Feng Shuo frowned and looked at her, "What's wrong?"
"It's okay, it's okay." Jiang Yanyi hurriedly picked up the book that fell on the ground.
Feng Shuo said bluntly: "What are you afraid of?"
Jiang Yanyi's face was almost wrinkled into a bun. She was about to say something when she heard a few faint cat meows coming from outside the house. The words on her lips turned into: "Does your family have a cat?"
Feng Shuo said, "No, maybe it's because the weather has been cold recently and the mansion has lit the ground heating, so the wild cats nearby came over to keep warm."
The doors and windows of the kitchen in Feng Mansion were locked at night, and the servants usually kept the kitchen very clean. There were no mice in the kitchen. In addition, the Grand Empress Dowager did not like cats, so usually not even a cat hair could be seen in the mansion.
When Feng Shuo heard the cat's meow, he felt a little strange.
Jiang Yanyi heard the cats' meows sounded very immature, and thought they were probably some kittens. She said, "I'll go out and take a look."
She followed the cat's meowing and parted the fern bushes outside Feng Shuo's house. Sure enough, she found a litter of newborn kittens at the fire wall of the ground dragon. There were about four or five kittens at a glance, some white, some orange, and some spotted, and none of them had their eyes open yet.
The mother cat is not around, and the kittens are probably hungry. They huddle together with their eyes closed, tilting their heads back and calling out, their voices sounding childish and pitiful.
There was basically nothing to keep them warm except some fallen dead bamboo leaves. The kittens were able to survive only because of the temperature from the floor heating under the house which also warmed the area outside the wall. There was the eaves above for shelter and a fern bush in front to block the wind.
Feng Shuo followed Jiang Yanyi in his cloak. When he saw the litter of kittens, he frowned and asked, "Where did these kittens come from? Where is the mother cat?"
Jiang Yanyi said: "Maybe he went out to look for food."
She looked at the sparse tops of the asparagus fern bushes and said worriedly, "If it snows, I'm afraid these kittens won't survive here."
Feng Shuo glanced at her and asked, "Do you want to raise one?"
Jiang Yanyi nodded and looked at Feng Shuo with a flattering look: "I don't have a ground heater over there, so I'm afraid they'll freeze to death if I move the kittens there now. Also, if the mother cat comes back and can't find the kittens, the kittens will have nothing to eat. Can I keep them here with you for now?"
Feng Shuo nodded solemnly: "You can use this place to raise these little beasts, but I don't have the time to feed them."
Jiang Yanyi immediately said: "I will come over to feed them every day!"
The kittens still need to rely on the big cat for feeding, so she just needs to bring some food to feed the big cat every day. When she thought that if all the kittens in this litter survived, she would have a lot of cats to pet, Jiang Yanyi's eyes were suddenly filled with smiles.
When Feng Shuo heard her say that she would come over to feed the cat every day, he curled his lips slightly and said, "Okay."
Jiang Yanyi squatted in the asparagus fern bush, reached out his hand and gently stroked a milky orange kitten. The kitten closed its eyes and raised its head, calling out in a drawn-out tone. Its mouth and nose were pink, and its two pitifully small ears were pressed against its head, covered only with a thin layer of fur.
Jiang Yanyi's heart was almost melted by the cuteness, and she gently touched its head twice with her fingertips.
Feng Shuo looked thoughtful and asked, "Do you like cats?"
Jiang Yanyi said: "Who wouldn't like such a cute little thing?"
She withdrew her hand and crawled out of the asparagus fern bush: "I'll go back and find some warm old clothes to make a nest for them."
Feng Shuo called her: "Do you have any old clothes?"
This question really made Jiang Yanyi think. She and Qiu Kui's clothes were all bought right after they left the military camp. They didn't have any old clothes. Even the sheets and quilts were new. She felt a little sad when she cut them up to make a nest for the kittens.
Seeing that Jiang Yanyi was confused and couldn't answer, Feng Shuo said, "I have some old clothes in my room."
The old clothes that Feng Shuo gave to Jiang Yanyi was a cotton robe. The wool and cotton inside the clothes were very warm. Jiang Yanyi crawled into the bamboo bushes again and spread the cotton robe in the cat's bed. When he came out, the hair behind his ears was caught by the bamboo branches.
She herself was unaware of the situation and said with a look of joy, "I'll go back and cook cat food!"
Feng Shuo stared at her cheeks which had turned rosy due to all the busy work, his eyes dimmed, and suddenly reached out his hand behind her ear.
Jiang Yanyi subconsciously wanted to take a step back because of the way he stretched out his hand, but he couldn't help it.
Feng Shuo brushed past her ear, causing a tingling sensation, and plucked a dry bamboo leaf from her head.
Jiang Yan was stunned when he saw the dead leaves in his hand, and smiled embarrassedly: "Thank you."
Feng Shuo threw down the dry bamboo leaf and asked, "Is there any food specially for cats?"
Jiang Yanyi said, "Of course there is. The cat just gave birth to cubs. I will go back and make something to help her lactate."
After she finished speaking, she noticed that Feng Shuo's expression was a little subtle. Jiang Yanyi then realized that what she had just said was inappropriate. This was ancient times, and she was being too straightforward.
Jiang Yanyi was suddenly so embarrassed that she wanted to find a place to hide, but fortunately Feng Shuo did not continue this topic.
She took the lunch box and was about to go home when she thought of Aunt Guo and asked, "By the way, is Aunt Guo okay?"
When she was rescued by Chu Changping that day, she felt relieved when she saw Aunt Guo coming over and she seemed to be uninjured. Later, she was distracted too much by the fact that her identity was exposed. She had been recuperating for the past few days and had not come to Feng Mansion. She had not had time to tell Feng Shuo about Aunt Guo.
She asked this, obviously not minding that Aunt Guo was sent by him.
Feng Shuo said slowly: "Her late husband's death anniversary is in the past few days, and she asked me for leave to go back and pay respect to her late husband."
Jiang Yanyi felt a heavy heart, remembering Aunt Guo's expression when she told her about her late husband. She asked, "Is Aunt Guo's late husband really a butcher?"
Feng Shuo nodded: "She was originally a maidservant in the Mu Wuhou family, and the butcher was from her hometown. Five years ago, the Mu family was raided, and she protected the two sons of the Mu family and fled. Her late husband died under the sword of the imperial army in order to protect her."
Jiang Yanyi sighed and felt that the incident of the Mu family being raided seemed to have been mentioned by someone before. She had a faint impression of it in her mind.
She thought for a long time and finally remembered a name: "Is there a young man named Mu Xuanqing in the Mu family?"
Feng Shuo's eyes narrowed, and a trace of sadness flashed across them, as well as something else: "Do you know him?"
Jiang Yanyi shook his head: "I don't know her, I just suddenly remembered the second daughter of the Xie family who promised to marry my cousin."
The Xie family was a well-off family. The second Miss Xie was originally engaged to the Wuhou heir, Mu Xuanqing. But unexpectedly, such a big incident happened in the Mu family, and the marriage between the two families was naturally cancelled. Others were afraid of being implicated by being associated with the Mu family, so they kept their distance from the second Miss Xie, the former fiancée of the Wuhou heir.
The Xie family was worried about their daughter's marriage, but families of equal status were unwilling to marry them for fear of being involved with the Mu family. Those with lower social status who came to ask for marriage were not willing to accept it. Seeing that the second Miss Xie was already 29 years old and had become an old maid, the Xie family was even more worried.
Two years ago, her cousin Chu Chengmao passed the imperial examination and wanted to marry the second Miss Xie. At that time, Chu Changping was still the general of Yunzhou. Chu Chengmao was an excellent choice in terms of family background, character and appearance, so the Xie family agreed to the marriage immediately.
Unexpectedly, it was Second Miss Xie who stood up and said no. She said that she was not worthy of Chu Chengmao, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that she was being faithful to the Prince of Wu Hou, Mu Xuanqing.
Feng Shuo had also heard about the affairs of the Chu and Xie families. When the cold wind blew, he subconsciously raised his hand and pressed the big scar that had been torn all the way to his shoulder blade. His expression was silent: "He originally had the opportunity to go back and marry the second Miss Xie..."
Seeing his expression, Jiang Yan suddenly remembered what Chi Qing had told him before, that it was his brother who blocked the fatal axe for Feng Shuo. He also remembered that Aunt Guo was a maid of the Mu family, but now she was devoted to Feng Shuo...
She had a bold guess: Chi Qing might be the young master of the Mu family. His deceased brother was the Marquis of Wu, Mu Xuanqing!
Jiang Yanyi was shocked by his own thoughts.
Feng Shuo might have understood what Jiang Yanyi was thinking, but he did not say anything. He just looked up at the sky, his eyes deep and distant, with an indescribable desolation.
He stood in the cold wind, like a peak that no one could climb in the north.
"If even the lives of kings and nobles are worthless, how can ordinary people live at dawn?"
His voice was soft, but every word he said carried a ton of weight.
Jiang Yanyi's heart trembled inexplicably. At this moment, she seemed to understand why hundreds of thousands of soldiers under his command believed in him, and why the emperor was afraid of him.
***
When she returned to her own courtyard, Jiang Yanyi was still thinking about what Feng Shuo said. Her heart was beating faster for some reason. She slapped her face, secretly hating herself for being useless.
But the look and tone of Feng Shuo's voice when he said that really touched her!
There is a saying that explains the word "like" very well: "It starts with appearance, falls in love with talent, and is loyal to character." Since she met Feng Shuo, this was the first time she saw his broad mind as a local prince.
When he took off his battle uniform, he was the noble young man who was willing to play Go with him and accompany him in his childhood; when he put on his battle robe, he was the King of Liaonan who shared life and death with his 200,000 troops.
Jiang Yanyi felt some subtle emotions in her heart. She seemed to have really fallen in love with Feng Shuo.
But to be fair, Jiang Yanyi couldn't find anything about himself that was worthy of Feng Shuo's liking.
She couldn't think of any reason why she was irreplaceable.
If we say that Jiang Yanyi was previously concerned about the reason why Feng Shuo liked her, it was because he wanted to make himself more aware and stay away from him.
Now, what she was thinking about was how she could compete with Feng Shuo if she was determined to walk this path with him.
In terms of feelings, Jiang Yanyi also felt that she was being too cautious and a little twisted. For example, now, she was already thinking, if there really came a day in the future when "people's hearts could change easily", how could she maintain her last bit of dignity.
Even if Feng Shuo treated her the same as before, if they were really together, their future would definitely be difficult. Feng Shuo was a vassal king, and if he wanted to win over the power, the most stable and close way was probably marriage.
If there really came such a day, Feng Shuo would have no way out. He could only keep going, because once he retreated, the countless people standing behind him would die. Compared with her reputation and the lives of hundreds of thousands of his comrades behind him, what choice could he make
Jiang Yanyi was lost in thought as he chopped the pork on the chopping board. He had decided to change the path he was taking, or he had to replan everything for the future.
She must become strong to defend everything she wants to protect.
"Huahua, the meat has been chopped into paste." Qiu Kui stretched out his hand and waved it in front of Jiang Yanyi.
Jiang Yanyi came back to her senses and used two knives to shovel and lift the meat on the chopping board into a plate beside her. "This is meat soup for cats. It doesn't matter if you chop it finer."
Jiang Yanyi was busy with work in her previous life and had never raised a cat, but this did not prevent her from petting cats online. She also watched many videos of cat-raising experts making cat meals, so she had no problem in actually doing it.
Native cats are much easier to raise than pet cats, and they are not so particular about their food. However, the adult cat now has to feed five kittens, so the body needs enough nutrition and milk and water.
The best ingredient for milk production is naturally crucian carp, but crucian carp is expensive, and when the weather gets cold, you may not be able to buy fresh ones on the market. So Jiang Yanyi used pork, beat an egg and mixed it into the meat paste, boiled it in water, and scooped it up with the soup.
Cats even eat raw meat, so they naturally don’t have any requirements for the taste of food. It is said that salt is bad for cats’ kidneys, so Jiang Yanyi didn’t add any seasoning.
Qiu Kui sat behind the stove and asked, "What was Hua Hua thinking about just now?"
Jiang Yanyi was putting cat food into a food box. He thought for a moment and said, "I'm thinking of ways to make money."
"We have a lot of people now. When the store opens, we'll buy more pots every day!" Qiu Kui thought Jiang Yanyi was worried that the store would have no income in the next few days.
Jiang Yanyi pursed his lips and smiled: "Making money by selling pots is enough to live a life without worries, but it is still far from being rich enough to rival a country!"
With her small body, she cannot control the military power, nor can she get access to the political power. The only feasible way seems to be to control the economic chain.
Jiang Yanyi took the cooked cat food to Feng Mansion and put it outside the cat's nest so that the mother cat could eat it when she came back.
Because she was expecting the mother cat to come back soon, she stayed in Feng Shuo's room reading a book all afternoon. From time to time, she ran outside to look, but she never saw the mother cat. She couldn't help feeling a little worried. It would be bad if the mother cat didn't want the litter of kittens. It would be difficult for newborn kittens to survive without a mother cat.
Fortunately, the warmth from the ground dragon prevented the kittens from getting cold. Jiang Yanyi reached out and touched them, and found that every kitten was warm, so he felt relieved.
When she came in from outside again, Feng Shuo was processing official documents at his desk. Seeing this, he couldn't help but say, "A few little beasts, are they worth your attention?"
Jiang Yanyi said, "Your Highness, you are so concerned about this. Didn't you order people to put up those windproof partitions under the eaves?"
Feng Shuo said expressionlessly, "It was the servant in the yard who put it there. I don't know."
Jiang Yanyi was no longer surprised by his ability to lie with open eyes.
Without his order, the servants in the yard would not have the courage to put the partitions under the eaves.
It’s not shameful to like cats, so why is this person so weird
Jiang Yanyi couldn't help but imagine the scene in her mind of when the cats grow up, he would dislike them in front of people, but would sneak away to pet the cats like a thief behind people's backs. She couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Feng Shuo paused as he wrote, raised his eyebrows and looked at her: "What are you laughing at?"
Jiang Yanyi sat by the window, holding the book and changing his posture to read: "Nothing, I'm just laughing at the funny things written in the book."
Feng Shuo looked at her suspiciously and didn't ask any more questions, but there was a hint of warmth in his eyes.
He used to think she was timid, but now she was bolder, which was quite interesting.
Jiang Yanyi read for a while, and seeing that it was getting late, he went back home. On his way out, he happened to run into Xing Yao.
"Miss Jiang." Xing Yao saluted with his fists clasped.
Jiang Yanyi nodded as a return gesture.
Xing Yao walked quickly into the room. Jiang Yanyi couldn't help but turn his head to take a look. His face looked grim, and he was afraid that something difficult might have happened.
They were discussing important matters, so she didn't stay at the door for long and walked out of the mansion.
After Xing Yao entered the room, he clasped his fists and said, "Master, we have used all possible tortures, but we still can't pry open Fan Yaonian's mouth."
The warmth in Feng Shuo's eyes faded away in an instant, and his eyes were as sharp as a knife: "I will go to interrogate him personally."
***
Jiang Yanyi's hot pot restaurant originally planned to resume business the next day, but that afternoon Chu Changping asked his confidant to bring a message saying that there were still rebels in Xizhou City that had not been completely eliminated. In order to avoid accidents, he asked her to open the store two days later.
Making money is not as important as life. Jiang Yanyi knew that this matter was probably related to the assassination attempt she encountered when she came back with Feng Shuo. She did not dare to be careless and would remain closed for the next few days. However, she would soon have a cat, so she could smoke the bacon!
After breakfast the next day, Jiang Yanyi took cat food and Feng Shuo's medicinal food to Feng Mansion. He was surprised to find that the mother cat had returned and was lying in the cat's bed. The meat soup on the plate next to her had been eaten clean.
But the female cat was very alert. As soon as Jiang Yanyi approached, it jumped up and ran away, climbed up a high wall not far away, looked at Jiang Yanyi, and made threatening growls.
This time, Jiang Yanyi didn't dare to touch the warm and furry kittens in the cat's nest. He just put some cat food in the nest and left.
She went into the house and gave the medicinal food to Feng Shuo. When she came out, she found that the female cat had come down from the wall and was eating the meat soup.
Although the mother cat is not friendly now, Jiang Yanyi still feels a sense of satisfaction for successfully feeding her.
When it comes to petting cats, you have to take it slow!
After returning home, she took Yang Xiu and Bing Shao to the butcher Ma to buy a fat pig, and slaughtered two sheep, preparing to smoke bacon and make sausages.
Butcher Ma asked with a smile: "Shopkeeper Jiang bought so much meat, is the restaurant open?"
"Not yet. Let's wait a few days before opening it." Jiang Yanyi was selecting sausage casings for making sausages.
Butcher Ma hesitated for a long time before asking, "Did you know that Lai Fu Restaurant has opened an antique soup shop? It is completely modeled after your shop, and all the bowls, plates, spoons and chopsticks are custom-made. They also sell pots and roasted meats, and give away flower cakes and snacks!"
Jiang Yanyi paused while holding the rice sausage.
The author has something to say: Jiang Yanyi: You copy the homework so quickly!
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2020-11-25 23:49:51~2020-11-26 22:26:16~
Thanks to the little angel who cast the mine: all is well., you2000 1;
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