Chapter 43: The Events of That Year

That evening, Chi Nan Yi rendered the pork fat.

Mrs. Ruan looked at the solidified white pork fat, puzzled, and said, "The lard you rendered, little sister, seems whiter than the one we made before."

Chi Nan Yi smiled and said, "That's what happens when you render oil with water." Moreover, she used Spirit Spring Water.

"With water?" Mrs. Ruan was startled. "Can water be used to render oil?"

"Yes!"

"Little sister is truly amazing," Mrs. Ruan touched her still‑unrounded belly and said softly, "Thanks to your cleverness, you sensed the locust threat early and know herbs; otherwise, when the locusts pass, there would be no food, and the child in my womb might not survive."

Chi Nan Yi smiled: "Sister‑in‑law, just keep your heart in your belly; this child will surely be born safely."

"Fine." She glanced at the items Chi Nan Yi had bought, moved her lips, but said nothing.

At dinner time, they stared at the white rice on the table and swallowed their saliva.

In the past, even during the New Year it was hard to eat white rice; at most we mixed refined flour with coarse flour to make some cakes.

Eating plain white rice directly was truly a luxury.

"Mother, this rice smells so good!" Chi Zhiqiu scooped half from his own bowl into Mrs. Ruan's bowl, laughing, "Now that you're pregnant, eat more."

"How could that be? You've been busy all day; you must eat more."

"It's fine." Chi Zhiqiu waved his hand: "Usually just rice soup is enough to fill me, this much rice is plenty."

Wen Zhilan placed two dishes on the table, a vegetable dish and a stir‑fried meat dish.

"Quick, try it! This dish was stir‑fried with the pork lard rendered by Chi Nan Yi, and it's fragrant! I used to think only fatty meat could be rendered, but didn't expect this fat to produce even more fragrant oil."

"Yes, Mother. Before I got married, my elder brother bought some and thought it cheap enough to render oil, but the oil was fishy and gamey, making the stir‑fry smell terrible. Yet the oil rendered by little sister was bright and fragrant." Mrs. Ruan picked up a bite of the dish, her eyes instantly lit up: "Delicious!"

Mrs. Shen's health had improved a lot; she could now come out to eat.

She looked at Chi Nan Yi, a trace of worry flashing across her face: "Chi Nan Yi, how was your life earlier at the Minister's Residence?"

Chi Nan Yi heard this and couldn't help but be startled for a moment.

Why would Grandmother ask that?

"You were a wealthy young lady at the Minister's Residence; being a wealthy young lady, why did you do so many menial tasks?"

You see, the daughters of great families never even touch spring water with their ten fingers, let alone a kitchen filled with oil fumes; not to mention the Minister's Residence's ladies, even the daughters of seventh‑rank officials wouldn't do such things.

And Chi Nan Yi, as a lady of the Left Minister's Residence, knowing herbs was one thing, but she was also so adept at cooking—tasks usually done by kitchen maids—that it inevitably raised doubts about how well she truly lived at the Minister's Residence.

"Grandmother, rest assured, I was never mistreated at the Minister's Residence; my food, clothing, and expenses were all befitting a legitimate daughter. It was just that daily qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting were dull and tasteless. I like herbs and enjoy cooking, so I learned a few techniques from the residence's kitchen women."

Hearing her say that, Mrs. Shen finally relaxed.

"Chi Nan Yi, our family can't compare to the Minister's Residence; in terms of food and clothing, we can only make you endure hardship."

"Grandmother, what are you saying? Though life is a bit hard now, I feel very relaxed and content. Moreover, our family won't stay this poor forever; I now have a way to earn silver, and our days will get better and better."

"Yes! Grandmother, starting tomorrow I will go with my little sister to earn money and support the family; we will definitely give our family a good life!"

Hearing that, Mrs. Shen smiled and said, "Very well, Grandmother will live longer and wait for your prosperous days."

The family ate their fill and drank their fill; they could not recall how many years it had been since they ate so deliciously.

Late at night, when all was quiet, Shen Yu called Chi Ting Song and Wen Zhilan into the room.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

"That day I heard the eldest say that Meng Qinghe, after returning to the Minister's Residence, actually wanted to kill you all. Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Chi Ting Song furrowed his brows, nodded, and said, "Indeed, that did happen."

"I never imagined they'd raise a backstabbing wolf," Mrs. Shen patted the bedboard. "It was bound to happen; we shouldn't have brought her back in the first place. Let her be taken away by wolves or dogs, cough cough cough…"

Speaking a bit emotionally, Mrs. Shen couldn't help but cough.

"Mother, the matter is already over; saying this now is of no use. Chi Nan Yi has grown up, becoming graceful and poised, and we have at least lived up to our lord's family. However, our family is now a fallen household; when Chi Nan Yi marries, what can we do? We can't have her marry a peasant!"

"Yes, Mother." Wen Zhilan also showed a troubled expression: "Counting the time, in two more years she'll be of marriageable age; what shall we do?"

"Sigh, there's no other way. I originally planned to use the opportunity of the Left Minister's wife's childbirth to send Chi Nan Yi into the Left Minister's Residence, hoping the Left Minister's wife's protection would ensure a good life for her. After all, when the Left Minister's wife gave birth, she wanted a male heir, but the family that had agreed to sell their son suddenly reneged. Exhausted, her pregnancy became unstable, resulting in a stillbirth; the doctor had to induce labor, causing the child to be born prematurely. Fearing that a stillborn would disgust the Left Minister, she had someone purchase a newborn, and I used that chance to swap the lady with the stillborn, thinking the lady would live a peaceful life, but…" Mrs. Shen sighed, "Had I known they'd recognize it, I shouldn't have brought that child back!"

"Mother, it's not your fault; you originally intended to bury that baby, but it somehow survived the journey. Since it's alive, we can't just abandon it—that would be heartless," Wen Zhilan also felt helpless: "Regardless, the lady has grown up safely; if she had stayed with us from the start, life would have been even harsher."

"Indeed!" Mrs. Shen nodded: "Fine, the matter stands as it is; we can only take it one step at a time. I called you here today to tell you that all the family's silver must be saved for Chi Nan Yi's marriage, understand?"

"Mother, we understand. The main family has been immensely kind to us; we ought to repay them."

Chi Nan Yi was completely unaware of this; at the moment she was rummaging through the medicinal field in the space, looking to see if she could find a common herb like Cinnabar Root.

She searched for a long time; the only usable herb was indeed Cinnabar Root, but after just one day she could clearly feel that the Cinnabar Roots in the space were a bit sturdier than the ones she sold during the day.

The next morning, Chi Nan Yi prepared to go up the mountain with Chi Huai Qian. As they were about to leave, the Chi Family received guests.

"Mother, big brother, second brother!" Mrs. Ruan looked at the three of them: "Why have you come?"