After the meal, Tang Guiniang went to the kitchen to clean up while Pei Li went to clean the chicken coop.
Tang Guiniang never spoiled her two sons.
No matter how tired they were from fishing outside, they still had to share the housework when they got home.
Qi Jiao squatted outside the kitchen, boiling medicine with a large palm-leaf fan.
The dry bamboo slices in the small stove crackled. The bright red fire gradually died out and turned gray. The medicine was ready.
She reached out to wave away the steam. After blowing it cool, she gulped it down in one go.
It was so bitter! Bitterer than her life!
Qi Jiao frowned tightly and was about to go rinse the bowl.
When she turned around, she caught sight of Pei Xia leaning against the osmanthus tree. His thick eyelashes cast a shadow over his eyes as he scrutinized her with an inscrutable look.
The sunlight streamed down through the tree crown, casting golden flecks of light on his face, creating soft yet intense shadows. His features were truly strikingly handsome. His dark, unfathomable eyes were bewitching, making people eager to uncover his secrets.
Qi Jiao came to her senses and felt a bit embarrassed.
Why had she been staring at him for so long! He was just a bit better-looking.
Qi Jiao lifted her chin and walked away expressionlessly.
Qi Jiao entered the main room of the east wing and opened the dowry chests. She wanted to see if there was anything she could use.
Goodness! Two of the three chests were empty, filled only with straw and stones.
The remaining one contained a copper teakettle. It was quite heavy when she picked it up. But this only valuable item was brought back by the former Qi Jiao from the Guo Mansion.
The teakettles were originally a pair. The other one, which was even more delicate, must have been kept by Qian Shi, needless to say.
Qi Jiao gritted her teeth. The Qi couple really didn't treat her like a human being!
She had nothing of value. How could she pay the Pei family for accommodation and meals?
After thinking for a while, Qi Jiao took the copper teakettle to find Tang Guiniang.
Unfortunately, Tang Guiniang had finished her work and gone back to the east room to take a nap.
Qi Jiao didn't want to disturb her, so she had to go find Pei Xia.
Pei Xia saw her swaying over with a large teakettle in her hand. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "What are you doing?"
Qi Jiao felt a bit shy. "This was brought back by me from the Guo Mansion. The Qi family used it as part of my dowry. I've been troubling you all these days. Please help me sell it. The money can be used as payment for my medicine and meals."
Pei Xia didn't say a word. Qi Jiao added, "I know it may not be enough. I'll find a way to earn the rest and pay you back."
Pei Xia said there was no need. "Since it's your thing, keep it."
Seeming impatient, he walked out of the door after saying that.
Qi Jiao stood there, feeling a bit at a loss.
Suddenly, there was a snort. Pei Li emerged from behind the rows of salted fish under the eaves. With an innocent smile on his face, his words made Qi Jiao stamp her foot in embarrassment.
"Sister-in-law. I'm not joking. You're already big brother's wife. Why are you still being so polite! Big brother will be angry if you act like this."
Qi Jiao: …
Pei Li grinned, showing his dazzling white teeth.
Recalling the lunch, his face was filled with happiness. He said cheerfully, "Actually, it's quite good that you're my sister-in-law. You're better than that Qi Fu!"
This made Qi Jiao blush deeply.
She cleared her throat. "You'd better call me Sister Jiao Niang. It makes me sound younger."
Pei Li said it was okay. He bargained with Qi Jiao. "Will you cook dinner?"
Qi Jiao nodded impatiently. "I will."
Pei Li was delighted. He rummaged through the house and found a basket of duck eggs, about twenty of them. "I picked these in the mangrove forest. I've been collecting them for several days. I want to eat these for dinner. Can you cook them?"
Qi Jiao took a look. The duck eggs in the basket were bigger than the ones she had ever seen. She couldn't help asking, "Are these all wild?"
Pei Li said, "Sure. There are plenty of sea ducks in the mangrove forest, but the eggs are not easy to find. Only I can find so many."
Duck eggs were different from chicken eggs. If not cooked properly, they would easily taste fishy.
Almost instantly, Qi Jiao thought of a way to cook them - salted duck eggs.
She took the basket. "Leave it to me."
There was still time before dinner. Qi Jiao set aside four duck eggs to stir-fry with shrimps. There were live shrimps in the bucket that Pei Li had caught.
The rest would all be made into salted duck eggs.
Qi Jiao washed the duck eggs one by one. She asked Pei Li to dig some red soil from the field and then fetched a handful of plant ash from under the stove. She mixed the mud, ash, water, and salt, and evenly coated the duck eggs with the mixture.
Then she placed the mud-coated duck eggs in a jar with a small mouth and a big belly. After pouring in a small amount of Baijiu, she sealed the jar.
In half a month, they would be able to eat the salted duck eggs with fine sand and oil oozing out.
The sun was setting in the west. Pei Xia returned as the twilight fell.
He was covered in moisture, and his clothes were soaked by the sea water.
Pei Xia handed the wooden bucket in his hand to Tang Guiniang and went into the house to change his clothes.
Tang Guiniang took a look and found that there was a big golden yellow croaker among the ordinary sea bass.
She reached into the bucket and weighed it slightly. She estimated that the yellow croaker weighed about ten catties.
A look of joy appeared on her face. She pointed at the stupid fish's head and said, "This is great. I'll keep you in the water for one night. I'll sell you in the county tomorrow. Consider it your good deed."
On this side, when Pei Xia entered the house, Qi Jiao was just about to go out. They passed by each other.
Qi Jiao saw that his hair was still dripping with water. She thought to herself that it was not easy to make a living by the sea.
When she reached the door, she paused. Out of the blue, Qi Jiao asked, "Do you drink ginger soup?"
Pei Xia had long legs and arms. He was quick in his movements. He had already taken off half of his outer shirt. Hearing this, he turned around, revealing a large expanse of fair and strong chest. The lean outline of his waist and abdomen was clearly outlined by the wet clothes.
He felt uncomfortable in the wet clothes and just wanted to change them as soon as possible. He didn't expect Qi Jiao to still be there.
She was staring at him intently.
Pei Xia's expression became quite interesting for a moment.
Qi Jiao felt a bit embarrassed. She quickly said, "I don't mean anything else. If you can eat ginger, I'll cook some soup to dispel the cold for you."
In her heart, she thought that Pei Xia actually had a good figure.
Although he was exposed to the sun all year round, his neck was even whiter than his face.
Pei Xia was a bit stiff. He nodded noncommittally. "Do as you like."
Qi Jiao secretly laughed and left in a hurry.
Qi Jiao cooked the dishes. Seeing that she got along well with Pei Li and Pei Jin, Tang Guiniang left them to do as they pleased.
The dinner was simple. Qi Jiao made stir-fried duck eggs with shrimps and steamed sweet potatoes.
There was also a bowl of osmanthus red bean paste. The osmanthus flowers were freshly picked from the tree.
Finally, she made a pot of steaming ginger soup with a little Chinese prickly ash in it. It could dispel the cold and dampness, and everyone could drink it.
Pei Xia sat at the table. He saw Qi Jiao's slender fingers like scallions holding the edge of the bowl as she sipped the soup in small mouthfuls, revealing the curve from her ear to her collarbone, a beauty that was hard to ignore.
He lowered his head to drink the ginger soup. The thick and spicy taste enveloped his lips and tongue, and then turned into a warm current that spread throughout his body.
Pei Xia suddenly thought that it was quite nice to have such a person by his side.
Tang Guiniang was breaking a piece of sweet potato to eat while asking Pei Xia about the eight mu of paddy fields. "Have you gone to take a look?"
Mentioning the paddy fields, Pei Xia also felt annoyed. He wiped his mouth with a cloth towel. "I went to check it with Uncle Ye. The situation is not good. If we want to plant rice, we have to build a new sill dam. Otherwise, when the sea water rises, the crops will be destroyed sooner or later."
Tang Guiniang's mouth drooped slightly. "It's not easy to build a dam along such a long stretch of beach!"
Pei Xia said, "Our family has enough food to eat. Let's leave those eight mu of fields alone for now. I'll go to Biwu Village when I'm free."
As soon as Qi Jiao heard the beginning, she knew that the Qi family had cheated someone again.
It was a pity that the eight mu of land by the sea was left barren.
Suddenly, she remembered what Pei Li had said. There were wild sea ducks in the mangrove forest. Did it mean that they could be artificially raised...
Qi Jiao was thinking about it and blurted it out naturally. "Maybe we can raise ducks."