Song Xian always remained calm, his face revealed no other emotions. Although he didn’t want to speak, he had to open his mouth now.
Cheng Yanzhao hadn’t yet recovered his senses.
Song Xian looked at the chicken soup in front of him: "What’s in this?"
Xie Liangchen replied: "Old hen, Huang Jing, rice, and mixed grains."
Song Xian confird again: "Nothing else?"
Xie Liangchen decisively and confidently said: "Nothing else."
Every ti Xie Liangchen nad an ingredient, Song Xian had to recall if it matched what he had just eaten.
Opposite the table, Cheng Yanzhao’s face still looked awful, his mouth tightly shut.
It was the first ti Song Xian saw Cheng Yanzhao like this, thinking of his usual chatter, he felt an odd sense of satisfaction in his chest.
Cheng Yanzhao’s eyebrows were almost knitted together, finally, he exhaled long and said: "Miss Xie, then what about mine?"
Xie Liangchen said: "Egg whites, toad oil, minced at."
All Cheng Yanzhao could see were the sun-dried toads; he rembered asking if these toads were to be eaten. He didn’t expect it to end up in his mouth.
"Toad oil is an excellent dicinal ingredient," Song Xian’s calm voice ca.
Xie Liangchen also noticed Cheng Yanzhao’s unease and with so intent to soothe, agreed with Song Xian: "Though dicinal, when prepared well, it also tastes quite good."
Speaking of taste, Cheng Yanzhao thought of that smooth texture, his stomach churning once more.
Song Xian continued: "Only sold in large pharmacies in the Capital, it’s your good fortune to taste it." As he spoke, he pushed the remaining three eggs toward Cheng Yanzhao.
Cheng Yanzhao’s expression turned even more unpleasant.
Song Xian turned his head to Xie Liangchen: "How many can he eat?"
Xie Liangchen understood Song Xian’s intention, sighing inwardly for Cheng Yanzhao; she had to comply with the creditor, truly unable to offend, so Cheng Yanzhao had to be slightly wronged.
Xie Liangchen said: "It doesn’t matter if he eats all three, especially soldiers who often fight outside; eating more has its benefits."
Song Xian looked at Cheng Yanzhao: "You usually have a good appetite, and you were injured a few days ago. Just as Miss Xie delivered the dicinal ingredients, don’t waste the goodwill of the Chen Family villagers."
Cheng Yanzhao gritted his teeth; hadn’t he just talked a bit too much these days? Did Song Xian need to kick him while he was down?
Knowing well that Song Xian was deliberately making things difficult for him, he couldn’t find any words to refute.
Cheng Yanzhao gritted his teeth and said: "You eat."
Song Xian looked indifferent: "I need to take care of you first."
Song Xian hadn’t tasted that flavor yet, so it was easy for him to say whatever he wanted. Cheng Yanzhao realized he was on the losing end, so he could only obediently keep quiet.
After enduring for a while and finally suppressing the discomfort in his throat, Cheng Yanzhao stood up and looked at Xie Liangchen: "Miss Xie, is there any more chicken soup? I’ll go for another serve."
Perhaps drinking so chicken soup would help him forget.
Cheng Yanzhao hadn’t moved his feet when he saw Song Xian handing his bowl to Chang An nearby: "Refill my bowl."
Before Chang An could move, Xie Liangchen took the bowl: "I’ll go."
Cheng Yanzhao stood there, unsure whether he should go to the kitchen before Xie Liangchen or hand his bowl to Chang An for help. During his hesitation, Xie Liangchen returned.
A bowl of chicken soup was placed in front of Song Xian. Xie Liangchen then looked at Cheng Yanzhao: "Sorry, Lord Cheng, there’s no more chicken soup."
Cheng Yanzhao’s face suddenly drooped.
Caught off guard by Cheng Yanzhao’s drawn expression, Song Xian couldn’t hold back and let out a chuckle.
Hearing Song Xian’s laughter, Xie Liangchen looked up, only to see Song Xian’s eyes slightly curved, and that usually indifferent expression vanished completely.
His brows and eyes were bright and clear, with warmth at the upturned corners of his mouth. At this mont, he resembled a handso young man.
It was the first ti she had seen Song Xian like this.
It was just a joke; she had set aside enough chicken soup long ago. Xie Liangchen intended to return to the kitchen to serve another bowl for Cheng Yanzhao, but Cheng Yanzhao stopped her.
Cheng Yanzhao said: "Thank you, Miss Xie, I’ll go myself."
Taking advantage of the good atmosphere in the room.
Xie Liangchen thanked Song Xian: "The Xie Family mbers have also gone to the village."
At this, Xie Liangchen paused slightly.
Song Xian noticed the anomaly, lifted his gaze and t Xie Liangchen’s eyes: "What?"
Xie Liangchen said: "The Xie Family patriarch told that after the news of my parents’ demise ca, his steward returned to his hotown in Dengzhou, and he might have seen my father."
Song Xian put down his chopsticks: "When was this?"
Xie Liangchen said: "The news of my parents’ demise traveled back in June of the ninth year of Yuanping. That steward returned to Dengzhou in September of the ninth year of Yuanping, I was seven that year, but it’s not certain if that was indeed my father."
If that was indeed her father, what reason kept him from returning to the Zhenzhou Xie Family, or continuing to search for her?
Xie Liangchen had many questions too.
Chang Yue had already inford Song Xian of this matter. All Xie Liangchen’s actions in the Chen Family Village did not escape Song Xian’s notice.
Since Xie Liangchen had truthfully inford him, Song Xian was in a good mood today and said directly: "I was rescued at sea in October of the ninth year of Yuanping." The girl’s family who saved him he hadn’t seen clearly, but it was a small hand that reached into the wooden box. If Xie Liangchen’s parents were alive, perhaps it was indeed them who saved him that year?
Song Xian said: "I will send soone to Dengzhou to inquire about the news."
Xie Liangchen responded: "Thank you, General Song."
Song Xian walked toward his desk; Chang An, looking at the chicken soup nearly finished, felt a wave of joy in his heart. It was rare for the master to sit down and have a leisurely al, and he ate so much too.
He had eaten too many hard biscuits and dried at; sotis he couldn’t swallow them down. It was fine in the army camp, but now that the great battle was over, the master should let himself live more comfortably.
Especially since he had just laughed, sothing that hadn’t happened in years. Chang An now hoped that Miss Xie would visit more frequently.
Song Xian rembered sothing and looked at Xie Liangchen: "Li You ntioned the situation in the North to and spoke of the court’s plan to establish a dicine bureau. I suggested to Li You that they could try it in the North first."
Their conversation need not spell out too clearly; they understood each other’s intentions.
In a past life, the court set up a dicine bureau, which significantly reduced dicine prices, but that was four or five years later. Now, with Song Xian pushing, if all goes well, it would all happen sooner.
Having been aware of Song Xian’s intention beforehand, she could confidently proceed to procure dicines.
Xie Liangchen thanked Song Xian once more.
Song Xian said: "No need to thank , just rember whom you are working for."
Xie Liangchen said: "Rest assured, master."
Song Xian lowered his eyes to continue reading the docunts. He thought Xie Liangchen would leave, but found her slender figure still standing there, seemingly...staring at him.
After a mont of silence, Song Xian couldn’t help but lift his eyes to look at Xie Liangchen again, surprised not to et her gaze as before; her attention wasn’t on his face but rather fixed behind him.
Song Xian turned his head, and on the wall hung a bow, one he had carried with him in past years. But as his arm strength increased, the bow beca too light for him and thus unused.
"Do you want it?" Song Xian asked faintly.
Xie Liangchen indeed wanted to take it down and have a look.
Song Xian reached to take down the bow and laid it on the table: "Take it, and let Chang An give you so arrows."
Xie Liangchen was surprised and delighted; Song Xian was particularly agreeable today. Could it be because he was just in a good mood?
She had brought the dicinal ingredients as a gesture of thanks; though the process differed from her intentions, it seed to have achieved the desired result.
Xie Liangchen’s hand grasped the bow, then heard Song Xian ask: "Do you know how to use it?"
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