Chapter 175 – Rou Jia Mo (1) bribed people's heart
Maybe this was the difference between her and Empress Liang. One always appeared happy without any other expression, the other would express whatever mood she felt on her face!
And men would always like the cute and helpless type, therefore this doomed Empress Liang to always lose in the struggle with Imperial Concubine Yue!
Eunuch Cao had already withdrawn when Concubine Yue entered. Now hearing the harmonious laugher coming from inside, his heart slightly lamented. In this inner palace of imperial concubines, although every concubine shared his favor, but only Concubine Yue had this kind of treatment. Specifically favored in the inner palace of the imperial concubines and obtained the regent's generous love.
He lifted his head to look towards the city gate. His heart carried a faint pity thinking, 'your highness Prince Ying, take care of yourself.'
The horse carriage traveled for more than half of the day before it stopped to rest. It just so happened that nearby there was a little lake. At this time, the servants carried out from within the horse carriage pots, bowls, ladles and all kinds of implements.
When Fire Spirit got off his horse, he saw this scene and almost jumped from being startled. He asked Huang Yi who was directing everything. "Did you move the entire kitchen?"
Huang Yi patted the ash on her hand, with a laugh she replied. "This was something the little consort ordered. I was only following orders. But you also know I'm in charge of the meals, if I don't have these implements, how could I cook for everyone?" Therefore when the little consort asked her to prepare the equipments, she wanted to raise both hands and both feet in favor of it!
Fire Spirit tsked with his tongue, sure enough the little consort was a glutton!
Xiao Xu having gotten off the carriage, saw the servants methodically arranging to light the fire for cooking and cutting vegetables, he raised an eyebrow. "You ordered it?"
Chu Qing-Yan laughed mischievously. She never thought to conceal it because once meal time came, these stuff would be exposed anyway. She smilingly said. "Big Block of Ice, a person can't function properly on an empty stomach, if people miss a meal, they would lose their mind from hunger. Therefore ah, these are all stuff at home that are essential for a long journey far from home. Oh no, it's for a long journey to dig a mine, so in pa.s.sing I brought it along!"
Xiao Xu poured a basin of cold water on her. "In pa.s.sing, you used one whole horse carriage to hold it?"
Cough, cough, Chu Qing-Yan complained inside, don't need to pull the rug under her feet like this okay? If you have the ability, then in a while don't eat it!
But these words, even if you beat her to death she dared not say it. Because in a while, the person who won't be allowed to eat would be her!
And at this moment Fire Spirit walked over, hearing the dialogue between the two masters, he couldn't help but explain. "Little consort, in another two or three days, we'll probably enter a desolate and uninhibited region. I'm afraid when we get there, there won't be ingredients to prepare meals. Thus his Highness is worried that these things would become superfluous and of no use!"
Chu Qing-Yan couldn't help but smile. "Fire Spirit, I studied the map before, I have already considered these matters so you don't need to worry."
Fire Spirit hearing this, nodded his head. The little consort's way of doing things has become more and more ordered, so he felt rea.s.sured.
"That's right, where is Earth Spirit? Why haven't I seen him on the way here?" Chu Qing-Yan glanced all around and still didn't see his shadow. Normally, he was always inseparable from Fire Spirit. How come once they exited the city he seemed to have disappeared?
Fire Spirit mysteriously smiled. "Little consort, it is because this subordinate is the guard in the public. Earth Spirit is the guard in the dark."
He pointed this out without revealing too much, but Chu Qing-Yan immediately understood.
Fire Spirit is the guard that followed at Big Block of Ice's side to serve him. Whereas Earth Spirit would be hidden in a secret place, in charge of protecting them in secret.
She thought a bit, then turned her head towards Xi Ning to say. "You go take out some of the food that was prepared yesterday and give it to Fire Spirit."
Fire Spirit looked at Xi Ning leaving to obey the order with puzzlement. When she returned soon after, her hand held a white bag.
"This is?" Fire Spirit accepted the white bag, opened it and glanced inside. He discovered that there were two little pouches. One pouch had steamed buns that was cut into slices the thickness of people's palms. And the other pouch seemed to hold meat strips that were dried in the sun.
Chu Qing-Yan saw how astonished he was, she laughed in spite of herself and said. "You go and give this stuff to Earth Spirit. Tell him to take out two slices of steamed buns and add a slice of the meat, use the steamed bun to hold the meat slice in between so he can eat it like that. This is called Rou Jia Mo. If the conditions allow, he can heat up the Rou Jia Mo in the fire, the flavor would be even better."
Fire Spirit looked at the things in the bag with disbelief. It was the first time he heard of this way to eat it. He felt it was really fresh, in a while he'll stealthily take a slice to try it!
"Oh that's right, I don't know how many people he brought at his side. If it's not enough, then dispatch people to come and take some more. We made a lot, not afraid there won't be enough. Moreover, I already taught Huang Yi how to make these meat jerky. When we stop to rest on the road again, she will roast some meat slices, then hang it on top of the horse carriage to bake in the sun. At that time, you guys will be in charge of looking after the meat, don't let the birds take it away!"
Chu Qing-Yan thought about it and smoothly explained, since Earth Spirit was hidden in secret, he certainly wouldn't reveal himself and eat his meals with them. So she could only let them suffer this grievance.
Fire Spirit turned his head to look at the top of the carriage with nails sticking out, no wonder Wood Spirit was called over by the Little Consort to redo the horse carriage. So it turned out this was the purpose ah. He had no choice but to say the Little consort used all her strength for food. But this was also good, on this trip their meals would not lag behind. To prevent what happened before, when they would gnaw on steamed buns everyday!
Thinking of this, Fire Spirit was suddenly streaming with tears in his heart. Sure enough, having a mistress in charge of the family was good. Boo hoo, Little consort if you had appeared earlier, then how great would that have been ah. We had eaten several years of stone-like steamed buns as rations ah!
As a result, Fire Spirit was perfectly willing to be in charge of the job to dry the meat in the sun, and free of charge too!
If Chu Qing-Yan were to know his thoughts right now, estimate that she would spit out thirty percent of her blood!
Appear earlier? How early? She doesn't want to cross over as an infant that couldn't even take care of herself!
She followed Fire Spirit's gaze to look at that horse carriage. In fact these several horse carriages, she expended a lot of thoughts on them. How could it just be used to dry meat?
No, no, no it wasn't that simple!
The Retired Emperor sat on the chair prepared by the servants, stroked his few whiskers and chuckled. "I say grandson, you picked up a treasure. Such a hardworking and thrifty good wife, it's rare to come by!"
With an expression 'this marriage was bestowed by me, quickly come and praise me.'
Xiao Xu ignored him, his eyes swept by the carriage roof with the nails. Then he took a look at the chairs they were folding and somewhat pondered this.
At this time Wood Spirit walked over, his tone had a trace of admiration to say. "Master, the Little Consort is really smart. That kind of structure for the horse carriage this subordinate would never have thought of, not only could it be used to dry stuff in the sun, it could also be used to withstand a sneak attack."
The nails on both sides were especially sharp, if someone was to take the opportunity to land on top, they would directly taste the pain of needles going through the body.
"Moreover, this subordinate never imagined that chairs could be made into foldable type. When needed you can open it, when not in need it could be folded and put away. It doesn't need to take up s.p.a.ce and it's convenient to carry. The Little Consort's way of thinking is really novel!" Wood Spirit's pair of eyes gave off bright lights, in the circles of invention he was already second to none. Now seeing the Little Consort revealing this skill, immediately his pa.s.sions surged.
It's rare to hear Wood Spirit this willing to praise a person. The people under him were all famous in their own areas. Although they were not too arrogant, they still had a bit of haughtiness. It could be seen that the little fellow really was well hidden.
A faint smiling expression floated on the surface of Xiao Xu's eyes.
Just that following this, on the road, the actions Chu Qing-Yan displayed time and time again broke through everyone's eyes.
1) Rou Jia Mo – It's Chinese equivalent of the hamburger. Usually cooked ground pork stuffed into a grilled Chinese steamed bun with sauce of your choice. See wiki for more details.