Secret Recipe | Chapter 9 | A Piece of Pancake | Novela.app

At dinner, Qin Jiuye did something unprecedented: she took out a few eggs and fried an egg pancake. Jin Bao stared at the golden-brown pancake for a long time, struggling with himself, not daring to lower his chopsticks. He swallowed hard and asked, "You didn't... put anything strange in this pancake, did you?" In the early years, Qin Jiuye had used Jin Bao to test her medicines. It wasn't anything life-threatening—usually just trials for treating minor ailments like headaches or fevers—but sometimes the dosage wasn't controlled well, leading to either diarrhea or internal heat. But that was ages ago. Qin Jiuye decided to ignore the suspicion in his tone. She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece for herself, and ate it. "Business at the pharmacy has been good lately. You’ve both worked hard." The toasted aroma of the eggs swirled in her mouth; she was almost loath to swallow. "This pancake was made as a portion for three. But if you’re going to keep being polite with me... then I won't be polite anymore." With that, she raised her chopsticks and attacked the pancake again. Seeing this, Jin Bao hurried to intercept. The two of them scrambled and snatched, and in no time, the pancake was mostly torn apart. With her cheeks bulging, Qin Jiuye looked up at Li Qiao. No matter how intensely she and Jin Bao ate, he hadn't spared the pancake a single glance from start to finish. He simply kept his head down, eating the pickled vegetables in his dish, his presence so quiet he was almost invisible. There was one last small piece of pancake left on the plate. Jin Bao was already poised to strike, but she showed no mercy, clearing the plate a step ahead of him. Jin Bao nearly lunged halfway across the table. "You said I worked hard, yet you won't even leave me the last bite?!" Qin Jiuye gave him a flat look. "Looking at that belly of yours, skipping one bite won't kill you." Feeling wronged, Jin Bao sucked on the tips of his chopsticks and sat back down. He ate watery soup and plain greens every day, yet he still had a little paunch. It was natural; it wasn't his fault. Silence fell over the table for a moment, filled only with the lazy sounds of a meal coming to an end. *Clack.* Li Qiao froze, staring at the piece of pancake that had appeared in his bowl. "What are you looking at? Don't you recognize an egg pancake?" He slowly raised his head, looking at the woman sitting beside him. A few crumbs of the pancake still clung to the corner of her mouth. Noticing his gaze, her tongue flicked out nimbly to lick them in, wasting nothing. Her mouth was clean now, but Li Qiao’s gaze did not pull away. She frowned. "What is it?" He finally lowered his eyes again. "Nothing." His chopsticks opened and closed, then opened again, finally pinching the piece of pancake. The gluttonous pharmacy assistant was currently suggesting that egg pancakes be added to the daily menu. As expected, the woman’s expression changed instantly, and she didn't hesitate to rap him with her chopsticks. Amidst a cacophony of bickering and chaos, Li Qiao swallowed the piece of pancake. ****** ****** ****** Having eaten her fill and finished balancing Guoran Ju’s accounts for the day, Qin Jiuye finally relaxed completely, curling up by the window to alter some clothes. For the past two months, Li Qiao had been wearing Jin Bao’s old clothes. She didn't have much spare cash to buy new clothes for herself, so she could only let him make do for the time being. However, Jin Bao was more than half a head shorter than Li Qiao and had a slighter frame; those clothes were always ill-fitting on Li Qiao. Previously, she had been too busy tending to the shop's business to care, but during dinner today, she had noticed his sleeves were significantly too short, making her realize this small oversight. She found some old clothes that were too worn to wear but too precious to throw away, cutting strips of fabric to extend his sleeves and trouser legs, while carefully adjusting the shoulders and the lapels. Before the height of summer, the sky stayed bright much longer than in winter. Even after the sun went down, there was a lingering twilight. She squinted as she worked, persisting until she could no longer see her stitches before finally lighting the oil lamp. Just as the light flickered on and she looked up, she was startled to find someone standing behind her. Li Qiao stood at the edge of the light and shadow, watching her quietly. He seemed to have been standing there for a long time. The boy walked without a sound. It would be hard to notice if he came or went in the middle of the night while one was fast asleep. A strange thought flashed through her mind. She set down the oil lamp and crawled back under the window to continue sewing. "What is it?" The youth moved closer, his shadow lengthening against the wall. "For the Qingyang Fair the day after tomorrow, I want to go with Sister." Qin Jiuye paused, but she did not look up at him. "You want to go into the city?" "Yes." He nodded, then spoke truthfully. "I want to handle some matters." He was certainly direct. He had stayed so quietly at Guoran Ju for so long that Qin Jiuye had thought he would never make such a request. Her needle stopped at a corner in the stitching. She looked up at him. "Yuan Shuqing is dead, and the formula you were looking for has likely vanished with him. Whose information are you trying to dig up now? Or is it that you have more than one enemy?" There was a reason her question was so sharp. Lately, some unfamiliar faces had been wandering around the village. They weren't merchants passing through the city gates, nor were they folk from neighboring villages visiting relatives. They usually appeared in pairs or alone, showing up at odd hours and leaving in a hurry. Dingweng Village was a small place. A tiny spot that hadn't seen outside attention in eight hundred years—why was it suddenly drawing interest? Either she had offended someone previously, or these were people Li Qiao had drawn in. Fortunately, after observing them a few times, she found that those people didn't approach Guoran Ju but merely lingered in the village. She had temporarily set her heart at ease, though she remained vigilant. But none of those were the fundamental reason she asked this. What she cared about was Li Qiao’s state of mind. Whether it was the expression he wore when speaking of his family’s ruin or his behavior these past few days, he did not seem like someone whose vengeance was satisfied or whose grudges were settled. He was disciplined, rigorous, and taciturn; though he was obedient, he never relaxed or overstepped. This was the state of someone who still had great matters unfinished. The youth stood there with his head slightly bowed, silent for a moment. Qin Jiuye took a deep breath and put on a stern face. "I don't care what you're looking for, how many enemies you intend to kill, how you find them, or how you take your revenge. But during these three months of working at Guoran Ju, you are not allowed to get injured, get sick, or seek your own death. I spent a great deal of effort saving your life, not so you could waste it, but so you would keep your promise." These words sounded like concern, but were actually quite biting. The implication was clear: he had promised to work for her for three months, and if anything happened to him, his term of service wouldn't be completed. She would lose money and come out behind. He nodded, showing not a hint of sadness or disappointment. "Rest assured, I know my limits." *Know your limits?* If he knew his limits, would he have climbed a mountain carrying a rusty blade and ended up half-dead? Qin Jiuye didn't quite believe Li Qiao’s words. She had a nagging feeling that after holding back for two months, he might be harboring thoughts of a desperate, final gamble. But she didn't show it. She merely cleared her throat and said what she had intended to say tomorrow. "I was planning to take you to the Qingyang Fair the day after tomorrow anyway." The youth was clearly stunned, then he lowered his head again. "I thought... you were going to take Jin Bao." Qin Jiuye was now certain she hadn't misheard earlier; he had indeed overheard her conversation with Jin Bao. "If it were just for a normal market, taking Jin Bao would be enough. But if we want to see the truly good stuff, we have to go a bit deeper. You at least know some martial arts, don't you? That’s why I’m taking you." She laid out her thoughts plainly. She wasn't trying to use her position as boss to force him; she just didn't want to waste time. If he were unwilling or appeared reluctant, she had other methods. It was just that no other method was as cost-effective as this one. As long as she could save silver, she had plenty of patience. Seeing that he remained silent, she threw out her second move. "As an exchange, I can tell you one more thing." Only then did the youth look up, but his gaze was devoid of emotion, let alone expectation. Qin Jiuye set down her needlework and scraps of cloth, speaking solemnly. "If our luck is good, I might be able to find Yefuzi on this trip. You might not have heard of it, but you only need to know that it might be able to suppress the poison in your body." She paused here, fearing he wouldn't understand her next words, and deliberately laid the groundwork. "Yefuzi is a very precious poisonous substance. On very rare occasions, it can be used as medicine. Because its origin is unknown and there are few medical records of it, it doesn't circulate much in the medicine markets. Few merchants are willing to sell it, and even if they do, most are fakes. It's very hard to distinguish. But the poison in your body is stubborn and complex; gentle methods likely won't work. The medicinal properties of Yefuzi are worth a try. But you must know, I am only attempting this. I cannot promise whether I can truly concoct an antidote..." She narrated the conclusions she had reached after days of repeated research in a flat tone. He continued to stare at her blankly, appearing to listen, yet also appearing to be dazed by what he had just heard. Qin Jiuye felt a bit apprehensive, but she concluded with the lines she had prepared. "I’ve been researching these strange medicinal catalysts and formulas for years, but unfortunately, the Qingyang Fair only happens once a year. The day after tomorrow is a good opportunity for me, and a good opportunity for you." When it came to practicing medicine, Qin Jiuye never deceived her patients. She had laid everything out clearly, stopping just short of telling him: she saw that his physical condition was good and he was afflicted by a strange poison—it was the perfect alignment of time, place, and person. He was a prime specimen for testing medicine. Though there was the saying "treating a dead horse as if it were alive," at the end of the day, no one wanted to be the meat on someone else's chopping block. Even if an ordinary person were terminally ill, hearing these words would surely make them turn pale and hesitate. However, the youth before her didn't seem to be focused on that at all. A faint light began to emerge in his previously numb eyes, but within that light was more uncertainty and confusion. "So, you want to detoxify me?" Qin Jiuye looked at the person before her, thinking for the first time that he was a bit dull-witted for failing to hear the main point of her words. "Yes, but you must understand, this matter isn't that simple. Your current poison might not be cured, and you might end up with another poison instead. The conflict between two poisons is agonizing. And after all that suffering, it might all be for nothing. If you're even unluckier, you might even lose your life because of it..." But before she could finish, he interrupted her. "Okay." She froze, not reacting for a moment. "I said okay. I am willing." The youth’s tone was certain and urgent, as if he were afraid she would regret it if he were any slower. "Whatever you want me to do, I will do." Though the turn of events was a bit sudden, Qin Jiuye was still happy deep down. She felt that he had truly come around to the idea. Her previous apprehension vanished, and her calculating nature began to act up again as she started clicking her mental abacus. "Besides that, I’m telling you this now so you can be mentally prepared. Rare things are expensive. Even if I use every trick to drive the price down, seeking a sample of Yefuzi won't be cheap. I will pay for it upfront, but you must pay me back in the future—not a single copper less." She didn't want to seem too harsh, but her underlying meaning was to warn him to work hard and not let his private affairs interfere with the pharmacy's work, let alone cause trouble every few days. As she expected, the youth nodded and agreed to everything. It was all incredibly smooth. Both parties willing, each getting what they needed—a win-win partnership. It had been a long time since she had encountered such a wonderful thing. Qin Jiuye’s mood improved greatly. Her needle and thread flew, and she almost felt like embroidering a few flowers for him. After a long while, she looked up to find him still standing there. She asked casually, "Is there anything else?" The youth was silent for a moment before finally asking, "Just now... why did Sister give me that half-piece of pancake?" Qin Jiuye didn't even look up, biting off the thread with her teeth. "My Guoran Ju might be a bit poor, but it's fair to everyone. You and Jin Bao do the same work. What he has, you have too." "Thank you, Sister." The youth smiled, his entire being projecting a complex aura—a blend of purity and enchantment. However, the woman sewing the clothes was focused on battling a sleeve cuff and didn't notice at all. Yet, his voice soon rang out again. "I remember all the kindness you’ve shown me." Qin Jiuye’s needle slipped, nearly stabbing a hole in her finger. By the time she looked up to say something more, the person who had been standing in the room was already gone.