Ye Youchun carried the large bundle of food to the Qingshi Base with practiced ease. Ever since she’d started following Xie Yushu on business trips, Xie Yushu had brought her here almost every day, and she’d grown fairly familiar with the workers there.
At lunchtime, Xiu He had just finished stir-frying the last dish. Three dishes and a soup were laid out on the big table, along with four large bowls of rice and two small ones—just right for four adults and two children.
The workers, having toiled all morning, came off shift and washed their hands thoroughly at the kitchen sink, following the method their boss had taught them.
Their boss treated them well and was generous with firewood, so they could wash with warm water.
First, wet the hands, then rub with soapberry—between the nails, the tiger’s palm, the wrists, leaving no spot untouched. Finally, rinse clean and pat dry with the clean coarse cloths each had been given.
They all knew their boss valued cleanliness and strictly enforced these washing methods. Their work involved food that people would eat, she’d said—clean hands were the bare minimum. If the food wasn’t clean, even the best quality would be wasted.
They saw the logic in it—it was just a few extra moments of hand-washing, nothing too troublesome.
Once washed, they went to the adjacent room to eat. They gathered around the table, chopsticks clacking as they helped themselves to each other’s dishes—a lively, noisy affair.
Under Xie Yushu’s instructions, they had tidied up every room in the compound.
The rooms on the east side served as warehouses, stacked with dried goods and drying equipment. The rooms on the west side were communal spaces, furnished with tables, stools, and chairs for eating and resting.
The fish farm had originally come with a large kitchen, equipped with two large cast-iron woks in the stove. They’d cleaned them up for cooking and brought their own pots, bowls, and utensils from home—perfect for preparing big communal meals.
They’d also set aside a private “office” for Xie Yushu, where she reviewed accounts and ate her meals in peace.
Ye Youchun ate with the group as well, but her meal was the one Su Chi had prepared. The mouthwatering aroma drew He Chao, who sat next to her, to sniff repeatedly: “Your food smells amazing.”
Xiu He held his bowl and ate in small bites, mumbling in agreement: “Of course—our boss’s fulang makes the best food.”
He knew the newcomer was eating lunch prepared by the boss’s husband. Just the smell of it put his own cooking to shame.
He wasn’t surprised. Though he’d never met Xie Yushu’s fulang, the one time he’d tasted the food the boss had brought, it was the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten.
Besides, every time their boss showed up, her clothes were immaculate and perfectly arranged—her fulang was clearly a meticulous person with excellent skills. Xiu He naturally felt drawn to people like that.
No sooner had he spoken than Ye Youchun pushed her dish toward him—the meaning unmistakable.
They sat very close. As she extended her arm, her hand accidentally brushed against Xiu He’s elbow. Startled as if burned, she pulled back abruptly, the movement a little too sudden.
She said nothing and didn’t look at him. Her chopsticks returned to her own bowl as she kept her head down, silently shoveling rice as if nothing had happened.
Xiu He cautiously glanced up, stole a quick look at her, then averted his gaze just as fast. He quietly picked up a bite with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
Everyone had worked hard all morning and was famished—no one had the energy to notice the little exchange between the two.
But Ye Youchun ate while thinking: starting tomorrow, she’d eat the communal meals with everyone else. Asking Su Fulang to prepare a portion for her made her feel guilty.
Besides, she’d just tasted Xiu He’s cooking—it was good too.
Meanwhile, Xie Yushu enjoyed a satisfying meal. She closed her eyes for a short nap, then woke and opened the ledger on her desk. Running her eyes over the dense rows of records—each entry representing hard-earned money—a smile tugged at her lips.
It hadn’t been long since they’d started, yet the ledger already showed a steady stream of income.
Small, scattered orders came in almost every day—she didn’t turn them away; every bit helped. Then there were the medium and large orders. Tallying it all up, in just over a month, they’d brought in one hundred and ninety strings of cash.
The orders from the Tang and Sun families would be completed in a few days. Once they paid the balance, that would add nearly another hundred strings.
After deducting the cost of fresh kelp purchases every few days, employee wages, meals, and unavoidable losses along the way, the net profit was still nearly seventy percent—about one hundred and thirty strings. Add those two large orders, and it came to almost two hundred strings.
Xie Yushu let out a long breath. Finally, she had the money to pay back Sun Wuyou.
That woman was off having fun with Guizhi every day—she probably had no concept of money and had likely forgotten all about it.
One hundred and twenty strings, plus two shares’ worth of interest—that would take a big chunk out of her cash on hand.
But she didn’t mind. Money could always be earned again, and she wasn’t used to staying in debt.
Over the past two days, the order for Tang Zhiyi had been completed in batches. By tomorrow, the full one thousand jin would be ready, just waiting for the Tang family to pick it up.
In total, only four adults worked on the drying process. Xiu He also had to find time to cook for everyone and purchase fresh kelp from the villagers every few days. Everyone had limited energy—any more volume and they’d be overwhelmed.
The laver project also needed to start soon. Adding a new dried product to the base meant needing more hands. Laver was much more troublesome to process than kelp—harvesting, collecting, washing, then drying to a crisp state—every step essential. The process was tedious and demanded several times more attention than kelp.
Xie Yushu had already done the math: the more time-consuming the product, the more valuable it became. So she was determined to position it as a premium item.
The current crew definitely wasn’t enough—she needed to hire a few more people.
Xie Yushu called He Chao over and told him to spend the next few days looking for honest, hardworking, and detail-oriented people in the village.
“Got it. I’ll go scout for candidates in the next few days,” He Chao acknowledged and turned to leave.
Watching his energetic retreating figure, Xie Yushu felt a wave of reassurance wash over her.
The winter coat he was wearing was one Xie Yushu had arranged for her employees—commissioned from Tailor Tao a few days earlier, finished in just a matter of days.
The stitching was even, every piece well-fitted, all cut from the same pattern. Everyone had been overjoyed when they received theirs, praising Xie Yushu for her kindness and generosity, and throwing themselves into their work with even more enthusiasm.
She hadn’t played favorites—even the two children each got a set. Big and small, standing together in uniform, they were starting to look like a properly managed team.
This little base was becoming more and more like the real thing.
·
As deep winter set in, the nights grew colder by the day. Biting winds funneled through the lane, cutting like icy blades across the face. When Xie Yushu arrived home under the cover of darkness, her outer robe felt stiff and frigid, as if crusted with frost.
She went to the warm room first to wash her hands, then headed to the kitchen for dinner.
Su Chi, who had been ladling out soup, set down the spoon and came to greet her the moment he saw her return. But the instant his fingers touched her robe, he flinched back, his brow furrowing with concern: “How is your clothes so cold? Take them off—let me warm you up.”
“Alright,” Xie Yushu agreed lazily, spreading her arms wide and letting Su Chi undress her.
With her fulang by her side, she felt too languid to lift a finger.
Su Chi removed her robe, wiped it down with a clean cloth, and set it by the stove to warm.
Meanwhile, Xie Yushu busied herself with fetching the dishes and rice.
In the small stew pot was pickled cabbage stewed with tofu. When she lifted the lid, bubbling steam rose with a tangy, fragrant aroma. Su Chi had added a spoonful of chili oil before serving—bright red oil floating in the broth, the spicy-sour scent rushing straight up the nose.
In this season, a hot, spicy-sour dish was incredibly appetizing. With just one spoonful, you could wolf down half a bowl of rice—no other dishes needed. The pickled cabbage, red oil, and tofu over rice was enough on its own.
Two stir-fried dishes and a braised fish rounded out the meal, all exquisitely prepared.
When Su Chi stir-fried, he was generous with oil and minced garlic to make the flavors pop. Both dishes were sautéed with plenty of oil and garlic, making them irresistibly fragrant.
The braised fish was the most tempting of all.
The skin was pan-fried until crispy and golden. With a gentle nudge of the chopsticks, the tender, snowy-white flesh came away easily, the skin separating cleanly from the meat. The sauce—just the right consistency—coated the fish evenly. One bite brought an initial burst of sweetness, quickly overtaken by a rich, savory sauce with layers of tangy and sweet notes intertwined.
Halfway through the meal, they chatted idly.
Xie Yushu remembered what Ye Youchun had come to tell her earlier that day and passed it on: “Youchun said not to bother making a portion for her starting tomorrow—she’ll eat with the others.”
Su Chi’s hand, in the middle of picking up food for Xie Yushu, paused. Confused, he asked, “Youchun delivers firewood to Father every few days and helps him tend the fields whenever she’s free. Making her a meal isn’t any trouble—why is she being so formal with us?”
Ye Youchun was good to his father, worked under Xie Yushu, and had close ties with their family. Su Chi had long considered her one of their own. For family to talk in such distant terms—he genuinely didn’t understand.
Xie Yushu found it strange too—who would turn down her fulang’s cooking? But thinking about Ye Youchun’s stubborn nature and her inscrutable mind, maybe she just didn’t want to trouble Su Chi. Xie Yushu chose to respect her wishes.
Knowing her fulang meant well and appreciating what Ye Youchun had done for his father, Xie Yushu reassured him: “I know all that. I’ll just give her a raise instead. If she doesn’t want it, we won’t push. From now on, you’ll just cook for me.”
“I understand,” Su Chi said. It wasn’t a big deal—he’d just do as she said.
Before bed, both of them took proper hot baths. Now they lay in bed, legs intertwined, nestled under the covers in each other’s arms.
Since Xie Yushu had returned from the county, she’d been heading to Qianwan Village at dawn every day and only coming back at night. The hours they saw each other each day could be counted on one hand.
Su Chi savored every moment, and tonight was no different.
His wife’s embrace was warm and comforting—everything he loved.
He pressed his ear tightly against Xie Yushu’s chest, listening to her steady heartbeat. His fingers clutched the hem of her undershirt as he burrowed greedily into her arms, as if trying to make up for an entire day’s worth of longing in this one moment.
His eyes were half-open, half-closed—he seemed unwilling to fall asleep, afraid that when he woke, she’d be gone again.
Xie Yushu’s hand lingered on Su Chi’s soft, tender waist, gently kneading as she leaned close to his ear, whispering softly to lull him to sleep.
Her coaxing, almost childlike tone made Su Chi’s lips curl into a smile, which only made him more awake. He wrapped his arms around her neck, tilted his face up, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
After the kiss, he remembered something and said with a grin, “The other day, when I took Father to Wuyou’s pharmacy for a follow-up, Guizhi mentioned they’re thinking of renting a house in town—staying at the inn has been inconvenient for them.”
That morning, he’d taken his father to Sun Wuyou’s pharmacy for another check-up. Sun Wuyou had confirmed his father was in good health, and the heavy weight in Su Chi’s heart had finally eased. When he tried to pay the consultation fee, Sun Wuyou absolutely refused to accept it.
Su Chi didn’t argue—he simply sent over two bowls of noodles that evening, topped with egg-and-bean sauce and braised ribs. The aroma had everyone in the shop drooling.
As the two of them ate with gusto, they mentioned wanting to rent a courtyard and hire someone to take care of their daily needs.
Xie Yushu thought it made sense.
The mistress and servant had been staying at the inn ever since they arrived in Songwan Town. At first, it was just a brief stop for supplies—staying at an inn for a few days was no big deal. But now they’d been sent by their family to manage the shop, and who knew how long they’d be here. A stable place to live was only right.
“I’ll take care of it—I’ll find you a house,” Xie Yushu said promptly. She’d go see the matchmaker Aunt Liu tomorrow and ask her to help scout properties.
Xie Yushu was warm-hearted and loyal to her friends—Su Chi had long seen that in her.
Take helping Sun Wuyou find a house, for example: they hadn’t even asked for her help, yet she agreed without hesitation, clearly treating their affairs as her own.
Su Chi looked at Xie Yushu’s profile, his eyes brimming with affection, his heart soft and sweet.
He was always like this—every day he discovered more good in his wife, and each day he loved her even more than the day before.
He was so lucky to have found such a wonderful wife.
The two lay in each other’s arms, neither speaking. Their breathing gradually slowed as they drifted into sleep.
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