Chapter 180
180: Cooking Privately (5 Updates)
“Alright!”
Li Hengyi quickly responded, as he had been worrying about how to strike up a conversation with Xie Zhinuan.
The layout of the carriage was indeed ingenious; even with a chessboard set up on one side, and cakes and oranges arranged on the other, it still did not feel cramped. On the contrary, sitting there was very comfortable. With the curtains drawn open and the carriage in motion, the breeze coming in was even more refreshing.
Xie Zhinuan’s skill in chess was truly lacking. Even though Li Hengyi intended to let her win, he still forced her into retreat step by step without any power to fight back.
“…”
Xie Zhinuan became more determined with each battle, and after one game, she pulled Li Hengyi into another. She racked her brains while playing, utterly serious, yet still she was suppressed, unable to move.
The grey wolf and Routuan lay on one side, letting Yuanbao stroke their fur, purring contentedly.
Silly Ni sat dozing off to the side, while Dahuang diligently pulled the mule cart from behind, pleased to trot along.
They stopped for a rest at a tea house along the roadside.
“…”
Xie Zhinuan, feeling somewhat refreshed from tidying up, suddenly thought of the time she and Old Master Yuan had also stopped here for a rest.
Only now, all that was in the past.
Zhao’an County and Fengping County, one to the left and one to the right. As long as she settled down in Fengping County this time, she would no longer have any dealings with the Yuan Family.
Letting out a sigh, Xie Zhinuan felt somewhat relieved, but also a bit melancholic.
And there was a touch of guilt.
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Because of her, she had indeed brought some trouble to the Yuan Family.Having relieved herself in the outbuilding, Xie Zhinuan came out to find that Yuanbao had already asked someone to heat up the steamed buns and marinated meat to serve.
“Miss Xie, come over here!”
“Hmm!”
Li Hengyi just ate the steamed buns, took a few bites of the marinated meat, but very little, seeming to find them not to his taste.
“Don’t you like to eat this?” asked Xie Zhinuan.
Li Hengyi shook his head, “Not exactly, it just makes my stomach uncomfortable after swallowing!”
“Is it the same with the food made by Aunt Chen?” Xie Zhinuan scooped up a piece of the steamed bun and asked seriously.
“I don’t throw up, but I just don’t have an appetite. What you cook is different, I can eat a lot!”
“…”
Seeing Li Hengyi nibbling on the steamed bun in such small bites, Xie Zhinuan felt quite sorry for him.
After swallowing a mouthful of the bun and meat, she said, “Yuanbao, go and tell the shopkeeper to lend us the kitchen!”
Then she turned to Li Hengyi and said, “You eat slower, I’ll go make some poached eggs for you!”
She thought about boiling them in ordinary water to see if Li Hengyi could eat them, so she did not consider using Spiritual Spring Water.
Li Hengyi nodded with a smile.
Yuanbao acted quickly, and as for the tea house owner, the moment Yuanbao tossed a silver ingot to him and he caught it, he immediately nodded and bowed with a smile, agreeing to everything without hesitation.
Xie Zhinuan cleaned the pot, rinsed it several times and still felt it was somewhat dirty. After pondering, she decided to have Yuanbao bring down their own cooking supplies-a small stove, a clay pot-and after cleaning them, heated water. Once the water boiled, she cracked in the eggs and cooked them, then added brown sugar.
A bowl of brown sugar poached eggs was ready.
Li Hengyi watched Xie Zhinuan, saw the sweat on her forehead and nose, and handed her a handkerchief.
“Thank you, I have one!” Xie Zhinuan took out her own handkerchief and wiped her face, “You taste it and see how you like it?”
Li Hengyi looked at his own hand, at the snow-white handkerchief being blown by the wind.
He knew that Xie Zhinuan held no romantic feelings towards him and might not even consider him a friend.
Their relationship included that of employer and employee, collaborators, creditor and debtor.
But not lovers.
She did not harbor feelings for him in her heart.
“Alright!”
He took back his handkerchief.
Li Hengyi suppressed his disappointment and bent down to eat the poached eggs.
How to say it?
It lacked some flavor but was still very delicious. Li Hengyi nodded, “The taste is good!”
The egg whites of the poached eggs were very tender, and the yolks just cooked, with a bit of a runny center when bitten.
Seeing Li Hengyi eat several poached eggs without vomiting or discomfort, Xie Zhinuan let out a sigh of relief and grabbed a steamed bun to nibble on.
Chapter 181