IHOEAYSTTTIW Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Bugs, Retreat, Retreat, Retreat! [Second Warning]

The Commissioner felt that the ups and downs of this day were more than a year’s worth.

He originally thought he was welcoming a god of wealth, but this Young Master Wu opened his eyes on their first meeting. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen this kind of gilded layabout; he just had to humor them and provide for them. Who knew that this one really had the ability to deal with the locust plague?

He immediately performed a sliding kneel.

Was he speaking too loudly just now? That wasn’t outrageous; that was just being informal. What’s wrong with him bowing to such talent?

Besides, he wasn’t bowing to this young master, but to political achievements, and even more so, the opportunity to be remembered in history. Two kowtows and a meal in exchange for promotion—there was no more cost-effective deal than this.

However, just now, this Young Master Wu said he wouldn’t eat the feast, but instead would eat grasshoppers, and went to the fields to catch bugs.

…

He really couldn’t keep up with young people’s thinking…

The Advisor, who had witnessed everything, approached the Commissioner and asked cautiously, “Sir, shall we go back now?”

[Run! If you don’t run, it’ll be too late! There are bugs!!!]

(Third Warning!)

The Commissioner didn’t speak, silently watching Lin Yan cut off the wings and legs of the locusts, then mix coarse salt, pepper, and five-spice powder evenly, and use a pot he didn’t know where he found to sauté minced garlic until fragrant, draining the oil for later use.

The ingredients were good, and the aroma was truly fragrant, but to use them to make this kind of thing…

What a waste!

The Commissioner wrinkled his nose in disgust, turned around, and prepared to slip away.

After taking two steps, the Commissioner returned and whispered to the Advisor, “You must order some of what Young Master Wu makes later. Send it to the Commissioner’s office.”

“Does the Sir want to…” The Advisor’s eyes darted around, and it took him a while to find the right words, “Try something new?”

Try something new?

The Commissioner watched Lin Yan scoop the grasshoppers out of the saltwater and couldn’t help but shiver.

“This old man doesn’t eat this kind of thing.” The Commissioner glanced at the probing eyes of the people in the distance and snorted, “But those lowly commoners are different. This kind of thing… is very nutritious.”

The grasshoppers were scooped out, drained, blanched in boiling water to lock in freshness, spread on bamboo sieves to dry partially, lightly patted with starch to increase crispness, pre-fried to set the shape and left to rest, then re-fried until the shells were translucent, removed from the pot, and sprinkled with sautéed minced garlic, the hot oil stimulating a spicy aroma.

Lin Yan ladled out the fried insects and gave a bowl to each of the two children who were drooling on the side, then shooed them away, “You don’t need to help here; take this and eat it somewhere else.”

The two children hadn’t even been able to eat their fill before, and now that there was food, they didn’t care what it was made of.

Being able to eat was enough, especially since Lin Yan’s cooking skills were top-notch.

Jin Ju was already dazed by the aroma, gobbling it down in a whirlwind. Yin Xing, however, was more sensible; she held her bowl and approached An Tan, handing him the bowl, “Sir, would you like to try some?”

An Tan’s eyelids twitched as he looked at the contents of the bowl.

He pushed the bowl back, waving his hands frantically, “You eat it; I’m not hungry.”

Yin Xing had heard these words many times; her mother often said them. She wasn’t a three-year-old child anymore; how could she not understand? Besides, she had heard An Tan’s stomach growl after he said that.

Yin Xing stuffed the bowl into An Tan’s hands and smiled sweetly, “The young master made a lot; please take some.”

An Tan looked at the bowl in his hands, somewhat at a loss.

The child meant well; should he try some? In a disaster year, having something to eat was good.

With psychological construction complete, what followed was… collapse.

An Tan looked at the bugs in the bowl; he still couldn’t bring himself to eat them. He wanted to hand the bowl back, but when he looked down, he saw Yin Xing’s aggrieved little eyes.

Fine, fine, he’d eat, eat, eat.

An Tan closed his eyes and, with the conviction of facing death, threw a bug into his mouth.

The oiliness dispelled the grassy smell, replaced by a burnt aroma similar to grilled shrimp shells. The sound of his teeth breaking through the crisp shell was like crushing autumn leaves, and the tender white meat inside oozed a hint of sweetness.

Not bad, have another one.

An Tan picked up another one and was about to throw it into his mouth when Yin Xing’s joyful voice rang out beside him, “Sir, you eat first; I’ll go help the young master.”

His soul, which had been lured away by the aroma, floated back, and An Tan slapped his forehead in annoyance.

This was what it meant to become less capable as he got older. For a bite of food, he was even worse than a child.

An Tan stuffed the bowl back into Yin Xing’s hands, roughly ruffling the child’s hair, “You eat it; I’ll go keep an eye on the young master.”

With the two children who served him closely dismissed, and the coachman nowhere to be found, only Lin Yan was left fiddling with the pots and pans.

Why was there another one? Did the young master pick up someone else?

An Tan walked over quickly and only realized as he got closer that Lin Yan was chatting animatedly with the Commissioner’s advisor.

“There was an urgent report just now; my master went back first,” the Advisor said with an apologetic smile. He spoke apologetically, but didn’t do anything, not even a small task like carrying a plate.

Lin Yan glanced at him, used a spoon to hook the bowl over, scooped the bugs into it, and handed it to the Advisor, “Oh? Did he go back to deal with official business, or is he unwilling to eat what I made?”

“Look at what you’re saying.” The Advisor looked at the bugs in the bowl, his hand trembling uncontrollably, and even his smile became strained. He quickly shifted his gaze and continued his previous flattery, “This is a great thing for the country and the people, a great contribution. Our master is the parent official of Changning, he couldn’t be happier.”

If the people under him reacted like this, let alone their master.

Lin Yan casually hummed a couple of times, repeating the action of stir-frying in the pot.

“You don’t believe me.” The Advisor placed the bowl into a food box, carefully closing it, “Our master specifically asked me to stay behind to bring some back to him.”

So you put your portion in there?

Lin Yan secretly rolled his eyes and scooped another bowl, placing it next to the food box, “The Commissioner is so supportive; naturally, we have to bring more back. This stuff isn’t worth much; how can it be enough if it’s not full?”

The Advisor, who had been instructed to bring a little back, quietly wiped away his sweat while saying yes and placing the newly fried bugs into the food box.

The Commissioner had just received the bugs sent by the Advisor. He opened the lid and saw two large bowls full inside. He covered his nose and closed the lid, “Didn’t I tell you to just make a show of it? Why did you bring so much back?”

The Advisor chuckled dryly, forcing himself to explain, “Young Master Wu heard that you liked it and specially…”

“How could this old man like this kind of thing?” The Commissioner snorted and waved his hand dismissively, “Forget it, forget it, take it to the cooks in the residence and have them make a copy. When distributing grain tomorrow, distribute this stuff and the recipe to the city’s people together.”

The Advisor gave a look to a servant, and someone immediately carried the food box away. The Advisor bowed and helped the Commissioner light his water pipe, flattering him with a string of compliments: “Sir, this move of yours is truly brilliant. It solves the food problem and controls the locust plague, achieving multiple goals at once. High, truly high…”

The Commissioner squinted for a while, and only waved for the Advisor to leave after he ran out of compliments, swaying as he walked towards the backyard.

Madam Zhao, who was preparing a simple meal, heard the announcement that the master had returned. The weariness on her face vanished, and she lifted her skirt to greet him, “Wasn’t it said that the son of Minister Wu of the Ministry of Public Works was coming? Why did you return so early, my husband?”

The Commissioner sat down on a stool, picked up a teacup, and gulped it down, “That’s just a crazy… never mind, let’s eat.”

Madam Zhao served the Commissioner, agreeing, “If you don’t want to see him, you don’t have to. A layabout can’t achieve anything.”

The Commissioner put the food in his mouth, chewing vigorously as if venting, “That’s a woman’s opinion. How can you say you don’t want to see the son of a god of wealth?”

The smile on Madam Zhao’s face instantly disappeared. She put down her chopsticks and gave a slight bow, “I’m just a woman with a woman’s opinion. You don’t need to tell me about these things. It’s getting late, please go back, sir.”

“There are too many troublesome things, and I’m a little irritable. I misspoke; please don’t blame me, madam.” The Commissioner pulled Madam Zhao down to sit, and sighed heavily, “You’re right, madam. Just keep this Young Master Wu well provided for, and he won’t cause any trouble.”

Madam Zhao’s expression softened. She picked up her chopsticks again and continued to serve food, “Husband, try this.”

The tuberous food was slightly green, with a soft texture and a somewhat strange taste.

“What is this?” The Commissioner picked up another one and put it in his mouth.

Seeing that the Commissioner liked it, Madam Zhao moved the dish in front of him and said softly, “It was sent by the court for disaster relief. They say it’s called a potato.”

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