knife

Chapter 383 Invitation

Li Dachui is becoming increasingly interested in Jiang Ping.

After removing his beard and revealing his true appearance, Li Dachui, while not exactly handsome, still had a decent appearance.

Of course, some minor adjustments are still necessary, but these are movements of muscles and bones, and it's practically impossible to discern any clues from them.

Li Dachui is a master of disguise.

Now, the imposing aura and authority he once possessed from long holding a high position have vanished, replaced by a strong sense of world-weariness from his wandering life.

Therefore, Han Zheng was quite nervous.

Even he himself found Li Dachui's scent quite attractive.

If it works this way on men, then its destructive power on young girls is self-evident.

So, along the way, whenever Jiang Ping appeared next to Li Dachui, Han Zheng would inevitably appear in the next moment as well.

The precision with which they managed the timing was astounding.

Of course, Li Dachui soon discovered this guy's little secret.

Young Master Han actually bribed several sailors on the ship, so that as soon as Jiang Ping came looking for him, he would immediately receive the information and arrive in time.

Han Zheng's little worries were nothing; in fact, Li Dachui quite enjoyed chatting with him.

After all, he was the eldest son of a high-ranking official in Southern Chu. Han Tan, the governor of Ruyin County, naturally valued his eldest son. Therefore, even if Han Zheng was not completely clear about the core secrets of Southern Chu, he could still know the general idea. When talking to him, Li Dachui could easily arouse the guy's desire to show off and get him to reveal what Li Dachui wanted to know.

But then something interesting happened.

Whenever Han Zheng is about to reveal something quite important, the innocent and carefree Jiang Jiang will jump out at just the right moment, whether she's making jokes or being rude and disruptive, she always manages to keep Han Zheng from saying what he wants to say.

One or two times can be seen as unintentional mistakes, but after a while, even Han Zheng himself realized that something was wrong, and when these topics came up again, he clenched his teeth tightly.

He was just too well protected by his father and hadn't experienced the dangers of the world; he wasn't really stupid.

In front of Li Dachui, Han Zheng was like a transparent bottle, and everything inside was clearly visible.

However, Jiang Jiang, who was originally an innocent little rabbit, is now becoming increasingly difficult for Li Dachui to understand.

Is she the little tyrant of Danyang, a mischievous witch, or a cunning woman who pretends to be weak while actually being strong?
interesting!
Li Dachui suddenly felt that this journey was bound to be very exciting.

Another new day.

After several days of gloom, the heavens finally showed mercy, parting the layers of dark clouds to reveal the azure sky beneath. Fluffy white clouds drifted in the wind, and a bright sun slowly rose from the east, warmly comforting everyone.

With such beautiful weather, it's only natural to gather at the bow of the boat and enjoy the scenery.

There were noticeably more boats on the river; not only cargo ships and small fishing boats, but even painted boats were spotted.

Unlike the other boats, Li Dachui and his crew set up a stove on board, with Li Dachui personally grilling food for everyone.

The cargo ship was well stocked with food and spices, and even some spices that were not commonly found elsewhere could be found here, which surprised Li Dachui.

Of course, having spices is only the first step. How to prepare these spices and how to combine them is his little secret. After fiddling around in the kitchen for a while, he came out with a few oil paper wrappers.

While Li Dachui was fiddling with the seasonings, Young Master Han was not idle either. He sat on the gunwale of the boat fishing. His fishing skills were not bad. Before long, there were already several fish weighing about a pound in the bucket next to him.

It wasn't that they didn't catch any big ones, but Li Dachui told him that they only wanted ones around one pound; those that were too big or too small weren't tasty.

Jiang Ping, of course, did nothing. She rested her chin on her hand and watched Han Zheng fish. This showed how much more enthusiastic the young master Han was.

Jiang Shiyuan sat in a chair, a small hand warmer in his lap, a small teapot in his hand, basking in the sun with his eyes half-closed.

Li Dachui didn't quite understand the old man's hobby. Even if someone with a Xuan Yuan Ninth Rank martial arts cultivation level couldn't be as immune to heat and cold as someone with an Innate Rank, they shouldn't be so afraid of the cold!
Who are you trying to impress?
For those who don't know you, you're like lighting a lamp for the blind.

Those who know you will only laugh at you for being pretentious and putting on airs.

But perhaps this is just his habit!
When doing business, you always have to give people the impression of being weak on the surface.

Xiao Le is also on this board.

But when they turn their backs, these people sharpen their knives and start cutting people—it's absolutely brutal.

Very fierce.

When Li Dachui started grilling, Jiang Ping lost interest in Han Zheng's fishing and turned to watch Li Dachui skillfully prepare fresh fish, various meats, and vegetables. With Jiang Ping no longer watching the fishing, Han Zheng also stopped catching fish, mainly because he couldn't concentrate and kept getting distracted. Several times, the fish took the bait but then swam away.

Han Zheng simply stopped fishing and sat down next to Jiang Ping to watch Li Dachui grill food.

Barbecue wasn't anything new, but when the aroma wafted from the bow of the boat, not only did the two boys in front of them involuntarily swallow, but even Jiang Shiyuan, who had been dozing off, sat up straight and looked over.

With a swift, sweeping motion, the main bone of a grilled fish was completely removed, while the fish on the plate still retained its shape. Garnished with some vegetables, a delicious and visually appealing barbecue dish was ready.

Li Dachui smiled and handed it to Jiang Ping.

Jiang Ping turned around and presented the bowl to Jiang Shiyuan with both hands, saying, "Grandpa, eat first!"

Jiang Shiyuan laughed, took the plate, took a deep sniff, but then handed it back to Jiang Ping: "Jiang Jiang, eat first!"

The grandfather and grandson put on a heartwarming show of filial piety in front of everyone.

However, neither Li Dachui nor Han Zheng took it seriously.

Here, Jiang Ping is undoubtedly the most distinguished person, so it's only natural that she eats first. Jiang Shiyuan dared to eat first, and while he's fine now, he might be dealt with by Jiang Ping later!

With lightning speed, the knife slices of various kinds of meat on the stove were cut into evenly sized pieces and arranged into various shapes. Just smelling and looking at them was enough to make one's mouth water, let alone eat them.

"Brother Li, you are truly skilled!" Han Zheng praised as he devoured the barbecue. "Not only is your martial arts prowess superb, but your culinary skills are also outstanding. Even if you don't understand martial arts, you could open a barbecue restaurant in Danyang and make a fortune just by using this skill!"

"Having been wandering around for so long, I often couldn't find a proper place to eat, so I started figuring out how to make something delicious and appealing to justify my hard work. Over time, I gradually figured out how to do it!" Li Dachui laughed. "Brother Han, you don't know, but in the beginning, what I made was really hard to swallow, and I often went hungry! But once you have a goal, you can keep aiming at it and keep moving forward. Eventually, you'll reach your initial goal. You might take some detours, suffer some setbacks, and encounter many difficulties, but if you grit your teeth, you'll get through it!"

Han Zheng said thoughtfully, "Brother Li makes a lot of sense. This isn't just about food; I think life is much the same!"

"Just a little insight, haha, Brother Han, don't overthink it!" Li Dachui laughed.

Han Zheng's thoughts were interrupted by Li Dachui's infectious laughter, so he stopped thinking about it and, seeing Jiang Ping enjoying her meal, pulled Li Dachui aside and whispered, "Sell me the toppings!"

Li Dachui said, "There are many people who know how to make ice blades, so I can sell them to you cheaply. But these spices are a closely guarded secret; nobody outside knows how to make them!"

"How much do you want?"

“When you’re wandering around, you have to spend money everywhere. Since Young Master Han wants it, how about five hundred taels?” Li Dachui asked tentatively.

Han Zheng turned to look at Jiang Ping again and said with a smile, "I'll give you a thousand taels, and I'll give you a silver note later."

"Okay, then I'll write down the recipe and preparation method for you tonight!"

The two looked at each other and smiled, both overjoyed.

Li Dachui figured he had nothing better to do, so he figured he might as well swindle some money, which would prove the saying "a thief never leaves empty-handed." Han Zheng thought that if he could get his hands on the recipe, he could bake the same delicious food to seduce Jiang Ping.

"Li Bao, you're good at martial arts, cooking, and have a good temper. You must be very popular with women. How many wives do you have at home?" Jiang Ping asked Li Dachui with a smile, her words slightly slurred as she chewed on some roasted meat.

"A true man should establish his career before starting a family!" Li Dachui declared righteously and sternly, "What's the point of talking about a wife if you're not even a ninth-rank official!"

Han Zheng, who was standing next to him, blushed.

Let alone the ninth rank, it seems he hasn't even reached the Profound Origin level yet; he's only at the Qi Control level!

"Establishing a career and starting a family, there is no order of precedence, it varies from person to person!" Jiang Shiyuan smoothed things over, to prevent Han Gongzi from being too embarrassed.

"Li Bao, once you arrive in Danyang and break through to the ninth rank, I'll introduce you to several young ladies from prominent families. You can choose whichever you like, okay? Settle down and build your career in Danyang. With your abilities, even becoming a great general won't be difficult!"

"That's great!" Li Dachui nodded repeatedly. "But we need to reach the ninth rank first."

"Brother Li Bao is ambitious. With this tenacity alone, I think it's only a matter of time before you reach the ninth rank!" Jiang Shiyuan praised.

"Thank you for your kind words, thank you for your kind words!" Li Dachui was overjoyed.

As the group was chatting and laughing, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the riverbank not far away. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a man in blue riding a horse, galloping along the riverbank, occasionally glancing into the river.

"May I ask if the person on board is Manager Jiang Shiyuan?" the man in blue shouted loudly, his voice full of energy, indicating that his martial arts cultivation was not low.

Jiang Shiyuan raised an eyebrow, stood up, and walked to the ship's side: "I am this old man, and who are you?"

"I am Liu Chuang from the Cao Bang (a military guild), and I have come on the orders of the guild leader to invite Manager Jiang to come ashore for a small gathering!"

"Chief He is here?" Jiang Shiyuan asked in astonishment.

(End of this chapter)