Translated by Serena Love

Edited by Azure

Chapter 55: Liangpi and Sugar Ice Jelly

In the summer, Jiang Shuyao didn’t pay much attention to dinner, often replacing it with supper and various snacks.  

After her bath in the evening, she reclined on the chair beneath the courtyard tree. The moisture from her skin had yet to dissipate, and her hair hung loosely around her. As she gazed at the starry sky, she let out a soft sigh. "Life is wonderful."

After returning home, Xie Xun took a bath and changed into fresh clothes. However, when he went to the study to read in the evening, the heat made him sweat once more, prompting him to ask for another bath to be prepared.  

The study was even hotter than the outdoors, so he set the book aside and decided to step out for some cool air.

Jiang Shuyao put tables and chairs next to her recliner. When Xie Xun walked through the moon gate, he saw her lying down under the shade, naturally walking to her, and sitting down.

Several bowls of Jiang Shuyao's supper were on the table. Xie Xun saw them and said, "I saw that you only had a few mouthfuls for dinner. I thought you had no appetite. It turns out that you were waiting for supper to be full. That's not good. You have to eat three meals a day on time."

He admonished sternly, like a parent advising his children to eat well. Jiang Shuyao didn't expect that he was so old-fashioned at such a young age. She sat up and pushed a bowl in front of him, "It's not supper. It's just a snack."

Eating midnight snacks is addictive, so she must pull Xie Xun into the water.

She and Xie Xun are a couple who get along day and night. Although she didn’t have the skill of training a husband, it is not too difficult to develop Xie Xun's taste to her liking.

Xie Xun looked into the bowl. Jiang Shuyao always made some strange food, so he was not surprised.

"Sugar Ice Jelly. It's sweets to cool off the heat." Jiang Shuyao introduced it neatly.

The two of them had been "sharing the same bed," so Xie Xun stopped being polite to Jiang Shuyao, and picked up her spoon to have a taste.

The sugar ice jelly is extremely clear and transparent, like golden transparent ice cubes. It is soft and slippery and breaks into pieces when touched by the spoon.

Brown sugar sauce was poured on the top and spread all over the crushed jelly. It is beautiful and attractive, and it tastes rich and sweet.

Xie Xun scooped up a spoonful, and the jelly trembled on the spoon. It was broken before being chewed and turned into ice-cold water in the mouth, which was tender and sweet.

The brown sugar sauce is mellow and sweet, with a slightly refreshing bitter taste. The sugar ice jelly is sprinkled with chopped hawthorn slices, raisins, and chopped peanuts. The hawthorn slices are sweet and sour, the raisins are chewy, the peanuts are crispy, and the jelly is light and cool. Combine together immediately eliminated his body heat, and he felt refreshed.

For Xie Xun, the main meals must be noodles and rice, so this bowl of sugar ice jelly has no weight after he ate it, and it was really like a refreshing drink.

Jiang Shuyao asked directly, "How does it taste?"

"Very good, sweet and thirst-quenching."

"How about a bowl every night from now on to reduce heat?"

Xie Xun nodded happily, "Hmm."

Jiang Shuyao pushed a bowl of Liangpi in front of him. "Try this."

Xie Xun looked at the Liangpi, which was neither rice or noodles. For him, it would not be considered a supper, but only snacks.

So he did not hesitate to pick up his chopsticks and feast.

Liangpi was a translucent, white noodle-like dish, dressed with garlic juice, chili oil, sugar, vinegar, and a medley of other seasonings. At the center, a neat stack of verdant cucumber shreds, white bean sprouts, vibrant red chili peppers, and white sesame seeds created a striking contrast of colors. The dish was as visually appealing as it was aromatic, exuding a tantalizing blend of spicy and sour scents.

He only ate a bowl of sugar ice jelly, and the refreshing sweetness made his stomach feel a lot more relaxed. The heat has dissipated, and his appetite arose.

Xie Xun mixed the bowl of Liangpi and took a bite.

Liangpi was smooth and tender, its texture slightly sticky, thin and soft, with a delicate consistency.

The oily pepper was not too spicy but carried a unique aroma, mellow and lingering. The addition of sugar lent a sweet aftertaste, which blended harmoniously with the rich, mellow vinegar, creating a flavor that was both spicy and sour, yet refreshingly crisp.

The cucumber shreds were refreshing, while the bean sprouts offered a crisp, raw crunch with a subtle sweetness. Together with the Liangpi, they created a delightful contrast—soft, delicious, and perfectly balanced with sour and spicy notes.  

One bowl was hardly enough. Xie Xun finished it after just three scoops, but still felt unsatisfied. He followed it up with another bowl of sugar ice jelly, finally feeling full.

Jiang Shuyao satisfactorily watched him finish eating and sighed that he was too easy to please. It was really effortless to get him embarking on the road of no return (eating supper).

After Jiang Shuyao sighed, she looked at him happily eating and thought that if they can get along like this forever, it seems that it's not impossible to stay together for a lifetime comfortably.

Xie Xun also felt that such a life was wonderful. Even the sultry and irritable summer nights that he used to hate the most became tasteful.

Jiang Shuyao was fanning herself on the recliner, and soon her hands became sore. When she was about to put down the round fan, Xie Xun took it naturally.

He moved slowly and fanned her rhythmically, "Can I bring Liangpi for lunch tomorrow?"

"Yes, there are leftovers in the small kitchen. It is enough." Jiang Shuyao squinted comfortably, enjoying the breeze coming to her face.

"What about cold noodles?" Xie Xun asked.

"If you can eat it all, bring it all, don't waste it."

There is no need to guess his answer. "Okay, I can give it to my colleagues if you can't finish it."

Bai Zhi looked at them from a distance, her heart was moved, and she almost shed tears.

The love between husband and wife is probably like this. She didn't know whether the lady and master talked about love or just chatting with each other. Just looking at it makes people's hearts full of honey.

She immediately went back to her room and wrote a letter, planning to send it to Xiangyang Mansion the next day. Madam would be very pleased to see it.

After their conversation, a comfortable silence fell between them. The atmosphere wasn’t awkward; rather, there was a certain tranquility to it.

Xie Xun switched the hand he had been using to fan her and suddenly thought of Zhou-shi. He asked, "By the way, how is second sister-in-law's injury?"

"It shouldn’t be too serious. She was already arguing about getting out of bed and walking around today."

Xie Xun said, "Oh," and fell silent again.

She didn't remember it before, but when Xie Xun mentioned Zhou-shi, Jiang Shuyao remembered those messy thoughts again and looked up at Xie Xun.

He straightened his body and looked forward with a cold face, but Jiang Shuyao knew his mind was wandering.

This kind of cute and funny contrast made her feel relieved, so she suddenly asked her doubts, "Do you know about the second sister-in-law?"

Xie Xun returned to his senses and looked down at her, "What's the matter?"

Jiang Shuyao then told Zhou-shi's trouble in Shouning Hall that day.

Xie Xun would not deliberately pay attention to the inner courtyard's matter, and no one would chew their tongue in front of him, so this was the first time he heard about the issue. He frowned when he listened to all of these.

After Jiang Shuyao finished speaking, she felt a little nervous and didn't want to show any expression on her face.

"Really..." He sighed without giving too much judgment.

After a few seconds, he suddenly lowered his head and stared at Jiang Shuyao, "So are you pitying the second sister-in-law because of this incident?"

Jiang Shuyao was taken aback, "I am cooking for her to thank her for saving my life."

Maybe it's because tonight's breeze and gentle moonlight are suitable for heart-to-heart talks, or it's because Jiang Shuyao was lying on the couch with loose hair and looked too relaxed. Xie Xun hesitated and said again, "I can understand from your words that you feel sorry for her, and there is dissatisfaction with my second brother."

It might be because Xie Xun was reticent and rarely showed emotions, so even if he was a famous talent, Jiang Shuyao always thought that he was a little slow with feelings.

But he pierced her thoughts so directly, and she was a little embarrassed. Also a little uneasy for fear that he could see more of her thoughts.

Xie Xun stopped talking about it but said calmly, "You are not my second sister-in-law, and I am not my second brother."

This simple sentence made Jiang Shuyao toss around that night and couldn't fall asleep. She felt that he was not the kind of person who would say these things.

It was like a love word, like a promise, but also like an ordinary sentence.

She was in a complicated mood, and his words messed up her thoughts, so she cursed Xie Xun a lot.

Eating so much still can't stop his mouth. Isn't Xie Xun only a ruthless food tester and a leftover cleaning machine? Why did he need to say something provocative?

＊

Zhou-shi looked at Jiang Shuyao from time to time. She couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Jiang Shuyao returned to her senses and rubbed her face, "It's okay, I just feel a little confused in my heart, and I can't make much sense out of it."

Zhou-shi was not Xu-shi. She was not the kind of person who could persuade people. While eating in a big mouthful, she said, "Then don't worry, there will always be a result. Just let it go. The more you insist, the more it won't end."

She cleaned the bowl of rice and wiped her mouth happily, "From what I understand, the sky is big, but food is the best."

Jiang Shuyao was amused. Zhou-shi, who was not sarcastic anymore, was so cute.

She said "Ah" and remembered the business, "By the way, today is Ah Zhao and Ah Yao's birthday. I want to cook a meal for them to celebrate in the evening. Second sister-in-law, are you coming?"

Zhou-shi had always been at odds with the first branch. She stared at her. "What am I coming for?" She hadn't said anything to Xie Zhao and Xie Yao.

"Birthdays are, of course, crowded and lively." After Jiang Shuyao told Xu-shi about her proposal, Xu-shi agreed to let the twins come to her, but she didn't say if she would come herself.

So at the moment, only the three of them would celebrate the birthdays of the twins. Jiang Shuyao feels that there is no sense of celebration.

Zhou-shi shook her head frantically, "No matter how much fun it is, I can't join the fun. Eldest sister-in-law doesn't want to see me, and I don't want to see her. I won't go. It's just annoying."

"It's just a simple meal, fun and happy. The two little guys haven't had fun since they were young. I just want to make them happy through their birthday today."

Zhou-shi muttered, "What birthday does the child celebrate? Isn't it enough to eat a bowl of longevity noodles early in the morning?"

Seeing that she didn't want to, Jiang Shuyao didn't force her.

The twins ran to Jiang Shuyao's courtyard at the beginning of dinner.

Today was their birthday, so the teacher finished the class especially early. The two of them ran over without stopping, as they remembered Jiang Shuyao's birthday celebration.

Xu-shi was very strict with them, so they didn't know what it was like to celebrate their birthdays. They looked forward to it very much. Their black eyes looked at Jiang Shuyao brightly, wishing she could do the trick immediately.

Jiang Shuyao asked them to go to the table and sit down. Then she went back to the small kitchen to fetch the cake, decorate it with flowers, and squeeze a pattern with jam, and it barely counts as a birthday cake.

She walked back with the cake and suddenly stopped when she saw the person sitting at the table.

Zhou-shi and Xu-shi sat at the same table, staring at each other with big eyes and small eyes. Both of them were holding back their temperament, and there was a faint smell of gunpowder in the air.

Seeing Jiang Shuyao coming back, the two turned their heads together, revealing similar knife-like eyes.

There is some sort of injustice and some sort of grievance. Their eyes almost said the words, "I thought you only invited me?!".

Jiang Shuyao: ...

Who can tell her what is going on with this weird Shura field*?

[T/N: Shura 修羅 or Asura 阿修羅 is a Japanese Buddhism demigod of war. In many anime, "Shura Field" is an indispensable element, deliberately arranging the female characters to meet and create conflicts, forcing the protagonist to choose between them.]

Liangpi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtik1JjjTXc

Sugar Ice Jelly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHVnKGfqnGQ 

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