Chapter 49 - 24: Delicious
Chapter 49: Chapter 24: Delicious
Willow Alley.
The noontime sun danced on the branches, piercing through the treetops to cast shimmering rings of light. Where they fell upon the ground, they looked like scattered pieces of gold.
Fang Rui arrived at the Third Lady’s House.
Nannan was bent over, her rear in the air, poking at an anthill in the corner with a piece of straw.
She was playing all by herself, completely content.
"Nannan?" Fang Rui called out.
"Brother Ah Rui?!"
Nannan turned her head, scrambled to her feet, and faced Fang Rui with a happy little hop. Two sweet dimples appeared on her cheeks. "Brother Ah Rui, are you here to see my mom? Also, Brother Ah Rui, what’s that in your hand?"
"My family made some chicken and mushroom stew, so I brought some over for you to try... Where’s your mom?"
Fang Rui squatted down and used his free left hand to pinch Nannan’s soft little cheek.
"My mom’s inside washing her hair!"
As she spoke, Nannan tilted her head to peek into the bowl and gasped. "Wow! Meat, and mushrooms... Brother Ah Rui, is this really for us?"
She gulped, her eyes practically glued to the bowl, just like Fang Ling’s had been.
"Of course it is!"
Fang Rui smiled and handed the small bowl of chicken directly to her. "Ah, what’s the difference? Giving it to you is the same as giving it to your mom. Here, take it. Just bring the bowl back after you’re done eating."
With that, he patted Nannan’s hair, which was tied in a bun, and turned to leave.
After all, a sumptuous feast was waiting at home. Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling wouldn’t start eating until he got back. Besides, he still had to deliver a portion to Uncle Zao Hua’s family!
"Brother Rui!"
Just then, a gentle, melodious voice called out from behind him.
Fang Rui turned his head.
The Third Lady emerged from the house. Her freshly washed hair was down, exuding a moist fragrance, and her fair, delicate skin glowed under the noon sun as she approached with graceful, swaying steps.
As she drew near, a faint, elegant scent like that of an orchid wafted over, mixed with the clean fragrance of soap beans. It was refreshing and captivating.
’To think someone so exquisitely beautiful exists in this era!’
Fang Rui marveled inwardly.
The Third Lady’s lovely face and delicate, fair skin would have been considered upper-middle tier even in his past life, which was full of beauties.
Of course, her most enchanting quality was the aura of a mature woman, ripe as a honey peach, whose every movement was full of grace. It made one want to take a bite.
Fang Rui had decent self-control and didn’t get lost in a daze again. He simply took a couple more appreciative glances... at her cleavage.
The Third Lady seemed to notice. A half-smile played on her lips as she stared into Fang Rui’s eyes until he averted his gaze. Only then did she let it go, joking, "I’ve been smelling that wonderful aroma from your house since mid-morning. It really stirred up my cravings. If Brother Rui hadn’t brought some over, I was about to bring Nannan over to scrounge for a meal!"
"You’re joking, Third Sister. I might forget anyone else, but I’d never forget to bring a share for you and your family," Fang Rui said, rubbing his nose.
"Mom, look! Brother Ah Rui brought chicken..." Nannan chirped, running over excitedly.
"Be careful."
The Third Lady steadied Nannan and took the small bowl from her hands. She glanced inside, then looked up in surprise. "Chicken, and mushrooms... Brother Rui, these are high-quality ingredients. They can’t have been easy to get, were they?"
Even she was pleasantly surprised.
After all, given the current state of affairs, even her family was facing some hardship. They had managed to save some wheat bran, and it wasn’t hard to get by on Sorghum Flour—occasionally mixed with some cornmeal—but they also had no oil or fat in their diet.
"It was alright," Fang Rui said with a vague laugh, not going into detail.
The Third Lady was smart enough not to press the issue. She simply said, "Thank you!"
...
After delivering the food to the Third Lady’s house, Fang Rui went out again, heading for Uncle Zao Hua’s house.
Unlike the nearly half-bowl he’d given to the Third Lady, the portion for Uncle Zao Hua’s family was smaller: a chicken head, two or three pieces of meat, some broth, and a few mushrooms.
Although the Fang Family was relatively close to both the Third Lady’s family and Uncle Zao Hua’s family, there was a difference. The connection with Uncle Zao Hua’s family was based on a simple exchange from a couple of days ago. In contrast, since Fang Rui’s transmigration, the level of mutual favors and social interaction between his family and the Third Lady’s was on a completely different level.
Uncle Zao Hua’s house.
It was Noon, lunchtime. In the main room, Uncle Zao Hua, Xiang Lin’s wife, and Ah Huai each had a bowl of wheat bran gruel in front of them.
The wheat bran gruel wasn’t thick, but very thin—so watery you could almost see your reflection in it. A few willow leaves floated on top.
Yet the family ate it as if it were a rare delicacy, cherishing every mouthful.
Although they had received help from the Fang Family, they couldn’t just eat and drink with abandon; they had to carefully ration their days. Even though Fang Rui had said, ’You can borrow more grain if you run out,’ that was only a last resort for when they truly couldn’t go on.
If they were truly unrestrained and devoured everything in three or five days, they themselves would be too embarrassed to go back and borrow more grain from the Fang Family.
SLURP!
Ah Huai chewed and swallowed a willow leaf, then took a sip of the broth. The faint taste of wheat bran in his mouth neutralized the bitterness, giving him a bit of flavor to savor.
"Uncle Zao Hua, Xiang Lin’s wife!" Fang Rui’s voice called out.
The moment he stepped through the door, Uncle Zao Hua’s entire family stood up to greet him.
Xiang Lin’s wife hurried to bring over a chair. "Brother Rui, you’re here? Sit! Please, sit!"
She instinctively wanted to invite Fang Rui to eat, but the words died on her lips. She opened her mouth, then swallowed them back down, too embarrassed to say anything.
It wasn’t that she was reluctant to share their meager food. Rather, the Fang Family’s situation was far better than theirs, and serving a guest such a meal could be seen as an insult.
"I won’t sit, I just came to drop something off."
Fang Rui smiled. "My family was lucky enough to get an old rooster, and we cooked it up today. I brought some for you to try. It’s not much, so please don’t mind."