Chapter 70: Chapter 70: The Aroma of Barbecue Spreads for Miles

Yu An sensed trouble and tried to flee, but Mo Yan was quicker.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together. His chest was broad and firm, and the heat from their skin quickly rose through the thin fabric of their clothes.

His arm lay across Yu An’s waist, locking her tightly in his embrace.

"Mo Yan..."

"Don’t talk," Mo Yan said, shifting his position to nuzzle against her chest. "An’an, let’s get up a little later."

His voice was hoarse and deep, thick with desire and an undeniable heat that made Yu An shift restlessly.

Mo Yan’s breathing quickened. He leaned in to kiss her, but Yu An stopped him.

"No, we haven’t brushed our teeth."

"Alright, alright, let’s get up. We still need to prepare the items for tomorrow’s sale."

Yu An coaxed him as she escaped from his embrace, leaving Mo Yan feeling a little frustrated.

"An’an, you go on ahead. I’ll come out in a bit."

Yu An instinctively started to ask why, but when her gaze drifted to a certain part of Mo Yan’s body, she awkwardly looked away.

Then she met Mo Yan’s reproachful gaze. "What are you looking at, you little tease? All flirt and no follow-through!"

Yu An: "..."

The males in the house had learned a thing or two by watching, so they could manage some simple cooking. The food was nothing special, but Yu An wasn’t picky—as long as there was something to eat, she was happy.

Seeing Yu An emerge from Mo Yan’s room, Ao Wu sighed, silently cursing that damned snake for seducing their Female Master again.

After the meal, Yu An finally looked at the details for the food she was to sell tomorrow.

[Sell barbecue for seven days. Achieve a total revenue of 5,000 silver coins. No limit on variety.]

Speaking of barbecue, Yu An’s mind immediately went to all kinds of meat skewers. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Meat skewers sizzling as their fat rendered, sprinkled with cumin and chili powder... The smell would be so tantalizing it would make not just the neighborhood kids, but even the adults, cry with envy!

Thinking of that long-missed flavor, Yu An decided they would have a barbecue for lunch.

Lamb, beef, and chicken skewers were essential, of course, along with pork belly, large prawns, and yellow croaker...

There were fewer vegetables—just potato slices, shiitake mushrooms, and a few other vegetables suitable for grilling.

The food cart for the task wouldn’t be provided until the day of, so Yu An simply built a makeshift barbecue grill in the courtyard. While Mo Yan and the others threaded the skewers, she prepared the seasoning mix.

Coarse chili flakes, fine chili powder, cumin powder, cumin seeds... Soon, her secret barbecue seasoning was ready, with both spicy and mild versions.

With everything prepared, Yu An began to grill.

She placed the various skewers onto the grill. They gradually turned golden-brown as she flipped them, the fat rendering out and dripping onto the charcoal with a satisfying SIZZLE.

Once they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, she sprinkled on a handful of her secret seasoning, releasing a mouthwatering aroma that filled the air.

The three Zaizais crowded around Yu An, swallowing hard. The four males tried to maintain their composure, but their gazes never strayed from her.

"Alright, alright, they’re ready! Come on, eat them while they’re hot. They won’t be as good cold."

Yu An placed the sizzling skewers, crispy on the outside and dripping with rendered fat, onto a plate for them to eat.

"Female Mother eats first."

Each of the three Zaizais picked up a different kind of skewer and offered them to Yu An first.

Xiao Hu, being the shortest, stood on his tiptoes to try and feed her.

Yu An patted their little heads and took a bite from each skewer. The lamb was tender and juicy, the chicken was smooth and delicate, and the pork belly was perfectly crisped, filling her mouth with its rich, savory flavor.

’It’s a taste I haven’t had in so long. If only I had an ice-cold beer to go with this, I can’t even imagine how perfect that would be!’

The vegetable skewers, fish, and prawns were delicious in their own right. The aroma drifted out of the courtyard on the breeze, tantalizing who knows who.

The sound of a young child wailing came from next door. Yu An listened closely.

’Oh. They’re crying because of the smell.’

Before she could even start cleaning up, there was a knock at the courtyard gate.

Yu An opened the gate to find a middle-aged female at the entrance. Behind her stood who she assumed was her Beast Husband, carrying a bound sheep over his shoulder.

"Miss, I’m your neighbor, Hu Hui Lan. Were you just cooking something? My child smelled the aroma and is making a fuss, insisting on having some."

Hu Hui Lan looked embarrassed. "I only have the one Zaizai, so I tend to spoil him. Would you be willing to sell me a little of your food?"

"We are," Yu An said with a smile. "Since we’re neighbors, please, let me give you some as a gift."

Hu Hui Lan waved her hands dismissively. "Oh, I couldn’t possibly. Just charge me what it’s worth. Don’t worry, I know how much prepared food costs, so I won’t let you take a loss. And this ewe, she’s a gift for you."

"What I made today is only for giving away, not for selling," Yu An said, taking a packed portion of barbecue from Mo Yan and pressing it into Hu Hui Lan’s hands. "But if you really feel you must, how about you do me a favor instead?"

"What kind of favor?"

Yu An put on a troubled expression. "We plan to sell this food at a stall here tomorrow, but we’re new to the area and don’t know anyone. We’re not sure if there are any rules we need to follow."

"Then you’ve come to the right person," Hu Hui Lan said, her eyes brightening as she finally accepted the barbecue. "To sell things in the city, you have to pay a fee to the City Lord Mansion. It’s not cheap, but the City Lord Mansion’s guards patrol to prevent troublemakers."

"But if you want to sell tomorrow, it’s too late to pay the fee today. It takes the City Lord Mansion several days to assign a stall location."

Yu An knew there would be a fee, but she hadn’t known about the rest. She was just about to ask if a little extra money might speed things up when Hu Hui Lan added, "Paying more won’t help, either. Unless you have connections."

"As it happens, my Beast Husband is the one who manages that. If you trust me, I can have it sorted out for you by the end of the day!"

Yu An naturally didn’t refuse, and she wasn’t suspicious. When she bought the house, she’d been told that her neighbors were either wealthy or influential.

The two women were soon calling each other sisters as they chatted. Inhaling the delicious aroma, Hu Hui Lan decided she would have her Beast Husband find Yu An the closest possible stall location, making it convenient for her to buy more whenever she wanted.

With the stall location sorted, the next step was to prepare ingredients. The sheep was left behind, and Yu An tethered it in the courtyard.

While they were busy preparing the ingredients with great enthusiasm, over at the City Lord Mansion, Han Li was listlessly eating a bland meal, feeling completely devoid of hope.

He had known the moment Yu An entered the city, but his Beast Father, fearing he would face danger again, had forbidden him from going out.

"Young Master, please eat a little more. How can your body endure if you eat so little?"

Housekeeper Han had been sent by Han Fengyun to watch over Han Li. Ever since losing a fortune that one time, the housekeeper had been on his best behavior.

He only acted arrogantly in front of outsiders. Within the City Lord Mansion, and especially in front of his two masters, the elder and the younger, he was as docile as could be.

"I’m full. Take it away."

Han Li set down his chopsticks, turned, and went to lie on his bed. Housekeeper Han sighed helplessly and had no choice but to clear the dishes.

Hearing the door close, Han Li opened his eyes, slipped out the window, and headed straight for Han Fengyun’s courtyard.

In the days since his return, he had managed to uncover a few things. His Beast Father was targeting Yu An on someone’s orders, but he didn’t know who was giving them.

Han Li had thought it over; the only people who could command his Beast Father were a select few from the Imperial City. He was now hoping to find a letter or some other clue that would reveal their identity.

Han Fengyun’s courtyard was guarded, but that didn’t stop Han Li. He squeezed through a hole in the wall.

When he crept up to Han Fengyun’s study, he found his father was inside with another person he didn’t recognize.

"City Lord, the madam wishes to see the Young Master. However, if we use hypnotism on him again, I fear his spiritual power won’t be able to withstand it."