The soldiers meant to eat were also in low spirits, carrying on with a resigned look on their faces. To avoid starving, they had no choice but to eat the moldy food.
Breakfast was finally ready. The soldiers came drooping with hunger to get their food and were amazed to discover that today’s white rice was especially white and fragrant. Most importantly, there was no hint of that musty smell!
"Hey, what’s going on? Why has the taste of this rice changed?"
"Yeah, there’s no musty smell at all, what happened?"
"Wow! It smells so good, no need for side dishes, I could eat two big bowls...."
The soldiers were holding their big sea bowls, discussing with excitement, confused and hopeful, as they queued for their turn.
When the soldiers at the front of the line started to eat their meals, people in the queue behind stretched their necks to watch their reactions. Someone asked, "How is it, does it taste okay?"
The soldiers eating opened their eyes wide, carefully swallowing the rice in their mouths. They then began to eat hungrily, not having time to answer those who asked. Only a few, gentler ones managed to utter two words during their meal: "Delicious!"
Delicious, proof it’s not moldy rice!
There came a triumphant yell!
Suddenly, the whole camp was filled with cheering. The young soldiers were all smiles, squatting on the hillside, in the small groves, eating sweet white rice joyously. Without any side dish, they could easily finish two bowls....
Nangong Yi stood outside the tent, watching the soldiers eating heartily, smiled contentedly, and then turned to go back into his tent.
Today, he didn’t dine with the soldiers because his little girl was waiting for him inside the tent!
When he entered the tent, the little girl had just come out of the space and was placing a plate of scrambled eggs with spring onions on the table.
On the table, there was a full feast: scrambled eggs with wild chicken eggs, boiled fish sprinkled with bright red chili, golden and crispy rabbit meat, aromatic and flavorful mushroom stewed pheasant, beautifully cut home-style cold dishes, and two cups of freshly squeezed fruit juice. The color, aroma, and taste were all enticingly perfect!
"You’re back, go and wash your hands, it’s time for dinner!"
Cai Wei called Nangong Yi over for dinner as she continued to set the table.
She was dressed in a sky-blue household dress. Her hair was tied up in a simple gold ingot bun, adorned with a simple green bamboo hairpin. She was as clean and modest as a country girl or resembled a young wife waiting for her husband to come back home for dinner.
Nangong Yi looked at the woman preparing food for him, slightly taken aback. It wasn’t until Cai Wei raised her head to call him: "What are you doing? Aren’t you going to eat? It’ll get cold soon!" He came back to his senses, smiled, walked slowly towards her, enveloped her in an embrace from behind, and buried his face in the nape of her neck.
Cai Wei was stunned for a moment, said, "What are you doing? We are about to eat..."
Nangong Yi rubbed his face against her neck, in an extremely tender manner, his voice was deep and pleasant, "Wei’er, I want to marry you! As soon as I go back, let’s get married."
Was this a proposal? But it seemed like he didn’t ask if she wanted to or not. Cai Wei gently snorted, but she couldn’t help grinning from ear to ear, "Hmph, lucky you, you think you can marry me just because you want to. It also depends on whether I’m willing to marry you or not!"
Nangong Yi also laughed, a teasing look on his handsome face, "Madam, I have adhered to the ’Three Obediences and Four Virtues’ for you, what else do you want?"