Chapter 910 also ensured she got to eat well.
Sunset, a corner of the dining hall.
Li Shu stared longingly at the chicken soup pot.
Ouyang Rong turned around, took out a pair of iron tongs, and fiddled with the hot coals in the stove.
I turned the heat down a bit.
Sparks flew everywhere during that time.
Li Shu pulled the fish back a little.
Ouyang Rong took out a food box and filled it with all the chicken soup, seemingly preparing to take it back.
Li Shu's nose twitched, and she looked at it with great longing.
Ouyang Rong ignored him and silently packed up the chicken soup.
"Gurgle, gurgle..."
A rumbling sound came from my stomach.
Ouyang Rong turned to look at the short-legged little girl.
Li Shu blushed and touched her shrunken belly.
It seems he didn't eat much for dinner.
I contacted them again because they hadn't come over before dinner. I guess they were still waiting for the chicken soup for dinner, but they were turned down, so they obediently came over.
Feeling a little embarrassed by the stares, Li Shu quietly turned around.
"Mmm-hmm-hmm."
Suddenly, she heard the familiar voice of the dull young man behind her, as if he were calling her.
Li Shu cautiously glanced back.
The chubby baby face froze instantly.
The aroma of fragrant chicken soup wafted into my nose.
It was this seemingly mute and taciturn young man who, without her noticing, filled a bowl with chicken soup and handed it directly to her.
The short-legged little girl was a bit stunned.
"Uh-huh."
Ouyang Rong held the bowl and moved it forward a little further, as if to indicate something.
Li Shu first looked around to make sure no one was around. She then looked at Ouyang Rong somewhat awkwardly, as if trying to confirm something.
Ouyang Rong remained expressionless, making a gesture as if to take back the chicken soup.
Li Shu immediately snatched a bowl of chicken soup, turned her back, held the bowl, which was bigger than her face, with both hands, tilted her head back without fear of the heat, and gulped it down in no time.
"Ugh! Ugh!"
Ouyang Rong watched for a while, speechless. Why did she have to hide from him even when she was drinking soup?
"Want more?"
Ouyang Rong asked slowly.
Li Shu turned to the side, said nothing, touched her bulging belly, looked around, but like a thief, her little hand quietly handed back the empty bowl, the "tool of the crime".
"Hmm!"
The little girl continued to make strange noises, as if she couldn't speak.
If Ouyang Ren hadn't known that she was Li Yu's daughter and hadn't been aware of the situation, he would have thought she was mute or something.
Ouyang Rong took the empty bowl but did not open the lid to fill it with soup.
He put the bowl aside and handed the chicken soup container directly to Li Shu:
"Take it home and drink it."
Li Shu's face froze for a moment, then she looked at him with some wariness.
Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly, put the food box on the stove, and squatted down to start the fire.
After extinguishing the fire in the stove, he pulled off the towel around his neck, wiped his face, then turned and walked to the shelf, hung up the towel, and headed straight for the door, as if he were about to finish his shift and go home.
"Liu Aliang".
Under Li Shu's sidelong glance, the dull young man signed up and left with a flourish.
It was just getting dark outside.
...
When Ouyang Rong came to the dining hall the next day...
The food box on the stove is still there.
Ouyang Rong arrived early. There were few people in the dining hall. His expression remained unchanged as he walked forward and picked up the food box with two fingers.
It felt light and airy, and the inside was somewhat empty.
Ouyang Rong chuckled to himself, picked up the food box, and headed towards the stream near the back gate.
While silently washing the dishes, he couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"Wow, they gnawed the chicken bones pretty clean. But looking at such a small size, I didn't expect them to be such big eaters."
After dealing with the food containers and empty bowls, Ouyang Rong continued his busy day as usual.
Li Shu did not appear during the preparation of lunch and dinner.
Ouyang Rong wasn't in a hurry and waited until evening, the same time as yesterday.
The last rays of the setting sun fell on the steps in front of the entrance, and most of the people in the dining hall had left.
A short-legged little girl dragged a fish and sneaked into the door, arriving at the woodpile where Ouyang Rong was working.
"Mmm mmm mmm."
Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at her, and said directly:
"My name isn't 'Mmm,' it's Liu Aliang. Can you speak?"
Li Shu shook her head like a rattle-drum, crossed her two index fingers, and gestured to her lips with a very serious expression.
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Mhm."
Li Shu looked around, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she ran to Ouyang Rong and stretched out her little hand.
Ouyang Rong was taken aback and looked at her outstretched little palm.
His hands were too big, so he changed his approach, using only four fingers to hold her small palm and give it a symbolic shake instead of a handshake.
Li Shu's eyebrows shot up immediately, and she withdrew her hand.
It made two "uh-uh" sounds, then stretched out its head again.
Ouyang Rong looked down and realized that the little girl didn't want to shake hands; instead, she was handing him the thin thread in her hand.
At one end of the thin line, a fish, seemingly devoid of any will to live, was hanging.
It looked like it was meant to be given to him.
Ouyang Rong immediately waved his hand and said sternly:
"No need, you're welcome."
Li Shu immediately shook her head and waved her hand vigorously. Then, under Ouyang Rong's somewhat confused gaze, she reached out and patted Ouyang Rong's shoulder like a little adult.
After giving it a hard pat, the little girl gestured with her lips towards the quiet iron pot on the stove next to her:
"Hmm~"
Ouyang Rong's eyes were initially filled with doubt. He noticed that the little girl's large, black, pearl-like eyes seemed to be shining, as if she was expecting something.
"..."
At one moment, the young man in monk's robes silently twitched at the corner of his mouth as he looked at the fish that had suddenly started jumping up and down on the ground.
Okay, okay, so you weren't going to give it away, you were going to give it a proper send-off... It has to be you.
"Mmm, mmm."
Li Shu eagerly placed the thin thread into Ouyang Rong's hand, as if to encourage him.
Ouyang Rong fell silent, staring at the fish on the ground.
He suddenly looked up and spoke with a serious expression:
"It's a pomfret, so let's braise it and sprinkle some chopped green onions on top."
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"
Li Shu gnawed on her thumb and nodded vigorously, then jumped three feet high with joy.
White pomfret: ...
Immediately, the two, one big and one small, began to whisper among themselves, secretly discussing the next dish.
Although the little girl can only say "uh uh uh," those who know, know.
Not long after, Li Shu sneaked away.
Whether it was just his imagination or not, Ouyang Rong always felt a sense of surreptitiousness when this little girl went in and out of the dining hall.
Despite being the direct disciple of the Queen, no one in the entire dining hall dared to discipline her.
He shook his head, and seeing that it was already dark, he put the white pomfret into a small water tank to keep it alive before going back to rest.
The next morning, he went to the dining hall and used Aunt Zhu's stove to prepare the seasonings for braised fish.
However, he waited until the afternoon, when he had some free time, before taking over the stove from Aunt Zhu. He then scaled the fish in the water tank, gutted them, and put them in the oil.
Having already passed the preparation stage for lunch and dinner, Aunt Zhu and the others, having received instructions from the head cook, didn't inquire further about Ouyang Rong borrowing the stove to cook, and finished their shifts early.
By evening, a steaming plate of braised fish was ready, and Ouyang Rong had also specially cooked some rice.
Li Shu didn't come all day, probably because she couldn't bear to see her assistant being cooked.
However, not long after Ouyang Rong finished cooking the braised fish, a little girl appeared at the entrance of the dining hall. She followed the aroma into the hall and ran to Ouyang Rong.
"Hmm!"
Li Shu, who had been looking serious, suddenly lit up with excitement when she saw the braised fish.
Ouyang Rong silently handed over the rice.
The little girl tiptoed onto the stove and began to eat heartily.
Ouyang Rong sat to the side, watching quietly.
As if sensing the gaze of the young man in the monk's robe, Li Shu, halfway through her meal, frantically piled fish into her bowl, then picked up her rice bowl, turned her back, squatted on the ground, her back to Ouyang Rong, and continued to bury her head in her rice, eating with great relish.
Ouyang Rong looked on, somewhat speechless.
I always felt like she had never eaten anything good.
But then I thought about it again. All the Yue women in Jianze were living in seclusion and cultivating in seclusion. According to what Aqing said last time, the female rulers ate the same food as ordinary Yue women, the same communal meals served by the canteen ladies.
Li Shu, as the direct disciple of the Second Lady, was no exception. She could not eat such exquisite food, let alone with his skill. The dishes he made were all improved versions of delicacies from later generations.
Ouyang Rong suddenly wondered if it was because Lady Zhishuang had issued a similar ban on Aqing entering the dining hall, which was why Li Shu was acting so furtively.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at the little girl wolfing down her food, but he held back for the moment and didn't ask any further questions.
Fifteen minutes later, Li Shu wiped her mouth.
She turned around quietly and found Ouyang Rong staring at her, seemingly lost in thought.
Li Shu looked slightly embarrassed. She walked over, stood on tiptoe, and patted Ouyang Rong's shoulder heavily again.
Then he put down the bowl and ran away in a flash.
Ouyang Rong watched the short-legged little girl disappear through the door without saying a word.
The next day, in the morning, at the same time.
Li Shu strolled over again and quietly handed over the things she was carrying.
This is a Camellia Chicken, but it looks quite plump, probably like the leader of the flock.
Ouyang Rong accepted it without hesitation, and the little girl ran off happily. She reappeared in the evening when most people had left.
Meanwhile, Ouyang Rong had already quietly prepared the delicious dishes, and the rice was ready as well.
The little girl was very pleased.
For the next few days, the two of them continued to interact in this manner.
In the morning, Li Shu returned from hunting and provided the ingredients. In the afternoon, Ouyang Rong cooked the dishes and prepared them for the guests.
During this time, the short-legged little girl only uttered the word "um," in countless different tones.
Ouyang Rong also spoke little, only asking a few questions when the little girl was enjoying her meal, observing her nodding or shaking her head in response.
Occasionally, when there were fewer people around, Li Shu would come over and help Ouyang Rong carry firewood.
She looked small, but she was very good at carrying firewood; I don't know where she got the strength from.
Perhaps this is also the question surrounding the pomfret that was braised and then ended up in the little girl's stomach.
Ouyang Rong always cooked or stewed soup when the dining hall was not busy. Aunt Zhu and Wu Cui did not ask much about it. Sun Shi was nowhere to be seen. Except when she was in charge of lunch, she was rarely seen and did not care about Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong, on the other hand, had a rare moment of leisure.
However, after spending a few days with Li Shu like a "fair-weather friend," he gradually began to understand some of the strange little girl's behavioral logic.
She may be a bit abstract and even a little crazy, but her actions are still quite logical.
For example, before we met, she would come to the dining hall before each meal and disappear at mealtime... It turned out that she was checking the variety of lunches in each dining hall.
She didn't just come to Qingliang Valley Dining Hall; she also visited the other dining halls, just to "look longingly" at them each time, although Qingliang Valley Dining Hall was the furthest away.
After figuring out the daily meals at each canteen, Li Shu would choose one to eat at, depending on the situation, and of course, she would pick the one that made her crave the most... This was called on-site investigation, and eating was a big deal for her.
Through the little girl's mumbled "uh-huh" and "uh-huh" replies, Ouyang Rong gradually learned the truth.
After listening, he had only one thought.
This girl is really starving and craving food.
As for news concerning the Queen's Palace and the various Queens, Li Shu remained vague when Ouyang Rong tried to probe her indirectly.
However, based on Ouyang Rong's limited understanding of her, she was probably a bit of a simpleton, only interested in eating...
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but sigh.
I always feel guilty, like I'm some weird uncle who's scheming to deceive a little girl, and I don't know why.
Sometimes, having too high a moral standard isn't good either. It can make you too pretentious, and if you do things indirectly or with a strong sense of purpose, you're more likely to feel guilty... Yes, that's what a true gentleman is like.
That evening, as usual, the little girl with short legs ran in, walked briskly to the woodpile, nibbled on her thumb, looked up at him with expectant eyes.
This time, however, Ouyang Rong did not prepare fresh rice for her to eat on the spot.
Instead, they quietly handed over a food box.
Li Shu was taken aback, still biting her finger, and tilted her head to look at him.
Ouyang Rong nodded and said:
"I made a little extra. You can take some back for the goddess or other fairies to try."
"Hmm?"
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, then subtly added:
"Actually, this cooking stove doesn't belong to me. I'm just borrowing it. I'm a cook, not a full-time employee, and the stove could be taken back at any time."
"Hmm..."
Ouyang Rong stopped there and didn't continue.
"Gurgle, gurgle..."
Hearing a rumbling stomach, Ouyang Rong handed over a food box. Li Shu hugged it to her chest, looked up at the quiet young man, turned around, and ran away in a flash.
I don't know if I listened or understood it.
However, Ouyang Rong was in no hurry; haste makes waste.
After all this build-up, I can finally start explaining.
Ouyang Rong let out a long breath, took off his handkerchief, hung it up, and strode out of the dining hall.
About fifteen minutes later, we returned to the small island where we were staying.
As soon as I approached the yard, I heard the crowing of roosters inside.
It's the extra camellia chicken we raised.
Pushing open the door, the scene that greeted me took me slightly by surprise.
In the neighboring courtyard, Li Wan was standing on tiptoe, scattering feed around the chicken coop from behind the low wall, feeding the Camellia Chickens.
Seeing him return home, the woman's gaze swept over him, and she smiled:
"Brother Liang is back. Are you raising this chicken to make soup?"
"Um."
"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Liang. By the way..."
Li Wan changed the subject, laughing:
"The time for sending food to visit Jinghong has been set for tomorrow. Miss Song and Miss Yu will both be going. Brother Liang, don't forget about your side; make sure the food is prepared in advance..."
Ouyang Rong glanced at the cheerful and proud noblewoman, and nodded woodenly:
"good."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
