The ground, which had been covered with broken tiles, rubble, and overgrown grass in the morning, had now been cleared.
Although the walls were still mostly missing, and the door was gone, the slanted yellow light of the setting sun illuminated half the yard.
Xiang Jie was sitting on the porch, tilting her little head, watching a butterfly flutter by.
Shen Ji returned from the kitchen with the medicine he had been boiling all afternoon.
He stared at the full bowl of dark, bitter medicine for a while, then mustered up the courage to drink it all in one go.
The bitterness made him shudder, and his face wrinkled in disgust.
She couldn’t help but smile, her eyes narrowing in amusement.
In this empty space, it seemed that a little bit of life had gradually begun to emerge.
Shen Miao also felt invigorated.
She went inside to unpack her two boxes of belongings.
Noticing that there was still half a bag of black rice and quinoa in one, and some leftover yam on the stove, she thought it would be a waste to let it go to waste.
She decided to make black rice, quinoa, and yam buns for dinner that night.
While packing, she also found the two windmills she had bought when she first arrived at Jinliang Bridge.
After a busy day, she had forgotten about them.
She pulled them out to let Ji Ge and Xiang Jie play with them.
Xiang Jie was delighted, running around the room with the windmill in her hand.
Shen Ji, with an awkward look on his face, stared at the windmill in his hand, which seemed like a toy for a three-year-old.
Reluctantly, he turned the bamboo blades.
Shen Miao felt a bit embarrassed; she didn’t realize that Ji Ge had such an early maturity!
She chuckled awkwardly and said, “You stay and play with Xiang Jie. I’ll go steam some buns for us to eat.”
Once in the kitchen, Shen Miao regained her focus.
She calmly peeled the yam and soaked the black rice and quinoa.
First, she ground the black rice in a mortar and mixed it with flour to knead into dough, setting it aside to rest for a while.
She worked quickly, mashing the sprouted quinoa and yam together in a bowl, then adding an egg to continue mashing it into a sticky paste.
If there had been sesame seeds, she would have added them at this stage for extra flavor, but today she had to make do without them.
Adding some sugar and a small spoonful of lard, the filling was ready.
The dough was now fully rested.
She divided it into nine portions and wrapped the filling inside each piece.
Then, she steamed them.
As the buns steamed, the sweet fragrance filled the room, and Xiang Jie, who had smelled it, immediately sat by the stove with her windmill, eagerly waiting.
She blew on the windmill, eagerly salivating as she smelled the aroma.
Shen Miao was helpless.
This child acted as though she hadn’t eaten in three years.
She couldn’t help but ask Ji Ge, who had come in to help clean the stove and light the fire, “Xiang Jie didn’t used to be so greedy. Did you two go hungry at Uncle’s house?”
Ji Ge finished cleaning the stove and helped wash the ceramic bowl.
“Xiang Jie is used to eating Dad’s cooking. But when Dad passed, we went to Uncle’s house. Since Uncle was collecting rent from our house, Auntie didn’t dare be too harsh with our food, but her cooking was like pig food—barely edible. We haven’t had a good meal since.”
Ji Ge raised his head and looked directly at Shen Miao. “Big sister, don’t you know? Your cooking reminds me a lot of Dad’s.”
Xiang Jie, hearing this, shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum.
“Brother’s wrong. Auntie’s cooking was so bad, even the pigs in her house wouldn’t eat it!”
Then she remembered the taste of the dumpling soup at noon, nodding enthusiastically.
“Big sister’s food is so delicious!”
Shen Miao then realized, looking down at her hands.
She had memorized the short eighteen years of the original body’s life, all to avoid drawing attention and to live a peaceful life in this world.
Yet, no matter how clear the memories were, she could never fully taste the flavors she once longed for.
Shen Miao actually didn’t know what her father, the one whom Ji Ge and Xiang Jie missed, was like in the kitchen.
Her cooking skills were naturally inherited from her biological parents and grandfather from her past life.
Perhaps, this was another connection between her and the original body, besides their shared name?
As she was thinking, the black rice, quinoa, and yam buns on the stove were finally ready.
***
The black rice quinoa yam buns were Shen Miao’s regular breakfast during her weight-loss phase.
The black rice is rich and mellow, quinoa is chewy, and yam is delicate.
The taste is layered and rich, yet not too sweet or greasy, just the natural flavor of the ingredients.
And it’s low in fat, making it filling!
In her previous life, Shen Miao had cooked herself into becoming overweight.
Maybe she was the only one to do that.
Also, black rice and quinoa were two of Shen Miao’s favorite whole grains.
Black rice is rich in antioxidants, quinoa is packed with protein, and yam helps strengthen the spleen and stomach.
These three ingredients together are very beneficial to the body.
Xiang Jie was truly not picky about food.
Whatever she ate, it looked delicious to her.
Shen Miao used her clean handkerchief to wrap the bottom half of the bun so that it wouldn’t burn her hands.
Then, she squatted by the stove, holding a bun as big as her face with both hands, eating it bite by bite, and it smelled so sweet and delicious.
Her cheeks puffed up as she ate, reminding Shen Miao of the little golden hamster she had raised before.
Ji Ge still ate very properly.
Shen Miao looked at him sitting straight-backed, slowly eating his bun with chopsticks.
Suddenly, she remembered that before the original owner left, Ji Ge had started studying at Master Liu’s school.
She wondered if he was still studying.
Thinking about this, Shen Miao asked.
To her surprise, Ji Ge seemed like he had been pricked by a needle, his head drooping.
After a long pause, he finally said, “…I hurt Hai Ge’er at Master Liu’s school. Master Liu wouldn’t let me go back. Aunt also beat me and kicked me out.”
Shen Miao raised an eyebrow.
Hai Ge’er was Uncle Shen’s only son, around the same age as Ji Ge.
Aunt Shen had four daughters before having her son, who had been spoiled like a little emperor since childhood.
He was overfed and very obese.
In the original owner’s memories, he wasn’t a particularly likable child.
The original owner’s younger brother was a bit stubborn, but Shen Miao could tell he wasn’t the type to be mischievous for fun.
It was likely that Hai Ge’er had done or said something that provoked Ji Ge into action.
Ji Ge, seeing Shen Miao silent, thought she was angry.
He glanced at her expression several times, holding the half-eaten bun but no longer having the appetite to continue eating.
However, thinking about how Hai Ge’er had mocked him about being orphaned and even rejected his own sister, the words still cut deeply in his heart.
Unable to speak and explain, he hesitated for a long time before finally saying, “A-Jie, I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine, A-Jie believes you had your reasons.”
To her surprise, Shen Miao and Ji Ge spoke at the same time.
Ji Ge stared up at her in surprise, and Shen Miao gave him a smiling glance, gently rubbing his head, saying, “Don’t worry. Once we settle down, I’ll find a school for you.”
After that, Shen Miao didn’t bring it up again.
Ji Ge was more sensitive and mature for his age.
At this point, children already have their pride, and there was no need to pry further.
Shen Miao glanced outside at the sky and finished her food quickly, saying, “A-Jie still needs to go out to the night market to buy everything we need. Ji Ge, take your medicine and put Xiang Jie to bed first. Don’t follow me.”
Xiang Jie reluctantly said, “I want to follow A-Jie.”
Shen Miao put on a serious face, saying, “No, A-Jie has a lot to buy and won’t have time to take care of you.
Stay here with Ji Ge, he’s sick. You need to look after him while he takes his medicine and rests. Be a good girl.”
Ji Ge also said, “Don’t make it hard for A-Jie.”
Seeing that Shen Miao was serious, Xiang Jie didn’t dare argue anymore, but still tugged at Shen Miao’s sleeve.
“Xiang Jie will stay at home with A-Brother. A-Jie, you must come back!”
Shen Miao softened, bent down, and hugged her, saying, “I won’t leave, don’t worry.”
After comforting her, Shen Miao carefully assigned Xiang Jie to watch over the medicine stove, reminded Ji Ge to be careful with the fire, and then grabbed her bag and left the house.
The Song Dynasty had a variety of bags and pouches, not just the simple cloth wraps you see in TV dramas.
Shen Miao didn’t know this until she arrived in the Great Song Dynasty.
Many of the luxury bags we see today could be found in the Song people’s daily pouches.
They had small pouches hanging from their waists, as well as larger ones like shoulder bags, crossbody bags, handbags, and even backpacks.
The materials ranged from leather to fabric, and they were adorned with embellishments, embroidery, and various decorations.
The ancients were actually quite fashionable!
The bag Shen Miao carried was one that the original owner had treasured for many years—it had an adjustable shoulder strap and could be used as both a crossbody or single-shoulder bag.
It had a hard leather base that could bear weight without losing its shape.
The design featured an embroidered motif of magpies heralding spring on the silk, with fringe, made very delicately.
It was one of the dowries given to her by her parents.
Once she left the house, Bianjing’s night market was as famous for its liveliness as ever.
It was said that at one point, the market was so crowded and bustling that even the royal procession couldn’t pass through.
Eventually, the court had to set up the Street Bureau, with guards in blue—like modern-day city patrols—coming out at night to manage traffic and clear the streets, making things more manageable.
As night fell, the street lamps lit up, and the market came alive with people and noise.
Small vendors began calling out, and the horse market street, lined with shops and inns, burned candles all night, filling the air with such thick smoke that no mosquitoes could be seen.