T/N: I"m baaaaaaaaack I was nearly done with this chapter before I went on holiday so I thought I"d finish this first hehe
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It snowed for several days, Zhao Jin Yu stayed at home forseveral days, she simply did not know, because of her thoughtless one move, thewhole imperial palace even the entire capital city were shaken up.
Five days later, after she finished eating the meagreremaining food in the house the snow finally stopped.
Zhao Jin Yu put on thick cotton-padded clothes, and put ongloves preparing to tidy up the courtyard of snow, afterwards pleased withherself she made herself a meal, she remembered there was still a piece ofcured meat in the kitchen, putting on two potatoes, and adding several chilliesshe stewed a pot, mixed with steaming hot rice, it was truly delicious on thiscold winter day.
Outside a thumping sound knocking on the door could beheard, Zhoa Jin Yu put the broom to one side and quickly walked out, stoppingat the door she cautiously asked, “Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
Zhao Jin Yu hearing this voice then did she set forth toopen the door bolt, outside the doors stood a married woman around thirty yearsold, she wore a small flower print cotton-padded jacket, gentle appearance, thisneighbouring Zhang Zhi Shi’s wife was Wen Shi, she showed a somewhat worriedexpression, saying, “It snowed these past few days, I reckon you haven’t leftthe house at all, luckily your Uncle Zhang brought back some radish and saltedduck eggs from outside yesterday asking me to come over and give you some.”
It wasn’t easy to get vegetables, on such cold winters itwas even more extremely precious, Zhao Jin Yu knew Zhang Zhi Shi was born of apoor and humble family, completely relying on that little bit of official’ssalary to live by, her life wasn’t that prosperous either, let alone at homeshe had two growing youngsters who could eat a lot, “Auntie thank you. But Istill have food in my home.”
Wen Shi is an extremely mild person, but at times she alsocould be particularly stubborn, like now, hearing Zhao Jin Yu say this sheimmediately looked serious, displeased she said, “My family and yours have beenneighbours for many years, how does auntie not know of your situation? Talkinglike this aren’t you treating your auntie as an outsider?”
Because Zhang Zhi Shi and Zhao Jin Yu’s father Zhao ChangChun were successful candidates in the highest imperial civil service exam inthe same year, and they were neighbours, the two families were especiallyclose.
The two people declined for quite a while, Zhao Jin Yu underWen Shi’s perseverance helplessly accepted that basket of food, the two of themagain gossiped for a while, like whose house has collapsed due to the snow, howmany people have come from outside the city to beg, after the snow how much theprice of rice will increase and so on, finally Wen Shi again said, “Look afteryourself these few days, don’t open the door to strangers, your Uncle Zhangsaid something big happened in the palace.”
“What?”
Zhang Zhi Shi worked in the Tianfu office so he naturallyknew some internal news.
Wen Shi vigilantly looked all around, seeing there was noone around, she neared Zhao Jin Yu’s ears muttering, “The emperor is furious,extremely angry, arresting a lot of people in the palace, saying they have lostsomething very precious, now he’s looking for it in the entire capital, eventhe left and right Embroidered Uniform Guards have rushed back to the capital, investigatingand handling this matter.”
“What exactly is this rare treasure that even the left andright Embroidered Uniform Guards have been summoned back?”
Wen Shi grudgingly shook her head, saying, “But everythingwhich is branded with an imperial symbol, which one isn’t invaluable? Anyhow itmerely has nothing to do with us, you only need to remember to be a bit morecareful these few days.” Wen Shi said this and looked at Zhao Jin Yu’scomplexion, seeing her prominence was slightly reduced, gaze clear, thinkingabout her situation, she still couldn’t help sigh.
Hesitating for quite a while she again said, “Jin Yu, youplan on continuing to watch over the house by yourself?”
Zhao Jin Yu pursed her lips lowering her head not speaking.
Wen Shi also wasn’t a person to nag, only when she had justmarried into the family she became neighbours with the Zhao family, she almostwatched Zhao Jin Yu grow up, she watched over her quite a bit.
Zhao Jin Yu really wasn’t the Zhao family’s own child,rather a child picked up nine years ago. Ever since Zhao Chang Chun wasimplicated in a severe case of corrupt high official, the Zhao family almostlost their family fortune to rescue him, afterwards their desires were trulyunclear, Zhao Chang Chun’s wife Xu Shi took her son Zhao Jing Chuan back to hernative home Jinling, leaving Zhao Jin Yu by herself alone here, actually therewasn’t much difference between abandoning.
Wen Shi did not see Zhao Jin Yu respond, secretly sighing,she herself found a way out of the awkward situation, changing subjects, “JinYu, this radish is very sweet, you can eat it just peel it, Shu Bao, Shu Zhenthose two brats nibbled through half a basket in just half a day, and ate themarinated beef your Uncle Zhang prepared for visitors, it angered your UncleZhang so much he took a wooden club and chased them down a street…”
Zhao Jin Yu really liked the Zhang family’s twins, laughingshe said, “it’s the time when they’re growing, being gluttonous isn’t strange,but uncle Zhang must be extremely angry.”
“Exactly…, even I was scolded, telling me to hurriedly putthem back into my stomach, and said it would be good if they were half asobedient as you are.” Even though Wen Shi sighed, but the distinctive devotingsmile of a mother was on her face, “if there’s nothing I’ll leave first, Istill need to go buy some marinated beef, ai, those two children are trulytroublesome.” Cows were ploughing oxen, strictly supervised in the ancienttimes, therefore beef was also very precious, always expensive, Zhao Jin Yuknew this was Wen Shi’s heart-ache money.
Zhao Jin Yu hearing this said, “Auntie, I still have somedried meat…”
Wen Shi pretended to be angry, “That dried meat of yours wasgiven by me last time, we still have a lot at home, can it be you still want toreturn it?”
Zhao Jin Yu heart was touched, rubbing her somewhat coldback of her hands, she thought of an idea for Wen Shi, “Auntie, radish reallytaste very nice when made well, fresh vegetables are most scarce in winter,shred the radish, sprinkle on some sesame oil, scallion, salt, mix it a little,both crisp, and fresh, especially appetising, as for the cured meat…, put on ahot pot, place some wood charcoal underneath, place dried mushrooms, beanvermicelli, and cured meat and other such things to boil, holds heat, and doesnot cool down, a dish that can quickly heat up.” Zhao Jin Yu was more and moreabsorbed as she spoke, gleaming eyes, not at all sad as before.
Wen Shi mood rolled for a time, if another young lady cameacross this sort of situation, perhaps she would have earlier cried sufferingterribly, she however was fine, even though she was somewhat sad, but in a winkshe was fine like a normal person, and still speak to her in such high spiritsabout food, it was clear she was completely generous and thoughtful, with thesethoughts her heart hurt even more, thinking when she returned she must discusswith her husband no matter what they must find a way to look after hercompletely, her face didn’t show this at all, happily she said, “Your method isgood, I will go back and make this, then I’ll go back first, you be careful ineverything, if there’s anything just shout over the wall, we will hear it.”
Waiting until Wen Shi left, Zhao Jin Yu only felt herstomach rumble in hunger, as it turns out talking to Wen Shi for half a day shewas terribly hungry, she put more and more energy into tidying up the snow inthe courtyard, thinking the quicker she finished she could eat.
“Yi, what is this?”
Zhao Jin Yu looked at the white stone in the pile of snow,with some puzzlement she muttered.
This stone was exceedingly beautiful, spotlessly white andl.u.s.trous, beautifully round shape, under the bright sunshine it did not lose toa white jade, with some admiration she stroked it, suddenly she thought ofsomething and slapped her thigh, this was the stone that could move a few daysago, thinking about it at that time she was both sleepy and cold, her train ofthought was muddled, she simply did not think a stone which can move was sostrange, now looking at it again clearly it was more interesting than thatnight.
“Didn’t you move a few days before?”
“Jump once for me to see!”
“Could it have been an illusion?”
“Why aren’t you reacting at all!”
“Ai, I must have only been half conscious from sleep!”
After Zhao Jin Yu spoke for quite a while and not see thestone react, she then had no choice but to admit at that time she had been halfconscious, thinking like this again she felt relieved, how could there be somany inconceivable things on earth? In the end when she had barely put thestone down she immediately felt a violent hunger, it had been snowing for severaldays before, Zhao Jin Yu had cooked a pot of congee, when she got hungry shejust heated it up, just like this she went through the motions for severaldays, thinking today no matter what she must eat something good.
Zhao Jin Yu conveniently placed the stone into an unusedwater jar in the veranda and turned to the kitchen to cook, = =.
As night arrived, the originally lifeless spotless whitestone slowly gained some spirit, however once it had realised it had been movedfrom its original spot buried in the snow to a dusky place, his body filledwith a violent anger, what lousy place is this!
Who threw him in here? Could it be that girl again frombefore?
Emperor Wuling’s nose was almost crooked from anger, gazegloomy, thinking of his supreme self once it was night would turn into adisadvantaged stone, he felt that he had no way to vent his unhealthy anger, heonly wished all the people involved in this situation, of course including ZhaoJin Yu who dared to throw him in here, would be put to death by thousand cutsthen could he ease a little of his anger, it was simply clear, now was not theright opportunity.
All around was dark, the emperor wanted to go out noresigned, in the end after jumping a few times he then discovered, he had beenthrown into a water jar this time, a sharp and clear sound produced from thestone hitting the surface of the jar, after experiencing turning into a stonefor three days, the emperor more or less had already gotten somewhat used to it,he helplessly thought, sleep, wake up from sleep, tomorrow he can once againreturn to the palace, he had already instructed the Embroidered Uniform Guardsto go search for this body, wait until it’s found…, place it inside the palace,even if he did change into a stone at night he would only be switching toanother method of sleeping nothing more, as for what great master Hui Zhen saidabout ma.s.sacres?
Hehe, the emperor only felt it was extremely funny, how manyemperors didn’t step on corpses to get to this point, could it be every emperorwould meet such a calamity? He simply didn’t believe it!
Even more important was he didn’t believe in fate, if hebelieved in fate he wouldn’t have gone from second prince to his currentstatus, he only believe in himself!
The emperor settled his state of mind, gradually closing hiseyes, and like before, he only needed to sleep then it’ll be fine, in the endthis time unaware from a place not too far came a strong fragrant which enticedpeople, rippling at the tip of his nose, making people unable to stopsalivating again and again.
What is this smell?
It smells so appetising!
The smell of food became stronger and stronger, continuouslyrevolving around the tip of his nose, the emperor actually couldn’t sit still alittle, he did not discover himself, since before he changed to a stone, histemper was somewhat more irritable, hard to control his anger and longing, justlike now, if he was in his normal body, he naturally would not feel food was soappetising, however now he was however like a child very gluttonous, he almostsalivated.
The emperor looked up down, left right in the water jar, allof a sudden he discovered, there was a small crack near the bottom left side ofthe water jar, just happen to be the size of a walnut, it would allow him tomake his way through, this could at least be considered a glimmer of hope inhis darkest hour.