Li Ying felt much more at ease. As usual, she went beachcombing and sold stir - fries, greeting customers from all over with a smile. Everything was as normal as before.
The peasant girls at the dock were also holding coconut milk and sea jelly, chatting idly in twos and threes.
"Have you heard? The vixen from the Lingying Tower got some rare Moon Fruit. Now those young masters are breaking their heads to get it!"
"Indeed! When my husband went to deliver goods, he heard the shop owner tell the clerks that whoever could find the Moon Fruit would be promoted to shopkeeper!"
Li Ying remained calm on the surface, but was calculating in her heart.
Fei Yan'er was indeed not an easy person.
In order to find a new benefactor for herself as soon as possible, she was making such a big fuss. She hoped that it wouldn't drag her into trouble.
Li Ying absent - mindedly handed a bowl of sea jelly to the customer in front of her. "That'll be three wen. Enjoy your meal and come again, sir."
The man took the bowl but didn't leave. Suppressing the anger in his voice, he said coldly, "Sister - in - law, so it's really you!"
Li Ying looked up. The angry man in front of her was her nominal brother - in - law, Qin Shao.
"Fei Yan'er said it was you who gave her the Moon Fruit and helped her become the top courtesan of the Lingying Tower. I didn't believe it at first, but now that I've seen you with my own eyes, I know that sister - in - law is really capable!"
Qin Shao had hit a reef that day and barely managed to save his life. After recuperating for a few days, as soon as he could get out of bed, he rushed to the Lingying Tower in a hurry to find his sweetheart.
Unexpectedly, the beauty who had sworn eternal love to him a few days ago was now in the arms of another man.
"Yan'er, wait for me a few more days. I promise that as soon as my mother gives me the silver, I'll take you out of this pit of fire!"
Fei Yan'er gave him a disdainful look.
"Second Young Master Qin, if you don't have the ability, don't take on difficult tasks. Keep your meager silver for the beggars. I still have to entertain noble guests. See yourself out!"
Before he knew it, he had been pushed out by the fat, domineering madam in charge.
Qin Shao was full of anger. After finding out that it was a fisherwoman who set up a stall at the dock that had ruined his great marriage, he came furiously to seek an explanation.
"My Qin family is a family of scholars. My elder brother has studied hard for ten years, waiting to pass the imperial examination and make a name for himself one day. But you show yourself in public and associate with peddlers and commoners. It's really a disgrace to our family!"
Without any explanation, Qin Shao grabbed Li Ying and was about to leave, still scolding, "After we get back, I'll definitely persuade my elder brother to punish you severely according to family rules!"
Granny Sun was afraid that Li Ying would suffer, so she quickly stepped forward to persuade, "Are you A Ying's brother - in - law? We're all family. There must be some misunderstanding, right? A Ying just gave birth and is still weak. Let's talk things over nicely..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Qin Shao gave her a fierce glare and pushed her, making her stagger.
"Old hag, shut your mouth! Stay out of our family affairs!"
He was well - dressed, presumably from a wealthy family in the town. The few fisherwomen who originally wanted to speak up for Li Ying supported Granny Sun but dared not say a word.
Li Ying was not afraid.
This was a good opportunity to get a divorce from Qin Jin, that inhumane scumbag.
But suddenly, a hand reached out and stopped her gently.
"You keep talking about ethics and morals, but an elder sister - in - law is like a mother. As a younger brother - in - law, how can you be so offensive?"
Qin Shao was stunned by the question. Taking advantage of his momentary daze, the few fisherwomen quickly pulled Li Ying behind them.
Li Ying looked up and felt her heart pounding.
It was him again!
The man surnamed Lu frowned and had a cold face. He stood in front of her and Granny Sun like a high wall.
Although Qin Shao was thin, he was quite tall. However, the other man was a full head taller than him. Under the sharp gaze, his arrogant aura was instantly doused like a fire being splashed with cold water and couldn't be rekindled. So he could only turn to Li Ying and threaten feebly.
"You're being unfaithful and colluding with a strange man! No wonder! I'll report you to the authorities and have you two drowned in the pond!"
Li Ying raised her hand and slapped Qin Shao hard across the face.
"This young man is just standing up for justice. I don't know him at all. Everyone at the dock can testify! You can't just make unfounded accusations!"
Qin Shao never expected that he, a seven - foot man, would be publicly humiliated by his usually meek elder sister - in - law. In a fit of anger, he punched at her.
Li Ying dodged. With a dull thud, the young man surnamed Lu kicked Qin Shao in the back of his knee. Caught off guard, Qin Shao fell heavily onto the dock like a stone, his head plunging into the shallow water and gulping down two mouthfuls of the salty sea water.
The commotion attracted two constables who were patrolling nearby. They were the ones Li Ying had bribed earlier.
"Who wants to report to the authorities? Bullying a widow and her orphan in public. How shameless!"
Hearing what the constables said, Qin Shao knew he wouldn't get anywhere. He shook his long robe awkwardly and said hatefully, "Li Ying, you're my elder brother's woman in life and in death. Just you wait!"
He fled in a hurry. Li Ying thanked the constables who had supported her. Just as she was about to thank the young man surnamed Lu who had helped her several times, he had already gone back to the ship to unload the goods.
This small incident didn't affect her business. To thank the villagers for their help, Li Ying added an extra spoonful of vegetables to each customer's meal and closed her stall half an hour earlier than usual.
She went straight to the butcher shop and picked out two pieces of pork loin. Then she saw a piece of beef shank beside the chopping block. Her eyes lit up. After some hesitation, she bought it too.
She then went to the pharmacy to buy some dried tangerine peels and star anise, barely making up a packet of spices for stewing meat. Only then was she satisfied and returned to the fishing village.
She soaked the beef shank in water to get rid of the blood, then added scallions, ginger, Chinese prickly ash and yellow rice wine to marinate it to remove the fishy smell. The remaining piece of pork loin was also blanched in boiling water to remove the foam.
The farmhouse salty sauce had already been fried in the pot. She poured in the meat pieces and the spice packet, added plenty of water. After bringing it to a boil over high heat, she added a few peeled hard - boiled eggs and simmered it over low heat until it was well - flavored.
While waiting for the spiced beef to be ready, Li Ying kneaded a dough and let it rest for a while.
Granny Sun saw that her hands were covered with sticky dough. Thinking that she wasn't good at making pancakes, she quietly put Mianmian, who was already asleep, into a bamboo basket and was about to come and help.
Li Ying heated the coconut oil until it was warm, mixed it with the other half of the wheat flour, added some pepper and salt, and stirred it into a crispy paste. She smiled and said, "Auntie, my crispy pancakes need this kind of sticky dough to make them soft when baked!"
As she spoke, she wrapped the crispy paste with the dough, flattened and stretched it, then rolled it into small rolls and shaped them into round dough balls, making more than a dozen pancake blanks.
She only brushed a thin layer of oil in the pan and fried the pancakes over low heat until both sides were golden. Finally, she put them into the oven and baked them for a while. The pancakes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. When you took a bite, small pieces of the pancake would fall off.
Considering Granny Sun's gout and that she couldn't eat greasy food, Li Ying chose evenly - marbled pork loin for the spiced meat. After slicing it, she poured a little meat broth over it. The juice seeped into every strand of the meat, making it fragrant and tender.
She sandwiched the spiced meat in the freshly - baked crispy pancakes and finally paired it with a hot marinated egg.
The pancakes were fragrant with pepper, the spiced meat was fatty and delicious, and the egg yolk was dense. Taking a bite, Li Ying let out a satisfied sigh.
The sickly kitten also got a piece of boiled meat. After eating its fill, it stretched out a paw and casually pushed the bamboo basket where Mianmian was sleeping, as if it were a cradle.
With Granny Sun and Maomao taking care of her daughter, Li Ying was relieved. She put a few pancakes in a bamboo basket, wrapped up the sliced spiced beef, and went straight to the dock to find the "Brother Lu".
She really owed him a big thank - you for helping her out today.