A Jiu withdrew her gaze and noticed that Zhao Kun was still in the courtyard, not having followed Tuoba Yan.
"Oh, you're back. My mother made some food, have some quickly," A Jiu said, leading Zhao Kun to the east room.
This table had been moved from the west room. Grandpa Niu had said not to disturb his main room, so A Jiu couldn't borrow things from there.
"Yes, yes, have some quickly," Cai Lihua finally responded.
All the way here, Meng Shaode and his wife had treated Zhao Kun with disdain. If not for the carriage, they wouldn't have even glanced at him.
This was understandable. Who could blame them when this fellow was the second-in-command of bandits, who had almost killed their wife and children?
This time, if not for Tuoba Yan's appearance, they would all have been taken away by the soldiers.
Now, Meng Shaode spoke to Zhao Kun for the first time, even personally serving him a bowl of soup.
"We really owe your master this time. By the way, Brother Zhao, are you truly Xiao Yanyan's subordinate?"
Meng Shaode finally had the inclination to inquire about Tuoba Yan's affairs.
Zhao Kun sipped the soup, praising its exquisite taste. He rubbed his hands, speaking a little sheepishly,
"Our master is actually quite simple-minded. We also thank Brother Meng for your care along the way."
Simple-minded? A Jiu felt this word suited Tuoba Yan, yet also didn't.
How could a simple person investigate himself so flawlessly, without a blush or a skipped heartbeat?
And if A Jiu remembered correctly, Zhao Kun knew about Tuoba Yan killing people.
"Simple-minded, I also think Xiao Yan is quite honest. Eat quickly, it won't be good if it gets cold," Meng Shaode urged Zhao Kun to eat.
"However, there's a reason why our master is simple-minded."
As soon as Zhao Kun said this, A Jiu's eyes widened, "What reason?" She had always felt that Tuoba Yan's head was filled with either shit or piss.
"He... his mind isn't very sharp." Zhao Kun suddenly felt he had misspoke.
"..." No wonder, A Jiu suddenly understood.
"Intellectually disabled?" Cai Lihua abruptly added.
"More or less. Anyway, our master's mind is missing something." Zhao Kun understood the term "intellectually disabled"; it was essentially slow-witted.
A Jiu gasped, so Xiao Yanyan was actually a mentally challenged ghost.
"Thank you all for your many kindnesses. I, Zhao Kun, thank you all on behalf of my master."
Zhao Kun rose, cupped his hands, and bowed.
"Hey, what for?" Meng Shaode, having just received their favor, couldn't let them be so polite:
"Although your master's mind is lacking, he once saved my life."
Recalling this, Meng Shaode rubbed his hands, thinking to himself that this was the second time they had been saved, and he must find a way to properly thank the young man.
A Jiu saw her father's thoughts:
"Dad, let's use Grandpa Niu's stone mill to press oil tonight." Only pure oil could adequately express their gratitude to Xiao Yanyan.
"Press oil?" Cai Lihua's eyes lit up, "What oil?"
As a cook, with salt now available, if there were oil, wouldn't that be a divine match and a heavenly delicacy?
"It's the tea seed oil I picked on the mountain last time," A Jiu said. Meanwhile, Auntie Li had gone to the kitchen and retrieved a large sack of tea seeds from the firewood pile.
She had been helping clean rooms with the children and Zhao Kun these past few days and knew where things were stored.
She placed the sack in the room, rolling up the edges.
The three of them put their heads together and peered inside.
Cai Lihua grabbed a handful and crushed one with a crunch, her eyes widening:
"Wow, I've never seen such plump tea seeds."
"Mom, let's save some oil for the lamps and some for stir-frying. The rest can be given to Xiao Yanyan, doesn't he need pure oil?"
A Jiu felt happy looking at them.
"Thank you, Miss A Jiu, for your thoughtful consideration for our master," Zhao Kun quickly put down his chopsticks, rose, and bowed ninety degrees to A Jiu, cupping his hands.