Since Li Chengru wanted to stay there, Mahal had no choices but to give them the new yurts. Otherwise, they would have nowhere to sleep. Besides, Mahal asked a few young guys to help set up the yurts. Tarico was one of them.
Actually, Tarico never obeyed Mahal’s orders. He came here probably because he was curious about the identities of Ye Xiaoxian and her companions. Before that, he had only known they were more stubborn and more independent-minded than most refugees. So their acquaintance with a king really came as a surprise to him. But he just did his work quietly and sometimes sneaked a look at these people.
Li Chengru had brought a lot of food such as bacon, flour, noodles and some local snacks like cheese. These were not rare in big cities, but they were precious in a place which was short of resources.
There was also another reason for Li Chengru to stay. He wanted to taste the food made by Ye Xiaoxian. In Baoning city, some cooks could also make southern cuisine, but he felt something was missing in their dishes. For some unknown reason, he missed the simple food they had to satisfy their hunger during the escape.
Fengsheng said the food at that time was not as delicious as that in Li Chengru’s memory. When one felt the hungriest, any food presented in front of him would be the most precious. Li Chengru felt it made sense, but he still couldn’t forget that tempting smell. Now, he was finally in the tribe. Although he felt too embarrassed to say it, he knew Ye Xiaoxian would cook dinner that night.
While the young men were erecting the yurts, Li Chengru came up to Ye Xiaoxian. She was still making honeyed crisps which were enough to sell for two days.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Making crisps. Do you want to try some?” she said generously as she pointed at those that were ready in front of her. “Help yourself.”
He pinched a piece with his fingers and put it into his mouth. It tasted as good and crisp as its name implied.
Fengsheng is wrong. The food was not delicious because I was hungry. It was delicious because it was made by Ye Xiaoxian.
“It tastes good,” he praised.
As Fengsheng walked over, Li Chengru gave a crisp to him. As soon as Fengsheng chewed it, his eyes lit up in amazement.
Catching his master’s wink, Fengsheng said to Ye Xiaoxian immediately, “The food you make is always so delicious. Actually, my master came here mainly because he missed the dishes you cook.” Fengsheng said this bluntly before Li Chengru could stop him. Out of anger, Li Chengru kicked Fengsheng hard.
Fengsheng showed a pained expression, though he didn’t groan.
Ye Xiaoxian heard this and joked, “Really? Don’t you live in the palace? Isn’t the food there delicious?”
Li Chengru said stubbornly, “Each has its own characteristics.” He wouldn’t admit that the dishes she made were better than those in the palace.
She smiled. “What do you want to eat tonight?”
Li Chengru believed that she had an instinctive talent for cooking, or she couldn’t have made such tasty food in that harsh environment during the escape. With more ingredients now, she must be able to cook something even better. So he said, “Anything will be fine. As guests, we’ll eat whatever you make.”
“Okay,” she replied. “What about naan bread? Some flour has been fermented.”
“As long as they can fill my belly,” he said.
…
Since Mahal had returned the flour, Ye Xiaoxian said to the young men who helped with the yurts, “If you have time tonight, please stay and enjoy dinner with us.”
While the others were hesitating, Tarico replied immediately, “Okay. I stay.” After all, he lived alone and could finish his dinner anywhere.
Ye Xiaoxian began to make some naans. She added some minced bacon, brought by Li Chengru, into the flour, giving the naans an extra flavor. Since southern people didn’t like anything chewy, she tried to make the them softer. Then, she cut some dried fish into pieces and cooked a pot of vegetable soup with some home-made seasoning.
A meal for 30 people was ready. Most of the adults had dinner inside the yurts, while the children sat in a circle and ate on the grass. The local young men didn’t go into the yurts. They probably knew that, in other places, commoners couldn’t sit around the same table with those of higher status. Besides, Li Chengru’s entourage also had dinner outside with them.
Owing to the language barrier, Tarico couldn’t talk with them. After the food was served, he sipped the soup down and ate some naan bread. The naans tasted yummy and soft. The minced bacon on the surface enriched the flavor, giving him a feeling of satisfaction. It seemed that the naans were not only for survival but also for their taste buds.
While he enjoyed the dinner, he had a look at the yurt where Ye Xiaoxian was eating something quietly. Sometimes she chatted and sometimes she just smiled. He swallowed the last naan, wiped the oil on his trousers and said to his friends cheerfully, “Done. Let’s go!”
His friends, who also finished their meals, rose and followed him away.
…
Daunted by Li Chengru’s identity, the Xiaos and the Lius appeared nervous and unnatural when the dinner just began. Li Chengru also sensed this.
He chewed a naan as he said, “What’s wrong with you? Just treat me as you did before. Don’t think of me as a king. After all, I have neither tons of gold nor concubines. What kind of king am I? When I told you my identity, none of you believed me.”
Thinking of how they had ridiculed him at the city gate, all the people burst out laughing. The atmosphere was slightly lifted.
Squire Liu asked, “Mr. Li… Your Highness, what are you doing in Baoning city now?”
“I’m helping my brother with refugee resettlement. Basically, all the refugees have been sorted out. What I need to do now is to see whether the refugees have got the relief supplies, which is also the aim of this journey.”
Xiao Tieshu asked, “Well, does the government need more labor? You know, I… I used to be a constable.”
“I don’t suppose so. We’ve hired quite a few factotums, but we’ll dismiss them after a period.” Li Chengru paused for a second and continued, “It is not too promising being a constable. Your family needs you more now. When you really settle down here, I’ll find you a good job if there are any.”
