Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting-Chapter 34: An Eye-Opener

’So, this new wife isn’t as thoughtless as the rumors made her out to be.’

This realization prompted Fang Huihui to take another look at the newcomer.

Fei Jin understood these customs.

But he didn’t think doing housework or cooking was anything to be ashamed of.

He was worried about Song Qingya’s frail health and couldn’t bear the thought of her preparing a whole feast all by herself. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

But if he insisted on going in to help, he figured Song Qingya would get angry—she might even bite him.

She had been incredibly adamant.

Fei Jin sighed and said in a low voice, "Sister-in-law Fang, could I trouble you to go help Qingya? She can be a little clumsy, so please be patient with her."

"What’s that now? I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Fang Huihui frowned and shook her head.

"Don’t you worry, Fei Village Chief. I’ll go check on Sister Qingya."

As she spoke, she glanced around.

Then, seeing Zhou Huaihua lounging on a deck chair to escape the heat, she shouted, "Aunt Zhou, want to come with me? Qingya’s not feeling well. We should lend a hand."

"What’s wrong with her? I’m the one who’s sick here. I’m not going!"

Zhou Huaihua rolled over, as if in evasion.

Then she closed her eyes and feigned sleep, clearly wanting no part in the matter.

Fang Huihui pursed her lips in resignation. Ignoring Zhou Huaihua, she walked straight into the kitchen with the rabbit she was holding.

The moment she pushed the door open, her gaze swept across the kitchen.

She had expected to find a flustered, sick woman who had made a complete mess of the place.

However, the scene before her was completely different.

The kitchen was spotless, and the various ingredients were all sorted and laid out in perfect order.

The aroma of steamed buns filled the air.

It was a scent that couldn’t help but lift one’s spirits.

Amid the billowing steam, Song Qingya stood with her sleeves rolled up, revealing her forearms.

She was focused on julienning potatoes.

On a plate to the side were delicate flowers carved from red radishes.

Fang Huihui was astounded by such knife work.

’Did the Fei Village Chief’s wife really do this?’

’No matter how I look at it, her craftsmanship seems so much better than mine.’

Fang Huihui glanced around, unsure where she could even begin to help. Finally, she asked softly, "Sister Qingya, do you need me to help prep the vegetables?"

Hearing a voice, Song Qingya looked up.

When she saw Fang Huihui standing in the doorway, she immediately recalled the character’s description in the script.

’She’s one of the indispensable characters in the story, too.’

A smile touched her lips as she replied, "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Sister-in-law Fang."

"It’s no trouble! No trouble at all."

Fang Huihui deftly rolled up her sleeves and began peeling scallions and garlic, all the while sneaking glances to the side.

She was mesmerized by Song Qingya’s knife work, watching dumbfounded.

After watching for a long while, Fang Huihui finally couldn’t resist asking.

"Sister, who taught you these skills? It’s so impressive! Your knife work is even better than our village’s best chef!"

"To be honest, I never had any formal training."

Song Qingya shook her head gently.

"You’re this skilled even without any formal training?"

Fang Huihui exclaimed in amazement.

After her initial surprise, Fang Huihui felt a pang of regret for her.

’If Sister Qingya were a man,’ she thought, ’all the surrounding villages would be fighting to hire her as the head chef for their banquets.’

’She could probably earn a lot of money!’

The aroma of meatballs, fried to a golden, crispy perfection, wafted from the side.

Fang Huihui watched Song Qingya put some of the meatballs back into the hot oil and asked in confusion.

"Aren’t the meatballs already cooked? Why are you frying them again? Isn’t that a waste of oil?"

"Double-frying improves the texture of foods like this."

Song Qingya explained patiently.

"Then why are you adding sugar to the braised fish? Won’t that make it too sweet?"

Fang Huihui still didn’t quite understand.

"Adding the right amount of sugar is mainly to bring out the savory flavors."

Song Qingya explained gently.

"Oh, I see."

At this, Fang Huihui’s eyes lit up with understanding.

’It figures. A beautiful person makes beautiful food!’

Fang Huihui couldn’t help but marvel.

She had come to help, but she’d ended up just asking one question after another.

But Song Qingya was happy to have the company and someone to talk to.

So she willingly answered every one of Fang Huihui’s questions.

Soon it was noon, and the meal was ready.

The fragrant aroma of the meal filled the air.

Sunlight streamed through the window, dappling the stovetop.

Looking at the feast spread across the kitchen, Fang Huihui realized she hadn’t really been much help at all.

Plate after plate of picture-perfect dishes, tantalizing in color and aroma, were arranged neatly on the table.

Fang Huihui scratched her head. "Sister, I’m so sorry. All I did was ask questions. I wasn’t any help at all."

She felt rather sheepish.

"It’s all right. Sister-in-law Fang, come help me serve the food."

Song Qingya replied with a smile, not a hint of blame in her voice.

’She knew that sometimes connecting with people was a matter of fate, and having a companion at a time like this was a rare blessing.’

"You got it! You’ve been working all morning, you must be exhausted. Sit down and rest. I’ll handle all of this!"

Fang Huihui rolled up her sleeves, insisting that Qingya take a well-deserved break.

’Her master had taught her many secret cooking techniques, and now it was time for the big reveal.’

Song Qingya let herself be pushed down onto a chair and smiled softly.

’This feeling of being taken care of is quite nice,’ she thought.

She was also silently grateful to this thoughtful woman.

’Besides, she didn’t really want to face everyone anyway, so it was perfect to let Fang Huihui do it for her.’

’Maybe it was because she was an introvert, or maybe it was for some other reason.’

’In any case, having Fang Huihui take her place right now was an excellent choice.’

When Fang Huihui went out carrying the tray of food, she found the courtyard was already packed with people.

The buzz of their chatter could be heard from a distance.

Everyone was filled with anticipation for the coming feast.

"Here it comes, here it comes! Come and try the food my Sister Qingya made! It smells incredible!"

Fang Huihui’s voice was loud and excited, as if she wanted to share her delight with every single person there.

Her words instantly caused an uproar.

People immediately crowded around.

"This is the handiwork of the Fei Village Chief’s wife?"

someone in the crowd asked doubtfully.

A glance at the table revealed a spread of meat, vegetables, and fish.

The presentation was even better than what you’d find at a state-run restaurant.

Each dish was vibrant and plated with exquisite care.

The aroma that wafted up the moment the plates were set down was intoxicating enough to make one’s soul leave their body.

And that wasn’t even mentioning the basket of snow-white steamed buns—something most people only got to eat on holidays.

Their soft, fluffy appearance made more than a few people swallow hard.

For the longest time, after all, steamed buns had been an extreme rarity.

But everyone just stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Despite how tempting the food looked, no one picked up their chopsticks to eat.

Fang Huihui found this odd.

"What’s going on? It’s time to eat, aren’t you all hungry? Go on, dig in."

"I’m not eating."

"It’s too fancy. I’ve never seen food this pretty in my whole life. Can something like this actually taste good?"