The skeleton looked quite small, likely a lamb. "Does anyone in the village raise sheep?"
"This thing yields little meat, and it can't work in the fields. Who would raise it? It was sent by Mingyue's brother-in-law. It's a lamb that broke its leg," Zhang Xiaoniu said.
"Please thank Aunt Yu and the others for me." Qi Zhenzhen took it. A baked flatbread, with some lamb soup, would be perfect to eat with it.
Zhang Xiaoniu rubbed his hands and, with a thick skin, spoke up, "Didn't you make spicy rabbit yesterday? I'll take it back, saving you the trouble of delivering it. It's quite tiring."
Qi Zhenzhen found it both amusing and exasperating. He was still thinking about it.
"What are you in such a hurry for? It was just sealed in the jar. The earliest you can eat it is tomorrow," Qi Zhenzhen said.
"Alright, then I'll come back tomorrow," Zhang Xiaoniu said, and then he scurried away.
Gu Sinian walked out of the house with a stern face. He feared that his usual leniency towards Zhang Xiaoniu had made him too presumptuous.
"I like spicy rabbit," Gu Sinian said.
"I made quite a lot, enough to eat," Qi Zhenzhen said, not understanding.
"Eating spicy food causes internal heat. Xiaoniu has been busy lately, running errands. He's bound to get some internal heat. It's not good for his health," Gu Sinian said with a serious expression.
Qi Zhenzhen didn't suspect him. Indeed, eating too much spicy food could cause internal heat, and if a canker sore appeared, it wouldn't disappear quickly.
"Alright, I'll set aside Xiaoniu's portion then. After this busy period, I'll let him eat it," Qi Zhenzhen said after some thought.
Gu Sinian nodded. After a while, Zhang Xiaoniu would accompany him to the northwest. When they returned, Zhenzhen would be married into the Duke's mansion. Would he still have the nerve to pester Zhenzhen for spicy rabbit then?
After speaking, Qi Zhenzhen went to prepare the lamb and lamb ribs. After chopping them, she blanched them. After blanching, she began to stew them. Once the soup boiled, it quickly turned thick and white, emitting waves of fragrance.
She didn't stew it all, keeping half aside so that Feixu and the others could have some fresh when they returned.
The golden-brown, crispy baked flatbread, paired with the rich lamb soup, was simple yet exceptionally delicious. Gu Sinian ate with great satisfaction. How wonderful it would be to eat such satisfying meals every day? For the first time, Gu Sinian realized that the quality of food wasn't about quantity or exquisiteness, but about whether it was palatable. In his heart, palatability depended more on who was cooking.
After the meal, Gu Sinian eagerly cleared the bowls and chopsticks, telling Qi Zhenzhen to rest after working all morning.
Qi Zhenzhen didn't stand on ceremony with him. In the future, they would be living together, and taking the initiative to do housework would help stabilize their relationship.
In the afternoon, Zhang Erniu and the Lin family arrived.
"We originally planned to come tomorrow, but your maternal grandmother was anxious," Lin Ruixue said helplessly.
Lin family's old madam, the old master, Lin family's eldest and second uncles, and the elder and younger Madam Zhang all came. The two younger members of the Lin family did not.
After Qi Zhenzhen greeted everyone, she inquired about the two younger Lin family members.
Younger Madam Zhang answered first, "Thanks to you, our family is doing well. Both children have been sent to school."
Her fawning tone made people uncomfortable.
Lin family's old madam glared at Younger Madam Zhang. She had instructed her to speak less before they came. As soon as they entered, she was already speaking out of turn, as if she had completely disregarded her words. She hadn't intended to invite the second son and Younger Madam Zhang, as Younger Madam Zhang was pregnant and traveling might be dangerous. However, when she heard that Qi Zhenzhen had returned, she insisted on coming, saying she wanted to express her gratitude in person.
Lin Ruixue had already informed the Lin family about Qi Zhenzhen's engagement, and everyone knew Gu Sinian's identity. The Lin family members bowed to Gu Sinian, who steadied Lin family's old madam and the old master.
"Grandfather and Grandmother, there's no need for such formalities," Gu Sinian said politely.
As for the other Lin family members' courtesies, he couldn't stop them all, so he accepted.
Lin family's old madam pulled Qi Zhenzhen into the house. Lin Ruixue and the elder and younger Madam Zhang also followed.
Lin family's old master, the two Lin family uncles, and Zhang Erniu spoke with Gu Sinian.
As soon as she entered the house, Lin family's old madam's eyes welled up. "Why are you so thin? Where is your mother? Why didn't she come back with you? Are the people in the mansion treating you and your mother and brother well?"
Qi Zhenzhen explained again, but Lin family's old madam still didn't believe her. "They say such families have great wealth, but who knows what lies behind that wealth? Don't hide anything from this old woman. If you're unhappy about anything, just say it."
"Grandmother, don't you know what kind of person I am? I won't be taken advantage of," Qi Zhenzhen said. "Besides, Yi ge'er is deeply loved by my father and grandmother. Grandmother is also very good to me. How could life be unbearable?"
The old madam sighed, "What can I say?"
"Mother, it's a great joy for their mother and son to return. If they hadn't gone back, how could they have found such a good marriage? Little sister said that the Duke's mansion is very wealthy," Younger Madam Zhang said with a flattering face. "Their mother and son are going back to enjoy blessings! Perhaps in a while, they can even bring you to enjoy blessings. Then, this daughter-in-law can also see the prosperity of the capital by virtue of her parents' fortune."
Lin family's old madam, Elder Madam Zhang, and Lin Ruixue's expressions were not very pleasant.
Yun Shi was a concubine. The concubine's maternal family could not be considered proper relatives, so how could they bring the Lin family to the capital? Moreover, the two families were related by marriage. How would the Marquis's mansion acknowledge them?
Saying such things at this moment, was this praise or mockery?
"Enough, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute," Lin family's old madam said displeasedly. "Have you forgotten what I told you before we came?"
Younger Madam Zhang flinched. She had little status in the Lin family now. If it weren't for the child in her womb, the old couple might have sent her back home. The Lin family's days were better now, but she hadn't managed to secure any benefits for her maternal family. What was the purpose of her speaking nicely and clinging to Qi Zhenzhen today? Wasn't it to seek some benefits? The items her sister-in-law took back yesterday were truly enviable. If she brought just a few items back to her maternal family, her brother and sister-in-law would look at her with new respect.
"Mother, I won't say anything more. I'll go out and see if there's anything I can help with." With that, Younger Madam Zhang went out.
"This one is unpresentable. Her head must have been kicked by a donkey. She doesn't want to live a good life and is always restless. If it weren't for the child of our Lin family she's carrying, we wouldn't let her stay at home!" Lin family's old madam said helplessly.
"Grandmother, please calm down. Second maternal aunt is also a person of strong emotions," Qi Zhenzhen comforted.
Lin family's old madam waved her hand. "You don't need to speak well of her. That kind of person is like mud that can't be plastered onto a wall. I was blind to have married your second uncle to such a woman. All day long, she only thinks about the family's assets and how to move them to her maternal family! Alas, let's not talk about her. Here, take this. I specifically asked your eldest uncle to exchange it."
With that, Lin family's old madam put a stack of silver notes into Qi Zhenzhen's hand.