After finishing the chicken coop, she untied the thin strings from the chickens’ legs and threw the two hens inside.
After washing her hands, she walked over to Xiao Xian and said, “Go strip all the cypress leaves. I’ll handle things here.”
Xiao Xian didn’t say a word. He washed his hands, supported himself with his crutch, and walked toward the cypress tree she had cut down.
Watching him hold the crutch in one hand and drag the tree to the steps with the other, Li Miaomiao looked up at the sky and shook her head speechlessly.
Serves him right for what he did last night.
The pork offal that had been soaked in salt all night and repeatedly rubbed with coarse flour had lost much of its smell. The lungs and other parts had also turned pale after repeated washing.
She took the pancreas out separately. There were river clams in the fields in early spring—she planned to get some later to make soap.
Carrying the cleaned offal into the kitchen, she put the intestines into a pot, added some wine to remove the odor, and cleaned the blood clots from the heart and other organs.
After that, she began preparing the seasoning.
She stir-fried chili and Sichuan pepper with salt in another pot until fragrant, then ground them into powder and rubbed the mixture evenly over the liver and stomach.
By then, the intestines had finished blanching. She set half aside for braised dishes and planned to stew the other half with white radish.
The leftover meat from yesterday was finely chopped, mixed with tofu, shaped into balls, and deep-fried. Looking at the golden meatballs in the pot, she sighed.
“They’d taste even better with water chestnuts, but the city doesn’t sell them.”
After seasoning the portion meant for smoking, she went outside and saw that Xiao Xian had already stripped all the cypress leaves.
Not wasting time, she went out and picked many palm leaves.
The broken fence had its advantages—she threaded the wooden poles through it and only needed to secure a few spots.
After setting up the frame, she hung the marinated offal on the wood, covered everything with palm leaves, and placed dry grass underneath to light. Smoking meat required skill and care to prevent the fire from flaring up.
For Li Miaomiao, it wasn’t difficult.
She covered the top with cypress leaves. Wisps of smoke slowly rose, and the air filled with a fresh, fragrant scent.
By the time she cleaned up everything on the ground, it was already noon.
When she turned back, she saw Xiao Xian sitting on the steps, lowering his head and picking at his hands. She glanced down and noticed her own hands were also sticky with tree sap.
She immediately went to the kitchen, boiled some water, poured it into a bucket, added some cold water, and carried it out.
Setting the bucket in front of him, she said, “Put your hands in and soak them.”
Xiao Xian looked at her, his voice indifferent. “No need.”
He picked up his crutch and prepared to go back to his room.
Li Miaomiao felt he was being stubborn.
She pressed his shoulder down, grabbed his hands, and placed them in the warm water. Her sweet voice carried a hint of concern.
“You have to wash it off before the sap hardens. Otherwise, it might tear off a layer of skin later.”
Listening to her, Xiao Xian stared at the water. Her rough hands rested over the back of his.
He had always hated others touching his hands.
But now, he didn’t feel disgusted.
Seeing he didn’t move, Li Miaomiao crouched down and turned his palms over.
They were covered with dense patches of sap.
She carefully removed it bit by bit, not missing a single knuckle.
As she worked, she noticed how beautiful his hands were.
His fingers were long and well-defined, his skin pale like jade. The thin calluses at the base of his thumb added a touch of wildness that contrasted with his gentle appearance.
While washing, his sleeve slipped down. She quickly caught it and rolled it up to his elbow, afraid it would fall again.
Suddenly, she noticed a scar on his left elbow, the rest hidden by his sleeve.
She wondered how far it extended. Just then, a sharp gaze fell on her.
She looked up. Their eyes met. His eyes were calm, as if her earlier impression had been an illusion.
He had been weak last night, but now he seemed completely recovered. It was better to pretend she hadn’t seen anything.
She lowered her gaze and continued washing his fingers gently.
“Don’t go back to your room yet. I’ll boil water so you can bathe and change.”
After handling the offal, they both smelled.
There was a bathing room with a large tub—clearly Xiao Xian’s. Someone as clean as him couldn’t tolerate odors.
He remained silent.
After finishing, she went to the kitchen to boil water.
Carrying water back and forth was tiring. She thought she should make a pipe system someday.
By the time the bath was ready, Xiao Xian had brought clean clothes. When she finished pouring the last bucket, he arrived at the door.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she said, “Go in and wash.”
She had been busy these days, and her shoulders ached.
Seeing this, Xiao Xian unexpectedly said, “You can use this place to bathe in the future.”
She was surprised.
Even after the door closed, she still felt it was unreal. She puffed her cheeks like a pufferfish and blinked.
So generous?
Had her sincerity moved him?
Truly, sincerity was the ultimate weapon.
The radish and intestine soup still needed time, so she stripped the bark from the cypress, cut the wood, and made two small stools.
After placing them, she checked the smoking fire.
Just then, Xiao Xian came out of the bath. His black hair fell to his waist, still dripping.
Seeing his handsome, loose-haired appearance, Li Miaomiao couldn’t help thinking—
If he wore women’s clothing, how stunning would he be?
Passing the doorway, Xiao Xian saw the new stools. His gaze darkened briefly before he entered the room.
Li Miaomiao planned to bathe at night.
While sitting on the stool sharpening tools, she suddenly saw a familiar figure approaching through the broken fence.
She frowned. “Why is that scumbag Lin here at noon?”
She kept working while watching Lin Dalang.
Most people were eating lunch. Lin Dalang had come to scout the area to find a place to watch Xiao Xian.
Before he got close, he saw Li Miaomiao staring at him.
He snorted arrogantly. “Ugly woman, still obsessed with me.”
He found her face disgusting.
He looked through the fence but didn’t see Xiao Xian and planned to come again at dusk.
Not knowing his purpose, Li Miaomiao ignored him and went to add more leaves to the smoker.
Lin Dalang thought she was coming to speak to him and mocked her.
“Li Miaomiao, even if you beg, I won’t forgive you. You’ll never even be my concubine.”
What nonsense?
She stopped on the steps, confused by his shameless words.
She looked at him as if he were an idiot and couldn’t help laughing.
“Lin Dalang, are you sick?”