Chapter 65: Roasting a Whole Lamb

Chapter 65 Roasting a Whole Lamb

The group of people squeezed onto the flat ox cart, swaying slowly as they left the city.

Autumn scenery is indeed more stunning in the north with its distinct four seasons. But when it comes to surviving winter, in the Song Dynasty without heating, the south is naturally more livable.

In the regions of Jiangnan and Lingnan, the greenery remains lush all year round, with many flowers blooming even in winter, as warm as spring. Especially in Lingnan, at this time of year, it’s still so hot that people wear light clothes, sleep on cool mats, swat mosquitoes, and eat melons. Naturally, it’s hard to notice the subtle changes that signal the arrival of autumn.

Shen Miao sat on the ox cart as it slowly emerged from the outer city gate onto the post road, where the view suddenly opened up. The sky was high and the clouds were light, the countryside was golden, with leaves fully painted in autumn hues. The post road was covered with fallen yellow leaves. From the walls of some houses, branches of red persimmon trees laden with fruit peeked out, with small persimmons hanging like little lanterns, looking particularly cute and festive.

As they went further, the sides of the post road were all wheat fields. In the fields, many farmers were busy sowing winter wheat. Having just finished harvesting wheat in August, they were now rushing to plant winter wheat. During this most crucial time of the year, every household, regardless of gender, worked in the fields, and even the children were not idle.

Many children ran barefoot between the fields, rolling up their clothes, picking up stones and pulling weeds to help their families. Some helped their parents carry seeds, scattering them beside their parents. There were also some less obedient ones. In the fields that had been harvested and left fallow, there were still one or two tall stacks of straw, presumably prepared for burning and fertilizing the fields. A mischievous child kept climbing up and then sliding down, covered in bits of straw, his bottom hurting, yet he kept grinning.

But before he could enjoy it for long, his furious mother grabbed him by the ear and spanked him on her lap: "You rascal, seeing how busy we are, you don’t help properly but jump around like a monkey. If you mess with the straw stacks again, I’ll beat you to death, you little brat!"

The child then screamed like a pig being slaughtered: "Mom! My dear mom! I won’t do it again!"

Shen Miao watched with both amusement and heartache. The weather was getting cold in the morning and evening, but most of the adults and children working in the fields were still wearing summer clothes and were reluctant to wear shoes. Except for some young women wearing straw sandals, most men, children, and even old women were barefoot in the fields.

However, upon closer inspection, a farmer sowing wheat was tanned bronze, his body glistening with sweat under the autumn sun, making him shine all over.

Shen Miao comforted herself, thinking that perhaps wearing single-layered clothes was due to the heavy work, making them sweat so much they didn’t feel the cold.

Xiang Jieer was also looking around. Seeing the child being beaten, she shrank her neck in fear, muttering softly about how painful it was. Shen Miao secretly laughed: if Xiang Jieer had been caught climbing the straw stack and using it as a slide, she would have done the same!

Chen Chuan squeezed next to Xiang Jieer on the swaying flat cart, his eyes closed as he quietly recited the "Song Penal Code."

Shen Miao was also a bit of a hypocrite. She had eventually bought the two law books handwritten by Deng Lawyer and even planned a study schedule for herself—memorizing ten articles every night before bed, so she could finish them in less than two months! A perfect plan, but she opened the first page and within fifteen minutes, her eyelids were heavy, and sleepiness overwhelmed her.

Especially since she slept quite soundly.

Shen Miao deeply analyzed herself: this really wasn’t her fault. The traditional Chinese characters written from right to left in vertical lines without punctuation were really hard for her to read. Even though she had traveled through time, her habit of reading horizontal simplified characters from her previous life still lingered, making her read slower than the average Song Dynasty person.

For example, Ji Geer, Xiang Jieer, and Chen Chuan learned to read much faster than her. They were like blank slates, not needing to 'mentally translate.'

Especially since law was so boring.

She tried several times, but each time she ended up falling asleep with the book in her arms. It had been several months, and she was still stuck on the first page.

How heartbreaking.

Unexpectedly, her intentional efforts bore no fruit, while Chen Chuan, who had no such intentions, succeeded.

Once, seeing Shen Miao forcing herself to read the law with a pained expression, he wanted to see what was so difficult that it made Sister Shen’s face wrinkle like a pickled vegetable.

He looked and found himself deeply addicted, wanting to borrow it from Shen Miao every day to read, even though he didn’t understand most of it.

Shen Miao was more than happy to lend it to him.

Now, Chen Chuan had been self-studying for a long time. Originally, his knowledge of characters was limited, so he would first note down the characters he didn’t know and ask Shen Miao when she was free. If Shen Miao also didn’t recognize the traditional characters, he would copy them down as they were, noting which page and article they were from, and wait for Ji Geer to return and teach him, then annotate the meaning and pronunciation next to them.

He was very determined and could calm his mind.

For example, the character "鬭," which Chen Chuan initially didn't understand, he would note down and ask about later. Once clarified, he would write beside it: "Pronounced like 'dou,' from the phrase '诸鬭殴人里,' meaning fight or struggle, as in '鬭鸡' or '两虎相鬭.'"

He began reading while his leg was still in a cast, finding it the perfect time for study due to his limited mobility. Now, he’s got his own 'Chen Chuan Dictionary.'

Xiang Jieer has learned a lot from studying with him. Despite her playful and restless nature, she has managed to learn many more characters.

Now, even Xiang Jieer can stumble through reading "The Thousand Character Classic," no longer stumbling as she did before, where she would circle three unknown characters in a single line of four.

With the help of Ji Geer, who comes home every few days on his days off, Chen Chuan has even begun to slowly memorize legal statutes.

Shen Miao wonders if his interest comes from her taking him to the yamen—since Chen Chuan's leg healed, she has taken him there whenever she has time to inquire about his case. Has anyone figured out which prefecture he was taken from? Has anyone come looking for him? But they always leave disappointed.

Deng Lawyer mentioned that the Kaifeng yamen is swamped with cases daily. Not only has Chen Chuan's kidnapping case not been addressed, but even the disappearance cases from the Lotus Viewing Festival have been left unattended. A few constables rushed through the investigation for a couple of days, found no leads, and to wrap up the cases and make their year-end reports look good, they quietly labeled them as "drownings" without informing the higher-ups or the victims' families.

This is a trick some of the crafty old clerks often use.

Shen Miao could do nothing but sigh.

Beside Chen Chuan, Yan Shu had dozed off while listening to him recite, resting his head on Chen Chuan's shoulder, softly snoring.

Beside Yan Shu, Ji Geer leaned out to chat with Bai Laosan, who was driving the cart.

It turned out that Bai Laosan's family was the "wealthiest" in their small village. Bai's father started with just a worn-out straw mat, eventually weaving straw mats and shoes to become a silk merchant in Bianjing. His rise was pretty legendary, and Ji Geer was hooked on the story, even climbing onto the cart's shaft to sit with Bai Laosan.

Today, the flatbed cart was crammed with Shen Miao, Xie Qi, and Tang Er—three adults—and Xiang Jieer, Ji Geer, Chen Chuan, and Yan Shu—four kids. The cart was packed to the brim. Poor Xie Qi, being tall, had to tuck his legs in.

He sat there, looking very proper.

A Tao, Fu Xing, and You Yu stayed behind at the shop, keeping it open as usual. Shen Miao had initially wanted them to come along and close the shop for the day, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to take a break.

But A Tao refused. Ever since she found out that Shen Miao calculated wages based on how many bowls of soup, jugs of wine, and roasted fish or ducks they sold, she became unstoppable!

She was all about the money. Closing the shop was out of the question; even if Shen Miao wasn't there, she would still sell roasted ducks!

Fu Xing also wanted to stay home. He was obsessed with perfecting his technique of rotating the duck skewer with one hand, aiming to roast ducks faster. He was close to mastering it and didn’t want to mess it up.

Since they decided to stay, You Yu also came to work as usual, taking care of the two dogs.

This was just as well, as Bai Laosan's ox cart couldn’t have accommodated so many people.

Shen Miao, bored on the cart, let her mind wander when she suddenly noticed Xie Qi sitting uncomfortably. She subtly shifted to the side to give the tall man some more space.

To her surprise, as soon as she moved, Xie Qi shifted his legs and closed the gap.

Shen Miao looked down at her hand resting beside her, and Xie Qi's well-proportioned, slightly curled fingers, just an inch away from hers.

She paused for a moment, then looked up at him.

He wasn’t looking at her but was gazing at the distant mountains, trees, and reeds by the stream, seemingly captivated by the autumn scenery.

If it weren’t for his stiff posture, his neck as straight as if he had a crick, and his red ears, Shen Miao might have believed he was just stretching his legs after sitting for too long.

She couldn’t quite articulate her feelings—there was some joy, but more than that, there was confusion and unease.

She was a twice-married woman with three children. Ninth Geer was perfect in every way—how could he possibly have developed feelings for her? In truth... Shen Miao had vaguely sensed something before.

Today, as they sat so close together, the ox cart jolting on the uneven dirt road, their shoulders would occasionally bump, their sleeves brush, and their elbows touch.

It was hard not to notice. Ninth Geer wasn’t very subtle in his attempts to hide it, and Shen Miao had always been more perceptive than most.

What about her?

Shen Miao couldn't help but ask herself, had she been moved or not?

After asking herself several times, she couldn’t come up with a definitive answer. The only thing that was clear was that she still wanted to make money and open a shop, to do what she loved first before considering anything else.

Even in the Song Dynasty, this desire burned brightly within her.

Actually... there was another reason.

After recalling the memories of her past life, matters of marriage and love made Shen Miao feel cold and timid, causing her to quickly cool down even if she felt a momentary attraction, no longer expecting anything.

She was well aware of the hardships Shen Da Jieer endured in the Rong family, but she also knew how tender and caring Rong Dalang had been when he first arrived in Bianjing, bringing her umbrellas when it rained and flowers when the sun shone, even teaching her to write her name with his finger dipped in tea.

Da Jieer's memories remained vivid, never fading.

Later, after marrying into the Rong family, Auntie Rong pretended to be ill, having her daughter-in-law serve her during the day while Rong Dalang stayed in his mother's room at night to "attend to her illness."

From then on, when Shen Da Jieer's parents passed away suddenly, she handled the funeral and was separated from her siblings, returning alone to Jinling, where she was so grief-stricken she could hardly get out of bed. Her frail health and mourning obligations coincided with Rong Dalang using her dowry to gain entry to the Mingzhou Prefecture Academy, eagerly going there to study.

From then on, he found a new social ladder and rarely came home.

After that, it was even worse. In the hands of Auntie Rong, did Da Jieer ever live a decent life? The affection before marriage turned into hostility after marriage, a stark and bitterly ironic contrast that made one shiver.

Shen Miao was well aware that Ninth Geer was nothing like Rong Dalang, and it wasn't Ninth Geer who disappointed or saddened her. It was more like a scar left by her past life, a constant warning not to act impulsively, not to make mistakes, and not to easily commit herself.

It had nothing to do with anyone else; what she needed to overcome was the emotional knot left by Da Jieer.

Shen Miao closed her eyes, took a deep breath, shook off the memories that would fill her with anger whenever she thought of them, looked up at the vast, endless sky, and finally calmed down.

She decided to feign ignorance for the time being. Perhaps one day, she would have an answer for herself and for Ninth Geer.

Xie Qi was oblivious that his poor acting had been exposed, and his red ears had completely betrayed him.

He also noticed that his ears were burning fiercely. He wanted to cover his burning ears with his hand but felt that doing so would be even more of a giveaway. So he resignedly counted his pounding heartbeats, scolding his heart in his mind: Just keep beating, louder, who can beat louder than you? You restless, unstable, worthless thing, why don't you just calm down!

He really wished he could press his hand against his wildly thumping chest.

While Xie Qi was in chaos, wishing his heart would calm down, Shen Miao had already moved on. She leaned against the cart's railing, savoring the crisp autumn air, and asked Bai Laosan, "Mr. Bai, what type of sheep are you preparing? Lamb or adult sheep? For the whole roasted sheep, do you prefer the original flavor, or spicy, or savory?"

Bai Laosan flicked the whip, gently patting the old ox's rump, and laughed, "I specially bought today's sheep from a butcher in Xingqing Prefecture, a one-year-old sheep, fifty pounds each, the best. As for the flavor, Madam Shen, it's up to you. My father spent a fortune and even bought a tael of pepper, which I'll give to you later, all to be used on the roasted sheep!"

Shen Miao pondered, "For such a fine sheep, it's best to keep it simple, just seasoned with salt, cumin, and pepper, and roast the skin until it's crispy. That's enough to make it delicious. Strong seasonings would overpower the lamb's natural taste, so let's just do the original flavor."

"We'll follow your lead, Madam Shen! My whole family will!"

Bai Laosan was a hundred percent impressed with Madam Shen's cooking skills. He had been a devoted customer since the "hand-grabbed pancake" days and hadn't missed a new dish from Shen's since then!

Not only that, he had bought honey bean puff buns, steamed buns, instant soup noodles, braised meat, grilled fish, and roast duck to send back to his old parents in Bai Village. His parents raved about everything, and later they often sent the family's long-term workers with a donkey cart to Bianjing to buy, always a full cart. If grilled fish and roast duck kept longer, they would have bought them in bulk like the instant soup noodles to stock up at home.

Even the pickled vegetables and bamboo shoots that Shen Miao made for herself weren't spared. Once, Bai Laosan was eating soup noodles in the front shop when he suddenly caught a whiff of a sour, mouth-watering smell from the backyard. He couldn't sit still—wasn't this his father's favorite? He boldly bought two jars from Madam Shen and sent them back to his parents to eat with porridge.

Bai Laosan's parents finished one jar in no time and asked for more. Where was he supposed to get it? It was something she made for herself, and he felt too embarrassed to ask again!

When Bai Laosan's father heard that his son had invited Shen Miao, who could make grilled fish and roast duck, to roast a whole sheep, he was so happy that he ate more heartily these days, walked with more vigor, and even climbed up to the granary to sun the grain without any back or leg pain.

But ever since he tasted the food from Shen's, his appetite had improved. He loved everything bought from Shen's, and with just the braised meat Shen Miao made, he could eat three big steamed buns or two or three bowls of rice, and still have some roast duck afterward.

Once a skinny old man, he had now plumped up, like dough rising.

Chenliu Town is about twelve kilometers from Bianjing, taking two shichen by ox cart. By the time they arrived at the town, it was already past noon, and it took another half a shichen to get from the town to the village. Shen Miao's legs and bottom were numb from the long ride.

At the entrance to the village, they could see from afar the lively and festive decorations at Bai Laosan’s home. Bai Laosan’s house was a spacious tiled structure with five rooms, its courtyard walls and gates draped in red cloth. Inside, the windows, doors, tables, and chairs were adorned with the character '喜' (symbolizing happiness), and red lanterns hung at every few paces.

Bai Laosan hurriedly drove the cart inside, and as soon as Shen Miao and the others got off, they were warmly surrounded by the Bai family, who offered tea, wedding candies, and roasted beans. This delighted Xiang Jieer and Yan Shu to no end!

Both of them were given pockets full of treats, and when they looked down at each other, they covered their mouths and giggled. Now the two little gluttons could enjoy their snacks to their heart's content.

In front of the courtyard, a wedding banquet table was set up, and several tables were arranged in front of the door. In the backyard, a blue cloth kitchen shed was erected, with several earthen stoves stood side by side, smoke rising from them. Several village aunties who had come to help were already rolling up their sleeves and cutting and cooking vegetables. The backyard was filled with baskets of various vegetables, meats, fruits, and more than a dozen fresh fish in a water vat, occasionally jumping and splashing water everywhere. In the corner, there were more than a dozen wine jars, the intoxicating aroma of the fine wine wafting out.

The most eye-catching was naturally the whole sheep that had been slaughtered and laid out on the table.

In the front courtyard, the bride was still in her room, getting ready for the ceremony. Later, when the groom's party arrived at dusk, the bride's family would block the door and chase the groom with cotton sticks, making a playful fuss.

In the Song Dynasty, the banquet at the bride's house would only start after the bride left the house at dusk. Shen Miao glanced at the sky and decided it was the perfect time to start preparing.

Bai Laosan called over a few young girls from the Bai family to take Xiang Jieer, Ji Geer, Chen Chuan, and Yan Shu outside to pick pomegranates. The children, like wild horses unleashed, eagerly grabbed baskets and dashed off.

Xiang Jieer even boasted to the Bai girls, "I'm the best at climbing trees! I'll climb up later, and you can catch the pomegranates below."

Ji Geer immediately exposed her, "Come on, who was it last time? You wanted to climb a tree to pick osmanthus flowers, but your little hands were clinging to the tree trunk, your feet kept kicking up, your butt sticking out, and your face turning red, but you just couldn't climb up..."

"It was Liu Douhua who couldn't climb up, not me! Stop embarrassing me!" Xiang Jieer blushed and whispered in defense.

This made Ji Geer choke on his own spit and cough uncontrollably.

Tang Er naturally stayed by Shen Miao's side, ready to assist, while Bai Laosan enthusiastically ushered Xie Qi into the house for tea. However, within a quarter of an hour, while Shen Miao was preparing spices like Sichuan pepper, fennel, cumin, dried ginger, and cardamom, Xie Qi suddenly fled the house in a disheveled state.

She blinked and looked at him in confusion.

Xie Qi awkwardly explained to her, "The house is full of aunties, they... they surrounded me, asking if I'm engaged, and they all wanted to marry their daughters to me." He paused, still shocked, "They... they even touched my hands!"

Shen Miao laughed so hard that her knife trembled. Xie Qi was wearing plain, ordinary clothes, and the Bai family and the villagers helping with the wedding banquet didn't know his background, thinking he was just a commoner like Shen Miao. Seeing how handsome he was, they naturally found him very pleasing. As a refined scholar, where had he ever seen such a forceful matchmaking scene?

Falling into the hands of the village aunties, he was bound to be devoured.

Xie Qi looked at Shen Miao with a mix of grievance and accusation. Shen Miao laughed until tears came out. Was it really that funny?

"Sorry... sorry..." Shen Miao wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, trying to hold back her laughter, "Ninth Geer, you'd better stay by my side and be a kitchen helper for once, so you don't get eaten by the aunties inside..." She couldn't finish her sentence before laughing again.

Xie Qi pursed his lips but still complained, "What does a kitchen helper do?"

This time, it was Shen Miao's turn to be stumped. What task could she assign to Ninth Geer, who had never lifted a finger in the kitchen? After looking around, she had an idea. She picked up a large stone mortar and handed him the pestle, pointing to the chopped spices on the table. Shen Miao looked up and smiled, "Please grind these into powder, Ninth Geer."

Xie Qi took it and indeed started grinding as instructed.

Shen Miao then focused on preparing the sheep. Roast whole sheep had existed since the Han Dynasty, as recorded in the "Qimin Yaoshu": "Roast sheep, clean the mutton skewers, soak in Sichuan pepper water, then rub with salt and seasoning, and roast over the fire." By the Tang Dynasty, it had become a popular dish at the "Shao Wei" banquets.

Given the Song Dynasty's particular fondness for mutton, it was normal to serve roast whole sheep as a grand gesture for a daughter's wedding.

Shen Miao had Tang Er flip the sheep over and used fine salt, soy sauce, cumin, and a pinch of precious pepper. She reached into the sheep's belly, rubbing the pepper, salt, and sauce evenly, repeating the process several times to ensure the flavor penetrated the meat and bones.

Next, they prepared the fruitwood. The firewood had to be lit until it was completely burning, with no smoke, and the heat had to be even and steady. Only then could the sheep be skewered and placed on the roasting rack. Tang Er quickly used iron hooks and ropes to tightly bind the sheep to the rack, then slowly rotated it. The principle was similar to roasting a duck, ensuring even heating.

At the beginning of the roasting process, the outer layer of sheep fat would gradually melt, sizzling and dripping onto the charcoal, constantly releasing a fragrant flame. At this point, a long-handled brush was needed to dip into oil and honey, repeatedly brushing the sheep's surface to keep it moist. The honey added color and prevented burning.

The sheep had to be roasted slowly, never rushed, and the fire had to be constantly monitored. The true skill in roasting sheep lay in the unseen details, relying entirely on experience and keen observation. Shen Miao instructed Tang Er to rotate the rack even slower until the skin turned golden red, the meat was cooked, and the bones were ready to fall off, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma. It was almost done.

As soon as the sheep was roasted, it attracted a crowd of onlookers.

The spice powder that Xie Qi had pounded was now ready to be used. It was sizzled with hot oil to release its fragrance, mixed with minced garlic, fragrant vinegar, and shredded scallions, making a ready-to-use dipping sauce. Shen Miao figured it was better not to douse the lamb with spices, considering everyone's taste preferences differ. It was better to serve the dipping sauce separately, allowing those who wanted to dip to do so, and those who preferred the natural flavor of the lamb to enjoy it as is.

As soon as the lamb was roasted, its aroma attracted many, even the busy aunts who were preparing other dishes couldn't resist putting down their tasks to admire and sniff the glossy roasted lamb: "It smells so good!"

"It's perfectly roasted, juices sizzling!"

"Wow, you're just a kid, but you sure know how to roast lamb!"

Shen Miao laughed at their straightforward compliments.

By then, it was already late. While Shen Miao was focused on roasting the lamb, the outside had already become quite lively. The groom had been playfully chased around by the Bai family, tossing copper coins as "road tolls," and finally managed to take the bride away.

Then came the 'departure feast,' a grand send-off for friends, relatives, and the bride's family. Several burly men from the Bai family carried the whole roasted lamb to the center of the banquet, first for the guests to marvel at, and also to showcase the bride's family's wealth.

After everyone had seen enough, Tang Er sliced the lamb into plates on the spot. He was a pro at slicing meat, wielding a slender crescent-shaped knife, first removing the limbs, then separating the ribs, and soon the lamb was thinly sliced and neatly arranged on plates.

Xiang Jieer and the others bounced back with a bag of pomegranates, all excitement. Hearing that the bride had already been carried off in the sedan chair, they were so bummed they could’ve kicked themselves: "If only we had come back earlier, I didn’t even see the bride's face!"

Shen Miao missed it too, but hey, she wasn’t here for the bride!

Bai Laosan had set up a table for Shen Miao and her crew, placed in the front yard, so they wouldn’t have to brave the chill. Shen Miao rounded up her family for a proper outdoor feast of the Song Dynasty countryside.

The starters were tangy peanuts and zesty celery, followed by the first course of fried tofu with bamboo shoots and black fungus (a sign of wealth and good fortune), braised pork head, roasted chicken, steamed fish, bamboo shoot stew with meat, herb and vegetable stew, and finally, desserts and sweet soup were sticky rice cakes dipped in sugar and sweet red date and longan soup.

The village spread wasn’t as fancy as Bianjing’s eateries, but it had a down-home charm all its own.

For example, the herb and vegetable stew was made by chopping various vegetables and wild herbs, adding some chopped rice flour and water paste, making the broth thick, with just a bit of salt and sesame oil, filling your mouth with a fresh, veggie-packed flavor.

Shen Miao was into it—it was like a light, veggie-packed dumpling soup, very refreshing. Thinking that these vegetables might have been picked from the field just half an hour before cooking, naturally they were fresh, crisp, and fragrant.

The sticky rice cakes were perfectly pounded, soft and stretchy, picked up and dipped in sugar mixed with crushed peanuts, the mouth filled with the sweetness of rice and sugar, truly delicious.

The roasted lamb, sliced and served on plates, attracted many guests to crane their necks for a look. Sitting next to Shen Miao's table was the main table, where Old Bai, Bai Laoda, Bai Laosan, and the other male members of the Bai family were seated.

Originally, Bai Laosan was crying for his daughter's marriage, but as soon as he smelled the roasted lamb, his tears hadn't even dried before he instinctively reached out with his chopsticks, just as Old Bai's chopsticks also reached out.

Old Bai angrily scolded: "Ungrateful son!"

Bai Laosan had to sheepishly withdraw his chopsticks, watching as his father took the most fragrant leg of lamb.

After that, he stopped crying and buried his head in competing with his father and brothers for the lamb: once Shen Miao's roasted lamb was served, all other dishes seemed bland! Like the Bai family, other relatives were also stunned by the feast.

Bai Laosan thought to himself, it's no wonder they specially invited this cook from Bianjing, her skills are better than many old masters, truly impressive!

Guests came to toast, also mentioning how good the lamb was. Bai Laosan, with two red patches on his face from drinking, proudly puffed out his chest and said to Bai Laosan: "You're really something, inviting Shen Miao here, now the whole village knows my daughter is marrying well, even the departure feast is top-notch!"

Bai Laosan, his mouth full of oily roasted lamb, could only nod, too busy to respond.

As soon as the roasted lamb was served, the aroma seemed to "whoosh" right into his nose, making his stomach growl. Taking a bite, oh my goodness, the skin was crispy and fragrant, like fried sesame leaves, making a "crunch" sound in the mouth, so satisfying; inside, the lamb was tender and juicy, soft, with a burst of juice with each bite, very fragrant, and not a hint of gaminess. Dipping it in the sauce, the flavor was even better, from the tip of the tongue all the way to the heart.

Bai Laosan was truly impressed. He had gone to the backyard to deliver tea to Shen Miao, seeing that her steps in roasting the lamb weren't particularly special, but the result was so extraordinary. It was really strange!

After the feast, Bai Laosan even offered to give Shen Miao an extra goose as a gift, and Old Bai also gave an extra string of coins, muttering: "No matter what dish Shen Miao makes, her skills are unique. Impressive, truly impressive."

Shen Miao didn't decline, smiling as she accepted.

It was late, and it would take three hours to return, so they decided to stay overnight at the Bai family's house.

Bai Laosan had already prepared several clean rooms with newly sun-dried bedding. Shen Miao led Xiang Jieer to one room, Xie Qi, Chen Chuan, and Ji Geer squeezed into another, and Tang Er and Yan Shu shared a room.

The next morning, Bai Laosan sent his wife to ask, "If Shen Miao is not busy, would she like to take a stroll around our village before heading back? Our village has three rivers passing through, many lakes, and ponds, and the scenery is quite nice."

Lakes? Ponds? Shen Miao became intrigued and agreed.

Outside, the sky had just turned blue, the sunlight was faint, and Xiang Jieer was still sleeping soundly, tossing and turning. Shen Miao decided not to wake her, letting her sleep a bit longer.

She got up, tied her hair into a bun, and washed her face. Walking to the window, she propped it halfway open with a wooden stick, only to see Xie Qi in a fitted narrow-sleeved martial outfit practicing martial arts in the courtyard—he seemed to be practicing staff techniques, but without a long staff, he was using a thin, flat pole from the Bai family.

At first glance, it seemed a bit comical, but upon closer inspection, it was clear he had real skill, wielding the pole with swift and fierce movements, creating gusts of wind.

Xie Qi knows martial arts too! Shen Miao was surprised, crouching by the window to secretly watch. She had always seen him in loose, wide-sleeved garments, speaking and acting slowly, exuding a scholarly demeanor. She never expected him to be both literary and martial!

She watched as he moved, the pole moving with his body, thrusting, slashing, and sweeping the pole. The wind blew, lifting the hem of his clothes, revealing a glimpse of his abdominal muscles.

Oh my.

She blushed, thinking she shouldn't be watching, but she couldn't help herself. She leaned on the windowsill, covering her eyes with her hands but peeking through her fingers, her eyes wide as she watched the entire routine.

She silently evaluated:

Such a lean waist, with no excess fat, the muscles tightly hugging his frame, the lines firm, and when he exerted himself, the contours of his abs became clearly defined. Xie Qi is truly not to be underestimated!

But soon, as he moved, that glimpse of his waist was once again covered by the falling fabric of his clothes.

This wind, why doesn't it blow a little higher...

When he finished, the strands of hair on his forehead were damp with sweat, clinging to his cheeks, making him look different from his usual neat and tidy appearance. Now, he exuded a vibrant, youthful charm.

She was captivated.

Xie Qi wiped his sweat and turned to ask Yan Shu to fetch his clothes. Shen Miao quickly crouched down, feeling guilty.

After Xie Qi went inside and no one was outside, she pretended nothing had happened and went outside, splashing water on her slightly reddened face. Just then, Bai Laosan's wife brought in breakfast.

But the children were still asleep, and Tang Er was still snoring loudly.

Shen Miao ate alone with Xie Qi.

Xie Qi held a plain white bun, glancing slightly to the side.

Why does Shen Miao seem a bit nervous and quiet today? And why does her face seem a bit red?

Did she not sleep well?

Shen Miao noticed Xie Qi seemed to be secretly observing her, so she quickly finished the bun and suggested going for a stroll with Bai Laosan's wife. Xie Qi also stood up, straightening his clothes, saying, "I'll go with Shen Miao."

Shen Miao: "..." She agreed, feeling guilty.

Fortunately, after walking only a few steps, Shen Miao's thoughts about abs were finally diverted by the scenery of Bai Village. Beauty aside, she noticed Bai Village indeed had many ponds and mulberry trees. The terrain was flat, and where there were slight slopes, ponds easily formed. Almost along the river, you could see a pond every few steps.

There were also many ponds connected to large stretches of unclaimed wasteland, left unused. The pond surfaces were covered with thick green algae, and the banks were overgrown with reeds and sweet flag. The fields were also full of weeds.

Such fertile land along the river and ponds, yet no one was farming it? Shen Miao felt puzzled and walked a few more steps, shading her eyes with her hand, looking ahead. It seemed like several acres of land were left fallow.

Seeing Shen Miao's keen interest, Bai Laosan's wife quickly explained, "This land was cleared during the official land survey ordered by the government. It used to be the hidden land of the Guo family in the town, but now it's been confiscated as government land. However... the people of Bai Village are afraid of the Guo family and dare not buy it from the government to farm, so it's been left fallow. Their family is very domineering. If Shen Miao wants to buy land, it's better to buy from other families."

Shen Miao asked curiously, "Why? Who is this Guo family?"

Xie Qi, who knew the answer, remained silent for a moment before speaking up, "They are the family of the deposed Empress Guo, from the Yingchuan Guo clan."