The hunting falcon flew back first to report the news. Qi Wuze walked in front, and Ye Nuan followed behind. The mountain road was rugged, and she always stepped on the edge of his shadow. Every time she stepped on it, she muttered in her heart: Why are you so angry!
When they reached the uphill part, Qi Wuze finally noticed her childish behavior. He stopped to look at her and chuckled, "Watch the road when you walk. Why step on your shadow?" He tilted half of his face, his tall nose just right in the clear sunlight. His eyelashes drooped slightly, casting a shadow under his eyelids, and his eyes fell softly on Ye Nuan.
Ye Nuan looked up at him, the corners of her lips curled up, and she asked softly, "Are you still angry?"
Qi Wuze turned away, looking at the night sky and the stars but not at her. His voice became frivolous and casual again, "Who said I was angry? I was just thinking about the cooperation you just mentioned."
"Is that so? What does City Lord Qi think?"
"Not bad." Qi Wuze took off the big knife on his back, and Ye Nuan cooperated by holding it, and the two walked forward one after the other.
"How about I sign a contract when I have time, clearly state the terms of cooperation, and then give it to you for review?" This way, the interests of both parties can be clearly understood and guaranteed.
"OK."
The two of them walked forward, holding hands at a distance, until they reached a gentle slope, where they paused in the snow. There were two snorts of footsteps, and hooves began to dig the earth.
Qi Wuze got on the horse first, then put away his knife, and grabbed Ye Nuan's collar with one hand and put her behind his back.
Ye Nuan: "." Is he still angry?
I've never seen anyone so stingy before!
As they galloped along the snowy mountain path, Ye Nuan was forced to press her face against his back, clutching the hem of her clothes as she continued to rage. However, the horse kept running faster and faster, choosing to run on the rough terrain.
The wind whistled past, the desert was vast and lonely on the moonlit night, and the clatter of horse hooves could be heard from far away. After running for a long time, the horse finally slowed down. Ye Nuan grabbed his clothes and looked forward. She saw a bonfire not far away and several figures beside it.
As the horses approached, Su ran over first, followed closely by Gao Zangfeng and the others. Qi Wuze dismounted and reached out to pull Ye Nuan. Su supported her and hurriedly asked, "Are you okay?"
Ye Nuan shook her head.
Su was worried and looked her up and down. Finally, she said distressedly, "Why are your hands so cold? Come to the fire and warm them up."
Ye Nuan followed her mother. Gao Zangfeng met Qi Wuze and asked in a loud voice, "City Lord, did you drive away that group of horse bandits by yourself?" Their city lord is getting more and more powerful!
Qi Wuze looked at Ye Nuan. She had a smile on her face, and her body was thin and weak, as if it could be broken by a single blow. Her strength was extraordinary. Today, all the bandits were dead. As long as the villagers of Dahuang Village didn't spread rumors, the news wouldn't spread.
He wanted to cover it up and had to agree.
Gao Zangfeng and the others stared at their city lord in surprise, and then began to flatter and praise him.
Qi Wuze felt guilty after being praised, and kicked him, cursing, "Don't be so mean, we just happened to run into a pack of wolves at that time."
Gao Zangfeng and several of his men suddenly realized: the wolves in the wilderness are very familiar with their city lord, the young master, so it is reasonable that they would help.
Qi Wuze walked towards the fire, and Gao Zangfeng and others quickly followed. Then they were surprised to find a plucked chicken on the fire. The surface of the chicken was sizzling and dripping with oil.
He wondered, "Where did the chicken come from?" It couldn't have been just caught.
Su continued, "I just killed it this morning. I hadn't had time to eat it when this happened. I brought it out by the way."
Gao Zangfeng looked at the cloth bags on them. How could such a big chicken be stuffed in them?
Everyone sat around the fire. Ye Nuan flipped the roasted chicken back and forth. The surface of the chicken began to curl due to the heat, and the skin turned golden and gradually caramelized. She sprinkled salt and cumin on it as she turned it over. Soon, the aroma of the roasted chicken wafted out.
Ye Nuan used a small brush to apply honey to the surface of the roast chicken. The already fragrant roast chicken instantly gave off a sweet fragrance, and the skin changed from caramel color to transparent amber with an attractive luster, which was very tempting to look at.
Gao Zangfeng and the others couldn't help but swallow their saliva, their eyes sparkling as they watched the roasted chicken. Ye Nuan counted the heads and used a knife to divide them into eleven portions. Gao Zangfeng couldn't wait to take a bite. The roasted chicken had crispy skin, tender meat, and crispy bones. It was so delicious.
He praised: "It's delicious, better than the ones made by those old guys in the City Lord's Mansion, don't you think so, City Lord?" He looked at Qi Wuze.
Qi Wuze was given a chicken leg, apparently given to him by Ye Nuan on purpose. He took a bite of the crispy and fragrant chicken and nodded, "Indeed." Those old guys in the City Lord's Mansion were better at acting than cooking.
One chicken was obviously not enough, so Ye Nuan took out a few baked buns, a can of chili sauce, and a can of chopped peppers from the cloth bag.
"Have some more sesame cakes, you can roll them up with chili peppers."
Gao Zangfeng was delighted to see the chili sauce and praised, "There's also this stuff, it's delicious!"
Qi Wuze's face changed when he saw the two cans of chili peppers, but he could only endure it silently in front of Ye Nuan.
Gao Zangfeng said while eating, "Miss Ye, you are such a great cook, you will definitely have a good restaurant business. It's the same roast chicken, but yours tastes better than others. Do your chickens grow up eating magic pills?" The more he talked, the more outrageous it became.
Ye Nuan smiled and said, "It's just an ordinary chicken, raised a little better. The key is the cooking method. Come over often if you want to eat it in the future. Just help with the chores!"
Gao Zangfeng smiled naively: "Of course, of course, with something this delicious, I can do anything with it!"
A dozen people gathered around a fire, buzzing with activity. Small animals passing by Crescent Lake in the middle of the night watched from a distance, curious yet cautious. The aroma drifted far away. Under the night sky, they chatted animatedly, occasionally praising Ye Nuan.
The meal was truly enjoyable. Afterwards, Gao Zangfeng and the others took the initiative to clean up the mess and clear the trash. After they were done, a few people went to sleep. Qi Wuze stayed by their side for the first half of the night, and then they took over for the second half.
He leaned against his horse, closed his eyes and rested, the cold wind blowing his clothes, and heard footsteps. He opened his eyes and tilted his head to see Ye Nuan standing under the horse, holding a glass of water in his hand.
She smiled with her eyes curved, with tiny glints of light in them, "I saw you were hurt by the spicy food just now, drink some water." The water was drawn from Crescent Moon Lake.
Qi Wuze looked towards the camp. The others were sleeping against the tree trunks. He dismounted and took the water cup from Ye Nuan's hand. His voice was soft but serious. "Do you want to go to Luomu City? If you want, you can go tomorrow."
Ye Nuan was slightly stunned, a little puzzled: "Aren't you afraid of me going now?"
Qi Wuze said: "You will be able to revive the dead tree and make everyone well fed and clothed. No matter where you come from, Luomu City will welcome you. You will be given the best treatment there and you don't have to worry about bandits." She was not allowed to go before because the citizens of Luomu City hated the exiled criminals, but if she could bear the responsibilities and revive the dead tree, and with his guarantee, no one would object.
In the wasteland, people often starve to death in winter due to lack of food and clothing. Her existence ensures prosperity for all. Not only the people of Luomu City, but all the people in the wasteland are willing to support her. When she is less capable, she may become the target of competition among various forces, but she is so powerful that if she doesn't want to, no one can force her.
Ye Nuan shook her head: "No, I'm not going anywhere. I want to have my own home." She wanted to go to Luomu City before because the spiritual spring had not been upgraded yet, she had no ability to protect herself, and she had offended the horse bandits.
But Qi Wuze refused!
Now she has figured it out. She has to abide by the rules wherever she goes. It would be better for her to build a small farm of her own so that anyone who wants to come here will have to abide by her rules.
Qi Wuze respected her ideas.
He didn't say anything else, just drank the water silently. Then he handed the empty cup back to her and smiled easily, "Go to bed."
Ye Nuan nodded, quickly put her things away, and went to rest under the tree where her mother and Xiaohu were staying. It was too cold at night to take out the bed, so she had to grab a quilt to cover herself and put it away again at dawn. Su lay outside, glancing sideways at Gao Zangfeng and the others, then at Qi Wuze, who was lying on horseback in the distance. Once she was sure they couldn't hear her, she whispered to Ye Nuan.
"A Nuan, was it true that City Lord Qi killed the horse bandits in Dahuang Village alone?"
Qi Wuze seemed to be covering up for her. Ye Nuan thought for a moment and said softly, "Well, but City Lord Qi knows that I can be reborn. He promised to help build the farm and will also provide some protection in the future."
Su quickly asked again: "Then what did you promise him?"
"I promise that the food for Luomu City will be provided by the farm from now on."
Although Master Qicheng was a good person and had saved them before, Su was still very worried. After hesitating for a while, she asked, "Will he find the spiritual spring?"
"Mom, no one will find out. As long as I don't say anything, no one will think that way. City Lord Qi is a good person. We will have many more interactions in the future. You will slowly get to know him. Go to sleep."
She hadn't originally intended for Qi Wuze to find out, but he had gone to the village to help her without hesitation. Furthermore, if she wanted to cooperate with him, she had to show some sincerity, so it didn't matter if he saw her methods.
Besides, Qi Wuze is such a good person!
As night fell and the stars rotated, all the creatures in Crescent Lake were rejoicing at her arrival. After a night, the surrounding grass seemed to be much more lush.
Qi Wuze and his men left before dawn. Ye Nuan led her mother and Ye Xiaohu up the slope 500 meters away from Crescent Lake. The early morning clouds were still thick, and a red sun rose from the east.
Ye Nuan stood on the slope and looked down, then said to Su: "Mom, we will settle down here. We will build a two-story wooden house, a kitchen, a pasture, a vegetable garden, and a fence. We will also plant rapeseed flowers and sunflowers outside, so that you can't see the end at a glance.
The picture she described seemed to appear before Su's eyes. Ye Xiaohu said excitedly, "Sister, you still want to raise a pony. I want to ride a horse too!"
Ye Nuan nodded: "Of course, we should not only raise horses, but also cattle, sheep, camels..." We should make this place a transit station in the wilderness, and all the passing merchants, people from Luomu City and Desert City will come here to exchange things.
After Su's imagination, she looked at the yellow earth covered with yellow grass and said, "That's good, but where do we start now?" There were only three of them, only three pairs of hands, and they couldn't build a big house or pave a road.
Ye Nuan had already thought of this. Previously, while cultivating the land, his space had already been upgraded to level eight, unlocking pine and nanmu seeds. He had originally wanted to renovate the dilapidated house in Dahuang Village, so he planted many trees in his space, which was perfect for use now.
"I've planted a lot of trees and will move them outside later. City Lord Qi will bring people to help repair the house."
Before anyone arrived, Ye Nuan took out hundreds of nanmu and pine trees from the space, took an axe, and started chopping down the branches with Ye Xiaohu.
The wood planted in the space was thick and straight. Ye Xiaohu loved doing this kind of work the most. He swung the axe with great vigor. However, Ye Nuan and Su Shi were exhausted before they could finish chopping down one piece.
Around noon, Qi Wuze arrived with a large group of people, along with a lot of wood and cooking utensils. Everyone was stunned when they saw the wood under Ye Nuan's feet. Gao Zangfeng asked directly, "Miss Ye, where did you get this wood?"
Ye Nuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I planted it in Dahuang Village before. Don't say anything more, come and help."
How was it transported here?
Before Gao Zangfeng could ask more, Qi Wuze kicked him off his horse and shouted, "Didn't you see it's noon? Hurry up and tell everyone to lay the foundation and build the house." If he hadn't known that the horse bandits in Weijiazhai were wiped out by Ye Nuan, he really wouldn't have dared to bring so many workers to help so unscrupulously.
In the morning, he had gathered nearly every craftsman and skilled soldier Luomu City could muster, a force of several thousand. While no one knew why the city lord had traveled so far to build a house, they knew his orders were correct.
They have a natural admiration for Qi Wuze!
With the arrival of a large army of several thousand, there was no need for Ye Nuan and Su Shi, two weak women, so Qi Wuze asked them to take Xiao Hu to rest nearby. However, Ye Nuan felt embarrassed and simply started preparing food with her mother.
Gao Zangfeng saw that Ye Xiaohu was very strong and liked him very much. He took him with him in everything he did. From time to time, he would pull the top of his head and ask, "Xiaohu, do you want to be my apprentice and learn kung fu from me? I promise that you will be even more powerful than this in the future!"
Ye Xiaohu's eyes sparkled, but he preferred his big brother, so he pointed at Qi Wuze in the distance and asked, "Who's better, you or him?"
Gao Zangfeng said without hesitation: "Of course the city lord is powerful!"
Ye Xiaohu immediately ran over, hugged Qi Wuze's legs and shouted, "Master, please accept me as your disciple. I want to become very powerful!"
Gao Zangfeng: “.”
It's so infuriating.
Then, wherever Qi Wuze went, Ye Xiaohu followed. Su smiled as she kneaded the dough, "Xiaohu really likes City Master Qi. Look at him, he's like a little tail, and City Master Qi doesn't find him annoying."
Ye Nuan planned to make buns. The amount for a thousand people would be enough to keep her busy. She glanced at Ye Xiaohu and smiled, "City Master Qi also has a younger brother. He seems to be about ten years old, but he doesn't like to talk much."
Su was surprised: "He has a younger brother? That would be great. Let him play with Xiaohu. Xiaohu can talk all day long. It would be better if the two of them can get along well."
Ye Nuan thought so too. Her brother had a million questions, so it was better to talk to Qi Ya than to Cai.
"But City Lord Qi may not be willing to let his brother come." Qi Ya must have witnessed her mother's death when she was a child. She may not have any memory but she was definitely frightened. In addition, she was raised by wolves for several years, so it is understandable that she has an introverted personality.
It’s good to be able to live a normal life now.
The workers in Luomu City were working furiously, digging the foundation, planing wood, and putting up roof beams. Strength lies in numbers, and soon a house took shape. Ye Nuan was delighted to see this. After kneading five basins of flour in a row, her hands began to ache. She raised her hand to wipe her forehead and decided to continue kneading.
"Let me do it!" Qi Wuze walked over, followed by Ye Xiaohu.
There was a smile in his eyes, his sharp eyebrows were softened, and there was a thin layer of sweat on his wheat-colored skin.
Ye Nuan was surprised: "You can?"
Qi Wuze shook his head.
"Let me do it, you guys are working so hard."
Qi Wuze was a little anxious and said simply: "You woman, I just want to be lazy and knead the dough. If you don't know how, just teach me!" It was only because he saw her shaking her hands from time to time and looking like she couldn't knead the dough that he came over to help.
Still not grateful!
Su looked at the awkward City Lord Qi, pushed her daughter, and said, "There's still so much flour. How long are you going to knead it? They'll be hungry later. Will they need water? City Lord Qi is kind enough to help, so just let him come."
Ye Nuan saw the same thing, so she demonstrated it to Qi Wuze, and said as she kneaded the dough: "Turn it over a few times, knead it back and forth, and it will be smooth."
Qi Wuze nodded and was about to take action when Ye Nuan immediately patted the back of his hand and said naturally, "You haven't washed your hands yet. Come here, I'll pour water on you and you can rub your hands."
She hit him lightly, not only did it not hurt but it was also a little itchy. Qi Wuze's ears turned red. He let her pull his sleeves to the side, and then washed his hands carefully with the running water.
Ye Nuan handed over another handkerchief and said, "If it's sticky, dip it in some flour and knead it again."
Qi Wuze stood in front of the chopping board. Ye Nuan leaned over to watch him knead the dough, occasionally giving him some guidance. When he felt the strength wasn't right, Ye Nuan even pulled his hand and kneaded it a few times herself. Qi Wuze's ears grew redder and redder, and his face became a little irritated.
Su watched from the side and was secretly happy.
Seeing his clumsy movements, Ye Nuan laughed and said, "Is kneading dough harder than chopping a tree? Just use some skill."
She stretched out her hand, but Qi Wuze's hand was as stiff as wood and he didn't know where to put it. He wanted to ask her to go away, but he couldn't say the words.
When he had kneaded the dough just barely enough, Ye Nuan went to wash the vegetables and light the fire. Qi Wuze breathed a sigh of relief, his movements becoming much smoother, and in a short while he had kneaded two doughs. Seeing this, Ye Nuan said in surprise, "City Master Qi is a quick learner." As she spoke, she put down the vegetable basket and came over to him.
"Don't come over here." Qi Wuze's hands were covered in flour, and he stopped her in a panic. Ye Nuan stood there, confused, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Just don't come over here!"
Su smiled and said, "A Nuan, cut the vegetables first and mix them, and then we'll make dumplings together later." These past two days, it seemed that City Lord Qi was clearly interested in her daughter A Nuan, but these two people were ignorant of it.
Well, let the young people deal with it on their own and don’t get involved.
Ye Nuan thought: If she was doing the test and the teacher was always standing next to her, she would be nervous too!
So he took the chopping board and ran to the side to cut the vegetables and prepare the stuffing.
The fillings included leeks, cabbage, and radish, and she had specially added some cooked lard. Qi Wuze couldn't help but look at her while kneading the flour. When she looked up, he immediately lowered his head, pretending to be kneading the flour very seriously.
Finally, there was a time when he happened to meet Ye Nuan's eyes. He suddenly felt terrible. His eyes flickered and he didn't know where to put them. Ye Nuan chuckled and pointed at his face, "Your face is dirty."
Qi Wuze casually touched his face twice, but the flour on his face became more and more. Su said, "You come and wipe it for him."
Ye Nuan spread his hands and said, "My hands are oily. Xiaohu, wipe them for City Lord Qi."
Ye Xiaohu was so happy holding the cloth. Su Shi was so disappointed that she pulled him away and said to Ye Nuan, "Your brother is so clumsy and only knows how to play. He can't even clean himself, so you have to do it. Just wash it with hand oil. Hurry up and don't waste time."
Ye Nuan had no choice but to wash her hands and took the cloth from Ye Xiaohu to wipe Qi Wuze's face. He tried to hide, but Ye Nuan grabbed his collar and said, "Don't waste time, there are still many buns to make!"
Then Qi Wuze was pressed down by Ye Nuan to wipe his face. He could see her jade-white earlobes and rosy, plump lips when he lowered his eyes. Qi Wuze's throat slid, and his honey-colored skin turned a little red. After the people left, he was stunned for a long time.
Ye Nuan put the mixed filling together, set up a few wooden boards, and sat down with Su to start making dumplings. Qi Wuze had already washed his hands and leaned against a nearby tree trunk, watching her slender fingers dance across the white and tender dough, and he was mesmerized by the sight.
Ye Nuan finished one and tilted her head to ask curiously, "Do you want to learn this too?"
What a joke! Qi Wuze restrained his expression, turned around and left.
Su suddenly realized that her daughter had become insensitive. She used to be very careful and sensitive in Kyoto, and would get jealous at the slightest provocation. Now, she had no such thoughts at all. Even City Lord Qi was showing it so obviously, but she hadn't noticed.
The two of them sat under the shade of a tree, making dumplings quickly. Ye Xiaohu and Xiao Hei lit the fire in front of the stove. After the fire started, Ye Nuan filled the steamer with plump white dumplings and covered it to steam.
The sun gradually moved westward, and in the distance came the sound of tinkling hammers and the cheers of the crowd.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, a dozen campfires lit up the camp, creating a spectacular spectacle from afar. Ye Nuan distributed steamed buns, and everyone politely thanked her, not even daring to glance at her.
When they arrived, Gao Shoucheng had already instructed the girls of the Ye family not to look around, fearing that the city lord would dig out their eyes. A large group of people talked and laughed, ate buns, drank enough, slept, and then lit more bonfires to continue working.
Qi Wuze leaned against the snow to drink water. Ye Nuan walked over to him and tugged at his sleeve. He lowered his head and saw two hot buns wrapped in the snow-white handkerchief.
He was puzzled: "I just ate."
Ye Nuan stuffed it directly into his hand and said in a low voice, "It's all filled with meat. Eat it secretly, don't let them see."
She further explained, "There wasn't much meat left, so I packed two especially for you."
Qi Wuze didn't show it on his face, but he was actually quite excited. He tried hard to pull down the corners of his lips that were about to rise, took the two buns and said, "Thank you, I'll eat them later." Ye Nuan smiled with her eyes curved, "I should be the one thanking you. Don't they need to rest?"
Qi Wuze shook his head: "It's not easy to come here. I'll work until midnight and then rest. I'll continue working tomorrow morning. I'll try to build the house in two days, then build a yard and clear some land."
"You should clean up and go to bed first! They are easy to feed. If making dumplings is too tiring, you can just give out some steamed buns tomorrow."
"Yeah." Ye Nuan agreed and walked towards the makeshift stove.
She and Su washed the pots and pans and hung them together. After they were done, they called Ye Xiaohu over and secretly stuffed two meat buns into his mouth, saying softly, "Xiaohu, just two meat buns. Eat them secretly here before leaving."
Ye Xiaohu was extremely happy. He took the bun and ate it quickly while hiding behind the stove.
Ye Nuan turned to Su and said, "Mom, they're so tired from work, eating buns isn't a good idea. How about we cook some noodles or mixed rice tomorrow?"
Su didn't respond, but looked behind her with a strange expression and tugged at her sleeve. Ye Nuan looked suspiciously, following her mother's gaze, and saw Qi Wuze standing behind her with a frown, his eyes downcast, staring intently at the meat bun in Ye Xiaohu's hand.
Ye Nuan: “.” What if I go wrong while trying to coax someone?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
