The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl

48. Zhong Mingwei’s Anger

Translator: Iris Guo

They still had steamed buns stuffed with shepherd’s purse, bean vermicelli, and pork for dinner. Moreover, A’Chou made some shepherd’s purse and bean vermicelli porridge, which was easy to make but tasted much better. She just put a handful of shepherd’s purse and bean vermicelli, as well as a spoonful of salt in the porridge.

Zhong Mingwei had eaten salty porridge before, such as mushroom and shredded chicken porridge, yam and rib porridge, and sashimi porridge. Making a small casserole of porridge would cost a maid in the kitchen half a day. However, A’Chou’s salty porridge was obviously different from what he had, which was simple and bland. He finished two bowls and still wanted more, but he decided to eat some stuffed steamed buns instead.

A’Chou apparently behaved with more restraint, perhaps because she still felt awkward about what happened in the quilt at noon. She helped Zhong Mingwei eat two stuffed steamed buns slowly, and barely said anything. When she took the third stuffed steamed bun, he hastened to refuse it because he was already full, so she began to eat.

“You live in the kitchen?” After swallowing the stuffed steamed bun, Zhong Mingwei asked the question that had been on his mind for several days. He felt sorry for A’Chou when she told him that she used to be awakened by the coldness in the Duan Family’s woodhouse, and he felt sorrier when seeing a blade of grass in her hair.

“Eh? Yes.” A’Chou nodded.

“You could tidy up the wing-room and live there. Don’t live in the kitchen anymore,” whispered Zhong Mingwei. Actually he didn’t want to told her this, but he couldn’t help it, “Put your bedding against the south wall. You’ll get some sunlight and warmth.”

A’Chou’s heart softened, her eyes became a little teary, and she hated it when she could not control her emotion. She quickly gulped the stuffed steamed bun, looked down and said: “It’s alright. There’s no leak in the kitchen, and there’s a lot of space. It’s convenient to live there.”

“Why not living in a ready room? You are a girl, why would you rather live in the kitchen?” Zhong Mingwei got a little annoyed and spoke bluntly, “There’s always grass in your hair, and you’ve got kitchen smell all over. Do you have to be a sloven?”

“Oh, you seem right.” A’Chou hastened to put down the bowl and chopsticks, scratched in her hair, and found a blade of grass as Zhong Mingwei said. She seized the grass and said in embarrassment, “I… I’ll clean up the wing-room in a few days.”

“As soon as possible.” Zhong Mingwei couldn’t bear seeing her depressed and turned his face to the wall. He was a little mad at himself since he was incapable of doing anything but kept giving orders, since he could not change it when a young girl always affected him.

A’Chou looked at Zhong Mingwei. She was about to say something, but gave up and went out with all the bowls and chopsticks.

When A’Chou got out of the main hall, she walked towards the wing-room and gently pushed open the door. She looked at the empty room where several large wooden boxes were left about, and frowned with sorrow.

There was no bed. Where should she sleep in?

Alas!

Day: The 12th day of the fifth lunar month, the 32nd year of Jiasheng Reign

Location: NingGuTa

There was little rice and flour left, so A’Chou had to go downhill to buy more as well as meat and vegetables. Although there were plenty of shepherd’s purse and dandelion in the mountain, which she loved, she couldn’t let Zhong Mingwei eat edible potherbs all the time. The doctor told her that weak patients like him should eat well.