73, Persuasion (3 more)
By late morning, the girls had all returned, their backs laden with Kalimeris Indica and grey vegetables, and a few thorn bubbles in their small baskets.
“I’ll give each of you ten Copper Coins, do you think that’s okay?” Xie Zhinuan tentatively asked.
The girls nodded repeatedly.
For those who had never seen money from childhood, ten Copper Coins was a lot, and their slender hands trembled as they received the money from Xie Zhinuan’s hand.
Having a compassionate heart because there were many people, and not being a great villain herself, she saw the girls like this and, as a woman, was even more willing to give them opportunities.
But the girls also needed to be mindful of their safety, as evil people could be found everywhere.
She would prefer that the girls not venture alone in their pursuit of money.
“You can come together in the future. Whatever the amount, I will give it based on the items, it might be ten, five, or perhaps more. In short, the reward will be proportional to your efforts. But you also need to be alert about safety, and remember, you came to me together, and I hope you leave together when you go!”
“Sister Zhinuan…”
They didn’t quite understand what Xie Zhinuan meant.
They looked at Xie Zhinuan with confusion.
Seeing their confusion, Xie Zhinuan couldn’t help but elaborate, “It’s good that you’re earning money for your families, but as girls, you must take good care of yourselves. If you stick together, the bad people won’t dare to trouble you. If you still don’t understand, ask your mother or grandma when you get home, and they will tell you!”
“Mhm mhm!”
The girls nodded continuously and happily went home with the money.
After washing the thorn bubbles clean, Xie Zhinuan prepared to make a fish soup for the noble young master living across the street.
Intending to go to the fish pond to catch a fish, Yuanbao carried a basket over, “Miss Xie!”
“Yuanbao!”
“Miss Xie, here is a bass, Bird’s Nest, and red dates. Use these for now; I’ll bring some more over another day!”
“Okay!” Xie Zhinuan accepted them.
She first kept the bass in a bucket and soaked a piece of Bird’s Nest in a pottery bowl.
She planned to stew it in the late afternoon when it was almost dark.
Yuanbao, at the door, saw Grandma Chen picking through the grey vegetables and was a bit surprised, “So many wild greens?”
“Yes, drying them to make vegetable crisps, to be stewed with meat!” Xie Zhinuan replied.
She was busy going in and out.
This bass was not as suitable for soup as a crucian carp, after some thought, she said to Yuanbao, “Actually, crucian carp is better for soup. I’ll just steam this bass at noon and see if your young master can eat it!”
“Crucian carp, hmm…” Yuanbao hesitated for a moment, then said, “I’ll go back and bring a couple!”
Xie Zhinuan raised an eyebrow.
She did not object.
She turned around and busied herself with her work.
When Yuanbao arrived with the fish, Xie Zhinuan kept them in the water bucket as well.
After some thought, she planned to cook some rice and stir-fry a dish.
She slaughtered the crucian carp, fried it, and placed it into the casserole to simmer, adding two poached eggs, letting it stew slowly until the fish soup turned pure white and fragrant.
She wished she had some green onions.
The meal she cooked for Li Hengyi at noon consisted of white rice, plain porridge, fish soup, stir-fried pork with cucumber, and stir-fried grey vegetables.
When Yuanbao came to pick up the food, Xie Zhinuan packed it in baskets.
“Two baskets today?”
“Yes, I made some rice and prepared two dishes to see if your master can eat them. But if he can, advise him to eat less, he should still drink more porridge!”
Not having eaten properly for three years, his stomach was very weak.
“Okay!”
Xie Zhinuan also called over the silly girls to eat.
Li Hengyi did have some of the fish soup and a couple of bites of rice, but mostly he ate porridge, “The wild greens taste good!”
The leftovers all went into Yuanbao’s stomach.
Chapter 75