After Wen Boyuan left, Princess Anping and Zijuan carried Snowball out of the tent. They saw Hu Xiaotian busy beside the bonfire, where a plump sheep was roasting. Under his direction, the cook accompanying the party was concentrating on turning it over the flames.
Long Xiyue could not help laughing at the sight of Hu Xiaotian confidently issuing orders. He turned, saw her and Zijuan, and smiled too. "Your Highness, why have you come out instead of sheltering from the wind and snow in your tent?"
Snowball began barking.
Long Xiyue stroked the soft fur on Snowball's back and said gently, "It's all because your roast lamb smells so delicious. Snowball wouldn't stop barking. If we hadn't come out, Snowball would have turned the place upside down." In truth, she had wanted to see Hu Xiaotian herself.
Hu Xiaotian picked up a bone, waved it before Snowball's eyes, then tossed it into the distance. Snowball wriggled free of Long Xiyue's arms and chased after it.
Long Xiyue cried out in alarm.
Hu Xiaotian laughed. "Don't worry. To Snowball, a meaty bone will always be more tempting than a beautiful woman."
Long Xiyue gave him a reproachful look. From somewhere, Hu Xiaotian fetched a low stool and set it beside the bonfire. "Please sit, Your Highness. Once the lamb's ready, you can eat."
Filled with curiosity, Zijuan asked, "Eunuch Hu, where did you get such a big, fat sheep?"
"I had Wang Wenyou prepare them," Hu Xiaotian said. "I heard the road would be desolate for the next few days, with hardly any homes along the way, so I told him to load ten live sheep onto a wagon and bring them with us. Whenever we need to eat, we slaughter one." He had learned this method from the Shajia people