Chapter 38: Liu Ruyi Is Injured
Li Yi had no idea he had become a treasured figure in the minds of certain people. At this moment, he was busy inventorying the items he had bought on his trip down the mountain.
Aside from grains, meat, and seeds for common vegetables, he had also purchased a wide variety of cooking seasonings.
Initially, he thought ancient people would be far behind modern times in this regard. To his surprise, the variety of spices and condiments available in this era far surpassed what he had seen in modern times. The sheer number left him dazzled, so he decided to buy a little of everything.
Having purchased quite a lot, he spent most of the ten taels of silver he had brought, leaving around three taels. Li Yi chose not to spend the remainder immediately, keeping it for unexpected needs.
When they sat down for breakfast, Liu Ruyi had yet to return. Upon asking Xiaohuan, he learned that her mistress often disappeared like this, something the little maid had grown accustomed to.
Li Yi wasn’t particularly worried about Liu Ruyi. After all, anyone who could shatter a solid wooden table with a single palm strike was undoubtedly a formidable figure. It was unlikely she’d encounter much danger.
Still, her habit of disappearing without a word wasn’t exactly ideal. Shaking his head, Li Yi pushed the matter aside and took out the hawthorns he had bought yesterday, heading into the kitchen.
Inside, Xiaohuan was washing the dishes. When she saw him enter, he poured all the leftover sugar from the Qiqiao Festival into a pot, added a bit of water, and began simmering it over low heat.
After instructing Xiaohuan to keep an eye on the fire and make sure the syrup didn’t burn, Li Yi carefully washed the hawthorns. Using a knife, he halved each fruit to remove the seeds, then set aside some bamboo skewers he had prepared and smoothed.
As Xiaohuan sat by the stove, her large eyes kept darting toward him.
“It looks like the young master is making something delicious again...”
With that thought, she began to daydream about the treats she was about to taste.
Li Yi planned to make candied hawthorns. This world had no such snack, but in his original world, it was one of the most beloved treats among children, a favorite for thousands of years.
Although modern versions of candied hawthorns had evolved significantly, with meticulously chosen ingredients, elaborate packaging, and even substitutions with other fruits, that unique sweet-and-sour flavor remained irreplaceable.
As a child growing up in a rural village, Li Yi had eagerly awaited the vendor who carried a wooden pole brimming with candied hawthorns, selling them from village to village. For just a few coins, he could savor one for half a day.
As he grew older, he stopped eating them. Yet, now in this new world, he found himself yearning for that familiar taste. Bringing this personal memory into this unfamiliar place gave him a sense of solace.
Before long, the syrup in the pot was ready. Li Yi skewered the hawthorn fruits onto the bamboo sticks and rolled them in the syrup. A glossy sugar coating soon enveloped the fruits, and once removed from the pot, the syrup quickly hardened. Thus, the world’s first stick of candied hawthorns was born.
Within fifteen minutes, Li Yi and Xiaohuan were sitting at the doorway, each holding two sticks of candied hawthorns. A light bite produced a crisp sound, followed by a burst of sweet-and-sour flavor.
It was Xiaohuan’s first time eating candied hawthorns. Unlike Li Yi, who took large bites, she carefully licked the sugar coating with her small tongue, savoring the sweetness that warmed her heart and left her eyes curved into crescent moons.
The sight was undeniably charming. Li Yi glanced at her once, then quickly averted his gaze. Even the unintentional actions of a young girl could stir the heart, and he dared not imagine what she’d be like when she grew older. Surviving in a household with three beauties, he thought, was no small feat. He was convinced that even the virtuous Liu Xiang wouldn’t fare better...
“What’s this?”
Just as Li Yi finished his two sticks of candied hawthorns, a voice came from behind. Turning, he saw Liu Ru-Yi approaching, holding a skewer with one half-eaten hawthorn.
“Oh, that’s poison for rats. I added arsenic to the sugar syrup, so don’t eat it.” Seeing the trace of sugar on Liu Ru-Yi’s lips, Li Yi replied with a straight face.
As soon as he spoke, Liu Ru-Yi’s complexion changed. Her face turned pale in an instant.
“Young master, there’s one stick of candied hawthorns missing...” Xiaohuan came over, holding two more skewers, her voice filled with confusion.
Liu Ru-Yi turned her head, seeing the sticks in Xiaohuan’s hands and the trace of sugar on her lips. Then she looked back at Li Yi, her face turning icy cold as she reached for the hilt of her sword.
Li Yi’s eyebrow twitched. Having teased Xiaohuan too often, he had momentarily forgotten that this was Liu Ru-Yi, the “witch.” Realizing his mistake, he bolted for the door.
“Oh, I just remembered—I need to head to the academy...”
Xiaohuan blinked in surprise and said, “Young master, don’t you remember? The academy is closed today.”
“Ahem, Xiaohuan, you’re mistaken...” Li Yi coughed awkwardly, quickening his pace. He had clearly scared Liu Ru-Yi, and if she lost her temper, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
Bang!
In his haste to flee, Li Yi collided head-on with someone soft and fragrant.
Looking up, he saw Liu Ruyi frowning at him. “Husband, why are you in such a rush?”
Before he could reply, Li Yi noticed blood seeping through her sleeve from the area he had just bumped into. He froze in confusion.
Could it be that bad from just a bump?
Realizing something was amiss, he grabbed her hand and asked urgently, “You’re injured?”
“Miss, what happened?” Xiaohuan ran over, alarmed.
Liu Ru-Yi followed close behind, visibly relieved to see Liu Ruyi unharmed. “Are you alright?” she asked.
Liu Ruyi subtly withdrew her hand and smiled faintly. “It’s just a small injury. Nothing to worry about.”
Handing a small bag to Xiaohuan, she added, “There’s some grain in here—put it in the kitchen.”
“You’re bleeding so much—how is that nothing?” Li Yi frowned, tossing the bag aside and grabbing her hand again. He marched her into the house.
“Xiaohuan, boil some water and bring the small chest from my room.” His voice rang out from inside the house.
Xiaohuan nodded quickly and ran to the kitchen.
Inside the house, Li Yi unwrapped the haphazardly tied cloth around Liu Ruyi’s arm. Seeing the two-inch gash still bleeding, he couldn’t help but gasp.
“How did this happen?”
Off to the side, Liu Ru-Yi’s eyes flashed with a cold light when she saw the wound.