Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 21 - 20 Fish Banquet Eyes Challenge

Chapter 21: Chapter 20 Fish Banquet Eyes Challenge?

Chapter 21 -20 Fish Banquet Eyes Challenge?

Shen Chengyao, Shen Zixuan, and Lai Zhewei together lifted a large wooden barrel full of fish onto a bullock cart.

This cart was pushed over by Liu Zhiwen and Liu Zhiwu when they went home to fetch their bathing tub and baskets.

Chengyao pushed the cart back to the Liu’s residence.

A large barrel of fish was thrashing around within the wooden barrel, splashing small droplets of water that gleamed rainbow in the sunlight.

The silvery scales of the fish were so shiny it blinded the villagers.

When they returned to the Liu’s, such a large number of fish left the women of the household dumbfounded.

Mrs.

Tan muttered, “So there are this many fish in the river?

It’s always so difficult to catch even one or two.

Did they all collectively commit suicide today?”

“Pff!” Zhewei burst out laughing at that comment.

Seeing everyone looking at him, he quickly straightened up, “Sorry.

I couldn’t help myself.

The lady’s comment was too funny.”

It was only then that Xiao’er realized that Jingshu inherited Mrs.

Tan’s sense of humor.

Her uncle was not home today.

He was working at the timber shop in the county, so the house was mostly filled with women.

Thus, Chengyao took the responsibility of hosting Zixuan and Zhewei.

Mrs.

Liu and Mrs.

Liu Lin were both busy in the kitchen.

Mrs.

Tan was looking after the little sister.

With guests at home, they needed to prepare extra dishes.

Xiao’er and Jingshu also went to the kitchen to help out.

They asked Mrs.

Liu to make a fish soup and a dish of white peony and river shrimp.

Then Xiao’er sliced the fish into thin pieces to make pickled fish, also made dual-color steamed fish head, another dish called ‘jumping fish’, and a platter of red-cooked eels.

Along with the dishes the Lius had previously prepared, which were chicken stir-fried with shiitake mushrooms, garlic sprouts stir-fried with bacon, as well as stir-fried baby bok choy and egg with chives, they had a total of ten dishes.

They served dishes on two tables, and very soon every fish dish was all gobbled up.

“Xiao’er, your cooking skills are incredible.

Even your aunt feels a bit envious,” Mrs.

Tan complimented Xiao’er, who now couldn’t help but find her own cooking unimpressive in comparison.

“Aunt, the dishes you cooked are also very delicious.

I think it’s because we caught the fish ourselves that everyone finds it even more tasty.

It’s because there’s personal involvement in it.” Xiao’er thought Mrs.

Tan was a very good cook too.

But she did have an extra advantage because she used water from her secret space to cook, making it on a whole different level.

Her explanation about ‘personal involvement’ was a new concept but everyone seemed to understand.

They all agreed this was part of the reason why the dishes tasted so good.

“Zixuan, next time who goes home to Mu Xiu’s place, you should go to Xiao’er’s place for meals as well!

Xiao’er, remember to prepare a meal for us.

Zhewei will bring you some nice treats”

“Really, what tasty food do you have?” Xiao’er readily agreed.

Despite the apparent refinement of Zhewei, who clearly came from a wealthy family, he didn’t put on any airs.

He appeared to be easy-going, which made Xiao’er keen on befriending him.

Because after all, having more friends would make her journey easier.

“Young Master Lai, you are invited.

Please don’t feel obligated to bring anything.” Shen Chengyao gave Xiao’er a glance.

“Uncle Shen, I am a classmate of Zixuan’s.

Please just call me Zhewei.

Calling me Young Master Lai feels too formal.” Zhewei truly needed to build a good relationship with the Shen family.

Their little girl’s cooking was too much to his taste—he had suffered from hunger for so long.

He was picky with food and often ate only a little to not starve.

But today, he couldn’t help but wanted more after trying those dishes.

It was like a thirsty man finding water after a long drought.

Shen Chengyao found Zhewei’s fervency a bit excessive, but he simply nodded in response.

After the meal, Jingshu dragged Xiao’er to pick jujubes.

This year’s crop was particularly good, with the fruits being big and sweet.

“Xiao’er, you catch the fruit while I climb the tree to pick them.” Before she finished speaking, she had already scampered up the tree in a few bounds.

She must have done this a lot.

“Xiao’er, catch!” Jingshu tossed down a jujube, and Xiao’er reached out to catch it.

Excited at Xiao’er’s dexterity, Jingshu continued, “Xiao’er, that was amazing!

Here comes the next one!” Jingshu would pick and throw, and Xiao’er would catch every piece.

Seeing Xiao’er managing to catch every single fruit, Jingshu was thoroughly astounded and threw the jujubes with even more determination.

The two fell into a fun rhythm of tossing and catching.

When Zhewei stepped outside, he saw a young woman in a pink coarse dress skipping around a tree, just like an elf.

She playfully teased the little girl beneath the tree.

The sound of her laughter, clear as a silver bell, rang straight into the core of his heart, causing his heartbeat to quicken.

“That’s enough now, big sister.

We’ve already picked a lot.” Xiao’er started to tire of the game, and quickly interrupted Jingshu’s merry endeavours.

Jingshu wanted to pick some more originally.

But seeing another person under the tree, she felt embarrassed and began climbing down.

When she got about halfway, she jumped directly from the tree.

Watching Jingshu the whole time, Zhewei was shocked when he saw her jump.

Without any further thought, he dashed over, reached out his arms, and managed to catch her.

Having always jumped from the tree in the same way, Jingshu found it perplexing that someone was there to catch her.

She stayed in the strange man’s embrace for a moment, staring at him in surprise, before recovering her wits.

Lai Zhewei looked at the woman in his arms who had been frightened silly, secretly relieved: thank goodness he was only two steps away from her.

Thinking of the dangerous action she had just taken, he could not help but rebuke, “You must never do such a dangerous thing again, what if you fell!”

Xiao’er listened to this, furrowed her brows, why did these words sound like he was indulging and feeling heartache?

She glanced at Lai Zhewei’s expression, his eyes were so soft that they could practically shed water.

Alright, there was an affair!

Hearing his words, Liu Jingshu also realized that she was still in his arms, hastily struggled to free herself from his embrace.

Her face flushed red like an apple, her head lowered as she said, “Thank you, young master, for the rescue.” Then, still with her blushing face, she ran into the house.

Xiao’er looked at the behavior of her cousin, raised an eyebrow, had these two fallen for each other?

The others also came out, and seeing Liu Jingshu with a red face running in, Zhiwen asked, “What’s wrong with sister?

Why is her face so red?”

“Nothing, she must have gotten sunburned.

She was picking dates on the tree for half a day.

These dates are very sweet, I will wash some for you to eat.” Xiao’er helped the two of them cover up, after all, a woman’s reputation in ancient times was very important.

Being touched by a man was a big deal, let alone being held in his arms.

And the gap between these two was too big, it might be difficult for it to end well.

Xiao’er cleaned up a plate of dates and put it on the stone table.

Under the date tree, there just happened to be a stone table and a few stone chairs for people to rest and cool down.

Jingrui, Jinghao, Zhiwen and Zhiwu, the four of them, kept asking about the academy, and the two of them patiently answered.

Xiao’er put down the dates: “You guys have a taste, I’ll go make some bait.”

Upon hearing this, the others didn’t say more, they all wanted to see how the bait was made.

“Xiao’er, tell me what you need, I will prepare it.” Liu Zhiwu quickly replied.

“Then you help me get some rice bran, wheat bran, and flour, I’ll get some water.” Xiao’er, in front of them, took an empty bowl to the water tank in the courtyard to fill a bowl with water, then slightly turned sideways to block the others’ line of sight, and quickly switched the prepared bowl of water from the space with it.

Xiao’er brought a bowl of space water, then mixed half a bowl of rice bran, half a bowl of wheat bran, half a bowl of flour together, and then poured in water to mix it.

“Xiao’er, just making this much won’t be enough to go around.” Lai Zhewei was dissatisfied when he saw that Xiao’er had only made a small ball of bait.

Even if he took all of it, he would feel it was too little.

“Yes Xiao’er, make some more, please.” Zhiwu also felt it was insufficient, he had brought two bowls of everything.

“Then bring me another bowl of water, but I think it’s enough.

If this bait is successful, a small ball can attract many fish.

If it’s not successful, making more would be a waste.”

“Then we need to make more, in case this time it’s not successful, what will we do?

How about making more a few more times?

Also, Xiao’er have you forgotten something?” Lai Zhewei saw that the bait was made so simply, he was a bit skeptical whether Xiao’er had left something out.

“Not at all, these are all that’s needed for this bait.

The key is the right mix and the force of stirring.

Only by accurately handling these two points can the taste of these ingredients blend together to become a flavor that fish like.” Xiao’er fooled them.

On everyone’s demand, Xiao’er made two more bowls.

Shen Zixuan, Lai Zhewei and the two brothers, Zhiwen and Zhiwu split the three bowls of bait into three equal parts.

Each person held a bag of different bait as if it were a treasure.

Noon had already passed, Shen Chengyao said he would go home, as his younger sister was small and it was not good to travel at night.

Shen Zixuan and Lai Zhewei also had to return to the academy.

Mrs.

Tan split the dates they had just picked into three parts for them to take away.

She originally wanted to give them some fish to take away too, but everyone refused, saying that they had bait and could catch some when they got home, so they gave up.

Nabbing the dates, Lai Zhewei thought of the pink figure in the tree, he gripped the bag of dates even tighter.

Xiao’er secretly added a lot of space water to the wooden barrel, so the fish should be able to live for a while.

She told Mrs.

Tan, “Auntie, you can let uncle sell the fish to the county tomorrow.

Looking at how lively they are now, they should be able to live until tomorrow.

Any that are not sold can be salted to make dried fish.”

Mrs.

Tan agreed, and everyone went their separate ways.