The sun set and the moon rose, casting a veil of darkness over the land.

The Fang Family’s home.

A single lamp burned, its flame dancing cheerfully in the dish, pushing back the darkness within the room.

On the table was a spread of fragrant food.

Tonight’s dinner:

Cornmeal porridge, made from a finely ground, high-quality meal;

Golden cornmeal buns, fragrant and crisp. Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family’s masterful cooking had browned them perfectly without a hint of being burnt. They weren’t dry or scratchy on the throat; instead, they had a delightful crunch like scorched rice and were utterly delicious;

A small pot of rabbit meat, sprinkled with bright green scallions and wild vegetables, its savory aroma filling the air.

It was a stroke of luck, really. Fang Rui had happened upon someone selling wild rabbits in the Black Market and managed to buy one. In times like these, grain was one thing, but getting meat, eggs, or soybeans from the Black Market wasn’t just a matter of money—you needed luck on your side.

After buying the rabbit, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family couldn’t bring herself to cook it. Only today, at Fang Rui’s urging, did she finally stew it to improve their meals.

A spread like this was especially lavish in these times. Even moderately wealthy families in the city couldn’t eat like this every day.

CREAK!

Fang Rui pushed open the door and returned, holding an empty bowl.

Where had he just been?

Naturally, he had delivered a small bowl of rabbit meat to Third Lady’s House.

When he returned, however, he found Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling sitting at the table, their chopsticks untouched. The little girl, Fang Ling, was staring at the steaming food and practically drooling, but she hadn’t taken a single bite.

"Mom, Ling’Er, I already told you to go ahead and eat."

Fang Rui sat down with a sigh of resignation, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a large piece of rabbit meat in each of their bowls.

"I’m fine with just the buns... Hey, why are you giving me more?! You silly boy!" Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family shot Fang Rui a mildly annoyed look.

Despite Fang Rui’s best efforts to instill a ’live for today’ mindset in her, often saying, ’Food is meant to be eaten; we don’t have to be so frugal,’ Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family remained unchanged. She couldn’t bring herself to eat the good food, always wanting to save it for her children.

Compared to her, Fang Ling was far more carefree.

"Thank you, Big Brother!"

After thanking him, she eagerly bent over her bowl. Even though the meat was hot enough to make her hiss, she wouldn’t let go, her face soon shiny with savory juice as her eyes lit up.

But after one bite, she couldn’t bear to take big bites anymore. She switched to small nibbles—a little meat, a little bun, a sip of porridge—eating cautiously, savoring each mouthful with blissful satisfaction.

She picked every last scrap of meat off every little bone.

’This girl... watching her eat really whets your appetite!’

Fang Rui smiled, picked up a piece of rabbit meat for himself, and took a bite.

Perhaps it was because the rabbits of this era were all-natural, or perhaps it was Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family’s cooking. In any case, this rabbit meat was more delicious than any he had eaten in his past life. It was tender yet firm, with a lingering fragrance and the fresh taste of wild vegetables, making his mouth water.

"Hey, put the bones you’re done with to the side. We can still make bone broth with them. It’s all good fat and flavor, we can’t waste it," Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family chattered on.

Fang Rui didn’t find it annoying at all; he just felt a sense of warmth.

Just then, he saw that Fang Ling had finished her piece of rabbit meat but didn’t dare to grab another—afraid of being scolded by Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family. Yet, her little nose was twitching, and her eyes kept darting toward the pot.

"If you want more, just take it!"

Fang Rui found this amusing. He shook his head and placed another large piece in her bowl.

"Wow!"

Xiaoya was overjoyed. If Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family hadn’t been there, she probably would have cheered out loud. Still, she leaned over and gave Fang Rui a smack on the cheek with her greasy little mouth, causing him to wave his hands in mock disgust.

"You just keep spoiling her!"

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family grumbled, her heart aching at the extravagance. "You’re being too lavish. If we’re careful, this could last for several meals!"

"Mom, we cooked it to be eaten. Our family isn’t lacking for this little bit now. If Ling’Er wants to eat, let her eat her fill in one sitting... Besides, we’ve had a lot more fat in our diet recently, so we don’t have to worry about getting an upset stomach from suddenly eating a lot of meat."

Fang Rui said with a smile, "You too, Mom. Have another piece!"

"Oh, oh, no need, I don’t like it... Alright, alright, I’ll get it myself... I’ll just take that small piece... You silly boy..."

...

The sumptuous dinner ended in a warm and cozy atmosphere.

After dinner, Fang Ling helped Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family with the dishes. She played for a while longer before she started to doze off. After obediently washing up, she went to bed.

Seeing the night deepen, Fang Rui figured it was about time. He shouldered his medicine pouch and stood up. "Mom, I’m heading out."

"Mm, go on. Be careful on your way," Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family said, seeing him to the door.

...

「Black Market.」

Fang Rui arrived at the agreed-upon meeting spot, but when the time came, Gao Yao hadn’t shown up.

’Did he take the money and run? Unlikely. From my interactions with him these past few days, Gao Yao doesn’t seem like the type to be blinded by greed.’

’Could something have happened to him?’

Fang Rui frowned.

He decided to wait for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. If the other party still hadn’t arrived, he would leave and come back tomorrow at the same time.

About a quarter of an hour later.

A tall, thin, Gebu Masked figure came rushing over. Who else could it be but Gao Yao?

"I’m late! My apologies, my apologies, Lord Fang! Something really came up and delayed me!"

Gao Yao panted, gasping for breath.

He had clearly run into some trouble and had rushed over as fast as he could.

"Is everything alright?" Fang Rui asked.

"It’s nothing... no, it’s something! Something good, something great!"

Gao Yao’s eyebrows shot up, and he couldn’t help but show off. "I was delayed for a bit, but... it was worth it! Lord Fang, guess what? I got my hands on a real one!"

Although he was partners with Fang Rui in selling finished medicines, he hadn’t given up his own old trade—selling fake secret manuals. These past few days, after he finished selling the medicines, he would change his getup and go right back to hawking his fake manuals.

One had to admit, the guy was a real character.