Scourge Messenger

Chapter 245 Shang Xinlei's Gourmet Time
Tranquil Little Town.

Originally, this was just a merchant camp surrounded by dense jungle. But as generations of people multiplied, cleared the mountains, cut down trees, and filled in the swamps, it has become a small town of nearly 200,000 people. There are merchants, barbers, opera troupes, chefs, craftsmen, and so on. At first, they just served the camp, but later they gradually prospered and developed more industries based on the camp.

Five butchers were waiting in the camp's kitchen, mostly dozing off in their chairs, scattered about. Suddenly, a maid forcefully pushed open the door. "Wake up! Get to work! The Fourth Miss needs you now!"

The butchers were immediately awakened. They quickly tied up the sheep that was sleeping on the straw, and with a single cut, they beheaded it and bled it out. Even after the blood was drained, the sheep's legs were still kicking wildly, showing how well it had been raised. Then they inserted two thick iron needles into the sheep's heels and used tools to continuously pump air into them. Soon the whole sheep was inflated. At this point, the butchers worked together, smoothly peeling off the sheepskin and then beginning to butcher and cut the meat.

The impatient maids immediately carried plates of fresh mutton to a courtyard in the camp. All the windows in the courtyard were open, making the room bright and airy, with white mist and steam rising from it.

As they pushed open the door, they heard the bubbling sound of boiling water. On the round pear wood table in the center of the room sat a strangely shaped stove with charcoal burning at the base. A pointed cone pierced through a large pot half-filled with water, and steam billowed from the top.

At this moment, Shang Xinlei was putting scallions, ginger, and dried shrimp into water. After the maid put down the freshly sliced ​​mutton, she asked, "Fourth Miss, would you like us to stay and serve you?"

"No need, you can all leave." Shang Xinlei then added, "Tell the kitchen to prepare some pickled plums; I'll need them tomorrow."

After the maid left, Shang Xinlei first put mutton tail fat into the pot, saying that this would help to "moisten" the pot—although she didn't know what "moisten" meant.

Then she started making the sauce. First, she poured a bowl of sesame paste, added a little boiled peppercorn and bay leaf water, a spoonful of sauce made from pounded chive blossoms, and a brick of fermented bean curd.

"First, mix them together..." Shang Xinlei recalled as she worked, "Then add a little soy sauce, a little sugar, and a little vinegar, and mix them together a second time... Finally, add a little shrimp oil and cilantro stems."

Shang Xinlei wiped the sweat from her forehead. Making the sauce wasn't tiring; she was just feeling the heat from the stove. She picked up two slices of mutton. The butchers had cut them perfectly—not so thin they'd break easily, nor so thick that candlelight couldn't penetrate the texture. After a couple of rinsings in water, they completely changed color. Shang Xinlei dipped them in the sauce, coated them in the sauce, and popped them into her mouth.

"Hmm~~~~"

Shang Xinlei couldn't help but stomp her foot and lick the sauce off her lips. She quickly put the whole plate of mutton into the sauce, and once it changed color, she scooped it out and put it in a bowl. In no time, she had five plates of mutton, which were so delicious that she couldn't stop eating. She didn't particularly like the taste of the mutton tail fat, but the texture was still good.

Although the messenger has a strong digestive system, eating so much in a short time still makes her feel full. Shang Xinlei touched her stomach and felt it was bulging. Her face turned slightly red, and she thought to herself that she couldn't eat so fast in the future.

Born into a prominent family in the Liang Kingdom, Shang Xinlei didn't indulge in the pleasures of life like her peers. However, she did have her own hobbies, namely, a love of good food. One of the reasons she initially became a messenger was that messengers had an increased appetite, and no matter how much they ate, it was difficult to affect their figure, which was incredibly appealing to a young girl with a small appetite who cared about her appearance.

After eating a lot, one will naturally become interested in cooking. Shang Xinlei had wanted to cook for herself for a long time, but she felt that it was not interesting to just eat by herself, and she was also afraid that she would not cook well and would embarrass herself... until she met Yan Qing.

It's not that Yan Qing is that important, but Yan Qing is the first friend Shang Xinlei felt he wouldn't mind even feeding him excrement. Unexpectedly, Yan Qing is also very picky about food and knows a lot of strange dishes; this hot pot with mutton was his idea.

He described it vividly, making Shang Xinlei's mouth water. So she spent several days collecting ingredients. Lamb was the simplest ingredient, as it was produced in the Tranquil Abode Secret Realm. However, sesame paste, chive blossom sauce, sesame oil, and cilantro were not available locally, so she had to send someone to buy them. Moreover, the hot pot also had to be specially made.

Having gone to so much trouble, Shang Xinlei didn't intend to keep it all to herself; she planned to give Yan Qing a surprise tonight. She even had the butcher wait in the kitchen before the mission, because Yan Qing had said that freshly cut mutton was the most delicious. She had really prepared everything, just waiting to celebrate with Yan Qing after the mission was over.

Now?

Ah, go eat your pastries!
Because cutting mutton takes time, Shang Xinlei was worried he would get hungry, so she prepared a box of pastries for him to fill his stomach... This is now his only midnight snack!

Shang Xinlei picked up a fried gluten puff and put it into the boiling water, imagining Yan Qing eating pastries in a miserable state, since he had nowhere to buy a late-night snack. Suddenly remembering something, she quickly picked up the fried gluten puff. The puff had already softened a bit from soaking, but it was still delicious when coated with sauce, and the texture was very pleasant.

This time, Shang Xinlei only soaked the fried gluten for a few seconds before picking it up. Her eyes lit up immediately after taking a bite.

This time, the gluten is still crispy on the outside, but filled with cilantro and sauce. When you bite into it, all kinds of delicious flavors explode at the same time. It's a completely different taste from when it's soaked and softened!
good to eat!

Shang Xinlei subconsciously looked to her left, only to realize a second later that she wasn't in the Thieves' House. She snorted and began cooking the mutton as if seeking revenge, turning the clear water murky and scum floating on top.

It's delicious, I love it, and more importantly, there are people who don't get to eat it! It really is delicious...

Shang Xinlei pondered the matter, her face filled with conflict. Just then, a maid brought in mutton and asked, "Miss, the chefs said that all the best-tasting meat has been cut, and the rest is of slightly lower quality. Should we slaughter another sheep?"

"...No, no need to cut it. Let the servants have the rest of the meat as an extra meal."

So much has happened tonight, everyone is tired and sleepy. He's probably asleep now, there's no need to wake him up.

Shang Xinlei rummaged through the sauce in her bowl, and after eating half of it, it was already a mushy mess that couldn't even be clumped up with her chopsticks. No wonder he said not to add too much peppercorn and bay leaf water; it turns out it would make the sauce too thin when cooking the meat later.

It was really delicious. Next time... I'll have a meal with him when he stops making me angry.

Actually, Shang Xinlei wasn't that angry with Yan Qing. She knew this strange man too well. He spent all day holed up in his room, fiddling with something, like a monster from a myth, thriving in malice and darkness, yet suffering terribly when faced with sunshine and happiness. This mission had been fraught with so many twists and turns; he couldn't even take care of himself, so how could he possibly have any other thoughts on his mind?

What really angered her was the pharmacist's wish.

Looking back now, it's clear that the pharmacist's actions were foreshadowed from the very beginning. Her first act was to apologize, because she had previously called Shang Xinlei and Yan Qing "adulterers," and the apology was a way of refuting that claim!

Then they asked if Shang Xinlei and Yan Qing were a couple, and naturally everyone started laughing and joking about Yan Qing's dirty jokes.

So when the pharmacist suddenly hugged Yan Qing and asked Yan Qing to take half an hour out for special training, Shang Xinlei was dumbfounded. She had just severed ties with Yan Qing—in fact, they were just dining buddies—so she could only watch helplessly, without any right to interfere.

Actually, Shang Xinlei wasn't too bothered by this. After all, they had gone through so much turmoil on this mission, so a hug was perfectly reasonable! Yao Shiyuan offered to teach them out of good intentions. Even though she hadn't witnessed Yao Shiyuan's combat skills, Shang Xinlei knew from the few words the white fox and the yellow dog were that she was indeed the number one expert in the Thieves' Clan. Training with her would be beneficial and harmless. The reason Yan Qing wanted to drag Shang Xinlei into the training was simply because he was too eager to improve.

But before leaving, the pharmacist said something incomprehensible, about an organization, a leader, and secrets. Shang Xinlei couldn't understand it at all, but the two of them understood it perfectly.

I was here first, so how come I'm now an outsider?

What Shang Xinlei found most unbearable was Yaoshi Yuan's goodnight greeting, because she could clearly see a hint of smugness and relief in Yaoshi Yuan's eyes, as if they were competitors in a game, and Yaoshi Yuan thought she was in the lead and was not worried about her threat at all, which was why she showed such a look!
What's going on? It's not like I'd steal your man! Who would steal that bandaged weirdo?! The Zhou people have such terrible taste!

And its body shape is so despicable!
Shang Xinlei was indignant, but also felt a bit hungry. She cooked a ball of noodles, scooped it into a bowl of sauce, and ate it with gusto. She chewed on her chopsticks, watching the steam rising from the top of the hot pot, her mind filled with confusion.

That doesn't make sense. Why would Black Wolf be interested in him? He never does anything bad, never says a kind word, and acts like a curled-up hedgehog, pricking people everywhere. If I hadn't explained things to him three days ago, Black Wolf might have even thought Yellow Dog was just trying to stop her... Wait!?

Shang Xinlei was stunned.

Could the root of the problem be me?

No way, no way! It's definitely Black Wolf's judgment that's flawed. These days, the taste of the nobility is hard to predict. Besides, I'm only one percent responsible at most. The main problem lies with Yellow Dog's mindset!
Black Wolf is just a little bigger-breasted, a little bigger-butt, a little more skilled, a little higher-ranking, a little stronger, and has a little more merit. Why would you willingly hug her?! You lecherous scoundrel!

She's willing to risk everything for Bunny Girl... and she'll kick you away the moment the Rare Iron Trap goes off... and she even has a secret I don't know about...

A wave of bitterness welled up in Shang Xinlei's heart as she turned her head to look at the empty space to her left.

You enjoyed your hug just now, didn't you? You even had the mind to compare my size with hers, you perverted scoundrel, I'll strangle you with bandages next time.

But who are you thinking about right now?
(End of this chapter)