Returning from the city this time, I felt incredibly satisfied. Most of all, I was pleased with my sister-in-law; she bought everything she had wanted.
Since I was able to walk on my own and had plenty of money, we bought quite a bit extra and asked the clan leader to help us carry it back. As usual, I cooked a meal to reward everyone. The old clan leader felt our food was truly delicious; if our families didn't live separately, he would have loved to eat with us all the time. Our side of the village lived well, and with a scholar like me cooking, it was remarkably reliable—we always had a rotating variety of dishes.
This time, the meal was mostly fish, with only a small portion of beef stir-fried. This was because I had spent a significant amount of money on a real wok. The dishes I used to stir-fry in earthenware pots simply didn't have the same aroma as those made in this pan. The clan leader enjoyed the meal immensely, and I even specially poured him a bit of inexpensive liquor. I took a symbolic sip myself, though it really wasn't very good.
Chapter 223