Chapter 21: The Fragrance of Meat

Translator: Henyee Translations  Editor: Henyee Translations

This farmhouse courtyard seemed to be hidden in the depths of the forest and was deserted. However, there was already a small path in the forest made of jade. It meandered all the way to the entrance of the small courtyard, but the entrance was set up with a smokescreen that ordinary people could not enter.

When Yan Jiuchao’s carriage arrived at the small courtyard, the middle-aged man had already prepared a table of game. All of them were hunted by the guards in the forest.

They were not as big as the wild rabbits and pheasants that they raised. The meat was not fat and tender. Most importantly, their rabbits and pheasants were nurtured with countless natural treasures. One bowl of them could extend one’s life.

Thinking of those rabbits and chickens that had somehow disappeared, the middle-aged man felt a little pained. However, the Young Master didn’t mind. He didn’t care about his life and couldn’t taste anything.

“Uncle Wan, do you want me to make another dish of wild vegetables?” The chef asked.

“What wild vegetables are there?” The middle-aged man called Uncle Wan asked.

The chef said, “There are shepherd’s purse, small wild garlic, winter mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots.”

Uncle Wan thought about it and said, “We ate the winter bamboo shoots yesterday. You stir-fry some shepherd’s purse together with some small garlic, winter mushrooms, and dried meat. Then, make an appetizing sour soup.”

“Sour fish soup?” Chef asked.

“The sour fish soup is fine too.” Uncle Wan nodded.

“Aye, alright!” The chef agreed respectfully and went to the kitchen to cook the dishes.

Uncle Wan placed the dishes in the dining room.

Yan Jiuchao ate two mouthfuls as if he was chewing wax before throwing down his chopsticks.

Uncle Wan looked at the untouched rice in his bowl and frowned slightly. He said earnestly, “At least eat more. You didn’t even eat much for breakfast and lunch.”

Yan Jiuchao said impatiently, “No!”

The servants inside and outside lowered their heads.

Uncle Wan sighed helplessly. Although he couldn’t taste it, he could at least force himself to swallow a few mouthfuls in the past. Now, it was getting more and more outrageous. It was even harder to serve this master than to be the top scholar.

Uncle Wan held his forehead. “Aiya, why didn’t I become the top scholar back then…”

…

While Yan Jiuchao was having his meal in the dining hall, Little Snow Fox had also started his dinner.

It jumped into Yan Jiuchao’s bedroom and secretly took out the bag that was hidden under the bed and placed it on the table.

There were a few plates of delicious snacks and fresh fruits on the table. It compared the size of the bag and picked the largest white jade fruit plate. With its small claws, it pushed the fruits on the plate out one by one. Then, it bit open the bag and pushed the two fragrant meat buns up.

After that, it took out a small white silk handkerchief and wrapped it around its neck.

It was ready to eat.

The little snow fox took a satisfied breath of the meat fragrance on the bun and squinted its eyes in enjoyment. Then, it opened its bloody mouth and bit into the meat along with the skin!

The little snow fox was stunned. Three seconds later—

Dong!

Little Snow Fox fell!

He rolled onto the ground, stuck out his tongue, and rolled his eyes…

…

When Yan Jiu entered the house, the little snow fox had already rolled its eyes and fallen asleep. It was hugging a big meat bun that it had obtained from somewhere. That bun was really big, bigger than a human face. When it was held in the arms of a young fox, it was simply unable to fit in.

Among Yan Jiuchao’s exquisite young master life, there had never been a steamed bun of this size, making his brows jump. However, he did not say anything. It was not like he was the one eating!

Yan Jiuchao soaked in the medicinal spring for a while before resting. He was a light sleeper and would have a terrible temper if he was woken up.

No one dared to have a taste of Young Master Yan’s temper. Once he took a break, everyone in the courtyard “took a break” as well. The small courtyard that was previously busy seemed to have fallen into a deathly silence in an instant.

…

Yan Jiuchao was anorexic, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t need to eat. He would also go hungry. After eating too little during the day, his stomach began to growl in the latter half of the night.

There were already prepared dishes on the table. There was the soft and delicious date paste mountain medicinal cake, the sweet and clear crystal osmanthus cake, the soft and crisp golden hibiscus cake, a box of savory and soft crab roe crispness, and a plate of freshly washed fruits.

Every snack was put into the most suitable exquisite utensils.

In contrast to these utensils and food, there was a large meat bun placed on a red jade flower crystal plate. It was as if a mighty and strong overlord flower had mixed into a small and exquisite hibiscus garden.

A hint of disdain flashed across Yan Jiuchao’s eyes. After that, Yan Jiuchao looked at the food on the table again. The food was made in a fancy manner, but in reality, it was all the same taste. Or rather, there was no taste at all.

Yan Jiuchao raised his arm, his long jade-like fingers reaching out towards the dazzling array of pastries. The date paste mountain medicinal cake, crystal osmanthus cake, golden hibiscus cake… His fingertips passed through them, but in the end, they landed on the large meat bun that had long turned cold and looked like it had no appetite.

Yan Jiuchao had never eaten such an ugly bun before.

He picked it up somehow.

“It must taste awful!

“But I can’t tell anyway.”

Yan Jiu broke open the bun and took a bite. The skin of the bun was frozen stiff, and he chewed it noisily.

“It’s indeed tasteless…” He stopped mid-sentence. A fleeting taste flashed across the tip of his tongue, but it quickly disappeared.

He stared blankly at the black meat filling in the bun’s skin. He hesitated for a moment before taking another bite.

“Oh?” he exclaimed.

Following that, he held the cold and hard meat bun in his hands, one bite after another.

Uncle Wan only returned to the room quietly after Yan Jiuchao fell asleep. He did not dare to make any noise, but he could not allow himself to fall asleep.

Young Master ate too little in the day, so he would definitely be hungry in the middle of the night. Although there were snacks in the room, it was still better to eat something warm to warm up his stomach on such a cold day.

When he heard sounds coming from Yan Jiuchao’s room, he knew that the young master was awake. He quickly instructed the chef to add the fire under the stove while he went over to the young master’s side, intending to ask if there was anything he wanted to eat.

Unexpectedly, just as he reached the porch, he heard Young Master’s faint threatening voice.

There was no one else in the room!

Uncle Wan’s heart skipped a beat. He thought that Young Master’s illness was acting up again, or that an assassin had come. He hurriedly walked over! He pushed open the door and saw that there were no assassins. There was only a small snow fox that Yan Jiuchao forcefully shook awake.

The little snow fox had just woken up. The tufts of fur on its head were all standing up, but its mind was already awake! It hugged a huge meat bun that was almost bigger than itself and had been bitten by it. It glared angrily at Yan Jiuchao!

Yan Jiuchao squatted down on the ground in a very down-to-earth manner. He pinched the bun skin with his fingertips and said tyrannically.

“Give it to me.”

“Are you giving it to me or not?”

“I’ll beat you to death if you don’t.”

Uncle Wan : “…”