Chapter 23: Chen Fenghe’s lover? 】
Seeing that everyone had collected almost everything, Yuan Xun invited everyone to go home.
The one with the best harvest was naturally Chen Fenghe. There were a few smarter ones who, although they didn't know the difference between the five grains, followed Chen Fenghe's example and picked up quite a few chestnuts, mushrooms, black fungus, wild oranges and the like.
But they could only watch helplessly as they saw the bird eggs and hares.
Among the officials, Yuan Xun, who had a bow and arrow, did manage to shoot a few turtledoves, which he hung on his waist before returning. He did not pick any other mushrooms or wild fruits.
Before leaving the mountain, Qin Jian and Li Guihua were afraid of being scolded by their family, so they randomly picked a few brightly colored mushrooms to take home.
Chen Fenghe looked over indifferently. They were picking red boletus, commonly known as the green-handed boletus. This type of mushroom was also among the ones she picked.
This mushroom delicacy is a delicacy, but can be poisonous if not cooked properly.
However, as long as it is cooked, it should not be fatal.
Chen Fenghe had seen it, but she was not so kind as to remind them. Even if this family was not stupid enough to eat it raw, they should not die.
Everyone went down the mountain, and Chen Fenghe gave the officers and soldiers a wild rabbit and some mushrooms as she had said on the mountain.
Chen Wu did not refuse and accepted it.
He has so many brothers under him, and if he accepts bribes from the exiles, everyone will benefit, and it will also be easier to manage them during their exile.
Otherwise, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. If he controls them too strictly, the journey of exile is already hard enough. If his brothers do not obey his control, he will be in a passive position.
For example, he noticed that Li Yong and a girl named Qin Huanhuan were flirting with each other these two days, so he probably succeeded.
However, as long as it is not too excessive, he usually turns a blind eye.
Chen Fenghe carried the remaining things back to where Qin Mengyue and the three little guys were resting.
Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing both ran over excitedly and said, "Sister! I just saw a rabbit! You caught the rabbit, right?"
Xiao Yunhao also followed over: "Rabbit! Sister-in-law, I want to see the rabbit too!"
Chen Fenghe put down the bamboo basket and said with a smile: "Yes, I'll show you."
Qin Mengyue also came over and saw a little gray rabbit lying in the bamboo basket. She was delighted and said, "I heard that wild rabbits run very fast. Fenghe, how did you catch it?"
Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "What good luck. Mother, you light a fire now, we can roast the rabbit and make some mushroom soup. Yichuan, Xing'er, Hao'er, go collect some more firewood to start the fire."
Qin Mengyue nodded quickly after hearing this and said, "Okay! I'll do it right away."
Shen Yichuan and the other two nodded and went to collect firewood sensibly.
When Chen Fenghe entered the mountain, Qin Mengyue had already brought the three little ones to pick up a lot of dry branches, dead leaves and the like and piled them aside.
Qin Mengyue imitated what Shen Fenghe did a few days ago, found a few large stones to form a small stove, and then started a fire.
Here, Chen Fenghe found a sharp stone and tried hard to peel off the rabbit skin.
However, rabbits are not like fish. Their fur is still quite thick, so it is really difficult to rely on stones alone.
At this time, Qin Xun took the initiative to come over, took out the dagger stuck in his boot, handed it to Chen Fenghe, and said: "Use this to skin the hare."
Chen Fenghe was stunned for a moment: "Master Yuan, is this really possible? Aren't you afraid..."
A dagger can be considered a weapon. Aren’t they afraid that she will take the opportunity to escape?
Yuan Xun said, "You can use it. I asked for permission too much. We have so many brothers, how can we be afraid of a woman like you? If you dare to escape, we will hack you to death immediately. No one who is not a fool would do such a stupid thing."
After hearing this, Chen Fenghe hesitated for a moment, but still took the dagger and thanked him softly, "Thank you, Mr. Yuan."
She was somewhat puzzled. Was this official being too attentive to her?
However, it is also possible that the hare was simply a thank you gift from her?
This scene was seen by Qin Huanhuan who had been paying attention to this side.
A flash of jealousy flashed in her eyes.
It seems that Chen Fenghe's lover is this official named Yuan Xun?
Although she has hooked up with Li Yong, Xun Yuan is much more handsome than Li Yong, and is also valued by Chen Wu, which makes him much stronger than Li Yong.
She now regretted being too impatient that night and looking for Li Yong.
Why is it that even if Chen Fenghe finds a lover, he will be better than hers?!
Chen Fenghe didn't investigate further. He immediately bled the rabbit, added some salt and water, waited for the blood to coagulate naturally, and then used a dagger to carefully peel off the rabbit's skin as completely as possible.
The rabbit skins also need to be saved. Although it is only early autumn now, the weather is not cold yet.
But winter is not far away, and since they are still heading north, keeping warm will be a big problem in the future.
These animal furs need to be collected and made into boots or sewn into underwear in winter, which are both very useful.
By the time they finished cleaning the rabbit, the water at Qin Mengyue's place had already boiled.
Chen Fenghe was not in a hurry to put other things in. She first threw the picked green onion in and boiled it for a while before taking it out.
Pour out all the water in the pot and add more water to boil again.
During this gap, Chen Fenghe had already skewered the rabbit with thin branches and roasted it over the fire.
She did not waste the internal organs of the rabbit. After washing them with spiritual spring water, she threw them into the pot. The rabbit blood had already coagulated, so Chen Fenghe poured it directly into the pot. She also poured in the freshly ground green, chicken mushroom, black fungus, etc. and slowly simmered them.
Shen Yichuan, Shen Qingxing and Xiao Yunhao, the three little guys, were like busy little bees, going back and forth to collect firewood.
After a while, the Qin family sent Liu Cui over to ask for food.
"Big sister, can you give me half of your roasted rabbit? Grandma and father-in-law have been eating black steamed bread for three days, and their bodies can't take it anymore..."
Qin Mengyue subconsciously glanced at Chen Fenghe this time.
She also found that her relatives didn't help her at all, so she thought of asking her for help.
The whole family of men and women came to ask the two women and three children for food every day, and they didn't feel embarrassed at all.
"Third sister-in-law, this... is not a coincidence. What Feng He collected in the mountains is only enough for a few of us. If I share it with you, those three little guys will go hungry. Oh, Third sister-in-law, you should have money on you. The officials have wild rabbits and newly hunted wild birds. Why don't you go over and ask them and buy one or half a rabbit? That would be considered filial piety to Grandmother and Father-in-law, right?"
Liu Cui was annoyed and embarrassed. She said, "Sister, I've always thought you were kind-hearted and respectful to your elders. How come you've become so mean and harsh now? This road of exile is long! You two women with three children, is there really no time for you to ask us for help? Don't leave yourself with no choice..."
Chen Fenghe was quite surprised by Qin Mengyue's performance today.
She originally thought that it would take Qin Mengyue a long time to recognize the true face of her family, but she didn't expect that she would take the initiative to reject them today.
Hearing Liu Cui's words, Chen Fenghe rolled her eyes in her heart. They had only been exiled for a few days, and their whole family couldn't even afford food and clothing. How could they expect him to take care of them on the road in the future?
"Mom! The rabbit meat is roasted. Eat it while it's hot, otherwise there will always be beggars buzzing around like flies." Chen Fenghe said lightly, tearing off a rabbit leg and giving it to Qin Mengyue.
The three little guys had been waiting there for a long time. Chen Fenghe tore off a rabbit leg for each of them to chew on.
Liu Cui looked at the golden and crispy roasted rabbit, her eyes watering with anger, but she also heard that Chen Fenghe had just called her a beggar. Her face turned pale and blue, and she turned around and went back in anger.
The Qin family now realized that Chen Fenghe had Yuan Xun's support, so they didn't dare to rob her openly. They could only watch them eat the roasted rabbit while throwing the mushrooms picked by Qin Jian and Li Guihua into the pot to cook.
They didn't even buy a pot, and they still had to spend a tael of silver to ask the official to buy it for them.
In the past, one or two ounces of silver could buy three pots! Qin Jinzhong was so angry that he scolded Qian Qiuyun and Liu Cui again.
It’s all because of these two idiots. They acted on their own and didn’t buy anything in town that day, and now they have to pay three times as much to buy a pot!
Qian Qiuyun and Liu Cui were scolded, but they didn't dare to talk back. They felt extremely wronged. When they came back that day, Qin Jinzhong had praised them for their ability to live well...
The family looked eagerly at the mushroom soup cooking in the pot. After a while, it started to boil. They sprinkled some salt into it, then each of them scooped a few slices of mushroom and began to drink it eagerly.
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