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Chapter 57
To say that the most anticipated thing about this business trip was mealtimes.
In the past when they went on business trips, they often went up the mountain to hunt some game, pick some wild vegetables and cook them to eat. That taste - if they hadn't been eating dry rations all the time and their bodies couldn't take it - they would rather die than eat that stuff.
This business trip, Gong Xiaohua gave them a surprise again.
They remembered the first time they camped outdoors, Gong Xiaohua took out the wind-dried braised beef she brought from home from her luggage, and the scent that diffused made them unable swallow the dry rations in their hands.
So they vied to ask Gong Xiaohua for a little, and when they took their first bite, they were amazed.
The result was that the two catties of braised beef Gong Xiaohua brought was eaten up by them over the course of one night amidst coaxing and trickery.
What was even more outrageous was that when they learned that this braised beef was made by Gong Xiaohua, from then on not only did she have to serve as their bodyguard, she also had to serve as the soul of the team: the cook.
Of course, the rest of the chores in the team were handed over to others to take care of.
So all along the way, as soon as mealtimes came around, they were keen to make do with whatever was available locally.
Thus all kinds of “mountain delicacies and wild foods” were cooked by her in various ways like stir-frying, braising, stewing, roasting, frying, going through a whole range, and also thoroughly conquered their stomachs.
Even Lord Li, when making the meal pot each day, had to ask in advance, what’s for dinner today?
“Xiaohua my dear, what delicious things have you prepared for tonight?”
“Well, Leader Yu and the others caught two rabbits up the mountain just now, and picked some mushrooms too. I’m planning to roast rabbit with cumin, plus a pot of mushrooms in hot and sour soup.”
Lord Li watched as Gong Xiaohua took out various porcelain jars of seasonings from her luggage, and marveled to himself that in all his many years of life, this was the first time he had seen such a wide variety of seasonings.
“Yet another two new delicacies, Xiaohua my dear, you tell me not only are your painting skills first-rate, but your martial arts can also defeat Daye’s number one expert, Leader Lang, and now even your cooking skills are so outstanding. Tell me, what other skills do you have that this old lord does not know about?”
“Oh, I also know some basic medicine.”
“What did you say? You know what?” Lord Li was so surprised by her words that the water he had just sipped into his mouth sprayed out.
“I said I also know a little medicine.”
“A little medicine? For instance?”
“Mm, for instance, I’m good at some external injuries. For other internal medicine issues, I know a little about colds and flu, and women’s conditions.”
“You call that knowing a little medicine?”
“You can’t be tricking this old lord!”
“No.”
“Then tell me, up until now, how many patients have you cured?”
“Mm, so far I haven’t cured any patients.”
Lord Li almost sprayed out a mouthful of old blood. So after chatting with her for so long, she had been misleading this old lord the whole time!
“Cough! Xiaohua my dear, young one, don’t get complacent just because you’re talented in a few areas. You still need to stay grounded!”
Xiao Fu, the catching clerk who was Gong Xiaohua’s brainless fan and also Gong Xiaohua’s subordinate disciple, was helping to make the fire. Hearing Lord Li doubt his master, he couldn’t help but defend Gong Xiaohua, although he had never seen his master cure anyone either.
“My lord, don’t look down on my master. She’s very smart. I’ve seen with my own eyes my master read a book through once and remember everything. For her, learning things is easy as pie.”
"Since when have you been her disciple? She looks younger than you?”
“My lord, you can’t say that. Whoever has greater mastery can be master. In the entire Punishments Department, who isn’t in awe and admiration of my master’s martial prowess? Let alone her learning ability, that goes without saying, outstanding to the max.”
“What’s more, I’ll tell you, my master learned medicine all on her own. For her to be able to read through a whole medical book and remember everything is nothing.”
“Little master, you’re exaggerating more and more, don’t mislead the lord.” Gong Xiaohua stopped Xiao Fu.
Her medical knowledge was completely learned in modern times, not from reading medical books after coming here.
The medical standards here were far more backwards compared to modern times.
According to records in modern history, the height of traditional Chinese medicine was during the Tang and Song dynasties, whereas the Daye Kingdom was one of the countries formed after the fall of the Qin dynasty, nearly a thousand years away from the Tang and Song eras. It can be seen how extremely low the medical standards were in Daye at that time.
In this era, when most commoners saw a doctor, their first choice was a witch doctor rather than a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.
“Xiaohua, is it true what your disciple says, that you read books like photographic memory, and self-taught medicine?”
“Mm, it’s like that.”
Lord Li was very curious what Xiaohua’s brain was like, to be able to hold so much information all at once. At the same time, he couldn’t help but sigh in amazement. The Qin Family had really struck gold when they found her.
Most people were shortsighted, thinking that when marrying a wife her family background should come first. Little did they know that one should marry a virtuous wife instead.
Someone like Gong Xiaohua, although her family circumstances were average, she possessed so much talent. If that talent could be passed down through the generations, how could her clan not prosper?
Yet Minister Qin still objected to the Qin Family Boy marrying Xiaohua. Humph! The older one gets, the more muddled one’s thinking becomes, totally losing the open-mindedness of younger days.
“Xiaohua, why don’t you break off the engagement with that Qin boy and consider my son instead, what do you think?”
“Although he’s not as good looking as Qin Wu, but he does have a sweet mouth and knows how to coax women well, unlike that Qin boy who’s always cold-faced without a word to say half the time. Tell me, if you married him in future, it would be like facing a block of wood everyday. What enjoyment would there still be in life?”
"Lord, or why don't you go before the Grand King to help me break off the engagement? "
Lord Li considered it back and forth, but still it was no good. That sinister Qin Wu, offending him would be no good for his own son.
“Nevermind, that Qin boy is too cunning, better not to provoke him.”
Suddenly a burst of irresistible fragrance wafted over from the air, coaxing everyone's glutton worms out from their stomachs.
Someone couldn't hold themselves back anymore and came over to ask: “Xiaohua, when can we eat?”
“Yes! Master, this smells too good I can’t concentrate on work anymore.”
Just then, Yu Wei walked over and asked: “Xiaohua, what did you sprinkle on the rabbit, why does it smell so delicious?”
Gong Xiaohua passed the porcelain bottle in her hand to Yu Wei and said: “Oh, this is some seasoning I prepared at home, specially for roasting meat. Here leader Yu, have a smell.”
He took the bottle from Gong Xiaohua’s hand, brought it to his nose for a sniff. The scent was the same as what was emanating from the roasting meat, only lighter.
“Xiaohua, this seasoning of yours is perfect. When we finish up work and go back, you have to prepare this kind of seasoning for us brothers. When we’re out working, eating simple meals outdoors, the food is hard to swallow down. Every time we come back from a business trip it’s like our skin has been peeled off.”
“Alright. I’ll prepare a portion for each of you when the time comes, I’ll also teach you the recipe. Anytime you want to eat it you can mix your own.”
“Ahem, don’t forget about this old lord too, Xiaohua my dear.”
“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare to forget you, my lord.”