Don't Say You're Heartless (Modern Edition)

11 Cooking

"Let's go." After paying, Yang Qiong picked up two large bags while Shen Qiuhua carried one and headed outside. They hadn't walked far when Shen Qiuhua suddenly stopped, staring intently at an elderly person and a child ahead of them.

"What's wrong?" Yang Qiong glanced over and didn't see anything unusual.

"The child... the adult next to him wasn't the same person just now," Shen Qiuhua frowned.

"Really?" Yang Qiong asked casually. She had never doubted Shen Qiuhua's memory.

Ahead, a middle-aged woman was holding a three or four-year-old boy, heading toward the supermarket's exit. Although Yang Qiong didn't have Shen Qiuhua's good memory, she was familiar with such situations. She pulled Shen Qiuhua along, following closely behind them and gradually shortening the distance.

Just as they were about to exit the supermarket, there seemed to be some commotion inside. The middle-aged woman turned back, then suddenly picked up the child and ran toward the entrance.

"Wait for me here!" Yang Qiong dropped the bags and quickly chased after the woman, not bothering to call out. She reached out and grabbed the woman's arm.

The woman didn't have time to react before the child was already in Yang Qiong's hands. The child, startled, burst into tears, attracting a lot of attention. Soon, someone shouted, "Is that the child? Over there, quick! Go after them!"

Seeing someone chasing after her, the middle-aged woman turned and ran without a second thought. Yang Qiong, still holding the child, didn't give up and stepped forward to kick the woman from behind. With just that one kick, the woman fell and couldn't get up again.

At this moment, a crowd of people rushed over, and a young woman cried out, "Thank you for saving my child!"

The child, upon seeing that woman, immediately shouted, "Mom! Mom!"

Yang Qiong recognized the situation and quickly handed the child back to the woman. "Be careful, don't lose him again."

"Yes, yes, thank you so much," the woman said, holding her child tightly and repeatedly expressing her gratitude.

People around pointed at the middle-aged woman sprawled on the ground and asked, "What about this person?"

"Someone has already called the police," one person replied.

A group of people surrounded the fallen woman, murmuring and discussing. Yang Qiong stepped back and found Shen Qiuhua, picking up her bag. "Let's go."

"You're finally showing some humility after doing a good deed," Shen Qiuhua remarked.

Yang Qiong laughed, "Are you talking about yourself?"

Shen Qiuhua raised an eyebrow, indicating she didn't understand.

"If it weren't for your words about that person being suspicious, I wouldn't have paid attention to her. Who knows how far she would have run off with the child?"

"Just a small effort," Shen Qiuhua said. She had encountered that mother and child while buying things earlier but hadn't paid much attention.

"Speaking of which, with your impressive memory, being a teacher is indeed a waste," Yang Qiong commented as they walked.

"What's a waste? I'm just an ordinary woman. In this society, what can I achieve?" Shen Qiuhua said with a slight frown.

Yang Qiong was taken aback, "You actually used the word 'society'?"

"There are indeed many new terms here, and I'm just adapting. Speaking of which, you adapted quite quickly to the palace." In this internet age, language evolves rapidly, and adjusting wasn't easy for Shen Qiuhua.

"It's all thanks to your guidance. If it weren't for the two months in the Linfang Pavillion, who knows what trouble I might have caused," Yang Qiong followed Shen Qiuhua to the Linfang Pavillion, which was a blessing in disguise. In that closed environment, she had ample time and space to adjust.

Thinking back on old days, both of them became immersed in memories. Although the time wasn't long, so many things had happened. For Yang Qiong, it was a transformative experience that she would never forget. Moreover, there was this woman beside her.

After returning home, Yang Qiong obediently took the groceries to the kitchen, sorting them. Then... she found herself unsure of what to do next.

After a while, Shen Qiuhua came in, already changed into home clothes, and pulled an apron off the wall to tie around her waist.

"You can cook?" Yang Qiong was astonished, her eyes almost popping out.

"Depends on who I'm compared to. Compared to you, I can cook," Shen Qiuhua said, and without stopping, she picked up broccoli to wash.

"I'll do it, I'll do it," Yang Qiong rushed over to wash the vegetables.

As they cleaned the vegetables and meat, Shen Qiuhua was busy chopping the ginger, garlic, and scallions. After receiving the cleaned ingredients, she sliced them into pieces or chunks. Fish was plated and steamed, the oil was poured, then she began cooking.

"This... isn't this a dish from the palace?" Yang Qiong inquired, watching curiously.

"Of course not. I don't know how to make dishes prepared by the imperial chefs." Shen Qiuhua replied while still working.

"Then how did you learn?"

Shen Qiuhua stopped and looked at Yang Qiong. "There are many recipes online, just take a quick look and you can learn."

Her response felt so matter-of-fact that Yang Qiong felt there was an IQ gap.

The pork ribs were boiling away when Yang Qiong watched Shen Qiuhua cooking with focused dedication, making her seem even more charming. With her delicate neck slightly bowed and her jade-like skin exposed, Yang Qiong felt her breathing quicken.

She stepped back a bit, stood behind Shen Qiuhua, and playfully pulled out the hairpin from her hair. Shen Qiuhua's hair fell down in an instant. Just as she was about to express her discontent, Yang Qiong hugged her from behind.

"Don't mess around."

Yang Qiong buried her face in Shen Qiuhua's hair, "Let me hold you. Even cooking looks so beautiful when you do it."

Shen Qiuhua felt helpless. Yang Qiong often behaved like a child, leaving her without a way to respond.

"If you don't get back to the stove, the food is going to burn," Shen Qiuhua reminded, watching the broth for the pork ribs getting close to drying up, while Yang Qiong still wouldn't let go.

Finally, Yang Qiong reluctantly released her grip. She stepped in front and delightedly leaned down to smell, "Wow, it smells so good!" Then she grabbed the spatula to transfer the ribs to a plate.

The steamed fish was ready. Shen Qiuhua prepared the sauce, and when Yang Qiong brought the fish out of the pot, she drizzled the sauce over it, making the dish look appetizing.

Afterward, Shen Qiuhua prepared two vegetable sides and a winter melon soup with spare ribs. By the time they laid everything on the table, Yang Qiong felt both excited and guilty. It is  difficult for her to forget Shen Qiuhua's past identity.

Once a favored consort in the palace, now she was cooking for her. Was it all because of love? What else could the reason be?

They both ate their fill. After dinner, Yang Qiong took Shen Qiuhua for a walk downstairs. "Are you ready to go home tomorrow?"

Shen Qiuhua smiled, "It's not a den of tigers and leopards, what's there to prepare? Besides, every ugly woman has to meet her parents-in-law. I can't keep avoiding it. This kind of thing can't be sidestepped."

"Even if it's to meet your in-laws, it's to meet my parents. You've never been to my home before," Yang Qiong held her hand tightly.

"How long has it been since you last visited home?"

Yang Qiong thought hard, counting, "Four and a half years."

"Don't you miss them?" Shen Qiuhua asked, aware of Yang Qiong's family dynamics, so it didn't surprise her that Yang Qiong hadn't visited home.