bayedsolid Chapter 119 Dumbfounded
Chapter 119 Dumbfounded
What a wonderful saying, "Nothing is impossible to a willing mind!"
After hearing Zisu's words, Fang Heng couldn't help but secretly applaud her in his heart.
Talking to her can often be very rewarding and even enlightening.
After hearing her words, Fang Qiong felt a sudden sense of relief, as if she had suddenly gained confidence and courage: "Okay, I understand, I won't give up halfway!"
Practicing martial arts not only provides self-defense capabilities but also strengthens the body. To put it bluntly, if she grows up and gets married, and her husband treats her badly or harbors malicious intentions, she won't be so weak that she won't be unable to escape.
She had a cousin who married a wicked and ambitious husband. The man found a new lover and found her a nuisance. So, he plotted to kill her, hiring assassins to ambush her on her way to offer incense. Her cousin, a frail woman, unable to lift a finger, was no match for two strong and ruthless men. In the end, she not only lost her virginity but also her life.
How pitiful! How tragic! In the end, although her father's intervention led to the discovery of the true culprit and the mastermind behind the plot, avenging her cousin, she was already dead and could never be brought back to life!
Seeing his seemingly frail younger sister suddenly display such strength and courage filled Fang Heng with comfort and gratitude towards Zisu.
Shen Laihui returned, bringing back five pheasants, two muntjacs, and two rabbits. All of them had already been killed and cleaned.
Zisu then instructed Peng Donglai: "Brother Peng, could you please go to the foot of that mountain and pick a few lotus leaves?"
At the foot of Huangjue Temple, there is a field of crops and a pond filled with lotus roots. At this time, the lotus leaves are lush and swaying in the wind, a truly pleasing sight.
Peng Donglai was delighted to be ordered around by her and went to pick lotus leaves with great enthusiasm. Zisu followed up with a sentence: "Pick more, fifteen or sixteen leaves!"
"Okay, I got it!" Peng Donglai replied with a smile.
He Changsheng couldn't help but laugh: "Oh my, the princess really knows how to get him to do anything! You know, he's a lazybones. Anyone who tries to get him to do anything is bound to be disappointed!"
Zisu chuckled and said, "Oh, he almost became my brother! Perhaps that's why he was willing to help!"
He Changsheng was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter: "Maybe so!"
Everyone couldn't help but laugh, and their joyful laughter drifted through the mountains and forests, carrying far and wide.
While chatting and laughing with everyone, Zisu directed Xiangli to build two earthen stoves with stones. Then she encouraged everyone to go and gather firewood. The back mountain was full of towering trees, and there was plenty of firewood. In no time, they had gathered a large pile of firewood.
Peng Donglai picked lotus leaves, and Zisu washed them clean in the stream. Then she gathered some tender wild grass. She stuffed some salt, wild chili peppers, and ginger slices into the chicken's belly, wrapped the chicken in lotus leaves, tied it tightly with grass, and then covered it with a layer of yellow mud. Then she put the chicken in the earthen stove and buried it under the glowing embers.
Just as Zisu was smearing mud on the chicken wrapped in lotus leaves, everyone stared in disbelief, their eyes wide as gongs. When Zisu buried the chicken in the charcoal fire, Peng Donglai was the first to exclaim, "Hey, Princess, how could you wrap the chicken in mud? That's so dirty, and why bury it in the charcoal fire?"
Zisu: "I'm making beggar's chicken, it's so delicious, you'll see when you try it!"
"Oh dear, I wouldn't dare eat a chicken covered in mud. The imperial examination is in ten days, and if I get an upset stomach, it's no joke! If I miss the imperial examination because of greed, my father will definitely break my legs!" Peng Donglai quickly waved his hands, looking scared.
Zisu chuckled and said, "Alright then, the beggar's chicken will be ready soon. If you trust me, eat it; if you don't, don't. Otherwise, if something happens before the palace examination, I can't bear the responsibility! I'm telling you beforehand, don't force yourself. If someone dares to eat it and then feels unwell before the exam, don't blame me!"
He paused, then smiled and explained, "I'm just being a little petty now to be nice later! I hope everyone understands and doesn't mind!"
Xiangli glared at Peng Donglai: "On the way to the Northwest, the Princess ate countless beggar's chickens made by my daughter, and she was never in any trouble. Are you perhaps even more delicate than the Princess? At that time, Princess Yue'er was only five years old, and my young master was only three, and they were both perfectly fine every time!"
Peng Donglai quickly begged for forgiveness: "Alright, I was wrong, okay? It's just that I'm afraid because I have to participate in the palace examination!"
Xiangli persisted, "Even if something is wrong, it's just diarrhea at most, but there are still ten days until the palace examination! I don't believe that eating this beggar's chicken will cause diarrhea for ten days! Let me make this clear: if you dare to eat this beggar's chicken and are fine today, but feel unwell later, don't blame it on my young lady!"
Fang Heng nodded: "I believe in the princess, and Xiangli is right. If nothing happens today, and you feel unwell tomorrow or later, it's definitely not the beggar's chicken's fault! Everyone, wait a bit, think carefully about whether you want to eat or not! If you do eat, you should act like a man and not blame others!"
Everyone quickly replied, "That's right, you're absolutely right!"
Fang Qiong rolled her eyes at Peng Donglai: "Coward! You can't even trust Sister Zisu, who can you trust? And what's wrong with you? Why are you so afraid of your father beating you?"
At this point, she added with immense pride, "My father has never hit my older brother! Hehe, that's because my older brother has never done anything wrong, so even though my father sometimes wants to hit him, he can't find a reason!"
The little boy looked smug, which made Peng Donglai so angry that his face turned red: "Oh my, is your older brother really that good? He's never done anything wrong? I don't believe it, everyone makes mistakes!"
Fang Qiong: "You're obviously jealous, jealous that my older brother is a good person praised by everyone!"
“Everyone praises him? Not necessarily. Your aunt and her children might not praise your older brother!” Peng Donglai poured cold water on Fang Qiong’s enthusiasm.
Fang Qiong immediately wilted.
Peng Donglai is absolutely right. None of Father's concubines were good people. Most of their children were also bad, and very few of them had a good relationship with her and her eldest brother. Those people would certainly not praise her eldest brother or say anything good about him.
"You're so talkative! If you didn't speak, no one would think you were mute! My sister finally got to come out, can't you make her happy?" Fang Heng said to Peng Donglai, putting on a stern face.
Peng Donglai is Fang Heng's cousin, which is why he dared to say that.
Peng Donglai shrank back and said with a sheepish smile, "Cousin, I was wrong, I was wrong, okay?"
Fang Heng: "You're already a tribute student. Once you pass the palace examination, you'll be a Jinshi! Before long, you'll be a court official. You can't be so casual with your words from now on!"
Peng Donglai nodded obediently: "Yes, cousin, I understand."
While listening to them talk, Zisu, along with Shen Laihui and Xiangli, lit a bonfire and grilled the deer meat to make roasted meat.
Once the muntjac meat is set up, the beggar's chicken will be ready.
Zisu used a stick to dig out the beggar's chicken, supported it with a fresh lotus leaf, and carefully peeled away the mud and lotus leaf to reveal the clean and fragrant beggar's chicken.
A gust of wind blew by, carrying a fragrant aroma that made everyone swallow hard. The aroma also made everyone's stomachs rumble.
Zisu tore off a chicken leg and handed it to Fang Qiong: "Qiong'er, be careful, it's hot. Eat it in small bites!"
Fang Qiong was overjoyed, smiling as she thanked Zisu before starting to eat in small bites. The way she looked at it made everyone else salivate, as if she were enjoying a delicious meal.
Zisu ignored them and gave Xiangli and Shen Laihui a wing and some chicken respectively. She tore off a chicken leg for herself and ate it with relish.
And just like that, the chicken was completely devoured.
Everyone was stunned.
He Changsheng exclaimed, "Oh dear, Princess, why isn't there any for us? We're hungry too, you know!"
Zisu didn't even look up, focusing intently on gnawing on a chicken leg, and said slowly, "You are all scholars who have passed the imperial examinations, so it's best if you don't eat too much, lest you get an upset stomach. How about this, after you've finished attending His Highness's ceremony, I'll wait for you at Wuliping. Then, I'll make a few beggar's chickens for each of you, so you can eat to your heart's content!"
It's not that I'm petty or still bothered by what happened earlier, but I'm actually quite worried that someone might get food poisoning. After all, you scholars are usually too delicate; your constitutions are probably even weaker than Princess Yue'er's from the Eldest Princess's family. If your constitutions are too weak, eating this beggar's chicken might really give you diarrhea.”
After this explanation, everyone stopped clamoring for food.
Fang Heng replied, "I know martial arts, and I've always been in excellent health. I can eat, and I'll be absolutely fine!"
Zisu looked up at him and grinned, "Alright, I'll start cooking the second beggar's chicken now, one for each of you!"
"Oh, big brother, one for each of you? But I haven't had enough yet. Big brother, could you give me a chicken leg later?" Fang Qiong looked at her big brother with a pitiful expression.
Fang Heng smiled indulgently: "Alright, you and the princess will each get a chicken leg!"
Wow, I wrote 12,000 words today, that wasn't easy. Looks like I still need to have some drafts saved up!