Chapter 17

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Chu Yue might have said that, but she would only decide whether she would really open a sewing shop in the future. 

The dried meat and sausages in the house were not ready to be eaten just yet, since the taste would only settle after some time. 

Yingda also saw it, so he naturally mentioned it to his master. When Chu Yue came over to cook for the monk, he mentioned it. “Yingda said that you hung some strange things at the eaves of your house.”

When Chu Yue heard this, she said, “Those are not strange things. They are dried meat and sausages, and they taste good.” 

“I’ve never eaten them before,” the monk said. 

He was currently eating steamed buns with bean sprouts and sugar vinegar vegetarian ribs. 

The vegetarian ribs in the dish were naturally not real ribs. Instead, they were made using potato fritters. It was a rather time-consuming dish, but it was clear that the monk liked it. 

The ribs might not be meat, but they had the taste of meat. Before trying them, he had almost forgotten how meat tasted. 

Chu Yue did not expect for him to say this. Why did she feel like she heard some semblance of sadness in his words? Were her ears playing tricks on her?

Chu Yue cast that suspicion behind her and changed the topic. “But that is meat. If you choose to become worldly again, I wouldn’t mind making it for you every year.” 

The monk cast a glance at her. When he saw that the woman was looking at him shyly, a resigned look appeared in his eyes. The widow’s thoughts were truly…

He said nothing and continued eating. 

Chu Yue waited for him to finish eating before she cleared the table and asked, “Master, has Yingda sent my message to you?” 

The monk cast her a glance and said, “My shoulders are fine.”

“Then I won’t be bothering you,” Chu Yue said with a nod. Once she was finished speaking, she picked up the bowl and chopsticks and left. 

The monk did not expect that she would leave so soon, so he scowled a little.

Eunuch Feng had been waiting in a corner while pretending that he did not exist. He, too, did not expect that the widow would serve his master this way, and he was shocked. ‘My word, didn’t you see that my master wants you to stay and talk to him? How could you leave just like that?’

He had been wondering what sort of method she used to pamper his master to the point that he would give her everything good at his disposal. Just a moment ago, she had been speaking in a flirty manner, but why was she executing such poor judgment later on?

At the end of the day, she was just a widow. With such poor judgment, even if she became favored by the master, she would not remain in his good graces for long.

While he was thinking that, the widow came back with a bowl of eight-treasure porridge. The master’s expression then turned from dark to pleasant.

‘Well, looks like I was worried for nothing.’

The widow filled up one spoonful of porridge and said gently, “Master, you haven’t been eating much over the past few days. I made some eight-treasure porridge for you. Please eat more of it.” 

“You didn’t go back.” The monk looked at her.

“Master?” The widow’s face turned pale.

The monk knew that she had misunderstood him after he saw her expression, so he gently rephrased his question. “How did you make this eight-treasure porridge?” 

The widow cast him a few glances. Once she was certain that he was not chasing her away, she smiled. “Master, you don’t need to know it. As long as you want to eat it, I can make it for you anytime you want. Just leave these tasks to women.”

“I’m sorry that you have to work so hard,” the monk said with a nod.

“This isn’t much work for me. It cannot even compare to even a sliver of the kindness you have shown me. But aside from this, there is nothing else I can bring to the table.” As Chu Yue spoke, a rather dejected look appeared on her face.

She looked as if she felt that she was useless because she could not do anything useful.

“You’re very good.”

‘So you don’t need to look down on yourself so much and have such a low opinion of yourself.’

Chu Yue forced herself to smile and said, “Master, you do indeed not regard me with scorn. But do not worry, I will work hard. If you have need of me, you can talk to me immediately.”

“Alright.” The monk agreed to it.

The widow clearly wanted to stay and talk to him. While he ate the eight-treasure porridge, she brought out a pair of shoes that she had just finished making.

Chu Yue did not know how to make shoes, but the original owner of the body did, and Hupo had also offered her guidance. So Chu Yue was willing to be a good housewife for a time.

When the monk saw that those were shoes for men, he looked at her and asked, “Did you make this for me?”

“My skills aren’t good, and I don’t know whether they will fit your feet. I made them after working for two nights. I hope that you will not mind.” Chu Yue held out the shoes and cast a shy glance at the monk.

The monk nodded and said, “You’ve worked hard.”

Chu Yue was clearly happy, and she asked him to try them on. As she expected, the shoes fit his feet. 

The monk’s gaze was gentle. The widow had always been very attentive and meticulous when it came to him.

It was as if he was everything to her. Even if he was a monk right now and could not give her what she wanted, she still served him without complaints.

Eunuch Feng stood at the corner as if he was invisible, and now, he finally witnessed Chu Yue’s skills. It was no wonder why the master would be so attentive to her. The widow did indeed have some tricks up her sleeves.

If his guess was correct, she was using the legendary creeping normality method while playing hard to get.

Then, he heard the widow talk about some aspects of civilian life. If Eunuch Feng didn’t know that the widow had no idea about who his master was, he would have thought that the widow came prepared.

She praised the emperor for working hard for the country and diligently figuring out how to manage the country well so that there was peace in the world, and the people lived good lives. She kept heaping praises on him, and even Eunuch Feng, who was famed for being a brown-noser, felt that he had found his match!

“The current emperor is not as good as you make him seem to be.” 

Perhaps it was because he felt a little embarrassed due to her praises, but the monk coughed and said these words. Even so, there was amusement in his eyes.

“Master, you can’t say that. The current emperor is a very good man. He encouraged the people to develop the land and reduced taxes. The citizens are really grateful to him,” Chu Yue said.

It was knowledge she had obtained from her memories, and she was not exactly lying. Even if she was looking at things with the mind of a modern woman, she knew that the emperor sitting on the throne right now was a rare good ruler. 

“Even so, he is still unable to take care of some things,” the monk said with a shake of his head. He found it regretful, but even when he sat in the court and tried to do many things, he was powerless to do some of them.

Being an emperor did not mean that he was omnipotent. 

“The emperor might be the incarnation of a dragon, but he still has the body of a mortal. It’s only normal that he can’t take care of everything. But if he can be close to talented and virtuous people while staying away from those who are wicked, the Great Feng Dynasty will naturally become better, and the people’s hearts will be even more secure,” Chu Yue said. 

‘This widow is really brave. She actually dared to talk about politics with the master?’ Eunuch Feng thought.

But those who were ignorant could be forgiven for their crimes. Besides, this was nothing worth making a fuss over. After all, the master did not seem to mind. In fact, he looked rather happy when he heard this.

“Then, tell me, how can the people’s hearts be secured?” the monk asked her while he looked at her with interest. 

“The people’s wishes are very simple. As long as they do not have to go through the hardships of war and are allowed to have peaceful lives, their hearts will naturally be secured. But these are too far off in the future. As of now, His Majesty should prioritize one thing; otherwise, even if the people are able to fill their stomachs, they will not be at ease,” Chu Yue said. 

“What is it?” 

The monk frowned and thought about it. He should have done most of what he should do. What else could cause the people to feel ill at ease?