Chapter 008 - Nine Martial Ranks
Before long, the rich aroma of porridge filled the house.
Yan Yu stopped feeding firewood into the stove and got up to serve the meal.
In the iron pot, husked grains, millet, and beans boiled together into a steaming hot mash. This kind of coarse, simple fare was something Li Yuan would never have imagined eating back in his old life. But now, he had no choice.
It tasted painfully bland to him, but for Yan Yu, who had never known real feasts, it was fine enough.
Once two bowls of food were on the table, she brought over another dish, a bowl of chopped radish pickles.
“Li Yuan,” she said, “I traded for these with Auntie Wang. They’re sour and salty. Good for the appetite.”
With that, Yan Yu picked out the best-looking piece of pickled radish and placed it in Li Yuan's bowl.
Li Yuan took a deep breath and began to eat. The meal was dry and rough, with barely a hint of oil. He quickly finished, then put down his chopsticks and flopped onto the bed to rest.
Yan Yu continued eating slowly. Suddenly, she glanced up at Li Yuan and asked, “Have you gotten stronger?”
Li Yuan replied, “I've just been resting up at home, that’s all.”
Shaking her head, she insisted, “No, really, you look more muscular...and you’ve got more strength in your waist...” She trailed off, her cheeks coloring.
Li Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Why’re you blushing?”