Under the sky

Chapter 227 Feng Mu is sad

Xie Gubai ordered to tighten the siege and kill them on three sides.The narrow rice warehouse road could not accommodate a large number of Huashan disciples to escape. After the Qingcheng army started firing arrows, the panicked Huashan disciples had no intention of fighting and trampled on each other.Yao Zhimei was unable to command and died in the chaos. As for Fang Jingjiu, he retreated early after following the two young masters. Although his 500 men were small, they were the key to rescuing the two young masters and the remaining soldiers.

When the rain stopped, Peng Tiancong was ordered to accept the surrender, and the remaining Huashan disciples abandoned their weapons.After the war, the corpses were counted, and more than 37 Huashan disciples and more than [-] team leaders were killed. [-] people including sect dignitaries Yan Jiuling, Yan Xuting, Yao Zhimei, Wu Qiushan, Shang Huaili, etc. were killed, and [-] were captured. For the rest, countless armor, clothing, swords and instruments were seized.Yan Xuting's body was found. The Huashan disciples who carried the body did not cross Micang Road, but unfortunately they did not catch Du Yinsong.Wei Xihou ordered the body to be hung on a pole for public display, and was sent all the way back to Qingcheng in a flamboyant manner.

More than 73 people were killed in Qingcheng, [-] squad leaders were killed, and seven people including General Wang Ning, the leader of the Huajian Sect, were lost. Combined with the losses from Xiangyang to Hanzhong, it was still a great victory, and it was not an ordinary one. of defeat.

A battle is said to defeat 7000 enemies, but the real casualties are often only 5000. The rest are fleeing, injured or captured. The fleeing troops will regroup, and under the leadership of capable generals, they can quickly resume the battle. force.Taking Qingcheng as an example, the [-] people who set out from Xiangyang Gang, deducting the transportation manpower and boatmen of [-], went through the Yinghu Battle, the Jinzhou Battle, and the capture of Hanzhong. Of these [-] people, only a thousand were actually killed on the battlefield. The rest of the people, those who were not captured, would most likely have returned to Qingcheng to resume their lives, if they had not become deserters from now on.

But this time, 7000 enemies were completely annihilated and [-] were captured. The dead cannot be resurrected, and the captives can easily become dead.This was enough to severely damage Huashan's vitality. Xie Gubai thought that for him, the most important thing was not how many enemies were defeated on paper, but the real loss in Huashan's combat power.

However, no one was happy, or in other words, no one dared to be blatantly happy.

On the way back, Shen Weichen stayed with his father's body day and night, and couldn't help crying every time.Xia Lijun was not good at comforting her and just stayed outside with the eldest lady.Li Jingfeng and Gu Qingshang both accompanied him. Unlike Gu Qingshang who couldn't stop comforting him, Li Jingfeng only sat quietly next to Shen Weichen most of the time. Xie Gubai and Zhu Menshang also came many times.

When the news came back to Qingcheng, Mrs. Ya passed out immediately.

■

In winter, November of the 90th year of Kunlun, Xie Gubai's squadron returned to Qingcheng.

Shen Yuqing looked at his younger sister, and Shen Weichen's eyes were red and swollen. When he saw his elder brother, he threw himself into his arms and cried.

Shen Yuqing didn't have time to reminisce with Li Jingfeng, so Li Jingfeng asked him to get busy first, and Shen Yuqing arranged a residence for him in Taiping Pavilion.

In the Gentleman's Pavilion, Shen Yuqing lit the lamp.

"The loss is not heavy." Xie Gubai sat at the crescent table, wrapped in thick clothes.It was quite chilly in Yuzhong in November, but not too cold. Shen Yuqing still ordered someone to light up the stove in the room - Zhu Menshang said that Xie Gubai would fall ill if he caught the wind and cold.

Xie Gubai asked: "I wonder how the battle at Hengshan is going?"

Shen Yuqing looked at Xie Gubai, was silent for a while, and said: "Headmaster Li is holding on. Even if Deputy Chief Zhuge came in person, Hengyang was not captured."

"Then we can plan the next step." Xie Gubai said, "We don't have to worry about Huashan anymore."

"Brother, do you want to lead troops?" Shen Yuqing asked, "I still have two uncles in Guizhou."

He didn't even expect that he would say such sarcastic words.

"Master Fu has requested to attack Guilin several times. There are still Yin leaders in Xiang. They are very motivated." It’ll be fine if you’re here.”

Shen Yuqing felt angry, but then suppressed it.He could figure out what Xie Gubai wanted to do, maybe not just one or two, but at least six, seven or eight.

Xie Gubai's intention to make him angry was obvious.

He returned to his seat, but did not let Xie Gubai step down. After a while, he said, "Mr. Xie, please take a walk with me."

This was an invitation that surprised Xie Gubai. He stood up and said, "Master, please."

They were not far away. The Palace of Eternal Life is the inner courtyard of Qingcheng. Xie Gubai lived here after he was injured, but they were all lying on the bed. Even if they came to Junzi Pavilion to discuss matters in the past, they would not move around at will. They were not familiar with this place.

After walking through two courtyards, Xie Gubai heard crying, and he quickly guessed where it was.

Ya Ye's mourning hall was located in the courtyard outside Lingxiao Pavilion. Shen Yuqing did not enter the courtyard, but stopped at Lingyun Pavilion next door. This was Shen Congfu's residence before he was stationed in Guizhou Province. Although no one was inhabited, the pavilions and pavilions were still elegant. .Shen Yuqing chose a pavilion closest to Lingxiao Pavilion, asked the servants to light the lamps, and sent the servants away.

"What were we talking about just now?" Shen Yuqing asked and answered himself, "About the war at Hengshan." He lowered his voice to make sure that Mrs. Ya in the next yard would not hear it.

"Let Mr. Fu lead the army." Xie Gubai said, "Maybe we will also send some people to help."

Mrs. Ya's sobs turned into howls, and Shen Weichen should be comforting his mother.But not long after, Xie Gubai heard another cry. It was Shen Weichen's cry, which he heard often these days.Xie Gubai's ear skills are not particularly good, but it is too quiet here. After all, it is the inner courtyard of Qingcheng. Who dares to disturb it after dark?The sound can be heard clearly even from a few feet away.

"Then should we give rewards based on merit?" Shen Yuqing stared at Xie Gubai and pushed the lantern forward, trying to see his expression clearly, "Lao Ji should be the first meritorious person - except for the eldest brother."

There was a sound again, like the sound of something being thrown. Xie Gubai judged that it was Mrs. Ya who had thrown something.Did she blame Shen Weichen?With her temperament, she definitely will.

"There is a vacancy for the general master of the war hall, but this way the governor of the Fengjie war hall will be vacant. Mr. Wei is the person the leader wants to cultivate." Xie Gubai said, and suddenly heard a "pop" sound, which shocked the entire courtyard.

Shen Yuqing's cheek twitched, and the corners of Xie Gubai's eyes... why don't you ask Jingfeng to look at it, he can see it more carefully.

Then Shen Qingge yelled and cursed: "You can't beat your daughter in front of my elder brother if she makes a mistake!"

Let Miss Gu move to Lingyun Pavilion to accompany Xiaoxiao tomorrow, Shen Yuqing thought.

"Brother, do you think it's noisy here?" Shen Yuqing asked.

"No." Xie Gubai said, "I have to calm down, otherwise how will I cope on the battlefield?"

Shen Yuqing nodded: "My uncle is here, and his merits are not as good as those of Ji Lao. Even if he is an in-law, it is not appropriate for him to be the head of the general war hall. I am in need of someone. Ji Lao is loyal and can be used. However, his family members are all on holiday. I don't know. Are you willing to stay in Qingcheng? My cousin is familiar with the fourth and fifth uncles, so let’s send him south to make further contributions.”

"I think Young Master Wei must be very willing." Xie Gubai said, "He can train and lead troops. In the Hanzhong war, he took the lead and was quite prestigious. If Mrs. Qing is willing, it is best to let Peng Tian transfer from the south. He can also Eager to achieve meritorious service.”

"The Shen family has many relatives," Shen Yuqing said, "all of them can shoulder important responsibilities."

"They should also shoulder important responsibilities." Xie Gubai said, "After all, Qingcheng's surname is Shen."

The candle wick exploded with sparks.

"Of course they are willing," Shen Yuqing said, "There is no need to use the reward as bait, they are also willing."

"If there is nothing else, Xie will formulate a strategy later and submit it to the head of the army for review together with the reward and promotion suggestions." Xie Gubai said.

Shen Yuqing nodded: "Since you're here, let's burn some incense for Master Ya."

Xie Gubai did not comment and followed Shen Yuqing to stand up.

Shen Yuqing held the lamp, and Mrs. Ya, Shen Weichen and Shen Qingge were sitting beside the coffin and weeping. Mrs. Ya saw Shen Yuqing and hurriedly got up and pulled Shen Weichen aside.

"I'm here to offer incense to Master Ya." Shen Yuqing said, waving to the people, and someone presented the incense. Xie Gubai also offered incense, and the two of them bowed three times to Shen Yayan's coffin.

Shen Qingge said loudly: "Yu'er, how do you plan to avenge your uncle?"

Shen Yuqing never thought about this problem and asked, "What does Aunt Qing mean?"

Shen Qingge scolded: "Huashan violated our Qingcheng and killed your uncle, and you didn't show any sign? No matter what, you have to pay the price for that fucker Huashan!"

"Huashan has paid a high price." Shen Yuqing said, "We not only killed the third son of the Yan family, but also nearly [-] Huashan disciples."

"This is just the result of invading Qingcheng. Your uncle's death is another matter!" Shen Qingge said, "If we want them to hand over the murderer, we have to force them to cede the land, and cede all the south of Hanzhong to Qingcheng! Otherwise we will Send troops to avenge your uncle, destroy Huashan and bury your uncle with him!"

"How to punish Huashan will have to wait for the alliance leader to decide." Shen Yuqing said, "If we are pushed into a hurry, Huashan will definitely counterattack, which will cause more casualties."

"Add more damn casualties!" Shen Qingge scolded, "What kind of alliance leader? Now that the alliance leader is about to be beaten to death, are there any rules? What if we take Huashan? And those five thousand prisoners, are you raising them in vain? Kill them all!”

These five thousand captives are also a problem. Their family property is in Huashan, and they are good at martial arts. It is difficult to manage them as slaves, and it is difficult to prevent them from fleeing.

Of course, killing prisoners is not a good idea.

Shen Yuqing said: "My child will think of another way."

Shen Yuqing walked to Shen Weichen and saw her cheeks were red and swollen. Knowing that Mrs. Ya had beaten her, she felt very distressed. She touched the girl's head and said, "Sleep more, don't break your body from crying."

Shen Weichen nodded, and Shen Yuqing turned to salute Mrs. Ya: "Mrs. Ya, please rest more, and express your condolences."

Mrs. Ya bowed with her hands folded and said in a trembling voice: "Don't bother me, Master. We, mother and daughter, will take care of ourselves. Master has many things to do, so you don't need to...you don't need to move around often."

Shen Yuqing sighed heartily, turned around and left. Xie Gubai greeted him briefly and followed Shen Yuqing away.

The two of them left Lingxiao Pavilion, and Xie Gubai bowed with his hands in hand: "If there is nothing else, Xie will leave."

"I just want to ask, is it so difficult for eldest brother to say sorry?" Shen Yuqing looked straight at Xie Gubai.

Finally it was revealed, but Shen Yuqing still couldn't hold it back.

"I never wanted to kill Mr. Ya." Xie Gubai said, "But the sword has no eyes on the battlefield, and anything can happen."

"Don't say you didn't know Ya Ye would take risks to save Xiao Xiao." Shen Yuqing said, "Why didn't you withdraw your troops after you burned the Hanzhong grain camp?"

"I didn't ask my little sister to follow me," Xie Gubai said. "When I went to Wudang to convince the leader of the boat, it was the leader who suggested sending my little sister to protect me. My little sister wanted to do her best for Qingcheng, so she followed me to Hanzhong."

"You had guessed that I would send Xiaoxiao to protect you." Shen Yuqing said, "So that you can use it as an excuse now?"

"This is a heartbreaking theory." Xie Gubai said, "Even if there is no little sister, I will lead the army to Hanzhong, and the leader will still send people to rescue him. If everything goes well, nothing will happen to Mr. Ya. Xie also failed and died long ago. preparation."

"Why do you have to be so awesome?" Shen Yuqing asked, "There are so many ways to repel Huashan."

"Because the leader needs it," Xie Gubai said, "If we just force Huashan back, it will always be watching, and with Qingcheng's thorn in the back, we won't be able to rush to Hengshan with all our strength. The war will most likely be dragged into the quagmire. The longer the war lasts, the more Qingcheng will suffer. . If Hengshan is defeated, the Kunlun consensus will exist in name only, Dian Canghui will become powerful, and Qingcheng will not be able to gain a place in the consensus."

"Destroy the enemy to death." Xie Gubai said, "This is not only to protect Qingcheng, but also because the leader wants to do it as a last resort." "Because I don't want to kill my father, and I don't want to take advantage of Dian Cang, the Beggar Clan, and Hengshan I want to seize the territory of the Xiangyang Gang during the war because I don’t want to expand the war and plunge the world into disputes." Shen Yuqing said, "So it was me who killed Master Ya?"

"The leader wants to reduce casualties and wants to control the nine families in 20 years." Xie Gubai said, "Qingcheng needs strength to stand on Kunlun and discuss the matter together."

"More than [-] people died. Is this called reducing casualties?"

"In the long run," Xie Gubai said, "I think so."

"Brother still doesn't understand what I want to say." Shen Yuqing shook his head, "I know that the battlefield is blind, I know that many people will die, and I also know how much risk the eldest brother took."

He stared at Xie Gubai.

"I just want to see you, because Xiaoxiao lost his father, because I lost my family, and sincerely apologize for your plan and those who died in the battle."

"I know the leader is very sad." Xie Gubai said, "But it's not anyone's fault."

"Of course I know I'm sad." Shen Yuqing said, "I just want to remind you that you are actually sad too."

Xie Gubai remained silent, his eyes twitching slightly.

■

Shen Yayan's body will lie in state at Lingxiao Pavilion for seven days. According to past rules, martial arts posts will be sent to various sects to send condolences.

But now that the world is in chaos, even if I send a letter, not many people will come, and Qingcheng doesn’t have that much free time.Shen Yuqing asked Shen Weichen to ask Mrs. Ya for her opinion. Mrs. Ya only said that everything was left to the head of the family, so she arranged to be buried in the Qingcheng Ancestral Mausoleum.

The funeral was in full swing, and more than a thousand relatives of the Shen family in Yuzhong came to express their condolences. Even Shen Yongci came accompanied by Mrs. Chu. However, the surveillance was tight, and Shen Qingge could not say a few words to him before Mrs. Chu stopped him.

The men and horses rushing to rescue Hengshan are preparing. The victorious Qingcheng disciples need to rest, and Gu Qingshang cannot rush them.After Ya Ye was buried, Shen Weichen was worried about his mother's sadness and lived in Lingxiao Pavilion with her.The sadder she became, the more she looked for distractions.Chang Buping, acting general Wei Shu, said that he only advised the eldest lady to concentrate on mourning and took care of everything for her.Cousin Xu Jiangyou comes to offer incense almost every day. Seeing that his cousin is thin, he brings some of Shen Weichen's favorite food and comforts her with kind words. Although Shen Weichen accepts it, he has no appetite.

On this day, Shen Weichen finished reciting sutras with his mother and saw Gu Qingshang waving to her outside the door, so he stepped forward.Gu Qingshang was always wary of Mrs. Ya and said, "Sister, follow me." He led her to Lingyun Pavilion next door - Shen Yuqing had arranged for her to stay in Lingyun Pavilion these days.

I saw a food box in the room. "My sister has lost weight these days." Gu Qingshang said, "Eat something."

Shen Weichen knew that Gu Qingshang was kind and couldn't bear to refuse, so he said, "Thank you, sister." He opened the food box, but there was only a bowl of rice and a plate of lotus root.

Gu Qingshang frowned and was quite surprised: "Just such a dish?" Shen Weichen looked at the plate of soy lotus in a daze.

After a while, Shen Weichen took a bite with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth to chew. Then he covered his mouth and said with a smile, "It's much worse." But his eyes turned red.

Gu Qingshang saw her smile for the first time in the past few days and just thought: "Do girls like this dish so much?" She became curious and took a piece of cabbage and put it in her mouth. She felt it was numb, spicy and salty. It has an uncoordinated umami flavor in it. It can't be said to be difficult to eat, but it's definitely not delicious. It's much worse than my own cooking skills.

"Is this done by Jingfeng?" Shen Weichen asked.

Lingxiao Pavilion is the inner courtyard, and Li Jingfeng cannot enter or leave at will even if he is a distinguished guest.He wore a mask to avoid attracting attention. He didn't even attend the day of Ya Ye's burial. He only went to the mourning hall to offer incense twice in private. He gave this lotus white lotus to Gu Qingshang.

"I guessed it before I even mentioned it." Gu Qingshang was discouraged, "I also wanted to give you a compliment. He didn't say he wanted to be a cook, but just this skill? I won't take the blame."

Just as she was complaining, she saw that Shen Weichen had eaten one bite after another, and she couldn't help but be surprised: "Does the girl like it?"

Shen Weichen said: "I learned martial arts when I was eight years old. My mother didn't object at the beginning. The girls in the Shen family have to learn some kung fu. I guess I won't be able to endure the hardship in a few days. I learned the interest, and then I learned the Three Pure Supreme Mind Techniques. It took me more than three months to learn the basics of the third level. I told my father, but he didn’t believe me, so I demonstrated it, and he was stunned and very happy, so I asked him for a reward.”

"Dad asked me what kind of gift I wanted, and I said everything was fine, but mother was making noises next to me. Dad chose a few things, but mother didn't feel good about it. Mom said, Qingcheng is rich, and Xiaoxiao can't buy any treasures he wants, so please give me a few words What can be considered a gift is something that will be available tomorrow, it has to be something that cannot be bought."

Gu Qingshang complained: "Comparing people to each other is really annoying."

Shen Weichen continued: "My father couldn't think of anything to give, and he was a little annoyed. He said that my mother was making things difficult and wanted her to come up with something. My mother said, 'I go to the kitchen every day to walk around and supervise. You said it is a comfortable job, and it doesn't take much effort. I'll make you endure the pain and cook a dish for snacks in the kitchen next time. Even the alliance leader can't eat the dishes Shen Yayan cooked by herself, so this is called a gift.'"

"Dad said that he can master the art of making big things. What's so difficult about cooking two dishes? Mom said, don't praise Haikou in front of your face. Ask someone for help when you get to the kitchen." Shen Weichen said with a smile, "Dad was in the kitchen for most of the day. In the end, I came up with this Soy Lotus White dish, and I started clamoring for a drink of water after taking one bite.”

"My father lost face, and my mother suppressed her laughter. My father said that there were not enough materials in the kitchen and he could not show off his skills. My mother laughed so much that she fell down. She praised my father for cooking so well that he was not willing to put sole fish in the stir-fry dish." , my father became anxious and said that my mother didn’t understand.”

"But even if it tastes bad, the whole family still rushes to finish it." Shen Weichen lowered his head sadly.

Gu Qingshang pressed Shen Weichen's shoulder.

"How did Jingfeng know about this?" Shen Weichen asked.

Gu Qingshang shrugged: "You have to ask him."

When Shen Weichen saw Li Jingfeng in Taiping Pavilion, he was actually reading.Shen Weichen took the book from his hand and saw it was the Book of Songs. He smiled and said, "Does Jingfeng want to be a great Confucian?"

Li Jingfeng blushed: "I can't understand it either. I can't recognize a bunch of words. My eldest and second brothers are busy. I can't recognize a few words, so I'm just reading blindly."

"Who taught you to read?" Shen Weichen asked.

Li Jingfeng said: "I have nothing to do in Qingcheng. Amao hasn't come here yet. I have nothing to do except practice martial arts. So I asked my eldest brother and my second brother what books I could read. When the second brother asked me why, I said it was Mr. Yan who persuaded me to read more." When I was reading, my second brother smiled and asked me to read the Book of Songs first."

He tilted his head and said with a wry smile, "I really don't understand."

Shen Weichen pulled up a chair and sat down, and asked, "How do you know about my father's cooking?"

"My mother is not in good health and has been sick all the time." Li Jingfeng said, "Half a year before she passed away, she asked me to buy forty catties of cabbage. It cost a lot of money. I borrowed the money from the shopkeeper and had to pay interest." He said again. It's a wry smile.

"My mother pickled forty pounds of cabbage. I don't know why she had to work so hard all by herself. I asked me to do it, but she refused to let me help."

"Before I left, my mother told me that life and death are fateful, so don't be too sad. If you miss your mother and can't eat, just go to the pickle jar in the corner of the house and take a bite of pickles. My mother will be there."

"That year, every time I thought about my mother, I would take a bite of pickles. It tasted like my mother." Li Jingfeng said, "That's why I wanted to be a chef."

"I was there when Master Ya was buried, but I stood far away so that no one could notice. When I saw that my little sister had lost weight, I went to the kitchen to ask Master Ya what he liked to eat during his lifetime. Master Qiu talked about this past incident, and I tried to make , I don’t know if it will work.”

"You did it wrong." Shen Weichen said, "What dad made was terrible."

Li Jingfeng scratched his head: "I'm just guessing, the materials are all based on Master Qiu's impression."

Shen Weichen thought for a while and said, "You know how to cook, so this dish won't taste bad. Why don't we go to the kitchen and I'll try it and see how much I remember."

Li Jingfeng agreed immediately.The two came to the kitchen and first met Master Qiu. Master Qiu had been the chef at Qingcheng Dining Hall for more than [-] years. He still remembered the past more than ten years ago clearly.

"When Master Ya arrived in the kitchen, he said he didn't need to help and asked me to teach him a few dishes, including pagoda meat, eight-treasure gourd duck, and Dongpo fish. I was stumped immediately. I said Master Ya, you can steam a fish. Master Ya just doesn’t listen.”

"Master Ya was cutting pork and scolding the meat cleaver for not using his hand, but his sword was not used to cut pork. He threw away more than a dozen pieces of meat. I asked for help, but he lost his temper again. What can we servants do? Just watch. chant."

"The pagoda meat is no longer good. Let's make eight-treasure gourd duck. I gave a rough outline of the process. Master Ya blushed and said that we should make fish soup first. Even if we fry a dozen good fish, we won't be able to cook it. It's about to happen. It was getting dark, so I asked him to stir-fry some vegetables first. He thought the stir-fried cabbage was too shabby and wanted to add sole fish. I said, Master Ya, the sole fish is expensive and should not be wasted. He said he couldn’t afford it?"

Shen Weichen couldn't help laughing when he heard what Master Qiu said and guessed what his father looked like at that time, so he said, "Master Qiu, please teach me how to make this dish."

Shen Weichen had nothing to do in the past ten days, and now she finally had something to distract her.She had never cooked before, so even though she was very handy, she didn't know how to do it.After washing and cutting the cabbage, Master Qiu gave some advice. After a few tries, she got the hang of it. She followed the instructions and stir-fried the Sichuan peppercorns and sliced ​​the belly fish together. She took a test bite. Although it was worse than Li Jingfeng's, she seemed to still be able to cook it. It's not as impressive as in memory, but the details are more than ten years old, so Master Qiu can't remember them clearly.

Li Jingfeng said: "Little sister, try it again. This time, it will be more charred."

Shen Weichen tried it twice, but he didn't think it tasted good enough. He thought about it and said, "I got it wrong. I have to do it according to dad's temperament."

She picked a big, heavy and green cabbage. Li Jingfeng said: "This dish is not good. The cabbage should be light so that it is fresh inside."

Shen Weichen smiled and said: "Dad doesn't understand. He must choose something big, heavy and green."

Li Jingfeng immediately understood Shen Weichen's intention.After that, he had to use rough hands and feet to cut and tear the vegetables, causing them to be uneven in size. Li Jingfeng laughed and said, "It must be unevenly cooked."

After waiting for the oil pan to be ready, Shen Weichen asked: "Are these vegetables cheap?"

Master Qiu said: "It's good to be able to enter Qingcheng, even if it's not expensive."

Shen Weichen asked again: "Which seasonings are the most expensive?"

Master Qiu replied: "Both pepper and pepper are very expensive."

Shen Weichen grabbed a lot of pepper and pepper and threw it into the pot, choking until he couldn't open his eyes.Master Qiu laughed and clapped his hands: "Yes, yes, I remember it! That's what Master Ya was like that day. He choked so much that he couldn't open his eyes and cursed his mother!"

Shen Weichen was full of sentimentality, as if his father was by his side watching her cook.

In the evening, Shen Weichen came back with a food box. Mrs. Ya saw a plate of soy lotus paste in it, which was full of peppercorns. She couldn't help but be startled and asked Shen Weichen: "Did you make it?"

Shen Weichen nodded.

Mrs. Ya took a bite. It was hard and soft at the same time. It was so spicy that she had to look for water to drink. It also had a weird taste of sole fish.

She recalled how her husband always boasted about his daughter's talent when meeting everyone, and how it only took him three months to learn the Three Purities Supreme Mind Technique. She recalled how her husband used to cook in anger, and how loving the couple had been over the years. She stretched out her chopsticks and said: " It has been more than ten years, and my craftsmanship has not improved at all..."

It was as if her husband was right next to her, listening to her laugh and complain.

(End of this chapter)