Chapter Six: You Hidden Meat!?
Having been hungry for a long time, Chen Qing needed to eat something.
Wang Zhong looked grateful, thinking she was helping him out of a predicament.
"Miss, here you go."
Butler Wang brought Chen Qing two cornbread buns. The buns were cold and hard, like pebbles in his hand. Even wealthy people accustomed to delicacies probably had never eaten such a thing before, and even Chen Zhenyan looked like he could hardly swallow them.
Chen Jiao looked at the cornbread in Chen Qing's hand, then at the equally rough cornbread in her own, and angrily threw it onto the cushion, complaining in a tearful voice, "Dad! Mom! I don't want to eat this pig swill! I want to eat meat! How can I live without meat!"
Zhang quickly hugged her daughter and coaxed her tenderly, "My dear, bear with it. When we get to Qibao Town, I will definitely buy you the best braised meat." As she spoke, she glanced at Chen Qing with disdain and said meaningfully, "It's better than some people who can even eat pig feed."
Chen Zhenyan, his head throbbing from the noise, snapped, "Enough! What time is it for you to be so picky! You should be grateful you have cornbread to eat! Hurry up and eat so we can get going!"
He picked up a cornbread himself, took a difficult bite, and frowned so deeply it could trap a fly. Accustomed to refined rice, white flour, and meat, the coarse texture was truly hard to swallow.
Will eating cornbread affect weight loss?
Chen Qing wasn't sure, so she pretended to sniff the cornbread lightly and summoned the system: "System, can you detect the calories in the cornbread?"
The next second, the system displayed a string of scanned information.
[Whole grain steamed bun: Edible, weight 106 grams, approximately 200 calories. Buyback price: 1 point]
A whole-grain steamed bun has 200 calories?! Are you crazy?! Chen Qing almost blurted out!
Upon seeing the recycling price, a thought suddenly struck her. "System, can you recycle cornbread?"
[Yes, host, would you like to sell cornbread?]
Chen Qing was overjoyed. She had been thinking about how to increase her weight loss points, but she didn't expect the system to be able to recycle things!
"Besides cornbread, do you recycle anything else?"
Anything with heat can be recycled; the higher the heat content, the higher the recycling price.
Chen Qing fell into deep thought. She thought everything could be recycled, but it turned out that only things with heat could be recycled.
Thinking about it carefully, this also makes sense in accordance with the system rules, after all, this is a weight loss system!
Consuming too many high-calorie foods is detrimental to the host's weight loss. Selling high-calorie foods can earn weight loss points, which can then be used to redeem items in the shop...
Chen Qing was excited.
This means that as long as she has enough cornbread, she can exchange all those powerful ships and cannons.
Although the recycling price of a single steamed bun is only 1 point, the 200 calories consumed are hard to burn off, making Chen Qing's weight loss plan even more difficult.
Without a second thought, Chen Qing lowered her eyes and used her wide sleeves to cover the cornbread in her hands. She said, "Dad, I'm getting off the bus."
Having said that, before the Chen family could utter a sound, he climbed out of the carriage.
Then, as he stepped off the bus, Chen Qing silently chanted in his mind, "System, reclaim!"
Looking at the weight loss points, they changed from 1300 to 1301.
Even a tiny mosquito is still meat.
This was done extremely discreetly; no one noticed that one of the cornbread buns in her hand was missing.
Zhang asked curiously, "What is she going out to do?"
Chen Jiao thought of something, her eyes flashed, and she said with a contemptuous smile, "In my opinion, my sister must be going to find that little beggar to give him the cornbread."
Chen Qing did indeed go to find Pei Xuan.
He lagged behind the group, a small, thin man who struggled to keep up with the main group despite the wind and snow.
In the dead of winter, with heavy snow falling, he was wearing only thin, tattered clothes, his legs below the knees exposed, his slender yet strong calves turning bluish-purple from the cold.
While everyone else rested and ate, he stood alone by the carriage, sheltering from the wind and snow. Ice crystals formed on his thick eyelashes, making them look crystal clear.
Chen Qing walked over, suspecting that if he hadn't come out, he probably would have frozen to death.
"Is he still alive?"
Chen Qing stood in front of Pei Xuan, shielding him from the cold.
His eyelashes trembled slightly, his breathing was barely audible, and he slowly opened his eyes to look at Chen Qing.
“Sister…” Pei Xuan’s voice was very soft, his bright black eyes lost their luster, and he showed a weak smile.
Chen Qing frowned slightly, saying it was impossible for her not to be moved. She turned around and looked around, then ordered a servant to fetch Wang Zhong.
Wang Zhong arrived soon.
"What business does the young lady have with this old servant?"
"Butler Wang, do you have any extra cotton-padded clothes? Find him a suitable outfit, don't let him freeze to death."
Wang Zhong looked at Pei Xuan, who was half-dead on the ground, and was somewhat puzzled, but he did not say anything: "Yes, Miss, this old servant will go and find him some clothes."
A moment later, Wang Zhong brought a set of indigo cotton clothes, which were somewhat worn, but much better than the single garment Pei Xuan was wearing.
Two servants helped Pei Xuan change into new clothes. Pei Xuan felt warm and looked up at Chen Qing with a grateful smile: "Sister saved my life again."
Chen Qing tossed the cornbread to him as well, and before leaving, he reminded Wang Zhong to take good care of him, saying, "I still need him, don't let him die."
"yes!"
Miss Chen Qing's status was quite useful among these servants.
Chen Qing didn't rush back to the carriage. Instead, he spent five weight loss points to exchange for a fist-sized piece of braised beef.
Beef is a high-quality protein source; it's not only filling but also doesn't hinder weight loss. Chen Qing hasn't eaten for too long, which is actually hindering her weight loss; she needs to eat something.
After finishing the braised beef, Chen Qing felt satisfied and warmed up. She wiped her mouth clean and returned to the carriage.
The guards and servants had already finished eating, and Chen Zhenyan, eager to continue his journey, ordered them to keep going.
The carriage started moving with difficulty. The carriage was spacious enough that even with two or three more people sitting inside, it wouldn't feel crowded. To keep warm, each member of the Chen family had a heater.
As Chen Qing's breathing rose and fell, the aroma of beef spread throughout the carriage.
Chen Jiao ultimately refused to eat the cornbread; she preferred to go hungry rather than swallow the hard cornbread.
Upon smelling the aroma of meat, Chen Jiao sniffed around like a dog, exclaiming, "Mom, can you smell it? It smells like meat!"
"Poor little darling, you're so hungry you've gone mad. Where would you find the smell of meat in this desolate place?"
"Impossible, Mother, I absolutely didn't smell it wrong!" Seeing that even her own mother didn't believe her, Chen Jiao hurriedly pleaded with Chen Zhenyan, "Father, didn't you smell it?"
Chen Zhenyan sniffed lightly and frowned: "It seems to smell a bit like meat."
"I think I can smell it too," Zhang said, puzzled.
"Mom, is there still some meat in your bag that you haven't thrown out? Hurry up and look for it!" Chen Jiao urged excitedly.
After they had tidied up the entire car, they still hadn't found a single piece of meat.
This greatly disappointed Chen Jiao.
By noon, the wind and snow had gradually subsided, but the sky remained overcast. The group was cold, hungry, and extremely exhausted.
Chen Zhenyan ordered his men to find a deserted village to take temporary shelter and rest.
At noon, all that was served was cornbread. Chen Jiao felt weak all over. She tried to take a bite and almost broke her teeth from the cornbread.
Chen Qing ordered two more steamed buns, just like in the morning. He made an excuse to go out and find Pei Xuan, and then swapped the steamed buns for a weight-loss snack.
She had given instructions in the morning, so Pei Xuan also received a share of the steamed buns at noon. Chen Qing simply glanced at him without saying anything, then found a quiet place to exchange them for a piece of beef and ate it.
As they continued on their journey, Chen Qing leaned against the carriage and closed his eyes to rest. Chen Jiao smelled the aroma of meat again, but couldn't find any meat. The aroma made her mouth water.
Chen Jiao was already starving, her stomach practically sticking to her back. Looking at the hard, dry cornbread in her hand, she couldn't bring herself to swallow it. Suddenly remembering something, she abruptly looked up and glared fiercely at Chen Qing: "Chen Qing! Where's your cornbread? Did you secretly hide the meat?"
Chen Qing opened his eyes and said lazily, "What nonsense are you talking about, little sister? Didn't you feed all the meat to the wild dogs? Of course I ate my cornbread."
"You're talking nonsense!" Chen Jiao blurted out. "I didn't see you eat at all! You must have hidden something else! Mother, search her! She's so fat, she must be hiding something on her!"
Zhang also found it strange. Chen Qing, that brat, hadn't eaten a single thing since yesterday, yet she seemed to be in good spirits. Could she really be hiding food?
"Qing'er, Jiao'er is worried about you too. If you really have hidden food, then take it out. We are a family, we share the good times and the bad." Zhang Shi said hypocritically, but her eyes gestured for the nanny next to her to come forward.
Chen Qing's eyes turned cold. A body search? They're really pushing their luck!
She sat up abruptly, her obese body exuding a sense of oppression. She looked coldly at the approaching old woman, her voice not loud, but icy: "Let's see who dares to touch me?"
The old woman was intimidated by her gaze, paused in her steps, and looked at Zhang Shi for help.
Annoyed by the commotion, Chen Zhenyan snapped, "What's all this noise about now!"
"Dad! Chen Qing must have hidden food! Otherwise, why isn't she hungry at all?" Chen Jiao blurted out.
Chen Qing chuckled, patting his empty sleeves and collar with a dull thud: "If you don't believe me, sister, you can come and see for yourself. But if you find nothing, sister will bark like a dog three times in public, how about that?"
"You!" Chen Jiao's face turned red with anger.
"Nonsense!" Chen Zhenyan scolded. "Qing'er, shut up! Jiao'er, behave yourself! Anyone who makes a scene will get out of the carriage and walk!"
Although he was biased, he also felt that Chen Jiao was being unreasonable. What could Chen Qing possibly hide in those clothes? He wouldn't even dare to hide a steamed bun.
The turmoil has been temporarily averted.
Chen Jiao bit into the cornbread with resentment, as if she were biting into Chen Qing's flesh. Zhang's eyes flickered, lost in thought.
In the afternoon, the road became increasingly difficult to traverse. The snow was so thick that the carriage wheels sank deep into the snow and mud, forcing the servants to take turns pushing the cart, making progress as slow as a snail's pace.
Chen Jiao started throwing a tantrum again, "These idiots, don't they know how to use their strength? At this rate, when will we ever get to Qibao Town!"
She changed the subject, clinging to Chen Zhenyan's arm and pleading, "Dad, please tell them to hurry up and push it, I want to eat meat!"
Chen Zhenyan was also very anxious. There was no village or shop in sight. What if he had to spend the night in the wild and encountered a pack of wild dogs again?
He doesn't have any meat to offer.
So he summoned the steward and ordered, "Tell the servants to push the cart quickly and not to slack off."
Wang Zhong was in a dilemma: "Master, none of the servants are slacking off; they are all pushing the cart, but the roads outside are really difficult to walk on!"
Zhang gave Chen Qing a malicious look and mocked, "Master, in my opinion, you can't blame the servants for being lazy. Look at this carriage, Qing'er alone weighs as much as several people. With her sitting in the carriage, how can the speed be fast?"
"Pfft, Mother is absolutely right. Sister, for everyone's sake, why don't you get off the cart and help push it?"
Wang Zhong hurriedly exclaimed, "Absolutely not! Miss is of noble birth, how could she do such a thing? I'll have the servants put in more effort!"
Chen Zhenyan was caught in a dilemma. He wanted to get to Qibao Town as soon as possible, but he also felt it was a bit inappropriate to let Chen Qing, a young lady from a wealthy family, get out and push the cart.
Just as he was struggling with this, Chen Qing said calmly, "Father, let your daughter go down and help the steward and the others push the cart."
Chen Zhenyan instinctively refused: "How can that be?"
Unexpectedly, Chen Qing took a deep breath, looked at him with eyes full of filial affection, and said, "Father, I feel sorry for you. You've been eating cornbread all day. The most important thing now is to hurry on our journey and reach Qibao Town as soon as possible. Although I am slow-witted, I want to share your worries."
Chen Zhenyan never expected that Chen Qing would be so filial. He looked at his daughter's plump but unusually calm face, then at the struggling queue outside the window and the approaching darkness, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded: "Alright, it's good that you have this intention."
"Thank you, Father." Chen Qing lowered his eyelids, concealing the glint in his eyes.
Everyone in the carriage was stunned.
Before they could react, Chen Qing jumped off the carriage.
My feet sank into the knee-deep snow, and the biting cold instantly shot through my body. The howling wind whipped up snowflakes that stung my face like knives.
Chen Qing shivered, but took a deep breath of the cold air and started walking.
She rolled up her sleeves and joined the line of people pushing carts.
Every step was incredibly heavy, the resistance of the snow, the weakness of the body, and the weight of over 300 pounds... This was undoubtedly torture.
Chen Qing wasn't really doing it for Chen Zhenyan; she just wanted to increase her exercise so she could lose weight faster.
Chen Qing is extremely ruthless to herself; once she sets a goal, she has an unwavering determination to achieve it.
I know that if I slowly lose weight and accumulate enough points, I can exchange them for an antidote, and then losing weight will be much easier.
But Chen Qing was in a great hurry; she wanted to go faster and faster.
She gritted her teeth and pushed the carriage with all her might, her steps uneven. The icy air she inhaled brought a stinging pain to her lungs, but sweat seeped from her forehead, only to be quickly cooled by the cold wind.
Before anyone knew it, Pei Xuan came up to her from the back of the group and, mimicking her, gritted his teeth and pushed the carriage with all his might.
Wang Zhong shouted at the servants, "Put in more effort! Even the young lady got out of the carriage herself and is pushing it with us. Don't let her down! Qibao Town is just ahead!"
Upon hearing that Chen Qing had gotten out of the carriage and was working with the servants, the servants were invigorated, and the caravan indeed moved much faster.
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