Chapter 185 - Thief (1/2)
Her voice abruptly came to a stop because she hopelessly watched as her aunt picked up a spoonworm with her chopsticks, put it into her mouth, and slowly chewed it. Why? This bug-like thing looked so disgusting. Shouldn’t her aunt think it was disgusting, just like her? How could her aunt, who was of noble status, be able to stomach that?
“Mhm! It’s really fresh and tender. Your godfather praised the spoonworms endlessly in his letters. I have long been eager to taste it. Xiaocao’s cooking is very good. I really like this dish.” Lady Fang tried two more mouthfuls before she could spare some time to praise her.
Xia Furong was having a mental breakdown inside, ‘How can a noble and elegant person like my aunt like to eat bugs?’
As a matter of fact, this Lady Fang was rather courageous. Upon seeing soft and plump appearance of sandworms, most people would politely decline eating it. Yu Xiaocao, who was originally worried about not being able to get along with a noblewoman from the capital, finally felt completely at ease now. This godmother of hers was quite approachable ah!
She naturally had to support and praise the meal cooked by her daughter. Moreover, Xiaocao had excellent cooking skills. She could make many different delicacies with very simple ingredients, and thus caused Lady Fang, who was usually someone with a lot of self-restraint, to unexpectedly overeat by accident.
Night had fallen. The shadows of the trees nearby gracefully swayed under the moonlight, while the bright moon hung above the treetops. Occasionally, a late-returning wild bird passed by and cast a beautiful shadow on the silver moon…
It was Lady Fang’s first time experiencing such a beautiful night sky. Simple stone walls, rough brick house, and a spacious courtyard… They were all so primitive. This simple and natural environment cleansed one’s heart and mind. It made Lady Fang, who had lived in large estates for a long time, feel relaxed physically and mentally.
Xiaocao, whose task of washing the dishes had been taken away by Zhenzhu and Linglong, looked at the sky and said goodbye to her godmother, “Godmother, I’m going back now. You should rest earlier. I’ll see you again tomorrow…”
“It’s already so dark. How can I be at ease letting a little girl walk on a mountain road alone? I’ll send you back!” Lady Fang grabbed a lantern, which had a fine brush painting of flowers and birds drawn on it, and followed Xiaocao out the door.
Xiaocao quickly said, “Godmother, I used to frequently go catch wild hares and pheasants in the mountains with Brother Han. So I’m very familiar with this mountain road. You don’t have to send…”
“Why be so courteous with me, your godmother? Godmother has eaten too much this evening, so I’ll walk with you and digest the food.” Lady Fang lit the lantern, held Xiaocao’s hand, and slowly walked towards the main gates. Zhenzhu saw this and hastily handed the work in the kitchen to Linglong. She swiftly caught up to her master and took the lantern in her hands.
The Zhao Family's house was quite big and the courtyard was spacious. When Xia Furong, who had just arrived at an unfamiliar place, saw everyone getting ready to go out, she also followed them with slight hesitation.
The mountain road was quiet, and the mottled shadows of the bushes on both sides of the road appeared on the road. Xia Furong looked at the pitch-dark mountain and heard the crowing of night birds. Feeling scared, she quickly moved closer to her aunt. A gust of wind blew and the shadows of the trees on the ground suddenly shook. The anxious Xia Furong cried out in surprise and startled everyone.
“Older Cousin, people can die from being scared by another person. Can you stop making the atmosphere so tense?!” Yu Xiaocao rolled her eyes in the darkness.
Xia Furong hugged Lady Fang’s other arm tightly and looked suspiciously at the dark thicket beside the road for fear that some unknown creature would suddenly jump out.
One’s worst fears would always happen. Suddenly, a dark figure swiftly flew past her feet and she even felt it step on her toes. Xia Furong screamed even more tragically and hugged Lady Fang. She hid her head within her aunt’s embrace and didn’t dare to come out.
Yu Xiaocao was rendered completely speechless. Looking at the physical shape and gait of the dark shadow, it was merely a young hare. Did she really need to scream like a pig being slaughtered?
“Don’t be scared, Older Cousin. It’s just a wild hare. The ferocious animals of the West Mountains will only appear deep in the mountains. The animals that appear around here are mostly small animals like wild hares, pheasants, badgers, and so on. They’re not aggressive.” Yu Xiaocao informed Noble Young Miss Xia.
Xia Furong ignored her and cried in a trembling voice, “Aunt, it’s too scary here. Let’s go back!”
Lady Fang patted her niece on her shoulder to placate her and then said with a smile, “Don’t be afraid! We have a lot of people, as well as a light. Even if there are wild beasts, they won’t dare to come over. You just arrived at a new environment and haven’t adapted yet. In a few days, you will be able to experience of pleasure of living in the countryside. When your uncle has a break, I’ll tell him to take us hunting. The game that we caught ourselves would definitely be more delicious.”
Yu Xiaocao nodded repeatedly and said, “That’s right, that’s right! It would be even better if we can catch a wild deer! I don’t even need to mention the taste of roasted venison! There’s also badger meat, which is tender and delicious… I’m about to drool!”
Lady Fang chuckled and touched Xiaocao’s head. With a doting voice, she said, “You ah! An outright little foodie!”