Just as the two were finishing their noodles, Zhao Zhicheng urged Lan Yamei to take out a durian. They had just opened it, eaten a couple of pieces, and the table was a mess when a voice of disgust came from the hallway, "What's that awful smell! My god! Is that toilet stench coming up?"
The two people inside exchanged a glance, quickly fell silent, threw the unfinished durian back into their spatial storage, and opened the window, hoping to reduce the smell in the room.
Soon, Qiu Kongkong knocked on the door from outside, "Miss Lan, is this smell coming from your room?"
Lan Yamei didn't know how to explain for a moment. She steadied herself and said, "Ah, yes, I was a little hungry at night and couldn't sleep, so I got up and cooked some vermicelli." As she spoke, she opened the door.
Outside, Qiu Kongkong covered her nose with a look of disgust, peeked in, and saw Zhao Zhicheng there as well. She asked, "Is he hungry too? Did you two eat together?"
"Miss Lan's cooking is delicious. I woke up as soon as I smelled it and had a bowl too. Hehehe..." Zhao Zhicheng explained awkwardly.
Qiu Kongkong was completely speechless. This smelled like this, and they dared to say it was delicious. She looked at the two of them with disgust, and without even entering the house, she covered her nose and said, "I'm full. Hurry up and wash up. This smell is too strong. It's keeping me awake."
"Can't sleep?" Lan Yamei repeated, frowning.
"Ah! I was sleeping soundly, and then I was suddenly woken up by the smell." Qiu Kongkong thought no one would know that she had gone out.
The two exchanged a glance, not calling him out on his lie. "Sorry, we forgot to invite you to eat with us. The smell is indeed a bit strong. Where's your brother? Maybe I should ask him to have some."
At that moment, Qiu Zeyu opened his door, walked out, and said, "It stinks! What is this food?"
Lan Yamei and Zhao Zhicheng were completely bewildered. When did these two go out and when did they come back?
Lan Yamei casually said, "Luosifen!"
"Luosifen? What's that?" Qiu Zeyu said as he went inside to take a look. The smell was even stronger inside, and he couldn't help but feel nauseous. He barely managed to suppress it.
"Want some? I'll cook you a bowl." Lan Ya Mei noticed how disgusted the two brothers were, so she deliberately picked up the bowl and took a big gulp of soup, smacking her lips as she said, "It smells awful, but it tastes delicious. It's so addictive!"
Zhao Zhicheng also took a big gulp from his bowl and said contentedly, "One sip is unforgettable! The stinkier the better!"
Qiu Kongkong couldn't stand it, so she quickly waved her hand, went back to her room, closed the door, and went to sleep.
Qiu Zeyu was a little curious. Could something that smelled so bad really taste good? Considering Lan Yamei's previous performance, it was definitely the work of a master chef. So he covered his nose and said, "Then I'll give it a try."
Zhao Zhicheng, sensing the situation, quickly withdrew, claiming that he had eaten his fill and it was time to sleep.
Lan Yamei led Qiu Zeyu downstairs, asking him, "Where did you go last night? Don't think I don't know. I made some food and was going to call you, but you weren't in your room. I couldn't finish it, and I didn't want to waste it, so I called him to eat it." Under the cover of the table and cabinet, she took out snail rice noodles from her spatial storage, tore open the packaging, poured them into a bowl, and then added boiling water.
A strong, foul odor immediately filled the kitchen.
Qiu Zeyu didn't know if there was something wrong with his nose, but the smell upstairs was nauseating, but now it smelled somewhat fragrant downstairs.
Qiu Zeyu understood the explanation in Lan Yamei's words and said gently, "Brother Zhao, I'm at ease. Besides, you're both from that area, so you're practically fellow villagers. This snail rice noodle soup is how you eat it back home, right? Are you homesick?"
"I don't miss home, I just have a craving for food," Lan Yamei said gently, a rare occurrence for her.
"Is it really that delicious? I definitely have to try it." Qiu Zeyu said, taking the bowl from Lan Yamei. He picked out two strands of rice noodles and ate them, smacking his lips as he said, "This taste is very special! It smells terrible, but it doesn't taste bad at all." After saying that, he took another big bite and gradually got used to the unique taste of snail rice noodles.
Seeing that he was eating with satisfaction, Lan Yamei asked again, "Where did you brothers go out tonight?"
"Did he go out too?" Qiu Zeyu asked, as the two had gone to different places.
"I got back a little earlier than you. Tell me, what were you doing?"
"I went to the Murong residence, did you know? Pei Feiyan is dead! Murong Feng set it on fire and burned her to death," Qiu Zeyu said softly while slurping his noodles.
"Ah! Why? Did her affair with the minor official get exposed?" Lan Yamei said to herself, "There's no need to kill her, you can just kick her out or sell her."
"She detained Murong Bai!" Qiu Zeyu explained calmly.
"What?" Lan Yamei couldn't believe it. How dare a concubine from a brothel lay a hand on the eldest son of the Murong family? She was far too audacious.
"Keep your voice down, I overheard this. I doubt the Murong family will leak any information, so keep your mouth shut. That's enough for now." Qiu Zeyu took a bite of noodles and said, "What's this called? Snail rice noodles? I'm getting more and more hungry for it. Did you put anything in it?"
"Hey! What can I put in it? That's its charm, it's irresistible. Or can I sneak it in the middle of the night? There are too many people during the day, and if they smell it, they'll definitely think I'm eating shit."
"I'm eating! Stop talking nonsense. Get me some garlic, I want to try it and see if it's good." Qiu Zeyu was acting like a foodie right now. Lan Yamei thought to herself, "There's so much delicious food, I'll introduce you to it little by little later." She took a clove of garlic, peeled it, and handed it to Qiu Zeyu.
Qiu Zeyu ate with gusto, taking a bite of garlic and a bite of noodles. After finishing, he drank some soup, patted his stomach, and said, "I don't think I'm full!"
"Then I'll fry a few eggs for you to soak in the soup." After saying that, she turned around, heated oil in a pan, fried three eggs, pressed them into the soup, and then handed the chopsticks to Qiu Zeyu, saying, "Try it again."
Qiu Zeyu looked at the fried eggs, which were dry but tempting. He picked one up, put it in his mouth, and exclaimed, "They're crispy and fragrant, and they've soaked up all the broth. The two flavors blend together so well, it's absolutely delicious!"
"I'll make you other delicious food next time, there's plenty more!" Lan Yamei watched Qiu Zeyu finish his meal in three bites, then put away the bowl and asked, "Grandma Guan was invited to treat Murong Bai, right? Where's Butterfly?"
"There's no news about Butterfly; she must be dead. The fire engulfed Pei Feiyan's courtyard, leaving nothing but barren land," Qiu Zeyu stated truthfully.
"Ah!" Lan Yamei was speechless. Although they hadn't spent much time together, it was still quite a pity that she had passed away so quietly. She added, "Don't tell Aunt Guan yet, wait a little longer."
"Hmm!" Qiu Zeyu took the initiative to wash the pots and pans and tidy up the kitchen. He said to the dazed Lan Yamei, "Like a moth drawn to a flame, isn't that also a way of getting what she wants? She should have met Murong Bai through Pei Feiyan's arrangement, so it can be considered a happy ending. Don't feel sorry for her. Go to sleep early. Er Gou will still be busy tomorrow."
“By the way, could you draw a picture of Wen Dechang? I’d like to offer a reward to find him as soon as possible,” Lan Yamei said.
"I've had the pleasure of meeting you once; I'll draw it for you right away."
The two returned to their room. Qiu Zeyu got right to work, while Lan Yamei sat by the window, lost in thought and waiting.
After quickly finishing the drawing, Qiu Zeyu blew on it and showed it to Lan Yamei, saying, "This is him when he was young, but I don't know what he looks like now."
Lan Yamei took the painting, glanced at it, and froze, asking blankly, "You didn't draw it wrong?"
"No, how come you've seen him before?" Qiu Zeyu sensed something was wrong.
“He is my father!” Lan Yamei said.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com