Chapter 4: Is it a Calamity or a Blessing?

  As for Yang Zilu's arrival, Zheng Dan's family showed great hospitality. It was unclear whether it was due to the title of a fallen noble or because ancient people were generally more hospitable. Zheng Dan's father even borrowed a catty of smoked meat from their neighbor and mixed it with wild vegetables and rice to eat. In the past, Zheng Dan and his family had never received such good treatment.

  But don't think it's that good, this rice is only stripped of the outer layer of yellow husk, and there is still a thin membrane inside that hasn't been removed. This rice can only be considered coarse grain, and it's also mixed with wild vegetables for cooking.

  Don't think this is some kind of purely natural good stuff, it's just purely natural, but whether it's good or not, Yang Zilu has no idea. The rice grains are definitely coarse. This dish had no flavor when I first put it in my mouth, and after chewing a few times, it was just a bitter taste. I don't even know what kind of dish this is, the taste is simply no different from vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides.

  However, looking at Zheng Dan eating with gusto, especially the smoked meat, picking up a piece of meat with chopsticks, he had a delighted expression, slowly savoring it, as if reluctant to swallow this earthly delight. And one catty of smoked meat, cooked and divided among Zheng Dan's family of five, each person could only get one-fifth. Moreover, in Yang Zilu's opinion, this one catty of smoked meat was probably only a little more than four taels. What a bleak scene, that small amount of meat wasn't even enough for Yang Zilu to stuff his teeth with.

  Yang Zilu couldn't help but sigh after seeing this. Later generations may have many disadvantages, but at least they are rich in material goods. Ordinary families can eat meat without difficulty. In that place, like Zheng Dan's family, although they were ordinary in the village, eating meat was like eating dragon meat, extremely precious.

  Although Yang Zilu is a meat lover in modern times, others dare not eat much, and the host family is not wealthy either. Yang Zilu also doesn't like to eat too much, so he quickly finishes his meal. Surprisingly, there's still half a plate of smoked meat left, which seems to be a rare delicacy. Although they like eating it, they don't dare to eat too much.

  After dinner, Yang Zilu sat with Zheng Dan's parents in the small courtyard outside the house, chatting for a while. In the conversation, Zheng Dan learned that his father's name was Zheng Datian, which seemed strange. Probably his father thought he had a large piece of land. However, as far as Yang Zilu knew, the Zheng family only had a small 30-acre field outside the village, and usually Zheng Datian would chop firewood in the mountains and sell it in the city. This city was Zhuji City.

  It was not known that the city of Zhuji was originally the capital of Yue State, but it was moved to Mount Kuaiji during the previous king's reign. The capital of Yue State is still located on Mount Kuaiji, possibly a mountain castle!

  While Zheng Dan's mother, Yang Zilu, called her Zheng Dajie, she didn't dare ask her name. Who knows what the customs are here? What if Zheng Datian thinks you're flirting with his wife? How would Yang Zilu feel then? Although there's a saying that "the ignorant are not guilty", this phrase should be used on enlightened people. But Zheng Datian is still an unknown quantity, and Yang Zilu wouldn't be foolish enough to take such a risk.

  The Zheng family has another child, a 12-year-old kid. However, he doesn't like to talk much, and although he's only 12 years old, he's quite mysterious. The Zheng family seems to be at a loss with the kid's strange personality. They call him Xiao San, without giving him a formal name, supposedly because they're afraid that ghosts and spirits will know his name and take his life away. Yang Zi Lu was full of black lines upon hearing this - what ghosts and spirits are these?

  The Zheng family originally had two and a half rooms, the reason for the half was that it was a semi-open kitchen. The other two rooms were also very narrow, but fortunately, this was a house made of bamboo, although not as solid as an earthen house, but the space was much larger. Yang Zilu had seen the earthen houses in the village, with a thatched roof, and they were only about two meters high, he had to lower his head when entering, otherwise he would hit the roof. Moreover, this house didn't even have windows, who knows how people lived there.

  Bamboo houses are different, although they also have no windows, but there are many gaps, and the light transmission is much stronger than that of earth houses. The house is also two meters three or four high. Let Yang Zilu, a tall man of 1.8 meters, breathe a sigh of relief, not afraid of poking a hole in someone else's roof with just one lift of his head, and having to wear a bandage on his own head.

  What made Yang Zilu depressed was that he didn't know whether Zheng Datian and his wife were planning to have sex tonight or if they really had no scruples. They actually let Yang Zilu and Zheng Dan share a room, of course, the silent little kid was also there, but this kid was only twelve years old, Yang Zilu really lost control of her beastly nature, this kid was just a pitiful fate. It turned out that this bamboo house was where the siblings lived, but now that Yang Zilu had arrived, Zheng Dan shared a bed with his younger brother, while Yang Zilu slept in the silent little kid's bed.

  Arriving at his own home, Zheng Dan relaxed a lot and changed into a thin shirt after washing up. It's estimated that there was no belly band now, although the sky had already darkened, but Yang Zilu still vaguely saw two small dots bulging out. That truly made one's heart itch, as the saying goes: "A wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a secret lover, and a secret lover is not as good as one who cannot be obtained." And now Yang Zilu was facing the highest level of this realm.

  "Damn it! Damn it! How can I lay hands on a 15-year-old loli?! This loli is already 15 years old, but she's developed enough to be mature! No way! Adan saved me and gave me a place to live, how can I do this?! Must go take a cold shower to put out this fire, otherwise today might turn into a beast!"

  "Hey! Adan, where's your bathroom? I'll go wash up!" Yang Zilu asked awkwardly, trying her best to control her eyes from glancing down. But she couldn't help quickly scanning downwards every now and then. Although the bamboo house was dimly lit, it still made Yang Zilu unable to look away.

  Probably due to the dim light, Zheng Dan didn't notice Yang Zilu's sneak peek. She pointed outside and said: "Oh, if you walk along here, you can see the Huan Sha Creek. That's where I took a bath. Our house doesn't have a bathroom! Don't be surprised!" After finishing, she still looked at Yang Zilu with an apologetic face.

  Yang Zilu hastily waved his hand and said: "Oh, no need! In the past few years of traveling around the country, what bitterness haven't I experienced!"

  "Ah! What about the clothes Yang brother washed and changed into?" Zheng Dan stretched out her white jade-like index finger, lightly pressing it against her lower lip, asking with a puzzled expression that made her look even more endearing.

  "Anyway, I'll just put the clothes on the shore for now! Let's exchange them for two old sets tomorrow!" Yang Zilu said with an awkward smile.

  "Oh!" Zheng Dan heard this and suddenly thought of something, only to feel that her cheeks were burning like fire, with a wave of heat, she didn't dare ask more questions, and hastily ran to the bed to lie down. "Ahh! I'm so embarrassed! How could I ask him about washing clothes?! Although Yang brother is a bit handsome, and has some knowledge!"