Chapter 37: Late

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"Yichen, you need to return the mule to your parents place. While you do that I'll start cooking dinner." Mochou said as he crawled out of bed. Yichen grabbed Mochou's waist and pulled him back into bed.

"Yichen?!"

"Lay with me a little longer?" Yichen said as he flipped Mochou on to his back and leaned over him.

"Not until tonight. We already skipped lunch. I can't keep missing meals. It's unhealthy." Mochou said.

Yichen couldn't refute Mochou's reasoning. He pressed his forehead against Mochou's to check his temperature. Content with the result Yichen climbed off him and and got up.

"I'll return the mule. While I'm gone don't talk to any strangers or let anyone in the yard." Yichen said. He couldn't help but worry. Especially after hearing about what the father and son did to Mochou in the past.

"I'll be careful. You need to be careful, too. You never know when something terrible might happen." Mochou warned with a soft voice filled with love and concern.

He knew this world was safer then the apocalypse he lived in. It was safer but it didn't change the fact unexpected things could happen. Especially now that Yichen was his husband. The husband of the village monster.

"I will." Yichen said with a light chuckle. He then bent down to give Mochou a light kiss on the lips before heading out the door.

...

While Yichen was gone Mochou quickly got to work on dinner. He decided today would be the day he made Yichen a feast. When they were in town he had Yichen buy him a whole chicken and some pork belly. As well as a bag of sugar and a few other treasures.

With everything they bought Mochou first prepped the chicken. He planned to make a beggar's chicken. It was a recipe he learnt as a soldier from one of his men. They couldn't make it often and to be honest when they did they only made it with small game bird but he remembered how delicious it was.

The recipe was simple. He needed to prepare the chicken as usual with herbs and some garlic the wrap it in leaves and coat it in mud to bake in the fire.

"This would be even tastier if I had butter but getting the milk to make it is difficult." Mochou thought as he used the mortar and pestle to grind the herbs, garlic, and oil into a paste.

When he finished he used the paste to season the chicken both inside, outside and even under the skin. When he was done he went outside to get some clay and the large bamboo leaves he had gathered from the forest a few days ago. He brought them back not knowing what he might use them for but now he was happy had them on hand.

After sealing the chicken in layers of leaves and wet clay he placed it in the fire pit under the wood stove. The concept was simple enough and requires little effort. As long as he timed it right and the fire was kept burning it would turn out great. While it cooked he moved to the next item; buns.

He had already premade the dough and it had plenty of time to rise. What he needed to do now was make the filling. Knowing Yichen liked sweets he decided to make a sweet BBQ pork. He didn't have all the ingredients but he was confident he could make something delicious with what he did have.

The recipe was simple enough. The buns were made normally with a little sugar added to make them a bit sweeter. For the filling he chopped up the pork belly into small cubes and fried them up. He added some sugar, flour, and water to the mix to make a sweet sauce.

"I can't believe we found soy sauce." Mochou thought as he generously added some to the mixture.

It was a little expensive or at least that's what Mochou figured considering the costs of the things they bought in town. It wasn't only soy sauce, Mochou was also amazed to find some impressive ingredients at the store including vinegar, chili paste, and some sweet jams.

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