29 Stew (1/2)

”What do you think we should cook tonight?” Madam Lin looked towards Ru An and asked.

Ru An looked up, to see that above the embers of the warm fires was a pot half filled with water. With how slowly the fire was burning, it would be a long time before the water would be boiling.

Wait a minute, her job was to cook for her master, now her master wanted to cook for her? How could she possibly live with herself if a servant was to eat the food that her master cooked?

Ru An quickly seized the large ladle that Madam Lin had prepared to use.

”Madam, please let this servant do it.” Ru An pleaded.

”Nonsense, why can't I cook?”Madam Lin asked as she struck Ru An on an acupoint, weakening her arm. Madam Lin immediately grabbed the ladle and looked at Ru An with an apologetic expression.

Ru An, massaged her numb arm expressionlessly before she said: ”I'll go find a small animal.” As she headed out the door.

With the door closing silently, Madam Lin couldn't make heads or tails of the girl's reaction.

Was she filled with grievances or not?

Ru An in truth was not angry, nor was she holding any unsaid grievances. She was merely a servant, whose job was to take care of her master.

There was a sense of coldness in the air as she wandered into the forest that was just outside. The forest was practically barren from living creatures as most of the animals had hidden away after gathering a large amount of food to fill their bellies.

Though the sun was still out and beating upon the yellowed grass, there was not much warmth that could be drawn from it. It was as though even the coldness that was bound to the ground was stronger than the penetrating rays of light.

Ru An's eyes scanned the grounds of the forest around her. There was no smell of the earth, the coldness in the air had already numbed her senses, making her feel as though she had never truly been able to make out the smell of anything at all.

As she went deeper, she felt her entire body slowly calm down. There was something about the trees that felt to her, like a home. Perhaps, that was because she had once lived in a place that was very similar to this when she was a child.

She could not clearly remember the past, as it was a time of war and turmoil between the kingdoms.

But she did not wish to remember either. The only thing she remembered was a kind woman calling her Xiao An. There was no recollection on whether that woman was her mother or aunt, her elder sister, or a stranger who she had met in the middle of nowhere.

As Ru An was silently trying to clear up her memories, there was a small rustle coming from a small bush.