…

So this is what japonica rice tastes like.

Fu Jianxu’s good mood from enjoying her favorite scorched rice soup carried over to the next day after work. Usually, Ji Xiaoyu accompanied her when she went shopping, so coming to town alone felt a bit strange.

She strolled down East Street, first buying honey and sugar, then searching for vendors selling fresh milk.

What are you wandering around for again?

Instead of finding a milk shop, she ran into the male lead, Fu Zhixiao. He still wore his usual dark expression, carrying an empty cage—he must have just sold his wild game. He eyed her with suspicion.

I… I came to buy milk, Fu Jianxu stammered.

There’s no milk sold on the street. You have to ask around for cows in their lactation period and milk them yourself, Fu Zhixiao replied, giving her a look that said, Are you an idiot?

There’s a whole process to this? Fu Jianxu was speechless.

You didn’t bring a container for the milk? Fu Zhixiao could tell from her bewildered expression that she had no idea how to buy milk.

A container too? Fu Jianxu was even more confused. Buying milk is this complicated?

Come back tomorrow with a container, he suggested.

Fu Jianxu shook her head. They didn’t have any spare containers at home, and besides, the little girl might have already ground the japonica rice. I’ll just buy one now.

I’ll take you to buy one, Fu Zhixiao said, resigned. How could I have gotten the impression she’s become more reliable lately? he wondered. She’s still as reckless as ever.

Fu Jianxu’s eyes lit up again. Great! she exclaimed, thanking him before dutifully following behind.

Entering a general store, they carefully selected a medium-sized jar. Though roughly made, it felt sturdy, and Fu Jianxu estimated it could hold about three pounds of liquid. She hefted it, satisfied, and paid fifteen cash.

After leaving the store, Fu Zhixiao spoke briefly to a street vendor before leading her down an alley. They turned another corner, and just as Fu Jianxu was about to lose her way, they finally stopped at a door marked with a red flag.

Fu Zhixiao knocked.

Young ladies, here for milk? a woman called from inside the courtyard.

Fu Jianxu nodded, pointing to the jar to indicate she wanted a jarful of milk.

The woman warmly invited them to the cow shed in the backyard. A yellow cow was leisurely munching on hay, while a calf that couldn’t yet stand lay nearby.

The woman deftly picked up a wooden bucket, squatted beneath the cow’s belly, and began milking with practiced ease. Warm, fresh milk gurgled into the bucket, filling it halfway in no time. With a whoosh, she poured the milk from the bucket into a jar, filling it perfectly.

Thirty cash in total, the woman said, wiping her hands.

As Fu Jianxu walked home, cradling the heavy jar, she couldn’t help but click her tongue.

Ancient prices are outrageous! she thought. This much milk and sugar cost over sixty cash!

Her face scrunched up. The desserts she’d learned to make in the modern world were simply unaffordable for ordinary people here. I’ll have to sell them to high-end restaurants, she decided, and let them sell to wealthy patrons who don’t mind spending a fortune.

When Fu Jianxu returned home, Ji Xiaoyu had already ground the rice into a slurry and was waiting.

After inspecting the slurry, Fu Jianxu carefully filtered it twice through fine gauze to remove most of the coarse sediment before finally pouring it into the pot.

Ji Xiaoyu tended the fire, stirring the slurry constantly to prevent it from sticking. When it thickened, she added most of the jar of milk, mixing well before adding a touch of sugar and honey.

Timing it carefully, Fu Jianxu used chopsticks to test the consistency of the mixture in the pot. Judging it was ready, she ladled it into four bowls.

After filling the bowls, she gently tapped each one to release any trapped air bubbles.

Ji Xiaoyu gazed at the creamy white pudding, her curiosity piqued. Sister Jianxu, what kind of dessert are you making?

It’s called pudding, Fu Jianxu explained as she carried two bowls into the courtyard. Ji Xiaoyu followed closely behind, mimicking her actions by carrying the remaining two bowls.

In ancient times, there were no refrigerators. Fortunately, the night air was cool. Fu Jianxu covered the bowls with wooden pot lids and left the pudding to set naturally overnight in the courtyard.

Squatting before the four earthenware bowls, Fu Jianxu felt uncertain. With such simple ingredients and a crude environment, she wasn’t sure if the pudding would set properly.

Still, she was prepared to make many attempts if necessary.

Brushing off her skirt, Fu Jianxu stood up and returned to the kitchen. She heated the remaining half-jar of milk, feeling sorry for the little girl who had been helping her for so long. After boiling the milk, she added some maltose candy and carried the warm drink into the room.

Xiaoyu, stop fussing and come drink your milk. The little girl never seemed to catch a break, seizing every spare moment to mend her cotton-padded coat. With the dim lighting indoors, she had to sit under the eaves to sew, her hands and face turning red from the increasingly bitter cold.

Fu Jianxu tentatively tested the bowl’s temperature. When Ji Xiaoyu finally put down her sewing and came inside, a warm bowl was pressed into her hands.

Ji Xiaoyu lowered her gaze to the milky-white liquid in her hands. Her cold-numbed fingers curled involuntarily at the sudden warmth.

Sit and drink this while I make dinner, Fu Jianxu said, pulling her down to sit and casually ruffling the girl’s hair.

By now, Xiaoyu had grown accustomed to being fed by Fu Jianxu, no longer shrinking back in her usual timid manner.

Yet whenever she tasted something new and delicious, her eyelashes would flutter slightly—a tiny expression Fu Jianxu found utterly endearing. It was like a greedy little kitten trying to hide its excitement, unaware that its sparkling eyes had already betrayed its secret.

Fu Jianxu withdrew her hand and cheerfully retreated to the kitchen. Seeing Xiaoyu enjoy her cooking always filled her with renewed energy, as if she could immediately prepare a feast for a hundred people.

The first thing Fu Jianxu did the next morning was rush to the courtyard. Her heart pounding with anticipation, she slowly and cautiously lifted the wooden board. Ji Xiaoyu stood beside her, holding an oil lamp, and even she felt a strange tension, holding her breath.