The Female Supporting Character Just Wants to Farm [Transmigration] - Chapter 16

Gao Luoshen accepted the recipe book. She flipped through it for a while and actually found a recipe for braised chicken. Conveniently, the rooster that Qi Wei had sent was already plucked and cleaned, so Gao Luoshen smirked to herself and got to work. She cut the chicken into small pieces and, instead of throwing away the head, she mixed it in with the other pieces and put it in the pot. The sauces in ancient times were not as plentiful as in modern times, but luckily, the “Shennong System” provided her with all sorts of impossible ingredients. After a round of frying, braising, and stewing, a plate of braised chicken pieces was ready. Gao Luoshen arranged it on the plate, making sure the chicken head stood tall, as if it were a rooster crowing at dawn.

“Miss, is this black thing edible?” Fangze was already nervous when she saw Gao Luoshen putting in spices she had never seen before. When a pot of dark, saucy braised chicken came out, she was even more terrified. She was afraid her young mistress, in a fit of rage, would poison the person in the next courtyard.

Gao Luoshen smiled faintly. “It’s not poisoned.” Of course, it was edible, but the taste was entirely up to fate. When it was too salty, she added sugar. When it was burnt, she added sugar. When it was sour, she still added sugar. In the end, she sprinkled a handful of salt. Whoever ate it would know. Anyway, this dish was one of a kind, a unique masterpiece. “Take this to Gao Chun’s courtyard,” Gao Luoshen instructed Fangze.

Seeing the maid’s terrified expression as she trembled and reached for the plate, Gao Luoshen frowned for a moment, then waved her hand. “Never mind. I’ll take it myself.”

When Gao Luoshen arrived at the neighboring courtyard, Gao Chun was sitting on a small bamboo couch, reading. Shua Hua, the head maid, was gently fanning her. Most young ladies liked to embroider their fans with graceful ladies and poems. But Gao Chun’s fan was a folding fan with a jade handle and a small jade pendant. The fan had a painting of a vast landscape and a small seal.

This woman is really trying to act like a scholar. Gao Luoshen thought to herself.

She placed the braised chicken on the small couch in front of Gao Chun and said, “Here’s the ‘delicacy’ you wanted.”

Shua Hua looked at the dark braised chicken and blurted out, “Is this a lump of charcoal?” When her mistress had asked her to send the recipe to Gao Luoshen’s courtyard, she was already surprised. The arrogant and unruly Second Miss didn’t seem like the type to cook. As expected, this plate of charcoal confirmed her suspicions. The “delicacy” her mistress had mentioned earlier must have been made by someone else, right?

Gao Chun shot Shua Hua a glance and said in a low voice, “You and Fangze go over there.”

Shua Hua’s face stiffened. What’s there to talk about with that simpleton, Fangze? But her mistress had given an order, so she had to obey. She was just telling them to leave, right? As Shua Hua passed Fangze, she tugged on her sleeve, rolled her eyes, and led her away. Only Gao Luoshen and Gao Chun were left in the courtyard, listening to the rustling of the bamboo leaves.

Gao Chun picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. Her expression immediately changed, but seeing Gao Luoshen’s barely contained smirk, she forced herself to eat the “delicacy.” After a long moment, she asked casually, “What’s this dish called?”

Gao Luoshen’s eyes darted around. She didn’t want to make things difficult for Gao Chun. She moved the braised chicken to another spot, sat down across from her, narrowed her eyes, and said languidly, “The Moment of Awakening.”

Gao Chun raised an eyebrow. “Is there a story behind it? I’ve never heard of a dish with that name.”

Of course you haven’t! Gao Luoshen mumbled to herself. She said unhurriedly, “Look at the chicken head on the plate. Doesn’t it look like a rooster crowing? As the saying goes, ‘when the rooster crows, the world turns white.’ Everyone wakes from their beautiful dreams. Isn’t that ‘The Moment of Awakening’?”

Gao Chun was stunned. Gao Luoshen’s explanation was logical, but something about it felt off. The serious expression on her face only made it seem stranger. The words she was about to say were swallowed back. After some thought, she only said, “Thank you, Second Sister.”

Gao Luoshen nodded solemnly. “It was indeed a lot of work. So, Chun’er, what’s my reward?”

This disgusting, strangely-flavored “Moment of Awakening,” and she wants a reward for it? Gao Chun felt that she had already been more than kind by not kicking her out of the courtyard. She took a deep breath, gave a faint smile, and said calmly, “Take whatever you want from my room.” After all, they were just material possessions.

Just as the two sisters were chatting idly, a servant came and said that the daughter of the Grand Minister, Miss Chang, had come to apologize. She was looking for Gao Luoshen, and the men of the estate couldn’t very well deal with it.

Gao Luoshen had had enough of sitting with Gao Chun. She got up, bowed, and said slowly, “Let’s go. Let’s go see her.”

Gao Chun also stood up.

Gao Luoshen glanced at the book lying face down on the small table. She looked at Gao Chun and asked, “What are you doing? Why are you coming with me?”

Gao Chun’s lips curled up, not bothering to hide her intentions. “To watch the show.”

Gao Luoshen couldn’t be bothered to deal with her. She went back to her own courtyard to get dressed up, changed into a vibrant and stunning outfit, and then walked proudly toward the reception hall.

Chang Yingxue had been waiting for nearly half an hour and was already impatient. But her father’s words before she left were still ringing in her ears, so she could only endure the humiliation, her eyes brimming with tears as she waited.

“Oh, who is this? I heard Miss Chang went to the Court of Judicial Review as a guest. How did you get out so fast? Was the tea not good? Or were the people there too vulgar to talk to?” From far away, Gao Luoshen’s mocking words floated into Chang Yingxue’s ears.

Gao Luoshen walked with her chin held high, looking at Chang Yingxue from the corner of her eye. She didn’t even pause as she walked past her. Gao Chun, on the other hand, stopped for a moment and glanced at Chang Yingxue.

This arrogant behavior—

Chang Yingxue was so angry her teeth ached, but there was nothing she could do. She bit her pale lower lip and said in a low voice, “At the Prince of Chu’s residence, I spoke out of turn. I hope Miss Gao is magnanimous enough to not take such a small thing to heart.”

Gao Luoshen raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Why are you apologizing to me? Your maid tried to poison someone, but it wasn’t me.”

“You—” The Chang family would never dare to get involved with something like poisoning. They wanted to clear their name of all involvement. Her father had made her apologize to the Duke’s Estate’s eldest daughter out of fear that the Duke’s Estate would take advantage of the situation and accuse her family of orchestrating the whole thing. Chang Yingxue knelt down, holding back her tears, and said, “Whether you believe it or not, Miss Gao, this has nothing to do with my family. The officials at the Court of Judicial Review will surely give everyone a fair ruling. It was my fault for speaking so rashly at the Prince’s residence. I hope you can forgive me.”

Gao Luoshen stepped back as Chang Yingxue knelt down. She wasn’t going to accept such a low bow. She saw Gao Chun go and help Chang Yingxue up and then said slowly, “You do need to apologize to me. Now that you’ve apologized, you can go.”

Her nonchalant expression, in Chang Yingxue’s eyes, was a chilling coldness. She couldn’t tell if Gao Luoshen had truly forgiven her, so she looked at Gao Chun. To her surprise, Gao Chun sighed, a worried expression on her face. Chang Yingxue’s face turned pale, and her lower lip trembled. She spoke again. “I shouldn’t have slandered Miss Gao.”

Gao Luoshen looked at Chang Yingxue in surprise, then her lips curled into a cold smile. “You’re wrong. I’m the one who hit you. You should thank me. If I hadn’t pushed the blame onto your maid, do you think your family would have been able to get out of the Court of Judicial Review’s prison?” Seeing Chang Yingxue’s pale and anxious face, she suddenly felt a little bored. She knew what Chang Yingxue was worried about, so she said slowly, “The Chang family is innocent, so no one will convict you. Go back. Oh, and Miss Chang, you’d better remember to be cautious with your words and actions.” Gao Luoshen didn’t see herself as a magnanimous person. If someone provoked her, she wouldn’t hold back. She might occasionally use her status to get away with things, but she wouldn’t manipulate a murder case that involved so many people.

Seeing Gao Luoshen say this, Chang Yingxue could only bow and leave. She had wanted to talk to Gao Chun, but Gao Chun was sitting in her chair, not moving, as if she hadn’t seen her look. Feeling a deep sense of sadness and resentment, she looked at the magnificent Duke’s Estate. A thought came to her. If she had been born into a royal family, would Gao Luoshen have dared to treat her like this?

After Chang Yingxue left, Gao Chun spoke slowly. “How did you know her maid was carrying poison?” She had been curious for a long time, but Gao Luoshen hadn’t said a word about it since they returned from the Prince’s residence. Now, with Chang Yingxue’s apology, she had a chance to ask.

“You want to know?” Gao Luoshen raised an eyebrow and smiled mysteriously.

Seeing the look of curiosity on Gao Chun’s face, a hint of smugness rose in Gao Luoshen’s heart. There are still some things in this world that Gao Chun doesn’t know. But she couldn’t just tell her that she had read the book. Her eyes darted around, and in the end, with Gao Chun’s expectant look, she finally spoke. “I am drop-dead gorgeous, and I’ve always been gentle and kind. That maid should have been stunned by my beauty. But instead, she avoided my gaze. That’s how I knew she was hiding something!”