Chapter Thirty-Four: Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots in Oil

“Yes, it’s the young master’s gift to the young lady,” Xiao Bei replied.

“Where did your young master get something like this?” Wei Ruo asked.

“That… I don’t really know…” Xiao Bei answered evasively.

“Is your young master in the courtyard?” Wei Ruo continued.

“He is.”

“Then I’ll go find him!”

Since she couldn’t get a straight answer from Xiao Bei, she decided it was best to question Wei Jin Yi herself.

In the bedroom, Wei Jin Yi’s lower body was covered with a quilt, his upper body propped up by a cushion, with a book in hand. He wore a simple white garment, his face still weary and pale. The sickly beauty looked as though he were a mountain flower battered by rain.

Wei Ruo approached, and Wei Jin Yi raised his head to look at her.

“You want to give this precious wild ginseng to me?” Wei Ruo asked, pointing to the wooden box in her hand.

“Yes.”

“Where did you get something so valuable?” Wei Ruo was curious.

“I saved the life of an old man a few years ago. He gave it to me,” Wei Jin Yi replied.

Saving people was something Wei Ruo often did, but she had never received so much as a token in return—not because those she saved were ungrateful, but because she had sworn an oath to her master in her previous life never to accept any reward.

Now, gazing at the centuries-old ginseng in her hands, Wei Ruo couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. If only she hadn’t been so stubborn about keeping that oath, perhaps she would have received many such treasures by now.

Standing by, Xiao Bei muttered inwardly at Wei Jin Yi’s reply. The young master was lying without batting an eye! Saving someone? This wild ginseng was clearly…

“Are you sure you want to give me something so valuable? You could sell it for a hefty sum—at least one or two hundred taels of silver,” Wei Ruo reminded him.

“You saved my life. That’s worth far more than the wild ginseng,” Wei Jin Yi said calmly.

The medicine he’d received from her was something money couldn’t buy, a priceless treasure.

His words made sense, but looking at his threadbare state, Wei Ruo guessed the ginseng was probably worth more than everything else he owned.

He was so poor, yet he could still give her something so precious. Clearly, he was someone who repaid kindness. She didn’t regret risking exposure to save him that day.

“Very well, I’ll accept the wild ginseng. Next time, I’ll use it to make some tonic pills and send you a few,” Wei Ruo said.

“Alright,” Wei Jin Yi agreed softly, though he didn’t really expect her to return anything.

***

Two days later, Wei Jin Yi was finally “recovered.”

He could eat, drink, and get out of bed to walk around.

Everyone in the Wei household breathed a sigh of relief—at last, they no longer had to fear being punished by Wei Ming Ting.

Wei Ruo came to see Wei Jin Yi again, and took the opportunity to harvest the tender bamboo shoots from his courtyard. If she didn’t eat them soon, they’d grow tough and go to waste—far better to treat her own taste buds.

She arrived just as Xiao Bei was bringing a meal into Wei Jin Yi’s room.

Seeing the dishes, Wei Ruo looked surprised. The rice porridge was fine—after a serious illness, something moist and gentle was good for the stomach. The problem lay with the two plates: one held yellowing greens, and the other contained something so unappetizing she suspected it was burnt radish.

True, the recently recovered should eat light food, but light didn’t mean yellowed and burnt. What was going on?

“Did the main kitchen give you wilted vegetables?” Wei Ruo asked.

“No, the vegetables from the kitchen were fresh,” Xiao Bei explained.

In the past, the servants might have skimped on their rations, but lately, no one dared shortchange them.

“So your cook here ruined them?” Wei Ruo pressed.

Xiao Bei scratched his head awkwardly. “Um… Young lady, the cook here is me… I’m not very good at it…”

He hurriedly added, “Usually I do better than this, and I rarely burn the food. Today was an accident—I was distracted thinking about the young master’s medicine!”

There were only two people in the whole courtyard, and though they had a small kitchen, there was no actual cook.

Wei Ruo exchanged a glance with Xiu Mei.

Without Wei Ruo needing to say a word, Xiu Mei understood her meaning.

“Miss, why don’t I use these tender bamboo shoots to make braised spring shoots?” Xiu Mei suggested.

“Go ahead. Start peeling the shoots, and I’ll go fetch some sweet potato starch for you,” said Wei Ruo.

The mistress and maid split up, both moving with great enthusiasm, which made Xiao Bei quite uneasy.

He remembered the last time the young lady cooked—her “delicacy” had left him coughing and gasping. This time, he dared not get his hopes up.

“Young master, should I stop them?” he asked.

“Let them be,” Wei Jin Yi replied.

Unlike before, when he would have refused outright, this time Wei Jin Yi didn’t object.

Not long after, Wei Ruo returned with Xiu Mei, who was carrying a steaming bowl of braised spring bamboo shoots.

Xiu Mei set the dish on the table beside Wei Jin Yi’s bed. “Second young master, please try these spring shoots. They’re not spicy this time—you won’t choke on them.”

Wei Jin Yi glanced at the dish. Tender yellow shoots were coated in a glossy, dark brown sauce, glistening with oil and garnished with bright green scallions.

Compared to Xiao Bei’s yellowed, burnt vegetables and radish, this dish was infinitely more appetizing.

With an open mind, Wei Jin Yi picked up a piece and tasted it, chewing thoughtfully.

This time, he didn’t cough or choke. His expression was always reserved, rarely betraying his feelings, so it was hard to tell what he thought of the braised bamboo shoots.

“The flavor is rich and refreshing, sweet with the taste of bamboo, and there’s a complex savory note… What is that?” Wei Jin Yi asked, looking up at Wei Ruo.

“Soya sauce! Didn’t I send you a jar?”

She had indeed, but Wei Jin Yi had never tried it—he’d just told Xiao Bei to deal with it, and had no idea where it had ended up.

Guiltily, Xiao Bei stared at the floor, terrified Wei Ruo would discover he’d stashed her gift away somewhere.

Little did he know, the young lady’s soya sauce was truly special—secretly brewed, and apparently infused with medicinal herbs, just as she’d claimed.

“So, is this better than the greens and radish?” Wei Ruo smiled.

“Mm,” Wei Jin Yi answered in his low voice, his tone as unreadable as ever.

Wei Ruo watched as Wei Jin Yi finished a whole bowl of porridge and the entire plate of braised bamboo shoots, then left with Xiu Mei, smiling as she returned to her own quarters.

As soon as Wei Ruo left, Wei Jin Yi asked Xiao Bei about the missing jar of soya sauce.

“I’ll go look for it!” Xiao Bei hurried to the small kitchen, searched through the corners, and finally found the jar, covered in dust.

Though the outside was dusty, the jar was well sealed, so the contents should be fine.

Elated, Xiao Bei brought the soya sauce back to Wei Jin Yi’s bedroom.

“Young master, look—the jar’s still here, safe and sound.”

“Good. Keep it safe.”

“Understood, young master! I’ll put it in the safest place!”

Now that the soya sauce tasted so good—and even if it didn’t—it was a token from the young lady, and they had to treasure it.

After all, the young master and the young lady’s relationship was different now—they were bound by life and death!