Chapter 21: Poor Thing! Salted Duck Egg

At the base of the cliff, she stopped, but Zhou Sinian did not.

Ming Dai watched as Zhou Sinian moved across the cliff face as if walking on solid ground, and she instantly felt a headache coming on.

Was this guy always climbing cliffs to get up and down the mountain?

Sure, the shortest distance between two points was a straight line—but that was for exams!

Come on, big brother, no one does this in real life!

With just a few swift movements, Zhou Sinian disappeared from sight, leaving her and the cart below, staring up at the cliff in frustration.

After a while, when no one caught up, Zhou Sinian swiftly climbed back down.

His agility was incredible—more nimble than a monkey. Was this guy part mountain goat?

The man gave her a glance, then turned around and climbed up again.

Soon, he disappeared once more, only to come back down to find her.

This time, he was clearly annoyed—his brows furrowed in frustration.

Ming Dai quickly explained, “I can’t get up there, and neither can the cart.”

Zhou Sinian looked at her suspiciously, then at the cart, then at the cliff. He seemed to be thinking, It’s not even that high. How can you not get up?

Ming Dai’s mouth twitched. “I’m small and short, and the cart doesn’t have legs. It can’t climb.”

Zhou Sinian sized up both her and the cart, evaluating them back and forth. After a long moment, an expression of disdain appeared on his face.

Hey! He was underestimating her! How infuriating!

Zhou Sinian finally realized that these two—since, in his eyes, the cart was just like a person—were just as weak as everyone else. They had no choice but to take the long way around.

So, he turned around and led Ming Dai along the path that the villagers usually used to climb the mountain.

Along the way, they encountered many people, but with one of them hurrying ahead and the other struggling to keep up while dragging the cart noisily behind, they had no time to answer anyone’s curious questions.

Fortunately, the villagers had already carved out a well-trodden path for collecting firewood.

Soon, they reached the foot of the mountain, where the road became impassable for the cart.

Ming Dai called for Zhou Sinian to stop. Under his impatient gaze, she grabbed the axe, saw, and rope, then placed the cart in a spot where it wouldn’t be in the way.

There were only a few carts like this in the entire village, so there was no need to worry about anyone messing with it.

Carrying the tools, Ming Dai followed Zhou Sinian as they climbed upward.

Halfway up the mountain, they passed by people who had already staked out their territory and were collecting firewood. Without stopping, they continued on until they reached a deeper part of the forest, where there were fewer people. Only then did Ming Dai call for a stop.

Looking around at the scattered branches and half-dried wood, she nodded in satisfaction.

“We’re not going any further. We’ll collect firewood here.”

Without waiting for his response, she put down her tools, grabbed the axe, and found a fallen dead tree.

She spread her feet apart, gripped the axe tightly with both hands, and engaged her core.

“Yah!”

The axe sank into the wood—and got stuck.

Awkward.

Ming Dai bent over and yanked at it. With one big pull, she lost her balance and landed on her backside. On the bright side, she managed to free the axe.

And then it began—

“Yah!” Thud.

“Yah!” Thud.

She had fallen into an embarrassing cycle.

After several attempts, she finally pried off a piece of wood.

Proud of her accomplishment, she picked up the small log and admired it.

This was the first step to success!

“Phff!”

Ming Dai turned her head. Zhou Sinian was still watching her, his face expressionless.

She continued working.

Each time she landed on her backside, a soft “phff” would sound in the air.

She tried to catch Zhou Sinian in the act, but no matter how quick she was, she never managed to see him laughing.

This guy was way too sharp!

But she didn’t mind. In her eyes, Zhou Sinian, at this moment, didn’t possess the behaviors or understanding of a normal human. She might as well treat him like a small animal.

Hard work was honorable—nothing to be ashamed of.

After battling with the axe for half an hour and earning herself a fresh blister, Ming Dai decided to give up.

Why bother chopping firewood when picking it up was so much easier?

So, she put the tools away and started gathering firewood instead.

Bent over, she huffed and puffed as she picked up sticks, while Zhou Sinian climbed onto the very same fallen tree she had been chopping at earlier. Sitting upright like a supervisor, he watched her work.

This scene happened to be witnessed by Aunt Ershen, the village gossip, who was on her way up the mountain. She gasped, covered her mouth, and sprinted back downhill.

Soon, the entire village—inside and out, up and down—knew about it.

Poor little educated youth! Struggling alone to gather firewood while the lunatic sat there, acting like a foreman.

By the time the news reached Liu Dazhu, the story had evolved into Ming Dai being whipped by Zhou Sinian with a small leather whip, her cotton-padded clothes falling apart in tufts. So pitiful!

Ming Dai: I had no idea my life was this tragic.

Her body, though still appearing frail, had actually been strengthened. In reality, she was healthier than most people—though, of course, nowhere near the level of the human-shaped weapon sitting nearby.

Fortunately, her stamina was decent. She worked for a while, rested, then continued again. By noon, she had gathered quite a decent pile.

She took out some rope, bundled the firewood into separate stacks, and planned to take them down in the afternoon.

For lunch, she decided to eat with Zhou Sinian up in the mountains instead of going back down.

Clapping the dust off her hands, she wiped her sweat and sat on the firewood pile. Then, she pulled out her satchel.

First, she took out a canteen, poured some water to wash her hands, then grabbed her enamel mug and took a few sips.

Even though the water had cooled, it was still incredibly refreshing!

Just as she was drinking, Zhou Sinian suddenly appeared beside her, silently reaching out for the canteen.

Ming Dai poured some water for him to wash his hands.

Then, she took out his enamel mug, filled it halfway, and handed it to him.

This mug was also something Ming Dai had given him. Before that, he used to eat directly from the pot with a ladle.

She watched as he gulped down the water—he was clearly thirsty but had been holding back from asking for it.

“We’re having lunch. Take out the cornbread—it’s the same one we ate this morning.”

Zhou Sinian’s gaze shifted evasively, but he didn’t move.

Ming Dai exposed him without hesitation. “The one in your arms, wrapped in the cloth bag I gave you.”

Busted, Zhou Sinian reluctantly pulled out the cornbread.

Seeing how tightly he clutched it, Ming Dai couldn’t help but laugh in frustration.

“This is my food. I made it. And you’re not going to share with me?”

Zhou Sinian furrowed his brows, deep in thought for a moment, before reluctantly loosening his grip.

Ming Dai shot him a glare, took out one piece, and shoved the cloth bag back at him.

To her surprise, Zhou Sinian accepted it with delight, quickly tying the bag shut and stuffing it back into his arms.

Ming Dai rolled her eyes. Seriously?

Ignoring him as he clutched his chest like a maiden fending off a rogue, she reached into her satchel and stealthily took out two salted duck eggs.

Zhou Sinian eyed the green-shelled eggs in her hand, gave them a sniff, and, finding no noticeable scent, simply hugged his chest and sat back on the fallen tree.

She watched as he carefully untied the cloth bag, took out the now-cooled cornbread, and took big, satisfied bites. His entire being radiated happiness.

The cornbread had cooled but wasn’t hard—it was made with fermented dough, freshly baked that morning. It remained soft and fluffy, with a hint of sweetness.

Ming Dai took a bite, chewing thoughtfully, before setting the rest in her enamel mug.

She lightly tapped the two duck eggs together, cracking one slightly.

Pressing along the crack, the shell gradually fractured.

She carefully peeled it away, revealing a perfectly intact salted duck egg—flawless!

Taking a bite, the deep red yolk was exposed, and rich, fragrant oil dripped down. Quickly, Ming Dai grabbed her cornbread from the mug and used it to catch the oil.

Whoosh! Food-lover Zhou Sinian appeared out of nowhere!

His eyes burned with desire as he stared at the salted duck egg in Ming Dai’s hand. He wanted it!

Ming Dai raised the fragrant egg. “You want some?”

Zhou Sinian’s gaze followed the egg intently.

“If you want to eat, you have to listen to me.”

He remained silent.

“I said—if you want to eat, you have to do what I say.”

Zhou Sinian frowned.

“Only if you listen to me will I give it to you.”

He furrowed his brows, stared at her for a moment, then turned away in annoyance. Sitting back down, he faced away from her and sulked, nibbling on his cornbread. Clearly, he was upset.

Ha! As if I’d spoil you!

Ming Dai wasn’t in a hurry at all. She took another bite of her cornbread, savoring the rich combination of the slightly salty egg white and the grainy, crumbly yolk—it was absolutely delicious!

Just as she was about to finish her cornbread, Zhou Sinian grudgingly returned.

The corner of Ming Dai’s lips curled up as she peeled the rest of the duck egg and dropped it into his enamel mug.

Zhou Sinian stared at her movements, and the second the egg landed in his mug, he immediately grabbed it and stuffed half of it into his mouth in one bite.

The intense saltiness made him scrunch his face, and Ming Dai burst out laughing.

She lifted her cornbread and salted duck egg, demonstrating—one big bite of bread, one small bite of egg.

Zhou Sinian caught on quickly and, following her lead, finished the remaining half of his duck egg along with his cornbread.

Feeling full and satisfied, his mood improved significantly.

He neatly folded the cloth bag, measured the size of his pocket, and carefully tucked it away.

Ming Dai had finished eating as well. She took back his enamel mug, dusted off her hands, and got back to work.