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Many things in this world cannot be truly understood without seeing them with one's own eyes. For instance, Xing Ruyi never imagined that one of the four great fierce beasts, the Oni Beast, would reach an agreement with Mo Xu Niu over a plate of fried rice. The terms of the agreement were quite simple: the Oni Beast agreed to protect Mo Xu Niu's home for fifty years, with the possibility of renewing the agreement based on actual circumstances, while Mo Xu Niu would supply the Oni Beast with various delicacies during this period. The dish that made the Oni Beast nod in agreement was a plate of fried rice!
The "Guangdong New Language" once recorded: "Dongguan uses fragrant rice mixed with fish and meat, wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed, resulting in a fragrant dish called lotus leaf rice." Xing Ruyi always thought that this lotus leaf rice only appeared during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, but unexpectedly, it already existed during the Golden Tang Dynasty, and it was invented by Mo Xu Niu. In fact, its early form was even more exquisite and appealing than later versions of lotus leaf rice.
The fresh green lotus leaves exuded a light fragrance (one wonders where Mo Xu Niu found them at this time of year). The rice filling was smooth and soft, with vibrant colors, complemented by a pot of Sister Si's Family Peach Blossom Wine. It truly represented the pinnacle of culinary delight. The lotus leaves had a slightly bitter and astringent taste, were cool in nature, and served as a good remedy for summer heat, dampness, and to invigorate the spleen. When used to cook rice, they made the grains soft and fragrant. Additionally, with the inclusion of sausage and char siu pork in the rice, it became even more delicious. Just standing by the table made one unable to resist salivating.
After enjoying the lotus leaf-wrapped fried rice, the Oni Beast hazily agreed to Mo Xu Niu's request and reached an agreement with him. Jin Se bid farewell to Xing Ruyi and returned to the mountains to continue guarding the old house and his parents' remains. Xie Xuan had eaten Blazing Grass and felt drowsy all along the way; by the time he returned to Luoyang City, he had completely forgotten about Jin Se and the Oni Beast. Xing Ruyi leaned on the counter, watching pedestrians come and go on the street, and asked the fox, "Do you think this matter is really settled?"
"With soldiers coming to block soldiers and water coming to cover water, as long as Mo Xu Niu doesn't provoke us, we have no need to concern ourselves with his affairs. As for Xie Xuan and Jin Se, it was always a fateful entanglement; it should be resolved now."
Xing Ruyi sighed lightly: "I always feel that the arms factory incident was also caused by Mo Xu Niu. Although I haven't seen what’s underground, it’s hard to say it isn't another construction site of his. He sent the Oni Beast to guard our home; could it be that he's referring to whatever is beneath that arms factory? And then there's Wei Xiuhua, who has also been missing for quite some time. I can't shake off this uneasy feeling; it feels like a storm is brewing."
"Don't worry; I've got everything covered!"
"And me too!" Yin Yuan rushed in from the backyard holding a bowl of rice: "No matter what happens to Fox Demon mother, Father Fox will support you! If trouble arises, you can call on Yin Yuan, who can take on a hundred foes! By the way, you must try the lotus leaf fried rice made by Deer Lady. It's truly delicious!"
"Is it better than chicken legs?" The fox raised an eyebrow. He usually wasn't picky about food; he believed that nothing could compare to what Fox Demon cooked. Now seeing Yin Yuan with grains of rice stuck at his mouth and holding a piece of fresh lotus leaf made him feel somewhat fond.
Yin Yuan puffed out his cheeks and said: "It is better than chicken legs but shouldn't be eaten too often!" With that, he ran off.
The fox frowned and asked Xing Ruyi: "Why not?"
Xing Ruyi shrugged: "Because one would get tired of it!" And then she left too!
The fox was speechless as he watched Xing Ruyi head into the kitchen before transforming into a white fox and lazily lying on the windowsill.
When Xing Ruyi brought out a serving of lotus leaf fried rice, she saw the fox leisurely resting on the windowsill. His beautiful fox eyes were half-opened and half-closed; sunlight illuminated them like twinkling stars—truly enchanting. Unable to resist, she leaned down and gently kissed his forehead.
After kissing him, her face slightly flushed. She deliberately turned away and sat on the windowsill while eating her lotus leaf fried rice, chatting with the fox: "I wonder how Jin Se is doing now; has she returned to the mountains? If one lives alone without Jin Yu's company, she must feel lonely."
"She will eventually get used to it," replied the fox calmly。
"If it were me, I definitely wouldn't get used to it. But fortunately, the one who left first between us is me!" Xing Ruyi said casually, seemingly without intention, but actually carrying a hint of sadness. "Fox, let's get married?"
The Fox looked up, meeting Xing Ruyi's bright and expectant gaze, and replied, "Alright, let's get married!"
"Really? When?" Xing Ruyi jumped down from the windowsill, placing the lotus leaf fried rice aside and cupping the Fox's face with her hands.
"Perhaps in the spring of next year! It's almost the twelfth month now, and you are afraid of the cold; it's not suitable to be a new wife in this season."
"It's okay, I can wear thicker clothes. The embroiderers at the Brocade Embroidery Workshop are top-notch; I'm sure they can make a lovely bridal gown for a plump bride."
"But I hope my Fox Demon looks beautiful! Because she will only be a bride once in this lifetime; I don't want her to have any regrets." The Fox said with a charming smile. "Especially since I look so good; if my new wife doesn't dress up well, she will easily draw all eyes to me."
"But I don't mind. You are already good-looking, and having such a handsome husband makes others envious; that's not too bad either!"
"You certainly have a big heart!"
"Of course! Your wife is no ordinary person!" Xing Ruyi said proudly, tilting her chin. "Spring it is then; it's the beginning of all things, which is also a good omen. After all, I've waited for you this long; I don't mind waiting a few more months."
Xing Ruyi added and lightly kissed the Fox on the forehead. "I'm going to the Brocade Embroidery Workshop right now. If it's a spring wedding, we must have a unique bridal gown made, along with festive curtains and bedding. Although it will cost a lot, just thinking that from now on you will be mine makes me inexplicably happy. Hmm, spending this money feels great!"
The Fox squinted at her but said nothing. Originally, he wanted to tell Xing Ruyi that the wedding was planned to be held in Qingqiu. As long as the Fox Demon was happy!
Just as Xing Ruyi stepped outside, she ran into Shengzi, who was dressed in casual clothes. Upon seeing Xing Ruyi, Shengzi hurriedly pulled someone over and ran towards her.
"Ruyi! Great timing! I was just looking for you!"
"Oh? What do you need me for? Are you perhaps buying rouge and face powder for some girl you fancy?"
"If only there were someone I fancied; that would save my mother from nagging me in my ear until I've developed calluses!" As soon as Shengzi mentioned his lifelong affair, he began to frown. Seeing Xing Ruyi smiling brightly made him add, "How about it? Can you introduce someone? I don't have as high standards as Brother Chang; I just want an ordinary girl who can live well with me. You know my family's situation is average; I'm also average myself, so I can't have too many demands on the girl—just someone who likes me and is willing to treat my mother well. I will definitely treat her well for life."
"With your words alone, you can rest assured; your lifelong affair is in my hands!" Xing Ruyi lowered her voice and secretly added, "Actually, Consort Sheng has mentioned to me privately that there's a girl named Su in Auspicious Alley who is quite nice. How about you go take a look yourself?"
"Last name Su? Could it be that girl Su Rou?" Shengzi said with a look of fear. "If it's her, Ruyi, you really don't need to assist. My mother was deceived by that girl's seemingly delicate appearance. That girl is quite fierce; if she were to marry into our family, I wouldn't be able to handle her."
"What's wrong? Is Miss Su not good?"
"Well, she's not bad, but her personality is a bit boyish. She's always playing with weapons and has no semblance of being a proper wife. I know her somewhat; she lives right next door to my house. Uncle Su is a bodyguard, and Su Rou's mother passed away early, so although her name is Su Rou, she is not gentle at all.
In terms of fighting, she can take on five people by herself. Even if she were to spar with Brother Chang, she could last for over ten exchanges. However, she doesn't know how to do other things, like laundry, cooking, weaving, or any domestic skills. If my family were wealthy, it wouldn't matter; we could just hire some maids and housekeepers to help out. But we are just common folks; we can't marry such a girl. So, Ruyi, I'm begging you—please don't listen to my mother. At least find me someone more reliable; even if she's only one-tenth of what you are would be fine."
"Alright, alright, when I have time, I'll go take a look at Miss Su. By the way, you came looking for me because something happened at the yamen again? Or is it that Lord Xie is causing trouble for Brother Chang again?"
"There's nothing happening at the yamen, and Lord Xie isn't making things difficult for Brother Chang. But Ruyi, why do I feel like you're always targeting our Lord Xie? Actually, Lord Xie isn't bad; he doesn't act all high and mighty and has a temperament similar to the previous lord." Shengzi rambled on in defense of Xie Xuan before returning to the main topic: "By the way, this is Uncle Wang; he sells antiques and paintings at the market on the west side. He encountered some strange occurrences these past few days and was scared, so he came to me. You know I’m quite skilled at catching thieves and robbers, but these bizarre matters are beyond me. After thinking for a while, I decided to bring him to you."
As soon as Shengzi finished speaking, the man hurriedly bowed and said, "Old man Wang Fu greets Ruyi!"
"Uncle Wang doesn't need to be so formal. I'm friends with Shengzi; since you know him, I'll do my best to help with whatever I can regarding this matter. Now then, what strange occurrences have you encountered?"
"I—" Wang Fu hesitated and looked down at his shadow. The light was good at that moment, making the shadow relatively clear. However, the position where the three stood was half in shadow and half in light, so each person's shadow only showed half.
Wang Fu seemed somewhat fearful of his own shadow; after confirming several times, he stammered out: "I keep seeing my own shadow not looking like myself but like a ghost!"
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