My Villainess Is Definitely Not a Black Lotus - Chapter 20

Even though neither her wife nor her crush belonged to her… the person inhabiting this body right now was her!

But no matter how she stalled, the signboard of Full Moon Pavilion loomed closer and closer.

With a heart as cold as ashes and a resolve to face death, she stepped across the threshold.

Fine, let the storm rage even fiercer.

Miss Xie, I’ve brought the person who made this dessert, Fu Zhixiao said, stepping aside to fully reveal Fu Jianxu to everyone’s gaze.

Her toes began to curl nervously as she forced out an awkward, stiff smile. M-Miss Xie, it’s nice to meet you.

Xie Yinwan’s smiling expression instantly turned icy as she recognized the newcomer. Young Master, are you joking? I’ve never heard of Madam Fu possessing such culinary skills.

Fu Zhixiao, oblivious to the tense atmosphere, earnestly explained, She really can make it.

Ji Xiaoyu lowered her head, her mind in turmoil. Now that this woman has seen Miss Xie again, will she revert to her old infatuation?

Fu Jianxu’s scalp tingled with dread. She waved her hands frantically. I-I’m sorry, Miss Xie! I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll leave as soon as I resolve the recipe issue.

At these words, both Ji Xiaoyu and Xie Yinwan unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

Fu Zhixiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. This shameless, delusional town girl who once dared to dream of marrying the wealthy Miss Xie is actually her? A sudden surge of inexplicable anger flared within him, and he shot Fu Jianxu a venomous glare. She doesn’t deserve this!

Xie Yinwan studied Fu Jianxu thoughtfully. Since their last encounter, the woman had indeed stopped bothering her. She turned to call for a waiter. A’Qing, take Madam Fu to the kitchen and see if the chefs have made any mistakes.

Surrounded by scrutinizing gazes, Fu Jianxu felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, wishing she could vanish on the spot. Hearing she was to go to the kitchen, she felt like she’d been granted a pardon and fled after A’Qing as if her life depended on it.

Please follow me to the private room to wait, Xie Yinwan said, gesturing with a graceful wave and a polite smile.

In the kitchen, Fu Jianxu carefully adjusted the consistency of the rice milk batter, occasionally explaining key steps to the Full Moon Pavilion’s chefs. The batter must be simmered until it clings to chopsticks when dripped.

Once the pudding mixture was ready, she instructed them to chill it in well water to set.

Four hours later, a pudding as lustrous as jade was finally complete. Fu Jianxu carefully drizzled osmanthus honey over the surface, and Zhuye immediately presented the hard-earned creation to the private room.

Please enjoy, Miss, Zhuye said.

Fu Jianxu stood awkwardly to the side, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her robe, looking like an apprentice awaiting evaluation.

Xie Yinwan examined the dessert before her, noticeably more refined than previous offerings, and raised an eyebrow. She picked up a silver spoon, gently scooped a spoonful, and brought it to her lips. The delicate fragrance of osmanthus honey mingled with the creamy richness, sweet yet not cloying, with a velvety texture. It surpassed the puddings delivered in recent days.

Not bad, Xie Yinwan nodded, signaling Zhuye to fetch the silver notes. Here’s the remaining fifteen taels—ten taels per note, and five one-tael notes. Please count them.

As twilight deepened, the clear moonlight poured down like water onto the country lanes, bathing returning travelers in a silvery glow.

Fu Jianxu clutched the silver notes, unable to tear her eyes away. This was the first time she had ever seen real ancient silver notes! She had seen plenty of them in historical dramas, but those were always large denominations—fifty or a hundred taels. She never imagined there would be notes worth just one tael.

She excitedly flipped through the faintly ink-scented notes, examining them closely under the moonlight. She even handed one to Ji Xiaoyu, saying, Look, this is what silver notes look like!

Fu Zhixiao, watching from the side, frowned deeply. Lowering his voice, he warned, You two defenseless women are being far too conspicuous. Are you trying to let bandits know you’re carrying money?

Fu Jianxu startled at his words. She couldn’t risk losing the money she had worked so hard to earn. She hastily tucked the notes into her inner pocket and pressed her hand tightly over them, still feeling uneasy.

Her guilty-as-sin expression made Ji Xiaoyu suppress a giggle.

Under the moonlight, the three figures cast long, stretched shadows across the ground.

Fu Zhixiao suddenly stopped walking, turning to stare at Fu Jianxu. Now that you have some savings, have you considered starting a legitimate business?

Fu Jianxu was taken aback by the question. She nervously clutched the silver notes in her sleeve and answered honestly, I was thinking… maybe I could open a small food stall. But I don’t know if I have enough capital.

Fu Zhixiao continued walking forward, counting on his fingers as he calculated aloud, Even the cheapest storefront on the west side of town rents for three taels of silver a month, and you’d need to pay a three-month deposit upfront. Then there’s the cost of pots, pans, tables, chairs, and supplies like rice, flour, oil…

The more he calculated, the tighter Fu Jianxu’s brow furrowed.

Fu Zhixiao concluded, Even the most basic stall would require at least twenty to thirty taels of silver to get started.

Fu Jianxu clicked her tongue, thinking to herself, Damn, prices in this ancient era are no joke.

Fvck, making money here is impossible, but spending it is like pouring water down a drain… The silver she’d painstakingly saved over the past few months wouldn’t even cover the rent for a decent storefront.

But… Fu Zhixiao suddenly spoke again, his tone hesitant, if you’re really serious about this, I’ve saved up some silver over the years. We could… we could partner up.

She paused, then added sternly, But you must promise to manage it properly. No more of your past foolishness.

Fu Jianxu’s eyes lit up at these words, and she nearly jumped for joy.

The female lead wanted to partner with her? This was an incredible opportunity!

She never imagined her shop idea would materialize so quickly. Overwhelmed with excitement, she grabbed Ji Xiaoyu’s hand. This is perfect! Let’s open a shop together! Xiaoyu and I can pool twenty taels of silver. I’ll handle the cooking, Xiaoyu can manage the front counter, and Brother Xiao, with your experience in procurement, you can handle logistics—what do you think?

Her enthusiasm grew with each word, as if their little shop were already open. She gestured wildly, her hands dancing in the air. We’ll pay wages based on each person’s work, then split the profits according to our investments…

Ji Xiaoyu’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with disbelief. She was involved too? And… she would handle the money? Her slender fingers unconsciously twisted the corner of her robe, her heart fluttering with both anticipation and anxiety.

She couldn’t read or write, and knew nothing about business. Could she really do this?

Fu Zhixiao couldn’t help but smile, caught up in her excitement. He quickly pursed his lips, suppressing the upward curve of his mouth. Don’t get too excited yet. Opening a shop is no child’s play. We need to plan carefully.

Fu Jianxu nodded repeatedly, but her exuberance persisted all the way home. It wasn’t until her stomach growled in protest that she realized they hadn’t eaten dinner.

In the kitchen, she swiftly kneaded and rolled the dough, soon serving up two steaming bowls of vegetarian noodles. She set one bowl in front of Ji Xiaoyu. Eat up! You must be starving.

Ji Xiaoyu was indeed ravenous. She cradled the bowl, sipping the broth in small sips. Through the rising steam, she occasionally glanced furtively at Fu Jianxu.

Fu Jianxu was slurping down her noodles when she looked up and caught Ji Xiaoyu’s hesitant gaze. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. What is it?

N-nothing, Ji Xiaoyu stammered, caught red-handed. She quickly lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper.

Fu Jianxu didn’t press the matter, finishing her noodles in a few quick bites. Meanwhile, Ji Xiaoyu remembered her earlier instruction to chew slowly and thoroughly, taking tiny bites that puffed out her cheeks like a hoarding hamster.

Under the dim lamplight, Fu Jianxu found herself staring at Ji Xiaoyu, lost in thought.

Ji Xiaoyu’s ears flushed hot under her gaze, her heart racing. Why is she looking at me like that? Is my eating messy? Or is there broth on my face?

Finally, Ji Xiaoyu couldn’t resist any longer. She set down her chopsticks and asked timidly, Sister Jianxu, why… why have you been staring at me?

Fu Jianxu suddenly realized she had been staring at the girl’s face. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she quickly explained, I was just thinking about what Brother Xiao said.

He’s right. We can’t rush into opening a food stall. I was thinking… we can still work at the docks for a few more days. We should use this time to teach you some accounting skills.

Accounting? Ji Xiaoyu raised her head in surprise, her eyes filled with confusion.

She knows how to do that?

Sensing her doubt, Fu Jianxu hurried to add, I… I learned it from a divine being in a dream!

Afraid the girl might refuse, she softened her tone and added, I really don’t trust handing the accounts over to outsiders. Besides… She paused, a genuine smile lighting up her eyes, who could be as clever and capable as our Xiaoyu?

Clever?

Ji Xiaoyu’s heart trembled, and her cheeks burned instantly. In all her life, no one had ever praised her like that. But given the chance to learn something new, she naturally accepted without hesitation.

Clutching her bowl of noodles, she nodded gently. I’m willing to learn. Please teach me well, Sister Jianxu.

The warmth of the bowl seeped into her palms, spreading through her fingertips and flowing into her heart, leaving a tingling, ticklish sensation that reached the very core of her being.

The dock work had been suspended for three days, but Fu Jianxu remained busy.

Aunt Chunhao had harvested her sweet potatoes a few days prior and insisted on giving them a full basket. For the past few days, they’d been trying various ways to eat them—roasted, steamed, stir-fried—yet more than half the basket remained piled in the corner.

Ji Xiaoyu loved Fu Jianxu’s roasted sweet potatoes but was too shy to ask for them directly. Noticing this, Fu Jianxu roasted two for the girl every day to satisfy her craving. To ease Xiaoyu’s embarrassment, she pretended to worry about the sweet potatoes going bad and insisted they needed to eat them quickly.

It was already winter sweet potatoes wouldn’t spoil in this weather.

Seeing the remaining sweet potatoes, the girl eagerly suggested, Sister Jianxu, why don’t we roast some and sell them in town? It’s cold now, so warm roasted sweet potatoes would definitely sell well!

Fu Jianxu shook her head. With winter setting in, they had to make two trips into the mountains daily to gather firewood. The mountain paths were slippery, and the biting wind was relentless. Not to mention, the girl was busy learning accounting at night.

Fu Jianxu kept herself busy as a spinning top every day. The young girl was already slender, and after finally managing to fatten her up a bit, Fu Jianxu couldn’t bear to see her running back and forth, chopping firewood and selling sweet potatoes.

So she turned all the remaining sweet potatoes into sweet potato flour.

One day, Fu Jianxu stood beside the bamboo mat in the courtyard, pinching a bit of the drying sweet potato flour between her fingers. She decided it needed another day in the sun to dry completely.

But fate had other plans. The first snow arrived unexpectedly.

In the kitchen, Fu Jianxu was turning the sweet potatoes in the stove when she suddenly noticed fine snowflakes drifting past the window. She rushed to the door, where a snowflake landed on the back of her hand, instantly melting into a cold drop. Her heart tightened, and she hurried into the courtyard, frantically gathering the still-damp sweet potato flour and storing it in the woodshed.

Outside the woodshed, the woodpile had grown taller with freshly chopped logs, now stacked nearly half a person high.

Ji Xiaoyu stood in the courtyard, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, her nose red from the cold. Yet she was still worried about the speckled hens in the chicken coop. She crouched before the coop, stuffing handfuls of dry straw inside, her breath mingling with the falling snow.

Stop fussing and come inside to warm up! Fu Jianxu called from the kitchen doorway, waving her over as the snow fell harder.

Ji Xiaoyu hurried inside, but before she could brush the snow off her shoulders, a warm roasted sweet potato was pressed into her hand. The potato was perfectly cooked, its skin crisp and slightly cracked, revealing the golden flesh inside. The sweet aroma filled her nostrils irresistibly.

Without waiting for it to cool, she took a bite, skin and all, deliberately choosing a charred spot. The smoky flavor flooded her mouth, and she closed her eyes in satisfaction.

Fu Jianxu watched the girl eat the potato, skin and all, her expression tense. Oh no, you can’t eat it like that! Eating the burnt parts can cause cancer!

She pressed her thumb against Ji Xiaoyu’s chin, her palm hovering near her lips. You can’t eat the burnt skin. Hurry, spit it out.