Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Gu Fenghua got Little White Flower to continue grilling the flower pig as she read and ate snacks while she waited for Luo Enen and Jun Lansheng to finish school.
The flower pig still needed a little more cooking by the time Jun Lansheng and Luo Enen arrived.
Gu Fenghua gave Jun Lansheng ten flower pigs to save them for now while she kept five for herself.
“Wow! Why do you have so many flower pigs? They must have cost a lot, right?” Luo Enen and Jun Lansheng’s eyes gleamed.
“Someone overturned the flower pig I was grilling and gave them to me as compensation,” said Gu Fenghua casually. She was too lazy to explain.
“Wow! He sure is generous.” Luo Enen and Jun Lansheng were so happy that their eyes looked smiley.
They were naïve. Little White Flower listened in contempt. The two of them were certainly naïve.
The three of them happily finished the grilled flower pig and cleaned up before they left the forest.
“Wow. That was delish.” Luo Enen reveled at how good dinner tasted. “It was definitely better than an average suckling pig.”
“Fenghua, you are really good at grilling,” commended Jun Lansheng.
“That’s the only thing I can make. I can’t compare to you when it comes to cooking. Only a hottie like you is capable of making such fine food. I am honored to make your acquaintance.” Gu Fenghua spoke against her conscience as she smiled.
“Haha! That’s true. No other men can compare to my good looks and cooking. Don’t worry. I will make you plenty of good food in the future.” Jun Lansheng was delighted to hear her praise, so he offered, “If you have a craving just let me know. I can make it so long as we have the ingredients.”
Luo Enen’s lips convulsed as she listened to Gu Fenghua. For the sake of food, had Gu Fenghua lost all conscience and integrity? She certainly went all out for fine food.
Little White Flower moved its head and did not dare to speak. He could only complain about how conniving its mistress was in its heart. She effortlessly convinced Jun Lansheng to cook for her. Jun Lansheng was naïve, so he was easy to convince.
***
The Celestial Academy was completely lit using streetlights which were lit by a glowing ore. Only the main streets in the capital were lit with this ore while the rest of the streets were lit with lanterns with oil lamps inside. It went to show how rich Celestial Academy was.
At the corner of the campus, there was a lively market intended for the students and teachers. Those who could afford it could rent a shop. If they could not pay for the rental, they could choose to set up a stall on the sidewalk. There were also some hawkers on the periphery of the market selling snacks. The vendors also consisted of teachers and students.
Celestial Academy was open about students’ interests and left them to do as they pleased so long as they did not abandon their cultivation. One could never be sure and the students might suddenly gain inspiration about cultivation while they engaged in hobbies.
Occasionally, big shots like the principal could be seen selling wantons at the entrance. Sometimes, one might catch a highly formidable teacher selling pork buns.
The center of the market consisted of stalls selling herbs, pills, and ore.
The market would bustle with activity after class until late at night.
After dinner, Gu Fenghua and the others came over to explore in the hope they might find something useful.
Moments later, each of them carried a bag of steamed pork buns with one hand while they held a stick of candied strawberry in the other and walked as they ate.
“Hang on. Didn’t we come here to see if there was anything we could use?” Jun Lansheng took a bite of candied strawberry and licked the sugar off the corner of his lips and blinked as he spoke. They came here to buy things for cultivation, but ended up eating.
“Oh yes. It doesn’t matter. Food is the top priority. If we don’t fill our stomachs, we can’t cultivate,” said Luo Enen self-righteously when it dawned on her.
Gu Fenghua glanced at Luo Enen for coming up with such a legitimate-sounding excuse because she was obsessed over food.
“Let’s go for a walk and head back. I have class tomorrow.” Gu Fenghua finished the candied strawberry and said softly, “There’s too much sugar coating it, so it’s a little too sweet for me.”
“I will make you some candied haw next time.” Jun Lansheng smacked his lips and felt that there was too much sugar coated on the candied strawberry as well.
“Oh my. Do you know how to make candied haw?” Luo Enen was shocked.
“Of course. I am the most good-looking…” Jun Lansheng started to brag.
Gu Fenghua glanced at a stall by the side and spotted something odd. It was an oval-shaped dark object. Even though it seemed ordinary, she could not veer her eyes away from it.
“What’s this?” Gu Fenghua picked up the black oval-shaped object in her hand as she asked the stall owner. It was smooth and felt cold to the touch.
“Phoenix poop.” The stall owner seemed around 60 years old and ought to be a teacher at the Celestial Academy. He raised his eyes and glanced at Gu Fenghua before he replied coolly.
Gu Fenghua’s lips twitched. Even though she was certain it was not the truth, she could sense the object warming up in her hand.
“Your dry humor certainly suits the weather.” Gu Fenghua laughed dryly a couple of times. “What is this exactly? How much is it?”
“1000 taels of gold,” replied the old man.
“Huh? Can’t you sell it to us cheaper?” Luo Enen came over and got a shock when she heard how much it cost.
“How about some discount?” said Jun Lansheng as well.
“Sure,” replied the old man unhurriedly.
“How much?” asked Luo Enen excitedly.
“One copper coin,” replied the old man slowly. He watched as looks of astonishment rose on their faces and rushed them, “Pay up and make yourselves scarce. Stop holding up my business.”
Luo Enen and Jun Lansheng almost dropped their pork buns on the ground. What was with this strange turn of events? Why did it suddenly drop from 1000 taels of gold to one copper coin?
Gu Fenghua speechlessly retrieved a copper coin and handed it to the old man before she left with the black ore. Luo Enen and Jun Lansheng hurriedly followed behind her.
“Fenghua, was that a con man?” Luo Enen finally composed herself after walking some distance.
Jun Lansheng felt the same. “I think so too. How could he price things so frivolously? Who was that? Was he a teacher from school?”
“No…” Gu Fenghua gritted her teeth as she said, “That was the principal. If I am not mistaken, this is the true reward we received for coming in champion for the exercise.”
“What?!” Luo Enen and Jun Lansheng shouted in shock before they turned to see that the man was long gone.
“Stop looking. He left after messing with us,” sneered Gu Fenghua. That old geezer.