Early that morning, Bai Zhi had already assigned Xiao Yu to wait by the side gate for the vegetable delivery.
Yesterday they’d woken up too late and never found out where the cook woman had hidden the food.
The small delivery gate was just behind the kitchen. When Bai Zhi arrived, Xiao Yu was already wrestling with the cook woman over a piece of meat.
“Oh dear, Ninth Prince, you mustn’t do this! You’re a noble person—don’t dirty your hands.”
Though the cook woman sounded respectful, she certainly wasn’t holding back physically. Xiao Yu couldn’t overpower her and was shoved to the ground instead.
Anger flashed across Bai Zhi’s face.
She strode over, kicked the back of the woman’s knee, and smoothly snatched the meat from her hands.
The cook woman fell to the ground and immediately started wailing.
“Oh heavens! Murder! The prince’s consort is killing someone!”
Her cries were loud enough to shake the heavens.
Bai Zhi turned and shot Xiao Yu a look.
Xiao Yu, who had just been about to stand up: “…”
“Aah! It hurts! My leg hurts so much! My leg’s broken!”
To be fair, Xiao Yu’s acting wasn’t bad at all. The cook woman was so stunned she forgot her own lines.
Ignoring the two of them, Bai Zhi briskly took the basket from the vegetable delivery man and tossed the meat inside.
The guards at the gate were alarmed by the noise and came over shouting, “What’s going on here?!”
Xiao Yu spoke first.
“This old woman assaulted a prince! Drag her out and beat her to death!”
One of the guards couldn’t help twitching at the corner of his mouth.
Still acting like he was a prince, huh?
But as long as the Emperor hadn’t officially stripped him of status, he was technically still the Emperor’s son.
The guard impatiently looked at the cook woman.
“Why are you shouting like that? Hurry up and apologize to the Ninth Prince.”
The cook woman was sharp enough to know the guards wouldn’t side with her. She quickly scrambled up groaning dramatically.
“This old servant acted carelessly. Please forgive me, Ninth Prince.”
“Scram! Hurry up and scram!”
The cook woman lowered her head, but the look she shot Xiao Yu was vicious beyond words.
Xiao Yu cursed, “Didn’t you hear me? Get lost!”
Limping, the cook woman finally left.
The guard then looked at the old vegetable vendor.
“Once you finish delivering the vegetables, leave immediately too.”
“Yes, yes, this humble one will leave right away.” The old man bowed repeatedly.
After thinking for a moment, Bai Zhi held out her hand for Xiao Yu to give her some silver.
Reluctantly, he handed over a small broken piece of silver.
“Old sir, tomorrow please help us buy some ribs. And bring two large bones too.”
The old man glanced nervously at the guards. Only after seeing they said nothing did he accept the silver.
He packed up his handcart and left.
The guards looked down on Xiao Yu’s group even more now.
So poor they couldn’t even afford meat anymore—only bones.
Bai Zhi paid no attention to the guards’ thoughts and headed back toward the kitchen with Xiao Yu.
“How dare you give silver directly to the delivery man? Aren’t you afraid he’ll pocket it?”
Bai Zhi replied calmly, “Didn’t you say in your dream that you bought the vegetable vendor’s cart? That means he’s someone who can be bribed. Besides, even if he skims a little money off the top, that’s normal. Who gets up early without profit?”
“But what if he pockets all of it?”
Bai Zhi looked at him like he was an idiot.
“What, is he stupid? He can’t tell the difference between one full meal and endless full meals?”
Xiao Yu: “…Fair point.”
When they entered the kitchen, they found the cook woman absent.
Bai Zhi took out the ingredients she needed and locked the rest back into the cupboard.
At that moment, the cook woman rushed back in.
“You can’t lock everything away! What am I supposed to eat then?”
Bai Zhi smiled coldly.
“What are you supposed to eat? Obviously the things hidden in your own room.”
“You—”
The fake smile on Bai Zhi’s face deepened.
“Don’t treat everyone else like fools. Where did all yesterday’s vegetables and meat go? Because I sure didn’t see any.”
The cook woman stammered wordlessly before finally turning and leaving.
Only after she’d gone far away did Xiao Yu mutter, “I really want to kill that old hag.”
Bai Zhi replied coldly, “We need to find a way to exchange for silver outside. As long as she’s here, she’ll keep being a problem.”
Now that they had meat, Bai Zhi abandoned the idea of making sweet buns and decided to make meat pies instead.
She told Xiao Yu to boil water while she washed her hands and kneaded dough first.
After finishing the dough and letting it rest, she started chopping meat.
There was only about a pound of it—probably pork from the hind leg. Only the bottom layer had fat; the rest was lean meat.
In ancient times, this probably wasn’t considered desirable meat.
But Bai Zhi liked it very much.
After dicing the meat, she made Xiao Yu mince the filling while she carefully washed her face, avoiding the wound.
Then she returned to the room to apply face cream and bring water back for Xiao Zelan to wash up.
Holding the basin, Bai Zhi pushed open the door with her shoulder and found Xiao Zelan leaning on crutches, slowly making his way toward the entrance.
“Why are you out of bed?”
She set the basin down and hurried over to support him.
“I vaguely heard shouting. Did something happen?” Xiao Zelan’s face was full of concern.
“No. I beat that cook woman, and she started crying.”
Xiao Zelan visibly relaxed, then looked at Bai Zhi in surprise.
“You…”
“What? Did I scare you?” Bai Zhi’s tone carried amusement.
She had no intention of pretending forever. The road to exile had no room for weaklings.
“No.” Xiao Zelan’s answer was sincere. “I’m happy you can protect yourself.”
“I can protect more than just myself. I can protect you too. But only if you listen to me.”
This time Xiao Zelan truly froze.
Bai Zhi hadn’t expected him to agree immediately anyway. She was simply giving him advance warning.
She went to apply face cream.
The wounds on her face had already scabbed over, so medicine was no longer necessary.
Afterward, Bai Zhi dragged a stool beside the bed, poured water into Xiao Zelan’s basin, set it atop the stool, and placed the cloth inside.
“Wash your face yourself. Leave the water there and let Xiao Yu dump it later.”
Then she turned to leave.
“I agree.”
Bai Zhi paused mid-step.
“I agree to listen to you. In the future… Xiao Yu will trouble you.”
Bai Zhi turned back to look at him.
Xiao Zelan smiled faintly.
“My legs are ruined, and my health isn’t good either. One day I might…”
He lowered his head.
“Xiao Yu will be in your care.”
Asking a newly married wife—no, more accurately, asking a little girl—to protect himself and his younger brother…
He truly was—
Suddenly, a pair of red wedding shoes entered his vision.
Xiao Zelan looked up.
Bai Zhi had already walked over and was standing right in front of him, looking down at him.
She had changed out of the outer wedding robes, but the inner garments and shoes were still the bright red from the wedding day.
After all, she probably wouldn’t have many chances to wear such red clothes again. Might as well get more use out of them.
“Let me see your legs.”
Before Xiao Zelan could respond, Bai Zhi had already crouched down and rolled up his pant legs.
His knees were merely red and swollen. Nothing obvious could be seen.
But…
His calves were quite long, and his leg shape was nice too.
It would be a shame if the muscles atrophied later.
Xiao Zelan had no idea what Bai Zhi was thinking. If he knew, his face would probably burn red.
“How were your legs injured? Was it really just from kneeling in the snow?”
Cool fingers pressed against his knee, making Xiao Zelan let out a muffled groan of pain.
“Before… before this, my knees had already been injured. They were never fully healed. Then I knelt in the snow, and it became even worse.”
“Did a doctor examine them? Did you take medicine?”
“Yes. When I first arrived at the estate, an imperial physician came. He said the cold had seeped into the bone marrow. He prescribed medicine too. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t even be able to take half a step.”
Bai Zhi asked further, “Do the bones ache? Does it hurt more when the weather turns cold?”
Xiao Zelan nodded.
“Yes.”
Probably rheumatism.
Bai Zhi lowered his pant leg again and said to him, “Wash your face first. I’m going to make breakfast.”
Xiao Zelan watched her retreating figure and smiled.
This was the first time someone had looked at his legs without pity, regret, fake tears, or schadenfreude.