164, Shortcut (2 more
Xie Zhinuan entered the kitchen and asked Lovely Ditz to bring out the steamer. The steamer was large and hot, so she kept reminding her to be careful.
Lovely Ditz was also very careful. Yuanbao watched and stepped forward to lend a hand.
They safely placed the steamer on the table; the tofu pudding had already been served along with a small dish of chili on the side to dip into while eating the pudding.
“Young Master Li, these dishes should be eaten while they’re hot. Today, let’s not stand on ceremony with master and servant, and just sit down and eat together, shall we?” Xie Zhinuan asked softly.
Li Hengyi nodded.
His mind was already on the steamed pork with rice flour and the tofu pudding.
“Then let’s sit down and eat!”
The three dogs were also gnawing on bones to the side.
The steamed pork with rice flour was tender and fragrant; the fatty meat melted in the mouth without being greasy.
If one felt greasy, a bite of tofu pudding dipped in chili pepper would immediately whet the appetite.
The ribs were also tender and delicious beyond words.
Li Hengyi ate quickly but still elegantly, while Yuanbao was a bit rougher around the edges. However, when the food is delicious, one doesn’t bother with such trivial details.
In short, everyone truly stuffed themselves.
“…”
After the meal, no one felt like moving.
Xie Zhinuan summoned Lovely Ditz to bring out the tangerine tea she had brewed, one cup each to cut through the greasiness.
“Miss Xie!” Yuanbao whispered.
“Hmm?”
“I think I’ve gained weight!”
“…”
“…”
Xie Zhinuan was stunned.
Li Hengyi gave Yuanbao a side glance and gently pinched his stomach, as if he too had put on weight.
The food Xie Zhinuan cooked was genuinely delicious; he always couldn’t help but overeat.
He couldn’t eat much of what others cooked…
Yuanbao felt the remark was a bit embarrassing and quickly added, “Miss Xie’s cooking is so delicious that I couldn’t help eating more!”
Xie Zhinuan thought to herself that wasn’t the point.
The point was, shouldn’t all the food she made go into Li Hengyi’s stomach? Why had Yuanbao gained weight?
That didn’t seem scientific.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward for a moment, but even the awkwardness was tinged with harmony.
Li Hengyi looked at Xie Zhinuan and asked, “Miss Xie, when do you plan to go into the mountains?”
“?” Yuanbao also looked towards Xie Zhinuan.
“…”
Xie Zhinuan thought for a moment, “The day after tomorrow. Let’s go into the mountains the day after tomorrow, and we should prepare tomorrow!”
While speaking, a glimmer flickered in her eyes.
Actually, Xie Zhinuan wanted to go into the mountains alone. She had her own space, and if anything happened, she could just hide in it. But she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to pull the three dogs in with her in time to avoid danger, and she couldn’t bear that thought.
“Good, I’ll have Yuanbao arrange it!” Li Hengyi replied promptly.
He then inquired about some details.
After some thought, Xie Zhinuan said, “I’ll draw the Jiji Grass out. Maybe that way everyone will be able to spot it!”
Lovely Ditz quickly went to prepare the ink and brush.
But as luck would have it, Xie Zhinuan’s drawing skills were subpar. When she picked up the brush, the embarrassment was unbearable, and the result was too pitiful to look at.
In the end, she described it, and Li Hengyi helped to draw it. His version looked quite presentable.
“Young Master Li, could you draw a few more sheets for me? I’ll ask the villagers if they have seen it!”
If the villagers had seen it, then she wouldn’t need to go into the mountains.
“Of course!”
Li Hengyi readily agreed, continuing to draw several more sheets.
“I’ll also send people to help you look for it!”
“Thank you so much, Young Master Li!”
Xie Zhinuan was excessively polite, which wasn’t what Li Hengyi had in mind with his offer of help.
As for what he did have in mind, he hadn’t quite realized it yet.
Xie Zhinuan was a woman of action, and early the next morning, she went to the village. Several old women gathered around her, asking what she wanted to buy.
“I wanted to ask if any of you have seen this kind of grass!”
“If we find it, would you buy it, Miss Xie?” someone couldn’t resist asking.
The man who asked the question had seen the grass before, but he wasn’t sure if it was the same kind Xie Zhinuan was looking for.
Chapter 166