The carriage headed north, passed the city, and got on the official road. The only sounds around were the rustling of wind and snow on the branches. It was extremely quiet.
Lu Yunchu lay on the low table in the carriage, carefully drawing the route of the trip.
While painting, she tried hard to recall the activities of the hero and heroine, but her memory was vague and always inaccurate, so she was not reassured.
"Wen Zhan, do you think it's okay to walk this way? Isn't it too roundabout?"
She handed the map to Wen Zhan, who of course had no objection and nodded in agreement.
Lu Yunchu stopped worrying about it and lifted the car curtain to look outside: "Why is it still so cloudy? Is it going to snow again?"
Wen Zhan followed her line of sight and saw the guards wearing bamboo hats and riding horses in front of him.
He didn't understand what was wrong with him, and suppressed the sour feeling in his heart. He took out a pen and paper and wrote: It does look like it's going to snow, so why don't we find an inn to rest and not let them travel in the snow.
Lu Yunchu cried out "Ah!" He was so warm sitting in the carriage that he almost forgot about the guards on the road ahead.
"Ah Zhan is really considerate." Lu Yunchu praised Wen Zhan, "It's freezing cold. Even if it's not snowing, you shouldn't travel for a long time."
She lifted the curtain and got into the carriage, giving orders for everyone to stop at the next inn to rest.
When he lifted the curtain and got in, he found Wen Zhan tilting his head, frowning and looking outside the car, with a hint of worry in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Lu Yunchu asked in a low voice.
Wen Zhan quickly lowered his eyes, lowered the curtain, and said nothing.
She thought he was worried that the trip would not go smoothly, so she comforted him, "It's okay, let's treat this trip as a trip, don't worry."
Wen Zhan didn't explain. He lowered his eyes to hide the color in his eyes and nodded gently.
But Lu Yunchu continued to say with a smile: "There is plenty of money, so you don't have to worry about food, clothing, housing and transportation. There is no need to worry about safety. Look at those guards, they can knock down three men with one punch."
Wen Zhan's breath was choked. The burly figures of the guards flashed before his eyes. They had broad backs and strong waists. They slowly placed their hands on his waist.
There is a huge difference.
But their sturdy bodies can be seen from years of eating and drinking meat. He is not in good health, so no matter how much he eats, he can't catch up.
When Lu Yunchu saw that he looked confused, she asked, "What's wrong? Is it your first time away from home and you're not used to it?" She was afraid that if she took the NPC away with her, the plot would make him uncomfortable.
Wen Zhan shook his head and quickly put his hand down.
It was this action that made Lu Yunchu pay attention to his previous posture: "What's wrong with your waist?"
As soon as these words came out, it was like a thunderclap. Wen Zhan's whole body tensed up and he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.
What happened to him just now? Why did he compare the thickness of his waist with the guards? Why did he even measure it with his own waist
He didn't have time to figure out what he was thinking just now. He tried to remain calm and shook his head, trying to tell Lu Yunchu that he was fine and not let her discover anything strange about him.
But the more he became restless, the more Lu Yunchu felt there was a problem.
She thought that the plot was torturing Wen Zhan again, and she was angry and annoyed. Wasn't it just taking Wen Zhan to change maps? Why did he have to be tortured and punished for some inexplicable reason
She rushed forward, pried open Wen Zhan's arms, and touched his waist: "Does it hurt here?"
Wen Zhan was caught off guard and was pushed back by her, barely holding on.
He stared in disbelief.
When Lu Yunchu was bathing just now, he had taken off his bun gloves and replaced them with a thin cloth that was lightly wrapped around them. So when he touched his waist at this moment, his hand was particularly clear.
First reaction: So thin, really thin.
Second reaction: Why isn’t it soft at all? A slim waist should be soft.
Second response: Oh, it turns out that his muscles are tense, so it’s so hard.
Thoughts flashed through her mind quickly, and her hand was still gently testing: "Are you not hurt...?"
She touched Wen Zhan's ticklish spot, and he showed an uncomfortable look on his face, his muscles tensed even more, and he looked up at her in surprise, accusing her with shameful and angry eyes.
Lu Yunchu withdrew her hand awkwardly: "I thought you were injured." To her conscience, she was really worried.
After she sat down beside him, Wen Zhan gradually relaxed his body, and with trembling hands, he straightened his clothes. He could still feel the soft and itchy touch on his waist, and his whole body felt itchy and numb, as if ants were crawling on it. It was very strange.
Lu Yunchu was still feeling guilty about his recklessness, but when he saw him like this, he inexplicably wanted to laugh.
She looked away, trying to look serious.
Wen Zhan finally calmed down from his panic, straightened his posture, straightened his back, looked up, and found that Lu Yunchu was trying not to laugh.
The shame and anger he had just suppressed rose up again.
Wen Zhan pursed his lips and looked up at Lu Yunchu. Logically speaking, he had a cold look and should have made people feel distant when he was angry, but Lu Yunchu wanted to get closer to him instead.
She said shamelessly: "I was worried about you, I was too flustered and didn't pay attention to the situation. Don't be angry."
Wen Zhan had a filter for Lu Yunchu, and when she said that, Wen Zhan had no doubts and immediately calmed down. However, no matter whether Wen Zhan believed Lu Yunchu's words or not, as long as she said "Don't be angry", Wen Zhan would not be angry.
It really makes the hair smooth with just a gentle stroke.
Lu Yunchu felt a little guilty in his heart, and continued the previous topic, asking casually: "What happened to you just now? You don't seem to be in a good mood."
Wen Zhan's back stiffened and he immediately shook his head, determined not to talk about this topic.
Although Lu Yunchu felt it was strange, he did not press the issue.
As we walked toward evening, the sky became increasingly gloomy and dark, and a strong wind blew, and finally a fine snow fell.
The group quickened their pace and arrived at the inn before the snow fell.
The inn was small and shabby, with no guests. There was only a man who looked like a scholar busy closing the window.
There were so many of them, so they were a large number of customers. The man who seemed to be the accountant was stunned for a moment and asked hesitantly, "But do you want to stay at the hotel?"
The guard answered for Lu Yunchu: "Yes."
He was a little embarrassed and said, "I'm afraid our small shop doesn't have enough rooms. I'll have to trouble you to squeeze in."
The guards had no objection: "You can just sleep in the shared bunk bed. Let's arrange the best room for Madam first."
He nodded, and called the guards to go inside, while walking in the direction of the kitchen he shouted: "Yu Niang, guests are welcome." Judging from his posture, it turned out that he was not the accountant but the shopkeeper.
Lu Yunchu followed the innkeeper into the room. Although it was the best room, it could not be compared with the rooms of wealthy families. But it looked very clean, which was enough. As long as it was clean enough, Wen Zhan would be satisfied.
Sure enough, when Lu Yunchu turned around, he saw Wen Zhan's eyes sweeping around the corner of the table and wall, revealing a satisfied smile.
The waiter knocked on the door, and a woman led a pair of girls in. She held the quilt in Lu Yunchu's luggage and said softly, "Just now, the ladies asked us to send the quilt to Madam."
Lu Yunchu took it and prepared to make the bed thicker.
The woman immediately called for help from her maid. The couple had extraordinary looks and looked like noble people, so they dared not neglect them.
Lu Yunchu was pushed away by the little carrot head, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "My lady, just be nice."
Yu Niang smiled and said, "No, no, no."
Well, Lu Yunchu didn't force it. She took out a piece of silver and handed it to the boy as a reward.
"Is this your child?" Lu Yunchu asked casually, "How old is he?"
As Yu Niang made the bed neatly, she answered, "The older one is five, and the younger one is three."
"Are they brother and sister?"
"Yes, the boy should be younger. He is my brother."
Lu Yunchu rubbed the child's head: "You have both a girl and a boy."
After a few words, Yu Niang found that Lu Yunchu was easy to talk to, so she was not so nervous anymore, and her words became more lively. She grinned and said, "Yes, where's the madam?"
Just as she finished speaking, the nobleman sitting at the table suddenly started coughing, which scared Yu Niang.
She really wanted to give herself a slap in the face for gossiping in the village. Why did she say anything without restraint? She heard from others that those rich families without sons or daughters hated others asking such questions.
She glanced at the young man. He was so handsome, just like the man piled up in the ice and snow. One glance at him made people dare not look at him for fear of offending him.
It's a pity that he didn't seem to be a good-tempered person. He frowned and covered his mouth with his hand to cough. His wife walked over and patted him on the back, but he didn't say a word, and was unwilling to even say "nothing".
Yu Niang lowered her head, afraid that they would blame her.
Fortunately, the lady was good-tempered. After the coughing died down, she turned around and said with a smile, "You don't have a child yet. There's no need to rush."
Just as Yu Niang felt relieved, the young man started coughing again. This time he coughed even more violently, and even his cheeks turned blood red.
Lu Yunchu originally wanted to explain it properly, but when Wen Zhan coughed, she became malicious and said so on purpose.
Seeing that he was coughing so badly, she felt a little guilty and poured a glass of warm water for Wen Zhan: "Why are you coughing like this? Did you catch a cold?"
Turning his head, he saw Yu Niang and the two little kids looking at a loss, and said quickly, "Thank you very much, you can go and do your work first."
The three of them ran away quickly, and when they reached the door, Yu Niang secretly looked back. The young man remained silent, with his eyes downcast, not even glancing at his wife.
She sighed in her heart. She looked like a fairy, but why was she so cold? It was a pity for the good-tempered lady. She didn't know how she could bear it.
The "good-tempered" Lu Yunchu sat next to Wen Zhan and continued to tease him: "Ah, did I say something wrong? Do you mind?"
Wen Zhan neither nodded nor shook his head, he could only clench his fists, blushing, not daring to look at her.
"Tsk tsk, Ah Zhan, did you misunderstand? We are husband and wife outside. If someone asks this, I can only answer like this. Do I have to explain it in detail?"
Wen Zhan turned his head away, avoiding her pursuing gaze, took out a pen and paper, and wrote two words: Not necessary.
He looks calm, but the crooked vertical lines are enough to reveal his shy heart.
"Yeah, that's right. When I saw you cough suddenly, I thought you had misunderstood something and were coughing out of embarrassment."
Wen Zhan started coughing again.
Lu Yunchu felt that he was a bad guy. Why did he like to see Wen Zhan get angry and shy and nervous
She finally showed mercy and let Wen Zhan go. She stood up and said, "I'm so hungry. Let's go find the shopkeeper and see what to eat."
After leaving the room and going downstairs, the guards had already tied up their horses and returned home. They were sitting at several tables and drinking. When they saw Lu Yunchu coming downstairs, they immediately hid their wine bags and said respectfully, "Second Madam."
Lu Yunchu waved his hand and said, "Drink yours, it will cool you down and warm you up, but don't drink too much."
She was unexpectedly good-tempered, completely different from what was rumored. The guards were surprised and nodded their heads in agreement.
The shopkeeper was not in the hall, so Lu Yunchu didn't hesitate and went straight to the backyard.
When the curtain was opened, a rich aroma of rice wafted in the air. Lu Yunchu followed the scent and met the shopkeeper and Yu Niang in the backyard kitchen.
When Yu Niang didn't deliberately lower her voice, her voice was quite loud: "With so many people, we can't do it."
The shopkeeper consoled him, "Isn't this your specialty? It's okay. Even if you can't cook it well, isn't it still the dish you cooked?"
There's not even a cook
When Lu Yunchu asked, he found out that it was because of the heavy snow and there were not many customers. Most people just stopped by to rest and drink some hot water and then continued on their way. So Yu Niang asked the cook and the waiter to go home.
She glanced around the kitchen and asked, "Is the pork here fresh?"
"Of course." Yu Niang replied.
Lu Yunchu said: "It's a little less. Do you want more meat?"
The shopkeeper replied, "It's mutton that was slaughtered a few days ago and frozen in the snow, so it can be considered fresh."
Lu Yunchu made a decision: "Okay, let's have charcoal barbecue and mutton hot pot."
When she turned around, the couple were staring at her with dull expressions.
"Ma'am, we...we won't."
Lu Yunchu smiled and said, "I didn't ask you to do it, just do it yourself!"
The two were shocked and did not believe that Lu Yunchu could cook. When the guards brought in various pots and condiments and the aroma wafted from the kitchen, they realized that Lu Yunchu was not lying.
Not only did they find it delicious, the aroma of the mutton hotpot spread far in the cold air, and the guards sitting in the hall could no longer drink.
There is not much mutton, but it makes up a whole pot, with green leafy vegetables and tofu as side dishes. It is a light pot, but the taste is definitely not bland.
Lu Yunchu asked Yu Niang to knead the dough while she was responsible for cutting the noodles. The willow-leaf-like noodles flew into the soup, floating up and down with the vegetables and tofu. Today's staple food was ready.
Scoop out the spices to remove the fishy smell, scoop with a spoon, and simmer a bowl of mutton noodle soup. It has both noodles and vegetables. It looks disorganized, just a pot of stew, but it manages to make the most of the aroma of mutton.
The two were shocked and completely impressed by Lu Yunchu's smooth operation. As they were cooperating in serving the dishes, someone stood at the door out of nowhere.
Yu Niang's heart skipped a beat and she quickly pulled her husband away. This young man was not a good-tempered person. If he saw his wife cooking a big pot of rice, who knows how angry he would be.
Lu Yunchu also noticed Wen Zhan and asked with a smile, "Are you hungry?"
Wen Zhan nodded.
She brought a plate of raw meat and gestured with her chin to Wen Zhan to take the iron pot for the barbecue: "Let's go and eat. There's not much pork, so let's just have barbecue."
Wen Zhan looked at the raw meat in her hand, then at the strange-looking small iron pot, and for a moment he couldn't figure out what she was going to do.
The two of them chose a table at the very edge of the inn, which was just enough to separate them from the guards and overlook the snow-covered mountains outside.
Put charcoal fire in the barbecue pot, and soon the iron plate on it will heat up.
"I haven't eaten meat like this for a long time." Lu Yunchu sighed, picked up the marinated pork and put it on the iron plate.
The sound of frying oil was heard, and the fat quickly fell off, trembling and fluttering, bringing with it a rich fat aroma.
Lu Yunchu and Wen Zhan each had a bowl of mutton noodle soup. Although it was all meat, the soup looked particularly light and refreshing against the backdrop of the barbecued meat.
"Let's eat noodles first." Lu Yunchu saw Wen Zhan staring at the barbecue. He didn't know whether he was curious or greedy. He was afraid that the mutton soup would get cold, so he could only interrupt him.
Wen Zhan awkwardly withdrew his gaze and looked down at the mutton noodle soup in front of him.
The mutton soup is simmered over low heat. It is thick, white and delicate, with a bluish-white hue. It looks very light, but you will discover its richness once you take a sip.
The aroma of mutton permeates the pores of the tofu. Although the tofu is not tender, it is made smooth by the freshness. When you take a bite, the hot steam surges inside, exploding on your tongue with pure freshness.
Wen Zhan swallowed it hastily and almost got burned.
Lu Yunchu reminded: "It's very hot, don't be anxious, eating hot food is not good for your health."
He obeyed obediently, scooped up a spoonful of clear white mutton soup with a spoon, blew on it, and put it into his mouth.
The freshness of the vegetables blends into the soup, and the noodles have a mellow fragrance, which suppresses the greasiness of the fatty part of the mutton. Only the freshness of the mutton soup is left. Pepper is sprinkled in the soup, and the hot warmth can warm the throat all the way to the stomach, and the warm freshness like the sun rushes straight into the nose.
Outside the house was a vast expanse of ice and heavy snow. He drank mutton soup. The warmth from the food was accentuated by the chill of the snow. He felt extremely happy, warm, and comfortable all over.
There are finely chopped pieces of mutton floating in the soup, and it is eaten together with cabbage sliced noodles. The taste is rich, the noodles are chewy, and the mutton is delicate.
The mutton tastes soft and moist, and has been softened by the soup. When you grind your teeth, the fresh and fragrant soup squeezes out from the gaps between the lean meat fibers. The fat has also become fat, and the meat aroma is lingering, making you want to swallow your tongue.
The mutton soup exudes a fresh and fragrant white vapor. When I bury my head in the water, my eyes are filled with mist. Immersed in this hot air, I have the illusion that it is warm like spring. When I look up, the snow scene outside the window immediately brings me back to reality.
When Wen Zhan eats delicious food, his eyes are always sparkling and full of joy. Even though he is not smiling, you can feel his happiness.
He eats elegantly, but others are different.
The guards ate with great relish, wishing they could finish the bowl. The noodles were kneaded tightly and cut neatly, and the boiling soup made them as smooth as fish fillets. The more they chewed, the more addictive they became.
It's hard not to succumb to this kind of hot air and this kind of hot delicacy.
While eating, the guards praised Lu Yunchu as a fairy, wishing they could drag down and slap the person who had said that she had a willful temper.
Yu Niang's family of four also enjoyed the meal. The children's tears and snot were all scalded, but they were still reluctant to slow down.
Hearing their praise like this, Yu Niang felt even more uncomfortable. She had already imagined a scene of a virtuous wife and a cold-faced husband, and she shook her head and sighed.
Meanwhile, the cold-faced man finally had his first bite of barbecue in his life.
The pork grilled over pure charcoal has a unique aroma. The piece of pork that Lu Yun initially selected, which is a combination of fat and lean, is cut into the right thickness. The fat part is grilled to be transparent, and the edges are crispy. When you take a bite, the fat explodes in your mouth, which is so satisfying.
The lean meat is soaked in fat and is not dry at all. It is soft, flexible and chewy. Every bite is filled with the pleasant aroma of fat and meat. As carnivores, humans find this aroma the most irresistible. From the tip of the tongue to the scalp, you can feel the numbing aroma of fat.
Wen Zhan's black eyes became brighter. Although he had a pair of narrow eyes, the emotions in his eyes made them look round.
He chewed politely, but his eyes seemed to be shouting without restraint: "Can I have another piece?"
Lu Yunchu picked another piece for him and said, "Don't eat too much. Be careful not to get too greasy, especially since you have a weak stomach."
The light in Wen Zhan's eyes dimmed for a moment, but brightened up again after he finished eating the barbecue. He lowered his head and savored the food slowly, wishing he could wag his tail to show his happiness.
Seeing him eating happily, Lu Yunchu also felt a lot happier. Perhaps this was the joy of feeding.
After they had their fill of the meal, the two of them sat here admiring the snow while Yu Niang came over to clean up the dishes.
When she walked by, Lu Yunchu was staring at Wen Zhan's profile and admiring him. Yu Niang understood the meaning of this kind of look better than anyone else. She was also like this when she was pursuing her husband.
She had already been completely conquered by Lu Yunchu over the meal, and she felt that she had a similar experience of chasing a husband, so she decided to pull Lu Yunchu to a corner later and share her experience with this poor woman.
It is said that a strong woman is afraid of a clinging man, and the same is true for you. When facing a man like this, you have to cling to him and cling him to your bed!
Lu Yunchu, immersed in Wen Zhan's beautiful profile, had no idea what the fierce woman from the north was thinking. He was still thinking innocently about how he would sleep in a small bed with Wen Zhan tonight.
Is the crib too narrow? Can she cuddle up to it again? Hehehe.