"Ah, Yang Luo Bay." A flicker of an unusual gleam slipped through Marquis Mu Houchu’s gaze. He then put at ease and asked, "Has the third prince found anything yet?"
"There is still no clue at present, but we caught a force’s spy in the locality. The man committed suicide by poison as soon as he was discovered. He must be sent by the third prince. However, since he is dead, we no longer have any leads to investigate further."
Marquis Mu Houchu gravely said, "As he attacks covertly while we defend overtly, we stand to lose in a war of attrition. It would be better to smoke him out."
Ling Feng hurriedly said, "Your command is my wish."
"As the third prince has sent someone to spy on me, this proves that he is keeping tabs on my movements. Quietly release the news that I am here to recuperate from serious injuries that could not be treated. He should know that it’s not that I don’t want to return, but rather that I can’t."
For every day that Marquis Mu Houchu remained outside the capital, the third prince would maintain his vigilance. Knowing that he wished to return but was unable to, the third prince would no doubt wish to seize the opportunity to assassinate him.
Ling Feng’s eyes brightened. "Master’s strategy is brilliant, I will carry out now!"
"Wait."
"Are there any other orders?" Ling Feng suddenly halted.
Marquis Mu Houchu pursed his lips, lifting a cold smile. "If I must recover from illness, it would be best to choose a quiet place. The township is too noisy, so I think--- Yang Luo Bay is quite good."
——
Early one morning, the Ji family’s place was bustling. Jin Bao brought his cousin and a few close-knit brothers to help Ji Dong repair their houses.
This was not a very time-consuming job for the thatched hut, otherwise, they might as well rebuild it.
As long as some new mud is applied to the spots that let in the wind, and a thick new layer of thatch is placed on the roof of the house, that should be enough. Ji Xinhe isn’t demanding; as long as the wind doesn’t seep through, it’s fine. As for the warmth inside the house, it’s enough to build a heating bed and keep it burning all day, it shouldn’t be too cold.
While Ji Dong and Jin Bao were busy outside, Ji Xinhe was also hard at work. She stepped into the kitchen and started preparing lunch.
The lard that she bought yesterday hadn’t been rendered yet. Even if she wanted to render it now, it was a bit late, so she took a small piece of it and put it into the frying pan to heat it and fry out some oil for use in cooking the dishes.
There were two large pots, and Ji Dong had prepared plenty of firewood some days ago. Now, Ji Xinhe skillfully started fires under both stoves, placed the two large pots on top. In one, she was cooking steaming hot japonica rice, and another was for cooking vegetables.
Perhaps due to Ji Xinhe’s prior experiences, this seemingly foreign task of using a stove to make fire and cook was second nature to her. This showed that she was used to this kind of work.
The moment a small piece of lard was thrown into the pot, the tantalizing aroma of oil began to spread in the air. The sizzling in the pot was accompanied by oil oozing out of the fat. Ji Xinhe couldn’t help but swallow her saliva. She felt a little embarrassed that despite having tasted a lot of good things in her previous life, she was now drooling over a bit of lard.
Ji Xinhe had already decided. Today, since we invited people to help, we have to show them hospitality. Three meat dishes, a pot of bone soup, and a plate of red-braised pork in addition to a home-cooked stir-fry. Yesterday, she only bought two kilograms of pork, which was just enough for these. Additionally, there are four vegetable dishes. This morning, she went to buy two slices of tofu, which are perfect for Mapo tofu. There is also a small vegetable garden at the back of the house where some eggplants are grown. She picked two and cooked a plate of red-braised eggplant. Of the six eggs that Jin Bao gave last time, she took out four and steamed a big bowl of egg custard. She also added some minced meat on top, which gave it an additional meaty taste. Lastly, she quickly made a cucumber salad. Eating too many greasy dishes could make one feel greasy, but this refreshing cucumber salad is sweet and delicious.
While Ji Xinhe was busy in the kitchen, the fragrant aroma wafted out. Even Jin Bao, who always had good meals at home, couldn’t help but swallow his saliva. "We told her she didn’t need to prepare the meal, but why did Xin He prepare this much?"
Ji Dong was laying thatch on the roof, wiped his sweat and smiled, "After all, you guys came to help, how can we let you return hungry? Don’t be courteous with me, and don’t let my younger sister’s hard work this morning go in vain. Make sure you stay and eat later."
"The food smells so good, I won’t leave even if you chase me away now." Jin Bao chuckled.
Jin Bao’s cousin, Da Shu, slapped him on the forehead and laughed, "You’re really shameless!"
Amidst the laughter outside, Ji Xinhe was busy in the kitchen. She did not pay much attention to it and took a small spoonful of bone soup from the pot, tasted it, and clicked her tongue, "Hmm, it will be ready after boiling for another quarter of an hour."
The upper house, where Lady Ding and the others lived, was in the same courtyard as the Ji family’s thatched hut. It was hard for them not to smell the strong aroma.
"Come on, let’s eat. Dear Bao, eat more, you didn’t eat much yesterday," Ji Dashan said, assigning a bread roll to his six-year-old son.
The Ji family had suffered two hardships, almost losing all their family wealth. At least Ji Dashan had no money left in his hands. To survive the winter, he would have to tighten his belt.
However, Ji Xiaobao was not grateful at all. He pushed his bowl forward and said, "I don’t want this! I want to eat meat!"
Ji Dashan looked embarrassed, "We don’t have meat in our house now, please bear with it. Wait a few days, dad will get you... "
Ji Xiaobao made a scene. "I don’t want! I just don’t! I don’t want to eat this stuff, I want to eat meat! Why can Ji Xinhe eat it and I can’t?! I must eat it. I want to eat their meat!"
Ji Dashan looked troubled. Those kids didn’t like him, how could he go and ask for food?
Meanwhile, Lady Ding was suspicious. She got up and looked outside, only to see a fragrant aroma coming from Ji Dong’s small kitchen. This smell was really tantalizing.
Ji Xiulan said sourly, "Oh, they’re living a good life. Could it be that dad secretly gave them money and let us go hungry?"
Ji Dashan hurriedly said, "What are you talking about, where would I get money to give them...Ah, this is all someone else’s things. Let’s just eat."
Ji Xiaobao was crying and making a fuss, "No! No! I don’t want to eat this! I want to eat meat! Why can Ji Xinhe eat it and I can’t?! I insist on eating that. I want to eat their meat!"
Seeing Ji Dashan looking embarrassed, Lady Ding stood up, her eyes glaring and hands on her hips, "What’s the matter? Those rascals are eating their hearts out while their parents are gnashing their teeth! Babao, go, go get some!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
