Song Chuzhao led a group of girls to build a fire and cook.
Everyone surrounded her, Song Chuzhao turned her head and looked back, feeling like some kind of leading chicken…
This time, Tang Zhanglian brought a whole team of Imperial Insignia Guards, but only brought a few cooks, who couldn’t handle the food for so many people. Being able to eat the delicacies made by the imperial kitchen with Tang Zhanglian was also part of the hunting reward. As for the rest… they would have to work hard themselves.
How could a general on the road not know how to cook? They would starve themselves to death.
Song Chuzhao rolled up her sleeves and carefully taught them how to dig pits and build stoves, how to stack firewood, and how to ignite a fire.
Then she picked up the meat next to her and chopped it up with a cleaver.
Her way of holding the knife was different from that of ordinary cooks, with a kind of casualness and wantonness, and a hint of killing intent. Perhaps because her knife was not originally meant for cooking.
The flickering light and shadow, along with the neat and decisive technique, stunned the young girls.
“Third Girl Song! Your knife skills are too good!”
Song Chuzhao said without looking up, “It’s okay.”
Tang Zhirou said loudly, “Third Girl is someone who has been in the military camp! She can jump higher than anyone.”
The girls exclaimed in amazement, and then asked, “Can you ride and shoot, Third Girl?”
Tang Zhirou answered quickly, “Of course she can! Third Girl’s martial arts skills are not just talk!”
The girls glanced at the men across from them and casually said, “I wonder how Third Girl compares to them.”
Before Song Chuzhao could answer, another person sighed and said, “Even if she can compare, what’s the point? Third Girl can’t really compare to them. People love to drown women in their saliva, so you can only stay in the house.”
Tang Zhirou turned her head and said, “Can you stop saying depressing things here? It’s annoying to listen to.”
The few of them shut up in embarrassment.
Song Chuzhao: “…” It was clearly me who was asked, but I didn’t have a chance to speak.
Song Chuzhao piled the chopped meat onto a plate and then filleted the fish they had mentioned earlier.
There were even pots here, why eat grilled fish? Wouldn’t it be better to stew some soup?
After dealing with all this, Song Chuzhao directed a few of them to fetch water and wash vegetables, wanting them to have something to do and not just stand there. She then boiled some hot water and warmed her hands with a bowl, leaning against Tang Zhirou.
The few young masters who were idle over there saw them getting busy and took the initiative to move the firewood and bowls for them. After putting down the things, they politely walked away.
Song Chuzhao sat silently in the corner, once again feeling a subtle spring breeze1 from that brief interaction. When they had free time and sat down to rest, they immediately started talking about the previous topic.
“What do you think of that young master just now?”
“Are you talking about Young Master He? Don’t even think about it, he’s getting married next month.”
“What about Young Master Ji? Fifth Son Gu can chat with him, which means he must be a decent person, right?”
“He’s not bad, but his family has already chosen a wife for him.”
“Sigh. How come it’s so unlucky?“carpreads.pages.dev
“Then what do you think of Second Young Master Fan? He’s brave and good at fighting, and his family is prominent. He’s also polite to other girls.”
“Second Young Master Fan’s appearance, character, and family background are naturally impeccable, but my father inquired about the Fan family’s opinion, and Minister Fan said that Second Young Master has his heart set on the military, and it’s not yet known whether he will be transferred out of the capital in the future. If he really goes to the frontier, wouldn’t you have to endure the loneliness at home and serve the elders alone?”
When it came to being separated, they were a little afraid.
A young lady turned to ask Song Chuzhao, “Third Girl, is life on the frontier difficult?”
Song Chuzhao said, “It depends on what you seek. I grew up on the frontier and find it more comfortable. If you were to go there, I’m afraid you wouldn’t be accustomed to it. Even the food habits are different.”
Several people sighed, “So, about Second Young Master Fan, you should reconsider.”
Song Chuzhao turned her head and whispered in Tang Zhirou’s ear, “Did they come here just to see these young masters?”
Tang Zhirou nodded and said, “Mostly. When a woman reaches the age of marriage, she naturally needs to marry. If she can find a man she likes who is also a good match, then that’s the best. Opportunities like the hunting grounds and the literary banquets allow you to gauge a person’s character and see if you truly connect, which are rare opportunities. Tonight, when they return from hunting and everyone gathers for the victory celebration, there will be a chance to chat.”
Song Chuzhao asked, “Are you worried about getting married?”
Tang Zhirou said sadly, “I wasn’t worried before.” Didn’t you snatch a man away?
Tang Zhirou looked at her with envy and said, “You don’t have that kind of worry. Where else in the world could you find another Fifth Son Gu? You two are so lucky to have found each other and to be in love. Others would beg for such a thing.”
Song Chuzhao thought, she and Gu Fengjian… truly had a lot of fate.
You can beg for it, but you can’t get it. Easy my ass.
Not far from them, Gu Fengjian and Ji Yutang had already returned from their stroll and had built a fire nearby. They were warming wine over the fire and chatting with raised cups.
Ji Yutang happened to see Song Chuzhao directing everyone to cook and make soup as he returned. The fragrant fish soup wafted through the air, making everyone’s mouths water.
He smiled and said, “Third Girl Song is truly virtuous, she can do everything.”
Gu Fengjian gave him a bland glance.
This “virtuous” Third Girl was the one who had scolded him until he was blue in the face.
Ji Yutang didn’t understand his meaning and continued, “I always thought Third Girl had a rough personality, I didn’t expect her to be willing to cook for you.”
Another person laughed and said, “When I first met Third Girl at the literary banquet, I thought she was a quiet and gentle person. Her calligraphy, though strong, is clean and pure. To have such skill, her character and learning must be excellent. Although she lives on the frontier, she must have never slacked off in her studies.”
“That’s right. Her strength in calligraphy couldn’t have been achieved overnight. But if she spent all day studying, where would she have time to learn martial arts? I think those who say these things are simply prejudiced and deliberately trying to smear Third Girl.”
“What?” Gu Fengjian raised an eyebrow and said, “Is learning martial arts bad?”
Ji Yutang said, “It’s not good or bad, it’s just that people generally think that women who learn martial arts will appear a bit rough, so they make up these lies about Third Girl. Besides, even if they learn martial arts, they can’t beat men.”
As soon as they finished speaking, they saw Song Chuzhao stand up, blowing warm air into her palms.
Ji Yutang and the others hadn’t noticed at first, but Gu Fengjian was the first to look over, and everyone else stopped talking and turned their heads.
They saw Song Chuzhao walk alone to the pile of firewood, pick up a bundle of firewood that was almost as tall as a person, and easily carry it back.
When she reached the fire, she bent down, pulled out a piece of firewood, stepped on one end, and with a single hand, broke it in two, casually throwing it into the fire.
Ji Yutang and the others: “…”
That break seemed to have broken their bones.
Gu Fengjian laughed and said, “I actually like that she’s different, you don’t need to defend her.”
Gu Fengjian’s words plunged Ji Yutang and the others into a battle between heaven and man.
Blind admiration made them want to agree with Fifth Son Gu, but the ideas they had held for years didn’t allow it. They felt conflicted.
Fortunately, not long after, Fan Chongqing, that idiot, returned. He forcefully joined their group and showed them his achievements from the afternoon.
Fan Chongqing’s luck seemed to be truly good. He and a group of his brothers had hunted a deer together. It was worth noting that the Imperial Insignia Guards had only released one deer for the hunt.
As night fell, the other young men returned one after another. They piled their prey to the side, waiting for the banquet to begin.
Bonfires were lit around the clearing, and the night wind picked up.
The stars stretched across the sky, their silver light showering the earth.
The Imperial Insignia Guards carried tables from their tents and set them up on both sides of the clearing. Once they had finished setting up, Fu Changjun appeared, following behind Tang Zhanglian.
Fu Changjun listened to his subordinates’ report on the hunting situation and praised the few warriors. He invited them to sit at the nearby platform and gave each of them a flask of wine. The official rewards would be delivered to their mansions upon their return to the capital.
The crowd raised their voices in celebration, drank some wine, and began to beat drums and sing. The scene was a chaotic mess.
The young ladies dispersed, going to the wooden table in the middle to eat the freshly roasted mutton. A group of unmarried young men gathered around, taking the opportunity to chat with others.
Gu Fengjian pushed through the crowd and walked to Song Chuzhao’s side. He stood with his hands behind his back, scanning the field with Song Chuzhao’s gaze, and said with a smile, “Isn’t this fun?”
Song Chuzhao said, “It’s alright, it’s a way to pass the time. The meat here is really delicious. It would be better if the weather were warmer.”
Such a lively scene with so many people reminded her of the border. Just watching it was better than being cooped up at home.
Gu Fengjian leaned close to her ear and said, “They were talking about you today…”
Song Chuzhao could only hear the wild shouts of Fan Chongqing and the others. She furrowed her brow and said loudly, “What did you say? I can’t hear you?”
Gu Fengjian leaned closer to her, whispering a few words. However, his voice was soft, and Song Chuzhao could only make out a few scattered words.
“I can’t hear you!” Song Chuzhao said. “What did they say? Were they saying bad things about me? Who?”
Tang Zhirou couldn’t stand it anymore. She found their constant whispering annoying. It was just a few words, why couldn’t they just say it already? They were dragging it out for no reason.
She thought Fifth Son Gu was being deliberately malicious, teasing Third Girl Song.
So Tang Zhirou pushed Song Chuzhao, urging them to get to the point.
Song Chuzhao was caught off guard and swayed, instinctively reaching out to support herself on Gu Fengjian’s chest. She felt a cool touch brush against her cheek.
Gu Fengjian grasped her wrist, pulled back slightly, and quickly released her.
The two of them locked eyes.
Song Chuzhao realized something and her heart skipped a beat. Her expression faltered. She felt a rush of heat surge to her brain. The flickering firelight couldn’t illuminate her face, concealing her embarrassment.
Gu Fengjian, on the other hand, remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
Song Chuzhao glanced nervously to the side, relieved to see that everyone was happily chatting and hadn’t noticed the scene just now.
Tang Zhirou’s expression was still resentful, but Song Chuzhao ignored her.
Song Chuzhao covered her face and asked, “What did you say just now?”
Gu Fengjian said, “I said, they were saying that even though you study martial arts, you can’t beat a man.”
Song Chuzhao immediately forgot about the previous incident and stomped her foot in anger. “They’ve never been beaten by me, how do they know I can’t beat them?” They were talking about her behind her back, those shameless scoundrels!
Gu Fengjian laughed and said, “That’s right.”
Song Chuzhao angrily rolled up her sleeves. “Who is it? If you have the guts, come and fight me! I was giving them face today by not arguing with them, but they took advantage of it to slander me!”
Tang Zhirou pulled her back.
Did Third Girl Song not care about her image at all?
Gu Fengjian said nonchalantly, “If you have the chance tomorrow, you can compete with them.”
Author’s Note:
The animals mentioned in the story are not wild game, but domesticated animals that were released beforehand for the purpose of entertainment.
Rejecting wild game is a civic responsibility for the harmonious development of human society. [Salute]
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TN: thoughts of love ↩︎