The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 120

Chapter 120: Who’s Serving Whom?

The new year passed quickly, and life went on at a leisurely pace.

Although another room had been built at home, Ping’er was still small and was still in the same room with the old woman. The newly built room was furnished and left empty, to be used as a guest room for the time being.

If it were in the past, a guest room would have been useless. The Jiang grandmother and granddaughter had no contact with outsiders, and no one would visit.

But today was different from the past. Even though Jiang Huaizhen still had the identity of the executioner of Changping County, now, few people in and out of the village avoided her. Families like the Hu and Lu, and also the Xue family, were in close contact with her. Hu Guiying would sometimes stay late and not want to leave.

With an empty guest room, it was much better.

After the furniture for the new room was made, they had to add some quilts and pillows, so Lin Shuang and Jiang Huaizhen drove the carriage to the city to buy them.

On the way back, Jiang Huaizhen was driving the horse in front. Lin Shuang felt cold and shrunk in the carriage, not showing her head.

Just as they had turned the street corner, they saw a carriage with a green curtain slowly stop in the middle of the road, blocking their way.

Jiang Huaizhen frowned and was about to speak when the green curtain was lifted, revealing a slightly familiar face.

The newcomer was actually Pan Min.

“Miss Jiang, what a coincidence,” the man held a folding fan and leaned over slightly, his tone as gentle as if they were old friends meeting again.

Jiang Huaizhen pulled the reins, and her eyes grew cold.

Pan Min was unconcerned and got out of the carriage on his own, bowing to her. “Last time, about the ox-bezoar, I was too abrupt. Since we’ve met today, why don’t you let me apologize?”

Today, he had specially changed into a plain long robe, and even the folding fan was of a plain bamboo frame. He looked a bit like a refined scholar.

Jiang Huaizhen said faintly, “You’re too serious. We have no relationship. How can there be an apology?”

“You’re wrong, miss,” Pan Min sighed, his face full of shame. “I was too anxious that day and offended you two. When I thought about it afterward, I felt really bad.”

As he spoke, he took out a brocade box from his sleeve and gently opened it—inside was a small knife with an ebony handle. The blade was cold and sharp, and the scabbard was also inlaid with a few dark red agates.

“I heard that you are good with knives, miss. This ‘Cold Crow’ is not a famous weapon, but it is sharp and handy,” his tone was sincere. “Just consider it as my apology.”

Jiang Huaizhen glanced at it and suddenly smiled. “You’re very generous, young master. But I’ve always only used such a knife to draw the blood of evil people. Aren’t you afraid that this knife will one day be stained with your blood?”

She had always remembered Lin Shuang’s experience at the Qin residence in her past life.

That day, her beloved had been in tears, her nose red, and her haggard face and broken body in the dream, every time she thought of it, her heart ached.

As for the Qin family, in her eyes, they were her sworn enemies. At this moment, facing Pan Min, she had no good expression at all.

Pan Min’s face stiffened, and then he smiled again. “You’re joking, miss. If you don’t like knives, there’s a new teahouse in the east of the city. I wonder if Miss Jiang likes to drink tea. How about…”

Jiang Huaizhen interrupted him. “No need. If you really want to apologize, you’d better stay away from us.”

With that, she raised her whip and whipped the horse. The carriage went around the man before her and trotted forward, leaving only the sound of the wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs, gradually fading away.

Pan Min stood there, and the smile on his face gradually cooled.

The sound of horse hooves, and before long, they had reached Whitewater Village.

When they reached their door, Jiang Huaizhen jumped off the carriage, lifted the curtain, and said to the inside, “We’re home. Get out.”

But there was no movement from inside.

She looked up and looked inside.

Only then did she find that Lin Shuang was sitting in the carriage, her face full of frost.

Thinking of what had just happened, her heart couldn’t help but skip a beat, and she coaxed softly, “Shuang’er, we’re home. Should I carry you down?”

Only then did Lin Shuang bend down and get out of the carriage, slapping her hand away. “I have my own legs. I don’t need you to carry me.”

In her past life, at the Qin residence, she had seen Pan Min, and it was precisely because she knew this person’s character that she was even more disgusted. Men were not not lecherous, but Old Madam Qin had repeatedly ordered that he was not allowed to mess around, at least not at the Qin residence.

And at that time, Lin Shuang had been tormented by the medicine, and she was not a human and not a ghost. Of course, she was not in his eyes.

But now, it was outside, and the old madam’s hand would not reach so far.

Seeing that Jiang Huaizhen was so beautiful, he had evil intentions.

For Lin Shuang, how could she be happy when her own woman was being coveted by someone else?

…

Hengtou had brought the finished bed over on an ox-cart.

His legs were not convenient, so Jiang Huaizhen carried the wood into the house herself.

She dismantled the old bed, piled it by the kitchen stove to be used as firewood, and then assembled the new bed bit by bit, laying the bed boards, mats, and quilts.

Lin Shuang was sitting on the side, mending, and did not go up to help.

After she had tidied up the bed, Jiang Huaizhen carried her hoe down to the fields to reclaim the land.

Usually, the two of them would go down to the fields together, but Lin Shuang was in a bad mood at the moment. Seeing that she was not coming to coax her, she simply didn’t go.

It wasn’t until the Hour of the Monkey(5 PM – 7 PM) that she got up to cook. Only then did she find that this person had come back at some point and was washing the rice in the kitchen.

Seeing her come over, she looked up and smiled at her. “I’ll cook tonight. You can just rest.”

Lin Shuang was not really angry with her. If she were really angry, then in her past life, she had been a concubine to Qin Chong. It should have been the other who was angry. But she couldn’t help but be a little jealous.

She had been ignoring her all afternoon, and now, seeing her fawning look, her heart had long since softened.

“Aren’t you tired after a busy day? You’re still trying to snatch my work?”

Jiang Huaizhen shook her head. “I’m not tired. What’s so tiring about reclaiming wasteland?”

Lin Shuang had not not worked in the fields, so of course, she would not take her words for granted.

Jiang Huaizhen: “That pickled fish, I’ve seen you make it several times, and I remember how to do it. I’ll make it tonight… if you don’t want to go back to your room, you can just watch here. If I make a mistake in any step, you can tell me, okay?”

She had bought some fish from the city in the morning and had originally planned to make pickled fish.

Lin Shuang did not refuse. “You do it. I’ll watch the fire for you.”

Seeing her agree, Jiang Huaizhen put the rice pot on the stove and then went to prepare the fish slices.

Her knife skills were excellent, and she had also helped to slice the fish before, so this step was neat and tidy.

Then she marinated the fish meat. The bones and the fish head were mixed with salt and wine and set aside. The fish slices were coated with egg white and salt.

Up to this point, there was no problem.

Then she cut the pickled cabbage, chili, minced ginger, and minced garlic and set them aside.

She also washed a basket of vegetables, which she would stir-fry later to go with the pickled fish.

By the time the rice began to smell fragrant, and the fish was almost marinated, Lin Shuang reminded, “You can cook the fish now.”

Jiang Huaizhen quickly lit a fire and put the large iron pot on the stove.

When the pot was hot, she added some lard to melt, then put in the fish head and bones to fry.

By the time the fish bones were golden brown on both sides, Lin Shuang looked up at the person standing by the pot. Jiang Huaizhen came to her senses, said “oh,” and quickly took them out and set them aside.

Then she stir-fried half of the minced ginger and minced garlic until fragrant, then poured in the chili and pickled cabbage and stir-fried until fragrant.

When it was almost done, she looked up at Lin Shuang, and the other also looked over.

She asked, “Should I put in the fish bones and fish head now?”

Lin Shuang hummed in agreement.

She then brought the plate of fish bones over and poured them in.

Seeing that the pot was about to smoke, Lin Shuang no longer held back and said to her, “Add some water quickly.”

Jiang Huaizhen quickly put down the spoon and went to get some water.

The person who was usually so nimble was now a little flustered.

This appearance was really at odds with her usual cool and taciturn look. The corners of Lin Shuang’s lips couldn’t help but curl up. She added some firewood, made the fire very strong, and after half a quarter of an hour, she reminded her to add salt to season it.

Jiang Huaizhen took the salt jar, scooped a spoonful, thought for a moment, and then shook it.

She repeated this several times.

It wasn’t until her wrist was suddenly held.

Lin Shuang had appeared behind her at some point, and the heat from the stove enveloped her. “You’re so stupid.”

She held her hand and gently shook it, and the excess salt fell back into the jar.

“Next time, if you’re not sure, you can just taste it. It’s better to add too little than too much.”

Seeing her willing to get close, Jiang Huaizhen knew that she was not angry. She looked at the large pot on the stove, which was almost done, bit her lip, and was happy in her heart.

She only heard Lin Shuang say, “You can take out the food in the pot now.”

She quickly got up and went to get a strainer.

She scooped out the fish bones, fish head, and pickled cabbage from the pot and put them in a large soup plate. Only the milky white fish soup was left in the pot.

The fire in the stove was burning fiercely, and the fish soup was boiling.

Jiang Huaizhen took the marinated fish slices and, imitating what Lin Shuang had done before, she took a handful and slowly sprinkled them into the pot, bit by bit. After she was done, she quickly broke them up with her chopsticks and then did not move them.

When the edges of the fish meat began to turn white, Lin Shuang quickly reminded, “Quick, take out the meat. If you wait any longer, it will fall apart.”

Jiang Huaizhen quickly did as she was told, quickly taking out the fish slices with a strainer and spreading them on top of the fish bones and pickled cabbage. Finally, she poured the boiling fish soup into the large soup plate.

It looked quite good.

Lin Shuang said, “There’s still one last step.”

Jiang Huaizhen let out a sigh of relief, sprinkled the remaining minced ginger and minced garlic on the fish, and then heated some oil in the pot.

Lin Shuang reminded, “If you don’t know how hot the oil should be, you can put a pair of chopsticks in. When the chopsticks start to bubble, it’s about right. If you have dry chili, you can put it in and fry it together. If not, you can just take it off the heat.”

Jiang Huaizhen immediately turned to get a pair of chopsticks, put them in to take a look, and sure enough, they were bubbling. Only then did she take the pot and drizzle the hot oil on the fish.

The hot oil sizzled, and the fragrance rushed to her nose.

She put the pot on the stove with a satisfied expression and looked at Lin Shuang. “Shuang’er, when we’re eating later, don’t say that I made this fish, okay?”

How could Lin Shuang not know her little scheme? She was probably trying to trick the old woman. She raised an eyebrow. “Alright. I won’t say it.”

She then urged, “Hurry up and stir-fry the vegetables. I’m so hungry my chest is sticking to my back.”

“Right away!”

Lin Shuang sprinkled a handful of scallions on the pickled fish and brought it to the table in the outer room.

Jiang Huaizhen’s vegetables were sizzling in the oil, and the spatula was clattering. In no time, she had stir-fried the vegetables until they were shiny.

Since the heated kang had been built before the new year, the cold-fearing Old Madam Jiang was like she had grown on the kang and rarely got out of bed. At this moment, hearing Lin Shuang call for dinner, she slowly moved down.

Ping’er, that girl, had been out wild all morning, but when it was time to eat, her nose was more sensitive than a dog’s, and she would be able to follow the smell back.

Sure enough, just as Jiang Huaizhen had brought the vegetables to the table, the sound of the little one’s pattering footsteps was heard outside the house.

Before Ping’er had even entered the door, her voice rushed in. “It smells so good, so good. What did Auntie cook that smells so good?”

Lin Shuang patted her on the head. “Pickled fish. Go and wash your hands.”

“I love to eat fish. I love to eat the pickled fish that Auntie makes the most,” Ping’er shouted as she ran to the water basin.

Old Madam Jiang nagged, “You’re running around the village in the cold. If you get sick, I won’t take care of you.”

“I’m not cold! I’m all hot and sweaty!” Ping’er shook the water from her hands and skipped over, like a happy little dog.

Lin Shuang handed her a bowl. “Get your own rice. Get as much as you can eat.”

Ping’er quickly agreed. “Alright.”

After she had gotten her own, she ran over and took the old woman’s bowl. “Grandma, I’ll get it for you.”

Old Madam Jiang: “Half a bowl is enough. Don’t give me too much.”

But who knew that Ping’er would pile the bowl high with a spoonful and bring it to the old woman, trembling.

Old Madam Jiang’s eyes widened, and just as she was about to scold her, Jiang Huaizhen quickly took the bowl and poured more than half into her own.

Ping’er slipped between Lin Shuang and Jiang Huaizhen.

Lin Shuang poked her on the forehead. “I told you to get half a bowl. Did you leave your ears outside?”

Ping’er pouted. “I wanted Grandma to eat a little more… if you eat more, you’ll be warm, and you won’t have to be cooped up on the kang all day…”

Old Madam Jiang’s raised chopsticks paused. She said no more and took a piece of fish and put it in her mouth.

The fish was slippery and tender.

“Yes. This fish is still made authentically by Shuang’er.”

Ping’er took a mouthful of the pickled vegetables and nodded her head with her cheeks puffed out. “Delicious.”

Lin Shuang looked up at Jiang Huaizhen, and the corners of that person’s mouth were curled up high.

Only then did she smile and say, “This meal was cooked by Huaizhen.”

Old Madam Jiang was stunned for a moment. “That can’t be. Is my tongue broken?”

Lin Shuang said, “It’s true.”

Old Madam Jiang’s memory of being tormented by her own granddaughter’s food was too deep, and she still couldn’t believe it for a moment.

Jiang Huaizhen didn’t mind these things. She had learned to cook mainly because she felt sorry for Lin Shuang and couldn’t bear for her to have to worry about the food alone after a long day of hard work. She would do as much as she could.

Ping’er had not had Jiang Huaizhen’s cooking before and praised repeatedly, “Big sister’s cooking is so delicious. I love to eat the food that big sister makes.”

Jiang Huaizhen nodded. “Then big sister will make a few more meals in the future.”

Hearing this, Old Madam Jiang was at a loss for words.

It wasn’t until that night, when the little couple was lying on the newly assembled new bed, that Lin Shuang turned over, confirmed that there was no creaking sound, and her heart finally settled. She said to Jiang Huaizhen, “You’re on the bottom tonight.”

The matter of that person today, she had not yet planned to let it go.

Jiang Huaizhen had no complaints and just couldn’t help but tease her. “Do you think that if you’re on top, you can do anything?”

Hearing this, Lin Shuang looked at her in disbelief. “Are you doubting my ability?”

With that, she thought of something and snorted lightly. “When I say on top, I don’t mean sitting on your face.”

Jiang Huaizhen chuckled. “Do we have to be so clear-cut?”

“You were the one who questioned me first.”

Jiang Huaizhen said, “Aren’t you holding a grudge? I don’t want you to be tired and serve me. I should be the one to please you.”

Lin Shuang felt that it was right, but she also felt that it was not right.

Who was serving whom?

She thought for a moment and said, “You turn to that side.”

Hearing this, Jiang Huaizhen thought of her intention, and her face turned slightly red. She took off her dress, turned in a different direction, and lay on her.

Lin Shuang was now satisfied. She raised her chin and moved closer.