Chapter 39: Beating the He Brothers

Chapter 39: Beating the He Brothers

Taking advantage of her sisters-in-law being occupied with the food preparation, He Zhiran followed the servant's instructions to fetch firewood from the backyard.

She happened to pass by the huts where the He and Li families were staying.

Calling them huts was an understatement in He Zhiran's eyes; they were more like stables for livestock. Presumably, since no travelers today had brought horses, these shelters were left unused.

It was quite a feat that the officials could think of making them spend the night here.

The huts were spacious, supported by several large pillars and covered with hay. At first glance, they appeared far better than sleeping outdoors last night.

However, even from a distance, she could smell a pungent odor emanating from the huts. It seemed impossible for anyone to sleep without blocking their noses.

At this moment, the Li and He families were arguing over territory, each wanting to stay closer to the inner part of the shelter. Their voices were raised, necks bulging, and faces flushed red.

He Zhiran chose to disregard the commotion and proceeded directly towards the backyard.

Unbeknownst to her, trouble had found its way to her doorstep. The He brothers, after a day of labor pushing their wooden cart, had learned from Li Rouer that it was He Zhiran who had devised that idea. They had been nursing resentment ever since.

Spotting her walking alone, they seized the opportunity to vent their frustrations. Disregarding their ongoing argument with the Li family, they hastened their steps to catch up to He Zhiran, their tone lightheartedly taunting.

"You little wretch, it's because of you that we brothers had to laboriously push our wooden cart all day. If we don't extract some pleasure from you today, we won't sleep a wink in peace."

He Zhiran has always been vigilant. Noticing something amiss about the brothers as she passed by the shed earlier, she had been on guard against them!

Hearing the frivolous and irritating voice behind her, she paused in her steps and turned around, calmly locking eyes with the two individuals.

In their time in the capital, He Ming and He Liang were notorious for their exploits of bullying men and captivating women. Their planned endeavors could be said to be effortlessly within their grasp.

Noticing Zhiran He standing still, He Ming advanced with a sinister smile, simultaneously extending that repulsive claw of his.

"Let me touch you first, big brother."

With agility, He Zhiran evaded He Ming's wandering hand while swiftly bending down and delivering a fierce punch to his lower abdomen.

Seizing the opportunity while He Ming was writhing in pain, He Zhiran swiftly rose and executed a sweeping kick.

Unsteady on his feet, He Ming tumbled forward.

Taking advantage of this, He Zhiran struck He Ming again with seamless continuity, leaving no chance for retaliation.

By the time He Liang realized the situation and rushed to assist, He Ming was already unable to get up.

Seeing He Liang's approach, He Zhiran showed no mercy, swiftly neutralizing him with a few deft self-defense moves.

Although she had incapacitated both brothers, He Zhiran's blows were measured. After all, they still needed to push the wooden cart the next day; broken limbs would render them useless.

"This serves as a warning to you both. If you dare provoke me again, it won't be as simple as the pain you're feeling today."

With that, He Zhiran disregarded the brothers' hostile glares and casually brushed off the dust from her clothes before leaving in a dignified manner...

As for whether they would report her to the authorities, He Zhiran couldn't care less.

After all, no one else had witnessed the incident. Who would believe that a frail woman like her could defeat two burly men?

Carrying an armful of firewood, He Zhiran returned to the kitchen.

Her two sisters-in-law had already prepared the ingredients, awaiting her return to cook the meal.

He Zhiran whipped up four dishes and one soup, along with a large pot of steamed white rice.

She made braised pork with string beans, cucumber salad, pickled cabbage, scallion scrambled eggs, and a pot of milky-white fish soup made with crucian carp.

While her culinary skills were average, she knew a wide variety of recipes and had seasonings like the thirteen-spice mix to enhance the flavors.

The dishes she prepared instantly tantalized everyone's taste buds.

Occasionally, the officers would sneak peeks at the kitchen entrance. The moment the dishes were prepared and served, someone would rush to inform Peng Wang.

This time, instead of dividing the roasted fish like before, He Zhiran asked her sisters-in-law to help send the food to the officers first.

The remaining dishes were taken to Old Mo's room, where everyone gathered to enjoy the meal together.

As for the Xie and Fang families, it was not advisable to show them too much favor, as it might spoil them and make them ungrateful. Even if they were being helped, it should be done gradually.

Thus, the portions given to the Fang and Xie households were relatively smaller, seemingly as a gesture of care for the elderly and children.

Despite this, they were already immensely grateful to the Mo family. In such a challenging period, it was a tremendous kindness for them to share such excellent food.

Their resentment towards Mo Jiuye seemed to have been momentarily forgotten.

Although Mo Jiuye was no longer pretending to be unconscious, he still needed to appear weak and incapacitated in front of outsiders. As a result, He Zhiran personally delivered his meals to their shared room.

Upon seeing the delectable and aromatic dishes, the Mo family's women were moved to tears.

Mo Hanyue held He Zhiran's arm tightly.

"Nine Sister-in-law, did you cook all these dishes?"

Before He Zhiran could answer, the eldest sister-in-law proudly interjected, "All these dishes were prepared by your Nine Sister-in-law. Just looking at them makes one's mouth water, doesn't it?"

Mo Hanyue nodded vigorously, her sparkling big eyes brimming with admiration for He Zhiran.

"My Nine Sister-in-law is the best! Not only is she skilled in medicine, but she also fearlessly faced those officials, and now this incredible culinary talent."

As they spoke, Mo Hanyue leaned her head on He Zhiran's shoulder.

"Nine Sister-in-law, I'll follow you from now on. I must learn all these skills from you."

He Zhiran looked at her innocent little sister-in-law and gently stroked her disheveled hair.

"Of course, Hanyue. As long as you're willing to learn, Nine Sister-in-law will teach you."

Mo Jiuye found himself alone in his chamber, savoring a mouthful of food.

His first instinct was that these dishes must have been prepared by He Zhiran.

None of his sisters-in-law could possibly possess such culinary skills.

Unconsciously, the corners of Mo Jiuye's lips lifted into a subtle smile, perhaps due to the feeling of fortune he experienced.

At the matriarch Old Mo's command, the ladies began to dine.

Perhaps due to having had little enjoyment in their meals over the past couple of days, they found today's dishes exceptionally palatable.

The four lavish dishes and one soup, which were initially brimming with food, were nearly emptied by their consumption.

The officials felt the same way, perceiving that He Zhiran's cooking surpassed even the flavors of the finest restaurants in the capital city.

Particularly the braised pork, rich in flavor yet not greasy, it has an irresistible allure that leaves one longing for more after each bite.

As the officials eagerly filled their bowls with delicacies, He Ming and He Liang were supported over to the scene.

The newcomer promptly knelt before the officials.

"Sir, please uphold justice for my brother and me!"

Upon seeing the man, Peng Wang's face darkened.

"What has transpired here?"

He Ming hurried forward. "Sir, she, He Zhiran, has taken advantage of your protection to beat us brothers up like this."

With that, he lifted his robe to reveal the bruised mark on his abdomen.

"See here, Sir, this is where He Zhiran struck me, and here as well." He Ming continued lifting his garment to show the marks on his back.

He Liang also stepped forward, exposing his own bruises for the officials to inspect.

The officials exchanged glances, clearly skeptical of the pair's claims.

There were strict regulations governing the escort of exiled convicts, explicitly forbidding any conflict between them.

Of course, whether or not they would truly enforce the ban would depend on the bailiffs' moods.