The Double-Chapter 478 - 151: Accident

Sitting by the pile of firewood, Jiang Li said, "Let me do it."

Deer meat needed to be cut and roasted. Kong Liu asked, "Miss Jiang the Second, do you need help cutting it? Whatever you say, I’ll cut it."

"No need." Before she finished speaking, everyone saw Jiang Li pick up the silver dagger set aside and cut a large chunk of deer meat. Her movements were skilled, not seeming like it was her first time doing this. Seeing the surprised gazes of others around her, Jiang Li paused, then smiled, "When I was on Green City Mountain in the past, Tonger and I would often do this, so it’s not my first time. I appreciate your kindness, Lord Kong."

While she threaded the cut piece of meat onto a bamboo skewer, she proceeded to do the same thing again, explaining to everyone, "Actually, the most important part about roasting deer meat is doing it yourself, the joy of being carefree. The shape in which the meat is cut, how it’s skewered, or how it turns out doesn’t matter. As long as you roast it yourself, it won’t taste bad in the end. After all, it’s not a difficult task."

Old General Jih, who was already eager to try, upon hearing Jiang Li say this, immediately rolled up his sleeves and took a dagger, deftly cutting a large piece of meat. After all, he was an experienced military leader, and even his first attempt looked quite decent.

Wen Renyao and Kong Liu joined in the fun and also found daggers to roast their own meat. Jih Heng leaned to one side, looking at Jiang Li, and suddenly said, "You’re just trying to be lazy by saying that, aren’t you?"

Jiang Li replied in surprise, "Is my act that obvious?"

"Not obvious, but anyone who isn’t a fool can see it."

But even if one were a fool, most people would probably enjoy being that fool. The joy of roasting deer meat lies in doing it yourself. Moreover, with everyone grilling, those left would also feel an urge to join in. Before long, everyone had a bamboo skewer in hand, sitting and turning them over the fire.

Jih Heng was no different; even sitting on the ground, he did not seem crude. This group of people, with Lu Jiu’s scholarly demeanor, Kong Liu’s martial world’s roughness, Old General Jih’s vigorous energy, Situ Jiuyue’s beautiful mystery, and even the reticent Wen Renyao, was a graceful young gentleman. And there was Jih Heng in his red attire, spreading his presence over the bamboo mat, sitting lazily, casual yet effortlessly charming.

It seemed like a group of people from all corners of the country had gathered for their own reasons, feeling a mutual appreciation, drinking and chatting merrily, a delightful scene.

Hai Tang couldn’t eat any of this, as the scars on her face had not healed, and she had to be more careful with her diet. But she kept staring intently at Jiang Li’s actions.

Jiang Li turned the skewers slowly; she was not as impatient as Old General Jih, nor as cautious as Lu Jiu, acting both casually and peacefully, yet still focused on what she did. The Chief Minister’s Daughter didn’t find it inappropriate in the least but smiled tenderly instead, the firelight making her eyes exceptionally bright.

Her demeanor, movements, and smiles gradually overlapped with the image of someone else in Hai Tang’s mind. Suddenly she asked, "Where did Miss Jiang the Second learn to roast deer meat?"

Jiang Li glanced at her and smiled, "When I was young, I was sent to a temple for a while where we were not allowed to consume meat. Being naughty as a child, I would buy deer meat from hunters with my maid and secretly roast it to eat. I suppose it was the hunters who taught me."

"Is it the same for roasting chicken?" Hai Tang asked.

Jiang Li answered, "Exactly."

"How so?" Lu Jiu asked nonchalantly, "Miss Hai Tang, do you think there’s something wrong?"

"No," Hai Tang murmured, shaking her head, then her look became forlorn again, "Our miss loved roasting deer meat a long time ago."

"Madam Shen Xue Fangfei?" Lu Jiu inquired.

That name seemed to make Hai Tang uncomfortable, she frowned slightly before nodding but then emphasized again, "Our miss."

"Isn’t Madam Shen known in Yanjing City as the supremely talented woman with both beauty and artistic skills?" Wen Renyao chimed in, "Regardless of her character, when she was on good terms with the master of Mingyi Hall, I was fortunate to see her once, and she seemed extremely genteel. I doubt she’d be able to roast deer meat, right? The Top Scholar’s Mansion is all about strict propriety. How should I put it?" He thought for a moment, "Although it’s not right to speak ill of others behind their backs, Top Scholar Shen’s mother is almost so rigorously conventional as to be obsolete and harsh."

Jiang Li was taken aback, as this was the first time she heard such comments about Mother Shen from anyone else. When she was a daughter-in-law in the Shen family, she had had her grievances with Mother Shen too but assumed all mothers-in-law were like that. Or perhaps Yanjing and Tongxiang simply had different customs. Wen Renyao’s words surprised her, yet she felt an inward agreement.