That will be a no.
Logically, had she prepared it before, it’s unlikely she would’ve consumed it alone. Her brother-in-law would have sampled it as well.
If she slip up in front of her brother-in-law, there’s no way to cover it up.
Xu Zhichun shook her head with a quiet sigh. “I’d been busy with the work, just focused on tending the fields while waiting for Minglang to return. But now things have turned out differently. If I don’t find a way to earn money, the days ahead will be hard. So I thought I’d give it a try.”
“There’s actually a lot of delicious food from my hometown. I remember my mother taught me most of it. But it’s been so long, and I had a serious illness before Minglang came back — I forgot a lot. I’m not even sure how much I still remember, or if I’m doing it right. Anyway… I’ll give it a try.”
Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu’er both knew her background. When they thought about how hard her life had been, they couldn’t help but feel sympathy.
“I’m sorry, Sister Zhichun — I brought up something painful.”
“I’m sure you remember it right — whatever you make is bound to be delicious. We’ll definitely make some money, and life will only get better from here. So don’t feel down, okay?”
“Yes, yes, yes — Aunt Zhu’er is absolutely right.”
Xu Zhichun wasn’t actually upset — that bit of sadness was all an act. Deep down, she was still uneasy, unsure if her performance looked convincing.
Judging by their reactions, it seemed like her act had worked pretty well.
She let out a breath, nodded with a smile. “Mm-hmm, let’s work hard together — life will definitely keep getting better!”
Aunt Zhu’er went to check the dishes on the stove and the chicken simmering in the pot, while Xu Zhichun joined Zeng Xiaoyan to make grass jelly.
After kneading it smooth, Xu Zhichun slowly added the settled limewater, stirring as she poured. Once she figured it was about right, she stopped.
“Alright, that’s done. Just leave it there to cool. Let’s eat first — we can try it after dinner.”
Zeng Xiaoyan laughed and said, “Just look at it — so clear and glossy! It’s even prettier than the osmanthus water chestnut cake we make at home. I bet it tastes great!”
Aunt Zhu’er was adding garlic sprouts to the pot. “This konjac chicken stew looks ready to come off the stove. The broth’s done too — let’s get ready to eat.”
“Alright, alright — let’s eat, let’s eat!”
The three of them busied themselves, serving the dishes and setting the table.
Xu Zhichun asked, “Xiaoyan, are you taking it back first or staying to eat before you go?”
“Let’s eat first — I’ll take it back later.”
“If I run into Second Sister-in-law again now, she’ll definitely start throwing a fit — it’ll ruin my appetite.”
Aunt Zhu’er smiled and said, “Then I’ll leave half in the pot — I’ll keep a bit more so Mingxuan can have some too.”
Zeng Xiaoyan smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll pick out a few good pieces for the little prodigy later. Zhichun, you have no idea — my father-in-law just adores your little one. He’s always singing his praises, says we’ve never had a kid that good in our whole village!”
Xu Zhichun liked the sound of that. She couldn’t help but smile. “My Mingxuan’s a good kid.”
The fragrant chicken soup and konjac chicken stew were brought to the table, and the three of them sat down together.
Xu Zhichun said, “Come on, try the konjac tofu — see how it tastes.”
“Okay!”
The three of them couldn’t wait to dig in. The konjac tofu, soaked through with savory broth, was silky and springy on the tongue, with a pleasant chew that surprised them. The more they chewed, the more fragrant it became — its unique umami flavor was simply irresistible.
Zeng Xiaoyan lit up. “Delicious! The flavor’s really unique — it’s a brand-new kind of dish. Just for the novelty alone, I bet it’ll sell!”
Aunt Zhu’er nodded in agreement. “I think it’s great too. This konjac tofu pairs well with other dishes, or even stir-fried on its own — it’d be tasty either way. One more dish on the table, and I bet city folks would be happy to give it a try.”
Xu Zhichun felt reassured. “This is the flavor — we all like it, so maybe it’s really worth a try. Konjac doesn’t cost anything, we just dig it up from the mountain, so we save on ingredients — that’s great. I brought back half a basket yesterday. After we eat, let’s talk about working together. How about we make twenty or thirty pounds this afternoon and take it to the city tomorrow to see how it sells?”
Aunt Zhu’er paused, a little uncertain. “Isn’t it… isn’t it a bit too soon?”
Zeng Xiaoyan was all for it. “I think it’s just right. When it comes to business, the sooner the better — if we think it’s worth trying, why not get a head start?”
Xu Zhichun added, “The first step is always the hardest. Folks haven’t seen konjac tofu before, so it might not sell well at first — but that’s alright. Let’s see how things go tomorrow. We’ll keep improving, and business will pick up little by little.”
Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu’er were lifted by Xu Zhichun’s words — their eyes lit up, confidence surged, as if they’d already made a profit.
"Um!"
“Zhichun’s absolutely right!”
Xu Zhichun smiled. “Let’s eat first — we’ll talk things over after the meal.”
“Yes, yes — let’s eat first, while it’s still hot!”
“With such a delicious dish right in front of us, shouldn’t we dig in while it’s hot?”
The chicken soup was rich and savory, the meat perfectly tender with not a trace of fat beneath the skin. The konjac chicken stew, spiced with chili, was fresh and spicy — so delicious it was hard to stop eating.
The three of them enjoyed a hearty, satisfying meal together.
After lunch, the grass jelly was ready — crystal-clear and glistening. A gentle tap with the spoon revealed its soft, springy texture.
Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu’er exclaimed in wonder, itching to give it a try.
Xu Zhichun smiled and quickly mixed up some brown sugar syrup. She took three clean bowls, spooned in the jelly, broke it up gently like beating an egg, added two or three spoonfuls of syrup, stirred it all together. Each bowl, crystal-clear and touched with amber sweetness, looked instantly transformed.
Xu Zhichun handed the bowls to them one by one. “Go on, have a taste!”
Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu’er couldn’t wait.
As soon as it hit their tongues — sweet, cool, silky and springy, soft and tender — their eyes lit up.
“This is delicious! The cold jelly’s fantastic, Sister Zhichun — it’ll definitely sell well.”
“Yes, yes — it’s so good! I’ve never had anything this tasty. Who would’ve thought that funny-looking lantern fruit could turn into something so delicious!”
“The best part is, the lantern fruit costs nothing — this is a no-cost business for us!”
“Haha, exactly!”
The three of them brimmed with confidence.
One bowl of cold jelly just wasn’t enough — each of them went back for a big second helping, and even then, they still wanted more.
Setting down her bowl, Xu Zhichun smiled. “Alright then — let’s talk about how we’re going to run this business.”
Even between brothers, it’s best to keep the accounts clear — otherwise it’s easy to fall out later.
Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu’er immediately declared they’d follow Xu Zhichun’s lead in everything.
“Zhichun, whatever you say, we’ll do.”
Xu Zhichun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “How could that possibly work?”
After one final round of discussion, they agreed: once costs were deducted, Xu Zhichun would take sixty percent, and the other two twenty percent each. The recipe would stay strictly between the three of them — not a word to anyone else, not even their own spouses. Total secrecy.
Keeping the business secret from outsiders was one thing — but even from their own husbands? Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu’er paused, caught off guard. For no clear reason, it felt a little strange, a little off.
Xu Zhichun thought to herself: this won’t do. She’d have to talk them around — and do it cleverly.
🐇♡🐇♡🐇♡🐇
Xu Zhichun (wiping her hands, voice low): “Alright. We’ve agreed on the profit split. Now the most important rule: the recipe stays between us. No one else. Not even your husbands.”
Zeng Xiaoyan (blinks): “Not even my husband? But he’s harmless. He still thinks tofu grows on trees.”
Aunt Zhu’er (snorts): “Mine once tried to ‘improve’ my rice wine by adding soy sauce. Said it gave it ‘depth.’”
Xu Zhichun (dead serious): “If we tell them, they might try to do them too and if they mess it up, they’ll blame us. Then the whole village will say our jelly tastes like shoe soles.”
Zeng Xiaoyan (gasping): “Not the shoe soles! My husband once made soup with dried mushrooms and forgot to soak them. It crunched.”
Xu Zhichun (raising her spoon like a sword): “So we agree. No husbands. No hints. No jelly-related pillow talk.”
All three (solemnly): “Agreed.”
[They clink spoons. A rooster crows. Somewhere, a husband sneezes suspiciously.]
Xu Zhichun (thinks to herself): “I don't even have a husband to tell so it needs to be fair. My husband is too busy being 'dead' in this early part of the novel.”
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