Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Pei Yuan frowned slightly; this had become his subconscious reaction to the mention of food.

"Your Excellency, I am Wu Zhuang, and I have brought you snail rice noodles today. These snail rice noodles are incredibly fragrant, the broth is fresh and rich, the rice noodles are soft and chewy, and there are also delicious pig's feet inside. Even the gods would praise them!"

Wu Yin stepped forward and, in the usual Wu Zhuang manner, began to describe the deliciousness of the snail rice noodles.

She had never eaten snail rice noodles, but she had seen them and heard Wu Zhuang talk about them.

Moreover, her imitation of Wu Zhuang was incredibly lifelike, capturing every nuance perfectly.

The servant looked grim and kept giving Wu Yin meaningful glances, realizing that all his previous words had been wasted.

Upon closer inspection, sure enough, the Grand Secretary's brows were even more furrowed.

"grown ups......"

"Give it to me." His voice held a hint of anger.

Wu Yin took the food box and went straight to Pei Yuan. As she opened the lid, she said:

"You don't know, this snail rice noodle soup is so delicious! You'll definitely want a second bowl after you finish one. If you enjoy your meal, please remember me, Wuzhuang. If you could just move your finger and move me to the oilier part, that would be even better..."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan was stunned for a moment.

He knew, of course, that the people who brought him food had ulterior motives.

But Wu Zhuang revealed his true intentions so readily.

Is that correct?

He couldn't help but take a closer look at the "Wu Village" in front of him.

He was tall and dignified, dressed like a scholar, with calm yet sharp eyes that carried a touch of intellectual charm.

But his obsequious and vulgar demeanor made people uncomfortable.

What does it taste like?

"Why does it smell so bad? Why does this snail rice noodle smell bad?" Wu Yin seemed completely unaware, at a loss, her eyes wide open.

"It stinks! My lord, it's my fault for neglecting my duty to let such a foul-smelling thing into the manor. I'll take this food box out and throw it away right away!"

The servants were terrified by the smell. They couldn't understand how the delicious food they had promised had gone bad.

Bringing spoiled food to the Pei residence, is this guy surnamed Wu looking for death?

Just as the servants were about to rush forward, they saw "Lord Wu" suddenly kneel down:

"Your Excellency, I didn't mean it. Please spare my life. This is my brother. He gave me this food box. He's desperate to skim some money."

"It was Wu Zhuang who forced me to write poems and essays for him, and it was also Wu Zhuang who forced me to take the imperial examinations for him. I was truly powerless to do so. I beg Your Excellency to investigate thoroughly..."

A woman's delicate voice rang out, as melodious as a nightingale's song.

Wu Yin's body trembled slightly.

This snail rice noodle soup is so sour and smelly; it's sure to enrage the Prime Minister.

She will most likely die in the Pei residence today.

This isn't fair! She wasn't reconciled either.

Why should Wu Zhuang be able to step on her to achieve academic success and gain all the limelight? Why should she be forced to come to the Pei residence to die with just a word from Wu Zhuang?

If we're going to die, we'll die together.

Cheating in the imperial examinations was a serious crime, punishable by death, and the family members would be exiled even if they did not die.

If she's not having a good time, they shouldn't expect to either!

Of course, if the Grand Secretary had even a shred of compassion, perhaps she could have faced death with a sense of purpose.

Wu Yin's palms were sweating with nervousness. She didn't dare to look up at Pei Yuan's reaction and could only silently wait for her fate to be decided.

"Sir! It stinks! It stinks!!"

Suddenly, the servant cried out in alarm. He had no time to be shocked by what Wu Yin had said. Now, their chief minister was raising his chopsticks to a bowl of stinky stuff.

What a stinky thing!

Damn!

Pei Yuan frowned, his eyes filled with confusion and doubt.

The smell was so unique that it made him unconsciously start to salivate.

He didn't think it smelled bad; he thought it smelled wonderful, a sweet and sour fragrance that was very intoxicating.

For the first time in so many years, he felt an urge to eat heartily.

want to eat!

His hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly as he picked up a large mouthful of rice noodles.

"My lord! This stinks! It's poisonous! It must have been poisoned by a villain! I'll throw it out of the mansion right away!" The servant rushed to the stone table and grabbed the large porcelain bowl with both hands.

"Put it down." Pei Yuan's tone was full of restraint.

"Sir, it's poisonous! What if something happens to you...?"

"I'm telling you to put it down."

The servants wanted to stop it, but dared not.

So he ran off in a flash, shouting as he ran, "Sir, please wait a moment before you start eating! I'll go and fetch the imperial physician!"

Pei Yuan couldn't wait any longer.

He picked up a mouthful of rice noodles and put it directly into his mouth.

The moment the rice noodles entered his mouth, his pupils dilated slightly.

The spiciness explodes first, hitting the tongue directly, followed by the fermented sourness of the pickled bamboo shoots squeezing in through the gaps in the spiciness, forcibly awakening all the taste buds.

Pei Yuan chewed slowly, savoring each bite; he hadn't felt this way about food in a long time.

For many years, he forced himself to eat, his mind only focused on whether he should eat and how much he should eat.

Just now, his mind was blank; the taste on his tongue was so intense and powerful that he couldn't think of anything else.

He reached for his chopsticks again.

This time, they aimed at the slightly trembling tiger-skin pig's trotter.

It's incredibly tender and soft to the touch; the tendons and collagen dissolve under the gentle pressure of your teeth, releasing the freshness of the snails, mixed with the spiciness of chili peppers and the crispness of sour bamboo shoots.

Next comes the soft-boiled egg. When you poke it with chopsticks, the golden-red, semi-liquid yolk slowly flows into the bowl and blends with the hot and sour soup base.

When you put the egg yolk into your mouth along with the rice noodles, the aroma of the egg adds layers of flavor, making your mouth water even more.

And so, one chopstick after another, Pei Yuan simply couldn't stop eating.

The water spinach was crunchy, the peanuts were crispy, and the dried bean curd was soaked with broth.

"It smells so good!" he couldn't help but exclaim.

Wu Yin, kneeling beside her: ? ? ?

Is this anorexia?

Are you kidding me? This is what anorexia looks like?

How could Pei Yuan eat such smelly food with such relish?

If it weren't for his still elegant eating manners, she would have almost thought that Pei Yuan was a reincarnated starving ghost.

What should she do now?

Wu Yin was completely dumbfounded. What happened to the furious rage she had imagined? The execution of the entire family? The exile?

I should have waited and not confessed so quickly.

"My lord, my lord! The imperial physician is here. Please don't eat!" the servant panted.

"Oh dear, it's all gone, even the soup is finished! My goodness! Physician, please take a look at the master!"

The servants were almost frantic with worry. What if his master died young? Who would pay his monthly salary?

Pei Yuan remained calm and pushed the bowl forward, saying, "It's alright. This snail rice noodle soup is truly delicious and makes my mouth water. I want to have another bowl after finishing one."

The servant's eyes widened: This... is the master serious?

"You may leave now and take this food box away."

The servants dared not say much. Seeing that Pei Yuan was indeed not in any abnormality, they took the food box and left with the family doctor.

The doctor from the prefectural hospital made a wasted trip.

Pei Yuan slowly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief before looking at Wu Yin kneeling beside him.

"you......"

"What did you just say? I didn't notice."