Chapter 588 - Asiatic Grass Frogs (1/2)
Since he had agreed to that maidservant Wutong’s request, then he needed to complete his task. Thus, he found an excuse to b.u.t.t in on someone else’s ‘wicked conduct’!
Zhu Junyang’s lips were only around two centimeters away from Xiaocao’s and that unexpected voice had cut off his desire. His handsome face momentarily darkened and regrets surfaced up within his heart——why did they have to bring such an irksome fellow along on this trip ah? Chief Steward Su was truly too indiscreet, right? Zhu Junyang was absolutely sure that this fellow was interrupting them on purpose!
Yu Xiaocao m.u.f.fled her laughter and looked like a little squirrel eating a pinecone. When she saw the alluringly bewitching face in front of her face, she knew that he was quite upset with nowhere to vent his temper. She felt her heart soften, so she gently hugged him again before rising up on her tiptoes and giving a quick kiss on his attractive lips.
The tight look on Zhu Junyang’s face seemed to relax a bit and he bent down his body to swiftly return a kiss. His voice sounded deep and slightly gloomy as he hoa.r.s.ely said, “You must be tired after traveling hard these past few days right? Go rest early. Tomorrow, if you’re still tired, we can rest another day before heading up.”
“No need! My body is perfectly fine!” Yu Xiaocao had gulped down a cup of mystic-stone water earlier and the vast majority of her exhaustion had disappeared, “The kitchen has hot water, so you should have Xiaohou bring some over to soak your feet. It really helps in relaxing you. Also, I’ll brew some tea for you and, in a moment, I’ll have Chunhua bring it over. Don’t drink too much tea at night. Otherwise, you’ll have trouble sleeping…”
The little la.s.s chattered on and on, just like a young married wife incessantly reminding her husband just before he left. Zhu Junyang thought that this was quite a novel experience for him and didn’t want to let her go. Finally, Xiaocao managed to pull herself out of this beautiful man’s trap and pushed this fellow back to his own room.
As for Su Ran, who had been in his room this entire time, he had seen the sticky-sweet actions between the two of them. However, he didn’t try to interrupt them at all. The little la.s.s and Royal Prince Yang were a young couple in love. There was no need for him to act as an annoying bystander. If he turned a blind eye to all of this, it would pa.s.s quite soon!
The next morning, Yu Xiaocao woke up very early to make breakfast. Like before, she made enough breakfast to feed her entire group as well as the Jin Family. There was a pot of thick congee, soft and tasty steamed white buns, and Xiaocao’s preserved vegetables made from her own secret recipe. Although it was a bit simple, everyone ate the food with relish.
Old Man Jin had already concluded that this group of rich people was different from the last lot. Although the two men in the group were more cold, they didn’t stand on ceremonies and demand ridiculous things. Nor did any of them look down on them for being common peasants. The delicate young maiden who loved to smile was especially cordial to everyone. She didn’t seem to have any of the innate arrogance of a young miss from a n.o.ble family. These people were generous to others and never made them feel like they were conferring a great favor when they gave a gift to others. It felt like they were being honored and respected instead.
He had seen the n.o.ble guests packing their luggage. Just as they were about to leave to head to the mountain, he warned them out of the goodness of his heart, “There are many fierce beasts deep in the mountain, so you all must be very careful. I would advise you to avoid going too far into the forests and instead spend more time on the outskirts to get some hunting done instead!”
Zhu Junyang nodded his head at the old man. Although his face was expressionless, he appreciated the other man’s good intentions. Yu Xiaocao smiled brightly and thanked him, “Thank you, Grandfather Jin, for your reminder. We appreciate your good thoughts, so don’t worry about us ah! I left some fodder for those horses we’re leaving here, so I’ll have to trouble Grandfather Jin and Xiaohu to help us out and make sure they get fed every day.”
“Not a problem at all! Please be at ease ah! We promise that we will take good care of your horses!” Old Man Jin solemnly nodded his head and almost saluted them.
Xiaocao saw that the two handsome men were done packing their bags and were ready to go, so she picked up her own bag and turned to wave goodbye to their hosts. She grinned, “Make sure to dry out the newly harvested corn when there’s a nice day. After the kernels are dry, you can stone-grind them into cornmeal, which can be added into flatbread or used to make steamed buns. It tastes best if you mix it with some white flour as the texture and mouthfeel is great. I left two bags of white flour in the kitchen. Just take it as our thanks for keeping an eye on our luggage and feeding the horses.”
Before Old Man Jin and his grandson could reply, she scampered away to chase after the two tall men, one who was dressed entirely in white while the other was dressed entirely in black. Chunhua and Qius.h.i.+ both carried a bundle on their backs and followed her closely from behind.
“Grandfather, we’ve encountered some generous people! My mother, after taking the medication they gave us last evening, didn’t cough for the entire night and also didn’t have any issues breathing either. She slept very well.” Jin Xiaohu had already retracted his th.o.r.n.y exterior a while ago. He stared at the group of six as they left and his gaze held a bit of grat.i.tude in it.
At this time, a few of the other villagers came over to ask about the new guests. The two of them vaguely replied with minimal details about the n.o.ble guests. How could they tell them exactly what had happened? If they told the other people that these people were kind hearted, not arrogant, and generous, wouldn’t those villagers who liked to take advantage of others come out of the woodwork and cause issues? Later on, the topic of the conversation went to their family’s harvest of corn. When the other villagers saw how much corn they had in their courtyard, they all became quite envious and expressed the desire to buy seeds from them.
Old Man Jin remembered what his eldest son had told him and hastily explained to the other villagers that it was best for them to buy corn seeds in town next year. The seeds from their harvest may not necessarily maintain the high yield. Some of the villagers didn’t believe him, so Old Man Jin could only sell them some seeds. As for the other people, they decided to wait like their family and go into town next year and buy corn seeds from the grain shops. Later on, those villagers found out that planting the corn seeds they bought from the Jin Family on the same type of land with the same type of management resulted in vastly different yields from those who bought seeds from the grain shops. Only then did the villagers believe his words and regret their previous decisions.