Chapter 504 - Fun Pastime (1/2)
As if it was trying to verify their thoughts, Little Black shot a look full of disdain at Tyrant and then turned around to walk into the shrubbery. Tyrant could smell the scent of Little Black of leaving and slunk back up. It stuck its tail behind its legs, hid behind its master, and refused to go out again.
“Ah…” Ning Donghuan, who was still trying to be shameless, stared at his dog with a flabbergasted expression. Under the mocking look of Yu Xiaocao, he sheepishly said, “I didn’t expect my Tyrant to be so smart. It knows how to play dead to avoid danger…”
Yu Xiaocao burst into laughter and looked at Tyrant, who was quite subdued but looked to be in fine shape, “Little Black wouldn’t bully your dog for no reason. Tyrant must have tried to steal his prey! Little Black is quite bold and powerful when he is hunting. Whoever wants to steal his game without his permission will get punished! Alright ah! After that false alarm, let’s go back to picking fruit. In the afternoon, we need to send out a shipment. In order to allow everyone to fully enjoy themselves, I even had the workers stop working. Go pick some more and don’t waste the time.”
“You’re truly taking us for a bunch of fruit pickers ah! Can you afford to hire us nobles as regular workers?” He Wanning scratched at her neck and she felt like her whole body was one big itch. She wished she could take off her clothes to scratch everywhere. However, after being instructed in the etiquette and mannerisms of a noble maiden for over a decade, she couldn’t do something so impolite and could only resist the urge.
“Stop scratching, stop scratching! Qiulu, quickly take out a clean handkerchief and wet it with some water to let your young miss wipe herself down!” Yu Xiaocao noticed that He Wanning’s neck had turned red from her scratching and hurriedly went over to stop her, “The fuzz on peaches are notorious for causing people to feel itchy. You have to be careful and avoid getting it on your skin!”
“How come you didn’t mention this earlier?” Ning Donghuan acted as if he was a giant monkey who had been infected with lice as he scratched his whole body uninhibitedly. The more he scratched, the more it itched, and the more it itched, the more he had to scratch. His neck and arms were all red and excoriated from his efforts as if he didn’t care that he might break his skin from scratching so hard.
Li Mengru’s younger brother Li Haoming had also gotten some peach fuzz on his skin. He cried as he scratched his body. Luckily, the only parts that had gotten fuzz on were his arms. Li Mengqi held a wet handkerchief and helped him wipe it off.
Yu Xiaocao pointed at a small brook that wasn’t very far from them and spoke at Ning Donghuan, “You all can go over there to wash off. When Little Black and Little White get back, we can go to the grass pavilion by the sea of flowers to take our noon meal.”
Other than Ning Donghuan, the rest of the group stayed at the fruit orchard and continued to pick peaches. When they first entered the orchard, they ate peaches as they picked. Their bellies now were full and they couldn't eat any more fruit. The sweet aroma of ripe fruit was very calming. All in all, the sweet young maidens along with the young masters and all of their servants were able to pick all of the fruits that were needed to be sold in the afternoon before noon arrived.
A pile of game had already formed outside the orchard. There were wild hares, wild pheasants, badgers...everything that needed to be there was there. There was even a wild goat that weighed over a hundred catties! All of the game had been killed with a powerful bite to their necks. The wounds were quite small and even less blood flowed out. The only exception was the wild goat, which had its back legs dripping with blood and was quite mangled.
When Little Black came back again with wild Reeve’s pheasant, Xiaocao patted its head and praised it unstintingly, “Little Black is so hardworking. We have enough game here! Go bring Little White back. In a moment, we’ll barbecue some meat for you guys to eat!”
Little Black licked its master’s hand and joyfully wagged its large fluffy tail. It shot another threatening look at Tyrant before it swiftly disappeared into the bushes.
“So fast!” Ning Donghuan salivated as he stared in the direction that Little Black disappeared in. He fawningly walked up to Xiaocao and said, “Such top quality hunting dogs, and you have two of them. What a waste, right? How about you set a price and transfer Little Black to me? Don't worry, no matter how high the price, I’m willing to buy…”
“Does it look like I lack money ah?” Yu Xiaocao was too lazy to pay him any attention and casually rebuked.
Ah...although Ning Donghuan was a profligate young master, he knew all of the news and rumors swirling about the capital. Fresh fruits and vegetables grown out of season, Blossoming Beauty’s flower teas and cosmeceuticals, the specialty resort spa, and this fruit orchard gleaming with gold...The Yu Family’s lass had only been in the capital for less than a year but she likely made more money than one could spend in a lifetime, no, multiple lifetimes. She truly wasn’t someone who lacked money!
“Then tell me ah! What will allow you to give Little Black to me?” Ning Donghuan dispiritedly asked with his head lowered down as if he was trying to look pathetic.
“Little Black and Little White aren’t considered mine. I don’t have the power to decide where they go.” In Yu Xiaocao’s heart, these two were already past the stage of mere pets. They shouldn’t be confined in a tiny little space in a residence as the deep forest was their true home. However, these two didn’t seem interested in spending all their time in the great outdoors as they were very close to her. Perhaps it was due to the fact she had the multi-colored stone on her?
Unfortunately, Ning Donghuan didn’t understand the complexities behind her words. Instead, his face lit up and he remarked with great emotion, “If they’re not considered yours, then who are they owned by? Royal Prince Yang ah?”
As long as they weren’t owned by Yu Xiaocao, Ning Donghuan felt like he would have no qualms bothering anyone else. His old father had said that Miss Yu was absolutely someone he could not afford to offend. Otherwise, he would have long resorted to some duplicitous methods to get his hands on one of her dogs. As long as she wasn’t their owner, then it was all very easy to resolve. Even if the owner was the hard to connect with Royal Prince Yang, he was confident in his own skills and wiliness that he would be able to get the prince to sell one of the dogs to him! The worst case scenario would be Royal Prince Yang beating him into a pulp. A few flesh wounds were nothing!