Chapter 231: The Dignity of My Office
"Ah, there's no use dwelling on such matters," Hong Chengchou sighed, his mood taking a downturn. "Let's just eat."
Various ingredients bubbled in the hot pot. He used his chopsticks to pluck out a few items and tasted them, finding each one perfectly prepared. He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "The ingredients are abundant, and the seasonings are ample. This small hot pot is truly an art! I observe that your village is exceedingly prosperous. May I ask which family owns this fortress?"
San Shier smiled. "Our master's surname is Li."
"A fortress in Gao Family Village, yet the surname is Li?" Hong Chengchou mused, a glint in his eye. "Tsk, tsk! Impressive, truly impressive."
He thought to himself: *It seems this is a reclusive, ancient family that wishes to remain unknown to outsiders, hence the subtle twist in the village's name. This Li family is far too powerful to be underestimated.*
"We have no real power to speak of," San Shier replied humbly. "In the future, we might still have to rely on Lord Hong."
"Of course, of course," Hong Chengchou murmured.
He casually brushed it off with a vague remark, knowing well that whether it was "of course" or not depended entirely on their mutual usefulness in the future.
"By the way, Lord Hong, you've only been eating from the clear broth pot," San Shier said, picking up a slice of beef from the red broth and putting it in his mouth. "Would you like to try the spicy side? Tsk, it's delicious! I never knew I could handle this kind of spicy food; I didn't even realize it myself before."
Gao Yiye and Third Mistress agreed, "We don't like it either."
But Tan Liwen and Madam Bai declared, "We think it's very tasty! The spiciness is quite invigorating."
Their debate sparked Hong Chengchou's interest. He wanted to try it, but the rich beef tallow aroma—he didn't want it clinging to his clothes. He kept his body far from the red broth pot, stretching his arm out long, extending his chopsticks to their maximum reach. With the very tip of his chopsticks, he delicately picked up a sliver of tender meat, reaching across the entire table to bring it back to his mouth.
"Oh!"
So spicy, but so satisfying.
Only then did Hong Chengchou realize that he, too, could actually enjoy spicy food.
He actually found the dishes from the red broth pot tastier than those from the clear broth.
"Lord Hong, come sit closer!" San Shier called out, having moved to the edge of the red broth pot himself and now beckoning to Hong Chengchou.
But Hong Chengchou shook his head. Delicious as it was, he absolutely refused to sit any closer. His clothes must never be tainted with the scent of hot pot; he simply couldn't ruin his dignified demeanor!
He maintained his distant seat, stretching his hand out long, his chopsticks reaching across the table to retrieve food from the red broth pot. He brought it back to his mouth, his facial muscles strained to maintain his composure, preventing him from showing how much he enjoyed it, yet the pleasure in his eyes was undeniable.
Suddenly, San Shier spoke up. "Lord Hong, oil... it's on your chin..."
"Ah?" Hong Chengchou was startled. In a mere fraction of a second, he swiftly pulled a small bronze mirror from his sleeve. He looked into it, and indeed, a dab of red oil stained his chin. This... this... this, this, this, this, this was utterly ruining his official demeanor!
In another fraction of a second, he darted to the servant waiting at the courtyard entrance, snatched a handkerchief, wiped his chin clean in a fraction of a second, and then, in yet another fraction of a second, flashed back to the table.
And in a final fraction of a second, he sat down impeccably straight, even smoothing out the creases in his clothes.
Everyone felt a blur before their eyes. Hong Chengchou appeared as if he hadn't moved at all, yet the red oil on his chin had vanished without a trace, and his clothes were perfectly neat.
Hong Chengchou displayed an expression as if nothing had happened. "Eat, everyone. Please continue to eat."
Everyone: "..."
*Why did they suddenly feel like punching him?*
So, the question was, how many years in prison would one get for assaulting a fourth-rank imperial official?
That evening, hosts and guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Everyone happily celebrated the Heavenly Lord Hot Pot Festival. Among the villagers of Gao Family Village and Hong Chengchou's several hundred subordinates, three-fifths discovered their affinity for spicy food, but two-fifths declared that they would never touch chili peppers again in this lifetime.
Li Daoxuan wasn't too concerned. *Just take your time, you all. One day, you'll be eating hot pot and singing songs with your wives, rushing towards a beautiful future.*
Early the next morning, Hong Chengchou rose promptly. With his subordinates in tow, he bid farewell to Gao Family Village and continued his journey to Xi'an. His grand anti-bandit campaign was about to officially begin. However, Li Daoxuan knew it was doomed to fail, with no possibility of success. He only wondered when Hong Chengchou would visit next, and if there was a chance to lure this prominent figure into the village to be a "miniature" resident of his own.
*Let fate decide!*
The outside world grew more chaotic. Governor Hu Tingyan of Shaanxi sprang into action, dispatching large armies to pursue and suppress the rebels. For a time, all of Shaanxi was in an uproar, with government troops scurrying everywhere.
Bai Yuan periodically sent back reports: government troops had thoroughly defeated Bu Zhan Ni in one place; government troops had decisively routed Zijing Liang in another; government troops had crushed Wang Zuogua in yet another location.
The government troops were remarkably valorous, victorious in every battle, suffering almost no defeats. However, it was utterly useless. Despite constantly suffering losses, the rebel forces steadily grew, increasing with every battle, growing with every defeat...
While the outside world was a chaotic mess, Gao Family Village was not idle.
Xing Honglang brought back chickens, ducks, and piglets from Xi'an. Though not many, seeing them slowly multiply offered much hope for the future.
The villagers hadn't dared to raise livestock before because they could barely keep themselves alive, let alone animals. Now that they had surplus grain, they certainly had to raise some.
However, raising chickens was one thing, but raising ducks was a bit awkward. Just as predicted, Gao San Niang's two ducklings had jumped into the village's main pond again, and a group of villagers was frantically trying to herd them ashore.
The Village Chief scolded Gao San Niang, pointing at her nose. "This is our only water source! Quickly, get your stinky ducks out of there!"
Gao San Niang was extremely embarrassed. "I'll be right there..."
"Alright, alright, stop fussing!" Gao Yiye ran over with a cheerful laugh, waving her hands. "Everyone, don't worry! The Heavenly Lord said that ducks must be raised, and he will bestow upon us a large pond specifically for raising ducks and fish!"
The villagers exclaimed, "Wow! Here it comes!"
Indeed, yet another giant pond descended from the sky. This time, the pond was not a box of strange material, but a stone pool. The Heavenly Lord's multicolored golden hand stretched down from the heavens, and in just a few swift motions, it dug a massive pit in the ground and placed the stone pool inside...
Then, like a celestial river falling from the sky, the pool filled with water in the blink of an eye.
Gao Yiye laughed heartily. "The Heavenly Lord said this pool is made of pure natural stone and can be used to raise fish and ducks! Everyone, stop teasing Gao San Niang's ducklings; they're so cute!"
The villagers shook their heads. "No, the ducks are bullying us! It's bathing in our drinking water source. Heaven knows if it's been defecating in there."
"Didn't everyone bathe in the pond before?" Gao Yiye countered.
The villagers chuckled. "Humans and ducks aren't the same, are they?"
Today, too, Gao Family Village was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
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