Chapter 291 - Allergy (1/2)
Zhu Junfan didn’t live like a prince in his previous life. He had eaten silkworm cocoons and also tried fried cicadas. Thus, unlike other officials or nobles, he didn’t reveal a disgusted expression when looking at the fried locusts. He picked up a locust that had its wings cut off and stared at it intently for a short period of time before he started to deliver it towards his mouth. Before he could, a pale, beardless, and handsome youth hurriedly stopped him and said, “Master, may this servant try it?”
Yu Xiaocao had read quite a few novels in her past life and knew that the emperor often had eunuchs test his food for poison prior to eating. Did the heir of Prince Jing also have a taste-tester eunuch as well? She regarded this young man with curiosity. He had skin that glowed with health and she couldn’t even see his pores. His face was delicately pretty. Although he didn’t have the masculine handsomeness of the heir of Prince Jing and the young royal prince, he was still the epitome of a delicately beautiful young man.
He had a tall, straight figure that did not resemble someone who was used to being an eunuch. Most eunuchs were always bowing and bending to people, so when they walked they seemed to be slightly hunchbacked. This person had an air of being neither too arrogant nor too servile, and he didn’t have the greasy flattering expression that most eunuchs had. The only thing that made her feel uncomfortable was that his voice sounded extremely gentle and mellow. However, it also didn’t resemble the shrill voices of the eunuchs she had seen in dramas.
Zhu Junyang noticed that the little girl was unabashedly studying Su Ran and he couldn’t help but frown. What did Su Ran have that made him so good to look at? This prince was also quite handsome, okay?
“Yu Xiaocao, just what are you looking at?!” Zhu Junyang felt a burst of irritation spark inside him and he couldn’t help but interject to interrupt her thoughts.
When they heard Zhu Junyang’s voice, both Zhu Junfan and Su Ran turned a bit to look at Yu Xiaocao. Caught off guard, Yu Xiaocao accidentally made eye contact with Su Ran’s clear and limpid eyes. She immediately flushed bright red and glared at the young royal prince. She smiled politely at Su Ran and said, “Sir, you have an aura about you that reminds me of a tall graceful glade of bamboo on a desolate mountain. I was entranced by it and lost my senses.”
Zhu Junfan guffawed, “Little girl, you have good taste. I also believe that Su Fan has an aura worthy of an elegant gentleman, so I think the metaphor of ‘tall bamboo’ is quite fitting. Su Ran, I’ll give you the nickname of ‘cultivate morality’ ah!”
“Cultivate oneself, govern one's family, organize the country, let peace abound to all! Master, Su Ran is a crippled person, so I absolutely cannot live up to such a name.” Which man didn’t harbor dreams of being a hero in his heart? Unfortunately, his dreams had all been shattered in his youth, when he had to sacrifice himself at the gates of the imperial palace to allow his family to survive a disastrous year.
Luckily, he had been given to an enlightened master who took him along to learn the classics, study martial arts, and discuss the governance of a country. His master never looked down upon him. Compared to the other eunuchs, who were firmly stepped upon by the older, more experienced eunuchs, or someone who had been used a scapegoat, he was truly quite fortunate compared to his other colleagues who had also had their dignities erased at the gates of the palace.
Zhu Junfan’s eyes opened wide and he slapped the table, “If this lord says you can live up to the name, then you can! Su Ran, what has this lord normally said to you? A deficiency in the body doesn’t mean much. A true man has self-confidence, self-love, and self-dignity!! Su Ran, with your talents and abilities, you absolutely would be able to govern and pacify the country if you left the palace. You’re not worse than other people! Whoever claims you can’t live up to this name, make them find me!”
Su Ran could only treat this master, who was simultaneously his teacher, friend, master, and confidant, with the utmost sincerity and return his kindness with all of his efforts. If the master required it, he would gladly sacrifice himself through all tortures without a single thought!
Yu Xiaocao felt a bit regretful inside. What a wonderful person yet he was a eunuch! Although he was quite eye catching, he couldn’t be considered a real man in this era! This old society was too hateful to have such palace customs abound!
Su Ran was just about to say something when the expression on his gentle face changed. His whole body started to itch as if he had just been bitten by multitudes of mosquitos. He tried to endure for some time but finally couldn’t stop himself from using his hand to scratch his neck. His neck, right arm, and other parts of his body that were hidden by clothing all had large welts raised on it.
“Master, these locusts can’t be eaten!” Su Ran stopped Zhu Junfan from placing a locust in his mouth as the itchiness caused his face to flush a bright red.
Yu Xiaocao acutely spotted the large welts on his neck and exclaimed, “Sir Su, you’re allergic! Those who are sensitive often have allergic reactions to locusts! Let me go grab some prepared medicinal solution, just wait a moment ah!”
At first, when Zhu Junfan saw Su Ran’s uncomfortable expression, he felt quite nervous. After hearing Yu Xiaocao’s explanation, he immediately grinned, “So apparently Su Ran is allergic to locusts ah! I’m pretty sure that you also can’t eat foods like silkworm cocoons and other similar creatures! Fried cicadas are quite delicious ah! What a pity, what a pity!”
Yu Xiaocao retrieved a small bottle from her room. The bottle was filled mostly with mystic-stone water and the rest of the ingredients were some herbs that stopped itching and reduced inflammation. She handed the bottle over to Su Ran, “Use half of it to drink and half of it on your body. It should work very quickly. Little Shitou, bring Sir Su to your room. Help him treat the areas on his back that he can’t easily reach!”
After he saw Su Ran enter the west room with Little Shitou, Zhu Junyang picked up another fried locust and ate it noisily and with relish. He commented, “So delicate, he can even have problems from eating locusts! This prince has eaten so many, yet I don’t have any problems at all, right?”
Once Zhu Junfan found out that his eunuch wasn’t allergic to a medicinal ingredient, he knew that it wasn’t too serious. Furthermore, Su Ran only ate one locust too. He watched as his younger cousin eat the locusts with obvious delight and also grabbed a locust that was fat in the belly. He placed the food in his mouth and slowly tasted it. As expected, it was truly quite good. It was actually very similar to the fried butterfly shrimp from KFC and had a savory and addicting taste!
However, the dish that he liked the most still had to be that bowl full of savory and spicy river snails. He used his hands to pick up one and then placed it by as mouth as he sucked. All of the broth and meat was delivered into his mouth. After gently chewing a couple of times, the savory and spicy taste lingered in his mouth and could not be forgotten.