Chapter 75 The Secret Pouch
Tao Tao laughed it off, trying to get away with it, but what she said was the truth.
In reality, she didn't really want to do it. He was the Grand Councilor, born into a noble family, and could have any delicacy he wanted. Why would he need her to cook fish for him?
Duan Gan rested his chin on his hand and nodded: "That's true, otherwise I wouldn't have known that you and the Crown Prince were so familiar with each other."
Tao Tao frowned and said, "I didn't say anything to him, let alone say anything bad about you. Heaven and earth can bear witness."
"Who knows if you're trying to deceive me? You're so eloquent, you can say whatever you want, but you're really not very credible."
He shook his head, looking like he wouldn't be fooled.
She touched her nose, glanced at him somewhat guiltily, and thought to herself that he was right.
She blinked her amber eyes and said, "I would never lie to you, no matter who I lie to. You're so beautiful, I wouldn't bear to hurt a beauty's heart."
"Um?"
He narrowed his eyes dangerously.
He was fine when he heard the first half of the sentence, but when he heard the second half, he realized something was wrong.
Tao Tao froze, looking at him in confusion. Recalling what she had just said, could it be that he thought she mistook him for a woman?
"Beauty transcends gender; does being good-looking preclude others from praising you?"
He snorted and said, "Glib and smooth-talking, not like a woman."
"What's wrong with being a woman? And can't you give me a kind look?"
I can count the number of times I've seen him smile on one hand, even though we've known each other for so long.
Duan Gan paused for a moment, his expression softening unconsciously, and even his tone became much gentler: "How is your hand?"
She raised her hands to look at them, then clenched her fists. "It's alright, I'm almost better. Thank you for the medicine."
"By the way, the wound on the side of your neck...do you want to put some medicine on it too?"
She hesitated and pointed to the teeth marks on his neck. If it wasn't treated properly, it would leave a scar. And to have a scar in such an obvious place would make people laugh.
Especially given his position, countless people are watching him.
Upon hearing this, he touched the tooth mark with his fingertip, lowered his eyes, and his long eyelashes cast a shadow on his fair face, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."
His voice was indifferent, as if he didn't care.
Tao Tao gave him a strange look, thinking that the injury was now more serious than when she bit him, and she didn't remember biting him this hard back then.
It's possible that the wound was itchy while healing, and you probably scratched it unnecessarily.
In the dead of night, she couldn't help but yawn and rub her sleepy eyes.
"I'll be free tomorrow, how about I bring you lunch?"
Duan Gan glanced at her and said, "Where's the jade pendant I gave you?"
"Yujue?"
What? Is he going to take it back?
"I'll go get it."
She turned and went inside, then quickly came out, still holding the dark-colored jade ring in her hand, which she then handed to him.
He reached out and took it, then pulled out a palm-sized purple-gold brocade pouch from his sleeve. Judging from its style, it was unlike ordinary sachets; it resembled the kind of prayer sachets she sold in her shop.
He tied the red string to the dark string, examined it for a moment, and then gave the jade pendant to her.
She took it suspiciously, looking at him with a probing gaze.
He wondered what he meant by this. And what was inside that brocade pouch?
Duan Gan didn't explain. He stood up and said, "I'm leaving." Then he turned and went out the door.
The courtyard was deep into the night, and quiet returned once again.
After he left, Tao Tao tore open the brocade pouch to see what was inside.
My finger reached in and suddenly touched a piece of paper. When I took it out, I saw a yellow paper covered with talismans, and... two red beads.
She rubbed it between her fingertips and then smelled it, only to realize that it wasn't a bead, but a dogwood, with a strong fragrance, a plant used to ward off evil spirits.
What's the meaning?
Did he think she was evil, or was it because she often came into contact with dead people and he was afraid that something might possess her, so he gave her these items to suppress her?
In terms of sheer evil, he's probably killed more people than she's handled the corpses.
He is the one who needs these things the most.
Despite her thoughts, she put it back.
Tao Tao yawned again, feeling extremely sleepy and her mind was foggy. She immediately went into her room to sleep.
Today was another day she slept until late morning. Luckily, she had told her mother not to wake her, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to wake up naturally.
After washing up and having breakfast, I looked at the food in the kitchen and found the fish my mother had bought in the tank. As soon as the fish saw me, it swam around frantically, wagging its tail.
She was worried it wouldn't be fresh, so she specifically asked for it to be alive.
Tao Tao looked up and squinted at the blazing sun. Feeling it was still early, she went to lie down under a tree for a while and looked at her sketchbook.
She raised her hands and examined them for a while, then suddenly removed the gauze, revealing her perfectly healed hands.
There isn't a single scar visible. Even with such a severe injury, it healed so quickly. So why didn't he use medication?
She lay there for a while and then started to doze off again.
She was startled awake only when the aroma of food wafted from afar.
"It's time to prepare lunch."
Tao Tao got up and went to the kitchen to wash and prepare the vegetables as her mother had instructed. She would cook the fish separately later, and the rest would be taken from their meals.
She'll be cooking lunch for the family today.
"Oh my god, the fire is too big!"
Tao Tao hurriedly tried to remove the excess firewood, but she was afraid of the fire and couldn't remove it no matter how hard she tried. Suddenly, a burnt smell wafted from the rice on top.
She got up and reached for the lid, but without a cloth to cushion it, and it burned her so badly she screamed.
"Oh my god, it's so hot!"
She hurriedly put her hand into the fish tank, but the fish was startled and thrashed its tail, creating a splash that hit her body and face. Water droplets dripped down her hair, soaking her face.
When Tao's mother returned and saw the kitchen billowing with black smoke, she was startled and rushed over.
He took the tongs from her and used them to catch all the firewood, thus bringing the fire under control.
"Sorry...cough cough cough...I just wanted to cook a meal."
Just as Tao's mother breathed a sigh of relief, she turned around and saw Tao's face, which was blackened by smoke, and burst out laughing.
"Go wash up quickly, let your mother do it."
She nodded and went to the well to wash her face.
After cleaning up, I went into the kitchen. Tao's mother had already cooked two dishes and was making soup while holding a knife to the fish on the cutting board.
"Mom, let me handle the fish."
Hearing her words, Tao's mother looked up at her and said, "It's alright, I know how to kill fish."
Tao Tao watched as her hands trembled as she held the knife; she really didn't look like someone who knew how to kill fish.
That said, since she came here, she has never seen her kill any living creatures.
She chuckled and took the knife from Tao's mother's hand. "Killing snakes or fish is the same. Mother, could you please take some of the food I'm cooking and put it in the food box?"
"Remember to arrange it nicely."
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