Chapter 677: I Want to Wash My Hands
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
The maidservant carefully took out a book from a wooden box. It was wrapped in layers of soft deer skin with silk and was handled with care by Mingzhu, indicating its great value. Mingzhu decided to clean her hands before daring to pick it up, and she handled it with extreme caution while reading, fearing she might damage the book.
Jiang Zhouzi looked very pleased, “Wangfei is a person of manners. Those who love books will treat them well.”
Mingzhu chuckled and didn’t argue. She didn’t love books, but treating them well was a tradition of the Fu family. No matter how mischievous she was as a child, if she dared to neglect books, she would definitely be punished. Over time, she got used to it.
Jiang Zhouzi then asked her, “Would you like a quiet room set aside for you, free from disturbances?”
Mingzhu couldn’t afford to be careless about this matter, “Yes, I do.”
The beautiful maidservant led her into the left wing of the room. “No one will disturb you here. After the half-hour is up, I will strike the copper gong twice to signal you to return the book and begin the dictation. Please.”
Mingzhu took a deep breath and opened the book.
The book contained various obscure and difficult diseases and their treatment methods, as well as anatomical drawings of the human body’s meridians and organs, along with many other peculiar things. She felt dazzled for a moment, thinking that perhaps she could find a way to cure her parents and the Great Empress Dowager, thus freeing herself from Jiang Zhouzi’s control. However, after flipping through a dozen pages frantically, she suddenly calmed down. She had almost fallen into the trap of greed and cunning.
Even if there were methods of curing diseases written here, she was completely ignorant of medical principles and couldn’t understand them, let alone find or decipher them. Being greedy might ruin her chances, even though she had a good grasp of them. Saving one person was enough; being steady was the most important thing.
So she focused her mind and memorized the contents of the book diligently, repeatedly going through it until she felt it was sufficient. Just as she felt ready, the sound of the gong rang outside. Jiang Zhouzi walked in with a smile, “How do you feel, Wangfei?”
Mingzhu handed him the neatly organized book, “This book of yours is truly extraordinary.”
Jiang Zhouzi glanced at the book and said, “Then, Wangfei, would you like to start writing now, or would you like to take a break first?”
Mingzhu looked at the sky, “It’s getting late, and I’m eager to return home to attend to matters. Let’s not delay.”
Jiang Zhouzi asked again, “Can I watch you write on the side?”
Mingzhu shook her head, “No, I need to concentrate and cannot be disturbed.”
Jiang Zhouzi nodded and ordered the maidservant to prepare writing materials for her. He also added a charcoal brazier and served hot tea, “Please, Wangfei. If you have any orders, just speak up.”
It’s easy to memorize, but difficult to write, especially with many illustrations. Mingzhu decided not to bother with the illustrations or whether the writing looked good or not. She wrote swiftly, conveying the main content of the book fluently. When her hand grew tired, she got up and walked around the room to take a break.
Then she noticed a package of knives wrapped in deer skin in the corner of the room. They were all made of fine steel, sharp and delicate, with peculiar shapes. Even though she was born into such a wealthy family and grew up in the palace, she had never seen or heard of such things before. She tried to pick one up and found it surprisingly easy to handle.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Jiang Zhouzi came in holding a bowl of hot noodles, “It’s time for dinner.” Seeing the knives in Mingzhu’s hands, he showed a somewhat ambiguous expression.
Mingzhu felt very embarrassed and quickly put them down, apologizing, “I’m sorry, I found it strange, so I couldn’t help but touch your things. May I ask, sir, what are these used for?”
Jiang Zhouzi said, “Since I dare to put them here, I’m not afraid of Wangfei using them. However, although they’ve been cleaned thoroughly, I dare not conceal that they are what I use for dealing with rodents and such. This knife, despite its small size, is the most useful for splitting open a rodent’s skull.”
Mingzhu suddenly felt a tingling sensation starting from her fingertips, quickly spreading throughout her body and blocking her throat, almost making her vomit. She hurriedly walked out, shouting, “I need to wash my hands, I need to wash my hands!”
Jiang Zhouzi innocently pushed the steaming bowl of noodles towards her. “Wangfei, aren’t you going to eat? Look at this braised pork; it’s so good. Jiaojiao made it herself. Her cooking skills are top-notch; few in the world can match her. Oh, and her fried rat meat is also exceptional.”
Mingzhu couldn’t take it anymore, covered her mouth, and rushed out, vomiting into a spittoon.
Jiang Zhouzi sighed and, suppressing a laugh, said, “It’s my fault. I forgot that many people can’t eat rat meat.”
That old rascal, he did it on purpose. Mingzhu was furious. She took the hot water Su Ju handed her and rinsed her mouth, refusing to even glance at the hot noodles Jiang Zhouzi had brought. She went back to her seat and continued copying her book.
Jiang Zhouzi asked, “Wangfei, you’re not eating? Well, I suppose you’re used to delicacies and won’t like my simple food.”
Mingzhu ignored him. He sat down beside her and started eating. The noodles smelled delicious, and he ate with gusto. Mingzhu had only had a little something to stave off hunger that morning and was now famished. His eating made her mouth water, and she couldn’t concentrate on her writing.
Fortunately, Su Momo and the others, already aware of Jiang Zhouzi’s odd habits, prepared a table full of dishes. Mingzhu picked up a bowl and started eating. Jiang Zhouzi, not being shy, joined them, smiling. “I must say, the food at Ying Wang’s mansion is superb. It’s said that you have gathered the best chefs and delicacies from all over.”
Since Mingzhu needed something from him, she couldn’t refuse him and politely invited him to sit and eat. Jiang Zhouzi couldn’t stop praising the food. “Even though these are vegetarian dishes, they are prepared with great care, living up to the mansion’s reputation for fine cuisine.”
Someone exaggeratedly gulped, and Mingzhu looked up to see a Wu Baihu standing nearby, holding his stomach and looking at her pitifully. She lost her appetite, hastily pointed to a few dishes, and had Su Ju take them to Wu Baihu, who accepted them joyfully. Jiang Zhouzi was quite displeased, grumbling for a while, but Mingzhu pretended not to hear.
As it was getting dark, Mingzhu finally finished the book. “Because I was in a hurry, it’s rather sloppy, but it should meet your requirements.”
Jiang Zhouzi stretched out his hand, and two beautiful maids stepped forward to check and verify it. In the end, they looked at Mingzhu with astonishment and said softly, “Sir, this is it. She is the one you are looking for.”
Jiang Zhouzi’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm as he looked at Mingzhu. “Ying Wangfei, let’s fulfill the first promise. Who do you want to save first?”
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
