Chapter 5: Why Not Eat Meat Porridge

The little girl spoke with great excitement, clearly still happy to have received two bowls of thick pot porridge, but Li Yun felt a slight stir in his heart, as he had likely already guessed the reasoning behind it.

Li Yun glared at him resentfully and said coldly: "You should properly taste this bowl of pot-bottom rice. Didn't you just say that even the servants in your house don't eat this? Then you should eat a bowl first and have a good taste of what this pot-bottom rice is like"

One must eat even if not hungry

I want to kill you!

Indeed, one cannot escape the intricacies of human relationships and social norms anywhere

Li Yun suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile and cast a meaningful glance at Cheng Chumo.

Li Yun could no longer contain himself and suddenly erupted, throwing a punch. Cheng Chumo was caught off guard and unexpectedly received a black eye from his blow

A Yao was very happy on the side, smiling sweetly as she said: "This is pot-bottom porridge, so it is particularly thick. When cooking porridge in a large pot, it is always thin on top and thick at the bottom; the more it is from the bottom of the pot, the more fragrant it becomes. Eating one bowl is equivalent to three bowls; a whole large pot can only serve three or four bowls. In the past, it was reserved for those who were on the brink of starvation or death from illness, and it would not be distributed to able-bodied refugees under normal circumstances."

Cheng Chumo glared with his cow-like eyes, came over to look down at the ceramic bowl in Li Yun's hand, and disdainfully said: "This porridge, even my family's servants won't eat it"

After speaking, he waved to A Yao with a gentle expression and said, "Sister, come sit over here. There is shade in the corner. Look at how hot you are! Your hair is all damp with sweat."

When he does not get angry, it is fine; however, when he does get angry, he surprisingly possesses a certain degree of authority

Cheng Chumo stood in a daze and asked, but still obediently walked over and squatted down

Li Yun suddenly felt a slight itch in his molars and, suppressing his irritation, asked: "Then I would like to inquire, Your Excellency, what do you usually eat?"

Just two bowls of porridge, is this considered to be pleasing?

In the past, when he had just crossed over, he had also been so hungry that he felt faint, yet he did not see any officials distributing thick porridge. However, now, he is in good health, and A Yao has instead brought him two large bowls.

Li Yun nodded and smiled, saying: "You are the legitimate son of the Duke of Lu's residence, a prominent figure in Chang'an, and if nothing unexpected happens in the future, you will be the next Duke of Lu. These minor officials are not fools; how could they miss the opportunity to curry favor with you..."

A Yao playfully stuck out her tongue, seemingly shy due to the presence of outsiders. However, she still ran over to Li Yun with a ceramic bowl in hand, and said happily: "Brother Li, hurry and eat, this porridge is quite thick. A single serving can fill you up for two meals, so we won't have to worry about going hungry tonight..."

Cheng Chumo stood there in a daze, holding the bowl, and exclaimed: "Is this pure husk porridge? Can it even be considered porridge?"

Then you get lost

Well, not bad, Ah Yao is very capable

Li Yun held his breath, his chest rising and falling unevenly. Suddenly, he shouted angrily, "Why not eat meat porridge? I originally thought it was just something said in books, but I never expected to experience it personally today. Truly, you are a noble of the state, and I indeed cannot aspire to your level. You may leave; I will pretend I never knew you. From now on, the road is wide open; you continue to be your little noble, and I will continue to be your little disaster victim. Get lost, what are you still standing there for?" From now on, the road is wide open; you continue to be your little noble, and I will continue to be your little disaster victim. Get lost, what are you still standing there for?

Li Yun squatted at the edge of the wall, waved his hand to wipe the dust off the ground, then slowly sat down cross-legged and said with a smile: "Even the emperor does not starve his soldiers, do you, a mere duke, think you are more ruthless than the emperor? Just wait, let me have a bite to eat..."

Li Yun took a deep breath, suddenly raised his hand towards the corner of the wall beside him, and said coldly: "Come here, squat down!"

It is of no significance

Li Yun smiled, and suddenly squatted down slowly again

But I am not hungry!

Cheng Chumo was taken aback for a moment, his gaze falling on the ceramic bowl in Li Yun's hand. Although he was somewhat simple-minded, he was not actually dull-witted. He quickly understood and murmured, "Is the master saying that those officials distributing porridge are trying to curry favor with me? They see me mingling with you, so they are giving you thick porridge?"

Li Yun, with a contemplative expression, suddenly said: "Since this porridge is meant for the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled, why has it suddenly been given to us?"

Cheng Chumo, with his simple-mindedness, completely failed to detect the anger in Li Yun's words, and replied earnestly: "Of course, it's meat! In the morning, I have two bowls of meat porridge, accompanied by about ten meat patties. At noon, I drink wine and have around ten side dishes. In the evening, the meal is relatively simple because my father is quite frugal; he usually just has the kitchen prepare a roasted leg of lamb. Eating like this every day, Master, I am already tired of it..." In the morning, I have two bowls of meat porridge, accompanied by about ten meat patties. At noon, I drink wine and have around ten side dishes. In the evening, the meal is relatively simple because my father is quite frugal; he usually just has the kitchen prepare a roasted leg of lamb. Eating like this every day, Master, I am already tired of it..."

Cheng Chumo, with a rough temperament, exclaimed anxiously: "Why are you squatting down again? Master, didn't you say you would take me to accomplish a few significant tasks so that my father would regard me with newfound respect?"

Li Yun nodded in approval, casually taking the ceramic bowl. First, he gently blew into the bowl, noticing that the hot porridge showed no ripples at all. He then smiled and said, "Indeed, it is thick porridge; it doesn't even ripple when blown."

To accomplish great things, one must first be well-fed

A Yao blinked her big eyes and sweetly said, "The official in charge of the porridge said that today our district has no patients, but the porridge at the bottom of the pot cannot be wasted, so I have served two large bowls for the sisters."

Cheng Chumo saw his stern expression and, feeling helpless, had no choice but to take the ceramic bowl. This fellow frowned and lowered his head to take a couple of bites, then swallowed with great difficulty. Suddenly, he looked up and said: "Master, this porridge is sticking in my throat"

Not bad

What else can be eaten

Li Yun chuckled and, as if hinting at something, said: "I just want to thank you for one thing; today’s meal is certainly thanks to your influence"

Are you benefiting from my influence

After being beaten, this fellow still did not understand why, standing there with his eyes covered and grunting, he complained: "Master, why did you hit me for no reason? You are so unreasonable, what is the difference between you and my father? Be careful, or I might leave the sect, and we will part ways..."

Li Yun slowly squatted down beside Cheng Chumo and sighed, "Since ancient times, throughout the ages, in times of famine, we often see the suffering of disaster victims seeking food. Although the court does provide disaster relief, do you think they will use good grain? Let me tell you, it is all coarse grains mixed with chaff, just porridge to help people survive. The bowl of porridge you are eating today is actually considered good because it is bottom-of-the-pot porridge, very thick, with actual grain... We do not usually eat like this; we drink thin porridge, the porridge from the top layer of the large pot, which is basically all chaff. Taking a sip makes your throat hurt, and you can only force yourself to endure it to swallow it down. The bowl of porridge you are eating today is actually considered good because it is bottom-of-the-pot porridge, very thick, with actual grain... We do not usually eat like this; we drink thin porridge, the porridge from the top layer of the large pot, which is basically all chaff. Taking a sip makes your throat hurt, and you can only force yourself to endure it to swallow it down. But we have no choice but to drink it; we must survive..."

Cheng Chumo felt uneasy under his gaze, instinctively taking a half step back, and cautiously asked: "Master, what kind of look is that? What do you mean?"

Of course it is rough on the throat, because there is bran inside! A-Yao, who was over there enjoying her sweet porridge, couldn't help but interject upon hearing this. However, the little girl was quite happy and continued, "Actually, the porridge at the bottom of the pot is quite good; it is much more fragrant than plain bran porridge."

What are you doing

His playful demeanor unexpectedly diminished the anger in Li Yun's heart. After all, he is a young duke from a prestigious noble family, and his ability to act this way can be seen as a model of respect for teachers and education

Unexpectedly, Cheng Chumo was quite taken with this approach, shamelessly begging for mercy with a grin, saying: "Master, please calm down, it's not good to get angry... Ahaha, my old man was indeed right, those who are capable tend to have big tempers. It seems I have chosen the right master, I will boast about this to those bastards later."

Cheng Chumo stood there in a daze, holding the bowl, with a clear sense of emotion in his eyes

Li Yun suddenly pushed the bowl forward, lightly snorted and said, "I will not eat this bowl of rice today, you come and eat it."