Chapter 24: Battle of Wisdom and Courage

Walking down the slope, the scheming little loli and her little red horse were nowhere to be seen, leaving only a patch of lush green grass. The sky was vast, and the wilderness stretched endlessly; the wind rustled the grass, revealing a yellow cow.

Without the loli, it looked especially nice.

Zhu Ping’an led the cow to the clear riverside, where irregular stones lined both banks. He tied the cow to a willow tree at the riverbank, allowing it to choose whether to drink water, eat water plants, or graze on the grass by the shore. He then walked along the river, hoping to catch a fish or two. However, he sadly realized that it was impossible to catch fish with empty hands; even digging for loaches by the river was futile, as there were so many hiding in the mud that he couldn’t find any.

Of course, this was also because Zhu Ping’an’s fishing skills were limited.

Should he bring a fishing rod next time? Catching fish wouldn’t be bad; it could be a way to refine his character and provide himself with an extra meal.

“Hey, little poor boy, how did you end up here?” 

Truly, she was a persistent spirit.

Zhu Ping’an turned his head and, sure enough, saw the scheming little loli again. However, this time she had changed into a different outfit—loose robes that flowed gracefully, exuding an ethereal charm. Her hair was styled in double spirals, with a strand cascading down her chubby face, making her look even cuter.

“What’s up, ugly girl?” Zhu Ping’an glanced at her and turned away.

He called me ugly girl again. The scheming little loli had deliberately changed into prettier clothes and styled her hair more adorably, but this little brat still called her ugly girl. This made the little loli grit her teeth in anger.

“Oh, your clothes are really terrible; they even have patches. My family’s servants dress better than you, little poor boy!” The scheming little loli walked up, her chubby hand pointing at the patches on Zhu Ping’an’s clothes, looking at him with disdain as she mocked.

“Yeah, my clothes do have two or three patches. I just saw your family’s servants, and they do indeed dress better than I do.” Zhu Ping’an honestly nodded, not feeling embarrassed at all.

Zhu Ping’an’s honesty caught the scheming little loli off guard, completely unexpected for her. Wasn’t he supposed to blush, feel shy, and be embarrassed?

What a thick skin!

The scheming little loli thought to herself.

“Didn’t you go to call your brother? Where is he? He’s not this little red horse behind you, is he?” Zhu Ping’an stepped down from the stone by the river and gently asked.

“My brother isn’t home.”

The scheming little loli’s face flushed red, and she was at a loss for words.

“Oh, your brother isn’t home? Then I guess I…” Zhu Ping’an stretched out his voice, his chubby face breaking into a smile as he walked over with his short legs.

“What, what are you going to do?” The scheming little loli widened her eyes at his words, her voice trembling with nervousness as she ran back while lifting her skirt.

“If your brother isn’t home, then I guess I’ve escaped a beating.” Zhu Ping’an said earnestly, looking at the scheming little loli as if she were an idiot. “Why are you running?”

“I—I’m not running at all.” The scheming little loli refused to admit it, puffing out her cheeks defiantly.

Zhu Ping’an ignored her. He had just been trying to scare her a little. Since he couldn’t catch any fish in the river, he thought he might as well look along the shore to see if there were any wild fruits or something edible. His stomach was starting to feel a bit hungry. This was the advantage of being by the mountains and rivers.

What is that smell? It’s so fragrant!

Zhu Ping’an turned his head and saw the scheming little loli holding a chicken leg with a handkerchief, making motions as if to take a bite.

Gulpp! He couldn’t help but swallow, it was purely a reflex. Zhu Ping’an tried hard to control himself and not look anymore, but he just couldn’t resist. The chicken leg must have been cooked in a red-braised style, looking glistening and oily, with tender meat that promised to taste especially good. Slurp! It was making it hard for him to control his saliva.

The scheming little loli also noticed that Zhu Ping’an was looking at her, and she became even more smug and arrogant.

“Little poor boy, do you know what I’m eating? You definitely haven’t had this before.” The scheming little loli shamelessly waved the red-braised chicken leg, letting the aroma waft even more intensely.

This little brat is definitely doing it on purpose!

His taste buds were going wild, and saliva was pooling.

As a foodie, he hadn’t had such an exquisite red-braised chicken leg in a long time. The last time, when his great-uncle came over, they made two wild chickens, but he didn’t get a single chicken leg. Besides, the method was different; they were stewed, which couldn’t compare to the red-braised flavor.

To stop the drool from overflowing, Zhu Ping’an ignored the show-off scheming little loli.

“Red-braised chicken leg, so fragrant! It’s made with honey, one bite and you’ll want to swallow your tongue! Hahaha, you’re drooling, aren’t you?” 

The scheming little loli described it deliberately, watching Zhu Ping’an swallow and laughing in satisfaction.

“How can a red-braised chicken leg compare to a steamed bun? I don’t believe it’s as good as you say,” Zhu Ping’an said with a look of disbelief.

“You just haven’t had it before, hmph! How could a steamed bun compare to a chicken leg?”

The scheming little loli looked at him with disdain, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t believe you! I don’t believe there’s anything tastier than steamed buns. You’re a liar!” Zhu Ping’an retorted seriously.

No matter what the scheming little loli said, Zhu Ping’an just kept repeating, “I don’t believe you! You’re a liar.”

“I’m not lying to you! If you don’t believe me, just try it!” The scheming little loli, seeing Zhu Ping’an’s skepticism and being called a liar, hurriedly tried to clear her name.

When Zhu Ping’an saw the scheming little loli handing over the chicken leg, his chubby face quickly moved closer.

Ahh!

In one bite, he took the entire red-braised chicken leg that the scheming little loli had offered, and within moments, he had swallowed it down.

The meat was fresh and delicious, rich but not greasy, fragrant in smell and even better in taste.

The scheming little loli looked at the bare handkerchief in her hand and then at Zhu Ping’an, who had oil at the corners of his mouth. It seemed she finally realized she had been tricked. With puffed cheeks, she covered her face with her hands and started to cry softly.

Who told you to be so smug? Zhu Ping’an looked at the scheming little loli, who was just now realizing her mistake, with a proud expression.

However, this little brat’s crying sounded a bit strange.

Then, Zhu Ping’an saw the scheming little loli, who was covering her face and crying, suddenly look at him and burst into giggles.

Is this girl sick?

Suddenly, Zhu Ping’an felt a churn in his stomach, a force pushing against his backside.

Oh no! This little brat poisoned the chicken leg!!!

So, amidst the scheming little loli’s laughter, Zhu Ping’an hurriedly ran toward the tall grass, clutching his waistband. He squatted down four or five times in a rush, finally emerging from the grass with dark circles under his eyes and shaky legs.

She looked like a young immortal, but with a heart as venomous as a snake. This scheming little loli had been plotting against him from the start. What brother not being home? She clearly wanted to take revenge on him herself. It was a shame she wasn’t a professional actress; he had been far too careless to fall for such a trap laid by a little loli.

“What are you looking at, little poor boy? You brought this on yourself!” The scheming little loli waved her tiny fists triumphantly at Zhu Ping’an, who was staring at her.

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