Chapter 68: Chapter 54: Examiner Official Fan Zhenglian_4
When she was with the Lu Family, she was timid and spoiled. Rarely did she lift a finger to work, and would panic at the sight of a bee or a snake. However, when one is driven by the brink of starvation, fear becomes irrelevant, and appetite dictates.
Lu Tong still remembered the first time she tasted roasted bird.
Back then, she was naive and clumsy, not even knowing that you had to pluck the bird and remove its innards before roasting it. She just slapped it on the fire whole, roasted it until it was black, thought it was done, took a bite, and blood oozed out.
Lu Tong cried out with a "waah," the taste of blood rising from her throat, nauseating. She wanted to vomit, but the hunger in her belly reminded her there was no other food. So, swallowing the hard-to-stomach stench, she forced the charred bird down, bite by bite.
That was the most painful meal Lu Tong had ever eaten since she was born.
However, from that day on, she started to realize something. At Luomei Peak, if she wanted to survive, she couldn’t always rely on others for hope. She gradually learned how to create traps for hunting and managed to catch small rabbits. She also learned to process the game cleanly, making jerky to store away in case she ran out of food again.
When Lady Yun came back and saw her, she was surprised to find her still alive. Then, seeing the dried meat she stored in jars, Lady Yun looked at her even more incredulously.
"Not bad," she said to Lu Tong. "Up until now, you’re the one who has lasted the longest on Luomei Peak." She leaned in close to Lu Tong, her smile odd, "Who knows, you might even survive the descent from the mountain."
Who knows, you might even survive the descent from the mountain.
Lu Tong cast down her eyes.
Later on, Lady Yun died, and there was no one else left on Luomei Peak. Indeed, Lu Tong was the last one left, and she survived the descent from the mountain.
Only...
Only the child who once cried while swallowing the roasted bird had probably disappeared forever.
Out of the blue, the green fish in her hand flung its tail, splashing water on her face, imbuing a hint of coolness. Lu Tong snapped back to reality.
The green fish had been completely cleaned yet still had the strength to struggle. Lu Tong wiped the droplets off her face. Yin Zheng got up and picked up the two cleaned fish to take to the kitchen, smiling, "There, all set. How would you like your fish, miss?"
"Whatever you like."
"Then let’s go with steamed," Yin Zheng said. Her cooking was mediocre, but luckily, Lu Tong was not picky.
Yin Zheng had just started to steam the fish when Lu Tong called her into the room. As Yin Zheng entered, she saw a stack of thick paper arranged neatly on the desk by the window.
"This is..." Yin Zheng picked up a sheet, then paused.
The paper was pretty, a pale pink, and when you got close, you could smell a faint fragrance of flowers. Just looking at it, even without words, was enough to sway one’s heart.
The ink and brush were already prepared, and Yin Zheng looked bewilderedly at Lu Tong.
"The new medicine is nearly ready," Lu Tong said. "I’ll need your help with it."
"Is it writing you need?" said Yin Zheng, suddenly understanding.
The reason Chun Shui Sheng became a sensation in Shengjing so quickly was not only because of Official Hu’s help at the flower-viewing party but also because of the poetry Yin Zheng wrapped around the tea. There were many literati in Shengjing with a penchant for tea and elegance. Seeing Chun Shui Sheng’s name, they were willing to spend silver for a bit of delight.
It was always about the gimmick.
However, the paper before her seemed different from the one used for Chun Shui Sheng. It resembled the kind used by ladies to convey affections or for boudoir poetry.
"What would you like me to write?" Yin Zheng asked.
Lu Tong thought for a moment, "Do you have any good phrases to describe the graceful beauty of a woman?"
"I do, but..."
"Just write that," Lu Tong said.