Chapter 7: Conditions

"It’s not impossible for you to stay, but there are a few conditions you’ll have to agree to!"

Seeing the dim look in Tang Qiyue’s eyes, Zhan Zeye reached out and grabbed her, as if possessed by a ghost.

In that instant, he even wondered if he had been taken over by a spirit.

The transition from doubting his own ears to a face full of surprise took only a moment, yet it changed the path of Tang Qiyue’s future.

"Tell me, as long as it’s something I can do!"

Tang Qiyue gripped Zhan Zeye’s arm, her face full of anticipation.

"First, I don’t need a nanny!"

"Second, you must follow me to the military post!"

"Third, we will not be a fake married couple!"

Tang Qiyue:...

Aside from the part about following him to the military post, the other two didn't seem like problems, did they?

She blinked blankly. "Are you sure it’s just these three?"

Zhan Zeye gritted his teeth and squeezed out one word: "Yes!"

The two stared at each other for a long time, then Tang Qiyue smiled. "Fine, I agree!"

With that, Tang Qiyue let go of his arm. Afraid that Zhan Zeye might change his mind, she opened the door. "I’m going to help Mother cook. A new bride is supposed to prepare the family’s meals on her first day!"

As she opened the door, she saw the Zhan family members scattering like birds and beasts in the courtyard. She didn't pay them any mind and walked into the kitchen, where she found the freshly slaughtered rooster still in a basin.

Tang Qiyue rolled up her sleeves and said to Mother Zhan, "Mother, let me handle the cooking for this meal!"

Mother Zhan hadn't intended to let her touch anything, but seeing her eldest daughter-in-law standing in the doorway, she remembered that when she herself had first entered the family, she had followed the custom of rising early the next morning to prepare meals for everyone. She didn't want to break the tradition.

"Alright then!"

Mother Zhan stepped aside and took off her apron, handing it to Tang Qiyue.

One wouldn't think Tang Qiyue was the type to spend time in the kitchen, but she was actually quite skilled. She expertly tied the apron around her waist, picked up the kitchen knife from the cutting board, held the handle in her left hand, and lightly scraped her right index finger across the blade. She frowned.

This knife was too dull; it would definitely be difficult to chop meat with it.

"Mother, do we have a whetstone?"

Tang Qiyue had already scanned the kitchen and hadn't seen one.

Sister-in-law Zhan realized what she meant and pointed to a large bluestone beside the water vat in the courtyard. "Over there. Can you sharpen a knife?"

Sharpening a knife was a technical skill. Usually, they waited for the traveling knife sharpener to come by, or at most, they would rub the blade against the stone a couple of times to ensure it wasn't too dull.

"A little!"

Tang Qiyue smiled shyly and headed to the whetstone with the knife. She scooped some water with a ladle, splashed it onto the stone, held the knife at a forty-five-degree angle, and began to sharpen it with practiced technique, pressing down on the handle and the blade.

It didn't look like anything special, but as she splashed another ladle of water, a cold light glinted off the blade, and it was visibly much sharper.

Tang Qiyue looked at the sharpened knife with satisfaction and returned to the kitchen. She grabbed the rooster from the cutting board and asked the family whether they preferred strong flavors or something lighter.

"My brother is injured and can't eat spicy food, but we all like spicy!"

Zhan Chunying had been waiting impatiently and shouted out.

Tang Qiyue had a plan. Instead of just chopping the chicken, she used the knife to dismantle the entire rooster. As the blade glided through, the meat and bones separated effortlessly.

It was as if the meat and bones had been separate to begin with.

Zhan Chunying’s eyes widened, and even the eldest nephew, who had been watching the excitement from the side, gasped in amazement.

In just a moment, the chicken carcass was completely dismantled.

She minced the chicken breast, seasoned it with salt and soy sauce, added an egg and some flour, and mixed it into a paste. She set that aside and began processing the rest of the chicken, cutting it into small cubes and marinating them in a bowl with salt and soy sauce.

As for the remaining chicken bones, she didn't waste them; she blanched them and put them into an earthenware pot to stew.

It sounded like a lot of work, but Tang Qiyue handled it all in a very short time.

She asked Mother Zhan where the other vegetables were kept and saw yams, green peppers, onions, and potatoes.

She peeled the yams, cut them into chunks, and added them to the chicken bone broth.

She sliced the green peppers into diamond shapes, shredded the onions, and soaked the potato chunks in water.

While the oil was heating in the pan, she brought over the chicken paste she had prepared. Seeing some leftover steamed buns from yesterday, she took two and crumbled them into bits.

She spread the crumbs evenly on a plate, took a portion of the chicken paste, placed it on the crumbs, coated it thoroughly, and used a rolling pin to flatten it into a round patty, ensuring no crumbs fell off.

The oil in the pan was hot, and Tang Qiyue placed the chicken patty in. She worked quickly, making four patties in a row.

The iron pan was just full. Because the patties were thin, they cooked quickly.

She used soybean oil. Although the buns were white, the oil gave them color, and the golden-brown chicken patties appeared before everyone’s eyes.

It wasn't just the appearance; the key was the incredible aroma.

Anyone who has eaten fried chicken cutlets knows that the smell is particularly overpowering. Although Tang Qiyue couldn't replicate it perfectly, the quality of the marinated ingredients was enough. In an era of scarcity, this fragrance was simply too potent.

"Auntie, it smells so good!"

The eldest nephew, his mouth watering, couldn't resist the temptation. He grabbed Zhan Chunying’s arm, his eyes glued to the meat patties in Tang Qiyue’s hands.

Fried chicken patties are best eaten hot. Tang Qiyue put a few on a plate and handed them directly to Mother Zhan. "Mother, these are best eaten while hot. Would you like to give everyone a little something to tide them over?"

Because of Zhan Zeye’s sudden return, Tang Qiyue had delayed things, and they had long missed breakfast. Now that the sun was high, she felt a bit embarrassed.

Mother Zhan wasn't the type of pedantic mother-in-law to stand on ceremony. Smelling the meat, her stomach had already started growling. She didn't pretend to wait for all the dishes to be finished and handed one patty to each person.

"Everyone, have a taste!"

At Mother Zhan’s command, everyone shoved the patties into their mouths.

Tang Qiyue didn't wait for their feedback. Taking advantage of the hot pan, she added a bit more oil, then ginger, garlic, and onions to sauté until fragrant. She poured in the marinated chicken cubes, the high heat bringing out the natural aroma of the meat. Once the surface was golden, she added the diced potatoes.

Heat enveloped Tang Qiyue, her hands moving within the steam, and the fragrance intensified with every stir.

With the final addition of green peppers, the stir-fried chicken dish was complete.

While everyone was sniffing the air, savoring the aroma, Tang Qiyue used the spare moment to toss the yams into the chicken soup and adjust the seasoning.

Since there were many people in the family, Tang Qiyue also stir-fried two plates of seasonal vegetables.

With three dishes and one soup set on the table, the way the Zhan family looked at Tang Qiyue had completely changed.