Xiao Shan had always known Xue Niang was a picky eater, but how could his cooking compare to that of the chefs at this restaurant? Was she being picky about this too?
"This has too much salt and too little sugar; the flavor is off."
"This duck skin wasn't marinated properly with ingredients, and it still carries a foul odor."
"This soup is missing one crucial ingredient, what is it?"
Xue Niang frowned, thinking for a long time but unable to identify the missing ingredient. In any case, the taste felt wrong.
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Shan would taste it, but he couldn't detect anything wrong; it tasted delicious.
"With your palate, you can find fault with anything. Drink more bone broth to nourish your body."
Steward Feng knocked on the door and pushed it open. As the door swung inward, the noisy clamor from downstairs drifted in, indicating that quite a few people had arrived.
"It's a group of scholars, they've just finished their debate, and their excitement hasn't waned yet," Steward Feng explained with a smile.
"Ah! The debate is over? I wonder if our village's young scholar won the inkstone?"
"You focus on eating your meal, why worry about others!"
Xue Niang glared at Xiao Shan angrily. What did he mean by that? She was just asking a question, and his tone was like he was reprimanding her, trying to show off his superiority?
Steward Feng smoothed things over with a smile, "I did hear that a young master from a wealthy family in the city won the prize, not the one from Bozi Village."
"Ah, that's a pity."
Xue Niang remembered how the young scholar's eyes had sparkled when he spoke of the inkstone; he must have really liked it!
Xiao Shan felt a stifled frustration in his chest. Xue Niang was paying too much attention to this pale-faced scholar. Didn't she realize it?
Steward Feng stayed for a short chat and then went out to attend to his business.
Xue Niang, still weak, felt drowsy and tired after eating. Her energy began to wane. The restaurant had ready carriages available. Xiao Shan thanked Steward Feng, picked up Xue Niang, and headed downstairs.
The noise downstairs had intensified, and vaguely, he could hear arguments about "advocating war" and "advocating peace."
How truly amusing. A bunch of half-baked literati, who were physically unfit and ignorant of basic agriculture, debating fiercely about war and peace. They were truly bored and had too much time on their hands.
Xiao Shan let out a soft scoff.
"Xiao Shan, is it true that the Tujue people eat raw meat and drink human blood, and are particularly brutal?"
Xue Niang, sensing his disdain, asked softly from his back.
"That was something from hundreds of years ago. However, the people from that region do value martial prowess, and they are indeed more savage than us Da Jing people."
The restaurant's carriage was naturally superior to an ox cart. It had a canopy, shielding them from the outside view. As the light dimmed, Xue Niang grew even more drowsy. Just as Xiao Shan settled her in position, he saw her upper body lean on the carriage edge, her eyes closing.
"It's uncomfortable like that. Come, lean on me."
Xiao Shan adjusted her body. He felt her give a soft struggle and then she stopped moving.
So soft.
How could she be so soft? As if she had no bones.
Truly a person molded from dough.
After picking up their goods from the grain store, Xiao Shan and Xue Niang hurried home, the journey quiet.
Upon reaching home, Xiao Shan carried Xue Niang to the bed. She rolled all the way to the innermost side and continued sleeping.
This body is still not strong enough! Exhausted after only half a day. It seems more nourishment is needed.
Xiao Shan went to remove her shoes and socks. After undressing her, his eyes widened. A blister had formed on the sole of her foot.
This, this foot is too fragile. Was she truly a pampered young lady who never walked before?
Then how did she master her incredible skills?
It was truly peculiar.
Xiao Shan used a needle to prick the blister. Fortunately, there was no bleeding, and no medicine was needed. Xue Niang twitched slightly but then became still again.
Her small foot could be held in one hand. Xiao Shan gestured; it wasn't even as long as his palm. These were not feet meant for walking. Each toe was of the same length, squeezed together like glutinous rice balls.
"Let... go."
With her foot held in his hand, Xue Niang had long since woken up. She had initially tolerated it, thinking he was tending to the blister. Now that it was done, and he was still holding it, what was he doing? She began to struggle.
"Don't move, let me massage it. You'll sleep better."
Xiao Shan began to press the acupoints on the sole of her foot.
"Ah! Mmm." Xue Niang cried out in pain, then bit into the quilt, enduring it without another sound.
Xiao Shan traced the acupoints, pressing heavily on the Yongquan point several times before releasing her foot.
"All done. Sleep now!"
Xue Niang drifted off into a drowsy sleep. While her consciousness was still somewhat clear, she wondered: Where did this man learn such techniques? And had he ever performed them on other women?
When she woke again, there was no sound around her, as if no one was home.
Had Xiao Shan gone out again?
Xue Niang slipped on her shoes and walked to the window, scanning the surroundings. She saw Xiao Shan lying shirtless on a pile of firewood, seemingly resting after chopping wood.
Strangely, a peach was balanced on his mouth, and he was pursing his lips as if drinking water.
That peach wasn't a honey peach. What was he sucking on?
Xue Niang put on her shoes. Her calves no longer ached, though she didn't know if it was due to Xiao Shan's technique or sufficient rest.
She opened the door and stepped outside. Xiao Shan stirred, squinting in her direction.
"The firewood is so rough. Why aren't you sleeping in your room?"
And he was shirtless. The sun was so strong; he would only get darker.
Xiao Shan took a couple more sips before removing the peach from his mouth and examining it carefully.
Xue Niang also looked over curiously. The bright red tip of the peach was intact, not bitten at all. What had he been doing just now?
Was there some significance to sucking on it like that?
"What are you doing?"
"Practicing."
"Practicing to eat a peach?"
"You don't know, there's a type of peach in the world that tastes much better than this. It's just too delicate. If I don't practice well, I fear I won't be able to savor its exquisite flavor." Xiao Shan's gaze was somewhat deep, sweeping lightly over Xue Niang before returning to the peach. He then took a large bite, consuming half of the flesh.
This man ate like a wolf.
"What kind of peach is so delicious? I didn't see any at the market today. Are they not ripe yet?"
This man was truly strange, with such a fondness for peaches.
Xiao Shan sighed, a hint of helplessness in his expression. "This is a rare species. You can't buy it even with money. You also need the owner's permission."
"Oh."
Xue Niang blinked, watching Xiao Shan crunch through several peaches in quick succession. Their crisp sound made her mouth feel dry.
"Do you want to eat one?" Xiao Shan offered.
"Yes!" Xue Niang took the washed peach and was about to bite into it when Xiao Shan stopped her.
"Suck on it first."
Huh? Xue Niang, her mind a blank, mimicked Xiao Shan's previous action and sucked. Her red lips parted slightly, just enough to cover the tip. Her cheeks caved in, like an infant nursing, and she sucked forcefully a few times, but there was no flavor.
Her clear eyes looked at Xiao Shan, as if asking: Is this how?
Xiao Shan abruptly turned his head away, leaping from the pile of firewood like a startled rabbit. He cursed under his breath, "Shit."
Then he dashed into the kitchen.
"I forgot I was stewing something!"
Xue Niang's furrowed brow relaxed. Really, he had startled her. How crude! Xue Niang took the peach from her mouth and began to eat it bite by bite.
Indeed, it was crisp and delicious. After finishing, the pit inside was also beautiful, bright red. Xue Niang buried it at the base of the fence, thinking that perhaps a small peach tree would grow from it soon.