As dawn broke, Jiang Ning was the first to wake, while Liu Ming'an still slumbered.
Light filtered through the paper windows into the room. Liu Ming'an lay on his side, his head gently resting against Jiang Ning's shoulder as he slept peacefully, a smile lingering on his lips.
Jiang Ning gently extricated her hand, which had been held all night, and carefully got out of bed. After dressing, she glanced at the camellia-patterned porcelain hairpin on the table, tucked the hair on both sides of her face behind her ears, and headed to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, there was a basin half-filled with water containing two lively fish – a grass carp and a bass. Jiang Ning recalled the bucket Zhang Shun had mentioned yesterday and realized the fish were a gift from them.
Given the circumstances, she decided to make a simple fish slice porridge.
She lit the fire, boiled water, washed the rice, and put it in the pot. While the porridge was cooking, Jiang Ning began to prepare the fish.
The bass had fewer bones, with only one main bone and some small, serrated ones. Its tender meat made it perfect for porridge. As for the grass carp, she planned to make boiled fish for lunch.
Jiang Ning reached into the basin and grabbed the bass. With a swift strike of the knife's back against its head, the fish twitched once and then lay still.
She removed the gills, scaled the fish, cut open its belly, and removed the innards with practiced ease. After rinsing both the fish and the knife with a ladle of clean water, it was ready for slicing.
Starting from the head and cutting towards the tail, she made a incision along the fish's back, skillfully removing the entire fillet from the bone. She then sliced the fillet diagonally into thin pieces, which only needed to be marinated with a bit of ginger and salt.
Jiang Ning had initially thought about frying the remaining fish head, tail, and bones before adding them to the pot, but with only one pot available, it would be too inconvenient. She decided to simply discard them.
After a while, when the porridge had thickened, Jiang Ning stopped adding firewood to the stove. She scattered the fish slices into the pot, allowing the porridge's heat to cook the meat. Finally, she sprinkled in a handful of chopped scallions and a pinch of salt before taking it off the heat.
Just as Jiang Ning was about to ladle the porridge into bowls to cool, Liu Ming'an walked into the kitchen, greeting her with a smile and a soft "Jiang Ning."
"There's no chicken here, I've overslept..." he said.
"The fish was a gift from them, I forgot to tell you yesterday..." he continued.
As Liu Ming'an ladled the porridge into bowls, he chatted incessantly with Jiang Ning, discreetly observing her expression. Seeing that she appeared normal, he gradually relaxed.
He couldn't help feeling guilty. Last night, in a moment of impulse, he had decided to hold Jiang Ning's hand while sleeping, planning to let go just before waking up. However, he had slept too deeply and woken up later than her.
Zhou Yi had advised him that pursuing a girl with a reserved personality like Jiang Ning required patience and gradual progress; rushing things would only backfire. Thus, Liu Ming'an was on tenterhooks, worried that Jiang Ning might have noticed and found his actions disagreeable.
Fortunately, Jiang Ning seemed completely normal, suggesting that he must have unconsciously let go of her hand during the night.
Liu Ming'an secretly breathed a sigh of relief as he brought the bowls and spoons to the table, joining Jiang Ning for breakfast.
The porridge was perfectly cooked, soft and fragrant with the rich aroma of rice. The fish slices were tender and delicate, their savory taste blending seamlessly with the porridge. Each spoonful was a comforting delight that seemed to warm one's entire being.
"This is delicious! Jiang Ning, your cooking is even better than the chefs at Fusheng Restaurant!" Liu Ming'an praised sincerely.
"Is that so?" Jiang Ning responded casually.
"Absolutely," Liu Ming'an affirmed with a smile, before adding meaningfully, "Whoever marries you will be blessed beyond measure!"
"Just because I can cook?" Jiang Ning asked.
"No, you're wonderful in every way," Liu Ming'an replied earnestly.
Jiang Ning paused mid-chew, her eyes flickering momentarily, but she said nothing.
After the meal, Liu Ming'an took it upon himself to clean up the kitchen. Once finished, he went to Jiang Ning's room, offering to help her with her hair again.
This time, Liu Ming'an's movements were much more practiced. He completed the hairstyle in half the time, and the result was even more elegant than yesterday's.
"When I have time, I'll go learn a few more hairstyles from that shopkeeper," Liu Ming'an said, admiring his handiwork on the cloud-like bun with satisfaction.
Over the next few days, their routine mirrored their time in Lotus Flower Village. Jiang Ning read leisurely books while Liu Ming'an sketched and painted nearby. At night, he would find some excuse to sleep in her room, though he no longer dared to secretly hold her hand.
On the fifth day of the lunar month, during the market fair, Liu Ming'an went out to set up his stall. He didn't sell all of his calligraphy and paintings, earning just over two hundred copper coins in total.
"Luck wasn't on my side today. I only sold one piece," he said dejectedly upon returning home.
Living in town had significantly increased their expenses, and if they only had this meager income, they would soon run out of savings.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning walked over to Liu Ming'an and examined his remaining works.
The calligraphy was well-written, and the paintings were full of artistic conception. It wasn't a question of product quality, but rather an issue of target audience.
"I think you might want to consider a different approach," Jiang Ning suggested after setting down the scroll. "Lower the threshold a bit to appeal to a wider audience."
"What do you mean?" Liu Ming'an asked, confused.
"In essence, create something more accessible, something that the general public can easily appreciate," she explained.
Liu Ming'an still looked perplexed. He didn't think his work was particularly sophisticated; they were just landscape paintings meant to be aesthetically pleasing, weren't they?
Jiang Ning elaborated, "How many ordinary people have the leisure to appreciate landscape paintings and calligraphy? Most can't even read. To them, a steamed bun is more valuable than a priceless work of art. What you're creating is beyond their daily needs, so your customer base is limited to a small minority."
Liu Ming'an now understood but wasn't sure how to change his approach. "So what should I paint?" he asked Jiang Ning.
"Where there's demand, there's a market. You need to understand what the common people truly want," she replied.
"But everyone is different, aren't they?" he countered.
"There are always commonalities," Jiang Ning explained patiently. "The essence of human existence is the pursuit of happiness – it's an irrepressible instinct. So, in your opinion, what constitutes a fulfilling life for the average person?"
Jiang Ning was guiding Liu Ming'an's thought process. For someone from ancient times, modern market economy concepts could be overwhelming, but Liu Ming'an was quite perceptive. With just a few words from her, he was already beginning to grasp the idea.
What makes a life fulfilling?
After some thought, Liu Ming'an answered, "Having enough food and clothing, being surrounded by children and grandchildren, enjoying good health, and living a smooth, successful life."
Jiang Ning nodded in agreement. "That's your starting point, then. For example, having enough food and clothing implies wealth, so you could paint the God of Wealth. Even those who can't read would recognize and appreciate it as an auspicious symbol. But don't be too conventional – add your own twist. If others depict the God of Wealth holding gold ingots, you could paint him with a treasure bowl instead. With your artistic skills, you'd easily outshine crude imitations. How could such paintings not sell?"
Liu Ming'an felt as if he'd just had an epiphany. Excitedly, he grasped Jiang Ning's hands. "Jiang Ning, you're so clever! You know so much!"
Jiang Ning's lips curved into a slight smile as she replied, "You flatter me."
Liu Ming'an went straight to his room and, following Jiang Ning's advice, created seven or eight new paintings.
When Jiang Ning came to call him for dinner, she found that he had painted various deities including Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy who grants children), Yuelao (the God of Marriage), Shouxing (the God of Longevity), and Caishen (the God of Wealth). Gone were the landscapes and poetic scenes, replaced by a pantheon of divine figures representing the most basic aspirations of ordinary people.