The Feast Part One

Chapter 22: Bargaining

You... ..."

Duan Tingxuan never expected this move from Su Nuan Nuan. For a moment, he was completely speechless. He ignored Si Ping's sobbing voice next to him, "Master, we should really return, it's getting dark."

This was true, the sun was already on its way down, only half of its red face could be seen.

Duan Tingxuan desperately wanted to take this good advice and leave taking Si Ping with him, but the most hateful thing was... ...just what was going on in the kitchen? What was this fragrance? How could this smell just get more and more fragrant? The prince had lost this fight. This was something he had never eaten, there was no doubt about it.

This fragrance was just too distinctive. In his twenty years of existence, he had never smelled such a fragrance that clutched at the heart and liver, making one hate the fact that they can't just swallow the pot along with whatever was in it into their stomach.

"Teach me qing gong, and you'll have a month's worth of meals." Su Nuan Nuan could see Duan Tingxuan's stinky expression, both legs fixed in place in terrible indecision, and knew that this was the crucial moment to sway things her way.

"One month? Do you think I'm a beggar you can just shoo away once fed?" Duan Tingxuan was angry.

"Then... how about two months?" Su Nuan Nuan could feel the pain in her flesh already. Letting this rascal eat her food for one month already hurt her heart, now she had to concede another month?

"For a life time." Duan Tingxuan bared his teeth. "You dare treat me like a beggar?"

"Hey! Don't be too excessive." Su Nuan Nuan was starting to get angry too. "As a person you can't be too greedy, you think I'm scared of you? The worst you can do to me is kick me out, this old lady still has her kitchen skills, no matter where I go in this world, I can survive. Three months, no more."

"Until you actually learned the skills." This woman was not afraid of getting thrown out, there's no point using divorce to threaten her. The prince finally realized this, so instead he yielded a step with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" Su Nuan Nuan did not understand his point, and instead of pondering upon it herself, she just asked for proper explanations.

"I agree to teach you kungfu, until the day you properly learn the skills, you will provide both food and drink. I will say this now, I will not tolerate rubbish food, every thing must be of top quality."

"Kungfu is something that could only be learnt after about a year or so at the very least, isn't it?" Su Nuan Nuan frowned, this condition was too harsh.

"Surely you don't mean to say that you're unwilling to provide a mere year's worth of food?" Duan Tingxuan was about to spit up blood. "Nuan Nuan, if you think about it seriously, having a dignified prince like me as a kungfu instructor, who else but you could enjoy this kind of special honour? If not for those delicious food, do you think this lord would ever be reduced to the position of an instructor? Even if you hire an instructor for yourself, you would have to provide for his food and lodging as well, wouldn't you? Not to mention tuition fees. Are you trying to tell me that this prince can't even be compared to a mere instructor?"

"Very well, very well, let's just leave it at that." Su Nuan Nuan finally relented. Even though she did not fear divorce, remaining married has its own good points as well. While nesting in this courtyard, she has endless access to good ingredients, they surely wouldn't starve while staying here. If the three of them really had to leave, three beautiful women alone in the world, it would be difficult to predict what would happen to them. Especially in this feudal society that takes advantages of the weak, as women they could be eaten up by society to the point that not even their bones would be left.