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墨書 Inktalez
Watching her uncle and father leave, Ziyan decided that no matter how difficult the next few days would be, she had to find a way to satisfy the appetites of all her relatives and friends, ensuring they ate and drank well.
As Ziyan was lost in thought, Zhou walked over to her daughter and asked, "So the main task for the next few days is up to you, my dear. But if you need anything from me or your sister, just let me know."
"Mom, I—I have something to tell you."
"Mm? Go ahead," Zhou said, noticing Ziyan's hesitation and stepping closer.
"It's like this. This wild boar was caught by Brother Yuxuan, so I was thinking that since Brother Yuxuan left too late last night, I didn't want to disturb you all. I took it upon myself to have Brother Yuxuan invite his father—cough cough, master—to our home for a visit today."
Ziyan felt a chill run down her spine and silently scolded herself: Oh my goodness, I almost slipped up. I must be more careful in the future.
"Oh, is that it? You haven't even married yet, and you're already thinking about pleasing your future father-in-law?"
Huh? Seeing her mother's slightly reproachful expression made Ziyan's heart race.
"Pfft—silly girl, you did the right thing. Even if you hadn't said anything, we were planning to wait until we brought your grandparents back before having your father personally go invite him. By saying this, you've saved your father another trip up the mountain. Your mother thanks you for that."
Zhou looked at her nervous little daughter and couldn't help but tease her a bit, smiling as she reached out to tuck a strand of hair that was covering Ziyan's eyes behind her ear.
Then she instructed, "Quickly comb your hair and wash up. Then wake your sister; it's time to get busy."
"Okay, Mom." Ziyan playfully hugged Zhou and gave her a big kiss on the cheek before rushing into the house.
"Silly girl!" Zhou smiled happily and shook her head. She then went to the storage room to grab a hoe before heading out of the yard. She planned to take advantage of the morning hours to dig up some bamboo shoots from the hill behind the yard.
Not long after entering the house, Ziyan was humming a little tune while brushing her hair.
Suddenly, a sharp scream came from outside the yard, causing her comb to drop to the floor.
Recognizing her mother's voice, Ziyan didn't think twice and quickly dashed out of the house.
At the same time, Ziying was also awakened by that piercing sound. Without even putting on her shoes properly, she jumped out of bed and followed Ziyan's figure outside.
When the two sisters reached the small path on the right side of the yard, they saw Zhou standing still in the middle of the path with a hoe in hand. As Ziying was about to ask what was going on, Ziyan raised her hand in a gesture for silence and winked at her while nodding.
Because Ziyan had already discovered a King Cobra about two meters long on the road surface, hissing and spitting red venom just over a meter in front of her mother.
The King Cobra is non-venomous, but its size is still quite intimidating. Zhou was so scared that she trembled slightly.
Ziyan reassured her mother, "Don't be afraid, this snake is not poisonous."
Then she slowly moved to Zhou's side and stood next to her. The snake seemed to notice another person in front of it and raised its head to look at Ziyan, but it did not seem interested in lingering; instead, it turned to escape.
At that moment, a delicious snake soup flashed through Ziyan's mind. She quickly snatched the hoe from Zhou's hand and swiftly struck down at the King Cobra's vital spot. In an instant, the once lively King Cobra was severed.
The snake's body on the ground continued to writhe, while its head lay nearby, eyes wide open in death, mouth opening and closing.
"Daughter, you— it—?" Zhou was still trying to comprehend the situation and pointed at her daughter and then at the snake, unable to articulate her thoughts.
"That's enough, Mother. This King Cobra is a great tonic; it's better to have it now than never. You should let my sister accompany you; I'll handle things here." With that, she nudged Ziying.
At this moment, Ziying was also startled by her sister's actions. She swallowed hard and mechanically nodded as she walked over to Zhou.
Supporting Zhou, she called out, "Mother, it's okay. My sister is the smartest and most capable. You don’t need to worry. Where are you planning to go?"
Finally calming down, Zhou shook her head and opened her eyes wide again. She looked at the now less writhing body of the King Cobra on the ground and asked again, "Yan'er, can this snake really be eaten?"
"Of course, Mother. Don't be fooled by its ugly appearance; it has a unique flavor that is unforgettable and extremely sweet."
"Alright, alright, enough talk. Just looking at it makes me uneasy. Ying'er, come with me to dig for bamboo shoots in the back mountain." She turned back to glance at her younger daughter.
"Are you really okay being home alone?"
"Mother, I'm grown up now; don't worry. If anything happens, I'll shout for you."
"Mm-hmm—"
Zhou felt reassured as she led the still somewhat dazed Ziying away from the dead snake towards the hillside. After walking a short distance...
Ziying just realized she hadn't put on her shoes yet. After mumbling a couple of words to Zhou, she hurriedly ran back into the yard to put on her shoes and rushed out again.
Ziyan couldn't help but tease her sister, saying, "Did your butt catch fire? You're in such a hurry."
Ziying ignored her sister, merely shooting her a glare before chasing after Zhou.
Once their mother and sister had walked far away, Ziyan picked up the now completely motionless body of the dead King Cobra and kicked its gaping head into the nearby bushes.
Carrying the dead snake into the Yard and into the storage room, she rummaged around until she finally found a Bamboo Nail in a small wooden box. Returning to the yard, she pinned the body of the King Cobra to a flat narrow board with the bamboo nail.
Back in the kitchen, she quickly gutted the King Cobra, placing the gallbladder into a basket for drying herbs while tossing all other internal organs into a bamboo trash bin.
Then she skinned it. She chopped the pure meat into small pieces and placed them into a Sea Bowl, filling two large Sea Bowls in total.
Looking at her masterpiece, Ziyan felt delighted!
Turning to look around, it was already bright outside.
Finally, Ziyan rubbed salt on the long King Cobra Snake Skin, soaking it in a basin of water mixed with vinegar. She thought of many dishes but realized she was missing several ingredients. Since their mother and sister had gone to dig for Bamboo Shoots on the back mountain, she decided to check it out herself; perhaps she could discover something new on the small slope behind.
So, Ziyan grabbed a bamboo basket and followed the path they had taken earlier. She soon arrived at the spot where Zhou and Zheng Ziying were digging for Bamboo Shoots. When Zhou saw the Little Girl, he asked, "Have you finished dealing with that King Cobra?"
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