Chapter 1024: Subjects of the Skirt
After an entire night of snowfall, the wind and snow finally ceased. Peddlers began putting up their stalls in the streets, and people began a new day of busy life. The streets of Cloudcenter City were gradually filled with a layer of water vapor.
Zu An ordered a soldier to pick up the horse he had left in the tavern outside the city previously. Meanwhile, he himself went to Yu Manor on foot. Even though a good amount of the snow had already melted, it wasn’t suitable for horse riding.
He arrived at Yu Manor soon afterward. After his experience the previous time, the guards at Yu Manor’s entrance didn’t stop him this time. When he went in, a pretty maid greeted him. “This must be young master Zu? I have received the madam’s orders to come and receive you. The madam is currently dressing and grooming herself, so I ask that the young master wait for a bit.”
“It’s fine; I did come a bit too early.” Zu An returned the greeting. He quickly examined the other party. Her appearance was fine, and her physique was excellent. She was a bit older than normal servant girls, so she gave off something of a mature feeling. He asked, “Are you Madam Yu’s personal maid?”
“The young master need not be so polite. You can just call me Maid Xing,” the maid said with a smile. “I am indeed the madam’s personal servant.” She continued, “The madam assigned me to take care of some matters before, which is why I have not met the young master yet.”
“That makes sense.” Zu An wasn’t so senseless as to ask her what she had been assigned to do. However, he thought to himself that he had never seen this woman outside of Brightmoon City or in the capital during his encounters with Yu Yanluo. Looks like her responsibilities aren’t quite the same as those of normal maids.
The two of them continued toward the inner hall. Several maids scampered off to the side. They appeared to be doing housework on the surface, but their eyes drifted over from time to time.
“Look, look! That’s the person the madam’s going to meet!”
“How long has it been since the madam met with an outsider man? She’s actually willing to continuously make exceptions to meet with him!”
“He’s handsome, as expected… No wonder the madam allowed him to come in.”
“Hmph, who do you think the madam is? There’s no way she’d become a star-struck dummy like you.”
“I guess you’re right. Then do you think the madam will arrange some servants to serve him?”
“What, do you want to go?”
“If it’s for this young master, I’m not completely against it, you know?”
…
What was Zu An’s cultivation like now? Even though the maids’ voices were low, none of their chatter escaped his ears. He was between laughter and tears when he heard their whispers. It seemed the Yu Manor had remained female-dominated for too long; even the girls were extremely pure.
A blush appeared on Maid Xing’s neck just then. Then, she quietly shot the maids a look. Those maids were frightened so badly that they immediately shut their mouths and began to focus on their work again.
Zu An narrowed his eyes. She could even hear such quiet whispers? This Maid Xing’s cultivation doesn’t seem to be low at all!
A while afterward, the two of them arrived at a courtyard. Maid Xing stood by the door and bowed slightly toward the interior, saying, “Madam, young master Zu has arrived.”
“Let him in,” Yu Yanluo said in her unique voice, sounding tender and gentle. Just her voice alone was enough to make one’s imagination run wild.
“Young master, please go in. If you need anything, you only need to call for me.” Maid Xing bowed, then slowly withdrew.
Zu An pushed open the door and went in. A familiar heat immediately blew against his face.
“Were you surprised by the heat again?” Yu Yanluo asked with a laugh.
Zu An followed the source of the sound. The other party wasn’t lying in bed today; as such, he was momentarily a bit distracted. But his eyes lit up soon afterward. Yu Yanluo was wearing a coat that was even fairer than snow; draped around her shoulders was a fiery red sleeveless jacket. Paired with her brilliant red dress, it made her look even more glamorous.
Her beautiful hair was meticulously combed into an exquisite bun; in her hair was a pretty phoenix hairpin. The tassels on it swayed gently, and any man who saw her would feel as if his heart were swaying along with them.
Zu An had just spent an entire night with Pei Mianman, so he was still a gentleman. After his initial absentmindedness, his expression became clear as he looked at the other party, saying, “I greet the madam.”
Yu Yanluo was surprised. She had even dressed herself up a bit today. But she didn’t think too much of it and said with a smile, “You came so early; you probably haven’t eaten yet, right? How about we have breakfast together?”
Only then did Zu An notice that there were a few dishes that had already been prepared off to the side. There were all sorts of local dishes, as well as two sets of bowls and chopsticks.
“Thank you, madam; I am actually a bit hungry.” He didn’t act too politely and sat down. His stomach was empty after he had toiled for an entire night.
A hint of appreciation appeared in Yu Yanluo’s eyes when she saw how straightforward and open-minded Zu An was. She also slowly sat down across from him. She reached out her hand and pushed her dress forward a bit, exposing the shocking curves of her bottom.
“Young master, please act at ease,” Yu Yanluo said with a smile. “These are all local delicacies of Cloudcenter Commandery. The young master has come from afar, and I just happen to be able to act as a host today.”
“Oh, you’re right. I really haven’t tried these before.” When he saw the dazzling lineup of food before him, Zu An didn’t know where to start.
When Yu Yanluo saw that, she began to introduce the dishes to him. “This one is called Aimanke; it tastes really good when dipped in milk tea or meat soup. This one is called Samusa; the outside is made from roasted flour and sesame seeds fried to a golden brown, and the inside is stuffed with the freshest lamb meat. These are rice intestines… This one is called Western Soulender.”
“Western Soulender?” Zu An was stunned. He looked at the pastry, which had all kinds of nuts preserved in sugar and honey inside.
Yu Yanluo pursed her lips and said, “That wasn’t the original name. It looks exquisite from the outside, but it’s much heavier than it looks. Even if only a small piece is cut off, the amount weighed on the scale will far exceed what people expect. That’s why everyone calls it the Western Soulender. As time went on, everyone forgot its original name.”
“There was actually a story like that?” Zu An had a strange look on his face. He couldn't help but recall something similar in his previous world[1].
“Even though this name isn’t so elegant, it tastes pretty good. Furthermore, it carries many of Cloudcenter Commandery’s specialties. Come on, have a taste!” Yu Yanluo exclaimed while removing a piece and handing it to him. “Many of the foods in Cloudcenter Commandery require the use of our hands, so please don’t feel offended because my hands are dirty.”
When he looked at her bright and shining skin, as well as her brilliant red painted fingernails, Zu An thought to himself, What man in the world would ever think your hands are dirty?
Even if your hands were dirty, as long as you gave the word, countless men would be lining up to help you lick them clean. At the very least, that Pei You definitely would.
“Madam must be joking.” Zu An obviously wouldn’t be so rude as to receive it with his mouth. He picked it up and put it into his mouth. His eyes couldn't help but light up as he said, “It does taste very good.”
Yu Yanluo’s eyes smiled. “If it tastes good, eat some more. There are still other kinds of delicious food here.”
Zu An really was hungry, so he couldn't be bothered with appearances. He grabbed all sorts of delicious foods and ate them. Soon afterward, there was a satisfied expression on his face.
“This place really does have a unique side to it.” He released a long sigh of satisfaction. However, he asked, “Why is the madam not eating? It isn’t because I was a bit too crude in my manners, is it?”
Yu Yanluo had only taken a few small pieces here and there with her chopsticks, only doing so to keep him company. When she heard that, she shook her head and said, “Of course not. It’s just that recently, my appetite hasn’t been great and I can't eat much.”
“The madam’s appetite isn’t good, yet you’ve prepared so many things for me.” Zu An thought for a bit and said, “I’ll prepare something another day. Who knows, it might help change madam’s appetite.”
“Then I’ll have to thank you for that ahead of time.” Yu Yanluo smiled. She clearly didn’t treat it as a big deal. What kind of thing could possibly change her appetite?
“Is the madam going to leave the manor today?” Zu An asked, giving her luxurious outfit a look.
“That’s not it.” Yu Yanluo shook her head. “After sleeping for so long, I should move around once in a while. This manor is quite boring as well, so I decided to put on some makeup. Since you just happened to have come, I didn’t do this for nothing.”
Zu An was stunned. Wasn’t there a bit of ambiguity in what she said? She seemed to have been flirting with him a bit for a while too. Don’t tell me she really does use her charms to subdue the men around her and make them into her slaves?
He felt a bit unhappy when he thought of that, and he didn’t want to engage in any more idle chatter. He went straight to the point and said, “I came today because there’s something I wish to consult the madam about.”
“Please speak your mind, young master. As long as I know anything, I’ll tell you frankly.” Yu Yanluo always had a warm expression on her face.
After some hesitation, Zu An asked, “Does madam know about Wuyang Jade?”
1. He’s thinking of baklava: A layered pastry dessert made of phyllo pastry, filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries in Ottoman cuisine. ☜