Chapter 38

 Bao Ning sat on the edge of the heated kang, watching Pei Yuan move around as he cooked.

Their argument earlier had been driven by emotions. Words rushed out in the heat of the moment. Now, in the calm aftermath, recalling the tears she shed just moments ago, Bao Ning felt utterly ashamed and angry at herself.

She realized the awkwardness of the situation now. But back then, she hadn't known. As she spoke, she wiped away Pei Yuan's tears and snot all over. Fortunately, he didn't mind. He casually wiped his face with a handkerchief, put on another set of clothes, acting as if nothing had happened.

What was she sulking about? Bao Ning couldn't articulate a reason. Perhaps it was because Pei Yuan, usually not so gentle, had given her the freedom to cry in his arms, regardless of the consequences.

This kind of melodramatic behavior, reminiscent of a young girl, was something Bao Ning had never done before. It was a first.

Though the process had been embarrassing, it had to be said, it had some effect. It seemed to bring her and Pei Yuan closer.

...

The window was wide open, letting in a pleasant smell mingled with the faint fragrance of wintersweet flowers.

The weather had warmed up. Bao Ning wore a light silk skirt that fluttered in the breeze. Her feet were bare, stepping on Ah Huang's soft fur.

Ah Huang lay obediently on the ground, basking in the bright, warm sunlight that streamed in through the window. It half-closed its eyes, almost nodding off.

Pei Yuan insisted on making her a meal.

Bao Ning initially refused. Pei Yuan had walked too much yesterday and now needed a cane. He could walk, but the rough wooden boards would chafe against his skin, causing discomfort. When they had removed the boards yesterday, his legs had already developed several blisters, the largest the size of a thumbnail.

Pei Yuan endured it all without a furrowed brow. But he wasn't made of iron. How could it not hurt?

"Which one is soy sauce, and which one is vinegar?" Bao Ning was lost in thought and was called back by Pei Yuan.

He held two small jars in his hands, squinting at them under the sunlight with the lids open. "They're both black. How do I tell them apart?"

"... You could smell them," Bao Ning suggested.

Pei Yuan unexpectedly glanced at her and raised an approving eyebrow. "Good idea."

Frowning even more now, Bao Ning regretted even more that she had agreed to let him cook. He was so pampered; what could he possibly do? He probably couldn't even distinguish between salt and sugar, let alone cook something edible.

As expected, the next moment, Pei Yuan asked, "Which one is salt?"

He stared at two white jars, his brows furrowing into a knot. "They look exactly the same."

But having learned from his previous mistake, Pei Yuan became a bit smarter. He scooped a bit onto the back of his hand and licked it. "Let me taste it."

Bao Ning watched him speechlessly.

"You can tell just by looking. Sugar sticks together in clumps, while salt is dry and crisp. Just flick it with your finger, and you'll know," Pei Yuan explained.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Pei Yuan grimaced and spat on the ground. "Damn salty."

"Forget it..." Bao Ning bent down to put on her shoes. "You watch from the side. I'll handle this."

"No need. It's just cooking a meal. How hard could it be?" Pei Yuan scoffed coldly, confidently picking up the knife and slapping the Chinese cabbage onto the cutting board. "This is something anyone can learn on their own. It's my first time, so I'm not too familiar with it. Just watch, practice makes perfect, and I guarantee it'll surprise you."

Bao Ning silently watched him boast.

Pei Yuan continued, "Leaving aside everything else, just this knife, I started playing with knives when you couldn't even walk yet. Chopping this cabbage is a piece of cake. I've seen palace cooks cutting vegetables before, learned a bit from it. Watch and see what good knife skills look like."

Bao Ning watched as he picked up the Chinese cabbage, weighing it in his hand with an eager look, her heart thumping. "Don't mess around..."

With his left hand holding the Chinese cabbage down on the cutting board, Pei Yuan moved his right hand slightly, gathering his strength, and lifted the knife.

Bao Ning closed her eyes in fright, only hearing a "click" and then a "bang." When she opened her eyes again, half of the Chinese cabbage had fallen onto the ground along with half of the cutting board.

Bao Ning felt a pang of heartache. "My cutting board is made of pear wood."

Pei Yuan shrugged. "Not sturdy enough. I'll have a stone one made for you next time."

"Don't make a mess!" Bao Ning put on her shoes and snatched the knife from him, pushing him aside to sit down. "I don't have a second cutting board for you to mess with."

The commotion had startled Ah Huang awake. It abandoned its nap and chased after the half of the cabbage on the ground, embracing it with its front paws and rolling around with it.

The chickens and ducks outside found it amusing and rushed in to join the fray.

The already small room was now chaotic and messy. Bao Ning glanced at Pei Yuan, who looked innocent. She couldn't bring herself to criticize him.

"Go outside and cause trouble," Pei Yuan poked Ah Huang's butt with his cane. "Can't you see the mistress is upset? If you keep messing around, none of us will have anything good to eat. Don't let me end up eating melons like you."

Ah Huang let out a whimper, shrunk its butt forward, and rolled the cabbage out of the door. The chickens and ducks crowded around it, and soon, cries of distress came from outside as they fought over the cabbage.

Bao Ning looked outside. Ah Huang had lost, and it gave up on the cabbage, tail tucked, and fled to the backyard where there was a small patch of cucumber vines. Under the cool shade of the cucumber trellis, it was quiet and serene. Perhaps it went there to nurse its wounds; it liked to hide there.

Pei Yuan fetched a bowl and stood next to Bao Ning. "Let me help you beat the eggs."

Bao Ning turned to look at him, pointing to a small jar in the corner. "The eggs are over there."

She didn't want to discourage Pei Yuan's enthusiasm for cooking. It was good that he wanted to help. She liked being busy, and she liked that Pei Yuan could accompany her. Together, they worked hard to make their house feel more like a home.

As long as he didn't wreak havoc anymore.

Bao Ning placed the eggs and the bowl on the kang table, helped Pei Yuan sit aside to rest his legs, and instructed him, "You just need to crack the eggs lightly on the edge of the bowl and then break them open like this. It's simple, right?"

"I thought it would be much harder," Pei Yuan began boasting again. He rarely ever pretended to be humble.

Bao Ning sighed helplessly. "Try it first."

Pei Yuan blinked and crushed an egg.

He didn't seem embarrassed at all, casually tossing the eggshell aside and wiping the sticky egg whites into the bowl. "Don't mind it. It's not dirty. Eating it won't make you sick. Let me make a few more for you."

Bao Ning was at her wit's end. She felt that Pei Yuan perhaps really didn't have any talent in this area. His fingers were as stiff as rolling pins.

"You can't eat that. It's too dirty." Bao Ning carried the bowl outside, spilling the egg whites on the ground. The chickens, who had been fighting over the cabbage, saw the commotion and came running to peck at it.

Watching her, Pei Yuan clucked his tongue. "Letting chickens eat chicken eggs, how cruel of you."

Bao Ning had no words. After watching him for a while, she finally managed to say, "Ignorant, and proud of it."

Pei Yuan leaned on the table, laughing with his head on his arm, looking sideways at her.

Baoning rarely saw him so happy. In the past, even when he smiled, it was just a slight curl of the lips, unlike now where his nose, eyes, and eyebrows all came alive.

Unconsciously, Baoning found herself smiling along with him.

Pei Yuan continued to crush five more chicken eggs in a row. He thought the problem lay with the eggs themselves—too brittle. So, he went to practice with goose eggs. Baoning had recently bought them, attracted by their size, but they turned out to be more trouble than they were worth, laying eggs was particularly difficult for them, screaming painfully.

Baoning felt sorry for them and didn't let him handle it, and Pei Yuan's persistence also broke. He insisted.

Finally, it was crushed in the palm of his hand.

Goose eggs are expensive, Baoning can't bear to feed the chickens, and she hates to eat them.

Early lunch, two dishes, garlic chives stir-fried goose eggs, a fried small meatball, and a bowl of unshakeable wolfberry red date soup.

Pei Yuan ate and joked with Baoning: "I still don't like my hands dirty. Don't you also eat fragrantly and pretend to be clean with me?"

He has a cynical mouth. He hurts when he is unhappy. Now he is happy, and his words are not good. Baoning thought the strength she had wasted crying with him in the morning.

Baoning stared at him and moved the dishes to her side: "Love to eat and not eat!"

"Wrong, wrong, don't be angry." Pei Yuan went to comfort her, wiping the rice grains from her lips, and sending them to his mouth.

Baoning's face wrinkled into a ball: "Are you disgusting!"

"Not disgusting." Pei Yuan squeezed her eyes, "sweet."

Baoning was corrupted by Pei Yuan, and also learned to fight back: "Look at your appearance, and also prince, not dignified."

"The identity is for outsiders to see." Pei Yuan sent a meatball into her mouth, ambiguous, "in front of you, I am your husband."

I don't know where to learn the rural slang.

Baoning's position is too low, and the fragrant taste of the meatball melted in her mouth, her eyes blinked, and her cheeks blushed.

Pei Yuan watched her shoulders droop, she liked to comb like this, simple and beautiful, the feeling of hair at the neck and skin was also very good, crispy and itchy.

The end of the hair is tied with a red hair rope, and the tip of the hair is blown up by the wind.

Baoning sat there, shy and cute, a little girl's posture.

Pei Yuan never thought he could have today, he could have someone to accompany him, without any wealth and wealth, just such a simple life, the collision of bowls and plates, there is also interest.

He was a self-confident character, naturally formed since childhood. He was used to being high above, regardless of whether he was right or wrong, he didn't apologize to anyone, let alone a woman.

Last night, I wanted to stick with Baoning to the end. After waking up in the morning, I saw Baoning's busy back. He suddenly felt wrong.

She was so thin, so light, with a slender waist, he could poke it with one finger, he was a big man, with a superior advantage in force, why couldn't he lower his head in character.

I thought it would be very difficult, but when the words came out, I realized that it was actually quite easy. She was also very easy to satisfy.

This kind of day is also quite good.

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