Chapter 37: Fire-fried Fish in a Pot
After running around and conducting investigations from various sources, from Yizhuang to the Imperial College, Qiandeng felt exhausted.
When she returned to the palace exhausted, she dove into the bathtub and rubbed herself vigorously, only then did she feel that the smell on her body was finally gone.
But her hair was still half dry when trouble came to her.
"What should I do, County Princess..." Shang Luo followed her with a pout, holding a letter in his hand, looking like he was about to cry, "Save me, my father has a letter."
Qiandeng took it and took a look. The letter scolded him for being unfilial and asked him to return home immediately to avoid his family becoming a laughing stock in the capital.
"Your injuries have healed now, and it's time for you to go back..."
"I won't go back!" Shangluo's eyes suddenly turned red. He pointed at his back and was about to cry in front of her. "The scars on my back still hurt. I will never go back!"
"Then how are you going to explain this to your father?" Qian Deng looked at the words that reprimanded him for evading supervision, and suddenly remembered what he had seen and heard in the Imperial College today. A thought struck him, and he said, "If you really want to stay here, I know someone who can definitely help you."
"Really? Who is it?"
Qiandeng was about to answer when she first smelled a strange fragrance. Looking up, she saw Aunt Xuanji and her maids filing in, setting up dinner in the side hall. The aroma was wafting from the table.
"County Lady, the other day General Ji specially sent us some fire-cured mutton. The chefs at the mansion have never cooked this ingredient before, but thankfully Master Shi personally prepared it using a palace recipe. It's truly tempting." Aunt Xuanji walked in and said to her distressedly, "Since Madam's passing, you've dressed simply, abstained from meat, and lost a lot of weight. How can this continue? You've been out all day, and this dish is Master Shi's gift. You must use more of it, okay?"
Qian Deng peeked out of the side hall and saw a table full of dishes. He said, "Master Shi's cooking is undoubtedly excellent, but I can't eat so much. Why don't we invite Master Cui... and the others over? I just have something to tell them."
The county lady invited everyone, and soon everyone gathered.
Including the new arrivals Cui Fufeng and Ling Tianshui, the eight of them sat around a low table in the side hall. Outside the window, flower shadows danced, orchids, osmanthus, pines and bamboos were in bloom. The young men in the hall were elegant and refined, each with his own merits, making the long-deserted Changhua Palace finally lively.
Qiandeng sat at the head of the table, looking at the seven handsome gentlemen, each with their own unique but picturesque demeanor. The summer celebration banquet at the farm suddenly flashed before his eyes. A number of the old guests from that time had already disappeared, and the newcomers who had quickly filled the gap seemed to be no different.
The separations and reunions of this world seem like a lifetime ago and a dream, so illusory...
She was lost in thought when Shangluo nudged her and asked earnestly, "County Lady, who do you think can help me?"
Qian Deng looked at Cui Fufeng and said, "Master Cui, I heard that you were the best student at the Imperial College. Could you give Shangluo some advice? I think if Shangluo's academic performance improves after leaving home, his family won't push him too hard."
Shang Luo suddenly realized and shouted, "Yes, Cui Shaoqing, please teach me. I also want to be like you, pass the imperial examination at the age of fifteen, and immediately enter the court as an official. I will no longer have to suffer beatings and scoldings, do homework until midnight, or kneel in the corridor to memorize books!"
Cui Fufeng burst out laughing. Before he could say anything, Ji Linyou beside him patted Shangluo's head and said with a smile, "Child prodigies are born. How can you learn them? To be honest, I also get a headache when I pick up a book, but my dad doesn't think it's a big deal because he was even worse than me back then. Hahaha... So what you need to do is change your father and your grandfather, not yourself!"
"Shangluo, for example, to be able to attend the Imperial College at the age of thirteen is already quite impressive." Yan Penglai rarely spoke up for others, "But a person's life is determined by fate. Talent and luck are both predetermined and cannot be forced."
"My grandfather doesn't believe in fate, but he insists on forcing things, always saying that my father was beaten into submission by him!" Shangluo hung his head pitifully. "What should I do? I wanted my father to come home and take me to Jizhou, but now he's forcing me to go home. What should I do?"
Cui Fufeng smiled and said casually, "Then you should work hard to improve yourself and take the top spot in the daily tests a few more times to show them."
"Brother Fufeng, of course you always top the exam!" Shangluo's face was filled with pain. "But...but I'm confident in the others, but I can't surpass Jian Anting. He and Brother Guangling are both very good at studying, and I always lost to them!"
Cui Fufeng said, "Don't worry, take your time. I'm at the mansion now. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me. I'll also go and talk to the Master and ask them to give you some praise. I've enclosed the letter, and I believe Shang Biejia will be relieved."
Shangluo cheered, hugged his arms and cried with joy: "Brother Fufeng, you are so kind! I will never forget your kindness!"
Amid the laughter of others, Shi Jingning served the last dish. Seeing that everyone was present, he personally opened the lid of the middle pot, revealing the pot of braised fish.
The fire brisket and carp were stewed together, and the soup was milky white and fragrant, which made everyone at the table salivate with anticipation.
Shangluo put his worries behind his mind for a moment, poked the fish belly with a chopstick, picked up the bright red shredded fish and the snow-white fish meat, blew on it and chewed it with big mouthfuls, enjoying the delicious taste.
Shi Jingning scooped a bowl and brought it to Qiandeng, smiling and saying, "Please try it, County Lady. Do you like the taste?"
Qiandeng thanked him, holding chopsticks, looking at the scattered fish and scarlet fire steak. At this lively moment of celebration, Yu Guangling's corpse appeared before his eyes.
The handsome young man who had smiled shyly a few days ago had suddenly become a pile of rotting flesh and blood, his wounds oozing with rotten fluid, his cut muscles showing strange colors, and his tendons and bones tangled...
An uncontrollable feeling of nausea surged in his chest. Qiandeng suddenly pushed away the tableware in front of him, staggered to his feet, quickly left the table and walked under the eaves. He looked at the sycamore and banana trees outside, took a deep breath, and forced himself to drive all the bloody associations out of his mind.
Aunt Xuanji was startled and quickly went forward to gently stroke her back to help her calm down, and asked what was wrong.
Qiandeng shook his head, took a handkerchief and pressed it to his forehead, wiping away the cold sweat, then shook his head and said to Aunt Xuanji: "I have no appetite, let the gentlemen eat."
"Is it... the dishes I cooked not to your taste?" Shi Jingning, who had followed her out, heard her words and stood in the corridor with a slightly depressed look on his face. "Then wait a moment, my lady. I'll prepare another table for you."
Qian Deng stopped him and shook his head, saying, "No, it's just that I don't want to eat any meat these days. I just want light dishes."
Aunt Xuanji was a little worried: "County Lady, we all see your filial piety. There's no need to demand a vegetarian diet. You're already skinny. If you don't eat meat, are you really going to torture yourself to emaciation?"
"No, it's just that Fire Horse..." Qian Deng shook his head and was about to explain, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his chest surged again and he almost vomited.
"Is there anything wrong with the hot pot my grandfather sent me?" Ji Linyou quickly put down his chopsticks and came over to ask.
Xue Xiyang considerately brought her some tea and asked her to rinse her mouth.
Qian Deng hadn't expected her minor discomfort to attract so much attention. Seeing the situation getting even more awkward, she could only hesitantly explain, "It's nothing, it's just that I... don't feel like eating meat today."
The others were still confused, but Cui Fufeng suddenly came to his senses. He looked at the fire-cured chicken soup on the table, felt a lump in his throat, and quickly forced himself to suppress his breathing like her to avoid losing his composure.
Only Ling Tianshui walked to the table with a calm expression, scooped up some fire mackerel soup, and ate it. He raised his bowl to Shi Jingning and said, "It's fine, the county lady is fine. It's always like this when you first go to the charity cemetery. You'll get used to it."
after……
Qian Deng listened to his relaxed demeanor and nonchalant voice and couldn't help but glare at him, thinking to herself, wasn't Yu Guangling's murder tragic enough? If there were more in the future, what would happen?
In a fit of anger, the uneasiness in his chest eased slightly. When Shi Jingning heard the word "Yi Zhuang", he suddenly remembered his experience of slaughtering cattle and sheep when he first entered the Guanglu Temple. He finally understood something and hurriedly turned and headed towards the kitchen, saying, "I was negligent. I will make some suitable light dishes for the county lady."
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