Chapter 64: The Wind Whisper Forest 4

"Hey, handsome Leng, don't walk so fast! Why won't you say anything about how I performed? Did I pass, and will I be able to fool people successfully next time?"

Watching Leng Feng being driven half-mad by her, Hen Queqian felt not a shred of guilt. Giggling, she trotted after him, pestering him with questions as she pursued him. Yet, Leng Feng refused to give her the slightest answer, which left Hen Queqian somewhat deflated.

This was Hen Queqian's first time visiting the Whispering Forest. Of course, even if this body had been here before, Hen Queqian would have forgotten, for she had never inherited any of the original memories.

Walking by Leng Feng's side, however, his presence allowed Hen Queqian to safely distract her mind and take in the surrounding scenery. The trees in the Whispering Forest were towering, yet they did not completely block out the sunlight. Dappled rays filtered through the canopy, nourishing the various grasses below and enabling them to thrive.

As they strolled through the woods, creatures somewhere between magical beasts and ordinary wild animals—such as colorful chickens and bubble rabbits—scampered away in all directions upon the arrival of Leng Feng and Hen Queqian. Looking at these dense clusters of animals, Hen Queqian's mouth watered continuously. In her mind's eye, she already saw these creatures transformed into delectable delicacies.

Having found a suitable lake, Hen Queqian immediately sprang into action. First, she made Leng Feng dig a fire pit and get a bonfire going. Meanwhile, Hen Queqian dragged a colorful chicken over to the lakeside. With a flurry of snappy movements, she plucked the feathers, butchered the bird, and set it to marinate.

After cleaning and processing the chicken giblets, she brought them back to the camp. Setting up a makeshift cooking rack, she prepared to start stir-frying.

Since coming to this world, Hen Queqian had discovered that most food was simply boiled in water. Whether it was vegetables or meat, everything was prepared the same way: boiled until cooked, then tossed with a handful of salt. Eating like this had been a form of torture for her.

In her original status within the Hen family, no matter how destitute they had become, she would never have been reduced to cooking for herself. Therefore, Hen Queqian's life had been extremely difficult; she could be said to have suffered from alternating bouts of fullness and starvation.

However, on the way to the Bitter Bamboo Forest, Hen Queqian had discovered chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and various other seasonings, all of which she had brought along this time. Heating the pan, she tossed in the chilies, and once they sizzled, added green bell peppers followed by the chicken gizzards and other giblets.

Before long, a fragrant dish of stir-fried green peppers and chicken gizzards was finished. Next, she took the marinated chicken meat—drumsticks, wings, and all—and either deep-fried them or wrapped them up to make beggar's chicken.

When everything was finally settled, Hen Queqian let out a sigh of relief. Picking up her specially crafted chopsticks, she got ready to eat, only to discover that the first dish to finish—the stir-fried green peppers with chicken gizzards—had already been completely devoured by Leng Feng.

This sight ached Hen Queqian's heart so much that she shrieked, "Leng Feng, were you a starving ghost in your past life? Even if you were, you could at least consider how hard I worked to make this food for you and leave me a little bit!

"In the end, all my hard work as your esteemed lady went entirely into feeding you! How can your conscience bear this? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs, or what?" Hen Queqian unleashed a torrent of abuse, leaving Leng Feng utterly mortified.

Leng Feng was indeed a true aristocrat; while the ingredients nobles ate were more luxurious than Hen Queqian's, the cooking methods were no better. At first, seeing Hen Queqian go to such troublesome lengths, Leng Feng had been utterly disdainful.

However, once the stir-fried green peppers and chicken gizzards were done, and he caught that enticing aroma, Leng Feng could not resist trying just one piece, and as a result...