Chapter 28 – So Picky

Qingfeng followed suit. When he also tried to place his used towel on Wen Lan’s head, Wen Lan spoke up, “Brother Qingfeng, I am your master’s maid.”

“What? So the master can do it but I can’t?”

“On the surface, I’m still your master’s wife.” Of course she couldn’t let him do that.

“But on the surface, I’m still your savior!” Qingfeng refused to back down.

Wen Lan admitted defeat. She forced a smile that wasn’t at all sincere and carried the washbasin to the corner of the courtyard.

In that corner, a spring from the mountain flowed through a halved bamboo tube and poured steadily into a large water jar. Wen Lan dumped the used water onto the ground, then with a clang, set the basin down. She took the towel from her head, washed it clean, and hung it on a bamboo pole to dry.

After finishing all this, she glanced at Qingfeng and then headed into the kitchen.

“Miss, I’m leaving today!” Qingfeng called out to tease Wen Lan, hands on his hips, seeing her side-eye him.

Wen Lan ignored him.

Qingfeng laughed heartily and walked over to Xuanyue, who was grooming Iron General.

“Master, did you see that? This village girl’s got quite the personality. With her around, you definitely won’t be lonely in this mountain.”

“I took her in because I was lonely?”

“No, Master, it’s because you’re kind-hearted.”

Xuanyue chuckled softly. He was already used to Qingfeng’s hollow flattery.

Although Xuanyue’s house was built halfway up the mountain, it had a large layout: two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a courtyard. The woodshed where Wen Lan now stayed also served as the kitchen and the dog’s quarters. The courtyard itself was quite well-equipped—one corner held hunting gear, another stored water, and another had a table piled with miscellaneous items.

Wen Lan couldn’t enter Xuanyue’s main house, so naturally the dining area was moved to the courtyard.

Before cooking, Wen Lan had already cleared the clutter off the table, scrubbed it clean, and brought over two stools—this became their dining space.

“Breakfast is ready.” Wen Lan placed the prepared side dishes and porridge on the table.

The side dishes included cucumbers she’d brought back from the Lin household the day before. She’d washed and smashed them, added minced garlic and salt. Truthfully, in the Southern Dynasty, there weren’t many seasonings. The Lin family usually used homemade fermented bean paste for flavoring, and vinegar was rare—only available when the traveling vendor came through the village with his pushcart.

Fortunately, Wen Lan had her methods. She went out and picked two wild mountain tangerines, squeezed out their juice for some sourness, and the cucumber instantly became refreshing.

Another dish was stir-fried cabbage, paired with a mountain tangerine and wild pepper—tangy, spicy, and flavorful.

Qingfeng, seeing breakfast served, quickly pulled Xuanyue over to sit.

“Going vegetarian today?” he asked, smiling as he looked at the dishes and turned to Wen Lan.

Wen Lan replied, “The mountain climate is humid and hot. Heavy, greasy food in the morning isn’t good for digestion. Hunter sir is going hunting soon. An upset stomach would be bad.”

“Very thoughtful.” Qingfeng pushed the porridge bowl toward Xuanyue, then asked Wen Lan again, “But did you think about the fact that I’m about to leave, and Master is going up the mountain? How are we supposed to stay full on something so watery?”

Well… Wen Lan really hadn’t thought of that.

But Qingfeng’s reminder was a good one. She would also be heading into the mountains to forage. How could she go without some dry food?

“You two go ahead and eat. I’ll go make some flatbreads.”

As Wen Lan rushed back into the kitchen to get to work again, Qingfeng took the opportunity to brag to Xuanyue about his contribution.

“Master, see how quick-witted this village girl is? Just a little nudge from me and she understood right away.” As he spoke, he picked up a piece of cucumber and popped it into his mouth.

The crispy sweetness of the cucumber combined with the tartness of the mountain tangerine instantly delighted his taste buds. Qingfeng’s eyes lit up.

“Master, try this cucumber. It’s just as good as the Crystal Cucumber cold dish made by the head chef of Wangchun Brothel.”

Xuanyue glanced at the cucumber, then silently shook his head—he didn’t eat garlic.

Qingfeng knew this, of course. Seeing Xuanyue shake his head, he pushed again, “Master, just try one bite. Even though it has garlic, there’s no trace of that sharp garlicky taste.”

“No.”