Chapter 27

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Chapter 27: The two spoke almost simultaneously, then faced each other, faces flushing red.

As Ma Datou had said earlier, the guards wouldn’t kindly let them use hot water to scald bamboo rats for fur removal. Fortunately, by carefully applying Du Yinsui’s fire-scorching and scraping method repeatedly, they managed.

Young and old worked together, soon cleaning nine whole rats mostly clean through scraping and plucking. The two pre-chopped ones Ma Datou had prepared were trickier than whole rats. But with some guards being unreasonable, it was best to handle messy work outside.

While preparing the last two rats for bamboo tube roasting, a light meaty aroma rose from the first nine roasting over fire. Qin Chongli sniffed lightly. Hungry for ten meatless days, his stomach rumbled. When the Li family mentioned catching "rats," he’d kept calm but inwardly recoiled—how had they sunk to eating rodents? Discovering bamboo rats helped, yet resistance lingered.

Now everything changed. That roasting scent meant real meat.

Inside Mountain Spirit Temple, the fragrance grew—not just near the cart, but also from the guards’ two larger fires where meat cooked faster. Three fires worked together, filling the temple with mouthwatering smoke.

Every family had fire today. The Kongs with their donkey cart set up an iron pot, while those with few bundles cooked simple meals.

The Wei family boiled mushrooms from Chu Xiulan. She’d quietly asked Wei Huiqing about eating bamboo rats, receiving repeated headshakes. As for Wei Yuting’s sarcastic remarks about sharing meat, Chu Xiulan followed Du Yinsui’s advice—ignoring him completely. Their debt was to Wei Huiqing, not him.

The Kongs, having bought most supplies at Sanqiao Post Station, now simmered noodles with dried meat and vegetables—their best meal in days.

Yet boiled food couldn’t compete with open-fire roasted meat’s bold aroma, especially when…

"Quit staring! Show some backbone!" Kong Fangqiu kicked his grandson. "We eat proper pork! They’re eating rats—why drool?"

He admitted the roasting meat smelled good. But after the Li family’s loud announcement about bamboo rats echoed through the temple, he found his family’s longing disgraceful.

Kong Guiming buried his face in his bowl, slurping gruel silently.

Favorites got privileges. Among nineteen Kongs, Kong Fangqiu prized his daughters and two youngest sons—seven-year-old legitimate heir and nine-year-old favored concubine-born.

While others stayed quiet, these two boys squabbled:

"Gross! Who wants to bite where he did? I’ll eat half first!"

"You bit already! My turn! If you eat half, I’ll get your slobber!"

"Just my slobber beats everyone’s!"

"We all shared it! Dad and First Madam bit it too!"

Their argument neared blows.

Kong Er took the meat—bitten by four sisters and Kong Da’s family—leaving a tiny piece. He scoffed, "Bratty freeloaders! If you hate it, I’ll eat it! Your slobber doesn’t scare me!"

The boys clutched their portions, silently squatting to share.

Kong Er nibbled the remnant, let his son bite once, then marched to his father’s concubines. Forcing the last morsel into his birth mother’s mouth, he clamped her jaw shut.

The aging woman glanced fearfully at Kong Fangqiu, but Kong Er’s iron grip made her swallow.

"Second Young Master…" she stammered when released.

"Quiet." Kong Er pointed at her gruel. "Eat while you can. Don’t claim me as son with your stupidity."

Kong Fangqiu fumed. He’d given them mixed-grain gruel with meat-boiled broth—wasn’t that enough? Concubines were bought goods! Why expect equal treatment? The concubine-born should take scraps quietly, but stubborn Kong Er stirred trouble—threatening donkey cart sabotage until even the first wife supported him!

And those two spoiled brats? Still squabbling over meat.

He couldn’t cut the meat—what could he do? The jerky was so tough, they had to bite off pieces to share. At least they had meat! Ten silver taels for a strip of it!

"Stop the noise! If you don’t want to eat spit, go get a knife!" Kong Fangqiu snapped angrily, venting his frustration not on his second son but on the others.

In the world, it wasn’t poverty itself that was most daunting, but the inequality it brought, especially during hard times. Unfortunately, Kong Fangqiu didn’t fully grasp this reality yet.

But Du Yinsui, who had lived through the doomsday, was different.

She didn’t care much about how they traveled with Jiang Wu or the Qin family; at least they were now a team. Since Du Yinsui had once accepted their flatbreads and hot water—even the moldy mung bean gruel—she naturally intended to share now that she had found food.

The cleaned bamboo rat pieces were finally thrown into bamboo tubes to stew over fire, while those being turned over the fire dripped oil.

With Du Yinsui there, none of that oil went to waste.

After catching the bamboo rat and rushing back, Chu Xiulan still followed Du Yinsui’s instructions: while gathering firewood, she collected three flat, wide, and thin stones like small boards and put them on the cart.

After returning, Chu Xiulan scrubbed the stones in an old rainwater pit. Now they were placed under three bamboo rats being turned over, catching the small amount of fragrant bamboo rat oil.

Rain began to fall again. Jiang Wu and Qin Chongli were each turning three bamboo rats over the fire. Chu Xiulan, who had also been turning three, quickly took the chance with the rain to rinse the Ground Cloud ears again; they had been washed several times in the water pit but weren’t fully clean. Meanwhile, Qin Haoyang rolled up his sleeves and took over his mother’s job, expertly turning the bamboo rats.

The little one wanted to follow her aunt to wash those dirty, slippery things, but Chu Xiulan refused, fearing she would forget to avoid the rain.

Upset, the little one pouted. Du Yinsui, with nothing better to do, was the first to notice the little one’s disappointment.

Haha, in such a miserable time, was she afraid of having nothing to do?

Soon, the little one was given an order and trotted off to collect the bird eggs handed out earlier that morning.

Already near the fire, the stones were nudged even closer. As the bamboo rat oil on the stones sizzled hotter, there was a crackle, and each egg was cracked open onto the stones, sizzling and popping.

When Chu Xiulan returned with the finally rinsed Ground Cloud ears, there were already poached eggs by the cart.

Besides those that were broken and thrown away, there were five whole bird eggs now turned into poached eggs. The little one served them in a freshly crafted bamboo cup to Du Yinsui, who had thought of the idea.

Du Yinsui tasted one first. It was cooked, fragrant, and really delicious! After eating, she took a small twig nearby that had roasted mushrooms earlier, skewered two poached eggs, and handed them to the little one, saying, "For your grandfather and your aunt."

The little one eagerly took them and trotted away to deliver them.

Du Yinsui didn’t bother with how the family shared among themselves; she turned to Jiang Wu instead.

Jiang Wu quickly averted his gaze from Du Yinsui’s eyes, pretending not to notice her looking at him.

"Are you coming now, or should I wait until you’re asleep tonight, and I…" Du Yinsui hadn’t finished before Jiang Wu appeared right in front of her.

"You eat it; you need nutrition," Jiang Wu said, as he tidied up the unroasted mushrooms from the wooden cart. "It’s time to put mushrooms in the bamboo tubes."

"You eat it; you need to stay alive," Du Yinsui rolled her eyes, imitating Jiang Wu’s tone. Then she beckoned with a finger, "Don’t you want to know what Li Xiaojuan said next?"

Jiang Wu thought: "…" Not interested at all! Sister Chu shouldn’t have been curious either, shouldn’t have asked why he suddenly said "recruiting trouble"! Why did his sharp hearing have to be used for this… he really didn’t want to know what Li Xiaojuan thought of him!

Admitting defeat, Jiang Wu ate the poached egg and fled quickly.

Du Yinsui felt great. Then she looked back at the little one—well, the sharing had turned into a frenzy, with the little one shoving poached eggs into their mouths using sticks… surely she hadn’t learned that from her, right?

Haha, surely not… right…

Of the five eggs, one was shared with Du Yinsui by the little one, and another was the little one’s share from finding the eggs.

After recalling the little one, Du Yinsui had popped the last poached egg into her mouth. "This egg roasted nicely. Your reward." She’d meant to teach the child about keeping promises—if shares were offered, they should be taken. Still, the little one deserved an egg after climbing that tree and tearing her pants.

Unexpectedly, her casual remark sparked the child’s imagination. Du Yinsui watched as the little one fished the egg from her mouth, tore it in half, and scurried to Qin Haoyang. With a tiny smack, she pressed half the egg into his mouth: "This egg roasted nicely. Your reward."

Word for word, her own line. The imitation was flawless. Truly terrifying. Du Yinsui sighed quietly, relieved others hadn’t noticed… Had they? Catching Jiang Wu’s gaze, she flushed with embarrassment.

Mushrooms had been tossed into bamboo tubes while the bamboo rats roasted over flames. Now perfectly cooked, each person received one—adults and children alike.

Before the apocalypse, Du Yinsui had only seen bamboo rats, never tasted one. Since the world changed, normal animals like this had vanished entirely. Her first bite now sent hot oil bursting from crispy skin, carrying a light bamboo fragrance that completely entranced her.

Her earlier claims about their taste? Pure fabrication to convince Ma Datou. Yet they truly matched those online descriptions—the meat even more tender than suckling pig. Real meat flavor! How many years since she’d tasted it? For the Qin family and Jiang Wu, it might be ten days. For her? Years!

Du Yinsui gnawed relentlessly, finishing half her bamboo rat before finally pausing for breath. Beside her, the little one nibbled hesitantly, soft face scrunched in discomfort.

"Not to your taste?" Du Yinsui leaned in.

The little one shook her head, loose pigtails brushing Du Yinsui’s cheek.

"Don’t like roasted? Try the braised later." Du Yinsui nodded toward bamboo tubes still by the fire.

Another head shake. Then, greasy lips pressed close as the child whispered, "Skin has little hairs."

Du Yinsui checked both bamboo rats. True—without hot-water scalding and plucking, stubble remained. But it didn’t ruin the crispy skin! *slurp*

"Want me to eat your skin?" The little one nodded vigorously. "Your loss—skin’s the best part." Du Yinsui swiftly stripped the skin from the child’s portion, then tore a large leg chunk from her own half and stuffed it into the little mouth. "Trade."

Seeing the child smile, Du Yinsui glanced at Qin Haoyang, quietly eating nearby. "How about you, young man? Want to trade skin for meat?"

Qin Haoyang snapped his head up, eyes brimming with gratitude. He scrambled to the cart and offered his bamboo rat respectfully.

"…" Du Yinsui peeled skin, puzzled. "If you dislike the skin, why not say so earlier?"

"Mom said catching these was hard work." Qin Haoyang blushed. "The fuzz… I can eat it if I really try."

"No need to force yourself. I’ll take it." She handed him leg meat. "Just enjoy the meat."

Crispy, fat-rich skin—precious lifesaving sustenance! These silly children. She happily crunched the chewy, greaseless crackling… then noticed another pair of eyes.

"You avoiding skin too?" Du Yinsui caught Jiang Wu’s furtive glance. "Give it here."

"I eat…" Jiang Wu chose differently, taking a huge bite to prove his point.

Du Yinsui said, "…" As long as you’re happy. Forcing yourself is your specialty anyway.

Food in prison was poor, and meals on the road were worse. With some meat finally available alongside roasted mushrooms, everyone finished their portions. Only the little one couldn’t finish half a leg, which Du Yinsui ate without hesitation.

"Three left. We’ll each take half," said Du Yinsui, pausing briefly. "But you can give me the skins. I’ll take less meat. The skins are greasy—you haven’t had oily food in ages. Too much at once might upset your stomach. Eat them if you dare, or save them. Roasted meat should keep till tomorrow. We’ll share the bamboo-tub stew soon. Still, I advise against saving."

"Why not?" Qin Chongli now watched the little Du girl through a lens of suspicion, certain she never spoke idly.

"Personal experience. Only what’s in your belly is truly yours. Stored things vanish easily," Du Yinsui sighed, casting a glance toward the guards. "No trouble now, but later? Hard to say."

A reasonable fear indeed.

The contentment brought by roasted bamboo rat evaporated, replaced by gloom.

Those plundered just once still clung to hope. Everyone except Du Yinsui—whose property had been confiscated twice—chose to save their half portion. Luckily, Ma Datou had made ten bamboo cups earlier, enough for storage.

The two bamboo rats stewed with mushrooms in bamboo tubes were shared immediately. Eaten with the evening’s black bread loaves, everyone but Du Yinsui felt full.

They owed this fullness to the little one sharing flour from the Sanqiao Post Station granny that morning.

That flour, carefully blended with sugar and salt, had seen Du Yinsui finish three small packets the night before. After giving some to the little one, the Qin family mixed one packet with morning hot water, sharing a sip with Jiang Wu. The last two packets were sprinkled into the mushroom-braised bamboo rat, transforming the dish. Even the black bread loaves used to sop up the sauce tasted better.

As for the hard-to-clean Ground Cloud ears, stir-fried in leftover bamboo rat fat on the bird-egg-frying stones with a pinch of that salty-sweet flour… their slimy texture and stubborn earthy taste proved challenging. Others could barely stomach a bite, leaving Du Yinsui to finish the lot.

After eating, Qin Chongli rubbed his full belly, watching his grandson scrape bamboo rat fat from another stone into a bamboo cup. He felt dazed.

*How… are we this full?*

They had stored meat and oil. The cart held Cloud ears and mushrooms drying. There was still a large pile of Ground Cloud ears… and ten bamboo cups. Just yesterday, they’d schemed to beg a cup of water from the Wei family.

*Do we own things now?*

Qin Chongli’s gaze fell on the little Du girl. She was nibbling the white flour milk biscuit from the Li family’s compensation, warning his little granddaughter it might be unsafe and never to accept food from others.

Since she woke, everything felt different.

But…

*How is she unchanged?*

Qin Chongli turned. Jiang Wu was peacefully placing damp wood by the fire to dry, calm… silent…

Was this the expected reaction after his hint—that the Emperor likely knew Jiang Wu was a woman, deliberately raised her incompetently, then exiled her for that very crime?

Beyond initial silence, Jiang Wu’s reaction was milder than the little Du girl’s shock upon hearing Li Dayong ask if Li Xiaojuan still fancied her.

*Is this normal?*

Qin Chongli thought not.

Worry etched itself onto his face.

"Father! Be happy with a full belly!"

Something poked Qin Chongli’s shoulder. He turned to see his daughter-in-law, Chu Xiulan, holding a tree branch.

"…" Qin Chongli laughed despite himself. "Eldest daughter-in-law, you were once virtuous and proper… You never shoved me against walls, hit me with branches, or… *ahem*… tripped me for being distracted."

"Father, relax," Chu Xiulan smiled brightly. "I’ve always been like this. Your eldest son warned me before marriage: you were frail and petty. After he pushed you over as a child, you always glared at him. That’s why I behaved—well, *tried* being a good daughter-in-law. Now? I think you’re not petty. You’re quite alright."

Qin Chongli listened, his beard trembling with anger. "What do you mean pushed me once? That noisy fellow shoved me into the birthday cake in front of my colleagues at my birthday feast!"

"Ah, he didn’t say it happened like that. Then Father really was quite forgiving." Chu Xiulan sounded surprised and impressed.

Qin Chongli thought, "…" Something felt off.

Wait, where was my grandson?

Qin Chongli scanned the area and saw his little grandson, who usually trailed him, had squeezed into the crowd by the cart. The little one blushed happily as the little Du girl complimented him for roasting the bamboo rats best.

Not bad. She’d barely woken up and already charmed his grandchildren away.

Qin Chongli stood, walked to the cart, shooed the two youngsters back to their meddling mother-in-law, then crouched and asked softly, "Do you think Jiang Wu acting like this is normal?"

Du Yinsui thought, "…" Do I look like a mind-healer to you?

"Little Du girl, if you can win over a three-year-old girl, maybe you can handle older ones too…" Qin Chongli felt stuck. Since learning Jiang Wu was a man, he’d been careful to avoid misunderstandings.

Though he knew his awkwardness seemed like dislike to Jiang Wu, he could only state facts, not dig deeper or coax him to share feelings.

"So you’re sure the Emperor knew all along?" Du Yinsui frowned. "But why do that? Have you figured it out?"

Qin Chongli nodded, then shook his head. "The likeliest reason is he was a target. The Emperor’s Empress’s palace stayed stormy. Back when he was a prince, Jiang Wu’s mother and Noble Consort Han, the Second Prince’s mother, both got pregnant together. He said whoever bore a son first would be princess consort. Now I think, if he knew early, he didn’t want Han rising."

"If he learned later, maybe to help the Empress control the Noble Consort," Du Yinsui frowned harder. "Wait, we’re going to Linzhou, and General Han is the Noble Consort’s brother…"

"Yes." Qin Chongli smiled bitterly. "Being exiled to Linzhou wasn’t random."

"He used to hold back the Noble Consort but now lets the Second Prince meddle in Jiang Wu’s life—exile to marriage, all the Second Prince’s ideas. Does that make sense?" Du Yinsui sifted through her memories for hints. "It can’t be he suddenly sees the Second Prince as gifted and plans to raise him as heir?"

Qin Chongli waved quickly. "Quiet! The Emperor’s thoughts are unknowable!"

Du Yinsui found it odd, but she knew Jiang Wu wasn’t the Emperor’s favorite.

With a terrible Empress and Emperor, and trash like Sun Xinang around, Jiang Wu grew decent—like a freak change.

That made him kind of pitiable.

"Fine, I’ll talk to him."

Du Yinsui agreed.

That night, Qin Chongli purposely took the little one away and shifted the family aside for space. Du Yinsui watched the person lying stiff under the cart suddenly open his eyes, locking gazes with her.

"Are you… okay?"

"Are you… hungry?"

They spoke together, then stared awkwardly, faces reddening.

Naturally, one was furious.