Chapter 51 Making Paper Offerings at Night
Inside the study, Duan Gan sat at a table piled high with memorials. He picked one up, glanced at it, and tossed it aside. His jade-like, refined features showed a hint of impatience.
These are all military secrets and important matters in various important military locations, including the border areas. Apart from a few crucial ones, most of them are just idle chatter.
“If these idiots write any more nonsense and submit it, they shall all be given thirty strokes of the cane.”
Chen Jinghe lowered his head and silently said yes.
These past two days, the Fourth Prince seems to be in a rather irritable mood. He used to never pay attention to these memorials, but these past two days he has become quite diligent.
Perhaps it was the hot weather that made even the usually lazy Fourth Master act a little strange.
But didn't that young lady say she could cook all the food a couple of days ago? Now there's still no sign of her. Could it be that she was just saying it for show?
Just then, someone quietly walked in from outside, whispered a few words in Chen Jinghe's ear, and Chen Jinghe immediately looked surprised.
The two then quietly withdrew.
Chen Jinghe strode to the entrance of the Privy Council, saw Tao Tao, and laughed, "You really came? I thought you were joking."
What did you do?
Tao Tao pursed her lips and handed it to him: "Here, I made snake soup and sweet soup."
"What? Snake? Snake soup?"
He stuttered so much he almost bit his tongue.
"Otherwise what?" she retorted.
"It took me a lot of effort, so please make sure your master finishes his food."
Seeing that he didn't reach out to take it, she simply stuffed it into his arms and then turned and left.
Hey! Why did you leave?
She turned back and looked at him suspiciously: "What's wrong? Do I need to go in? You can just take me in."
"Aren't you going to ask for a reward? After all, you made something delicious, hehe..."
Looking at his smiling face, she couldn't help but feel a sense of malice.
"No need, I have something to do, so I'll head back now."
Asking for a reward? What reward? Her hand still hurts; should she go over and let him step on it again? Or should she wait for him to make demands of her?
Forget it. He may be handsome, but beauty often hides poison. It's best to stay away from powerful officials like him who wield the power of life and death.
Watching her walk away, Chen Jinghe looked at the food box in his hand with a troubled expression. He had really just been joking, how come this young lady actually made snake soup?
If someone takes their anger out on him, wouldn't he be finished?
Now that she's gone again, this thing is a hot potato, so should we give it to her or not?
Forget it, just say it's her problem, anyway it has nothing to do with me.
Chen Jinghe carried a food box into the study and gently placed it on the table. "Fourth Master, are you tired? Lady Tao brought over some food. Would you like to try some?"
Upon hearing this, the man paused in his hand, and a drop of ink spread across the folded paper, becoming a stain.
He said indifferently, "Wasn't she a funeral director? How did she end up working as a chef?"
"No, this was specially made for you by Miss Tao. Why don't you open it and take a look?"
Chen Jinghe asked tentatively, and when he saw that the other person acquiesced, he reached out and opened it. In an instant, a fragrance wafted out, along with a slightly sweet scent.
It seemed to have a slight fishy smell, not very strong, but you could still faintly smell it.
Moreover, the smell was very familiar, so familiar that it immediately brought back the memory in my mind.
Chen Jinghe couldn't help but recall the year when Fourth Master led them to be besieged in the mountains and forests, trapped in a remote area with many snake nests. Without food, they relied on eating raw snake meat to fight for six days and six nights before finally killing all the enemies and escaping.
The smell was absolutely disgusting, both fishy and foul. Regardless of what Fourth Master thought, he certainly loathed the snake.
Duan Gan frowned slightly, clearly thinking of that year as well.
"Fourth Master, should I take it?"
Chen Jinghe said cautiously, feeling that the joke might have gone a bit too far.
What's that next to you?
There are two porcelain bowls. One has already been opened; it contains snake soup. The other one...
"It's pear syrup."
Duan Gan stared at the food with his dark eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Snake soup is nourishing, and snow pear is good for the lungs. She does understand things."
"Yes, yes, this young lady is so thoughtful."
Seeing that Chen Jinghe was still there, he lifted his eyelids, glanced at him, and said coldly, "What else do you have left behind?"
Chen Jinghe was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted: "Your subordinate may step down."
After closing the door, he reached out and picked up the snake soup, took out a spoon, scooped out a mouthful, and found the taste acceptable.
He quickly finished the whole bowl of snake soup and was about to put it down when he suddenly noticed something blackish-red on the porcelain white bowl.
It looks like it was rubbed onto the right outer wall.
He touched it with his fingertip, then brought it to his nose and sniffed it. It smelled of rust; it was blood.
Snake blood? It doesn't taste like it.
He suddenly remembered her injured hands and unconsciously frowned.
The medicine was given to me that day, but I'm still not better...
He reached out and took out the pear juice, sipped it, and his eyes brightened slightly. The pear flesh was soft and tender, and the juice was sweet but not cloying, which effectively washed away the fishy taste in his mouth.
As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, the moonlight appeared and disappeared behind the dark clouds.
The man, carrying a food box, stood at a doorway, ready to become a thief, when he suddenly heard a faint sound coming from inside.
In the courtyard, Tao Tao sat on a stool drawing paper crafts. There were many paper figures and animals that had not yet been painted, as well as some furniture and household items, on the table and the ground.
On the stone table sat a dim, yellow candlestick. It was so dark that my eyes got tired after looking at it for a while.
It was so quiet at night that you could hear the wind. A cold wind blew by, and the things seemed to come alive, swaying back and forth, making these white paper effigies look unusually eerie and terrifying.
It's so chilling that it sends shivers down your spine.
But perhaps Tao Tao was used to being with these paper offerings, so she didn't feel anything was wrong.
While humming a song, he carefully used his paintbrush to sketch facial features and body.
These days I've been running around doing things and haven't had time to do these things. It's probably because the Privy Council official came that day and the people all know about it that business has suddenly improved and there aren't enough paper offerings to sell.
In addition, her hands were in so much pain that she couldn't do it for a long time.
After cooking, she took the medicine that Duan Gan had given her, and felt much better, so she thought she would cook something tonight.
Duan Gan stretched out his large, pale hand with prominent veins and gently knocked on the wooden door. The sounds inside suddenly stopped.
Tao Tao, who was just a door away, turned her head and looked at the doorway warily, but then there was no sound. She tilted her head in confusion, thinking that it might be her imagination, and then looked away.
"Tap tap tap..."
She suddenly stood up, looked towards the door, and called out, "Who is it?!"
No one responded.
Tao Tao's face turned cold. She pulled out a dagger from her sleeve and slowly walked towards the door.
She stood at the door, took a deep breath, and removed the bolt, the sound of which was particularly noticeable in the quiet night.
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