Chapter Three: Cooking for the Boss

Yesterday they had held a banquet, so there should have been plenty of leftovers, but when Banxia went into the kitchen, she found it in utter chaos. Only scraps remained, and the sight disgusted her so much that she tossed everything out. Searching further, she found the rice jar, but it contained nothing but some mixed grains. With no other option, Banxia rinsed the grains and set them to steam. While she waited, she checked the cupboard and found two eggs. She beat them and made a steamed egg dish, then went out to the vegetable garden behind the house. There was hardly anything left growing. As soon as she stepped outside, Madam Gan called out, “Looking for vegetables, Lady Su? Scholar Gan hasn’t the strength to tend the garden. I still have two stalks of lettuce—take them as a side dish.”

Banxia felt rather embarrassed, but Madam Gan handed her the vegetables without hesitation and went back inside. Though a bit talkative, Madam Gan seemed genuinely warm-hearted. Banxia hurried back to stir-fry the greens.

When Banxia returned indoors, Gan Sui was looking around. “Let’s eat first,” she suggested.

Gan Sui sat down and picked up his bowl. “What is this?”

“Mixed grains. It’s health food—natural and pollution-free.”

“I don’t want this. I want rice.”

“Sorry, but we have no rice.”

Gan Sui paused, then said nothing more.

From his manner, Banxia could tell he was a young master from a good family. If not for their predicament, he’d probably be driving a luxury car now, a beautiful woman on his arm, enjoying a life of wealth and ease.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this. Here, have the steamed egg. I found a small bottle of sesame oil in the cupboard and added a few drops—it tastes pretty good.”

Gan Sui looked at Banxia. Her face was still smudged from tending the fire, but her gaze was sincere.

“There’s no use in apologies. It is what it is. You should eat too—only with a full stomach can we get things done.”

“This place is terribly poor, isn’t it?” Banxia had seen as much in the kitchen—almost nothing there, and everything was in bad shape.

“I searched around just now. I think all the silver in the house is right there.” Gan Sui pointed to a small box beside the table. Inside were a few scattered pieces of silver and some copper coins—a pitiful sight. “By my estimate, there’s only about ten taels of silver.”

“Where did you find it?” Considering how many people had been in and out, she was surprised any silver remained.

“In the beam above the ceiling—I spotted it by chance.”

Banxia patted his shoulder. “Let me rub a little of your luck—finding silver in such a hidden spot is nothing short of miraculous.”

Gan Sui brushed her hand away with a smack. “If you have something to say, just say it—don’t get handsy.”

As if anyone would care to. “There’s probably only enough mixed grain for a week. After that, there’ll be nothing left. We can’t just sit here eating until everything’s gone.”

“I noticed earlier there’s a mountain to the southwest. After a while, we can try going up to see if we can find any wild game.”

“You’re still weak. It’s probably not safe for you to go into the mountains. I’m strong enough—I’ll go today. You stay here and see if you can turn over the plot behind the house. I’ll try to borrow some seeds and see if we can start planting beans. I’ll also check for wild greens on the mountain and bring some back to plant.”

“Alright. Heaven always leaves a way—since we’ve been sent here, fate won’t let us starve. But it’s dangerous to go into the mountains nowadays, so be careful this afternoon.”

“Don’t worry—I’ve had proper training.” In fact, Gan Sui admired Banxia a great deal. She was just a young woman, yet upon arriving in this strange world, not only did she not break down in tears, she even comforted him and kept strong. It was thanks to her that he’d regained his composure so quickly.

After their meal, Banxia got ready to wash the dishes, but Gan Sui said, “Let me do it.”

“No, I’ll do it. You’ve probably never done this before.”

“Well, I’ll have to learn. We can’t just leave everything to you.”

“Maybe next time. We’ve only got two bowls left—if you break one, we won’t even be able to eat dinner.” Gan Sui’s face darkened instantly, and he took back his earlier praise about this girl’s kindness and strength. She sure knew how to hit where it hurt.