Chapter 67

Chapter 68: Recognizing a Killer as an Older Sister

This time it was Xiao Mei's turn to be surprised. She had grown up without parents, learning to kill from her master, living a life of uncertainty and danger. Now, she was in debt, but she found an unusual peace in her daily routine of planting flowers and raising ducks. Although her marriage to her senior brother was in name only, she still felt happy when people called her "Sister Lu." She hoped this happy and stable life would last forever. But now, he said that this life of luxury and ease was no different from her current situation, which left Xiao Mei utterly confused.

"Sister Mei, you must find my words strange, right?" Zhao Cheng sat up straight, picked up two peaches from the low table beside him, and handed one to Xiao Mei. "Have you heard the saying, 'The imperial family is the most heartless'?"

"The imperial family is the most heartless?!" Xiao Mei repeated, holding the peach in her hand.

"Yes, being born into the imperial family means living in the shadow of conspiracy and death from the moment you are born. I may only be eight years old, but I have already died twice. It's only by the grace of heaven that I have managed to survive until today!" Zhao Cheng said, chewing on the peach with a look of helplessness.

"But you are a prince! Who would dare to kill you?" Xiao Mei said in shock. She thought that killing Zhang Kangguo was already a huge crime, but she never imagined that someone would dare to assassinate a prince.

"Hehe, who else but my own brothers? They may act friendly, but they will stab you in the back the moment you turn around!"

"You are all brothers! How can you do such a thing?"

"Think about it, we have eight or nine brothers, but there is only one throne. Everyone wants to sit on it. The fewer opponents, the better!" Zhao Cheng said with a worried expression. "Living with them, I don't dare to eat or drink, I sleep with one eye open, and I look up at the sky while walking. It's better to be with you all!"

"No wonder you are so cunning. You have to be on guard even with your own brothers. Living like this is meaningless!"

"Yes, you grew up alone, and although I have many brothers, they all want to kill me. Just because I haven't been killed by them, they slander me to Father Emperor, calling me a monster and sending me to this remote place. If it weren't for Mother, Grandfather, and Uncle Huang, I would have been killed by them many times over." Zhao Cheng said with tears in his eyes. "Sister Mei, you are homeless, and I can't return home. Our lives are not much different."

"Every time I see you, you are always so cheerful. I thought being born into the royal family meant happiness and freedom, but I didn't know you were so miserable. Now that you call me sister, I will protect you from anyone who tries to harm you!" Xiao Mei, moved by Zhao Cheng's emotions and feeling a sense of kinship, made a promise. She would keep this irrational promise for the rest of her life.

"Sister, you are so kind to me, even better than my own sister. No, from now on, you are my real sister!" Zhao Cheng hugged Xiao Mei, tears streaming down his face. The middle-aged man in his mind had disappeared, and now he was just an eight-year-old child longing for the long-lost family bond.

"Good little brother, with me around, no one will dare to bully you anymore!" Xiao Mei held Zhao Cheng's face, wiped away his tears, and kissed him lightly. Zhao Cheng was stunned; he saw his sister from his past life, and the child in him crying and hiding behind her. "I have a sister!" Zhao Cheng stood up and shouted towards the pond. The echo rippled, startling the fish that had just taken the bait and the ducks that were playing in the water, making them wish they could fly away.

"Stop shouting, it's embarrassing!" Xiao Mei quickly pulled the 'crazy' Zhao Cheng and laughed.

"I want everyone to know that I have a powerful sister. Let's see who dares to bully me!" Zhao Cheng, with his hands on his hips, pointed at his small plot of land, looking arrogant, as if his new sister's name was more famous than his father the emperor's.

"Stop showing off, or people will laugh at you!" Xiao Mei, though a bit embarrassed by Zhao Cheng's words, felt flattered and pulled him closer.

"The fish has taken the bait, this time it must be a big one!" Seeing the fishing rod on the pond shaking, Zhao Cheng pounced and grabbed it, shouting. The fish was indeed large, and Zhao Cheng alone couldn't pull it ashore. In the end, with Xiao Mei's help, they managed to catch a fish weighing over three pounds.

"Sister Mei, I will use the fish I caught today to make two dishes to celebrate!" Zhao Cheng wiped his sweat and pointed at the fish in the bucket.

"Sure, I've heard from Zhao Xin that your dishes are unique and delicious. I'm looking forward to it. But how much do you plan to charge me today?" Xiao Mei raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"About that?" Zhao Cheng pretended to think. "They say even brothers should settle accounts clearly, but we are siblings, so I'll treat you!" He said, patting his chest generously.

"Naughty boy!" Xiao Mei pinched his nose affectionately and laughed.

The prince liked to cook, and his attendants knew this, so they had a set of cooking utensils ready. As soon as he said he wanted to cook, they immediately set up everything under the tree and fetched the ingredients he needed.

Zhao Cheng washed his hands, and an attendant put an apron around him. He thought for a moment, decided on the dishes, and then grabbed the largest carp from the bucket, holding it by the head and pinching its gills to lift it out. Before the fish could struggle, Zhao Cheng hit its head with the back of the knife, and the lively fish became lifeless.

He moved slightly, threw the fish on the cutting board, and quickly scraped off the scales with the knife. He made a few cuts to open the fish, removed the internal organs, and washed it in clean water to remove the blood. The attendant had already replaced the cutting board. Zhao Cheng cut the fish from the spine, and in a few moments, he had removed the fish meat, leaving only the bare bones and a large head on the board.

"Little brother, your knife skills are so proficient. Have you learned martial arts?" Xiao Mei asked, impressed by Zhao Cheng's fluid movements.

"I don't know any martial arts. I've only learned some basic boxing techniques from Master Meng. It's just that I've done it so many times that I've become proficient!" Zhao Cheng smiled, continuing his work. He pounded the fish meat with the back of the knife, filtered out the bones with a cloth, and placed it in a bowl. He then added an egg white, a bit of salt, and mixed it well, setting it aside for later use.

Next, Zhao Cheng cleaned the other two fish and had the attendant heat the oil in a pan. He cut the carp into thin slices, marinated them in yellow wine, and coated them with a mixture of egg yolk and starch, then sprinkled them with flour. When the oil was hot, he carefully placed the fish in the pan, shaking it to set the shape before immersing it in the oil.

"Little brother, your movements are so agile. If you learned martial arts, you would surely become a master!" Xiao Mei watched Zhao Cheng and sighed.

"Hehe, I'm too weak to even draw a bow. I'm not cut out for martial arts. With you by my side, I don't need to exert myself!" Zhao Cheng said, taking the fried fish out of the pan.

"Maybe you're just afraid of hard work after living a life of luxury for so long?" Xiao Mei huffed.

"Sister, you are truly insightful, even knowing this!" Zhao Cheng continued working, not forgetting to flatter her. Xiao Mei smiled bitterly and shook her head, saying nothing.

Zhao Cheng then steamed the other fish and prepared a sweet and sour sauce to pour over the fried fish. Since there was no cornstarch in this era, he used bean flour instead. He arranged the fish and said, "Here is the Golden Lion Fish. Please try it, Sister!" He handed her a pair of chopsticks.

Women generally love sweet and sour dishes, and Xiao Mei was no exception. She hesitated to eat the beautifully arranged fish but couldn't resist the temptation. She took a small piece and put it in her mouth. "Delicious, delicious! I've eaten at many famous restaurants, but I've never had such a delicious fish!"

"Of course, my cooking skills are even better than the imperial chefs!" Zhao Cheng said confidently, though he wasn't boasting. The dishes he made had never been seen in the Song Dynasty, so the imperial chefs couldn't make them.

"Second Young Master, the water is boiling!" the attendant reminded him.

"Good, take the steamed fish out of the pot. I'll make a soup next!" Zhao Cheng instructed the attendant. He formed the fish paste into balls and dropped them into the pot. Once the water boiled, he added some sesame oil and took the soup out of the pot. All three dishes were ready.

"Second Young Master," the attendant said, holding two plates with a smile.

"Cut, the fish head is mine, and the fish tail is yours!" Zhao Cheng divided each fish into two parts and placed them on the plates the attendant was holding.

"Thank you, Second Young Master!" the attendant said with a grin.

"Do you often share food with Second Young Master?" Xiao Mei asked the attendant, puzzled.

"Of course, Second Young Master always shares whatever he eats with us. He never eats alone!" the attendant smiled, knowing that the prince was kind to the duck raiser and not daring to lie.

"Little brother, are you deliberately trying to trick me? Give me back the IOU!" Xiao Mei turned and glared at Zhao Cheng.

"Ha ha, I just want you to stay at my place longer. I'll return the IOU later!" Zhao Cheng made a face and teased her.

The two of them sat down at the table, and the attendant set out the bowls and poured the wine. Zhao Cheng dismissed the attendants, and the two of them began to eat and chat. Zhao Cheng told Xiao Mei some jokes from his past life, and Xiao Mei shared some interesting stories she had heard in the world. They talked happily, getting closer and closer.

"Sister Mei, what's going on between you and Brother Lu? I've noticed he's been cold to you lately." After a few drinks, Zhao Cheng felt bolder and inquired about their private affairs.

"Ah," Xiao Mei sighed, her face darkening, and she took another drink.

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