Time Travel: A Fisherwoman Goes to the Sea to Raise a Baby

Chapter 482 Chicken Soup with Abalone

As the ship approached the dock, the dock remained bustling with activity.

Xu Yiyi squinted her eyes, which were stinging from the sea breeze, and slowed down her rowing speed as she looked for a suitable berth to moor the boat.

She moored the small boat in a secluded corner of the dock and hurried back to the restaurant, stepping on the stone path dampened by the night dew.

Before even reaching the entrance, one could hear faint voices inside, revealing the lively atmosphere unique to restaurants.

The hall was still full of customers, with young waiters moving among them.

As soon as she stepped into the backyard, Xu Anyang and Lao Lu, who had been waiting anxiously, swarmed around her.

"Sister Yi, you're finally back!" Xu Anyang said urgently, his voice low. "Have you paid all the taxes? Nothing went wrong, right?"

"It's nothing! What could possibly be wrong?"

Xu Yiyi's tone was somewhat puzzled, not quite understanding why he was so flustered.

"You paid your taxes without any problems, but the restaurant is the problem."

Old Lu let out a mournful cry.

The sudden sound startled Xu Yiyi, making her body tremble.

"This is……"

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Anyang interrupted her: "Sister Yi, you wouldn't know how ruthless Hong Gang is if you weren't at the restaurant. He copied most of our dishes and sold them for less than us, stealing a lot of our business."

Xu Anyang said with a bitter expression.

Xu Yiyi raised an eyebrow. "No wonder I saw so many people around when I came in just now."

Old Lu scoffed.

"He stole it all! You better think of something right now, I really wish I could ruin his business right now." Old Lu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. "What a piece of trash!"

"Uphold integrity while seeking innovation, leverage strengths and avoid weaknesses. That Hong Gang is a restless businessman; it won't be long before he implodes himself."

Qingshan lifted the curtain in the front hall and walked in.

"I had someone buy some vegetables from their place. How about you try them later?" Qingshan, looking exhausted, pulled Lao Lu aside and sat down in the rocking chair.

"Uncle Qingshan, what do you mean?" Xu Anyang was completely confused.

"First of all, we need to lay a solid foundation. We can't blindly follow suit and lower our prices just because they're low, otherwise it will be hard to guarantee the quality. Also, Sister Yi needs to launch new dishes." Qingshan said simply.

Xu Anyang suddenly thought of something.

"I remember that as soon as the weather started to get cold, Sister Yi started thinking about new dishes."

Xu Yi nodded, "I plan to introduce hot pot to the store."

Winter is fast approaching, and the sea breeze grows stronger every day. The stone steps in front of the door are bone-chillingly cold to the touch.

The food cools down quickly.

Especially for guests who enjoy drinking and chatting, if they eat a little too slowly, oil will accumulate on their food.

If hot pot were launched at this time, it would definitely be a hit.

"A hot pot? I've had mutton hot pot before when I was in Chang'an, and it was really good, but the problem is, can you even buy mutton?" Old Lu subconsciously felt that it wasn't feasible.

"If I don't have mutton, I can sell other things. We're by the sea here, what kind of fish can't we get?"

Xu Anyang is definitely a loyal fan of Xu Yiyi and completely trusts her.

"Sister Yi's cooking skills are so good, the hot pot she talks about must be delicious."

Xu Yiyi still has some confidence in hot pot.

“Our location is special, with many merchants coming and going from the north and south, and their tastes are all different, so I’ve been thinking that we definitely can’t just offer one type of hot pot base.”

So I've been working on perfecting the hot pot broths lately, and this time we'll offer a variety of options. The spicy broth will instantly appeal to our spice-loving customers; the clear broth made from pork bones and old hen is perfect for those who can't handle spice or prefer the original flavor; the congee broth is novel and warming, best showcasing the freshness of the ingredients; the sour broth is appetizing and refreshing, while the mushroom broth is delicious and nourishing; the seafood broth is fresh and refreshing, and... the coconut chicken hot pot is sweet and nourishing.

Qingshan pondered for a moment, "So you asked my caravan to help you buy coconuts just for this hot pot?"

Xu Yiyi smiled slightly: "That's right."

Xu Anyang became increasingly hungry as he listened.

"Sister Yi, what exactly is this coconut chicken hot pot? Is it chicken stewed in coconut?" he asked.

Seeing his confusion, Xu Yiyi smiled and patiently explained:

"It's not just a simple stewing process."

As she spoke, she gestured with her hands, “Take fresh young coconuts, use their clear and sweet juice as the soup base, then add the scraped white coconut meat strips, and boil them together.”

“Then,” she continued, “we select young hens that have never laid eggs, and once the coconut broth boils, we put them directly into it to cook. We need to control the heat carefully; as soon as the chicken turns white and is just cooked through, we have to take it out. When we eat it at this point, the chicken has absorbed the sweetness of the coconut broth, becoming very tender, incredibly sweet, and has a unique flavor.”

In fact, besides this classic way of cooking, coconut can also be used to make coconut pork tripe and chicken hot pot, coconut tom yum hot pot, and coconut curry hot pot.

Especially coconut pork tripe and chicken soup, the combination of the two has both the rich flavor of pork tripe and chicken soup and the sweetness of coconut, making it very nourishing.

“Then we’ll need time to prepare the pot body too!” Old Lu frowned. “It will take at least half a month to get all of this done. By then, things will definitely be stable on Hong Gang’s side.”

Xu Yiyi smiled faintly. "What you've thought of, I've already prepared." Her voice was calm, yet reassuring. "The idea of ​​launching hot pot was already in my mind at the beginning of the month, so the pot itself..."

She paused for a moment, then said, "More than half a month ago, I had Sanchuan draw up the design for me and went to find Li the blacksmith in town to make it. Judging by the timeline, it should be ready for delivery soon."

Lao Lu was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this.

"Holy crap!" He slapped his thigh. "You're incredibly shrewd! Did you anticipate Hong Gang would pull this move? That's why you're so calm."

Xu Anyang was so excited that his face turned red: "My sister Yiyi is really amazing. She had already prepared a backup plan."

He said this with a smug look on his face.

Xu Yiyi shook her head helplessly, "Who could have predicted this? Judging by the days, it's time to introduce new dishes."

Old Lu clicked his tongue and sneered, "Hong Gang is really unlucky to have run into us."

Xu Anyang said smugly, "That's what he deserves. We didn't have any malicious competition."

Qingshan looked at Xu Yiyi with great surprise.

"If your father knew how intelligent and capable you are, he'd probably laugh in his sleep..."

Before he could finish speaking, Sanchuan walked in carrying his little schoolbag.

Upon hearing this, the smile on his face vanished instantly.

"What's wrong? Are you tired?" Xu Yiyi quickly went over and took his book bag off.

Sanchuan shook his head, forced a smile, and greeted Qingshan and the others.

"Are you hungry? Eldest sister asked Yunniang to cook chicken soup. Go wash your hands and eat."

She patted Sanchuan's head and put his little book bag back into the house.

However, the child did not obediently run to the well to wash his hands as usual. He hesitated for a moment, then took a step and quietly followed his older sister into the house.

The room was dark. Xu Yiyi casually placed her schoolbag on the low cabinet against the wall and noticed the movement behind her.

Turning around, she noticed that Sanchuan had followed her in and asked with some surprise, "Why aren't you washing your hands?"

As she spoke, she lit the candles in the room.

The room suddenly became bright and cheerful.

Sanchuan didn't answer, but just looked up at her intently with his little face.

His thick, dark eyebrows, which resembled Xu Yinli's, were slightly furrowed, as if he had something to say but didn't know how to start.

Xu Yiyi rarely saw him like this, and her heart tightened slightly.

Holding his little hand, I sat him down at the table, my voice even softer than usual.

"What's wrong, Sanchuan?" She carefully examined Sanchuan's little face, not missing a single emotion. "Were you bullied at school? Or are you feeling unwell?"

Xu Yiyi held his hand and asked softly, but the child just shook his head.

He remained silent for a while before slowly raising his small face. In the flickering light, he asked softly, with a tone of confusion and unease, "Big sister... is... Father coming back?"

Xu Yiyi's heart suddenly skipped a beat. "Sanchuan, why are you asking that?"

Sanchuan lowered his head again, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes, his voice even lower: "I...I think I just heard Uncle Qingshan...mention Father..."

He pursed his lips, as if he had made a very difficult decision.

She suddenly raised her head, her speech quickening, revealing a maturity and worry far beyond her years: "Elder sister, I don't want Father to come back."

These words completely stunned Xu Yiyi, and she subconsciously asked, "Why?"

San Chuan pursed his lips tightly, and his clear eyes almost blurted out, "Anyway, whether we have a father or not, we've managed to get by... I... I'm afraid that if Mother finds out that Father is still alive, she'll... she'll start bothering us again and ruin the peaceful life we've finally managed to settle down."

Sanchuan's words startled Xu Yiyi.

Looking at the worry and fear in the child's eyes that were beyond his years, a surge of protective emotion mixed with heartache welled up in her heart.

She gripped Sanchuan's thin shoulders tightly with both hands, looked directly into his eyes, and spoke with unwavering resolve, without the slightest hesitation:

“Sanchuan, listen to what your eldest sister said, Father isn’t coming back! Uncle Qingshan mentioned Father when he was talking about his past, not that he’s coming back now.”

She forced a smile and continued, "Remember what I said: even if he really comes back one day, I will never let that woman, Zhan Jilan, step into this house again! I will never let her come and disrupt our lives."

Sanchuan looked up, his worry still lingering in his eyes, and timidly asked, "But...but what if Father insists on bringing her back? Father is Father..."

"father?"

Xu Yiyi let out a very soft, cold laugh from her nose. There was no warmth in that laugh, and her eyes seemed to say, "He doesn't deserve it."

She stared into Sanchuan's eyes and said, clearly and deliberately, "If he dares to say that, then we'll kill him too..."

She paused, then uttered the last three words: "Get them out of here. My sister keeps her word."

These words struck like a thunderclap in the dimly lit room.

Sanchuan was stunned by the ruthlessness and coldness he had never seen before in his older sister's eyes. His mouth was slightly open, and for a moment he forgot his worries, only feeling bewildered.

When Xu Yi saw his bewildered look, her heart softened again. She reached out and gently pulled him into her arms, patting his back.

Her voice returned to its usual gentleness, yet remained firm: "Sanchuan, don't be afraid, your eldest sister is here. She's the head of this family now, and no one can bully us anymore. She won't allow anyone to ruin the peaceful life we've finally achieved. Father won't allow it, and Zhan Jilan certainly won't. Do you understand?"

The little one in my arms seemed to understand, but nodded vigorously.

The child's innocent voice was full of confidence: "I'll listen to my older sister, I'm not afraid."

"If you're not afraid, then hurry up and wash your hands and eat. Today we have your favorite chicken soup with abalone." Xu Yiyi patted his head.

Seeing him happily run out to wash his hands, Xu Yiyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Of the four children in the family, Sanchuan is the most deep-thinking, and he always likes to keep things to himself.

That's so worrying!

She shook her head helplessly, extinguished the candles in the room, and went outside.

……

At that time, the only sound inside the Ya Xing Study was the gentle murmur of water.

Wen Shichen leaned back in his armchair, casually scattering a small pinch of fish food into the celadon fish tank on the table.

Several brightly colored koi in the fish tank immediately wagged their tails to compete for food, stirring up the still water.

He didn't even lift his eyelids, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

"How is it? Has Xu Yiyi returned from the island? Did she cause any trouble?"

In his mind, given Xu Yiyi's fiery temper, how could she possibly let it go when her family's signature dish was copied by the neighbor and the price was squeezed? She would probably be making a huge fuss by now.

Upon hearing this, Steward Li, who was standing to the side, bowed even lower and replied cautiously, "Reporting to...Master, the strange thing is this. After Xu Yiyi returned, her Wufu Restaurant...everything was as usual, and I haven't heard of any conflict with the restaurant next door. After Fatty Wang kicked down the sign, there was no further movement from either side."

"Oh?"

Wen Shichen paused slightly as he sprinkled fish food, then finally raised his eyelids, a hint of surprise flashing in his clear eyes. "It didn't cause any trouble?"

This was truly unexpected.

He put down the fish food, picked up a cloth and wiped his hands, his brows furrowing slightly: "Strictly speaking, Xu Yiyi isn't the type to swallow her anger. How could she possibly tolerate such bullying that comes knocking on our door?"

He thought there would be some excitement tonight.

This silence is rather strange.

"Yes! And Wufu Restaurant's business hasn't been affected at all; it's still packed with people."

Wen Shichen raised an eyebrow. "How's business at Ruyi Residence?"

Manager Li said, "The servants have reported that nearly 90% of the seats in the front hall of Ruyi Residence are occupied, and business is much better than before."

Wen Shichen scoffed.

"So it seems his secret recipe is actually quite useful!" he said, then burst into laughter.

Manager Li quickly smiled apologetically.

He was pondering what tactic Xu Yiyi was going to use when the study door was suddenly pushed open with a bang.

Fu Wanying, her belly quite noticeably pregnant, was holding her lower back with one hand and the door frame with the other. Her face was full of anger and resentment as she started yelling at him, "Why can't I eat at Wufu Restaurant? I'm going anyway! Their chef is good, I love their food. You can control everything, but why do you have to tell me what I eat?"

When Wen Shichen saw it was her, his head immediately swelled three times. He quickly got up, smiling obsequiously, and went forward to help her: "Oh, my wife! I'm begging you, you're heavily pregnant now, how can you run around like this? Restaurants are crowded and smelly places, what if you get hurt? What do you want to eat? Just have the chef make it at home..."

As he spoke, he reached out to help Fu Wanying up, but Fu Wanying was in a fit of anger and suddenly flung her sleeve away, shaking his hand off.

The faint fishy smell entered her nostrils, and Fu Wanying's already sensitive sense of smell during her pregnancy was suddenly stimulated. Her stomach churned, her face turned pale, and she covered her mouth and gagged twice.

She was even more furious: "You, you, you... get away from me! What do your hands smell like! It's disgusting!"

She glared at Wen Shichen, not wanting to argue with him. Turning away and clutching her stomach, she stormed out, muttering, "You won't let me go, but I'm going anyway. Let's see if you can stop me."

Wen Shichen was a bit overwhelmed by her rapid-fire outburst.

Seeing that she was really about to leave, he suddenly realized what was happening, turned around and yelled at the dumbfounded Manager Li, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and take this damn fish tank away, it's making the whole room smell fishy!"

His tone was filled with barely concealed anger and frustration.

Steward Li shrank back, thinking to himself that the young master was really fickle. He was just overjoyed a moment ago, but as soon as the madam arrived, he immediately became disgusted with her.

After giving his instructions, Wen Shichen didn't care about anything else and hurriedly chased after him.

As he approached Fu Wanying, his voice softened instantly, becoming pleading: "Yingying, slow down... I won't stop you, I'll go with you, okay?"

Fu Wanying snorted and shook off his hand.

When they arrived at the door, Wen Shichen, with a servile demeanor, hurriedly stepped forward to lift the sedan curtain and help the person up.

Just as he was about to get into the sedan chair, he was turned away at the door.

He looked at the curtain that Fu Wanying had thrown down, and hesitated to speak.

"Go on foot..."

Fu Wanying said arrogantly, and then Wen Shichen followed the sedan chair like a lackey.