A Cannon Fodder Who Became The Future Queen - Chapter 24

Ji Ping’an’s smile was so obvious that Shen Zhiyu became a little awkward.

She released her hand from the ladder and said, “Whatever you say,” then left.

The ladder standing on the ground began to wobble again. I quickly regained my balance, and when I looked up, I saw Shen Zhiyu had already gone to the other side of the yard to check on the drying bedding.

Fugui, who was beside me, said, “I’ll hold the ladder for you. Don’t worry.”

I said gratefully, “A sister I can count on.”

Fugui said, “…You don’t have to say that.”

Then she asked, “You… Is this how you usually get along with Sister Jiu?”

Her parents were always telling her to get married, but Fugui knew very few people, mostly just other Qianyuan and Kunze. She had no idea how to get along with a Kunze.

I was fixing the roof according to the method Fugui had just taught me. Hearing her question, I said, “Yeah, but Sister Jiu and I are a bit special, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

Fugui asked, “Then how should you normally get along with them?”

Even though I’ve never been in a relationship or married, I was happy to share my experience. “Just talk to them the same way you talk to me. Just treat them like a friend.”

“A friend?” Fugui repeated in a low voice.

I nodded. “That’s right. You can try getting to know anyone you feel comfortable talking to.”

Fugui thought for a while before saying to me on the roof, “Ping’an, thank you.”

I smiled. “You’re welcome. If you find the right person, don’t forget to invite me for your wedding candies.”

Fugui said honestly, “I will, but I don’t know when that will be.”

She knew that she was a bit reserved and never knew what to say when she met new people.

“There’s no need to rush,” I said as I finished laying the bottom layer of thatch and began to secure it with clay. “Even though your aunt and uncle say they’re in a hurry, they definitely want you to find the right person.”

Although I hadn’t interacted much with Fugui’s family, I could tell that Fugui’s mother truly cared for her.

“I know,” Fugui said.

“…”

While we were talking, Shen Zhiyu was chatting with Suisui, but she was also listening with half an ear.

When she heard the words “right person,” she looked up at me on the roof.

I seemed to be an enigma. Sometimes I saw things very clearly, and at other times I loved to pretend to be clueless.

“Fugui, I’ve fixed the roof of this room according to what you said.”

I laid out the last layer of thatch and came down from the ladder. “Can you take a look and see how I did?”

Fugui climbed the ladder, pressed on the repaired spot, and after a careful inspection, said, “It’s fine. The sun will dry the clay today.”

“That’s good.” I asked her, “After all the help you gave me today, you can stay and eat with us, right?”

Fugui instinctively wanted to refuse. “My family probably made my meal already. I’ll go to the county town for work after I eat.”

“That works out perfectly. I have to go to the county town after I eat too, so we can go together.”

I poured some water for her and me to wash our hands. “Besides, I need to ask you for a favor.”

Hearing this, Fugui asked, “What do you need help with?”

I smiled. “I’ll tell you at dinner.”

Fugui sighed. “…”

Faced with someone as eloquent as me, she couldn’t come up with another excuse. She could only say, “I’ll go home and tell my parents.”

“Hurry back.”

Our two families lived close to each other, and Fugui returned in no time, holding a piece of sliced cured meat.

She handed the meat to me. “My mom wanted me to bring this over.”

“Why did you bring cured meat?” I asked, taking it.

The cured meat in the village was made from good pork. They would smoke it themselves in the winter and hang it up, taking a piece whenever they wanted to eat it.

But the price of pork was high, so most families didn’t make a lot of cured meat and would only bring it out for special occasions.

Fugui repeated what her mom had said. “If I didn’t bring it, she wouldn’t let me eat here.”

I raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed she was learning from my previous actions. Her mother wouldn’t let her eat without bringing something, and she had even sliced the meat so we would have to eat it.

I didn’t refuse. “Alright, the cured meat is perfect for lunch.”

We went into the kitchen together. I worked at the stove while everyone else helped me.

They washed the rice and vegetables, and then I saw them look at me as I smeared oil in a pottery pot and evenly spread the washed rice inside. I added only a shallow layer of water, then laid the washed amaranth, winter melon, pea shoots, and Chinese cabbage on top.

The sliced cured meat was placed on top of everything, and finally, I drizzled some soy sauce over it. Even before I started the fire, we could smell the smoky aroma of the meat.

Suisui asked, “Sister, what are you making?”

She had only seen oil used for stir-frying. Why would I use it to steam rice?

Fugui and Shen Zhiyu didn’t ask, but they were thinking the same thing as Suisui. They had never seen rice cooked this way before.

Clay pot rice, I said to myself in my heart. Then I replied, “Something delicious. You’ll get to eat it in a little while.”

The fire burned continuously, starting high and then turning low. The rice slowly absorbed the water, and the lid kept the steam in, cooking the vegetables and cured meat on top.

The aroma continuously escaped from under the lid. Suisui couldn’t help but swallow her saliva. “Sister, it smells so good.”

I smiled. “It should be ready now. Let’s see how my new dish turned out.”

I used a cloth to grab the lid of the pottery pot and opened it. A cloud of hot steam carrying the scent of the cured meat rushed toward our faces.

The cured meat was a vibrant reddish-orange, looking almost translucent. The vegetables next to it were fully cooked and glistened with the oil that had seeped out from the meat.

I began to scoop from the bottom of the pot. The golden, crispy rice crust made a “crunch-crunch” sound. It was incredibly appetizing to look at, and the rich, toasted aroma made me want to grab my chopsticks.

Even the usually quiet Fugui couldn’t help but say, “It’s delicious.”

I said, “You saw how I made it. If you want to eat it again, you can try making it yourself at home. You can even add other vegetables you like. Just pay attention to the heat.”

Fugui had never seen rice and vegetables cooked together like this before. She asked, “Did you come up with this yourself?”

Shen Zhiyu also looked at me.

I could only say, “My mother used to make it like this, and I just remembered.”

Suisui blinked and thought hard, wondering if her mother had ever made this kind of rice for them.

Fugui didn’t have any doubts. “It’s so simple and convenient. It saves a lot of time too.”

After lunch, the two of us got ready to head to the county town together.

When I was leaving, I said to Shen Zhiyu, “If you need anything, just go to the aunties or to Uncle Li.”

Shen Zhiyu said, “I know.”

“Good,” I said with a smile. “Is there anything you’d like me to bring back for you?”

At the moment, I only knew that she liked sweet things and couldn’t handle anything too sour or spicy. I hadn’t observed her other tastes yet.

Shen Zhiyu didn’t say anything but looked at Suisui first.

“Sister, I don’t want anything. Just be careful on your way.”

Suisui was still worried about my injury.

I said, “I know. I’ll bring some more sweets back for you.”

The clay pot rice had been so good that Fugui only remembered to ask me on our way to the county town, “Ping’an, what did you need help with?”

I briefly explained my plan to sell betrothal geese. “You work in the county town every day, so you’re definitely more informed than I am.”

“I was just thinking, if you hear anyone in the county town is getting married and needs a pair of betrothal geese, could you please let me know?”

Fugui said, “I understand. I’ll keep an eye out for you in the future.”

Then she remembered something else. “A few days ago, I heard that the Wang family and the County Assistant are getting married.”

Since it had been raining the last few days, I hadn’t been to the county town and didn’t know about this.

My interest was piqued. I asked, “Where in the county town are the Wang family and the County Assistant’s family? I can go and ask them today.”

Fugui gave me the detailed locations. “The Wang family is in the south of the city. The County Assistant’s family isn’t far from them. You can walk past the Donghe Restaurant, and when you get to the intersection, you’ll see them two streets over.”

The Wang family and the County Assistant’s family were both prominent households in the county town. They all had plaques hanging on their gates, so I didn’t have to worry about not finding the place.

When we arrived in the county town, Fugui and I went our separate ways. But I didn’t go to those two houses first. Instead, I went to the blacksmith’s shop that I had passed many times.

The iron was just taken from a glowing red furnace. It was so hot that it had turned a bright orange. When I arrived, the owner was rolling up his sleeves to hammer the iron.

The large, several-dozen-pound hammer was swung into the air and then dropped down heavily with a loud “clang,” instantly turning the round piece of iron into a flat shape.

With each heavy blow of the hammer, the iron gradually became long and slender, slowly taking the shape of an iron sword.

After it was roughly shaped, the iron sword was quickly put into cold water to be tempered, making it look more and more like the sword I was used to.

The tempering step was when the iron was most likely to break or crack, but the blacksmith shop owner did it with ease, and when he took it out, it was without a single flaw.

I couldn’t help but say, “What great craftsmanship, boss.”

The boss put down what he was holding and smiled at me. “What can I get for you, miss?”

As he spoke, he was about to wipe the sweat from his forehead, but the person next to him got to it first, wiping his brow with a handkerchief.

I said, “I’d like to get a few iron arrows.”

Since I wanted to hunt wild geese, I couldn’t use wooden arrows anymore.

Wild geese fly high, and wooden arrows wouldn’t even be able to reach them, making my [Prey Aiming Scope] useless. I definitely needed to switch to iron arrows.

The boss pointed to the piece he was forging. “How about you wait for this sword?”

I laughed and pointed to the arrows hanging in the shop. “I want arrows for a bow.”

The boss then realized his mistake. “I misheard. Please don’t mind me. They’re for hunting, right?”

“Arrows are fifty coins each. How many do you want, miss?”

I thought for a moment and said, “I’ll take eight arrows, so that’s four hundred coins, right?”

I had originally planned to get about four arrows, as iron arrows, unlike wooden ones, could be used multiple times without being affected.

But then I thought that against fierce game, having an extra arrow could reduce the danger. So I asked for eight arrows.

The boss first nodded, then looked at the person next to him and asked in a low voice, “Is it four hundred coins? I’m not good with numbers.”

The person beside him gently pushed the boss, then said to me in a gentle and soft voice, “That’s correct. I’ll get them for you, miss.”

I smiled. “You must be the boss’s wife. You two have a great relationship.”

The wife, who was grabbing the arrows, smiled faintly and didn’t speak. The boss, however, chimed in, looking especially happy. “Yes, she’s the boss’s wife. Since you’re buying so many, I’ll give you an extra one for free.”

This was an unexpected surprise. “Thank you, boss.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched the two of them whispering. It wasn’t because I was buying so many; it was clearly because what I said had struck a chord with the boss.

After buying nine arrows for four hundred coins, I didn’t have much money left in my pocket.

I felt my somewhat empty pocket and walked toward the homes of the Wang and County Assistant’s families from memory, passing the butcher’s shop where I often sold game.

The owner saw me and greeted me first. “Did you catch some more game today?”

I wasn’t carrying my basket this time so I said to him, “I got hurt by accident when I went up the mountain in the rain a few days ago, so I didn’t get any game.”

For some reason, after I said that, the butcher seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

I noticed and remembered what Shen Zhiyu had said about being followed a few days ago.

I asked tentatively, “Boss, is there a problem?”

The butcher hesitated for a moment, looked around to see if there were any suspicious people, then said quietly, “Have you offended anyone recently?”

I played dumb. “I just go up the mountain to hunt and come to the county town to sell my game. I shouldn’t have offended anyone, should I?”

The butcher frowned as well and said in a low voice, “The day before yesterday, an official from the county office came and specifically told me not to buy your game. He also said that no one in the county town dares to buy your game now.”

“An official?”

“Yes, he was even wearing an official uniform. He was about thirty or forty years old.”

The boss sighed. “Maybe you shouldn’t hunt for a few days. I heard what that official said, and it seems the other butcher shops in the county town won’t buy from you either.”

No matter how much the butcher liked my game, it wasn’t worth making an enemy of an official.

I understood. “That’s alright. Thank you for telling me, boss.”

I had thought Gong Rong’s relative was a high-ranking official. It turns out he was just a minor one, which was even less of a concern.

After saying goodbye to the boss, I walked past the Donghe Restaurant and saw the large gate with a “Wang Family Manor” plaque hanging on it.

I knocked on the side door, and a doorman came out. He looked me up and down, then asked, “Can I help you?”

I ignored the doorman’s condescending look and asked directly, “I’m here to ask if your family is buying wild geese?”

The doorman nodded casually. “We’re buying them until the twenty-eighth of this month. It’s eight silver coins for a pair. The geese must be alive and not seriously injured.”

“If you have the geese, bring them over as soon as possible. The manor will only buy one pair. After our master and young master have inspected them and confirmed they’re fine, you’ll get your money.”

Many people had come to ask about this in recent days. The doorman had no idea how many times he had said this.

Unfortunately, many people came to ask, but few brought wild geese. Even if they did, the geese were too injured and couldn’t pass the inspection.

The manor was to make a marriage proposal on the twenty-eighth, and the young master would come to ask about it from time to time. If there were none in Donghe County, they would have to go to the next county to buy them early.

I understood the situation. After thanking the doorman, I went to knock on the door of the County Assistant’s house.

The County Assistant’s family was making their marriage proposal half a month later than the Wang family, but they were also offering eight silver coins. It must have been for good luck.

I looked down at the arrows in my hand, feeling that the sixteen silver coins were already within my grasp.

After inquiring about the Wang family and the County Assistant, I was in a great mood. I also hadn’t forgotten to bring some sweets for Shen Zhiyu and Suisui before I left.

Most of the people in line at the pastry shop were Kunze and children. I waited until there were fewer people before stepping up. “I’ll take some mung bean cakes, some peanut brittle, and some sweet pancakes.”

The peanut brittle was made with sticky rice and sugar, boiled until it was golden, and then coated with sesame seeds on top. It looked very sweet and tempting.

The sweet pancakes were a bit similar to the layered flatbreads of later generations, but they were crispier. Each layer was exceptionally thin and would crumble with a single touch. They had a sugary filling inside and were so sweet. A child who had just paid couldn’t help but put one in their mouth immediately.

The owner of the pastry shop wrapped them in oiled paper for me and said, “The ones you picked are all our shop’s specialties. Both adults and children can eat them.”

I looked at the other pastries and asked, “Boss, do you have any pastries made with orchid?”

Shen Zhiyu liked orchids so much. Maybe she would also like a pastry with an orchid flavor.

“Orchid?” The shop owner had never heard of it. “We don’t have that, but we have osmanthus cakes and plum blossom cakes. Would you like some?”

“No, thank you. Could you also pack some preserved fruits for me, please?”

I thought of the soap I bought last time. Shen Zhiyu never mentioned the osmanthus-scented one, so she probably didn’t like it.

After buying everything, I returned home and immediately took out the pastries. “You can all try one of each. Tell me which one you like, and I’ll buy more next time.”

Suisui had never seen so many pastries before. “Sister, what are all these, um…”

She wanted to ask for the names, but before she could finish, I took a sweet pancake and put it in her mouth. “This is a sweet pancake. I’ll tell you what they are as you eat.”

Shen Zhiyu took a piece of peanut brittle and put it in her mouth. Even though it was covered in sugar, it wasn’t overly sweet. The sesame seeds on the outside added a second layer of flavor and texture.

I asked her, “How is it?”

“It’s alright,” Shen Zhiyu said.

After that, she pushed the oiled paper with the peanut brittle toward me.

Since I had bought it, she wasn’t going to stop me from eating it.

I smiled and took a piece. Sure enough, if something could get an “it’s alright” from Shen Zhiyu, it had to taste good.

After dinner, Shen Zhiyu and I each took a bath. After we were all cleaned up, the three of us got ready to go to bed.

After the sky cleared, the moon came out at night, and its light shone through the window onto the floor. The room was much brighter than it had been in the past few days, and Shen Zhiyu’s fuzzy outline became a little clearer.

I said to her in a low voice, “The weather is good today. I think the bed is mostly dry. You should be able to go back to your own room tomorrow.”

So this should be our last night sleeping together.

Shen Zhiyu hummed in response, and her body shifted toward the edge of the bed.

The bed wasn’t big, so there wasn’t much room to put distance between us.

The distance was small, but the emotional impact was huge.

Although she didn’t say anything, I could easily read her meaning: Finally, I can go back to my own room to sleep. I’ll just have to endure one more night!

I: “…”

It’s our last night, and you’re not even going to treasure it!

As I was thinking, my consciousness began to blur, and I slowly fell into a dream.

In my dream, I saw my cat again. “I haven’t seen you in a while. Why do I feel like you’ve gotten fatter, Xiao Mi?”

I wasn’t good at naming things, so after I picked up the cat, I just called her Xiao Mi.

In the video comments section, netizens would often ask me what the difference was between naming my cat Xiao Mi and naming my child John Doe.

My usual response was just one sentence: The cat loves it. I couldn’t stop her.

Even though the cat couldn’t talk, whenever I called “Xiao Mi” while holding cat treats, she would come over, wagging her tail. If that wasn’t love, what was?

After I said the cat had gotten fatter, Xiao Mi seemed to understand. She flicked her tail at me and climbed up the cat tree.

“You have such a temper. You’re a lot like her.”

After I took out a can of food, the cat finally came down from the cat tree and began to eat, forgiving her human’s rude remarks.

The cat was so focused on eating that she couldn’t even lift her head, but her tail was wrapped around my wrist.

“Oh, you’re being so good now?”

Before, the cat’s way of showing affection was to purr loudly next to my ear at dawn or sit on my face in the morning.

But now that the cat was showing affection, I welcomed it. I stroked her fur from the base of her tail to the very tip.

The cat was so well-behaved that it was almost unbelievable. She didn’t even resist. The only thing that felt wrong was that the texture was a bit off.

It was too smooth, and its temperature was even lower than my palm. It didn’t feel like a cat’s tail.

Thinking about this, my eyes shot open, and I woke up from my dream.

It was then that I realized I was very close to Shen Zhiyu.

She was no longer in the flat position she was in before she fell asleep. Her body was curled up on her side, facing me.

Shen Zhiyu’s head was lower, nestled in the area of my neck near my chest. At first glance, it looked as if she had shrunk into my arms.

I was now holding her slender wrist. The cat’s tail I had been stroking in my dream must have been Shen Zhiyu’s arm.

The sleeve of her inner garment was pushed up, revealing her fair, slightly cool skin underneath.

But I wasn’t in the mood to care about that. My eyes were focused on Shen Zhiyu’s face.

She was pale, her body was trembling, and she was biting her lip so hard that I was worried she would draw bl00d.

I touched Shen Zhiyu’s forehead, which was covered in a cold sweat.

But despite my large movements, there was no sign of Shen Zhiyu waking up. She was as if she had fallen into a very deep nightmare.

I leaned in and hugged her. I slipped my fingers into her reddish, biting lips and said in a deep voice, “Sister Jiu, wake up.”