I won't be a prince's concubine; I'll cook delicious food and raise two villainous cu

As soon as Old Wu thought of the fragrant food from last night, his mouth watered instantly, and his stomach rumbled loudly.

The table was laden with dishes, each one flavorful and perfectly balanced, a truly perfect accompaniment to wine!

Every bite is a feast for the taste buds, truly a delicacy of the highest order!

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyun's expression froze abruptly. Her previously calm demeanor instantly became complex, as if concealing unspeakable difficulties.

Seeing his hesitant expression, Old Wu frowned and pressed him for an answer: "What? Are you still not happy?"

"Do you know that this one pill of mine is a priceless treasure! No matter how critical the illness, as long as there's still a breath left, it can pull a person back from the brink of death!"

"I specially got one for your sister. With this, she won't need to take any other medicine this time she's sick. She'll be back to her old self by tomorrow morning, all lively and energetic. And you're still not happy about it?"

"Ultimately, is it that you yourself are unwilling, or that the woman refuses to accept it?"

Old Wu became more and more excited as he spoke, his chest heaving violently, his voice rising several decibels, and he was so excited that he almost jumped up from his chair.

Li Xiaoyun slowly raised her head, looked at the furious old man Wu, her face full of difficulty, and explained in a low voice, "Old man Wu, please calm down. It's not that I'm unwilling, nor that Miss Shen is ungrateful, it's just that... she has already left."

Upon hearing this, Old Wu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Leave? What does that mean? Could it be that the young lady is homesick and has gone back to her own place?"

Li Xiaoyun lowered her eyes, her voice heavy: "It wasn't her own choice to leave; I was the one who sent her away. Now, I have no idea where she is."

Upon hearing this, Old Wu jumped up from his chair in anger, pointed his finger at Li Xiaoyun's nose, and launched into a tirade: "Li Dalang! Look at the mess you've made! I've lived this long, and I've finally found a cook with exceptional cooking skills and a temperament that I get along with perfectly, and you just chased her away like that!"

"You utterly foolish fellow! A girl as intelligent, quick-witted, and caring as her younger siblings is hard to find even with a lantern. Where will you find another like her in the future?"

"I don't think you'll ever meet someone this good again in your life!"

"You deserve to marry a shrewish and domineering woman! You'll have your share of tears when she mistreats your younger siblings every day!"

"Otherwise, you might as well stay a bachelor your whole life, like this old man, all alone, with no one to even bring you tea or water, or care for you when you're old!"

"You...you're driving me crazy!!"

"If I had known you would do something so stupid, I should have kept her by my side and adopted her as my goddaughter or god-granddaughter. How wonderful that would have been!"

Old Wu cursed until his mouth was dry and his throat was practically steaming.

He paced back and forth in the room in a huff, and after several laps, he finally sat back down in his chair, picked up the teacup on the table and gulped down a few mouthfuls. After catching his breath, he continued to berate Li Xiaoyun.

Li Xiaoyun sat there like a wooden stake, remaining silent no matter how much Old Man Wu cursed him. He neither offered a word in defense nor argued with Old Man Wu in the slightest. Only endless silence lingered between the two of them...

Gradually, Old Wu's anger subsided, and he ran out of energy to continue cursing.

Most importantly, seeing Li Xiaoyun's unyielding attitude, he felt that all his anger was like hitting cotton, which was really boring and meaningless.

Old Wu waved his hand impatiently at Li Xiaoyun and said irritably, "You'd better leave now! But speaking of which, since I gave your sister that life-saving pill, you can't shortchange me a single penny of the reward."

"This elixir is a rare item worth a thousand gold pieces. Considering our past friendship, I'll give you a discounted price; a thousand taels of silver will suffice."

"If you can't come up with that much silver, fine—then compensate me with a cook whose skills are even better than that Shen maid's!"

"Get out of here! Just looking at you annoys me!"

Li Xiaoyun silently carried the still unconscious Ya'er on his back, only to be pushed out the door by the still furious Old Man Wu.

The night was as dark as ink, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Only the bright moon shone in the sky, and the stars were sparsely scattered across the night. The cool moonlight shone on the winding path.

Li Xiaoyun carried Ya'er on his back, walking heavily along the country road leading from Fangjia Village to Qingshan. The surroundings were quiet, and only the soft sound of their footsteps could be heard.

Just then, he suddenly heard Ya'er on his back murmur softly, "Sister..."

Li Xiaoyun stopped abruptly, turned around quickly, and whispered, "Ya'er? Are you awake?"

"Sister...don't go...don't...don't leave me...come back...sister..."

Ya'er's voice, thick with sobs, entered Li Xiaoyun's ears, indistinct yet incredibly clear.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyun felt as if she had been struck by lightning, instantly freezing in place, her breath seemingly stopping.

A cold night wind howled past, stirring up fallen leaves on the ground. Ya'er, who was on his back, shivered as the cold wind blew through her.

Li Xiaoyun suddenly came to her senses, quickly wrapped Ya'er tightly on her back, quickened her pace, and hurried towards home.

"Don't be afraid, Ya'er. Big brother will take you home soon. We'll be home in no time."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Wen Erya, who had been asleep for a long time, finally slowly opened her eyes, her gaze still somewhat dazed.

Li Erlang was holding a book, sitting quietly by the bedside watching over her. Seeing her open her eyes, he immediately stood up joyfully and ran quickly outside, shouting as he ran, "Big brother! Ya'er is awake! Ya'er has finally woken up!"

Not long after, Li Xiaoyun came in carrying a bowl of steaming hot porridge.

The porridge was thicker and creamier than usual, and it was clear that he had put a lot of thought and effort into it.

Ke Ya'er merely glanced at the bowl of porridge before turning her head away, showing no desire to eat whatsoever.

Seeing this, Li Erlang quickly stepped forward and gently coaxed, "Ya'er, your favorite candied hawthorn is still in the kitchen. Do you want some? If you want some, your second brother will go and get it for you right away."

Upon hearing the words "candied hawthorn," Ya'er slowly turned her head, her large, watery eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at Li Erlang.

Upon seeing this, Li Erlang immediately turned around and ran out quickly. A short while later, he returned with the candied hawthorn skewer he hadn't had time to eat yet.