Not long after, Xu Hengyan brought out a clay pot, a large basin full of dried bamboo shoots stewed with old hen soup.
The soup was clear, with not a trace of oil on the surface, indicating it had been meticulously skimmed.
"Wow, it smells so good!"
Xu Hengyan first ladled a bowl of soup for Xie Jiang, then returned to the kitchen to fetch several flatbreads.
"How is it?"
Xu Hengyan had tasted it while stewing the soup, adding seasonings bit by bit, so it wouldn't be too salty or too bland.
But he wasn't sure if it would suit her taste, as few could match her culinary skills, and her palate was always quite discerning.
He recalled when she first arrived at the Duke of Wei's mansion and ate with them for the first time, she was both shocked and sympathetic towards them.
She hadn't expected the chefs at the Duke of Wei's mansion to have only that level of skill.
Initially, he had thought it was due to the vast differences in dietary habits between Dayu and Lan Yong.
After all, the two places were separated by a vast ocean.
Later, he had to admit that the differences were indeed significant.
Xie Jiang did not spare her praise, "It's delicious! Weren't you never in the kitchen before, Xu Hengyan? When did you learn?"
"This is my first time cooking," Xu Hengyan's eyes crinkled with a deep smile. Her praise filled him with immense satisfaction.
Xie Jiang was surprised, "As expected of a 'Xue Shen' (study god)." She picked it up instantly.
Xu Hengyan: "Xue Shen?"
Xie Jiang explained while sipping the soup, "Someone who is the best at studying, someone who can be deified, short for Xue Shen."
Xu Hengyan stared at her for a long time without speaking, feeling that the description was too much.
He had only stewed a soup, which was far from her skill, so how could he be deified?
"Don't say that, how can I be worthy of being called a god."
"..." Xie Jiang rolled her eyes at him.
Xu Hengyan ladled a bowl for himself, "Is the atmosphere in Lan Yong also very different from Dayu? You have so many strange words."
Xie Jiang perfunctorily replied, "I suppose so."
Xu Hengyan, fearing she might be displeased, said, "Then I won't mention it. Use whatever words you like."
Xie Jiang complained with dissatisfaction, "I just praised your strong learning ability, and you're making such a fuss!"
Xu Hengyan, being very astute, said, "Thank you, Young Master Xie, for your praise."
It was fine to be excessive, it was just a word.
As long as she was happy.
Xie Jiang's eyebrows then lifted with a touch of proud arrogance.
Seeing that she had already finished her bowl of soup, Xu Hengyan took her bowl and refilled it for her. He remembered she liked to eat chicken wings, so he put both chicken wings into her bowl.
Xie Jiang happily gnawed on the two chicken wings, "Xu Hengyan, you have a lot of talent."
Xu Hengyan dared not be complacent, "I saw you stewed duck soup before, and they happened to send dried bamboo shoots, so I stewed it accordingly."
Even though one was chicken and the other was duck.
But it was all about removing the fishy smell, adding a little flavor, and carefully skimming off the oil. He didn't know much more than that.
He had been a bit apprehensive, but fortunately, the ingredients themselves were fresh, and a simple stew was delicious.
Yet, in her mouth, it all became talent.
In her eyes, was everything he did exceptionally good…
Xu Hengyan's thoughts drifted a bit.
Xie Jiang said with some worry, "Will Duke of Wei and Madam Xu beat me to death when they see you cooking?"
Xu Hengyan snapped back to attention and smiled, "Why would they beat you? I need to eat too."
Always worrying about such inexplicable things.
Xie Jiang suddenly sighed again, "Miss Shen is truly blessed. You are so virtuous, Yan Yan."
Xu Hengyan: "..."
Her old habit of talking nonsense had resurfaced.
Xie Jiang became conflicted, her brow furrowing, "I even want to elope with you."
Xu Hengyan: "..."
She was getting more and more outrageous.
Xu Hengyan lowered his head to eat chicken, pretending not to hear anything.
Xie Jiang stared at him, "Xu Hengyan, don't get married. Come with me?"
Xu Hengyan spat out a mouthful of chicken soup. If he hadn't reacted quickly and turned his head, he would have sprayed her face.
What kind of talk was that!
"Does your Young Master Xie lack cooks? Are any of your cooks unskilled?" Xu Hengyan wiped his mouth, giving her a reproachful glance, amused and exasperated by her words.
Xie Jiang said, "I mean I've discovered another of your virtues. Who is it that appreciates your cooking skills?"
Xu Hengyan pushed the plate towards her. Some issues were not suitable for debate; the more you debated, the messier it became. It was better to eat. "I heated this flatbread in the pot, it's still quite hard. Soak it in the chicken soup before eating."
Xu Hengyan even tore the flatbreads himself, placing them piece by piece into her bowl, hoping to shut her up and prevent her from saying any more heart-stopping things.
After taking just two bites, Xie Jiang wanted to throw down her chopsticks. Looking at the dilapidated small house before her, she decided to endure it for now. With such conditions, what could she expect?
However, the cooking was truly unbearable. "Whether it's coarse grain or fine grain, you can't make flatbread this unpalatable!"
Xu Hengyan gently comforted her, "Let's make do with this meal to fill our stomachs. I'll go ask for some grain later, and we can make it ourselves."
She still had to rely on him for cooking, and he could only manage to stew soup. It was only because she didn't mind.
This was all they had to eat now.
Originally, Lu Baohong had sent a few dry, hard flatbreads. At his request, they had then sent a chicken and some dried bamboo shoots.
Xie Jiang ate while looking around the small courtyard, "Lu Baohong just left us in this small courtyard? The houses are a bit shabby, but at least it's quiet. It's good that he's not lingering before our eyes; he's being sensible."
The living conditions were a bit poor, but looking at the refined, clear, and elegant Xu Hengyan before her, she felt it was nothing.
A beauty like a painting was worth more than a mansion.
Xu Hengyan glanced towards the west side of the small courtyard, "Lu Baohong's men live over there."
The small courtyard they were in was situated on higher ground. Lu Baohong and his subordinates lived in the adjacent, lower-lying, slightly larger courtyards.
The east side of the small courtyard was closer to the woods and was still somewhat quiet.
The two of them finished the basin of chicken soup and the three hard flatbreads.
Xu Hengyan consciously rolled up his sleeves again, then tidied up the bowls and chopsticks and went to the kitchen to wash them.
During their escape from the forest before, he had been seriously injured, and she had tirelessly taken care of him.
Now that his injuries had mostly healed, it was his turn to take care of her.
So what if he was the Duke of Wei's heir? Wasn't she also the most beloved young master of the Xie clan?
In this village separated by time and space, there was no Duke of Wei's heir, nor the young master of the Xie clan. There were only Xu Hengyan and Xie Jiang.
Xie Jiang followed him like a little tail, hands clasped behind her back, to the kitchen door. She watched Xu Hengyan awkwardly scoop water to wash the bowls and basins.
With his appearance and demeanor, even dressed in the roughest homespun cloth and standing before the most dilapidated stove, he was a pleasure to behold.
Xu Hengyan turned around and saw her standing at the door, smiling at him.
"What are you looking at? I'll be done washing soon."
Xie Jiang turned and returned to the courtyard, re-cleaning the clothes that had been washed and hung on the bamboo pole. They fluttered in the wind, almost dry.
Those were her wet clothes from before. Xu Hengyan had carried them with him all along, and they had likely been washed again.
Young Master Xu not only knew how to cook but also how to wash clothes. Who would believe such a thing?
Xie Jiang paced to the entrance of the small courtyard. Just as she was about to go out for a stroll, she heard the sounds of fighting coming from the woods to the east.