Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 424 - 422

Zining was startled after hearing that, how could he backtrack!

Shangguan Xuanyi looked at Xiao’er, waiting for her to speak.

"Brother Shangguan, why is there no chirping of cicadas and crickets anymore?"

In summer, she would hear these sounds every morning. Now that they were suddenly gone, she felt uneasy.

Zining: How did the conversation get onto insects?

"I was worried they would disturb your sleep, so I had them all captured."

This was a surprisingly touching gesture. Forget it, she decided not to deliberately upset him with the personal service of the maids anymore.

Thinking that some insects were delicious in modern times, she wonder how they would taste here. Ah well, she’d let the maid have this gustatory experience to sample dishes with them!

"Only twenty severe beatings, that’s a light punishment. I fear thirty more may be fatal! So how about this, Brother Shangguan, do you know where those captured cicadas and crickets are now?"

"Xiao Fuzi, bring over those cicadas and crickets," Shangguan Xuanyi commanded to Xiao Fuzi, who was waiting outside the door.

"Yes," Xiao Fuzi responded and left.

Zining had a bad feeling about this after hearing these words.

Was the punishment of twenty severe beatings still a minor penalty? Twenty severe beatings could almost kill her! There was a maid in the palace who was once punished with twenty severe beatings, her buttocks were torn open, the wound got infected a few days later, then she had a high fever that wouldn’t break, and she nearly died! She had to lie in bed for over a month before she could get up.

But what does Lady Rui’an want with those cicadas and crickets? She couldn’t possibly throw them on herself, could she?

Zining thought of this, a shiver running down her spine, and her body was raising goosebumps.

Soon, Xiao Fuzi came in, holding a large bag of insects.

Xiao’er stood up and walked to Xiao Fuzi: "Xiao Fuzi, open the bag. I want to see if they are fresh."

Fresh or not? Fresh, so what? If they aren’t fresh, so what?

Zining, who was kneeling on the ground, couldn’t help but rub her arms with both hands.

Is Lady Rui’an really a lady? She couldn’t possibly be a man disguised as a woman! Which lady would dare to look at these disgusting things!

"Mistress, are you afraid?" Xiao Fuzi hesitated. He was worried he might scare Xiao’er.

"No, how can I be scared of such cute creatures?"

Cute? Xiao Fuzi blinked, his lady boss does have an unique taste.

He certainly couldn’t see the cuteness in them!

Xiao Fuzi opened up the bag, Xiao’er leaned over to take a look. Inside the bag, cicadas and crickets were densely packed, crawling around.

Xiao Fuzi glanced into the bag then felt a tingling sensation along his scalp.

"Zining, come and take a look."

Upon hearing this, Zining trembled violently, like leaves falling in the autumn wind.

"Please spare me, Lady Rui’an, I dare not disobey you again."

"Don’t be nervous, I just asked you to come and have a look! These insects don’t bite, nor are they poisonous, what are you scared of! I even feel like having a taste!"

Lady Rui’an must be an alien! Eating insects! Hearing this, Zining, trembling on her legs, managed to stand up, and slowly walked over, taking ten times longer than usual.

She then fearfully took a glance with one eye open and the other eye closed. Bugs, all black and wriggling and crawling. She felt the bugs crawling all over her body. She couldn’t resist brushing her hands over her body to get rid of the non-existent bugs.

Xiao’er was satisfied with her performance!

"Alright, Xiao Fuzi, seal up the bag. Take everything in this bag to the kitchen, blanch these things and make them into dishes for Zining. Serve them one dish at a time, until they’re all finished! Consider this a reminder that she shouldn’t forget pain once her scab is healed! These things are actually tasty, once you take a bite, ’crack’, the shell breaks, and the juice inside flows into your mouth..."

Yuck! Zining covered her mouth upon hearing this and hurriedly ran out!

If she dared to vomit in the Sixth Prince’s room, her head would surely be detached from her neck by tomorrow.

"Haha..." Xiao’er couldn’t help but laugh when she saw Zining pale in fear.

Let’s see if she dares to use itching powder on her again!

Actually, fried cicada pupae taste pretty good! But perhaps ancient people don’t dare to eat them! She’ll get some to eat later!

Or maybe she should eat things like scorpions, cicada pupae, wasp pupae in front of the Empress Dowager. Every time she sends another servant girl to Brother Shangguan’s house, she’ll feast on a dish in front of her and even invite her to join!

If she wants to disgust her, she will return the favor in this way! freёweɓnovel.com

Good idea!

"Amusing?" Shangguan Xuanyi asked the girl in front of him who was laughing heartily.

"Yep, I have a method to keep the Empress Dowager from sending servant girls to stay with you!"

"What method?" He was happy that she was actively thinking of a way to help him fend off these troubles.

"Every time she sends someone, I would eat a dish of poisonous scorpions, cicada pupae, wasp pupae right in front of her. Just to disgust her!"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Xuanyi’s face darkened, "You don’t have to eat such disgusting things; the only woman who is allowed to be near me is you! You don’t have to worry about this. If it bothers you, if the Empress Dowager sends someone else, I’ll send them away immediately! I’ve already sent that maid away just now."

"Disgusting? Those things are quite tasty, one day I’ll make them for you!"

Yuck! Shangguan Xuanyi could feel a wave brewing in his stomach.

Could this girl be punishing him for accepting the maid that the Empress Dowager sent?

Xiao’er looked at his stiff expression and couldn’t help but laugh.

If this man dares to bully her in the future, he’ll have to eat scorpions!

Seeing her mischievous expression, Shangguan Xuanyi guessed what she was thinking and fought through his discomfort to ask, "Why did you want to keep Zining?"

Upon hearing this, the smile on Xiao’er’s face disappeared.

"Zining had itching powder in her fingernail grooves. I also happened to see her talking with Chang Guiren in the palace. At the time, they were a bit far away, and I couldn’t hear what they were talking about. I thought she was Chang Guiren’s maid, so I didn’t pay much attention. Do you remember the Chef Gu the Empress Dowager brought back?"

Shangguan Xuanyi nodded.

"I saw a plum blossom tattoo on Chef Gu’s arm. Just now, although it was just for an instant and I didn’t see it clearly, I can assure you that the tattoo on her hand is the same as the one on Chef Gu’s arm."

"I understand, let’s leave this matter aside for now, we will discuss it when I return. I will be leaving the Imperial Capital for some time tomorrow, be careful, don’t go running around, stay at home, do you understand!"

Of course she doesn’t understand, she has never run around aimlessly! As for staying at home... it would be difficult!

She still needs to secure more assets for her household. In a few years, Jingrui will start his career, and they will need a lot of money!

Now that her siblings are growing up, they need more money. While Jingrui is now focusing on this, she must take advantage of these three years to expand their family’s industries.

Just then, Xiao Fuzi, who had been running errands, was leading a few maids to bring the food over.

Xiao’er just remembered that she hadn’t freshened herself yet and hurried off to do so.