Chapter 99: A Good Business ( 1 )

Chapter 99: A Good Business ( 1 ) After taking a deep breath to calm down, Cook Li explained, "If you are unwilling to share the medicinal food, how about you tell me where your wife buys the ingredients?"

"Most of the ingredients are planted by my wife. As for the medicinal herbs and meat, they were bought from Zhu’an Town," Fu Chen’an replied.

"Then can you ask your wife to give some to me? I will definitely inform the General about your contribution," Cook Li asked again.

Fu Chen’an thought for a moment and said, "I will ask her when she comes to visit again."

"Thank you."

After the brief conversation, Fu Chen’an went to the well to wash the jar and pot, while Cook Li returned to the kitchen.

Although he failed to ask Fu Chen’an’s wife to prepare the General’s meal, at least he had a chance to get good ingredients.

As long as the ingredients were good, he was confident that with his cooking skill, he would be able to prepare delicious medicinal food and increase the General’s appetite.

Unbeknownst to him, Lu Qianxuan’s appetite had recovered after he drank the medicinal water.

At this moment, he was having his lunch in his tent. Besides steamed buns, there was only a plate of stir-fried cabbage with pork residue and a bowl of clear white radish soup.

While he was eating, he listened to the guard’s report. At first, he enjoyed his meal, but after he learned that a group of soldiers were having chicken soup and steamed rice for lunch, the steamed bun suddenly tasted sour.

He finished the bun and said, "Next time, there’s no need to report what food Fu Chen’an eats."

The guard cupped his fists, bowed, and replied, "Understood."

When he left the General’s tent, the guard let out a sigh and thought that being a soldier was hard. Not only did he have to train and guard the General’s tent, but he also had to bear the General’s strange personality and mood changes.

It was clearly the General who told him to report everything Fu Chen’an used and ate. But now, he suddenly changed his mind and told him not report it anymore.

Meanwhile, in the General’s mansion, Xue Ya’er was checking the account book when Chun Hua entered her study while holding a letter.

She stood a few steps beside the desk, bowed, and handed the letter with both hands. "Madam, it’s a letter from the General."

Hearing this, Xue Ya’er’s eyes flickered, and the sound of the abacus stopped abruptly. Turning her head, she looked at the letter and saw her husband’s writing on the envelope.

’To be opened by my wife, Xue Ya’er.’

She took the letter and checked the wax seal.

While she opened the envelope, she muttered with doubt, "The General is usually very busy with his official business and rarely sends a letter home. Why did he send so many letters back lately?"

When Chun Hua heard her words, she smiled and said, "Madam, the war has ended, and the General naturally has more free time and thoughts of you."

After years of political marriage, Xue Ya’er understood that there was no love between her and her husband. If he thought of her, why didn’t he return home?

Even if she understood this, she didn’t explain it to her personal maid. The young girl was at the age when she believed in true love. She was not someone who shared her bitterness.

Xue Ya’er read the letter for a moment and put it aside. Afterward, she took a piece of paper and picked up her brush.

Seeing this, Chun Hua picked up the ink stick and ground the ink.

After thinking for a while, Xue Ya’er finally wrote her letter. 15 minutes later, she put down her brush, read the letter, and blew it dry.

She put the letter into the envelope and sealed it before she handed the letter to her maid and said, "Chun Hua, prepare a few jin of meat jerky, 100 jin of white flour, 100 jin of white rice, and 5 jin of lard. Send them to the General together with this letter."

Chun Hua was delighted by her words and asked, "Madam, do you want to send the clothes you prepared for the General?"

Thinking about the hint of resentment she noticed from her husband’s letter, Xue Ya’er nodded and said, "Send the shoes over, too."

When she heard this, Chun Hua’s smile widened. She was happy because the relationship between the General and the Madam was finally getting closer.

"This servant will go prepare it right away."

Seeing the young girl leaving in light steps, Xue Ya’er shook her head and let out a sigh.

When Chun Hua arrived at the main kitchen, she noticed the head cook was talking with a middle-aged man. Walking over, she heard their conversation.

"Sir, these are the new sauces my shop acquired. I brought some over for you to try."

The head cook was a eunuch and worked in the palace as an imperial chef before. After he retired, he was hired by the Old General and had been working for the General for more than 10 years.

He accepted the jar and opened the lid. He took a sniff, and surprise flashed in his eyes. "What is this?"

Noticing the slight change in the head cook, Zhou Boming quickly explained, "Sir, this one is called soy sauce and is made from soybeans. It’s similar to fermented soybean but more flavourful and rich in taste."

After hearing this, the head cook used the tip of his pinky and dipped the sauce a little. He took a taste, closed his eyes, and savored it. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes and said, "How do you plan to sell it?"

"It’s 2 taels of silver per jin."

The moment Chun Hua heard the price, she quickly walked over and said, "Grandpa Yang, it’s too expensive."

Chun Hua was bought by the Xue family and basically grew up together with the General’s wife. She was her dowry maid, and her words carried weight. But compared to Cook Yang, her position was still below him.