A Time-Traveling Zombie Romance (GL) - Chapter 28

On the third day, our injuries had fully healed. Everyone was amazed at how quickly Yunxi and I had recovered, thinking we were no ordinary people—but we just smiled and ignored their astonishment.

Afterward, I wrote a letter and sent it to Zhang Fei in the capital, asking him to send another county magistrate over. We stayed in Yuxian for five days before continuing south. Looking at the hand-drawn map and listening to Li Shaomin’s introduction, I learned that the next destination was Xinghai Town. There, the prefect was Peng Ping, a man neither corrupt nor greedy, and not under the control of the Third Prince.

At noon, we sat on stones, eating our rations and drinking water. I came over to Yunxi. “Xi’er, can you manage these past few days of traveling? We’ve been eating rations every day.”

“I can manage, it’s fine,” Yunxi smiled.

“Wait here—I’ll go hunt some wild game and cook it for us tonight.”

“Okay!” Yunxi’s warm smile made my heart feel equally warm. But when I glanced at Menghui nearby, I felt slightly uncomfortable and silently turned to walk into the forest.

“You stingy thing! Where are you going?”

“I’m going to catch some wild game,” I replied without looking back.

“I’ll go too!” Qingyang quickly ran after me, and soon we walked side by side.

Seeing me leave, Menghui and Qi Yichen whispered. Qi Yichen said softly to Menghui, “Meng’er, wait. I’ll be back soon.”

“Mm,” Menghui smiled and nodded.

We reached a secluded spot. Qi Yichen fired a signal flare into the sky, sending a red light shooting up. Soon, a man in black appeared before him, kneeling on one knee, head bowed in apology. “Greetings, Hall Master!”

“When will they arrive?” Qi Yichen asked coldly, hands behind his back.

“In three days,” the man in black said respectfully.

“Good. You may leave,” Qi Yichen said.

“Yes.” The man bowed again and vanished with a “whoosh.”

“Zhang Xiaoqi!” Qi Yichen gritted his teeth, clenching his fists until his palms turned white.

As we walked on, Qingyang kept moving closer to me. Each time she approached, I stepped back.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Hey! What are you doing?!”

“Doing what?” Qingyang said innocently.

“Why do you keep moving closer?!”

“Why not? I like you, so I come closer. What’s the problem?” Qingyang raised her eyebrows.

“Uh… hmph.” I ignored her and hurried toward a nearby creek.

Qingyang followed closely. At the creek, I washed my hands and quietly watched the water.

“Stingy thing, what are you doing?” Qingyang asked curiously after a while of my silence.

“Shh, don’t you see all the fish in the creek?” I gestured silently to her.

“Really? Wow, so many fish!” Qingyang’s eyes lit up, and she whispered excitedly.

I rolled up my sleeves and pant legs and stepped into the creek slowly. Qingyang copied me. I approached a small fish, and snap!—I grabbed it before it could react.

“Hey, Qingyang, look! I caught a fish,” I laughed, holding it above my head.

“Wow! Stingy thing, you’re amazing!” Qingyang exclaimed.

“Hehe,” I said, removing my outer clothes and putting the squirming fish inside.

After half an hour, I had caught four fish, but Qingyang hadn’t caught a single one.

“Why can’t I catch any? You already caught four!” Qingyang said, looking dejected.

“Haha, that’s because it takes skill. I’ve been catching fish since I was a child, so of course I’m good at it,” I boasted.

“Hmph, I don’t believe I can’t catch one!” Qingyang rolled up her sleeves again, determined.

After another half-hour, I had caught eight fish, while Qingyang still hadn’t caught a single one. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. “Haha! Stingy thing, look—I caught one!” She held up her fish proudly.

“Finally caught one!” I chuckled quietly.

“Not bad!” Qingyang said, walking to me and putting the fish in my clothes.

“Ah!!” She slipped and almost fell, but I quickly caught her. She tumbled into my arms. We both froze; Qingyang felt my heartbeat against her, cheeks warming.

“Cough, cough… you should get up now,” I said awkwardly.

Qingyang hastily left my embrace but felt a twinge of reluctance. Seeing my embarrassed expression, she mischievously kissed my lips. I froze.

“You… you…” I pointed at her in shock.

She looked off into the distance and said, “Consider this a reward for helping me up. Not bad, right?”

“……” I was speechless. What kind of person is this?

Before I could react, Qingyang let out another “Ah!”

“What now?” I crossed my arms, looking at her in the water.

“I stepped on a stone and twisted my foot,” she said pitifully, pouting.

Sigh. I carried her to the shore, unaware that she had a cunning smile while in my arms.

At the shore, I set her down and massaged her injured foot. Qingyang, seeing how focused I was, forgot her pain and blushed with delight.

“Better?” I asked.

“Yes,” she nodded shyly.

“Sit here for now; I’ll clean the fish,” I said. I gutted and scaled each fish, then washed them clean.

Afterwards, I sent Qingyang to sit safely at a distance and went hunting more wild game.

Half an hour later, I returned with a rabbit and a wild chicken. We gutted, plucked, and cleaned them. Then I picked mushrooms under a tree, washed them, and handed everything to Qingyang to carry as we walked back.

“Why have you been calling Miss Yun ‘Xi’er’ these days?” Qingyang rested her head on my shoulder and asked.

“Because I like her. If I don’t call her Xi’er, what should I call her?” I laughed.

“Hmph, that won’t do. You like her, but you also have to like me!” Qingyang pouted.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I like you,” she said firmly.

“……” I paused, then laughed. “You like me? What do you like about me?”

“Everything. And from now on, you’ll call me Qing’er.”

“No! Why should I?!”

“Mwah!”

“Hey! What are you doing?!”

“If you don’t call me, I’ll keep kissing you. Will you or won’t you?”

“Fine! Fine! Qing’er… I’ll call you,” I finally relented.

“Say it again, haha, louder this time…” Qingyang teased.

“Qing’er! Qing’er! Qing’er!”

Back with the group, I immediately asked Qiu Heyu, “Hey, did we bring oil, salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and such?”

“Yes, we have everything,” Qiu Heyu bowed.

“Good.” I smiled, quickly fetching them and mixing my own seasoning based on recipes from my previous life.

“Brother, what are you doing?” Siqing asked, walking over.

“Making seasoning,” I replied, mixing salt, soy sauce, and sugar.

“What’s seasoning?”

“You’ll see soon,” I said mysteriously.

I took fresh lotus leaves, stuffed mushrooms into the chicken’s cavity, brushed my seasoning over it, wrapped it in lotus leaves, and then covered it with damp mud. I buried it and lit a fire above the ground.

“Hey, Zhang Xiaoqi, what are you doing? Why bury the chicken?” Mu Jinyi appeared, surprising me.

“I’m making Beggar’s Chicken,” I explained.

“What’s Beggar’s Chicken? Why bury it? How can you eat it?” she asked.

“This is how it’s done. Wait until it’s cooked, then dig it out,” I explained.

“Poor chicken! Killed, buried, dug up, and eaten — it never gets peace!” Mu Jinyi shook her head.

At that moment, a flock of crows flew overhead. “Mu Jinyi! Go to hell! Get lost as far as you can!” I shouted.

“This person… so cruel,” she muttered, shaking her head as she left.

That evening, we sat around the fire. Everyone grilled their fish on sticks, while I grilled the rabbit, occasionally brushing seasoning on their fish. Once the rabbit and fish were half-cooked, I scored them and brushed more seasoning.

“Xi’er, what time is it now?” I asked.

“It’s already You hour,” Yunxi smiled.

“You hour…” I counted the time, snapped my fingers, and laughed. “Done! The Beggar’s Chicken is ready!”

I went to another fire, extinguished it, and dug up an oval ball of mud.

“Brother… is this the chicken? Can we eat it?” Siqing asked, amazed.

“Yes! Of course! This chicken is delicious,” I said.

“gulp…” I heard Siqing swallow nervously.

“No one can refuse! Everyone must eat,” I said firmly.

Once the mud cooled, I unwrapped the lotus leaves, revealing a golden Beggar’s Chicken. Its aroma filled the air.

“This is edible, really. Xi’er and I have eaten it — it’s amazing,” I said.

“Yes! Zhang Xiaoqi’s Beggar’s Chicken is delicious. Even the current culinary masters couldn’t match her,” Yunxi said.

I held up a drumstick. “Who wants the first bite? First come, first served!”

After a while, Qingyang and Siqing stepped forward. They hesitated, closed their eyes, and took a bite, savoring it slowly. Then they opened their eyes, stunned, as if experiencing nature’s fragrance itself.

“Ah!!” Qingyang went crazy. “Stingy thing, you have to make me ten more of these! I want them every day, they’re amazing!”

“Brother, when you go back, give the recipe to the cooks! I want to eat this every day!” Siqing’s eyes gleamed.

I raised the chicken. “Who wants some?!”

Everyone scrambled for it—except Yunxi, Menghui, and Qi Yichen, who remained calm.

Soon, the Beggar’s Chicken was gone.

“Wow, Zhang Xiaoqi, your chicken is amazing! You should bury more chickens next time — they deserve it!” Mu Jinyi bit into it.

“……” I was speechless. Things escalated quickly.

“Xi’er, Menghui, Qi-ge, here. I saved some chicken for you,” I said, giving them each a portion.

“Thank you,” they smiled.

“Xi’er, have you eaten?”

“Uh… not yet,” I said.

“I’ll give mine to you,” Yunxi held up her chicken.

“No, you eat it. I have rabbit,” I laughed and declined.

After the Beggar’s Chicken, everyone’s appetite surged, and we finished all the fish and rabbit. Seeing everyone satisfied, I felt immense joy and achievement.

Suddenly, a black shadow flickered in the forest ahead.

“Who’s there? Don’t run!” I shouted and chased after it…