"Lu Lang, what are your plans next?" Li Ying asked.
Hearing her question, Lu Xunguang tightened his fists and said in a deep voice, "Since that Lotus Lady has bullied you, I will surely not let her off lightly. I'll just deal with her moves one by one."
Hearing his words, which clearly indicated his intention to continue the fight with Lotus Lady, Li Ying couldn't help but slightly frown her delicate eyebrows.
"Lu Lang, this is not advisable."
"Lotus Lady has repeatedly tried to kill you. Now that she has colluded with the sea pirates, I'm afraid the Lin Inspector and his wife have long been bought off by her."
"Now the enemy is in the dark while we are in the open. If you still remain an unknown commoner, even if you accidentally fall into her trap and lose your life one day, she might be able to cover it up with her powerful influence."
Only if Lu Xunguang resumed his identity as the young master of the Peace Bank would Lotus Lady possibly restrain herself a bit, fearing the attention of the bank's owner and the public.
Lu Xunguang understood her meaning, but he showed a hesitant look and didn't nod.
Not long after his mother passed away, his father had grandly married Lotus Lady into the family, giving her all the proper formalities and respect.
The father - son relationship had never been close, and since then, the rift had grown deeper day by day. He rarely went home and never bothered to ask about the Lu family's business. He spent nearly ten months of the year staying outside.
He had fallen into Lotus Lady's trap and barely survived, but his father, who was connected by blood, showed no sign of pain or pity, as if he had just heard the death news of a passer - by.
"A Ying, I know your intention, but... Since childhood, my father has regarded me as a useless person. Even if I come back from the dead, he will never have any paternal love for me. There's really no need to expect any protection from him."
He said it with certainty, his tone calm, as if he were just stating a household matter that had nothing to do with him.
Li Ying knew this man's stubbornness. His father's harsh treatment had been a knot in his heart for many years, and she also knew that such a deep - seated belief was hard to dispel in a short time. So she stopped persuading him, but secretly made up her mind to test the bank owner's attitude first.
The next day, the sea pirates had been imprisoned. Li Ying took the recovered pink pearls and rushed straight to the yamen.
She presented the pearl box. The Lin Inspector just calmly nodded as he looked at the shining pearls in the box.
"Since Miss Li's words are true, I will surely present these pink pearls to the Emperor. As for the 'fishing village tourism' and 'pearl - farming' matters, Miss, just wait patiently for the Emperor's decision."
Li Ying heaved a sigh of relief and bowed to the inspector with a smile. "Thank you, Inspector. It's really a blessing for the common people to have an honest and upright official like you."
After flattering him, she politely took her leave. But the coldness on her face grew stronger as she left the yamen.
Even the sea women who had been collecting pearls for years would gape in astonishment when they first saw these two pink pearls. The Lin Inspector's calm appearance was really strange.
It was as if... he had known about it in advance.
Li Ying had suspected that Lotus Lady was in cahoots with the Lin Inspector and his wife. Now she was even more certain.
I'm afraid that even the group of sea pirates who robbed and killed were within the Lin Inspector's tacit approval.
At present, only with the support of the Peace Bank could they contend with Lotus Lady.
Li Ying was full of hesitation. She didn't know if she should take this opportunity to secretly test the bank owner's attitude. Coincidentally, as soon as she returned to the village, she met Du the shopkeeper's assistant, Dendrobium, who had come to deliver medicinal materials like ginseng and Chinese angelica for her to nourish her body.
"Boss Li, these medicinal materials are all newly - harvested this year. And these old hens were specially ordered by the bank owner after he heard that you were attacked. They are for you to make soup. They are all in the backyard! There's still work to do in the Deji Pharmacy, so I'll take my leave first!"
Dendrobium secretly glanced at A Man, bowed to her, and then hurriedly left.
Li Ying looked at the hens and secretly made up her mind.
Since the things were sent by the bank owner, he must have known about the sea pirate incident.
Although she couldn't figure out what this wealthy merchant was planning, she instinctively felt that he might not be as cold - hearted as Lu Xunguang had said.
Lotus Lady had gone to great lengths to get rid of Lu Xunguang completely, causing quite a stir. Could it be that the bank owner had already secretly known about it and sent the hens as a test?
While thinking, Li Ying picked out a pig stomach. She turned it inside out, wrinkled her nose, and used salt, vinegar, and flour to scrub the mucus on the inner wall.
She cut off the fat on the surface of the pig stomach and washed it three times until it was pink, clean, and free of any strange smell. Then she put it into the pot and fried it on low heat until both sides were slightly golden.
This was one of the secrets to making the soup thick and milky - white. One couldn't be careless.
After cutting up the old hen, she also removed the excess chicken fat. She put it into a pot of water with ginger slices and brought it to a boil. Then she wrapped the crushed pepper in a gauze spice bag and stuffed it into the pig stomach. She put them together to stew. After it boiled again, she carefully skimmed off the foam on the soup.
She boiled it on high heat until the clear soup turned milky - white. Then she added Chinese angelica and lotus seeds and simmered it on low heat for an hour.
When the pig stomach was cooked, she fished it out, cut it into pieces, and added a little salt to season it. This simple way could better bring out the freshness of the soup.
The pig - stomach chicken soup was milky - white but not greasy. It was rich but had no floating oil. The bank owner had a weak constitution and was afraid of the cold. It would be most suitable for him to have a bowl of this warm and nourishing soup on a cold autumn day.
The cleaned pig stomach had no strange smell at all. It had a thick, crispy, and tender texture. Although the chicken had been cooked for a long time, it was not dry or tasteless. The meat was soft and the chicken skin was glutinous. It was very delicious.
Li Ying carefully put the soup into a clay pot and kept it warm with charcoal fire below. She also added a generous spoonful of Chinese angelica and lotus seeds. Then she changed into a simple and elegant dress and rode her black horse straight to the inn where the bank owner was staying.
"Thank you, bank owner, for your concern after yesterday's encounter with the sea pirates."
Li Ying bowed with a smile and said softly, "After autumn sets in, the weather turns cold. It's the best time for nourishment. I've made some pig - stomach chicken soup with lotus seeds and Chinese angelica. I specially brought it for you to taste."
As she spoke, she took a white porcelain bowl, filled it to the brim, and respectfully presented it to the bank owner.
Li Ying deliberately emphasized the words "lotus seeds" and "Chinese angelica" and secretly observed his expression.
The bank owner slowly stretched out his hand from his cloak, chewed the soft and sweet lotus seeds leisurely, and said in a deep voice, "Boss Li's cooking skills are always excellent."
Li Ying smiled until her eyes were like crescent moons. She quickly served another bowl and said softly, "The Mid - Autumn Festival is approaching. The autumn wind is bleak. Eating more lotus seeds and Chinese angelica will be very beneficial to your health."
These words "lotus seeds" and "Chinese angelica" had a double meaning, implying "pity the son" and "come back".
The bank owner was a smart man. If his intention of sending the Chinese angelica was really to test her, after hearing these words, he should know that she was already aware of the conflict between the Lu father and son, and there was no need to beat around the bush with her anymore.