In the afternoon, Gordan came back. He didn't say a word and went straight to his room. He didn't come out until evening.
"Sir, did everything go well with the shop?" Yuno asked, looking worried.
Gordan shook his head without answering.
"What about Sasha?" he asked. On his way through Wuping Street today, he had bought some snacks and rouge, thinking she might like them.
"She's in the kitchen," Yuno said, eyeing the two bags of snacks eagerly and swallowing hard.
"What's she doing in the kitchen?" Gordan's eyes suddenly sharpened with a bad feeling.
Did Yuno actually let her cook?
Yuno drew circles with his foot on the ground and gave a nervous laugh. "Sasha said she's good at cooking and wanted us to try her food."
"So you just let her cook?" Gordan rubbed his forehead with one hand and drank a mouthful of cold tea with the other.
Yuno was usually clever. How could he mess up at a time like this? Shaking his head, Gordan walked toward the kitchen.
A rich aroma hit him before he even reached the door, making him walk faster.
Sasha had cooked scrambled eggs with scallions, pan-seared pork belly, and fish soup with scallions today.
"You made all this?" Gordan walked in and stared in disbelief at the three hot dishes on the stove, rubbing his eyes.
"Yes. Try some in a bit," Sasha said with a smile. She wiped her hands and picked up a plate.
Gordan quickly took it from her and placed it on the table.
The three of them sat down, but no one picked up their chopsticks right away.
Gordan and Yuno stared at the golden scrambled eggs. It was the first time they realized eggs could be fried with scallions.
"Go ahead and taste it," Sasha said cheerfully as she noticed their eyes glued to the dishes.
She had loved cooking since she was little. Her best friends always praised her skills and once suggested she become a food blogger. But she was shy and sensitive, so she gave up that "money" path.
Now that she had crossed over into this new world, her only skill was cooking. Yuno had mentioned Gordan was planning to open a restaurant. Since she had nowhere else to go for now, helping him seemed like a good way to repay his kindness.
Gordan picked up a piece of egg and put it in his mouth. His eyes lit up.
The fresh taste of scallions blended perfectly with the soft eggs. It was salty, fragrant, and absolutely delicious.
Seeing the delighted look on Gordan's face, Yuno moved quickly, grabbed a bite, and then immediately shoveled a big spoonful of rice into his mouth. With just that one dish, he could eat two whole bowls of rice.
"Sasha, this scrambled egg is amazing!" Yuno said while chewing.
It was strange. He had used the same ingredients before, but how come his version didn't taste this good? Was it really just the scallions and salt? Questions filled his head as he started eating faster and faster.
Gordan turned his attention to the pork belly. The meat was golden brown and smelled incredible. There was very little oil on the plate, making it look clean and appetizing, not greasy at all. One bite and the juices burst in his mouth. It was rich but not heavy, slightly sweet, and full of flavor. Most impressively, there was no trace of that unpleasant pork smell.
"Sasha, did you do something special to the pork?" Gordan asked curiously. Not even the finest restaurants in the capital or imperial banquets served pork without that smell.
Sasha cleared her throat and explained, "For this pan-seared pork belly, I first removed the skin and soaked the meat in water for about half an hour. Then I added salt, scallions, ginger, and wine to cold water, brought it to a boil, skimmed the foam, and let it simmer until some of the water evaporated. After that, I pan-fried it slowly over low heat until the surface turned golden. Next time, I'll make a special scallion oil sauce. It'll taste even better dipped in that."
No wonder it was so clean and tasty. Pork belly could be cooked like this too?
Gordan was suddenly enlightened. He looked at Sasha as if she were a glowing treasure chest.
"Try the fish soup too," Sasha said, glowing with happiness after all the praise.
The soup was milky white, with bright green scallions floating on top. It looked beautiful.
Gordan didn't like eating fish. After hesitating for a while, he still gave Sasha some face and scooped a small bowl. He stirred the white soup with a spoon and secretly glanced at Gordan's expression.
Gordan rarely drank fish soup. That earthy, fishy smell always turned him off, so he usually preferred braised or grilled fish instead.
He took a small sip. The soup was rich and flavorful with barely any fishy taste, much better than he expected. He was silently impressed.
"Sasha, this is the best fish soup I've ever had." After speaking, he picked up a piece of fish and was surprised to find mushrooms hidden inside.
"Sasha, is it because of the mushrooms that the soup turned out so white?" Gordan was shocked. Every dish Sasha had made that day gave his taste buds a wonderful experience. He couldn't get enough.
Sasha didn't keep it a secret and generously explained, "No. When making this dish, you need to heat the pot first, then fry the fish before adding boiling water. Once the skin turns golden, the soup will come out white and fresh. The mushrooms are just to enhance the flavor." Actually, a bit of tofu and pepper would make it even better, but with limited ingredients and spices here, she used mushrooms instead.
Gordan continued drinking the soup, his mind drifting, his eyes slowly darkening.
"Gordan, is something bothering you?" Sasha noticed his mood shift and frowned slightly.
Yuno's hand froze, spoon midair, sneaking a peek at Gordan. He guessed it was money troubles again.
He could practically count how much silver Gordan had left. Better off selling those ridiculously expensive books. This time, Gordan had really upset both the general and his wife. Not only had he cut off their financial support, but even his official career path was at risk. Even joining the civil exams wouldn't help unless he brought his wife back. For example… as that thought formed, he sneaked another glance at Sasha.
"I saw a shop in town that I really liked, but the owner only wants to sell, not rent," Gordan admitted.
Yuno choked on his soup. He was right. Gordan was worrying about silver.
Sasha blinked her bright eyes and asked, "How much is he asking?"
Gordan paused for a moment before replying, "Ten thousand taels."
"That expensive? Gordan, that's almost the price of a place in the capital!" Yuno exclaimed.
Mistwater Town was just a third-tier small town. Asking for ten thousand taels? That owner was clearly trying to scam Gordan.
"The shop has two floors and is in the best location in Mistwater Town. The owner, Colson, runs a rice and grain store. He first agreed to rent it for five hundred taels a month, with a six-month contract. But the next day, he changed his mind. Colson said the restaurant 'Blossom House' offered nine thousand taels to buy it. If I'm willing to pay ten thousand, he'll sell it to me sincerely." Gordan's tone was heavy.
Yuno kept his head down, shaking it internally. Forget ten thousand, even a thousand taels might be out of reach for Gordan right now. He'd be better off figuring out how to marry Sasha. Once the general and his wife forgave him, there'd be nothing he couldn't get.
"Gordan, Colson's only interested in profit. Even if you really brought him ten thousand taels, he probably still wouldn't sell it directly to you. He'll just use it to raise the price with Blossom House. There's a saying, 'Good wine needs no bush.' Why not find a smaller place first and test the waters? If it doesn't make money, it's easier to let go." Sasha shared her thoughts. She could tell Gordan wasn't well-off, or he wouldn't have sold his carriage and ended up in Little River Village.
In the past few days, Yuno had been constantly bringing her nice things: silk sleepwear, pearl earrings, jade bangles, a gilded bronze mirror, and an obsidian comb. Besides that, he also got her three sets of beautiful dresses and matching embroidered shoes and socks. He even replaced her wardrobe with a larger one.
Since arriving in the village, she hadn't stepped outside once, so she didn't know the prices in town. But judging from the quality of these items, they definitely weren't cheap.
Gordan looked at Sasha with a complicated expression, his eyes filled with gratitude, admiration, and hesitation.
Maybe he had been too impatient, trying to succeed all at once.
"I'll go to town with you tomorrow to look for shops," Sasha offered. It was also a good chance to see what this strange world really looked like.
Gordan thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright. There'll be a lot of people in town, how about wearing a veil?"
He had bought two rolls of thin gauze earlier, now it could come in handy.
"A veil? You mean cover my face?" Sasha froze. How was she supposed to see the road like that?
Yuno quickly chimed in, "Sasha, you're just too pretty. If you don't wear a veil, someone with bad intentions might target you. It's safer this way."
"Yuno's right, and it's not unusual to see girls wearing veils in town," Gordan added.
He knew Sasha had come from somewhere far, possibly fleeing something. He hadn't asked for details and didn't plan to. Everyone had their secrets. When Sasha was ready, she'd tell him.
"Alright then." Sasha didn't like it, but she could feel the care from Gordan and Yuno. Since she was new here, it was better to stay cautious for now.