Chapter 37: Spicy Strips Disturbance
But soon his attention was attracted by the food box in his hands.
Master was talking about matters, so he definitely wouldn’t be able to eat anything for quite a while. Even though this food box keeps the food hot for a longer time, but Master likes eating the freshest hot meals. So usually, when situations like this occur, the food that Meng Yu brings over can only be given to them.
Cough… it must be mentioned that the food Meng Yu makes is really delicious ah!
Just thinking about it caused his saliva to almost flow out. But as the head, he definitely can’t eat alone. And thus, Ye Chuan carried that food box off to find his brothers, filled with anticipation and expectations.
Not long after, panting sounds of ‘haahoohaahoo’E/N arose in the plum blossom sea. No sooner than one subsided, the next one arose, and mixed into it were even some occasional moans.
The two in the pavilion were highly skilled martial arts practitioners; their ears were highly sensitive. Even though that sound was not large, it entered their ears clearly.
Mu Ye’s cold pupils still didn’t have any changes in mood, but he suddenly stopped speaking in the middle of his words. Picking up the tea, he lightly took a taste.
As for Baili Yu, his expression was still as before, only the colors of his stunning pupils deepened slightly. Retrieving his gaze, he looked towards Mu Ye with a slightly apologetic expression, “Discipline wasn’t good enough, has caused Sect Leader Mu to see something embarrassing.”
“Not at all.”
The pavilion became quiet again for a while. There was only the continuous ‘haahoo’ sound echoing all around, particularly loud and clear.
After a while, Mu Ye stood up, “This matter, allow me to consider it some more.”
Baili Yu was not satisfied with this result but it was clear that it was unlikely for them to continue to discuss this, so he could only nod and say: “The matter is quite major, for Sect Leader Mu to need time to carefully consider is a matter of course. It’s just that time is tight so please do make a decision with all speed.”
“Alright!” Mu Ye stood up and cupped his hand towards Baili Yu in farewell. He didn’t wait for Baili Yu to call someone over to see him off and left the pavilion. His steps tapped the ground lightly as he flew off like an owl.
After he left, Baili Yu slowly lowered the teacup in his hand. His long and narrow eyes slightly contracted because it was he who had underestimated Mu Ye.
In the sea of plum blossoms, Ye Chuan was crouched under a tree sticking his tongue out and fanning it. He wished he could just pull out his tongue and throw it away. It was seriously way too spicy!
“Leader, did Meng Yu jie really make this?” Another subordinate was crouched down to the side, also fanning his tongue like Ye Chuan. At the same time, he couldn’t help but swallow his saliva. It was fragrant and spicy, painful yet delightful; this feeling was way too painfully irresistible.
There were even a few more men surrounding that open food box. Their painful expressions were telling. Really want to eat ah, really painfully spicy ah!
“Haahoo… waste… waste of words… this was… haahoo… something I personally brought… haahoo…” Ye Chuan couldn’t even hold back his tears anymore. At the same time, he also felt rather doubtful. What’s wrong with Meng Yu? Master and this bunch of people at his side all do not eat spicy things. To make something this spicy, was it on purpose or was it because she didn’t feel well and put in the wrong seasonings?
Recalling Meng Yu’s flushed face, Ye Chuan was sure it was because she didn’t feel well. Luckily, this food didn’t get sent to Master, otherwise it’d truly be a disaster.
He was dazed out while thinking when all of a sudden he felt something was not right.
Why did those continuous sounds of panting suddenly all stop?
Following that, the corners of his eyes swept across a trace of bright red. His heart went ‘tha-thump’, crap!
With a ‘whoosh’ he stood up and endured the spicy taste in his mouth, “M-Master.”
“What’s going on?” When he arrived, the entire group of people were crouching all over the place on the ground, each and every one of them having an expression of incomparable suffering. It was so much so that no one even noticed him even after he stood there for a long time. It applied even more so to Ye Chuan; if it weren’t for the fact that he moved even closer , it was very likely that even now Ye Chuan would still be deep in thought.
There were very few things that would cause Baili Yu to be curious, but right now he couldn’t help but become curious.
This group of subordinates were all personally picked and trained by him, what sort of pain and torment had they not experienced before? Even if they were stabbed by a blade they wouldn’t even make a groan, yet right now all of them had this kind of expression. How could he not be curious?
Seeing the curiosity that flashed through Baili Yu’s eyes, Ye Chuan silently cursed, but on the surface he still reported calmly: “Master, everything is this subordinate’s fault, I ask for punishment!”
“What fault?” Baili Yu’s pupils suddenly swept towards the food box on the ground and he asked: “Meng Yu came? What food did she bring?”
After the deer meat was secretly eaten by Jun Xin, according to Meng Yu’s usual practice, unless she made something even tastier than deer meat there was no way she would bring food over. Usually she would mourn for several days before starting to cook again.
During those times, he would for the most part eat some fruits to fill his stomach.
Hearing him mention Meng Yu, Ye Chuan’s eyes lit up. It could even be said that Master was very indulgent towards Meng Yu. It was all due to Meng Yu’s cooking skills that caused Master to be unable to stop himself from eating. Without the food that Meng Yu cooked he would rather just eat fruit.
If he knew that Meng Yu got sick, he might even skip pursuing today’s matter out of worry.
Alright, this matter really was his fault.
But the brothers didn’t commit any wrongs ah, so after the matter was over he’ll still confess to Master and take his punishment.
“Meng Yu seemed to have gotten sick. When she came over just now, her face was as red as a monkey’s butt.” Ye Chuan was very certain that Meng Yu’s face at that time was much redder than a monkey’s butt.
If Meng Yu found out that her bashfully red face was comparable to that of a monkey’s butt in the opinion of the person she liked, wonder what she would think?
No matter what Meng Yu thought, the main point is that right now Baili Yu’s mood was extremely bad. Wouldn’t this mean that he had to eat fruit for a lot more days?
“Help her find the best doctor in Huai City.” Baili Yu commanded.
Ye Chuan immediately nodded, “Yes!”
Baili Yu didn’t have the intention to investigate them in the first place, not to mention he was still concerned about the matter he was discussing with Mu Ye earlier, so he just softly said ‘en’ and prepared to leave.
“Haahoo…” Seeing him about to leave, Ye Chuan’s heart relaxed a breath and inadvertently he couldn’t stop his mouth anymore.
……
Baili Yu’s step paused, “Close the food box and send it to Plum Pavilion.”
“No! Haahoo…” Ye Chuan didn’t even think and immediately said.
The moment he opened his mouth there was another round of panting. It really was impossible to endure.
“Hm?”
Ye Chuan knew that he made a mistake earlier. After he said it he immediately half kneeled on the ground, “Master, please forgive me. It’s just that the things inside this food box, Master cannot eat!”
“Why can’t I eat it? Could it be that it’s poisoned?” Baili Yu didn’t look at Ye Chuan, but rather, because of his words, became even more curious about the things inside that food box. Looks like the strange behaviors of this group of subordinates were very much connected with the things inside this food box.
As he thought about this, he walked towards that food box.
Seeing this, Ye Chuan wished he could just rush over there and kick that box flying. Sadly, he didn’t dare.
And he could only watch helplessly at Baili Yu approached, bent his waist to pick up the food box, then open it with incomparable grace.
Glancing inside, Baili Yu knitted his brows, a trace of puzzlement streaking through his ocean-like pupils. What is this?
Red things that were made into strips? Made with shredded carrots? Is it sweet? Sour?
The faint scent of fragrance was unique and exotic, incessantly taunting his taste buds. Baili Yu swept his gaze in a circle. Finally at the bottom of the food box, he found a pair of chopsticks.
“Master.” Ye Chuan panted a sound, and still couldn’t’ help but warn Baili Yu, “It really can’t be eaten.”
“If I disdained you guys, I would have had you all killed way earlier.” Ye Chuan tried to stop him several times so Baili Yu’s expression started to get a bit annoyed. He thought Ye Chuan was having qualms regarding the master and servant relationship and said moodily, “Isn’t it just eating the same dish, it’s not as if we haven’t shared a dish before in the past.”
This, this really isn’t what he means! Ye Chuan wished he could just send himself a slap. How is his mouth this dumb?! If he truly said straight out that it was a hot pepper dish Meng Yu made, he was afraid Master would immediately punish Meng Yu… But if he didn’t say it and Master ate it, then he’ll definitely know that this is hot pepper and Meng Yu would still be punished!
What should he do?
Ye Chuan was extremely torn.
Baili Yu didn’t pay attention to Ye Chuan’s internal struggle and picked up a piece of spicy strip. Meng Yu has fallen sick, so this may possibly be his very last bite of a dish. Maybe he should go to Azure Water Valley to ask that old man to help look at Meng Yu. Like this, perhaps she’ll be able to recover faster.
As he was thinking, the spicy strip had already approached his mouth.
The rich fragrant spices attacked his nose, as if it carried a hook. If it weren’t for the fact Baili Yu had strong self-control, he would have involuntarily swallowed his saliva.
At that moment, he couldn’t help but be curious. What exactly would this taste like? He felt that it was a bit familiar, and also very foreign. But the one thing is definite: it’s very very fragrant…
Let’s eat.
The moment Baili Yu opened his mouth, everyone present held their breath. Their eyes didn’t even blink as they watched that super spicy spicy strip slowly being sent into Baili Yu’s mouth.
The moment he closed his mouth, there was a brief stillness.
Just as everyone wanted to cover their eyes and prepare themselves to receive Baili Yu’s explosion of anger, he actually smiled. A spring wind brushing past a mountain type of smile, light and mild, “Meng Yu’s cooking skills really are just improving phenomenally, not bad, not bad.”
With a few steps he walked to Ye Chuan’s side, “You, are also very not bad.”
And then he very lightly threw the food box to Ye Chuan. His expression once again returned to tranquility. It was just that those pair of peach blossom eyes were clearly starting to turn red, and they even seemed to be carrying some watery waves.
It was a shame, but everyone present was completely confused by him so they didn’t notice.
When they returned to their senses, how could Baili Yu still be waiting there?
“Leader, Master seems to have praised you.” Someone said.
There was also someone that questioned it, “Master was probably speaking in opposites. Who doesn’t know that Master fears eating hot pepper the most?”
“That’s true… How strange… It was that spicy, but Master didn’t seem to have any reaction at all?”
“Could it be that he suddenly wasn’t afraid anymore?”
“That’s not completely impossible. When I was little I was also afraid of eating spicy things, but just now when I ate this, it seemed like I wasn’t scared anymore.”
The person who spoke first interjected: “This stuff is seriously good though. Why didn’t Meng Yu jie ever make it before?”
“Shoo, Master doesn’t even eat spicy things, what would Meng Yu jie make this for ah!?”
“Then why did she make it today?”
Everyone went silent.
That’s right ah, Master never eats spicy things. What did Meng Yu make this for? She had nothing to do so she looked for trouble?
Ye Chuan stared at the spicy strips in his hand for a while, before faintly speaking: “Perhaps, this wasn’t made by Meng Yu.”
To say this wasn’t completely without basis. For one, Meng Yu was also born in Nanchuan so usually, other than sweet and sour, she wouldn’t make dishes with any other taste, much less touch spice. Even though she had great culinary skills, she only knew how to cook in Nanchuan’s local flavor.
And it was precisely because of this ability to cook in Nanchuan’s local flavor that Meng Yu was valued by Master. That’s why, even if she got sick to the point her brain got muddled, it was still not possible that she would do something this stupid to destroy her own reputation.
In addition, this food’s taste was way too different from what Meng Yu usually makes. It seemed to be some other region’s flavor. Cough… but from where he couldn’t tell by the taste.
And even more importantly, hot pepper isn’t a seasoning that can be commonly found. It’s not something you can just casually buy.
Master doesn’t eat spicy foods, so the kitchen never prepared this seasoning before. As the cook, even if Meng Yu is given money she wouldn’t be able to buy this hot pepper ah!
Since it wasn’t Meng Yu who made it, then who was it that made it?
Why would Meng Yu bring something that someone else made to master?
Ye Chuan racked his brain for a long time but still couldn’t figure it out. What exactly was Meng Yu aiming for, doing this? At this time this moment, he can only stare at this box and silently send a prayer. Hopefully Baili Yu will, on the basis that this thing is out of the common run, not pursue it. No matter what, please don’t investigate…
__________
Credits: Translated by Chiyomira, Edited by Ocelot
[Chiyomira’s Corner]
Moral of story? Don’t piss off your family’s cook!
E/N :
C: Is there a better word for ‘haahoo’? The Chinese pinyin is xiliu.
O: Keep it. Haahoo is the language of hot spices and hot pot..
C: Lols. Readers, if you have any suggestions, I’m all eyes! Otherwise I’ll keep going with hahahohos~
Glossary