Ji Ci hadn't expected to have a sumptuous meal at the Liu family's home. He had noticed upon entering that the Liu family's circumstances were far inferior to his own, one could even call them impoverished. However, Ji Ci had been well-educated since childhood and his upbringing was excellent, so he didn't show it at all, only conversing with Liu Nan in the main hall.

Though called a main hall, it was actually very simple, just a bit larger in space. In the hall were two low cabinets and a low table in the center, with straw mats underneath. This served as the place where the Liu family received guests and had their meals.

Liu Nan grew a bit impatient after exchanging a few words with him. Ji Ci spoke in a refined, scholarly manner; they were not at all the same kind of person. If it weren't for the fact that he had helped carry back two fish, their family wouldn't have kept him for a meal. Thinking that the few fish he had spent half a day catching were now going to benefit an outsider, the eldest son of the Liu family couldn't help but shoot him a sidelong glance.

Ji Ci responded with a gentle smile. Kneeling by the table at his young age, he already had the air of a scholar.

Hmph. Liu Nan turned his head away. In any case, he just found him disagreeable.

Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang were also leaning on the edge of the table, staring at the guest.

Ji Ci had delicate features and was as beautiful as a fair maiden, yet he did not seem effeminate. His back was straight, giving him the posture of a green pine.

Liu Wan thought this elder brother was extremely good-looking, and she stared at him without blinking until Ji Ci smiled at her.

"Big brother, eat candy..." three-year-old Liu Zhuang said indistinctly, taking the malt candy from her mouth and handing it directly under his nose, almost making intimate contact with Ji Ci.

"..." Young Master Ji looked at the malt candy, so close, covered in saliva, and smelling of it. He forced a smile, "You eat it. I don't like candy."

Ha! Liu Nan snickered to himself, taking pleasure in the other's misfortune.

Before long, Liu Yuan returned from his shift. Just from the look on his face, one could tell his first day at work had gone very smoothly. With the County Magistrate's written order, he hadn't faced any difficulties or cold shoulders.

Everyone knew that the Liu family's second son was not favored by his father and elder brother, being neither scholarly nor martial. After returning from several years in the army, he didn't even have fields to till and spent his days idling about. Who would have known that in the blink of an eye, he had managed to latch onto the great tree that was the County Magistrate. It made people look at him in a new light. Even his direct superior thought he had some connection with the County Magistrate and eagerly tried to get close to him.

Liu Yuan was also very savvy in dealing with people and didn't put on airs because of this. Over the course of the day, he had already become one of the group with the men of Beisi Outpost. He had fully demonstrated the advantages of his smooth personality, so of course he was in a good mood.

When Ji Ci saw him, he naturally paid his respects again.

Liu Yuan was all smiles, very cordial to his son's classmate. Although he had little schooling, he had been away for several years, and his worldly experience was far greater than that of an ordinary person. Coupled with his eloquent nature, after just a few sentences, he effortlessly gave Ji Ci the impression that "Father Liu is amiable and knowledgeable, not at all like the rumors outside." The two of them had a very pleasant conversation.

They didn't have to wait long. In about an hour, the dishes were brought out one after another.

Just as Madam Zhang had jokingly said, Liu Zhen had truly made four different dishes out of the four fish.

One was wild mushroom grilled fish. First, the fish was scaled, gutted, and grilled. Then, wild mushrooms were sliced, sprinkled with water and salt, and pan-fried. Then the mushroom juices were poured over the fish. This way, the fish retained its post-grilling crispiness but wasn't dry to eat, instead gaining the fragrance of the wild mushrooms.

If conditions allowed, it wouldn't need to be so troublesome; one could just pour water into the pot and stir-fry it with the wild mushrooms. But unfortunately, stir-frying first appeared during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties. For now, the most common cooking methods were steaming, boiling, pan-frying, and grilling. Of course, if one had the financial means, it wouldn't be too much trouble to have someone fashion a wok and innovate a bit. But the problem was that the Liu family had no money now, so everything had to be done with local materials, in the simplest way possible.

However, this dish already made Madam Zhang's eyes light up. If it were up to her, she would have just thrown all four fish in to pan-fry them and be done with it. Why go through so much trouble? For a humble household, filling one's stomach was the most important thing; there was no need to pursue gastronomic pleasure like the nobility. But with Young Master Ji visiting today, Madam Zhang naturally hoped not to be looked down upon by him. And Liu Zhen's performance indeed did not disappoint her.

Of course, Liu Zhen was small and weak, so at most she just ran her mouth, helping to wash vegetables and gather firewood. The actual work still had to be done by Madam Zhang.

The second dish was fish cakes. Following Liu Zhen's instructions, Madam Zhang removed the flesh from two of the fish, broke it apart, mixed it with a thick bean flour paste that had been mixed with water, and shaped it into flat patties. Once they were pan-fried until golden brown on both sides, she sprinkled them with salt and chopped scallions, and an enticing aroma instantly filled the air.

The flesh had been removed from those two fish, leaving two fish heads, which were perfect for making a napa cabbage and fish head soup with the fermented napa cabbage stored from last year.

For the last fish, Madam Zhang and Liu Zhen used the simplest method: steaming. The fish had just been caught today, so steaming it brought out its incredible freshness and sweetness; nothing needed to be added besides salt and scallions to remove the fishy smell.

Although they were still eating bean rice, with these four dishes, it was suddenly different. With Liu Zhen as the theorist, there also needed to be a practitioner. Madam Zhang had been in charge of the kitchen for years and had a perfect grasp of seasoning. Everyone in the Liu family, young and old, ate with great delight. Even the well-mannered Ji Ci was full of praise.

Liu Nan kept his head down, eating and picking up food, only blurting out one sentence from beginning to end: "I'll go catch more fish tomorrow!"

Madam Zhang laughed, "Speaking of which, we have Ah Zhen to praise. If it weren't for her clever ideas, I really couldn't have made so many different dishes."

Liu Zhen stuck out her tongue. "I only contributed my mouth. All these dishes were made through Mother's hard work!"

She didn't think she was really that amazing, that a few simple dishes could make the ancients bow in admiration. The Liu family was simply starved for meat after going so long without it, so they were overjoyed to have some. Ji Ci, on the other hand, was captivated by the novelty of the fish cakes. Once the method was explained, there was nothing remarkable about it.

The most fundamental reason was that productivity was generally low at this time. Although there were many delicacies, they were limited to the nobility. Commoner families generally aimed for subsistence, so Ji Ci was surprised to suddenly see dishes at the Liu family home that were meticulously prepared and not inferior to those of the upper class.

Ji Ci picked up a fish cake and asked, "Besides fish, there seems to be a bean fragrance in this?"

Madam Zhang said, "It's bean flour, ground with a wei." A wei is a stone mill.

Ji Ci blinked. "No wonder it's so fragrant and delicious."

The Ji family's circumstances were much better than the Liu family's. At home, Ji Ci always ate millet rice. So, seeing bean rice and bean flour was quite a novelty for him.

After they finished the noon meal, Ji Ci naturally got up to take his leave, and Liu Nan saw him out.

Madam Zhang cleared the bowls and chopsticks, then eagerly pulled Liu Yuan aside to ask how his first day at work was.

Liu Yuan smiled, feigning mystery. He waited until Liu Nan returned from seeing his classmate off before saying to him, "Ah Nan, go get the burlap sack outside the door and bring it in."

Liu Nan did as he was told and brought the sack in, clicking his tongue. "It's quite heavy!"

He placed the sack on the table, and Liu Yuan untied the rope on the sack. The opening loosened, revealing a patch of golden yellow inside.

Madam Zhang and the others' eyes all widened.

"Millet!" Madam Zhang was the first to exclaim in amazement.

Liu Zhen and the others also craned their necks to look.

In this era, being able to eat a meal of millet rice was a sign of being wealthy.

Madam Zhang turned her head. "Where did this millet come from?"

Liu Yuan: "Bought it, of course."

Madam Zhang looked astonished. "Where did the money come from?"

Liu Yuan smiled smugly, pulled a copper coin from his sleeve, and tossed it onto the table, where it landed with a crisp clink.

"A Ban Liang coin!" Madam Zhang let out another small gasp.

Before the unification of the Seven States, each state had its own currency. In more remote areas among the common folk, there was even bartering, or using things like shells to buy goods. After Qin Shi Huang unified the world, he issued a series of decrees, one of which was to abolish the old currencies of the various states and replace them with a unified currency, the famous Ban Liang coin.

Right now, Qin Shi Huang was not yet dead, and the laws were generally strict, so the common people didn't dare to secretly mint coins. The purchasing power of a single Ban Liang coin was considerable. Three Ban Liang coins could buy about a dou* of rice, and one Ban Liang coin could buy quite a lot.

*T/N: A dou is about 7kg of rice

"Wh-where did this money come from!" Madam Zhang was utterly dumbfounded.

Liu Yuan laughed. "My salary, of course!"

Madam Zhang: "But it's only your first day... how could you have gotten your salary money??"

Liu Yuan's gaze swept over his children. His eldest son, Liu Nan, was one thing, but his daughters, from Liu Zhen to Liu Zhuang, were all wearing short jackets made of coarse cloth. If not for the fact that they were relatively clean, they could have been compared to beggars on the street. No wonder his father's side of the family had always looked down on them. Looking again at Madam Zhang, she was now over five months pregnant, yet her figure was very thin. Not to mention her hair was just tied up with a cloth strip; she didn't even have a decent hair tie.

"This is salary money I borrowed from the Outpost Head. Anyway, the grain salary will be distributed in another *xun* (ten days). When the time comes, we can exchange the surplus for money. Our family can finally have a few good meals." Liu Yuan pushed the Ban Liang coin toward Madam Zhang. "Make meat dishes for these next few meals!"

The Qin Dynasty followed the Shang and Zhou, with officials' primary salary being grain, distributed monthly. Sometimes money was also given, but it hadn't yet become a regular practice. A low-level official like Liu Yuan couldn't even dream of it; receiving his grain salary on time was already very good.

The imperial court had a system: for a County Magistrate, the salary was around six hundred shi* of grain per year. It was less for lower ranks. By the time it got to Liu Yuan, it was only about seventy to eighty shi* er year. Converted to the measurements of the time, that was about eight hundred jin per month, or over fifty dou. That's why minor officials like them were called "officials who eat by the dou", incomparable to high-ranking civil servants. Moreover, the weight varied for different types of grain. But compared to the Liu family's previous life, it was like a pie falling from the sky—a sure win!

*T/N: A shi of rice is about 70kg

So Liu Yuan immediately borrowed money from his superior, planning to exchange the surplus grain for money to pay him back after the grain salary was issued.

The children cheered. Even Liu Zhen couldn't help but show a happy expression. Who wouldn't be happy to have meat to eat?

Madam Zhang took the coin, both happy and hesitant. "The Outpost Attendant of Beisi Outpost is the eldest of the Xiao family. I hear he's very domineering, and those who work under him complain incessantly. How did you, my husband, manage to borrow money from him? Won't you offend someone?"

Liu Yuan tsked dismissively. "A woman's perspective! Don't just look at how he throws his weight around the town on a normal day; this man is as sharp as they come. He thinks I have some connection to the County Magistrate, so he won't dare to get on my bad side for the time being. With this kind of person, if you act distant, you'll offend him instead. If you establish a friendly relationship from the start, owe him a little favor, with some give and take, it's actually easier to get along!"

Listening from the side, Liu Zhen couldn't help but give a mental thumbs-up. Her old man really knew how to tailor his approach to the person. In Beisi Outpost, everyone gave the eldest of the Xiao family a wide berth. Her old man, on the other hand, was getting chummy with him. Perhaps this actually suited Eldest Xiao's temperament, making him feel that Liu Yuan didn't treat him like an outsider.

Madam Zhang seemed to only half-understand, but seeing her husband say this, she didn't press the matter further. The Ban Liang coin in her hand was already warm and damp from her grip, and she was reluctant to let it go.

With the head of the household having spoken, the next day Madam Zhang indeed went out and bought two jin* of pork, three liang* of roasted cured meat, plus two hens, finally spending the Ban Liang coin completely.

*T/N: 1 jin is around 500g, 3 liang is around 100g.

This once again showed Liu Zhen just how low prices were in this era.

The hens, of course, were bought to be raised for eggs. Having to plan for the long term while also taking care of their immediate meals, Madam Zhang had wracked her brains over that one Ban Liang coin.

The pork was for eating, but without a refrigerator, the meat couldn't be kept for long. So Madam Zhang planned to air-dry the pork, which would allow it to be stored for a bit longer.

The roasted cured meat was somewhat similar to the char siu of later generations. It was made by marinating meat in malt sugar, honey, and fermented soybeans, and then roasting it. Ordinary families wouldn't bother with the effort and the seasonings to make it, and the poorer ones couldn't afford it. It was available for sale outside, but the price was high, so Madam Zhang only bought three liang to have a taste.

Liu Nan had gone to the village school for class, leaving the three little girls at home. Madam Zhang cut three small pieces of meat for them to satisfy their craving. After eating, Liu Wan's and Liu Zhuang's eyes were practically glued to the plate of roasted cured meat. Madam Zhang felt a little unnerved by their stares and quickly moved the meat to a higher place, lest it be secretly eaten before the two male members of the family returned.

Liu Zhen had a taste and also found it delicious, at least not inferior to the honey-glazed char siu of later times. Moreover, there was no environmental pollution at this time. The animals grew up in a green, ecological environment, without hormones or pesticides. The natural fragrance of the meat itself was brought out by the honey and other seasonings, making it even more tender, fresh, and sweet to the taste.

It seems a nation of foodies will always be a nation of foodies; the culinary culture is long-standing and well-established. Even over two thousand years ago, as long as you had money, you wouldn't have to worry about not having good things to eat.

Liu Zhen thought to herself: For the sake of our future happy foodie lives, Dad, you have to work hard and make money!

Liu Yuan did not disappoint his daughter's expectations. The job of Constable seemed tailor-made for him. Beisi Outpost wasn't large, and everyone was a local from the same town. There weren't that many petty crimes. Thus, Liu Yuan spent most of his time on networking. Half of his monthly salary was also spent on his colleagues and friends. He spent money extravagantly, even more so than before, and Madam Zhang had complained about it countless times.

But this approach was not without its benefits. Liu Yuan's old reputation for being lazy and work-shy gradually faded. Now, the people of Beisi Outpost all said that Liu Yuan was generous and chivalrous. Even the notoriously difficult-to-get-along-with Outpost Head of Beisi Outpost called him a brother, their friendship becoming inseparable.

And so, one day three months later, Liu Zhen learned that her father was actually getting a promotion.