novelraw Chapter 843 - 799: Any Objections?
Chapter 843 - 799: Any Objections?
Xu Jia went to the kitchen.
This house isn’t big, so the kitchen is naturally ordinary and feels a bit cramped with more people around.
Seeing Nanny Ji trying to stay behind as an assistant, Xu Jia sent her out and brought in Yun Shisan.
Long deprived of meat, the boy’s eyes fixed on the chopping board the moment he entered.
On the chopping board was the fresh fish Xu Jia just took out to scale.
Seeing him almost drooling with greed, Xu Jia chuckled, "I’ll steam this one for your master, and later, you can follow me to the Western Marquis Mansion. I have a small kitchen in my courtyard, and I’ll secretly make a braised one for you."
During the fifty-four days of national mourning, the only one who maintained a vegetarian diet every day was probably the new emperor in the Qianqing Palace. Others, not to mention ordinary folks, but even the little eunuchs in the palace would sneak some greasy food behind their masters’ backs.
Yun Shisan smacked his lips at hearing this, with his still somewhat boyish face full of anticipation.
Xu Jia grabbed the knife and started scaling the fish skillfully, while mumbling softly, "Honestly, my culinary skills aren’t that great, not even close to Nanny Ji. I really don’t understand why your master always asks me to cook fish for him."
Yun Shisan, while eyeing the fish in her hands, replied, "Master is probably just bored and wants to find himself a hobby."
Xu Jia thought about it carefully and found she couldn’t refute that statement.
When the steamed fish was ready, Xu Jia found a tray, respectfully carrying it to the stone table in the courtyard for Yun Huai.
Yun Huai lowered his eyes to take a look, and after a while said, "Suddenly, I feel like having braised fish. Should I accompany you to fish, or you come with me to the Marquis Mansion?"
Xu Jia: "..."
This guy must have overheard the conversation with Little Thirteen in the kitchen!
Calming herself, Xu Jia asked him, "Does it make any difference?"
"No," Yun Huai replied, "in either case, you’ll be the one cooking."
Xu Jia: "So if there’s no difference, both the steamed fish and the braised fish are prepared by me, why won’t you eat the steamed fish?"
Yun Huai glanced at her and slowly said, "I’m afraid while eating steamed fish, I’d say I want braised fish, and you wouldn’t catch up."
Xu Jia: "...Then you should’ve told me right from the start that you wanted braised fish, no need to go in such a big circle."
Yun Huai paused for a moment, "I was still contemplating before."
"And now?"
"I’ve decided, I want braised fish."
Xu Jia was truly dumbfounded!
She pressed her fingers against her throbbing forehead, exasperatedly giving the tray of steamed fish to Yun Shisan, who was trailing behind eagerly, "It’s yours."
Yun Shisan took the tray cautiously, glanced at his master’s expression, then dashed off to his room.
Adults arguing is terrifying, he’s still a child, he wouldn’t dare get involved, boo～
After Yun Shisan left, Xu Jia sat down, poured herself a cup of cold tea to cool down, and then looked across at Yun Huai, trying to remain calm, "I think there’s something off with our relationship."
Yun Huai replied, "Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks so."
Xu Jia hesitated for a moment, he thinks so? He thinks what? "What I mean is, I’ve owed you favors, it’s only right that I repay those by helping with some matters, but you can’t treat me like a servant."
Yun Huai said understandingly, "As long as I don’t acknowledge it, cooking a hundred fish won’t make you a servant."
This swapping the concept is really masterful!
Xu Jia couldn’t help but regret why she recklessly decided to follow the Yun Family disciples to the Northern Border, inadvertently owing him so many unpaid favors.
Sighing, she stood up, "Where’s your fishing rod?"
Yun Huai pointed outside the kitchen door at a bamboo basket, the fishing rod standing next to it.
Xu Jia walked over, rolled up her sleeves, attached bait, grabbed the fishing rod in one hand and a small wooden bucket in the other, "Let’s go!"
...
The wild lake where Yun Huai often fishes isn’t too far, located in the woods outside Baoyin Temple, about two quarters of an hour on foot.
Xu Jia found a clean spot in the grass to put down her things, hooked the bait and submerged it in the water, then sat down, eyes fixed on the surface, hoping for a quick catch.
Yun Huai wasn’t far from her, sitting under a willow tree, cooling off, perhaps famished waiting for fish, continually looking in her direction.
Initially speculating that Yun Huai was watching the fish, Xu Jia inexplicably felt a bit uneasy.
She wasn’t really skilled at fishing, especially with someone watching, it was hard to concentrate, sat for ages, and the line didn’t budge.
Gradually, Xu Jia grew sleepy, relaxing her grip on the fishing rod.
Later, she had no memory of how she fell asleep, only upon waking, finding herself leaning against Yun Huai’s shoulder.
As for Yun Huai himself, he sat quietly on the grassy area where she had been fishing earlier, holding the fishing rod, his demeanor composed and leisurely, sunlight filtered through the tree shadows, and in the small wooden bucket nearby, several perch swam joyfully.
This Immortal-like grace...
Xu Jia instinctively glanced at Yun Huai’s shoulder, secretly grateful that she hadn’t drooled and disgraced the Immortal, then silently shifted aside to maintain a small distance from him.
At this moment, the atmosphere should have been awkward, but Yun Huai acted as if nothing had happened. He waited for the fish to bite, leisurely reeled in his line, and then looked at her, "I suddenly think grilled fish might be nice."
Xu Jia hadn’t recovered from the fact she had fallen asleep on his shoulder, and immediately asked, "Why didn’t you wake me up?"
"I called you, but you didn’t wake up."
"Nonsense!" Xu Jia instinctively retorted. She was a martial artist; no matter how sleepy she was, it was impossible not to wake up. "How did you call me?"
Yun Huai placed the fishing rod beside the tree, bent over to wash his hands in the clear lake, "I think your focus should be on your own sleepiness."
Xu Jia was frustrated. Normally so alert, how did she manage to sleep so obliviously today?
She pondered for a while, considering a possibility, and looked at Yun Huai with a bit of suspicion in her eyes, "Did you drug me?"
Yun Huai paused for a moment in his hand-wiping motion, "If I wanted to do anything to you, would I need to use drugs?"
His words made Xu Jia feel she had taken advantage of him by sleeping on his shoulder, implying he was the one at a loss.
Feeling quite uncomfortable, Xu Jia stood up and walked towards the woods with her head down.
Yun Huai asked her, "What are you doing?"
"Didn’t you want grilled fish?" Xu Jia didn’t dare turn to look at him, "I’m going to gather some firewood."
Yun Huai called her back to sit down.
Xu Jia felt a surge of emotion, "I didn’t expect Master Yun to have such a tender side, quite rare."
Yun Huai replied, "The wind is strong here, so wake up properly from your nap."
...
The firewood was collected by Yun Huai himself while Xu Jia sat under the willow, somewhat bored, with one hand cupping her cheek and the other teasing the fish in the bucket with a small twig.
When Yun Huai returned, she helped light the fire, but the rest—cleaning, washing, and grilling the fish—was all done by Yun Huai himself.
It wasn’t very hot; the gentle warm breeze accompanied the sizzling sound of the fish on the grill, and though Xu Jia wasn’t hungry, her cravings were awakened.
When Yun Huai handed her the grilled fish, she was surprised to find it sprinkled with seasoning.
"When did you bring this?" Xu Jia asked, accepting the grilled fish, blowing on it briefly before eagerly taking a bite.
Yun Huai didn’t answer the question about seasoning, only looked at her, "Is it good?"
"Delicious." Xu Jia took another bite, her voice muffled.
She had grown up never tasting such delicious grilled fish before.
But then she thought of something and paused.
She had always thought Yun Huai was an Immortal with no touch of mundane affairs, but upon reflection, it seemed that whenever she saw him doing something, it was always with an orderly and familiar composure, including the fish cleaning and grilling just now.
After swallowing the fish in her mouth, Xu Jia looked through the swirling smoke at the man in a white robe standing opposite her, "Your grilled fish is so good, your cooking must be excellent too. Why do you still eat the fish I make?"
Yun Huai asked back, "You don’t like making fish for me?"
"I..." Should she answer yes or no? This question felt a bit awkward.
"I do it out of necessity, not out of liking or disliking."
Yun Huai’s gaze shifted over, his eyes as tranquil as wild lake water, "Persisting even when forced indicates some fondness in your heart."
Xu Jia bowed her head with a sigh, "Whatever you say goes!"
Anyway, every time she conversed with him, she either got caught up in his words or found herself speechless.
Xu Jia reminded herself every time, just get used to it, get used to it. Once she repays the favor, he can go wherever he wants, argue with whoever he wants, it’s none of her business.
Thinking this way made her feel at ease again, so she resumed eating her fish.
After finishing one fish, Yun Huai handed her a second one.
Xu Jia noticed he hadn’t eaten and was a bit surprised, "Aren’t you hungry?"
Yun Huai pushed the stick with the fish into her hand, then sat down beside her, his voice leisurely, "Has the nap cleared your head?"
Xu Jia nodded quickly, "Cleared."
"Really cleared?"
"Really cleared." Xu Jia felt he was being somewhat inexplicable all of a sudden, "Can’t you just speak directly if you have something to say?"
"I have a question that needs your confirmation."
Xu Jia felt that what he was about to say might be a very serious topic, so she stopped gnawing fish, even sat up slightly straighter, all prepared in a solemn manner.
Then, she heard Yun Huai’s voice beside her, "Do you have any objections to becoming the Yun Family Head’s wife? Feel free to voice them, though I might not necessarily take them into account."