To Be the Male Lead's Deceased First Wife in a Historical Chinese Exam-focused Novel - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: The Village Cook’s Debut

The two of them continued to wander the city for a long time, learning about several places where they could source supplies. However, as dusk was falling, they couldn’t visit each one. They just noted them down, planning to come back earlier next time.

On the way back, they could see the faint light from the setting sun. Yan An and Wen Ying sat together in the ox cart. Because it was late, there were only a few other people on the cart. Yan An relaxed and looked up at the sky, which was dyed a brilliant red.

It was as if a vast canvas was spread across the heavens, filled with a gorgeous sunset. They were just two small, swaying silhouettes on a little path beneath the immense painting, trudging forward.

Yan An turned to Wen Ying beside her. She thought for a moment and said, “Wen Ying, you don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself, and you don’t have to constantly take care of me. You can live a little more for yourself.”

Honestly, while her original family was a bit uncultured and like nouveau riche, they had given Yan An everything they could. They raised her in a loving environment and taught her to think of her own needs first. They taught her to consider others only after she had taken care of herself.

Because of this, Yan An felt she had lived a pretty good life all these years. The internal struggle many girls face with societal expectations was nonexistent for her. She was more inclined to follow her own desires.

Wen Ying was stunned for a moment by Yan An’s words. She pursed her lips and said softly, “I’m not putting too much pressure on myself.”

“You’re not?” Yan An challenged, grabbing one of her hands and rubbing the calluses on it. “If you’re not pushing yourself, then why didn’t you chop firewood to sell in town before, but now you wish you could make two trips a day?”

In the time she had been here, Yan An had realized that the villagers never went into the mountains without reason. Selling firewood could earn some money, but most of them weren’t willing to take the risk.

It was clear that the original Wen Ying was also reluctant to do so, which was obvious from her previous decision to harvest rice from those five mu of land.

“I…” Wen Ying was at a loss for words. Finally, she turned her head away and said in a low voice, “I just don’t want to go hungry anymore.”

“Then why were you willing to starve before but not willing to work like this now?” Yan An held her hand tightly.

Wen Ying fell silent, looking down at the hand Yan An held. The stark contrast between her own wheat-colored skin and Yan An’s jade-like white skin was obvious. She pursed her thin lips even tighter.

“Why?” “Of course, it was because life before had no hope, and it didn’t ignite a person’s desire to work hard and live.”

“But things are different now…”

Seeing that she didn’t answer, Yan An let out a soft sigh and released Wen Ying’s hand. “No matter what, I still hope you can think more for yourself. Don’t be constrained by our marriage. You can do whatever you want.”

When Wen Ying heard this, a sense of unease instinctively rose in her heart. She looked up at Yan An, wanting to ask what she meant by “don’t be constrained by this marriage.” What was she really thinking?

The words came to her lips, but Wen Ying had to swallow them. She lowered her eyes again, avoiding Yan An’s gaze.

She was afraid. She was afraid of hearing an answer from Yan An that she didn’t want to hear.

If that was the case, she would rather not ask.

The ox cart slowly arrived at the entrance of Nanya Village. It was already completely dark. Grandmother Li, who was driving the cart, saw that it would be pitch black soon, so she simply drove the ox cart and dropped them off at their doorstep, saving them from having to walk home in the dark.

“Grandmother Li, be careful on your way back.” Yan An and Wen Ying watched as Grandmother Li’s figure disappeared into the twilight.

Back home, Yan An went to make dinner while Wen Ying tidied up the things they had bought, fed the chicks, and then went to bring in the blankets that were drying in the courtyard to make the bed.

Thanks to the sun during the day, the washed sheets were dry and even carried a scent of sunshine. Wen Ying could already imagine how comfortable it would be to sleep under this blanket tonight.

“Wen Ying, it’s ready. Come out and eat,” Yan An called out.

Wen Ying quickly came out when she heard her voice. She smelled the delicious aroma before she even entered the kitchen. Since it was late, Yan An hadn’t made anything complicated. A simple fried rice with a few vegetables was enough for one meal.

Wen Ying ate the fried rice, her gaze constantly shifting to Yan An. She couldn’t understand how Yan An had made such a simple fried rice taste so delicious.

And… Yan An was incredibly skilled at cooking.

Wen Ying looked away, slightly closed her eyes, and picked up a chopstick of vegetables for herself. She said softly, “Yan An, your food is very delicious.”

Yan An was holding a spoon of rice, about to eat it. When she heard Wen Ying’s words, her eyes lit up as she looked at her. “Are you really not unaccustomed to the food I make?”

Wen Ying looked at her with a hint of confusion. “Why would I be unaccustomed to it?”

“Well, people in some areas like spicy food but dislike sweet food, and some places prefer light flavors over heavy ones. These are all differences in eating habits. I was just worried my cooking might not suit your taste.” Other than the plain noodles she had eaten in the city, Yan An hadn’t eaten anything else outside. To be honest, she really didn’t know what the local cuisine tasted like.

Wen Ying had a moment of realization. She shook her head and said, “There’s nothing I’m unaccustomed to. It’s very delicious. I love it.”

When she said the last part, Wen Ying’s tone was extremely serious.

Yan An looked at her and found her a little strange. “If you like it, you like it. Is there a need to be so serious?” “It’s not like I wouldn’t believe you.”

Wen Ying was silent. In the end, she just ate her meal without saying anything else.

After dinner, Yan An was the first to take a bath, as usual. After her bath, she collapsed on the bed. The soreness she had been ignoring suddenly swept through her entire body. She didn’t even want to lift her legs.

After Wen Ying finished her bath, she brought a small basin filled with hot water for Yan An to soak her feet in. Yan An was too tired to move from the bed, so Wen Ying ended up dragging her to the side of the bed. She put her feet in the water and massaged her calves while she soaked her feet.

Yan An: “…”

“Fine, if she’s willing to do it, then let her. Why should I, the beneficiary, complain?”

Yan An lay on the bed, feeling much more comfortable in her feet. With Wen Ying’s comfortable massage, Yan An gradually fell asleep. She didn’t even know when Wen Ying finished soaking her feet or when she got into bed herself.

The only thing she knew…

Was that when she woke up the next day, she found herself sleeping on Wen Ying’s side, with her body pressed against Wen Ying’s, as if seeking warmth.

Yan An: “…”

She sat up blankly, looked at where Wen Ying had been sleeping, then at where she had been sleeping. Then she looked down at Wen Ying, who was still asleep. She quietly turned over and moved back to her usual sleeping spot. Her brain, which had been a little groggy, was now wide awake with worry.

She didn’t know how long it had been in this state of anxiety. She heard the rustling sound of Wen Ying getting up from behind her. She seemed to think Yan An was still asleep, so all her movements were very light. Finally, with a slight creak of the door, the room instantly fell silent.

Only then did Yan An’s heart finally settle down. After her tense body relaxed, she felt the soreness. She turned over and lay flat, looking at the direction of the door and letting out a soft sigh.

“It seems Wen Ying didn’t notice that I was sleeping so close to her.”

Thinking of the previous situation, Yan An couldn’t help but bite her lip in annoyance. She couldn’t understand how she had rolled over to Wen Ying’s side. “I’m not usually so restless when I sleep!”

Yan An, who had told Wen Ying the day before that she didn’t like people getting too close, felt her face stinging with embarrassment. She let out a long sigh, covered her face, and silently wailed.

If the two of them kept sleeping in the same bed, situations like this would inevitably happen. But sleeping in separate beds wasn’t an option either!

Yan An looked at the blanket on her and sighed faintly. They only had this one blanket. “This family is hopeless.”

With that thought, Yan An got up and went out. She saw Wen Ying busy in the vegetable patch and couldn’t help but say, “Let’s buy another blanket next time we go to town, okay?”

This way, they would each have a blanket, and she wouldn’t have to worry about rolling into Wen Ying’s arms again.

Wen Ying looked up at her when she heard her voice. “Is it too cold to stay warm? Buying another blanket is an option.”

“No, I was thinking it would be more comfortable for us to each have our own blanket.” Yan An denied it. But the current blanket wasn’t too thick. It might not be enough when the weather got colder.

The smile on Wen Ying’s lips slowly faded. She said, “Every wen we have must be used wisely. A cotton blanket costs over ten guan. Are you sure you want to buy one?”

If they bought one, Yan An’s dream of opening a restaurant would be even further away.

Yan An: “…It’s that expensive?!”

Wen Ying said with no smile in her eyes, “Cotton is expensive, so a cotton blanket is naturally expensive too.”

Yan An silently turned and went into the kitchen, no longer mentioning buying a cotton blanket.

“Damn this ancient era! Damn the backward productivity!”

Wen Ying watched as Yan An went into the kitchen without saying anything else. She then lowered her head to pull out the new weeds that had grown in the vegetable patch. As she worked, she suddenly let out a deep sigh, her eyes a little gloomy.

After Wen Ying got up, she started boiling porridge in the kitchen. When Yan An entered the kitchen and saw the porridge, she stir-fried some side dishes. By the time Wen Ying was done and came in, the food was ready.

Wen Ying didn’t plan to go to town today, but she still felt that the firewood at home was not enough. Afraid that it wouldn’t last the whole winter, she went into the mountains to chop firewood again.

However, this time, Yan An didn’t go with her. Instead, she stayed at home and went into the study to organize the things she had recorded yesterday. She wanted to compare them to see which place offered the best value.

In fact, there were still many places they hadn’t visited. After all, they were on foot and had to stop to ask for information from time to time, so it was impossible to visit everything in one day.

After she finished organizing, Yan An almost ruled out the possibility of opening a shop on the main street. The rent was simply too expensive. They didn’t have the capital to support such a large initial expense. If they moved to other streets, the corresponding foot traffic would also decrease. Yan An bit the end of her brush, feeling frustrated.

Her current budget was too small, which made her feel constrained in whatever she wanted to do.

Yan An and Wen Ying went to town one more time. This time, they got a more comprehensive understanding of the situation, but it also made Yan An more anxious. The clearer she understood the situation, the more she realized that the money they had couldn’t support much. Their financial foundation was too weak to withstand any setbacks.

In these days of melancholy, the 19th day of the 11th lunar month arrived. The next day was the day of the village chief’s youngest son’s wedding feast. However, news came that the village cook the village chief had hired had accidentally fallen and broken his hands and feet and would have to lie in bed for a while.

For wedding feasts, the village cook would be booked in advance. Now that this person couldn’t work, they couldn’t find another village cook to replace him in a short time. The village chief’s family was frantically looking all over the village for someone who knew how to cook and make food in a large pot.

Yan An was stunned when she heard the news. Then, she realized something and was immediately overjoyed. She quickly grabbed Wen Ying and walked toward the village chief’s house.

“What’s wrong?” Wen Ying was pulled out in a hurry and didn’t understand what was going on.

“Let’s go find the village chief. They’re short a cook, right? I want to give it a try!” Yan An said with some excitement. She had just suddenly thought of what she could do. If she wasn’t able to open a restaurant in town yet, she could start by being a village cook. It was also a way to build her reputation. When she opened her own restaurant in the future, more people would be willing to patronize her.

Wen Ying was stunned for a moment when she heard her words. She stopped walking.

Yan An was pulling her, and when she stopped, Yan An also stopped. She turned back and looked at her in confusion.

Wen Ying looked at her. “Are you really going to cook in front of outsiders?”

Yan An looked at her strangely. “If I want to open my own restaurant in the future, of course I’ll have to cook in front of outsiders.”

The hand that Wen Ying wasn’t using to hold Yan An’s hand hung by her side. She asked again in a serious tone, “Are you really not going to take the imperial examination again?”

Yan An: “…”

“Of course I’m not. Do you think I’ve been doing all this for fun?” Yan An’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You don’t believe me, but you’ve been walking around town with me all this time?”

“Are you messing with me?”

Wen Ying took a deep breath and looked at Yan An even more seriously.

“Yan An, I will not let you down.”

Hearing her words, Yan An blinked slightly. She really wanted to ask what she meant, but she felt that at this moment, no matter what the words meant, it was about the two of them. She didn’t want to put too much pressure on Wen Ying, so she didn’t continue to ask. Instead, she said, “Let’s hurry up. Someone else might get there first.”

“Okay,” Wen Ying said. Without any hesitation, she took a few quick steps and walked in front of Yan An. She was now the one holding Yan An’s hand.

Having eaten Yan An’s cooking, Wen Ying had great confidence in her and believed that she would stand out among everyone else.

When they arrived at the village chief’s house, Auntie Wu was still looking worried. The problem with the cook had obviously not been solved yet, and she was very worried.

Seeing them, Auntie Wu gave them a questioning look.

“Auntie Wu, I heard that you’re still looking for a village cook. I’d like to try,” Yan An said straightforwardly, without any pleasantries.

Auntie Wu was stunned for a moment when she heard her words. She then quickly waved her hands and said, “No, no. Your Uncle Zhou and I are at our wits’ end. Don’t come here to make things more complicated.”

Everyone in the village knew how much the Yan family’s parents treasured their daughter. In addition, she had been studying since she was a child, so they naturally wouldn’t let her into the kitchen. Her coming here to be a cook was just a joke.

“Auntie Wu…” Yan An was about to say more, but Wen Ying next to her spoke up. “Auntie Wu, please let her try first before you decide. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll leave immediately.”

Wen Ying’s voice was warm and calm, which made her words sound convincing.

Listening to her words and seeing Yan An’s eager eyes, although Wen Ying hadn’t been married into this village for long, Auntie Wu knew that Wen Ying wasn’t the kind of person who would act recklessly. Since she could say that, Yan An must have some real skills.

With that thought, Auntie Wu finally gave in. “Okay, then you can try. Make a dish of steamed pork with preserved vegetables for me to see.”

This dish was a test of a cook’s skills. It wasn’t that simple to make it flavorful but not greasy.

“Okay,” Yan An said immediately. She followed Auntie Wu into the kitchen.

Since tomorrow was the wedding feast, the village chief’s family had already bought the ingredients early. Now, there were plenty of ingredients for Yan An to use.

Fortunately, the village chief’s family hadn’t hired the village cook to buy all the ingredients as well. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even have any ingredients the day before the wedding, let alone be able to hold a feast.

The sky was already getting dim, and the temperature had dropped a lot. Yan An prepared the ingredients, and Wen Ying helped her on the side, asking what vegetables she needed. She would then take them to wash.

Yan An thought for a moment, looked at the vegetables the village chief’s family had bought, and said a few dish names. Wen Ying then went to pick them out and wash them.

Yan An’s movements were very neat. Considering that it was almost dinner time, and since she wanted to show off her cooking skills, she didn’t just make the steamed pork. She added a few more dishes, wanting the village chief’s family to have a better understanding of her cooking skills.

Auntie Wu was a little dumbfounded as she watched the two of them working together seamlessly. She didn’t expect Yan An to actually know how to cook. And she looked very skilled at it, which made her a little confused. She had never heard that Yan An knew how to cook before.

She looked at Wen Ying, who was helping Yan An. She also seemed very comfortable, as if she had done this many times. Auntie Wu pondered in her eyes. She felt that the way these two worked together made her feel that they could live a good life even though they were both women.

The village chief came back when Yan An was halfway through. He saw Yan An with her sleeves rolled up, busy in the kitchen with Wen Ying, and gave Auntie Wu a questioning look.

Auntie Wu told the village chief the whole story. The village chief’s eyes lit up slightly as he looked at the dishes Yan An had made. He had already smelled the aroma when he came in. If Yan An was really capable, she would be solving his biggest problem.

As Yan An finished making the dishes, the village chief looked at them and saw that both their appearance and aroma were the best he had ever seen. He immediately invited them to sit down and eat, picking up his chopsticks to try the food.

Auntie Wu was the first to try the steamed pork with preserved vegetables she had ordered. The taste was rich, and the fatty and lean pork belly was handled very well by Yan An. It didn’t feel greasy at all and was very appetizing.

Auntie Wu’s eyes lit up. She looked at Yan An with excitement. Yan An’s cooking was even better than what most village cooks she had eaten had made!

After the village chief tasted it, his heart, which had been hanging, finally settled down. He looked at Yan An, who was sitting upright, and asked, “Can you make all the dishes needed for the wedding feast?”

Yan An knew that she had succeeded halfway when she heard this question. She immediately said seriously, “I can make most of them. If there’s one I can’t make, I can replace it with another dish that tastes better. I promise I won’t cause you any embarrassment because of the wedding feast.”

The village chief tasted the other dishes Yan An had made and believed what she said by seven or eight parts. They were all the same dishes, but Yan An’s tasted richer and had more layers.

While the village chief and Auntie Wu were tasting, Yan An and Wen Ying were anxiously waiting for the final decision.

If Yan An could really become a village cook, it would be the best thing for her. Not only could she stay in the village, which would be convenient for Wen Ying’s future studies, but it was also a plan with a relatively low initial cost.

The village chief and Auntie Wu looked at each other and made up their minds. “Okay, the normal price for a village cook to contract for all the dishes, utensils, and post-event cleanup is 500 wen per table. Since we’re providing the ingredients, we’ll give you 100 wen per table, which was our agreement with the previous village cook. Do you accept this price?”

Yan An heard his words, and her heart, which had been hanging, finally settled down. She nodded seriously. “I do. Thank you, Village Chief and Auntie Wu, for trusting me!”

Wen Ying, who was next to her, also let out a sigh of relief.

Since the matter had been decided, they also discussed many details during the meal. They also agreed to come to the village chief’s house early tomorrow morning, at around 3 a.m. to 5 a.m., to prepare the ingredients and everything else for the feast.

It could be said that they would have to come over in the middle of the night. Preparing for fifteen tables was not easy.

On the way home, the two of them walked on the country road under the dim moonlight. Yan An’s excitement had not yet completely calmed down. She said to Wen Ying with a bit of excitement, “If this village cook thing goes well, we’ll save some more money. And when you can get into the county school, we’ll move to town. You’ll study, and I’ll open a restaurant. Our lives won’t be too bad.”

Wen Ying listened to Yan An’s description of their future and heard herself in her plans. Her eyes softened even more in the dim night. She softly said, “Okay.”

Tomorrow was the village chief’s wedding feast, and the day after that was the winter solstice. After the winter solstice, Wen Ying would officially start her studies at Yi Shu Hua’s house. Yan An secretly let out a sigh of relief.

“The matter of Wen Ying studying and taking the imperial examination is finally about to begin. I hope I didn’t delay her for too long.”

When they got home, Wen Ying went to the kitchen to boil water for a bath. Yan An went into the study, planning to make a budget and list the things she needed to buy.

If she was going to be a village cook, it would be best for her to have her own tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks. After all, not every family would be like the village chief’s, where everything was ready and all the cook had to do was cook.

To get more customers, she needed to be well-prepared and increase her competitiveness.

“Hmm… I also need to get an ox cart. I can’t rely on my two legs to carry everything back in the future.”

Wen Ying walked into the study and saw Yan An hunched over the desk under the dim light of the oil lamp. For a moment, she felt as if she was seeing the old Yan An. Her fingertips trembled slightly.