Start one's own business

  In the afternoon, Bi Su led a group of people back to the county office in triumph. He followed Min An's advice and interrogated Liu Er in a side hall, asking: "You have a head for injustice and a master for debt. Ten days ago, a Green Eyebrow thief was killed at Huangshi Slope. Is this your doing?" Liu Er couldn't withstand the beating and confessed that he had used the fire roasting method to kill the second son of the Green Eyebrow gang out of personal revenge, and then threw the body away on a rainy day. Before being taken away, he was still shouting that killing a thief wasn't considered murder, and that his sister's husband, Old Master Ma of Qingquan County, would definitely think of a way to rescue him, telling Bi Su not to rush to conclude the case for personal gain. Bi Su was somewhat unsure about Liu Er's words and turned back to discuss with Min An: "Qingquan County does have a reputable family called Ma Mieyu, whose son is an official in the capital. We can't afford to offend them. According to my knowledge, Old Master Ma is 70 years old this year, and his wife is 66 years old. How could they let such a young relative run wild outside?"

  Min An said, "That Liu Ersheng has a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, one look and you can tell he's not a good guy!" He bowed to Bi Shi and continued, "Your Excellency must not lightly believe this person's words. He dared to poison the second master to vent his private grievances, it can be seen that his heart is extremely black. When dealing with such ruthless people, Your Excellency only needs to thoroughly investigate the details of the case, and don't need to pay attention to other things."

  "Alright, I'll listen to you this time," Bi Si said with a sigh. He ordered the jailer to take good care of Liu Er and throw him into prison, without subjecting him to any corporal punishment. Min An suggested, "Liu Er is cunning, in order to prevent him from causing trouble, at least put him in shackles..." But Bi Si raised his hand and recited, "Leave a thread of human feeling, for future use," thus rejecting Min An's proposal.

  Min An persuaded again, but Bi Si didn't listen and sent Min An back to the house to wash up.

  Bi Zhi intentionally rewarded the county government's runners who had made a meritorious achievement in breaking up the bandits. He took out several silver ingots from the Qingsheng workshop and handed them over to Hua Cui, asking her to quickly prepare a celebratory banquet. Hua Cui did not disappoint him, and by evening she had cooked two signature dishes: braised pork belly and steamed meat rolls. Xia Liu, Xiao Jia, and others were thrilled when they heard that there would be a grand feast, and they sat in the main hall, constantly tapping their bowls and chopsticks. When the time arrived, two runners carried up a red wooden tray, on which was placed a whole roasted pig, still steaming hot and emitting a savory aroma.

  Xiao Liu hastily stretched her neck and said: "Hua Gu Niang's craftsmanship is wonderful! Not inferior to the imperial chef in Beijing! It smells so fragrant, and it tastes even softer!"

  Huā Cuì used chopsticks to gently push away Xiǎo Liù Hóu's eager hands, and with a gentle bow towards the main seat, said: "I report to Your Excellency, this roasted pork has a beautiful name, called 'Tǔ Yù Pán', layered wrapping of ingredients, taking two hours in front and back to steam roast. Please, Your Excellency, taste it." She used a sharp knife to cut open the sewn-up pig belly, from which rolled out a fully cooked roasted goose. The hot air rushed up, filling the wooden plate with an overflowing aroma that moved people's appetite. She then cut open the goose belly, revealing meat and glutinous rice mixed evenly with soy sauce and garlic. Instantly, sweet fragrance, soft heat intertwined in the main hall, making everyone present eager to eat.

  Bisi looked very satisfied, stroking his small beard and said: "Everyone has worked hard, I will attend the banquet tonight, regardless of seniority, everyone can eat to their heart's content." The bailiff carried the wooden tray to Bisi's seat and knelt down, asking him to take the first bite. However, Bisi bowed his hands towards Fei Yi behind the wooden table on his left side. The bailiff understood and quickly moved the wooden tray in front of Fei Yi.

  Fei Yi put down the wooden spoon for drinking porridge and said to everyone, "I'm full, you guys eat." Xiao Liu couldn't wait to wave his hand and call back the whole plate of roasted pork to his table. Fei Yi got up and left the main room, Hua Cui brought out the second dish, steamed meat rolls.

  Xiao Liu grabbed a freshly baked golden pancake, wrapped it around the steaming hot braised pork, poured garlic bean paste on top, and took a big bite. Suddenly, a thick stream of oil flowed down from his mouth, making everyone else's appetite open up, and they also rushed to grab food.

  Bis went to Guo Zhuang and invited a troupe of actors, watching and enjoying himself. As the wine reached its peak, his lustful thoughts arose, and he raised his cup to search for Fei Yi everywhere. Fei Yi was still wearing that long gown scented with flowers and grass, standing in the courtyard blowing wind. His shoulders were shrouded in a hazy moonlight, standing there coldly, like a porcelain jade coated with silver. Bis had already gotten drunk, his eyes blurry, and he had put aside Min An's previous warning, preparing to grab Fei Yi's sleeve with his hand.

  With a swift motion, he flung his sleeve and slapped Bi Si's ear. Bi Si suddenly came to, kneeling on the ground with a thud, and trembled as he kowtowed in the darkness: "This humble official was confused, this humble official was confused, startling Young Master, please forgive me."

  "Get out."

  Bi Si hastily wiped his face with his sleeve, bowed and retreated from the courtyard, returning to the inner house in a dark mood, constantly sighing. He thought of Fei Yi's pale face, the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and again called for Min An, stammering as he spoke of the ugly incident that had just occurred.

  Min An almost fell to his feet and sighed, he endured again and again, and was able to use a calm voice to say to Bi Si: "Sir, don't worry, I'll go and test the young master's tone, and then help sir make amends." Bi Si hastily nodded and personally escorted Min An out of the mansion.

  Min An walked back and forth, thinking for a while, then went to the side courtyard to invite Fei Yi to come to the official residence. Fei Yi was an astute person who noticed that Bi Si's attitude towards him had changed greatly, from being arrogant to being respectful, and guessed that his true identity had been discovered. He wanted to know how much Min An had found out, so he came to the official residence with a calm demeanor, watching Min An's next move.

  Min An invited Fei Yi to sit by the stone table in the courtyard, then walked into the kitchen and pushed open the paper window. He chatted with Fei Yi through the window while chopping vegetables and mixing sauce on the cutting board. "You probably can't get used to the food in our county, every day you just drink those few bowls of porridge, Cui Hua has already told me about it. I think that night when you arrived, you also finished eating the wontons I made, so I guess you only like to eat my soup dishes, right?" He smiled, showing a row of white teeth, with an air of confidence, Fei Yi looked away, avoiding his gaze.

  Min An said to herself, "Oh, I was wrong! You must not be used to eating greasy food and prefer light and simple home-cooked dishes. This time I'm finally right!"

  Fei Yi remained silent, and Min An remembered his temper, so he didn't say much either. He brought out the vinegar mustard greens, autumn melon soup, and cold mixed spinach on a tray. Min An scalded the bowls, chopsticks, cups, and plates, and carefully arranged them for Fei Yi, urging him to "try some, they taste different." He got up and went back to the kitchen, warmed up a pot of osmanthus wine, steamed a basket of glutinous rice over high heat, washed and stir-fried a dish of wild mushrooms, and finally went to gut the fish.

  Fei Yi sat in the courtyard, looking at the colorful and flavorful soup dish in front of him, and couldn't help but miss the food his mother used to cook for him. He picked up his chopsticks and savored it carefully.

  Min Anxin thought that he must not provoke Fei Yi tonight, so he deliberately walked back to the house and quickly wiped himself clean, changing into a new set of clothes to get rid of the smell of oil smoke. When he returned to the kitchen again, the wine, dishes, and rice were just ready. He used a tray to load the second set of food and sent it out again.

  He ate half a plate of pickled mustard greens to stimulate his appetite, drank a bowl of warm calabaza soup to warm his stomach, and when he saw the second dish that Min'an had carefully prepared for him, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Min'an carefully observed his expression, suddenly remembering that he didn't like being stared at directly, so he coughed and turned his head to say: "You once said that your mother's ancestral home was from Beili Country, the girls there cook according to these two steps, so I tried to prepare it for you, see if it suits your taste?"

  Min brought out sautéed mushrooms, tofu with fish paste, osmanthus wine and a bowl of rice, placing them in front of Fei Yi. Fei Yi caught the familiar scent that easily reminded him of his mother's cooking skills, immediately letting down his guard, eating quietly without stopping his chopsticks.

  Min An saw that his humble cooking had achieved a considerable success, and he secretly smiled with joy. Fei Yi ate until he was 70% full, looked up, and suddenly met Min An's gentle and satisfied gaze, his face turned cold again, he took out a grain of rice and gave Min An a forehead flick.

  "Don't give me that smile," Fei Yi said, "it's like watching corn eat."

  Min An hesitated and said, "Is that so?" While rubbing his face again, he wiped away the lingering smile on his face.

  "Speak up, what's the purpose of calling me over?"

  Min An's divine consciousness returned thoroughly. He thought to himself that Fei Yi was a straightforward person, and his mouth quickly responded: "Lord Bi has temporarily been confused and offended the young master, I hope the young master will forgive him. Lord Bi guarantees to the young master that he will never make such a mistake again."

  "Don't worry, I won't deal with him for now," said Fei Leng coldly.

  "What Mr. Gong means is that he will make things difficult for Master Bi in the future?"

  "With my temper, I didn't kill Bi Shi at that time, it's already a great kindness to you, what more do you want?"

  Min An didn't dare to respond, scratching his temples and letting out a long sigh as he lowered his head. Fei Yi looked at him with a gloomy face, then continued, "You're indeed loyal to Bi Si, working tirelessly for him, cleaning up the mess. I pity you, so I'll let tonight's incident slide. Go back and tell Bi Si that in the future, don't get caught by me again, and have him be more careful living a peaceful life."

  Min An hastily nodded, and Fei Yi asked again: "Who did you ask about my background?"

  "What's your origin?"

  Fei Yi said coldly: "If you think I'm just an ordinary diner, would you still be so deliberate in trying to please me?"

  Min An secretly bit her lip and didn't respond.

  "I want a name."

  Under Min An's gaze, it was hard for Fei Yi to lie: "Xiao Bao'er."

  "What did she say?"

  Min An hung his head in despair, like a drowning man, under the cold eyes of Fei Yi, and struggled to say: "Please don't go looking for trouble with her, she didn't mean it, just said two sentences casually."

  "Which two sentences?"

  "You are a member of the Chu Nan royal family, and your identity seems somewhat awkward, you don't like outsiders mentioning it."

  Fei Yi suddenly stood up, looking down at Min An: "You remember this debt." He turned around and walked out of the courtyard quickly, Min An panicked and hurriedly followed him.

  Fei Yi walked faster and faster, the hazy moonlight was thrown behind him, his shoulders seemed a bit stiff, and his back looked even more unapproachable. Min An had thought about Fei Yi's origins with all her heart, but she never expected that tonight, with just a light mention, she would touch on Fei Yi's sore spot, and even the good impression she had bought with food earlier was ruined. However, Min An turned her mind around and suddenly realized something unusual, because as the son of King Chu Nan, Crown Prince Li Peinan had officials to escort him whenever he went out, whereas Fei Yi was always silent and unnoticed wherever he went. Thinking back to what Fei Yi had said "Mother passed away, father doesn't love me, what kind of background could I have", Min An suddenly woke up tonight.

  Originally, Fei Yi was an unfavored second son of a noble family.

  Fei Yi walked straight into the house, and Min An hesitated for a moment before running to catch up with her and saying: "It was my fault, don't be angry anymore, okay?"

  "With eyes cast downward, unable to lift his head, Ming An said: 'From now on, things I don't say, you're not allowed to ask, got it?'"

  Min An nodded obediently, hearing Fei Yi's cold voice say "Let go", and hastily stepped aside, watching as Fei Yi walked towards the inner courtyard gate. The old doorman bowed to Fei Yi, who called out: "Summon Bi Si."

  After Biss left, Fei Yi stood still and pointed at Min An in the distance, saying: "Send him to guard Mao Thirteen as punishment." Biss thought it was a matter of losing face that had been properly resolved, and didn't care about Min An's pleading expression, and readily agreed.

  That night, Min An reluctantly walked into the recidivist's cell, sleeping on the top bunk of Mao Thirteen's bed. Mao Thirteen couldn't move his hands or feet, but he still cursed with his mouth for half the night. Later, when he was tired from cursing, he finally rested. Min An endured the mosquitoes biting, the rats scurrying around, and the poisonous curses piercing his brain, silently closing his eyes to meditate, during which he also had to wave his hand to shoo away the corn that kept jumping outside the window, telling it to go back to its own room to sleep.

  It was almost the third watch when Min An finally fell asleep. He had slept for half a night when the wooden door outside his room was knocked loudly: "Young master, get up quickly, Xiao Liu is dead!"

  Thank you for the landmine =3=

  Thank you, Auntie Rong's landmine = 3 =

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