The people worked and provided Jiang Ying Yue with full support in preparing their dinner.
Except for Tian Shan who was still battling with his burnt pheasant everyone looked quite happy.
Especially, Yuan Fang and the other two when they saw Jiang Ying Yue's familiar movements felt so relieved as if they were granted amnesty. They shed tears of joy.
They were really scared they would encounter another Tian Shan.
Soon a fragrant and rich pot of porridge was simmering on the temporarily built stove. A rich fragrance of rice, meat and vegetables wafted in the air bringing a smile to their eager faces. It was intoxication, even more so when their stomachs were growling after a long day of labour.
Jiang Ying Yue didn't have many ingredients, to begin with. There were only radishes, cabbages and some carrots, she chopped them into fine and even pieces and threw them into porridge along with some chopped wild meat and added a pinch of salt to it.
Her movements were neat, fast and well-practised making the people watching her applaud in amazement.
Everyone was dazzled as her knife moved from tip to end without stopping.
Soon the porridge was done now it was time to roast the meat.
Seeing Jiang Ying Yue working hard others felt ashamed and uneasy doing nothing and offered to roast the meat themselves. Anyway, it was just roasting meat they didn't think that they could do worse than Tian Shan's dark cooking.
Whereas, Wei, Yuan Fang, Xiang Qingling and Tian Lan were quite experienced in this. Especially, Yuan Fang who seemed to have some talent in cooking.
Jiang Ying Yue didn't refuse to let them do it for themselves. With everyone doing their share they could go back to rest early.
She took a few skewers in her hand wanting to roast for herself when Qiu and Niu on the side spoke out, " Young master, you should take some rest, let us do it for you."
They were their maids after all. How could they watch her doing all the work while they enjoyed themselves?
It made them feel extremely uneasy.
They were here to take care of their masters and not be taken care of instead. If this went on they would have no face to go back to the Capital.
They were eager to serve their master but someone seemed even more eager than them.
Before the two could get their hands on the job Wei's handsome face descended out of nowhere, " Yes, you take a rest, let me do it."
His handsome cold face appeared so chilling that the maids shuddered and retreated not even daring to compete with him.
They gulped in fear and quietly slipped away.
Yes, Master Wei is good, let him do it.
"Huh?" Jiang Ying Yue stared at Wei and then glanced blankly at her empty palms for a moment before giving a light, " Oh.."
What was that menacing look for?....
She didn't think more, shrugged and turned around to chat.
Everyone sat around the fire and roasted their meat happily, most of them trying their best not to follow in Tian Shan's footsteps.
" These pheasants are quite plum and fat. There's a lot of meat, I don't think we'll be able to finish it."
" Then let's keep the rest for tomorrow morning. You won't have to go out looking for breakfast."
" Yes, those people are too noisy I don't think it'll be easy to hunt near, they'll scare away all the prey."
"Yeah, even today if it wasn't for brother Wei we wouldn't have meat to eat." Tian Shan also chimed along.
" We should thank Master Wei and Xiao You. If weren't for them we would have gone hungry." Tian Lan was so grateful that she even wanted to bow and salute them.
" It's nothing, we are a team." Jiang Ying Yue didn't think it was a big deal. She wasn't the type to eat chaff and suffer in silence. Anyway, she had to cook, cooking for a few more people won't make much difference.
" Xiao You, you are so good to us. We'll remember your kindness." Tian Lan's tone was firm, her eyes full of vigour and determination to show her that she meant it.
"Yes, yes, we can't just freeload for nothing." Tian Shan looked extremely serious, still poking the burnt piece of meat on the fire as he gave his oath dashingly, " Xiao You, Brother Wei, you are our brothers if you need anything, just say."
Jiang Ying Yue glanced and the string of bobbing heads said unceremoniously after a while," Alright then, if you all insist so much I won't be polite. Brother Tian can give me half of your harvest and the account will be settled." Her clear eyes twinkled with a trace of an evil smile.
" Cough, cough..." Tian Shan almost spit blood hearing her blood-curdling price.
Half...Half!
Oh God, no, he shouldn't have acted so generously.
He was so shaken that he started doubting his ears.
Did he hear it correctly?
He was just about to ask Jiang Ying Yue what she was what she said when he heard her mirth-filled voice.
" Just kidding. Brother Tian, I am not a robber." Jiang Ying Yue knew it wouldn't be possible for them to give her half of their haul casually just for a bowl of porridge. Besides, it seemed that coming here was some kind of assignment from their academy.
Otherwise, that coward Xiao Tingfei wouldn't have insisted on coming himself when there was a war between the two nations.
Since the previous Jiang Ying Yue hadn't even stepped into the academy she had no clue about it. She had been meaning to ask this.
" No, no, Xiao You, don't get us wrong." Tian Shan hurried to explain, " It's not that we aren't willing. Ah Fang, Lingling and I are going to graduate this year."
Graduation?....
Jiang Ying Yue raised her brows signalling him to continue.
" Our academy has a rule: the graduating students must submit a certain number of spiritual cores of spirit beast to the academy to graduate. If they didn't manage to do it they can continue studying for the next year and years until they do so."
" So, the reason you guys came here was not training nor collecting herbs but beast hunting." Jiang Ying Yue added lightly finally understanding why so many people followed Xiao Tingfei this season.
If it was just collecting herbs it would be fine following Tian Shan's group. After all, there are many herbs around the edge of the forest as well.
However, when came to hunting beast cores following Xiao Tingfei was most favourable. No matter what Xiao Tingfei was a prince, after all, he had several guards protecting him. And there was still Bai Ya and the masters that followed her everywhere. So, the scale on this side was naturally heavier.
In the end, they betrayed Tian Shan and followed Xiao Tingfei.
When it came to benefits even years of friendship and brotherhood failed.
" Yes."
Wait...
" Those people who left your group I heard them calling you senior brothers. They are yet to graduate, right?" What were they doing here?
Tian Shan understood her meaning and gave a simple explanation, " They are collecting for next year."
Those people knew Tian Shan and the other two were graduating so it was impossible to use them, so they decided it was better to dump them.
And chose the safest way for themselves.
" Then what about Sister Lanlan?" Jiang Ying Yue continued to ask.
" She's also going to graduate next year. So, we have to get her share as well," answered Tian Shan.
" Then how many cores do you need to qualify for graduation?" Jiang Ying Yue looked like a curious baby, her questions kept coming. Her large and limpid eyes stared at Tian Shan this whole time.
Looking at his exquisite face that was full of youth and innocence through the glowing light of the burning fire Tian Shan felt his heart skip. The burnt lump of meat that he had been poking in the fire finally dropped from his hand. He felt his face burn.
My God! Xiao You was too handsome!
So handsome that it was immoral. Tian Shan wanted to slap himself hard for his crook thoughts.
"Cough..cough." He coughed lightly and glanced elsewhere to cover up his awkwardness, " A Hundred...A hundred each."
Wei's who was sitting opposite glanced at him long, his keen senses kept telling him that something was wrong.
" A Hundred?... Hundred, alright." Jiang Ying Yue hummed lightly and sneered, " Bloodsuckers."
Others couldn't deny the statement. It was very fitting.
" Big brother, our mother was very wise and insightful that she insisted on not sending us to the academy," said Jiang Ying Mei with a serious look on her small face.
Not at all looking like the one who almost rebelled and ran away from home when their mother didn't agree with her wish of going to the academy.
Now, come to think of it their mother always behaved very strangely.
She never sent them to the academy, she didn't even allow them to attend any gatherings and banquets.
Even when the owner was challenged to participate in the tournament Madam Nangong was strictly against it.
She always kept the two sisters under her watch and held them tightly as if she was hiding them from the outside world.
Why?.....
Was it because of the royal family?
.....or there was some other reason she was unaware of.
Jiang Ying Yue's mind kept spinning and she hurriedly stopped herself.
" If you are going to hunt beast cores don't you have to go deep into the forest," asked Jiang Ying Yue after a while.
" Yes, we'll be leaving tomorrow morning." nodded Tian Shan telling her what they planned, " You guys wait for us here."
Then he turned to Tian Lan, " Lanlan, you stay behind as well." If it was before he would have taken her along but not now. They had Jiang Ying Yue and Wei here they would keep her safe.
It was too dangerous to follow them. Spirit beasts were different from the normal beast, they were far superior and more dangerous than them.
" What?!....you are leaving me behind." She immediately refused to stay, " No, I am going too."
It's not that she was being childish and unwilling to understand the situation but it was because she understood it too well she refused to accept their arrangements.
" Lanlan..." Yuan Fang called helplessly.
" No!!" She puffed her cheeks and bowed her head refusing to look at them.
The three glanced at each other quietly looking helpless.
It was unusually quiet.
The frequent distant howl and roars of the beast that could be heard a while ago seemed to have disappeared into the air. The only noise they could hear was the crackling of the fire.
Everyone didn't notice this strangeness. However, Wei perceived this change and frowned slightly.
"We should eat first. You can decide the rest later." Jiang Ying Yue broke the awkward silence.
They could spend the whole night arguing but she was hungry.
She took out a few bowls and scooped two ladle-full of warm porridge in each and handed them one after another.
The warm touch on their palms that came through the bowls and fragrant porridge slowly dissipated the tension in the air.
Everyone dug into their bowls, slurping and chewing their food.
The meal was simple but it was good. They were all very satisfied.
They couldn't get much porridge but with roasted pheasant meat, it was enough to fill them.
Wei was sitting beside Jiang Ying Yue kept piling her with meat, even the bowl of porridge that Jiang Ying Yue handed him to eat was poured back into her bowl.
Jiang Ying Yue was already stuffed. In the end, gave him half bowl of porridge and divided the other half with her sister whose stomach was round and bulging.