flstandardbreds Chapter 378 The Hunter's Little Darling 39
Chapter 378 The Hunter's Little Darling 39
"You've worked hard today, eat more later." Xie Qingyu nodded in Ma Erya's direction.
Ma Erya tightened her grip on the rake, glanced into the courtyard again, hesitated for a moment, then put the rake down and went to Xie Qingyu's side.
"How did you meet Tu Shen?" Ma Erya asked the question she had been wanting to ask.
Both were at the foot of the mountain, and there was almost no chance that the two of them would meet. Xie Qingyu was blind and could not go out, and Tu Shen would not go to the village. How could she have met Tu Shen before her?
"Speaking of which, I have to thank you for this," Xie Qingyu said slowly.
"Me?" Ma Erya's eyes narrowed, unable to believe it.
Xie Qingyu nodded, seemingly telling the truth, "I heard that your grandma wanted to sell you, so my grandma also thought about selling me to a restaurant owner in town. But before selling me, she had to make sure that my dad and his family wouldn't come back to settle scores, so she had my second uncle take me home. That's how we met Tu Shen on the way."
Xie Qingyu's words were three parts truth and seven parts falsehood, but Ma Erya knew that the three parts were true.
She knew about the plan to sell Xie Qingyu to the restaurant, and at the time she even marveled at Xie Qingyu's good fortune, saying that even if she were blind, someone would want her because of her pretty face.
She never expected that this incident would lead her to Tu Shen.
"Did you decide to marry him just because you met him? Why didn't you go to a restaurant? Why did you have to go to the home of a hunter who has been poor for generations?" Ma Erya asked anxiously.
She was getting a little impatient.
It was clear that Old Woman Tu was starting to dislike her. If she stayed here for too long, someone would definitely get upset, and Aunt Tu had already shown her displeasure long ago.
Ma Erya didn't want to go down the mountain and go back.
Returning to the Ma family, she was subjected to the old woman's unrestrained exploitation and oppression, like a little maid being squeezed dry before being sold for a good price. Her incompetent father and aggrieved mother would not say a word for her, only telling her to endure it.
Ma Erya took a deep breath and looked at Xie Qingyu, waiting for her answer.
"I think this mountain is quite nice, mainly because Tu Shen is quite nice." Xie Qingyu replied in a relaxed tone, without any hint of romantic feelings, only a natural expression.
“Do you know…” Ma Erya couldn’t help but want to step forward.
"So my sister-in-law thinks so highly of my brother," the cousin interrupted Ma Erya before she could ask the question.
She looked like she'd just been fed dog food, her face beaming with happiness and envy. "What kind of dishes do you want to eat? I saw my brother put in a lot of meat, and some refined grains too."
My cousin was practically swallowing as she spoke.
Although meat is plentiful on the mountain, it's all reserved to be exchanged for food, and it's not allowed to be touched easily.
And refined grains are almost never seen.
The amount that Tu Shen took out was clearly enough for them to eat for the next two days.
"Take a look and see what you want to eat, I'll do whatever you say," Xie Qingyu said gently.
Her cousin stared blankly at Xie Qingyu. The wind blowing through her hair had a perfect beauty, and even her profile was so beautiful that it was hard to look away. Especially when she spoke to her so gently with a smile, it made her cheeks feel like they were about to burn.
"Okay," my cousin murmured in response.
Her older brother is so lucky to have married such a fairy-like sister-in-law.
She also wants to marry a wife like that, even if she can't work.
"Sister Ma, come help me start the fire." Er Ya turned to Ma Er Ya and said, "I'm starving and want to eat quickly."
Ma Erya glanced at Xie Qingyu and then at her cousin, before following her into the kitchen.
Ma Erya was somewhat shocked when she came in.
"Are you making these?" Ma Erya looked at the fine white flour and meat, which were divided into marinated and fresh meat.
She had never seen such a sumptuous feast since she came here.
I can't even imagine how delicious it would be if cooked into a meal.
Ma Erya had even forgotten about the conversation and thoughts that had just occurred to her. Now she just wanted to eat quickly and had no trace of her earlier reluctance to start the fire.
"Does Brother Tu's family usually eat this well?" Although she had eaten quite well here last time, she assumed it was because they were entertaining guests.
"No, not really," my cousin said. "My brother usually eats pretty casually; he's fine as long as he's full."
Her cousin's words dispelled the slight resentment that had risen in Ma Erya's heart, but it quickly reignited because of her next sentence.
"These good things are probably for my sister-in-law; my brother dotes on his wife."
Ma Erya felt a lump in her throat.
Yes, in the original book, Tu Shen is a man who dotes on his wife, but the person he should be doting on is her.
These are things she should have enjoyed every day.
When she was with the Ma family, she would get her hand slapped with chopsticks if she ate even half a wild vegetable bun, and she had to throw a tantrum to win the right to eat the whole wild vegetable bun.
She mechanically added firewood, sparks suddenly shooting up and illuminating her face with a chilling light.
The thought in Ma Erya's mind also rose with the flames, until it reached the top.
"Hey, hey, turn the fire down, or it'll burn!" Her cousin called out to stop her, bringing Ma Erya back to her senses. She quickly pulled out two pieces of burning firewood, determined not to let the food in the pot burn.
"Dinner's ready!" My cousin exclaimed excitedly as the last dish was served.
My cousin only made two dishes, but since both were meat dishes, it was already quite a feast.
The rice was used to make porridge.
She naturally couldn't bear to put all the rice in, so she mixed in most of the chestnuts and wild pumpkins, but it was just as delicious. The mixed aroma of the rice made people's mouths water.
"Your cooking is excellent. The aroma you just smelled made me forget everything else and just want to eat," Xie Qingyu said sincerely as she sat down.
"It's because my older brother left us such good ingredients; anyone can cook delicious meat like this." My cousin was unusually shy and modest.
“That’s different. Your older brother doesn’t usually think like that,” Xie Qingyu joked.
"Hehe." My cousin was happy, and she didn't forget to hand Xie Qingyu chopsticks.
"It's really good," Xie Qingyu praised after taking a careful bite.
"Hehe." My cousin happily ate the rice in her bowl.
For the rest of the time, none of the three spoke. The food alone was enough to shut them up, and the cousin's cooking skills were also excellent. No one had time to talk.
Ma Erya only put down her chopsticks when the table was completely clean.
She hadn't had such a satisfying meal in a long time; she wished she could eat it every day.
"It's hot at noon, so don't bother with anything else. Take a break and you can do it in the afternoon after a nap," Xie Qingyu said.
“Okay.” My cousin had no objections.
"Okay, we should be able to finish this afternoon, and then we can pick some berries from the day before yesterday to eat." Ma Erya tried her best to speak in a natural voice.
“Those berries were indeed delicious,” Xie Qingyu nodded.