The Young Lady of the General’s House

Chu Xiuming didn’t inform the kitchen on time, so there was no rabbit to eat that evening, they had roast chicken instead. The chicken was mouthwatering, sweet and soft, Shen Jin enjoyed it so much that her eyes narrowed while eating. But she still managed to eat elegantly, even when gnawing a whole chicken leg she wouldn’t let her face covered with oil. The most important point was, she could eat very quickly.

Chu Xiuming watched her gnawing in small bites, cheeks puffed out, swallowed, and repeated. After one chicken leg and two chicken wings, she hesitantly looked at the other chicken leg. She thought for a while, but wiped her mouth with the handkerchief that An Ping had prepared, then drank a small bowl of pickled vegetable congee.

“Full?” Chu Xiuming and Chu Xiuyuan also had roast chicken in front of them, but theirs were much bigger than Shen Jin’s, almost like daddy chicken compared to baby chicken.

Shen Jin nodded contentedly, “Can’t eat anymore.”

Chu Xiuming saw her full as well, even though according to Shen Jin’s look she still wanted more. He took the bowl in front of Shen Jin, gave the leg to Chu Xiuyuan, then he himself started on the chicken breast and other parts left by Shen Jin.

Shen Jin’s face flushed red as she saw it, suddenly she said, “Actually I think I can still eat a piece of chicken skin.”

Chicken skin was the tastiest part of a roast chicken, Shen Jin expectantly looked at Chu Xiuming.

“Ha ha ha!” The laughter was from Chu Xiuyuan, “Sister-in-law…. ” Even the maids in the room couldn’t help smiling.

Shen Jin looked at Chu Xiuyuan in confusion, she missed the rare smile at Chu Xiuming’s lips, it was light and brief but like the first ray of sunlight on ice.

Ever since Chu Xiuming overheard her and An Ping’s conversation and still didn’t punish her, Shen Jin had become much bolder. Just like a cat who after a while became not very timid anymore, the cat stretched out her paws to scratch the master. As the master wasn’t angry, the cat scratched again, master was still not angry, cat scratched again, and again, until master rubbed her head lovingly…. and that’s the beginning of the Tyrannical Cat Overlord!

Hadn’t Chu Xiuming realised it from the start? From the early days he had quickly seen through Shen Jin’s little cunnings, but he had been indulging her, and even created opportunities for her.

Chu Xiuming raised his eyebrows at Shen Jin. His eyes were very cool and pretty, and when they looked at you, you would feel like you were the only one in his eyes. Those eyes swept on Shen Jin’s little tummy, Shen Jin unconsciously straightened her back and sucked in her belly, holding her breath as she returned his gaze.

Shen Jin saw Chu Xiuyuan was laughing non-stop, looked at Chu Xiuming who himself had eaten two half chickens, and was still acting lofty as if he was a saint above mere mortals.

Her tender red lips squirmed, her eyes wronged, she looked at Zhao Momo but unfortunately Momo was still stunned by Chu Xiuming’s smile so she didn’t pay any attention to Shen Jin. Shen Jin felt even worse, she could only turned to An Ping.

An Ping was going to tell her, but then Shen Jin couldn’t hold her breath anymore, she released a mouthful of breath and her tummy eased up. Because she had been holding breath for long, her cheeks were red and her eyes watery.

Zhao Momo recovered, seeing Shen Jin’s wronged look as if being bullied, she took pity and said, “Madam, didn’t you ordered the kitchen to make soup for the two masters? How if I have them serve it now?”

“Yes.” Shen Jin hurriedly responded, then said, “I asked the kitchen, good thing they had …..” She was trying to change the topic, but in the end was carried away talking.

Zhao Momo brought the soup, Shen Jin personally laddled two bowls for Chu Xiuming and Chu Xiuyuan, “My Mother Consort told me all these things are very nutritious, so the soup is good for health.”

Chu Xiuyuan tried it, and his eyes twitched. The soup couldn’t be said repulsive, but the taste was very unique, it was hard to describe.

Chu Xiuming gracefully drank it spoonful by spoonful, when he finished Shen Jin refilled his bowl.

Shen Jin eagerly looked at Chu Xiuyuan, but he didn’t have as much power of determination as Chu Xiuming, he was not that willing to drink such a strange concoction, so he slowed down even more. Shen Jin could only give him a half bowl refill.

She didn’t force them to drink more, very cutely laughed, “Too much of something is not good either. I will make more for you two another day.”

Chu Xiuming was on the last spoonful, he just nodded. Chu Xiuyuan wanted to say no but didn’t have the heart to reject. Thinking that at least Big Brother would suffer together with him, he said, “Then have to trouble Sister-in-Law.” He felt like vomiting blood saying this sentence.

As Shen Jin ate a bit more than usual that dinner, so Zhao Momo walked her back slowly. Outside she just realised her short jacket and skirt was high-waisted, so her tummy couldn’t had been seen at all.

Momo said, “Madam, even if some things are very nourishing, but putting all of them together ….. “

“Don’t worry, Momo. Before I started making this soup for Father, I had asked the doctor first. Doctor said everything in the soup is definitely beneficial as health supplement, so it is fine to eat.”

Zhao Momo knew Shen Jin wouldn’t recklessly stew unproven things for Chu Xiuming and Chu Xiuyuan, but still, sour things, bitter things, salty things, fishy things all mixed together, how would it taste?

“The taste was not that good, but otherwise there is no problem.” Shen Jin nonchalantly said.

Zhao Momo stared at Shen Jin, so you also knew the taste was unpleasant?

Shen Jin didn’t conceal it, she frankly said, “When I was with Mother Consort, every time Xu Cefei and her daughters made my Mother unhappy, I waited for Father to come eat with Mother Consort, then I stewed this soup for Father.”

“……. ” Zhao Momo looked at Shen Jin.

Shen Jin smiled brightly and innocently, still smugly said, “Father and Mother Consort were very moved. Every time Mother Consort would persuade Father to drink a few more bowls.”

At first Zhao Momo wanted to ask if Rui Wangfei had ever tasted the soup, but she then remembered at dinner Shen Jin mentioned it was Rui Wangfei herself who taught her how to make it.

“How about Xu Cefei?”

Shen Jin looked puzzled, “I have Father, Mother Consort, and my own Mother, why should I care about Xu Cefei? It’s not like she was nice to me.”

Shen Jin had never liked Xu Cefei, but she didn’t hate her either. In her eyes all the faults laid with Rui Wang. He took in his mother and birthed Shen Jin with her, but he had not done his duty as a husband and a father.

Zhao Momo didn’t ask anymore, she decided to bury the matter. Apart from tasting bad, the soup was indeed nourishing. Even if she mentioned it, it’s not certain the General would appreciate it.

For some reasons, Zhao Momo imagined a rabbit sleeping next to a leopard. The rabbit stretched out her paws to scratch the leopard a few times, then hurriedly closed her eyes pretending to sleep, only to fall in real sleep again with her ears waving in a nice dream. The leopard then opened his eyes, but just to helplessly and lovingly licked the rabbit’s ears, he then swept the rabbit into his arms and continued to sleep. It took the rabbit a lot of efforts to scratch him, but for the leopard the scratches were just like slight itches.

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(T/N: I laughed at this part. Shen Jin thought the brothers were laughing at her for eating too much, she felt so wronged because Chu Xiuming had eaten much more chicken than her, but still peeked at her tummy to see if it had grown bigger. She didn’t realise they knew she was trying to trade the chicken parts she didn’t want with Chu Xiuming’s tasty chicken skin.

As for the soup, apparently it was Rui Wangfei’s subtle way to let Shen Jin (and herself) take a little revenge to Rui Wang for being such a mediocre husband and father.)