“How fragrant! Shushu, how exactly did you make these steamed hairy crabs? I saw you just added clear water and nothing else. Why are your steamed hairy crabs so aromatic??”
Aunt Sun was salivating at this overpowering aroma. Although she had never eaten hairy crabs herself, she had once had the fortune to watch someone else make them.
But that person’s steamed hairy crabs had not been like Qiao Shu’s—no overwhelming fragrance that assailed the nose, even wafting out to the street!
“This is my exclusive secret recipe~! I can’t tell you.”
Qiao Shu smiled as she replied to Aunt Sun. This was the excuse she had prepared in advance.
After all, cooking with spiritual spring water made everything taste too good, so to avoid raising suspicions, she had to pretend her cooking was so delicious because of some proprietary secret recipe that wasn’t shared outside.
That way, no one would suspect anything else.
“Ah, I see. Then I won’t ask.”
Aunt Sun was taken aback by the mention of this exclusive secret recipe. She nodded nervously, even averting her eyes a bit from Qiao Shu’s stir-frying, afraid she might accidentally learn someone else’s secret recipe.
Seeing Aunt Sun like this, Qiao Shu curved her lips in a smile and muttered inwardly, People from this era are really so cute and simple.
With Aunt Sun’s help, Qiao Shu easily finished preparing lunch. By then, the Feng Family members had all returned home.
“Yo, what’s that smell in the house? So fragrant! Shushu girl, what delicious thing did you make for Grandpa today?”
Elder Feng sniffed the overpowering crab aroma in the air and felt his stomach grow ravenous.
“Grandpa, I made steamed hairy crabs today. They’re super tasty!”
Qiao Shu stated without a hint of modesty, because her steamed hairy crabs really were that good!
This time, she had used spiritual spring water like it was free, adding a lot for steaming the crabs.
Even the water for washing the crabs had been secretly infused with spiritual spring water when Aunt Sun wasn’t paying attention.
So, for today’s lunch, the steamed hairy crabs were undoubtedly the undisputed star of the table!
And just as Qiao Shu had anticipated, the Feng Family members heaped endless praise on the steamed hairy crabs!
The tender, firm crab meat was fresh and delicate in the mouth, especially that pure, original flavor— one bite and it was so fresh it felt like your tongue might go down with it!
And the golden, glistening crab roe was even more unforgettable. One mouthful of crab roe was soft and glutinous. Perhaps because it had been soaked in spiritual spring water, it even carried a faint sweetness. No need to chew; it melted in the mouth instantly, leaving a lingering fresh aroma and delicate sweetness on the lips and teeth, endlessly savory…
The Feng Family had never eaten such delicious steamed crabs before. They weren’t typically crab lovers.
But today, they suddenly felt like they would crave these steamed hairy crabs often from now on!
Because they were just too good!
It was just… peeling them was a bit of a hassle, and eating them wasn’t very elegant.
Of course, this didn’t apply to Qiao Shu.
Because—
The Feng Xiao sitting beside her had completely become her personal crab-peeling servant. Everyone else was already eating crabs, but he was diligently peeling them for Qiao Shu!
Originally, Qiao Shu had planned to peel them herself and not trouble anyone else.
But Feng Xiao had taken over the peeling, saying the doctor noted her skin was sensitive and delicate. What if she scratched her hand on a crab?
Everyone in the Feng Family agreed with this.
Thus, Feng Xiao became Qiao Shu’s crab-peeling servant.
Qiao Shu looked at the crab meat piled up like little hills on the plate in front of her, then at the small bowl of crab roe beside it. She thought once again that marrying Feng Xiao was pretty great!
This way, she wouldn’t have to peel crabs herself in the future!
Moreover, Feng Xiao peeled them skillfully and quickly, without delaying her eating at all.
It was just—Feng Xiao himself hadn’t eaten a single bite yet.
Qiao Shu recalled how Feng Xiao had taken good care of her since returning, so she thought for a moment and picked the largest pieces of crab meat from her plate into his bowl.
“You eat some too. No need to peel more for me. Crabs have a cooling nature; eating too many isn’t good.”
Hearing Qiao Shu’s words, Feng Xiao—who had been planning to peel a few more crabs since she loved them—immediately stopped his hands.
“Okay.”
Feng Xiao nodded and wiped his hands with the towel that had been set aside.
After drying his hands thoroughly, he picked up a piece of the crab meat Qiao Shu had placed in his bowl with his chopsticks.
Though he had peeled the crab meat himself, the fact that Qiao Shu had served it to him made the already delicious meat taste even better!
“Yes, yes! Almost forgot, crabs have a cooling nature; we can’t eat too many! Dad, Old Feng, you’ve already had three. No more even if they’re good!”
He Hong, who had been buried in her food, lost in the sheer deliciousness of the steamed crabs, snapped to attention at Qiao Shu’s words and began reining in the other gluttons.
“Two more!”
“Hey, it’s rare to have them; just let us eat a couple more.”
In the end, after haggling with Elder Feng and Feng Shengli, He Hong allowed them each just one more crab.
After dividing up those final two crabs, He Hong had Aunt Sun take the crabs away, lest the two men without much self-control sneak extras when she wasn’t looking.
“Grandpa, Dad, if you love them that much, I’ll make crabs for you again tomorrow. There are plenty of ways to cook them. Steamed is the simplest. We still have some crabs left at home; I can make crab roe dumplings, braised spicy crabs, salt-and-pepper crabs…”
Seeing how much Elder Feng and Feng Shengli loved them, Qiao Shu smiled and suggested they have crabs again tomorrow.
But tomorrow, she wouldn’t steam them; she’d try other methods.
As Qiao Shu rattled off various crab dishes, she successfully made Elder Feng and Feng Shengli even hungrier.
Fortunately, they each still had one steamed crab left to tide them over!
However, while the Feng Family had steamed crabs to savor, the neighbors in the Military District Compound next door were so tormented by the overpowering aroma of spiritual spring-steamed crabs at lunch that they could barely eat their own meals!
“That’s the aroma from Old Chief Feng’s house next door, right?”
“Seems like it. The closer to their place, the stronger it gets…”
“What do you think Old Chief Feng’s family made for lunch today? How can it smell so good!”
“Exactly! It made my brat at home cry from hunger and refuse to eat.”
“Same with my kid…”
“How about we thicken our faces and knock to ask?”
“…Should we?”
…
Soon enough, before the Feng Family had even finished their delectable lunch, a knock sounded at the door.
Aunt Sun opened it, figured out the situation, and came back to He Hong with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
He Hong listened—it turned out Qiao Shu’s steamed crabs were so fragrant that they’d made the neighbors’ kids cry from hunger and refuse to eat properly, so the neighbors had come over…
“Hey, our Shushu’s cooking skills are truly unmatched.”
He Hong shook her head with a laugh, glanced at the innocent expression on Qiao Shu’s pretty face, and went with Aunt Sun to the kitchen. They gave all the leftover crabs to the neighbors.
Elder Feng and Feng Shengli ached to see the steamed crabs they had planned to save for dinner sent off to the neighbors.
Of course, the heartbroken ones weren’t just Elder Feng and Feng Shengli—Qiao Shu the chef felt it too!
But while they grieved over having nothing for dinner, Qiao Shu grieved because those crabs had been made with the incredibly precious spiritual spring water—and a lot of it. They were absolute health boosters.
She didn’t mind giving them to the Feng Family, but to strangers she didn’t know? Of course she minded.
Still, she couldn’t say anything. The crabs had been bought by the Feng Family in the first place. To them, without knowing about the spiritual spring water or that a simple plate of steamed crabs was no less potent than ginseng, it was just a tasty dish.
So, Qiao Shu blinked and decided that in future cooking, she’d use less spiritual spring water and keep the windows tightly shut so the aroma wouldn’t escape again!
Oblivious to the immense value of the steamed crabs she gave away, He Hong distributed them all to the neighbors and returned beaming.
“Wow, the neighbors next door just showered our Shushu with praise! They all said we’ve got ourselves a great daughter-in-law!”
“Of course! Don’t forget who arranged this marriage!”
Elder Feng perked up immediately at He Hong’s words, saying it with immense pride.
But as soon as they finished speaking, they both remembered their son/grandson’s injury—he couldn’t consummate, couldn’t have a normal marriage.
Instantly, the two who had been delighted fell silent.
Qiao Shu seized the rare chance that He Hong and Elder Feng had brought up her marriage to Feng Xiao and quickly climbed the pole.
“Grandpa, Mom, Dad, even though Feng Xiao and I can’t get our certificate until a year from now, we can hold the banquet first.”
Hearing Qiao Shu bring up her marriage to Feng Xiao again, the three Feng elders didn’t know how to respond.
So they… changed the subject.
“Right, Feng Xiao, your injuries are pretty much healed now, right? When are you heading back to the troops?”
Feng Shengli looked seriously at his son, thinking that once his son returned to the army, the marriage could be delayed further.
Who knew—maybe the delay would make the girl change her mind.
“Mm, in a few days.”
Feng Xiao was a bit puzzled by how his parents suddenly weren’t pressing the marriage with Qiao Shu anymore, but he didn’t dwell on it. He assumed his sister must have spoken to Elder Feng and his parents, saying they’d confirm the marriage in a year.
Hearing that their grandson/son was leaving, the Feng Family members secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Good, good. Then Mom will prepare some things for you these next few days.”
He Hong smiled as she spoke, without a trace of reluctance.
Thus, with Feng Xiao’s impending departure, the Feng Family naturally sidestepped Qiao Shu’s banquet idea.
Even Qiao Shu herself got drawn into the topic of Feng Xiao leaving.
“Feng Xiao, you’re leaving?”
After the delicious lunch, Qiao Shu asked reluctantly.
Seeing the reluctance in Qiao Shu’s eyes, the hard lines on Feng Xiao’s face softened.
“Mm. I only came back to recover from my injury. Now that it’s healed, of course I have to go.”
Qiao Shu understood that he naturally had to return to the troops once healed.
But she worried about what Qiao Hui had once revealed: Feng Xiao was fated to die young, sacrificing on the front lines for the country someday. Her heart just wouldn’t settle.
Not just because she and Feng Xiao hadn’t gotten their certificate yet—technically, she was still single.
But also because… she liked the Feng Family and thought Feng Xiao was a good man. She didn’t want him to die or the Feng Family to grieve.
However, as an outstanding soldier, with the entire Feng Family being military, even if they knew he might sacrifice on the battlefield, they wouldn’t let him stay away from the troops to avoid that fate.
Besides, Qiao Shu didn’t know exactly when he would sacrifice; it was all just her guess.
So, she couldn’t say much.
She could only remind him worriedly—
“Then… be extra careful. Don’t get hurt again.”
Seeing the worry and concern on Qiao Shu’s face, Feng Xiao’s lips curved up slightly. His hand gently grasped hers.
“Okay, I will be careful. After all… I haven’t fulfilled our agreement and married you yet.”
Originally startled when Feng Xiao suddenly gripped her hand with his rough, large palm, she felt quite unaccustomed and wanted to pull away.
But after hearing Feng Xiao say he would return to marry her, she immediately settled down obediently.
‘Qiao Shu, stay calm, stay calm. You have to get used to this man. After all, he’s the roommate you’ll be living with for the next few decades…’
Under this self-brainwashing, Qiao Shu gradually grew accustomed to Feng Xiao holding her hand.
“Mm, I’ll wait for you to come back and marry me.”
She lifted her head and looked at the tall, handsome man before her, her eyes full of expectation as she said softly.
Faced with Qiao Shu’s expectant gaze and hearing her firm words about waiting for him to return and marry her, Feng Xiao’s heart thumped heavily. He only felt that the small hand gripped in his palm was so scorching hot that he wanted to hold it for a lifetime and never let go…
He Hong saw this scene, her brows furrowed so tightly that they could crush a fly!
“Old Feng, do you think our son really wants to marry Shushu???”
The more He Hong watched, the more she felt her son and Qiao Shu were a bit too intimate.
“It shouldn’t be, right? He knows his own situation better than anyone. And didn’t he say himself he wouldn’t marry Shushu? Our son is responsible and dependable; he wouldn’t do something to harm another girl.”
Feng Shengli, who hadn’t noticed the intimacy between Feng Xiao and Qiao Shu, said nonchalantly.
“But I always feel like there’s something off between our son and that child Shushu…”
“Enough, stop overthinking it. A Xiao is heading back to the troops soon anyway, and the two of them will be separated right away. What’s there to worry about?”
Hearing Feng Shengli say this, He Hong felt a bit less worried than before.
Even so, after relaxing somewhat, she still thought that once her son returned to the troops, she’d have her eldest daughter introduce some outstanding young men to Shushu…
Because she knew Feng Xiao was leaving soon, Qiao Shu racked her brains, feeling she should do something for him.
She couldn’t just set aside the matter of his potential sacrifice due to uncertainty.
So, after confirming the date of Feng Xiao’s departure, besides writing her long fairy tale novels and handling three meals a day for the Feng Family members each day, Qiao Shu also took time, with He Yingzi’s help, to visit a very reliable old traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Using the excuse of making medicinal meals for the Feng elders, she learned several beneficial herbal formulas.
One of them was a herbal formula that strengthened the body, boosted immunity and self-repair ability, and improved constitution—the nourishing body strengthening pill.
Though the old doctor had stated that the formula wasn’t as miraculous as it sounded—just a multifunctional herbal supplement that couldn’t replace medicine or perform wonders, merely nourishing the body and providing minor conditioning.
If one was truly ill, they still needed to go to the hospital for proper treatment.
But Qiao Shu didn’t mind. After all, her spiritual spring water’s effects were potent. Though she hadn’t experimented yet, she figured since it strengthened the body, improved constitution, and enhanced ingredients’ freshness and flavor to maximize tastiness.
Then medicinal herbs should be similar to food.
Perhaps using her spiritual spring water to make the medicine would maximize the herbs’ effects even further?
Suddenly, Qiao Shu felt that her mutated spiritual spring water after transmigrating was simply too amazing. If it worked, she could even apprentice under an old doctor!
No need to learn diagnosing or treating people—just the herbal formulas.
If the spiritual spring water truly worked, she could even consider making herbal pills to benefit the people.
Of course, this was just Qiao Shu’s idle thought. For now, she simply wanted to make some body-strengthening, portable pills for Feng Xiao to carry, in case of danger—they might just save his life???
Uncertain of the reason for Feng Xiao’s sacrifice, after making some functional herbal pills, Qiao Shu also prepared some high-calorie spiritual spring candies for him.
One could say Qiao Shu had put her heart and soul into saving Feng Xiao’s life.
However, her preparing nourishing body strengthening pills for the soon-to-depart Feng Xiao, and candies too, truly moved the Feng Family elders. Yet they also felt they couldn’t let Qiao Shu devote all her attention to him! They needed to quickly find this good child something else to do, to help her forget Feng Xiao!
As for Feng Xiao himself…
His heart was so sweet it dripped honey. He looked at Qiao Shu with utmost tenderness.
Sure, he felt his body was already robust enough and didn’t need body-nourishing pills. And he hated sweets the most, especially candies.
But! These were made by his little lady, so he loved them!
He’d definitely eat every last one!
“Qiao Shu, thank you for preparing all this for me.”
Feng Xiao’s dark, profound eyes gazed at Qiao Shu with a gentleness that could drown a person. Any ordinary person would have fallen for the regiment commander’s rare softness long ago.
Unfortunately, Feng Xiao had encountered the ‘heart-sealed-against-love’ Qiao Shu, who already saw the ‘impotent’ Feng Xiao as a ‘sister.’ So this blunt, straightforward girl completely ignored his tender gaze.
“These were all made with great effort, so you must remember to take them! You have to carry them with you at all times!”
Qiao Shu exhorted him repeatedly, afraid he wouldn’t take her creations to heart, emphasizing it over and over.
Faced with the little lady’s such ‘deep’ affection, Feng Xiao’s fondness for Qiao Shu maxed out, and an unprecedented reluctance welled up in his heart.
He had never felt this way before leaving home for the troops.
But this time alone, Feng Xiao felt intense reluctance toward Qiao Shu…
For a moment, Feng Xiao truly didn’t want to leave.
Yet a soldier’s duty made him cast aside this unsuitable notion.
“Got it. I’ll carry them with me at all times.”
Feng Xiao nodded heavily, speaking as solemnly as a vow.
Seeing Feng Xiao’s serious attitude, Qiao Shu finally relaxed completely.
“Feng Xiao, we had a deal. You have to come back and marry me.”
“…”
Hearing Qiao Shu’s words, for the first time Feng Xiao couldn’t restrain his instincts. He suddenly pulled Qiao Shu tightly into his embrace.
“Good…I’ll come back and marry you.”