Chapter 5 This is the most delicious thing I've ever eaten

  Obviously fabricated like this, Chudong Yang would certainly not believe it.

  He glanced at Jiuniang, then slowly moved a few steps, pulled over a stool and sat down beside her. When he saw the bloodstains on Zhushu's body, his brow furrowed again.

  This blood hole was clearly caused by a sharp arrow.

  "What's with the wounds on this bamboo rat?" Chu Dongyang pointed at the holes on the bamboo rat's body, raised his eyes and stared straight at Jiuniang, pressing for an answer.

  Jiuniang was originally lowering her head to peel the bamboo mouse, when she heard Chudongyang's question, her hands paused for a moment, and then she raised her face to look at him. The firelight danced on her small, delicate face, and a hint of pride gradually appeared between her eyebrows, making Chudongyang feel both real and illusory.

  She only heard him exclaim in surprise, "Is this an arrow wound? Could it be that he was shot by someone else and escaped to my side before dying? I thought it was the flying axe that I threw out that killed him!"

  Jiuniang finished speaking, saw Chudongyang's eyebrows slightly raised, and her facial expression was a bit stiff. She then smiled and said: "Hmm, but no matter what, the fate of these bamboo rats with us is undeniable. Eh? What did you just call it? Bamboo marmot?"

  Chu Dongyang listened to her nonsense, his doubts about her growing heavier in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. Since she didn't want to say anything, he also stopped asking further questions.

  He pursed his lips and immediately raised an eyebrow, asking in response: "Then what did you just call it?"

  "Bamboo mouse...hmm, this thing looks like a mouse and grows in the bamboo forest, so I call it a bamboo mouse. You call it a bamboo fox, don't you think it looks like a fox?" Jiuniang moved the thing in her hand under the oil lamp, smiling and saying: "Maybe your eyesight isn't too good, take another look, doesn't it really look like a mouse?"

  Chu Dongyang raised his hand and pressed his brow, paused for a moment, and suddenly spoke in a light tone: "I feel more and more that Jiuniang is not like the person she was when she first entered the door. Her temperament has changed, her words are strange, just like she's become a different person."

  Jiuniang suddenly looked up at him, just in time to meet his serious gaze, and her heart skipped a beat. Then she heard him ask solemnly: "Jiuniang, haven't you been possessed by a ghost?"

  Jiuniang was taken aback, but surprisingly nodded in agreement and said: "Maybe it's because my life is too bitter, even ghosts can't bear to look at me, that's why they've possessed my body, wanting to help us improve our current lives! In that case, she's a good ghost, you should sincerely thank her!"

  "This can wait until our lives get better, it's not too late to thank you then!" Chu Dongyang patted his knee and changed the subject calmly: "You should hurry up and cook, I'm starving."

  "You come and cook the fire, I'll stir-fry the dishes!" Jiuniang said: "Men and women work together, it's not tiring!"

  Jiuniang has been here for a few days, although she can already use flint and steel to start fires and cook on the wood-fired stove without any issues, but cooking while stirring the pot still makes her a bit busy, luckily there's free labor available nearby, might as well make use of it!

  Men and women working together is not tiring... What kind of logic is this?

  Chu Dongyang's face stiffened again, his mouth moved slightly, and he stopped speaking. Instead, he really picked up the stool and moved it under the stove to burn fire.

  Chu Dongyang wasn't someone who had never done household chores, in the past he used to do all sorts of tasks at home, but after joining the army at thirteen, with a fearless spirit, he always charged forward on the front lines killing enemies, so naturally he hadn't done those kinds of tasks again.

  This is roughly the first time in seven years that Chu Dongyang has cooked.

  The oil can was empty, fortunately the bamboo mouse had thick fat, she cut off the fatty part and threw it into a clean pot, fried out a small pot of oil, scooped more than half into the oil can and filled it up, the rest in the pot was used to stir-fry tonight's dish.

  The braised bamboo rat meat is very delicious, but there is no rice at home. Just eating vegetables can't fill the stomach. Jiuniang cut off the two big legs of the bamboo rat to make a stew, and the rest were all cut into small pieces for braising.

  "Is there wine at home?" Jiuniang asked.

  "It seems there's still half a jar left, under that cabinet beside." Chu Dongyang asked in surprise: "The dishes haven't even been served yet, and you're already looking for wine?"

  Jiuniang rolled her eyes at him and went to find wine on her own.

  Wine dispels fishy smell and body odor.

  Although the seasonings were incomplete, with only salt, ginger, scallions and soy sauce, the aroma that wafted out during the stewing process was enough to revive the two.

  "Wow! So fragrant!" Jiuniang sniffed the aroma, her eyes shining brightly as she said: "Although there are fewer seasonings, it's definitely the most delicious meal I've ever had."

  She turned her head to look at Chu Dongyang, who was concentrating on cooking, and blinked her eyes, with a bright light of expectation in them, asking: "Doesn't it smell delicious?"

  Chu Dongyang was taken aback by the words, his hand holding the firewood paused for a moment, and he responded with an almost inaudible "uh-huh".

  How could he tell her that this was also the most delicious meat he had ever eaten?

  Two people were waiting for the delicious food to be cooked, when a woman's voice came from outside: "Jiuniang, are you home?"

  The new bride next door, Yunniang.

  Jiuniang clapped her hands and went out to greet the visitor. Seeing who it was, she smiled and said: "Sister-in-law, I'm cooking dinner right now! Have you had your supper? It just so happens that I've cooked a big pot of food, why don't you join us for some?"

  "I've eaten! Today, the one at my house went hunting in the mountains and caught a few rabbits. I'll send a bowl over for you to try." Yunniang held a bowl in her hand and asked with a smile: "What did you cook? I smelled it from far away and thought it was Third Aunt's family cooking meat, but it turned out to be yours wafting out."

  "It's as if the heavens took pity on me, and today while digging bamboo shoots in the mountains, I came across several injured bamboo rats that had been shot by someone. Look, they're being cooked right now!" Jiuniang pulled along Yunniang, laughing with a warm heart, saying: "Those bamboo rats are quite big, I've cooked a large pot of them, and later sister-in-law can also take a bowl back to taste."

  This sister-in-law was even better to the couple than Chu Dongyang's parents, often sending over some food, and Jiuniang was very grateful to her.

  The young girl waved her hand and refused, saying: "I came to give you rabbit meat, how can I take a bowl of bamboo rat meat back? This isn't an exchange! No way, you guys keep it for yourselves! You won't have good luck every day."

  "Sister-in-law, if you're not willing to do it, then take this rabbit meat back with you. From now on, don't send any more food to our house either. My family doesn't need your charity!" Jiuniang said, pretending to be angry.

  The young girl heard this and became anxious, hastily explaining: "Jiuniang, don't misunderstand me, I didn't mean to sympathize with you..."

  Jiuniang immediately smiled and held Ainiang's hand, saying: "Then don't be polite with me, take a bowl back! I still have two small ones here, you can take one back later. Tomorrow if you're free, let's go up the mountain to dig bamboo shoots together? Maybe my good luck hasn't run out yet, and we'll meet another takin tomorrow."

  "Alright, I'll come to get you tomorrow morning after I finish my chores at home." Yunniang smiled helplessly and said: "Then I'll take another bowl back with me to taste it, the aroma is making my mouth water. And as for that one, I won't take it, you can give it to Auntie and the others to try! If she finds out you got several bamboo rats and didn't offer her any, she might not be happy!"