Light footsteps sounded outside the door. Several men came in carrying large bamboo baskets covered with white cloth.
The sight of the white cloth made the Fatty feel sick on instinct. There were large yellow stains on it, and he strongly suspected it was the same cloth that had covered the fake Grandpa's corpse.
When they lifted the cloth, they found bowl after bowl of white rice inside, still steaming, clearly fresh from the pot. The aroma seemed almost magical, drawing everyone's gaze.
An elderly woman of high standing took out a bowl and handed it straight to Li Bai. Her face was full of expectation. "Miss Li, you're hungry. You eat first."
The villagers chimed in one after another, their eyes fixed on Li Bai. It seemed this little performance was almost at its climax.
Jiang Cheng smiled as he took a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks from the basket. Chuckling, he said, "What a pity. Miss Li had an upset stomach last night, so I'm afraid she can't enjoy it right now. What a waste of such lovely white rice."
At that, Li Bai put on a regretful expression and set the bowl on the table. "I'm sorry. Thank you all for your kindness, but my stomach's bothering me, so I can't eat."
"If Miss Li can't eat right now, then we'll eat first. What, you outsiders aren't going to turn down our hospitality, are you?" A scar-faced man spoke in an unfriendly tone. "This is the best food in our village. Don't be ungrateful."
That left Jiang Cheng in an awkward position. He was the only one holding a bowl of rice, and everyone was staring at him.
Jiang Cheng simply turned around without a hint of panic and smiled as he shoved the