Chapter 10: Stir-Fried Rabbit

“No, the blade wounds already closed up. It’s just the arrow wound near the knee that’s still seeping a bit,” Xiao Jinyu said as he drew the dagger from his waist. He found a wooden stump, sat down in the courtyard, stretching out his injured leg while bending the other.

“The wound below the knee is from the arrow. That hole won’t completely close for at least a month, and full recovery will take three. You’ve got a solid constitution—judging by how fast you’re healing, you’re doing remarkably well,” Xie Jiu’er said casually as she continued cleaning the rabbit.

By then, Xiao Jinyu had already slit open the chicken’s belly with his dagger, removing the innards. Once everything was properly cleaned, he placed the chicken into a clean basin. There was still hot water in the pot, so he gave the bird a thorough rinse.

It didn’t take long for the rabbit to be fully plucked. Xie Jiu’er moved on to cleaning its innards. She then picked up the rusty, chipped kitchen knife and sharpened it against the bottom of a ceramic bowl. With practiced ease, she chopped the chicken into chunks about the size of eggs—reserved for dinner.

She collected the chicken fat she had stripped off and placed it into a bowl—it would be used later to stir-fry the rabbit. Soon, Xiao Jinyu placed the cleaned rabbit meat onto the chopping board. Seeing the strain on his face, Xie Jiu’er quickly said, “You’ve moved around too much today—go inside and rest. Lunch will be ready soon.”

Xiao Jinyu nodded. His right leg was indeed starting to ache. He also soaked a large bowl of ground moss to stir-fry later.

Zhou shi and Wuyang returned around midday. By then, the rabbit was already stewing. Smelling the rich aroma wafting from the kitchen, Wuyang looked stunned. He sniffed the air exaggeratedly and exclaimed, “Whoa—did the sun rise from the west today? Where’d all this meat come from?”

Zhou shi was equally astonished. She rushed into the kitchen, eyes wide as saucers. Seeing her son gulping down saliva and her mother frozen in disbelief, Xie Jiu’er smiled. “Big Brother Xiao hunted it. We’re in for a real treat today!”

Zhou shi approached the chopping board, staring at the cleanly prepared and chopped wild chicken, and the already-stewed rabbit. She murmured, “I never thought I’d get to eat rabbit in my lifetime. We’ve truly met a savior. Without him, how would the three of us women ever lay eyes on such things? I used to envy those villagers who could hunt, watching them bring wild game down from the mountain. I always wished I could hunt too. Now look—I may not know how to hunt, but I finally get to eat meat.”

“We’ll only get better from here, Mother. Just trust me,” said Xie Jiu’er, her heart aching at the sight of Zhou shi being moved by a single bowl of meat. Perhaps it was because she now inhabited the original host’s body, but she couldn’t bear to see Zhou shi or Wuyang suffer.

As mother and daughter chatted and cooked, Xie Jiu’er added Dog Milkweed to the meat broth, simmered it for a while, then sprinkled in salt and Sichuan pepper. The fragrance instantly blossomed.

She served the rabbit soup in a clay pot, then quickly scrubbed the wok clean. Into the pan went the chicken fat, followed by the cooked rabbit meat for a quick stir-fry. In no time, the previously pale rabbit pieces turned golden and crispy, releasing an intoxicating aroma.

She sprinkled salt and pepper in turn, plated the rabbit, then poured the soaked ground moss into the still-hot pan. It was young and tender—just a quick toss with some salt and it was ready to serve.

By the time lunch was ready, it was already noon. Last time they had eaten together, Zhou shi had still been shy. But now, in front of a steaming pot of meat and fragrant soup, she was sincerely grateful to Xiao Jinyu.

As always, Xiao Jinyu picked up his chopsticks first. Zhou shi and Wuyang didn’t think anything of it. But this time, Xiao Jinyu only picked out a small bone to eat. He hadn’t touched a single leg. Seeing this, Zhou shi reached out with her untouched chopsticks and placed a hind leg in his bowl.

Xiao Jinyu looked surprised at the rabbit leg in his bowl and gave Zhou shi a faint smile. She then gave the other hind leg to Wuyang. Wuyang looked at the remaining two forelegs and frowned. “Mother, you eat this hind leg. Your health isn’t good. My sister and I can each take a foreleg.”

Zhou shi was about to object when Xie Jiu’er spoke first: “Mother, it’s Wuyang’s way of showing he cares. Please, just eat it. Only when you’re well can we stay well.”

Hearing her daughter’s words, Zhou shi’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Alright, alright. I’ll eat. Let’s eat together.” With that, the family all dug in, thoroughly enjoying their meal.

They hadn’t tasted a drop of oil in over a month. Eating meat now—especially for Zhou shi and Wuyang who had never had meat before—was an indulgence. Even Xie Jiu’er found herself enjoying every bite. Though Xiao Jinyu remained reserved on the surface, seeing the joy on their faces seemed to put him in a good mood. He didn’t hold himself as stiffly as before.

After the meal, each person was served a bowl of hot meat broth with vegetables. The wind howled coldly outside, but inside, sipping steaming soup, with both meat and greens, Xie Jiu’er finally felt alive again. As she slurped soup and munched on ground moss, the big bowl of greens was polished off in no time.

“This feels so good. Lucky we didn’t leave with the villagers. We’d be freezing on the road right now, and we definitely wouldn’t have meat like this,” Wuyang said, cupping his face in both hands with a look of utter contentment.

“Exactly. Thank goodness I listened to Jiu’er. Otherwise, we’d be suffering out there right now. Originally, we were the ones who saved Young Master Xiao, but now… who’s the real benefactor, I wonder?” Zhou shi said gratefully to Xiao Jinyu.

“It’s just some wild game, Madam. No need to be so polite. But—I could teach the siblings how to hunt, if they’re willing to learn,” Xiao Jinyu offered, glancing at the three of them—so thin they looked like sticks.

“I’m willing! I’m so full of energy right now! Big Brother Xiao, can you teach me right now?” Wuyang sprang to his feet, pulling Xiao Jinyu toward the courtyard excitedly. Zhou shi, watching her son so lively, smiled from the heart as she cleared the table and prepared to wash the dishes.

It never hurts to have more skills. Xie Jiu’er followed them out too. She watched as Xiao Jinyu patiently explained how to use a bow and arrow, gave a demonstration, then had the siblings take turns practicing. Wuyang eagerly took the bow, gritted his teeth, and shot his first arrow ever—it barely flew two steps before plopping to the ground.

Xie Jiu’er pressed her lips together, trying hard not to laugh. Wuyang, seeing her reaction, slouched immediately, his back losing its earlier straightness.

But Xiao Jinyu seemed to have expected this. “That’s how it is when you’re just starting out. You’re using your strength wrong. Try again,” he said calmly, then stood behind Wuyang, guiding him hand over hand.

Watching her little brother, tiny and thin, nestled against Xiao Jinyu—his head barely reaching Xiao Jinyu’s chest—Xie Jiu’er grinned inwardly. “This kid’s hit the jackpot,” she thought. “A future emperor personally teaching him archery? We better learn some real skills while we can.”