While waiting for her dishes to be served, Chu Fuyu listened to the storytelling for a while.
She had heard that teahouses often had storytellers, but she hadn’t expected restaurants to have them too. It was probably similar to modern stand-up comedy or traditional crosstalk performances.
After listening for a bit, she realized the story was about Prince Jing, Xiao Jingheng, and his great victory over the Rong tribe.
The storyteller made it sound extremely thrilling.
“The Rong tribe are naturally fierce warriors, ambitious and ruthless. They are sworn enemies of our Great Liang.
Last month, they raided a village near our border city, burning, killing, and looting everything. They even abducted many women and able-bodied men.
They say the heads of the victims were strung up like lanterns, and the wailing could be heard across the entire border city!
At that time, Prince Jing had just finished organizing the city’s defenses. Upon hearing this, he immediately mounted his horse and rode straight to the Rong tribe’s lair without hesitation.
And what did he see? Those Rong bastards were drinking and feasting, while our people were locked in dog cages, forced to fight with dogs for food—each one battered and covered in wounds!”
At this point, many hot-blooded men in the audience could no longer bear it. They were practically ready to rush to the battlefield and slaughter the Rong tribe themselves.
The storyteller took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and continued.
“There were two to three hundred Rong warriors there. Prince Jing, however, only had fifty men. In such overwhelming odds, most people would choose to maneuver, strike from the flanks, and divide the enemy.
But who is Prince Jing?
He is the Great General of Great Liang! The War God!”
The storyteller suddenly raised his voice.
“No one expected that he would charge head-on! He rode at the front with his bow drawn and battle flag raised, showing no hesitation at all!
Wherever he passed, enemies trembled in fear!
The Rong tribe quickly realized what was happening and grabbed their weapons—but it was already too late!
Prince Jing led the charge, and in an instant, drew his great bow and shot the enemy leader straight through the heart!”
With a loud slap of the wooden gavel, the atmosphere reached its peak.
“In that moment, the soldiers surged forward like a tidal wave! Heaven and earth seemed to darken as the Rong forces were completely annihilated—utterly defeated, with no chance to resist!
A great victory for us!”
“Good!!! Well said!!!”
“As expected of Prince Jing! Truly magnificent!”
“He has brought honor to Great Liang!”
“Kill them all! Those Rong bastards deserve it!”
“Another round! Tell us more!”
The audience erupted in cheers and applause, clearly eager for more.
Unfortunately, the storyteller stroked his beard and declared, “As for what happens next, please listen to the next installment,” which earned a chorus of boos.
Though the storytelling ended, the crowd continued discussing excitedly.
“Prince Jing really is impressive! No wonder he’s the son of Noble Consort Shu. If the late Crown Prince hadn’t been the legitimate heir, who knows who would have taken the throne?”
“Are you drunk? How dare you say that?”
“What’s wrong with saying it? Everyone knows Prince Jing is both talented in literature and war!”
“Well, this isn’t something common folk like us should be talking about. I heard Prince Jing is returning to the capital soon.”
“He’s almost thirty and still has no children. Doesn’t Noble Consort Shu worry?”
“Since when are you so concerned about royal heirs?”
“I’m just curious! With his status and looks, plenty of noble ladies in the capital must be waiting for him.”
“So what? He was married before and still ended up divorced. Maybe there’s something wrong with him.”
As the discussion drifted further and further off track, people eventually laughed it off and stopped talking.
Chu Fuyu withdrew her attention, and unexpectedly found herself looking at her “cheap ex-husband” in a slightly new light.
Setting everything else aside, at least in defending the nation, Xiao Jingheng had indeed done well.
At that moment, the dishes were served.
Chu Fuyu began tasting them. The Thousand Flavors Restaurant truly lived up to its reputation. The crab-stuffed orange was fragrant and fresh—the sweetness of orange perfectly balancing the crab’s richness, leaving a lingering aroma on the palate.
The stir-fried eel noodles were just as good—coated in a reddish-brown sauce, savory and slightly spicy, both filling and satisfying.
She then ordered crab dumplings, braised pork, and fish soup, packing them into food boxes to bring back for the children.
Remembering that Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, she also bought some mooncakes.
Finally, she left the restaurant with two full food boxes and returned to her donkey cart. The attendant who had been watching her donkey greeted her quickly.
“Madam, don’t worry, I’ve been watching your cart the whole time. No one touched your belongings.”
“Thank you,” Chu Fuyu replied.
She drove the heavily loaded cart back home. Fortunately, she had fed the donkey well at the restaurant earlier; otherwise, it might have refused to move.
Thankfully, the donkey was strong and reliable, carrying the load steadily and quickly.
When she arrived home, it was around three in the afternoon.
After securing the donkey, she began unloading the goods. The three children and Xiao Ying ran out to help.
Xiao Ying said brightly, “Aunt Chu, my mother is working in the back garden. She’s almost finished plowing it.”
Chu Fuyu was stunned.
The backyard wasn’t huge, but it was still a lot of work. If she did it alone, it would take at least three to five days.
Yet Aunt Li had been working from morning until now—and almost finished it in a single day.
Surprised and touched, Chu Fuyu quickly went to the back garden.
As expected, Aunt Li was there, drenched in sweat, vigorously swinging her hoe, her back bent to the earth.
Even in this cold weather, she was sweating heavily.
Chu Fuyu hurried over. “Auntie, I’m back! Stop working and come rest, have some tea!”
Aunt Li looked up when she heard her voice. She wiped her sweat with a cloth, dusted off her clothes, and walked over. She had changed into rough cotton clothes for farm work.
“Girl, how was the trip to town? Everything went smoothly?”
Chu Fuyu quickly handed her a cup of tea. “Everything went smoothly! Auntie, you’re unbelievably fast! I was planning to help you when I got back!”
Aunt Li was indeed thirsty. She downed the tea in one gulp, then sat by the stone table and drank three more cups before finally wiping her mouth.
“It’s nothing, just easy work. You’re delicate and soft-skinned—you shouldn’t be doing this kind of labor. It’s almost done anyway; I’ll finish it in another incense stick of time.”
Chu Fuyu nodded.
Indeed, it was nearly finished. There wasn’t much she could help with anymore.
So she said, “I’ll cook dinner later. You, Xiao Ying, and Huzi can all come over and eat together.”