Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 26

“…”

The gaze behind him is incredibly intense. Jiang Miao feels as if he is about to be pierced through. Uncomfortably, he shifts to the side, but the gaze follows him like a shadow, immediately sticking to him again.

“Young Master Pei, why don’t you go take a walk in the courtyard? I’ll call you when the longevity peach is ready.” Jiang Miao can’t bear it any longer and turns his head. How can he work effectively with someone staring at him all the time? Since Pei is his customer now, Jiang Miao can only patiently persuade him in a kind voice.

Seeing Jiang Miao’s stern look, Pei Che is somewhat puzzled. “Didn’t you say yesterday that it was okay to watch?”

…

Yesterday, tempted by money, Jiang Miao reluctantly agrees to Pei Che’s request. Early this morning, Pei Che has his servant girl fetch his torn clothes.

His senior maidservants Chan Yi and Wen Jing exchange glances, puzzled about what has happened to the young master today. Even if his clothes are slightly worn, they should still be acceptable; how could they be torn? Helpless, they have to retrieve last year’s old clothes and send them over.

After putting it on, Pei Che rides in a carriage to Tian Shui Alley. At that moment, Jiang Miao has just finished setting up his stall at the morning market and is carrying his load back to the courtyard when he hears someone knocking on the door.

He goes over and opens the gate, seeing Pei Che’s coachman standing outside while Pei Che sits in the carriage, looking somewhat serious with a faint frown, seemingly troubled by something.

“Young Master Pei, why don’t you get off first? Let this gentleman park the carriage farther away. This alley is narrow, and your carriage is blocking the way for others,” Jiang Miao suggests.

“Mm…” Pei Che responds, but he remains motionless. He is staring at something outside the gate, with a premonition that it is not something good.

Following his gaze, Jiang Miao notices something next to the gate that looks like vomit. Thinking back to the sound of the neighbor opening their door last night at dusk, as well as the quarrel between Auntie Mo and her daughter-in-law, Jiang Miao speculates that it must have been the neighborhood rascal who came back drunk and vomited at the door.

“It seems someone else vomited. Be careful not to step on it,” Jiang Miao thinks, planning to sweep it away later.

“Mm…” Pei Che still just makes a sound in acknowledgment. His eyes begin to drift away, lost in thought about who knows what.

Such a drama queen!

Jiang Miao guesses his thoughts and silently criticizes him in his heart. Then, he goes into the courtyard, spreads some ash to cover it and sweeps it clean, and then fetches water to rinse the area. Only then does he let the young master get off the carriage.

“You go back for now. Come pick me up before noon,” Pei Che dismisses the coachman and cautiously follows Jiang Miao into the courtyard. Fortunately, there is nothing else in the yard except mud, which eases his mind.

“Which one is your kitchen?” He surveys the tiny courtyard, trying to identify the room where he will spend the day.

“There.” Jiang Miao points to the northernmost room.

So small? Pei Che looks at the doorway’s height and fears he might bump his head when entering.

“Please go inside. Everything is here, and we can start soon.” Jiang Miao doesn’t know what is on Pei Che’s mind but notices him lingering at the door. He calls out to him. Was it because he rarely saw him or something else? Rich people these days are so strange. Jiang Miao increasingly doubts whether Young Master Pei is really the most handsome man in Liangjing. Perhaps they just share a surname and good looks?

After some internal struggle, Pei Che finally bends slightly and steps inside.

“!”

Once inside, he is genuinely shocked! Before stepping in, he might have sighed at the hardships of life, but he never imagined life could be like this. Could someone live in a house where the kitchen and bedroom are connected? Although the place is tidy and clean, it can’t hide the fact that one end is a kitchen and the other a bedroom!

No wonder this vendor is so greedy. If he were in such a situation, he would probably be the same, right? Thinking this, Pei Che feels a mix of sympathy and guilt and decides to raise the price for the longevity peaches later.

Jiang Miao stands behind him, watching the man whose shocked posture has stiffened somewhat. He knows what the man is thinking at this moment—it is nothing more than disdain towards him. When a person is constantly bathed in such peculiar gazes, even without others showing disdainful looks, he can already imagine what will come next.

It’s just business not working out, Jiang Miao tells himself, knowing full well what to expect.

“Jiang Xiaoge, what’s wrong?” Pei Che turns around, seeing a peculiar expression on the man in front of him, something between resignation and acceptance.

“Young Master Pei, do you still want these longevity peaches?” Jiang Miao asks. If not, the ingredients wouldn’t go to waste. Manager Wang had mentioned wanting pork buns, so it looks like he can satisfy him by tomorrow.

“Of course I do. Didn’t you promise me yesterday?” Is he having second thoughts at the last moment?

Jiang Miao carefully observes his expression and realizes he genuinely finds it peculiar, without a hint of reluctance, before smiling. “Then I’ll get started.”

This smile is different from before, devoid of the previous prickliness, now softened considerably.

However, this good mood doesn’t last long. Jiang Miao falters under his intense gaze.

…

“Don’t all longevity peaches get made this way? You’ve been staring at it for so long, are you trying to learn how to make them yourself?” Jiang Miao struggles to suppress his irritation at being scrutinized.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he says this, Pei Che actually ponders seriously for a moment and replies, “I could.” His meaning is clear—he wants to try making it himself. He has never set foot in the kitchen from childhood to adulthood, but after watching for so long, he finds the idea of kneading the white dough surprisingly interesting. He wants to try it himself; maybe after doing it, he will gain some insights.

“…,” Jiang Miao wants to slap himself a couple of times. He weakly attempts to salvage the situation, “This work can get messy. You’d better not try it.”

“It’s fine. I’m wearing old clothes today. If they get dirty, I’ll just throw them away.” Pei Che can’t help but feel a bit pleased with his foresight.

“You call what you’re wearing old clothes? Then what would you call what I’m wearing?” Jiang Miao retorts. Despite the modesty, his silver-threaded attire still shimmers in the dim light. Could this be considered old clothes?

“Tattered clothes?” Pei Che examines the patches on Jiang Miao’s clothes and says tentatively.

“Fine, I don’t understand your wealthy world. But it seems a waste to throw away such fine clothes. It would be better to give them to someone else.” Jiang Miao can’t stand the thought of waste.

Pei Che disagrees, “How could private clothes be given away?” Unworn might be acceptable, but once worn, they can never be given away.

Alright, Jiang Miao realizes he has forgotten Pei Che is a noble from ancient times. Commoners don’t have so many taboos.

“Since you want to try, go wash your hands at the well outside before coming back in.”

Pei Che obediently walks out, looking around to find the location of the well. As he walks toward the well, he notices the vendor’s younger brother sitting nearby, pounding something in a small bowl. The contents are crushed into a greenish juice, and the boy is focused, with sunlight forming a small halo around his head, reminiscent of Pei Che’s own younger brother.

“What are you doing?” Pei Che asked.

The sudden voice startles Xiao Shitou, and he jerks his head up to see the handsome young master standing before him.

“I-I’m… pounding spinach,” Xiao Shitou answers in a small voice, surprised that the young master is talking to him.

“Spinach?” Pei Che is puzzled. He doesn’t recall ever eating it. “What is this used for?”

“To make leaves,” Xiao Shitou explains, “for the longevity peaches.”

Pei Che suddenly understands. He has wondered before why the dough has a green hue. It turns out to be made with the juice from this vegetable. The vendor is indeed unique.

“What’s your name?”

“Xiao Shitou,” he replies quickly, then adds, “My full name is Jiang Lei, which means a pile of three stones.”

“Stacked stones on a hill, with the sound of rustling poplar leaves?”

Xiao Shitou hasn’t heard of it and shakes his head seriously, “No, it’s a pile of three small stones stacked together.”

Pei Che chuckles at his response and asks again, “Then what’s your brother’s name?” He had asked the vendor’s name yesterday too.

Xiao Shitou, hearing him recite something he doesn’t understand again, can’t help but look puzzled. Does this young master know how to read?

“Master Pei, what are you doing here?” Jiang Miao, who hasn’t seen anyone come in, thinks that Pei Che, not knowing how to draw water, might have accidentally fallen into the well.

“Brother, I’m almost done pounding!” Xiao Shitou raises the small bowl, looking very pleased.

“Good job, finish up and we’ll put it in later.” Jiang Miao praises him, then walks to the edge of the well, grabs the bucket tied to the rope, and dips it down, bringing up a bucketful of water.

“Master Pei, wash your hands.” He lifts the bucket, gesturing for Pei Che to extend his hand.

Pei Che reaches out, curiously washes his hands with a half-bent posture, then asks, “Where’s the cloth to wipe my hands?” At home, every time they bring water to wash hands, there is always a dry cloth nearby for him to wipe his hands.

Jiang Miao wants to say, ‘Can’t you just wipe them on your clothes?’ but he doesn’t. Instead, he says, “No towel. Just shake your hands back and forth vigorously, and they’ll dry quickly.”

Pei Che thinks about it, feels the action looks undignified, and shakes his head in refusal.

Fussy!

Jiang Miao curses silently but waits for his hands to air-dry before walking inside with him.

As soon as Young Master Pei enters, he excitedly tries to put his hands into the dough basin. Jiang Miao quickly stops him, “Hey, your sleeves are so wide; they’ll get all over the dough!”

Jiang Miao’s clothes have narrow sleeves. Commoners don’t like wearing wide sleeves because they get in the way of work.

Pei Che frowns, standing there stiffly with his hands up. He doesn’t understand why something as simple as kneading dough has so many complications.

Jiang Miao can’t stand it anymore. He turns to the bed and finds two straps, then rolls up one of Pei Che’s sleeves and ties it around his arm, repeating the process with the other sleeve. He is so close that his breath is clearly audible. Pei Che stiffens slightly, having never been this close to a stranger before.

“Done.” Jiang Miao washes his hands and, after shaking them dry, notices Pei Che is still standing there, unmoving, so he gives him a reminder. He pinches off a ball of dough and hands it to Pei Che, instructing him to follow his steps.

He gives Pei Che red bean paste filling. For a beginner, the bean paste is dry and crumbly, making it less likely to leak or break the dough.

Jiang Miao’s hands are skillful. With a few quick movements and a press of a scraper, a cute little peach appears. Pei Che watches intently, feeling confident he has learned, and begins making his own.

Reality often contradicts imagination. Clearly, Pei Che is “wasting his studies” rather than “learning.” Even with the easier red bean paste, he can’t make peaches as pretty as Jiang Miao’s. After ruining several pieces of dough, he finally shapes something peach-like.

Jiang Miao, unwilling to discourage him, thinks it looks more like a butt.

The whole morning, Pei Che enthusiastically shapes dozens of “butts,” while Jiang Miao quickly wraps the rest of the longevity peaches.

Next is making leaves and adding color. The peaches dyed with red yeast powder look lifelike, but the “butts” dyed with the same powder still look like butts.

Jiang Miao places the longevity peaches in the steamer, then turns to Pei Che and asks, “Young Master Pei, can you tell me what your real purpose is for this visit?” Although Pei Che seems to be having a lot of fun, Jiang Miao still feels that someone of his status wouldn’t come here just to buy longevity peaches.

Pei Che isn’t surprised by the question. He replies, “Do you remember the last time I asked you why you didn’t use a brush? You said it was because the light affected the peach’s color, making it lighter or darker. Inspired by your words, I went back and carefully observed the light, then painted a picture. I felt that it improved my painting skills somewhat, so I wanted to come and chat with you again, hoping to gain more insights.”

Jiang Miao understands the meaning behind Pei Che’s words of “I have learned” that day and is impressed by his dedication to learning. To go to such a poor place for a single sentence shows true humility. If he himself had such dedication, maybe he wouldn’t have to go to New Oriental to become a disciple.

“Young Master Pei, you might have made this trip in vain. I was just speaking offhand that day. It’s your own intelligence that led to your understanding, not much to do with me,” Jiang Miao says. He had only dabbled in painting during his school days, enjoying subjects outside the main curriculum, but that doesn’t mean he could teach an ancient scholar with his rudimentary skills.

“Your longevity peaches are so well-made; it must take some wisdom to create them. Since both painting and pastry-making are crafts, there might be some common ground,” Pei Che replies.

Jiang Miao smiles. He is not pedantic, but he wonders if other scholars would equate painting with pastry-making as the same craft.

Impressed by Pei Che’s words, Jiang Miao takes out a small knife and a large radish, and begins carving it seriously. With a faint smile on his lips, he moves the knife deftly, white radish peels falling away. Pei Che doesn’t know why he suddenly starts carving a radish but finds beauty in his movements and patiently waits.

“Here, this is for you,” Jiang Miao says, handing the radish to Pei Che. With a slight shake of his arm, he dislodges the excess radish shavings, revealing a pure white, innocent, and delicate crystal flower blooming on his palm.

“For me?” Pei Che stares at the flower, deeply impressed. He can’t believe that an ugly radish has transformed into such a beautiful flower before his eyes.

“Yes, I may not be skilled in painting, but I’m quite good at making food. You could dip this flower in ink and press it onto paper. It might look pretty good,” Jiang Miao suggests, suddenly inspired. He has seen people paint with fish dipped in ink, and the results are quite impressive.

Pei Che is amused. He takes the flower, and the slightly cool and moist feeling seeps from his hand into his heart.