Tang Zhuyun, seeing Xue Lie's dumbfounded expression, asked in surprise, "Haven't you ever eaten roasted venison before?"
No way.
Thanks to the Prince of Prince of Jin, she herself had eaten roasted venison, venison hot pot, and venison buns...
Xue Lie, a native, had never eaten roasted venison?
Is barbecue really that unpopular?
Xue Lie shook his head and then nodded. "Of course I've eaten it!"
"Then what are you surprised about?" Tang Zhuyun asked. "Xiaoying, go prepare the rack, charcoal, brush, honey... never mind, come on, I'll go to the kitchen with you to get them."
Xue Lie's brain was still frozen as he listened to her crisp words.
"Oh, by the way, once you've bled him out completely, could you please call all the brothers over for me?"
Bleeding the deer, brothers, come over here...
A blood oath?
Do other women's sisters do this too?
What's the difference between this and being brothers?
Xue Lie suddenly felt that the sisters he had longed for for many years didn't seem so appealing anymore... After all, he had no shortage of brothers to drink and eat with!
As Tang Zhuyun walked, she said, "I'll make some venison meatballs and venison bone soup for my grandmother later."
Xue Lie watched her lift her skirt and stride across the threshold, her back view rushing past, and couldn't help but think that something must have gone wrong.
Shouldn't sisters be delicate and adorable, capable of embroidering purses for their brothers?
Is his purse still around?
In the evening, the younger generation of the Xue Family gathered in Tang Zhuyun's courtyard and set up a fire to roast venison.
At first, the Xue Family brothers, except for Xue Lie, were a bit reserved, but they gradually discovered that Tang Zhuyun had a cheerful and outgoing personality, and they all loosened up.
Tang Zhuyun was the first to be fed and satisfied.
Eldest brother. "Give it to my sister first!"
Second brother. "Little sister, be careful it's hot!"
Third brother. "Sister, another one!"
Xue Lie whispered, "Even faster than me..."
Then he got beaten up.
Fifth brother. "Sister, have some tea."
Sixth brother. "Sister, have some vegetables."
Seventh brother. "I'm hungry too..."
The youngest brother, Xue Li, is only eleven years old this year.
Tang Zhuyun stuffed the meat into his hand and said with a smile, "Eat the meat, everyone. Don't just stare at me, it's making me feel embarrassed."
Everyone started eating, chatting and laughing. Then one person asked her a question, another asked her a question, and Tang Zhuyun answered them all patiently, while also helping everyone grill and distribute the meat.
Xue Lie suddenly said, "Sister, how can you be so biased!"
Everyone looked somewhat bewildered.
Xue Lie, feeling wronged and angry, accused him. "You gave Second Brother so much meat!"
Tang Zhuyun: "Well... it's because my second brother and I are sitting close together!"
She sat between her eldest and second eldest brothers; after all, there were many younger brothers but only two older brothers, so there was an order of seniority.
She's the most popular now!
The two sisters-in-law and the younger brother's wife sat opposite them, all secretly smiling.
"Then even my eldest brother doesn't have that much..." Xue Lie muttered to himself.
"I eat fast." Xue Man glared at her younger brother. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll go remind Father of the flogging you owe him."
Xue Lie: You win.
Then he silently drew circles to curse the Prince of Jin.
You, a member of the imperial family, are even more ruthless than him in a fight, and you even aim for his face. Don't you have any shame?
But after a while, Xue Man couldn't help but secretly ask Tang Zhuyun, "Do you really like your second brother?"
Tang Zhuyun whispered in his ear, "Because I felt sorry for Second Brother, I couldn't control myself..."
How bad was it?
"He couldn't protest when the name was chosen!"
Xue Man, Xue Zhong, and Xue Lie are all fine, but this Xue Men... is really frustrating.
Xue Man burst into laughter.
Everyone looked at him, puzzled.
Tang Zhuyun looked at him pleadingly, "Big brother, please don't betray me."
Xue Man said, "It's alright, I'm happy my sister is back."
This man was quite authoritative; once he spoke, no one dared to ask any more questions.
After finishing the barbecue, we ate watermelon with a sandy flesh that had been chilled in well water, and night slowly fell in the gentle breeze.
Xue Man said, "Sister, you've had a long day. Come to my place for a meal another day."
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said a few modest words, then saw them out.
Xue Lie lagged behind, dawdling and unwilling to leave.
While helping Xiaoying pack her things, Tang Zhuyun asked, "What's wrong? Haven't you eaten enough?"
Xiaoying said tremblingly, "Miss, you don't need to do it."
Tang Zhuyun said, "It's alright, you go ahead and do your thing. I'll stretch my legs after I finish eating."
"I'm just not full," Xue Man muttered.
Tang Zhuyun shrugged. "That's all. How about you get another deer tomorrow?"
Xue Lie: "..."
He's stuck with that deer farmer and doesn't know what to do!
My ruthless older sister.
He wasn't really hungry; he just wanted to talk to Tang Zhuyun for a while.
After tidying up, Tang Zhuyun invited him to have tea at the stone table by the door.
She wasn't good at finding topics to talk about, and Xue Lie was also tongue-tied, so the atmosphere became a bit awkward.
Tang Zhuyun forced herself to speak, "Your face is much better, isn't it?"
Xue Lie said angrily, "I'll find Prince of Jin sooner or later and have another fight with him."
Tang Zhuyun asked weakly, "Can we win?"
Xue Lie wanted to say "yes," but his strength wouldn't allow it.
"I'll be able to do it in the future!" His pride wouldn't allow him to admit defeat.
Tang Zhuyun: "You and the Prince of Jin don't seem to be that much of an age difference..."
Does an 80-year-old man have a chance of winning against an 88-year-old man?
It took Xue Lie a while to realize what was happening, and he said angrily, "I'm not enduring it! I'll be fine in a few years."
"Okay, work hard, you can do it!"
The Prince of Jin, who was hiding in the darkness and impatiently waiting for Xue Lie to leave, almost lost his composure.
The Tang Zhuzi are really great.
I never knew she was so confident in herself.
Xue Lie suddenly asked Tang Zhuyun, "Sister, are you really going to marry the Prince of Jin? Will you not regret it?"
Tang Zhuyun vaguely understood that he had stayed behind just to ask this question.
The elders of the Xue Family are probably waiting for his reply.
--Some things are better left unsaid by a simpleton; no matter the outcome, it won't be awkward.
The Prince of Jin gritted his teeth; he knew the Xue Family would be of no use whatsoever!
To sow discord between the two of them is utterly despicable.
It's okay, he knows Tang Zhuyun's feelings for him. Even if she says she doesn't want to, it's just that she doesn't mean it.
Take a deep breath and calm down!
Tang Zhuyun lowered her eyes. "This is a marriage bestowed by the Emperor."
"You don't need to worry about those things, just tell me whether you're willing or not," Xue Lie said casually.
Tang Zhuyun: "I'm willing."
The Prince of Jin's heart had been tightly gripped; he had never expected her to give such an unwavering answer. Overjoyed, he wished he could immediately come out, hug her, and spin her around.
Xue Lie: "You don't need to think about the Xue Family, just tell the truth."
How is it not the truth that the Prince of Jin threw his fist?
So, the truth is that you have to hate me?
The Xue Family family is truly despicable; I want to kill them.
Tang Zhuyun said, "I don't know who I should marry, but if I have to marry, Prince of Jin is an option."