“Minister Xie!”
“You’re back, Minister!”
By the time Xie Yu returned to the Kaifeng Prefecture, the moon had risen high. Many people, exhausted from a day’s festivities, had gone to bed early, making the place much quieter than usual.
The dragon boat race had ended before noon. Xie Yu later learned that Ma Bing had left early due to feeling unwell, which foiled his plan to find an opportunity for Pei Rong to meet her.
He originally intended to return immediately, but the Ningde Princess and the Emperor summoned him to speak upstairs. Upon arriving, he inevitably had to greet a group of senior officials.
After lunch, he engaged in some unknown socializing and briefly discussed state affairs. When he finally came to his senses, it was already dark.
The moon on the Dragon Boat Festival wasn’t particularly large, but the moonlight was beautiful, complementing the stars across the sky, making lanterns almost unnecessary.
The air still carried faint scents of artemisia and realgar. After tonight, the festival would be over.
The silence after the festivities always evoked a sense of reflection.
He wondered how she was doing now.
When he came to his senses, Xie Yu had already arrived at the entrance of the herb garden.
It was late; she might have already gone to sleep.
Besides, coming here so abruptly felt somewhat inappropriate.
Though he thought this, his feet seemed rooted to the ground, not moving an inch.
Xie Yu slightly clenched the hand at his side, then quickly relaxed it, making a decision in an instant.
Well, since he had come this far…
He would just take a quick look. If she was asleep, he would leave immediately.
With his mind made up, Xie Yu no longer hesitated and stepped inside.
Hmm?
Two stone lanterns were lit in the center of the courtyard, illuminating the silhouette under the wisteria arbor.
Ma Bing was lying on a large cool chair, one leg bent, hands supporting her head, a fan covering her face, her breathing steady.
Was she asleep?
Xie Yu slightly furrowed his brow; she was too careless.
Though it was the Dragon Boat Festival, it was still a bit chilly at night.
Should he wake her up?
But perhaps it had been difficult for her to fall asleep.
Come to think of it, recently she had been running between the yamen and the Zhang family, clearly very tired…
Just as he was thinking, he heard a soft laugh from beneath the fan, “If you don’t speak now, I really will fall asleep.”
Xie Yu’s eyes widened slightly as the girl, who seemed to be asleep, suddenly grabbed the fan and sat up, smiling at him in the moonlight.
Xie Yu felt a moment of embarrassment, as if caught in the act of mischief. He pursed his lips, then found it somewhat amusing, and couldn’t help but smile as he shook his head.
“Just got back? Why don’t you rest?” Ma Bing asked, tidying her hair.
Xie Yu nodded, “I heard you had heatstroke. Are you feeling better?”
Ma Bing paused, surprised that the lie she had casually told was actually remembered by someone.
“Much better!” she smiled, “Sorry, I wanted to watch your race. How did it go? Did you win?”
Seeing her in good spirits and speaking with vigor, Xie Yu relaxed and sat down on the corridor nearby, “We won.”
He paused, then added with a smile, “But General Pei fell into the water.”
The old man was always full of energy. He shouted louder than anyone else throughout the race. During the final sprint, the boat’s stern accidentally scraped against another boat, and Pei Rong, already half-standing, plunged headfirst into the river.
At that moment, it was as if a cow had fallen in, splashing water higher than a person, even making the opponents laugh.
“Eh?!” Ma Bing’s eyes widened in surprise, “Is he alright? Was it serious?”
Xie Yu looked at her, “You seem very concerned. Did you know General Pei before?”
This person… still couldn’t resist testing her even now.
Ma Bing sighed inwardly, “May I ask, who among the people doesn’t respect the soldiers who protect our country?”
This answer… was like saying nothing at all.
Xie Yu had already become quite accustomed to this.
“It’s alright. General Pei can swim himself. There were also water rescue personnel on the shore, so he was pulled out in no time.”
Knowing they had won the championship, the old man was so delighted that he didn’t mind swallowing a few mouthfuls of river water.
Ma Bing thought about it for a moment and felt the scene must have been quite amusing, making her regret leaving early.
“Oh, right,” Ma Bing suddenly remembered something, showing a rare bit of nervousness, “That… your cloak… I might not be able to return it to you…”
Xie Yu raised his eyebrows.
Ma Bing rubbed her hands, speaking softly, “I accidentally ruined it while washing.”
After returning today, she was bored and thought about the cloak Xie Yu had thrown to her earlier that she hadn’t returned yet, so she decided to wash and return it.
However, if she sent it out to be washed, holding Xie Yu’s clothes felt inappropriate and insincere.
After much consideration, she decided to do it herself.
But she never expected the cloak to be so delicate. She hadn’t even scrubbed hard, yet several parts had already frayed.
“It’s fine if it’s ruined. It wasn’t worth much anyway.” Xie Yu rarely saw her so flustered and found it rather amusing.
Ma Bing glanced at him sideways.
Listen to this young master who doesn’t know the hardships of life!
But despite that, she had indeed ruined it herself. She would have to think of a way to compensate him later.
If it came to paying money… she definitely couldn’t afford it…
Xie Yu watched as Ma Bing’s face gradually contorted with worry, her entire demeanor radiating “I’m really troubled.”
It was quite entertaining.
As the night deepened, the cicadas that had chirped all day now rested, leaving only the continuous chirping of crickets in the flower bushes by the wall, gradually forming a melody.
The wind picked up, and the wisteria flowers on the courtyard wall swayed gently, accompanied by a rhythmic rustling sound that carried their fragrance far away.
“Hmm?” Ma Bing suddenly looked up, sniffing in Xie Yu’s direction and exclaimed in surprise, “You’ve been drinking!”
Thinking about it, they had shared many meals together, but she had never seen Xie Yu drink before.
Xie Yu was taken aback, then shook his head with a faint smile, “Your nose…”
He had indeed drunk some alcohol today, though not much. Besides, that had been over an hour ago. He had rinsed his mouth and washed his hands before leaving, and then rode his horse, letting the wind blow all the way back.
Despite all that, she could still smell it?
Xie Yu pinched the bridge of his nose, silently moving to sit downwind.
Ma Bing thought to herself that he didn’t need to be so considerate… It was late, wouldn’t it be better for him to just go back and rest?
But seeing him rubbing his temples, she couldn’t help asking, “Does it hurt badly?”
Xie Yu initially wanted to say no, but the words changed on his tongue, “A little.”
Whether it was an illusion or not, as soon as he said it, he actually felt a bit dizzy.
In the past, he never liked drinking. He always found it bitter and astringent, and excessive drinking would lead to embarrassing behavior and many regrettable actions, so he completely failed to understand why the elders liked it.
His father once said, “Because you’re still young, this silly child has no worries… However, I hope you never come to like drinking.”
But today, thinking about the departing Ma Bing and watching Pei Rong and his uncle chatting and laughing at the banquet, he had unknowingly had some, tasting many different feelings.
In the past, he always longed to grow up, but today he suddenly felt that perhaps growing up wasn’t entirely a good thing.
Because you gain many identities, you have to take on many responsibilities, and you can’t deceive yourself or pretend that nothing has happened.
You can’t escape.
“Alright, let me check for you.”
Ma Bing sighed and stood up, coming to stand behind him.
Xie Yu instinctively tensed his entire body at first, but after a while, he slowly relaxed, exposing all his vulnerabilities like his neck and back.
If Ma Bing had ill intentions, she could easily kill him right now.
A martial artist’s perception is sharp. Even without deliberately looking, he could feel someone standing behind him, which was a very subtle feeling.
Xie Yu suddenly felt his heartbeat become clearly audible in an instant, once, then again, faster and stronger.
Ma Bing began to move her wrists behind him, and Xie Yu could hear the faint sound of joint friction.
He couldn’t help but recall, how did his mother used to do it whenever his father came home drunk and complained about discomfort?
Ma Bing’s hands started to approach.
Xie Yu remembered a little, oh, it seemed his mother would rub his father’s temples, and then…
Ma Bing’s hands suddenly came down.
The faint smile on Xie Yu’s face immediately vanished.
Yes, then his father would be sent to sleep in the study.
“There, done,” Ma Bing patted her hands, looking proudly at the silver needle right in the center of his head, “Acupuncture at the Baihui point can relieve hangovers, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Don’t you feel much better now?”
Xie Yu remained silent for a long time before quietly uttering a “Hmm.”
She looked so clever, yet… how silly!
However, her medical skills were indeed unmatched.
In no time, Xie Yu felt the tightness in his chest dissipate, and his mind became much clearer.
Ma Bing proudly pulled out the needle, “How is it? Very effective, right?”
Xie Yu looked at her expressionlessly and gave a dry laugh.
Ma Bing was puzzled by his laughter but Xie Yu offered no explanation, and the two remained in a standoff, one sitting and one standing.
Who knows how long passed, Xie Yu suddenly felt hungry.
It was just a banquet, and he had been preoccupied with many thoughts, so he hadn’t eaten much during the feast.
Now, with the needle treatment, his discomfort vanished, and his appetite naturally returned.
Going to someone else’s door to beg for food—something the young Marquis would never even dare to think about, let alone do.
But today, now, he decided to be a bit stubborn.
“I’m hungry.”
Xie Yu looked up and said very seriously.
Ma Bing: “…Perhaps the big kitchen still has some food left. Or, you could send someone to buy something from a restaurant?”
Xie Yu looked at her, then meaningfully glanced at the herb garden’s small kitchen, repeating slowly and firmly, “I’m hungry.”
Ma Bing was about to say something else when she saw him suddenly cross his arms and narrow his eyes, saying, “The cloak.”
The implication was clear: You ruined my priceless cloak, so what’s wrong with having a meal with you?
Ma Bing: “…”
You were the one who just said it didn’t matter and wasn’t worth anything!
Hmph, what a man!
“Alright, alright,” the financially-challenged Dr. Ma rubbed her face helplessly, “But you have to eat whatever I cook.”
It was hot, and the small kitchen only prepared enough ingredients for one day. Everyone else had gone out to play today, so only she had bought a basket of shrimp and a few vegetables when she came back. The shrimp were kept in a water tank, and the vegetables were hung in a bamboo basket in the well, so they wouldn’t spoil.
There was also a bowl of freshly kneaded dough resting in the shade, with a bit of saltpeter powder underneath to keep the temperature low, allowing it to ferment slowly so she could make vegetable and shrimp dumplings the next morning.
The shrimp were still lively. Ma Bing put on a fish-skin glove and scooped out a portion with a large net, skillfully removing the heads and placing them in a bowl. Then she split the backs of the shrimp, removed the veins, and peeled off the shells, keeping them together with the heads.
Xie Yu, who had followed in, obediently watched, “Why not throw them away?”
“Go away, don’t stand here bothering me.” Ma Bing grumbled, waving her hand like she was shooing a chicken, then bent down to get some ginger and garlic from the shelf.
Xie Yu said “Okay” and took a couple of steps back, leaning against the wall.
Hmph, he looked kind of pitiful.
Feeling both annoyed and amused, Ma Bing handed him the garlic, “Here, peel it.”
The noble young Marquis had never seen raw garlic before. He curiously examined it for a moment before clumsily starting to peel it.
Meanwhile, Ma Bing quickly chopped the ginger. When she turned around and saw him, she couldn’t help sighing.
Too slow, Minister Xie!
If you went to work in a restaurant, you’d be fired on the first day!
But seeing him so engrossed in peeling, Ma Bing didn’t stop him and went to take a piece of dough.
It hadn’t fermented much, perfect for making noodle soup.
She kneaded it fiercely a few times, then repeatedly rolled it into a thick sheet, sprinkling some soybean flour to prevent sticking.
“Which do you prefer, wide noodles or thin noodles?” Ma Bing didn’t look up.
Peeling-garlic guy, Minister Xie, also didn’t look up, “Either is fine.”
“Then thin ones.” Ma Bing said decisively.
It was just a few more cuts, and it would save time when cooking later.
Ma Bing had already finished cutting the noodles and spread them out when Xie Yu finally peeled a few cloves of garlic, calmly handing them over, “Here.”
“Not bad.” Ma Bing casually praised, noticing his lips slightly curving upward and his eyes sparkling.
Hmm… surprisingly easy to please, she thought to herself.
The garlic and ginger were chopped into mince and fried in hot oil until fragrant. Then the shrimp heads and shells were added. With a few sizzling sounds, a unique fragrance emerged.
Satisfied with the aroma, Ma Bing took a couple of deep breaths before patiently explaining, “There’s shrimp paste inside the heads, which is a pity to throw away. But it’s too much trouble to suck it out. Using them to make shrimp oil is very fragrant!”
Xie Yu watched in fascination as the oil turned into a beautiful orange-red.
Indeed, governing a great nation is like cooking a delicate dish; both require knowledge.
After the shrimp oil was ready, Ma Bing used a large ladle to scoop out the shrimp heads and shells, discarding them. She first fried a crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside fried egg, then added the washed vegetables to briefly cook them, setting them aside before adding water and boiling the noodles once the water was hot.
“Done, let’s eat!”
Xie Yu looked at the noodles before him. The orange-red broth floated with golden oil droplets, and the pale yellow noodles lay quietly inside, like small beasts surfacing for a rest.
A line of bright green vegetables lined the edge of the bowl, along with a golden fried egg.
It smelled wonderful, a particularly fresh kind of fragrance.
The noodles, repeatedly kneaded and soaked in broth, were firm and elastic without being soft.
The wheat aroma blended with the freshness of the shrimp, excellent.
Taking a few sips of the soup, hot and savory, it slid down his throat and spread warmth through his limbs. Before long, a light sweat appeared on his forehead.
Xie Yu exhaled contentedly, “Thank you, it’s delicious.”
Seeing him eat every last bite, Ma Bing felt happy too, “Tomorrow morning there will be shrimp and vegetable buns. If you like, you can come and have some too.”
Xie Yu smiled and nodded, “Okay.”
Looking at his smiling face, Ma Bing suddenly felt a bit regretful.
I was just being polite, and you really took me up on it!
Sigh, she would have to cook for one more person again tomorrow!
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