Chapter 18 The Cook

When he was almost home after going down the mountain, something big suddenly jumped in front of him, scaring Chen Shiyi so much that he took a few steps back.

“Huh…”

Chen Shiyi raised his eyes and saw Cui Yongan leaning against a pine tree with a playful look in his eyes and his arms folded.

"What's wrong?"

"I'll give you the chicken on the ground. Tomorrow, help me prepare a table for my guests."

Chen Shiyi looked at the fat chicken on the ground and nodded quickly.

Today, she was really lucky.

Dinner was unusually sumptuous.

The pink and white yam softened the brown rice, which was bubbling in the clay pot. The pheasant was plucked and fried and then stewed with the fir mushrooms. The fresh and sweet aroma spread from the courtyard. The boiled chicken oil was used to pan-fry a few crispy fish and stir-fry a plate of oily shepherd's purse. Everything was done.

When Wen Zhiheng came back and saw such a sumptuous meal, he couldn't help but wonder.

"What day is today? Is it a holiday?"

Chen Shiyi shook his head and smiled.

"No, today is a blessing from heaven. It only happens once in a lifetime. We don't have to make a big fuss about it."

Wen Zhirou sat aside and tried to hold back her laughter.

"Look at you, you're such a loser."

"That's not all I can do."

Everyone was very happy during the meal.

Wen Zhiheng kept stuffing meat into Chen Shiyi's bowl.

"Master, I have more than enough."

"Eat more. You're just skin and bones."

After finishing her meal, Chen Shiyi lay on the bluestone slab, stroking her belly with her hand.

So this is what it feels like to hold on after eating a full meal.

My stomach is full, so I don’t have to worry about being hungry anytime soon. My head is dizzy, my eyelids are drooping, and I feel very sleepy.

I often hear people say that they feel sleepy after eating, and it turns out to be true.

Normally, she was too hungry to sleep.

In the haze, she heard footsteps approaching her.

She quickly stood up, and Wen Zhiheng came over and sat next to her.

"After eating, get up and walk around so you don't have trouble sleeping at night."

"No, I can fall asleep now."

Wen Zhiheng laughed softly when he heard this.

"The ground is covered with green grass. What is it for?"

"Oh, the locals call it chicken nest grass, and the town charges five cents per pound."

Wen Zhiheng nodded in understanding.

"Thank you for your hard work in helping me run this household."

"I am your maid, this is what I should do."

Wen Zhiheng stared at her closely with his dark eyes, his gaze surging, and in the dark night with the flickering firelight, there was a strange look in his eyes.

Chen Shiyi's scalp tightened when he was stared at, and he stroked his face uncomfortably.

"Master, what are you looking at?"

Wen Zhiheng withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and laughed softly.

"You look good."

Chen Shiyi smiled awkwardly, wondering in his heart if there was something wrong with the young master's eyes.

"Eleven, can you tell me about your past?"

Chen Shiyi shook his head.

"I'm happy now and don't want to think about the past."

"So, what about the future? Have you ever thought about it?"

"I'm not smart. I only know that I need to eat well and wear warm clothes. Who knows what the future will be like? Alas, in Xiangyang Village, there was a man named Junsheng, who was about my age. He was determined to become the shopkeeper of Yuemanlou in the town since he was a child. He secretly went to school to learn to read. His father asked someone to find a connection and got him a job as a waiter in Yuemanlou. He moved closer to his dream step by step. It was a pity that he went to the battlefield with a conscription letter and died on the battlefield. His mother cried so much that she even went blind. So, what's the point of talking about the future?"

"Master, I told the young lady a few days ago that my biggest wish is to have a full meal. I didn't expect it to come true so soon. I am very happy now, and that's enough."

Wen Zhiheng was silent for a while, then looked up at the dark sky.

"Yes, that's enough."

At the morning hour of the next day, Chen Shiyi got up early, swept the courtyard, warmed up the leftover food from last night, heated water in a large pot, put on a backpack, picked up a kitchen knife, and carried a bamboo tube of water, and prepared to go up the mountain.

Wen Zhiheng saw it and quickly called her back.

"Why so early?"

Chen Shiyi's mouth corners raised.

"If you get up earlier, you'll have more time to dig grass for the chicken coop and earn some copper coins to exchange for rice in town."

Wen Zhiheng was very upset, but there was nothing he could do as he couldn't get away.

"Then be careful and don't go too deep into the mountain."

Watching Chen Shiyi's back as he jumped away, veins bulged in Wen Zhiheng's clenched hands.

Being incompetent, he can only say some meaningless words of concern.

Chen Shiyi got up early and went up the mountain. In addition to digging more chicken nest grass, she also had an important matter. She had promised to prepare a feast for Cui Yongan today, and she couldn't eat his chicken for free.

At noon, she dug a full basket of chicken-coop grass, returned to the yard, spread out the herbs, said goodbye to her wife, and went out.

As soon as he stepped into Cui Yongan's yard, the noisy sound inside stopped Chen Shiyi in his tracks.

"Why are you here now?"

When Cui Yongan saw Chen Shiyi, he quickly pulled her into the yard.

There were at least seven or eight people in the yard, all of them staring at Chen Shiyi with wide eyes.

"Yongan, when did you get married? Why didn't you invite us to the wedding?"

Cui Yongan waved his hands.

"Don't talk nonsense, this is the cook I hired."

One of them said loudly.

"Just tell me, how could Yongan be interested in this kind of stuff?"

Chen Shiyi entered the kitchen and gritted his teeth, thinking, why not add more salt to the dishes for them later, and let them drink more water to wash their dirty mouths.

Think about it, talk about it, and do it.

When Chen Shiyi worked hard for an entire afternoon and prepared a table full of delicious dishes, a few people looked at him with disdain and a hint of embarrassment.

The man in white shirt came later and greeted Chen Shiyi familiarly when he saw her.

"Thank you for your hard work again, little girl."

"I have a name, Chen Shiyi."

"My last name is Lan, my given name is Qinghe, and my courtesy name is Youzhi. How is your yard going?"

Chen Shiyi brought the dishes to the table and replied while busying himself.

"I've been here for a few days."

Lan Qinghe couldn't help but be surprised.

“It’s pretty fast.”

"Too many rats had entered that house before, and there were always bad guys wandering around outside, so I cleaned up a room and moved in first."

Chen Shiyi finally finished his work. After washing his hands, he said something to Cui Yongan and was about to leave.

Lan Qinghe quickly called her.

"You've been busy for so long, eat first."

Chen Shiyi shook his head.

"No, the meal at home is not ready yet, and I am in a hurry to go back."

Cui Yongan frowned.

"If you don't do it, they won't eat. Are you just waiting for them to starve to death?"

Chen Shiyi stopped walking out of the yard and turned around to speak.

"I am their maid, and this is my job."

"Wait…"

Cui Yongan took a piece of pork from the kitchen and handed it to Chen Shiyi.

Chen Shiyi's eyes sparkled.

"I've already taken your chicken, I can't take it again."

Cui Yongan curled his lips and laughed disdainfully.

"Just take it if it's given to you. Why are you pretending?"

Chen Shiyi's eyes curved into crescents and he took it with a smile.

Cui Yongan is a really good person, even though he has some bad words.