The group returned with a full load, truly a full load. They caught more fish than they could eat, so they distributed them among the courtyards, even sending two fish to Old Master You.

Upon returning to the courtyard, Steward Li led three women forward to pay their respects, "Young Master, these are the cooks and helpers I hired. From now on, they’ll be serving in the courtyard, and if the young master and young lady need anything, they can call on them."

Bai Shan, still holding a wooden bucket, set it down when he heard this. He lowered his rolled-up sleeves and turned his head to glance at the three women.

The cook among them was the oldest, appearing to be in her thirties. Her head was wrapped in a cloth, and her clothes, washed to whiteness, were patched in several places. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be from the Central Plains. Her hands were somewhat rough, and she stood with her head slightly lowered. Feeling eyes on her, she nervously clenched her hands.

Bai Shan asked, "What dishes can you cook?"

Steward Li stepped aside, clearly expecting her to answer for herself.

The cook nervously twisted her fingers but gracefully curtsied and replied fluently, "I can make Sichuan cuisine, and having stayed near the capital for a few years, I can also prepare some Beijing dishes."

Bai Shan raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Steward Li.

Catching wind of the conversation while dividing the fish, Manbao turned her head, looked at Steward Li, and laughed, "Did Steward Li specially find her for us?"

Steward Li chuckled, "I noticed the teacher and you young masters and young ladies didn’t seem to have much of an appetite, so I thought it might be the local food not to your liking. Today, while out and about, I happened to run into Sister-in-law He. Hearing her speak with an accent made me feel a sense of familiarity. After asking, it turned out she was indeed from Sichuan. Since she can cook, I took the liberty of inviting her."

He continued, "The masters will be staying here for a while, and they can’t always eat at the inn and restaurants. The dishes here are pretty much the same, with minor variations from place to place, but not much different overall."

He looked pained as he said, "It’s too much to ask of the young master and young ladies. I noticed the young master and Miss Man seem to have lost some weight these past couple of days."

Assistant General Nie, who came over swinging his arms to grab some fish upon hearing about it, couldn’t help but look at Zhou Man and Bai Shan. After looking back and forth a few times, he couldn’t tell where they’d lost weight.

Did they really have a poor appetite?

Last night, they had dinner together. Maybe it was because they hadn’t had rice for a while, but the two of them ate two large bowls each, just as much as he did!

No, less than half an hour after the meal, they had some fruits and snacks!

Assistant General Nie twitched his mouth and looked away, then asked Bai Erlang, "Are you giving us fish?"

Bai Erlang snapped back to his senses and generously pointed to the fish in the wooden bucket, "Feel free to take a couple."

Suddenly remembering something, Manbao asked the cook, "Do you know how to make tofu? I’m suddenly craving tofu fish head."

Suddenly, Mr. Zhuang, who hadn’t said a word, nodded, "That sounds good."

Sister-in-law He showed a bitter expression and clenched her fingers, "I can make tofu fish head, but I can’t make tofu."

Manbao cheerfully said, "If you can’t make it, just buy it. Just because you can cook doesn’t mean you have to know how to grow rice, does it?"

Halfway through her laughter, Manbao paused, tilted her head in disbelief, and looked at Bai Shan, "No way, is there no tofu here?"

Bai Shan thought back carefully to where they walked yesterday, "Seems like there isn’t, right?"

Sister-in-law He said, "No, people around here don’t really grow beans, so there’s no tofu."

She explained, "Beans are for feeding horses."

Manbao thought for a moment and uncertainly said, "I think I might know how."

After speaking, she looked a bit unsure at Zhou Liru. She knew the recipe; back when Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou made tofu for the first time, it was Manbao giving instructions. But that was her sister-in-law, who could understand the implied meaning, which might not work with others.

Zhou Liru scratched her head and confidently said, "If there’s brine, I can curdle tofu."

During the two years her little aunt went to Yizhou, the family’s tofu was all made with the help of her and her two older sisters. Not to mention after her second sister left, and her eldest sister got married. She mainly helped her aunt, but...

"But I can’t guarantee how it’ll taste."

Because making tofu is a skill. Her mother didn’t learn it well and had thought of letting her master it so she could have a skill if she got married. So she tried curdling two pots of tofu. They did solidify, but they ended up being all eaten at home, with many sent to her granduncle’s house.

Even though no one said anything, Zhou Liru knew she wasn’t very good at it.

Still... who cares? They ate every bit of those two pots of tofu at home eventually, didn’t they?

She knows how to make brine, after all.

Manbao turned and said to Mr. Zhuang, "Sir, it’s late today. At most, I can make brine. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to eat tofu fish head."

Mr. Zhuang wasn’t picky, "Alright, then we’ll have it tomorrow."

When Sister-in-law He heard this, she knew she could stay, and with a relieved sigh, she immediately rolled up her sleeves, picked up the wooden bucket, and humbly asked, "Sir and Miss, what would you like for dinner tonight?"

Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and said, "Something vegetarian, stir-fried vegetables."

Lately, it’s either been meat or dry rations, and his stomach can’t take it anymore.

The cook agreed.

Manbao waved her hand, "I’m easygoing, I like everything, make whatever you like. Oh, and make some steamed rice; I want rice tonight."

Bai Erlang and the others nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, steamed rice." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Bai Shan then started discussing with Steward Li, "Remember to stock up on some rice and flour when we get to Shazhou."

Steward Li agreed, then introduced the other two people, "These two are here to help in the kitchen and clean the courtyard. If the masters have any laundry, you can give it to them."

After all, with Miss Man and Miss Liru here, having two maidservants would be more convenient.

The two were also in their twenties, with high noses and deep-set eyes, typical of locals. They could speak simple Mandarin. Their clothes were slightly better than Sister-in-law He’s, but still washed out. They were nimble, so Bai Shan allowed them to stay, instructing them to clean the courtyard, which had become a mess while they were dividing fish.

Assistant General Nie watched the whole process. After clicking his tongue, he turned to Manbao and asked, "What’s Lord Zhou planning to do during this period?"

Twenty days is quite a while; they can’t just sleep it away, can they?

Manbao laughed, "Tomorrow we’re going fishing again, but I also want to check out the Gobi."

Assistant General Nie eagerly asked, "What for?"

"To see the scenery," Manbao said. "I heard there are some plants in the Gobi that don’t exist in the Central Plains. I’m going to check them out."

Assistant General Nie’s interest faded, feeling like he asked for nothing.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Isn’t Lord Zhou going to visit the Town Leader of the Small Town?"

Manbao shook her head, "He’s not appointed by the court, and I’m not here on official business. I’m just here as a guest, but if you want to visit, go ahead."