Chapter 21: An Uninvited Companion

“Who are you, and why should we take you with us?” Zhang Yan spoke up before Shangguan or anyone else could respond. He was clearly unhappy; this newcomer seemed like a threat to his territory.

“Qi? Qi Zhengxing is your father?” Wang Shi’s gaze fixed sharply on Qi Lian, her eyes glimmering with recognition.

Qi Lian was momentarily taken aback, his expression shifting. “Yes, that is my father. Do you know him?”

Xu Nuo looked curiously at Wang Shi, trying to recall her backstory. Wang Shi had always lived in a small village, and there was no mention of her family history in any novels she’d read. Now, seeing Qi Lian’s affluent appearance, which exuded a sense of nobility, she couldn’t help but wonder how her mother even knew someone like him.

Not only was Xu Nuo puzzled, but even Shangguan felt confused. Though he knew his mother was not an ordinary woman, he had never encountered any relatives from his maternal family. Whenever they were mentioned, his mother would tear up and change the subject, so he had learned to avoid the topic altogether. Now, seeing his mother’s reaction, he began to suspect that there might be some underlying connection to his maternal family.

Wang Shi wore a distant expression, murmuring to herself, “No wonder… You look just like him!”

“I only met your father when we were young! I didn’t expect you to have grown up so much!”

Qi Lian sighed in relief, having just been terrified of the implications of his father’s questionable reputation messing up his family life.

“Since you are a friend of my father, I’ll call you auntie,” he suggested, his mood brightening.

“Auntie, you have to let me join you!” Qi Lian’s face transformed back into his usual cheerful demeanor, quickly shifting his strategy.

Wang Shi turned away to wipe the tears from her eyes and then reached out to pat Qi Lian’s arm. She glanced at Shangguan and Xu Nuo for their opinions.

Realizing that they all understood the situation, Shangguan said, “Mother, it’s fine with us. We’ll need his help for food along the way.”

“Oh, auntie, you truly are my dear aunt! Once we reach Shandong, I will take care of everyone! Meals and drinks will all be on me!”

Zhang Yan heard this and felt it was a blatant attempt to boast, but he didn’t want to spoil Wang Shi’s excitement. He could only roll his eyes behind her back, muttering, “Who’s taking care of whom? It’s not definite yet; you’re just dreaming!”

Xu Nuo found it amusing. It seemed their journey wouldn’t be too boring after all, as there would be plenty of entertainment along the way.

Ignoring Zhang Yan’s antics, Shangguan proceeded to wash the pots and bowls by the river. This was one part of the cooking process that Xu Nuo despised; she didn’t mind preparing meals, but washing dishes was just tedious. Back when they had a dishwasher, things were easy, but now having a personal dishwasher was even better!

Xu Nuo brought the bucket of previously soaked crayfish to the blanket. “Stop playing around and come eat some crayfish!”

“Huh? What is this?” Qi Lian asked, looking at the vibrant red crayfish in the pot as he picked one up and was about to put it into his mouth.

Xu Nuo hastily stopped him. “Wait! That’s not how you eat it!” She sighed inwardly, thinking how could this boy be so clueless? It felt like she was taking on the role of a mother, and she had to teach him everything.

With a bit of patience, she demonstrated how to pull off the crayfish head and tail, cracking the hard shell to reveal the meat beneath. “See? This is what you can eat!” And she dipped it into the sauce and popped it into her mouth.

The familiar flavor was delightful; Xu Nuo couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride at being able to satisfy her taste buds even in ancient times!

Without waiting for others to dig in, she began peeling crayfish herself, fully engaged in enjoying the process. Given Zhang Yan and Qi Lian’s appetites, they couldn’t miss out and soon joined her in stripping crayfish with their hands.

As Xu Nuo was happily devouring her meal, she suddenly noticed a bowl of crayfish tails appear before her, apparently set there by Shangguan. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you eating yourself!”

Realizing it was Shangguan who had peeled them, she didn’t hesitate to push the bowl back towards him. “You eat that; if you’re not going to eat it, give it to Mother. You don’t understand—eating crayfish is more fun when you do it yourself!”

Those words nearly infuriated Shangguan. Did she really think he would take her goodwill for granted? Xu Nuo didn’t feel touched; instead, she thought Shangguan was merely delaying their meal, giving Zhang Yan and Qi Lian too much opportunity to catch up.

Shangguan could only smile in exasperation. What could he do? He had married such a peculiar wife. He had already peeled enough crayfish for his mother. Sometimes, she could behave so strangely while eating, retaining a certain air of propriety befitting a young lady, despite her past tribulations.

As the bowl of crayfish dwindled, the pile of empty shells on the blanket grew taller. “Wow! This is so satisfying!” Xu Nuo exclaimed, holding up her oily hands, laughing. “If only we could have another bucket of them!”

“I can eat another bucket!”

“Me too! I didn’t expect these little things to be so enjoyable!”

Zhang Yan and Qi Lian had absolutely filled their stomachs during lunch. This single meal of crayfish had conquered their appetites and solidified their determination to stick with Xu Nuo in the future. The reason for not choosing Shangguan was simple: he wasn’t the one cooking!

The helpers cleaned up after the meal, and Xu Nuo lay down in the shade of a tree, feeling the gentle breeze. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax entirely, listening to the sounds of nature. Before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep.

Zhang Yan and Qi Lian were still reminiscing about their earlier crayfish feast, eager to ask Wang Shi for fishing tips. They scampered back to the river, managing to catch a whole bucket of crayfish and even a few fish. They were set for dinner now. However, Shangguan had no intention of making Xu Nuo cook again that night. It was exhausting to prepare two meals in a row; he was sure that just one meal a day was more than enough.

When Xu Nuo woke up, she heard Zhang Yan’s loud voice piercing through the air nearby. “Sister-in-law! Come look! Quick! Look what we caught!”

Xu Nuo covered her ears, ensuring all was quiet before she mumbled back, “Is it crayfish?”

“Sister-in-law, you’re amazing! You guessed right! We filled an entire big bucket!”

Xu Nuo frowned, doubtful. Did these two brainiacs really belong in an exam hall? Even if they somehow passed, wouldn’t they get swallowed alive in the world of bureaucracy? It seemed like they would only ever rely on their stomachs, naive and sweet, completely oblivious to the harsh realities around them.

“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s pack our things and get back on the cart before it gets dark out in these wilds,” Shangguan said, not showing any leniency. He rewarded everyone with a piece of roasted chestnut, pulling Xu Nuo with him towards the cart. He was growing increasingly impatient with Zhang Yan and Qi Lian; he felt that lingering around them would only lead to Xu Nuo being influenced by their antics, leading him to regret having agreed to travel together.