My Fantastic Chef Wife

345. She Finally Caught up with Tarico

Translator: Sagocream

‘Why are these maidservants calling me “Princess”? What is a “Princess” in this palace?’

‘Why do they change all the medicines to expensive ones and say I can see Xiao Baoshan?’

‘Does the Empress Dowager have a special fetish for torturing a person to death and then giving him hope so that he will come back to life when he is about to die? And then she will continue to do torture him?’

‘What a vicious woman!’

‘She has been in the palace for so long that she has lost her humanity!’

Ye Xiaoxian thought, she didn’t want to be tortured like this anymore. Wouldn’t it be better to die?

However, she didn’t know if it was because of the improved treatment, her injuries had actually gotten much better passively. She hadn’t felt hungry for the first few days, as the maidservants were feeding her water and medicine to keep her alive, but now she actually felt hungry.

After applying the medicine, the old maidservants brought over another bowl of shredded chicken congee and told her to eat it.

It seemed that the congee had been stewed infinitely long; the shredded chicken was almost melting in her mouth.

The fragrant smell wafted over and she instinctively opened her mouth.

……

At the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber.

The Empress Dowager was leaning on a soft couch, looking languid, but her eyes were already brighter than they had been some time ago, and there was a hint of sharpness in those beautiful eyes.

Not long afterwards, an old maidservant came in.

After the maidservant had greeted her, the Empress Dowager asked, “How is Princess Ning Yuan doing now?”

The maidservant replied, “We have applied medicine for her and she had eaten half a bowl of congee; her condition seems to be improving.”

The Empress Dowager said, “Good. Send more people to keep an eye on her at all times. Whenever she is unwell, immediately call the Imperial Doctor. The Princess Ning Yuan has the honour of the Royal Family at stake now. She must be watched carefully.”

The old maidservant answered, “Yes, I will strictly follow your orders.”

After the old maidservant went out, the Empress Dowager continued to lean on the soft couch with a book in her hand.

However, she could not continue reading the book.

All that was on her mind was Ye Xiaoxian.

But she couldn’t just go over and watch Ye Xiao Xian; she couldn’t show that she cared too much for her, or the State Preceptor would be suspicious.

The only thing she was glad of now was that she had secured the status of Princess for her daughter.

……

In the desert.

Jin Xiaoyu hadn’t stopped, rushing day and night.

In the vast desert, the camel seemed to be just a slightly larger dust, moving forward alone and resilient.

She was exhausted from the lack of rest, and with the poor food on the road, she was out of strength. She ate dry food when she was hungry and drank a few sips of water when she was thirsty, unlike when she was in the camel team where she had the vegetable soup. Her lips were now dry and blistered.

Travelling alone through the desert was a physical and mental torture.

But at last, on the fourth night, she vaguely saw the light of a fire ahead and a camp.

At that moment, her heart was filled with anticipation and growing excitement.

After months away, she hadn’t been able to see anyone she knew well, apart from Little Ye and Xiao Baoshan.

She believed she was a person who hardly cared about others, and she hadn’t missed the camel team very much when she had lived in the capital. But the moment she left Xiao Baoshan and set foot in the desert, she suddenly felt like she had cut off something and was holding on to something at the same time.

She continued to hurry towards the place where there was a fire.

‘I hope it is them. God, please, it has to be them.’

She wanted to see Tarico now.

The man who always had her at the centre of his thoughts.

The sound of the camel bell attracted people from this side. Wang Wen, who was on night duty, noticed someone coming. He couldn’t help but alert the teammate next to him.

“There seems to be a camel coming.”

The teammate said, “It can’t be a wild camel inside the desert, can it? They’re usually seen all the time. They’re afraid of people and fire, so it won’t come over.”

However, the camel was getting closer and closer.

Wang Wen said, “It doesn’t seem to be a wild camel. There’s a man on it and he’s carrying buckets of water and a bag.”

“Who is it, riding a camel alone in the desert at this late hour? Is this a desperate act?” The teammate said.

Wang Wen added, “This man is quite daring, especially if he is still rushing at night, but I guess he usually frequents the desert, like we can see one or two people walking in the desert occasionally.”

The teammate tsked twice, “If he comes over later, let him come and rest with us.”

“It’s not impossible, but we still have to be on guard.” Wang Wen said.

In the moonlight, the lone camel figure came closer and closer.

Wang Wen added, “Look at that figure; it looks like a woman.”

His teammate said, “A woman? No way. There can’t be such a bold woman coming towards us. She’s not afraid that we will bully her?”

Wang Wen said, “We can’t possibly bully her. Besides, she might have martial arts skills. Some of women are good enough to fight ten men alone.”

His teammates tsked again.

Before they could see who was coming, they could hear Jin Xiaoyu’s voice, “Is that Wang Wen?”

Wang Wen was stunned, “Who are you?”

His teammate hurriedly said, “Who else can she be? It’s Miss Jin! Can’t you recognize her voice?”

“Miss Jin? Jin Xiaoyu? The boss’ wife?” Wang Wen’s volume increased many times at once.

Some of the people who had been resting in the tent had already fallen asleep, but as soon as they heard Wang Wen call out “Miss Jin”, they woke up one after another.

Especially Tarico.

He had an instinctive reaction to the phrase “Miss Jin” and sat up as soon as he heard it.

It was noisy outside, but he knew it was dark, and this was the desert.

How could she be walking alone inside the desert at this time of day?

However, someone outside had already called out, “It’s Miss Jin! It’s really Miss Jin!”

Then came Jin Xiaoyu’s voice with a weary tone, “Finally! I have caught up with you! It really is you! Great!”

Tarico hurriedly ran out.

Almost all of the camel team had come out, and Jin Xiaoyu had arrived at their heels.

Almost like an arrow, Tarico rushed to Jin Xiaoyu’s side in an instant.

Jin Xiaoyu saw him too, her eyes shining like the stars in the sky in the moonlight.

She smiled wearily at him, “It’s been a long time, Tarico.”

The camel knelt down so that Jin Xiaoyu could come down.

Jin Xiaoyu was about to get down when she was suddenly caught in Tarico’s arms. He carried her down and then placed her firmly on the flat sand, and did not say anything, just looked at her like that.

If it weren’t for the crowd, he would have wanted to hold her forever.

The people around him asked Jin Xiaoyu.

“Miss Jin, it’s the middle of the night. Why do you appear here alone?”

“Where are Little Ye and Baoshan and the others? Didn’t they come back with you?”

“Or did you get separated?”

“You’re not the ghost of Miss Jin, are you? …”

Jin Xiaoyu only said, “Let me have some water first, some liquor would be better. I’m exhausted now and have no strength at all.”

Wang Wen hurriedly invited her to lie on the thick sheet used for night duty and poured water for her.

She drank two large bowls at once, which made her better.

Wiping her mouth, she then said, “Baoshan and Little Ye are still in the capital. I come back alone. I went to Mr. Qian’s place and heard from him that you had only been away for a day, so I wanted to catch up with you. I didn’t know that you were so fast. It took me four days and four nights to catch up with you guys, and it’s fortunate that I still know the way. Otherwise, I would have died in the desert.”

At this time, Tarico handed Jin Xiaoyu a piece of naan. Jin Xiaoyu immediately took it, smiling again and saying to Tarico, “I’m so hungry. I didn’t eat much on the way.”

Tarico said, “Then you eat first. No need to say anything unnecessary. It’s good to see you again. Last time the Seventh King said that maybe I cannot see you in this lifetime.”

Jin Xiaoyu then asked jokingly, “So, did the Seventh King say that you should stop liking me and find a new girl? You wouldn’t have get married by now, would you?”

Tarico liked Jin Xiaoyu, and the entire Tianshan tribe knew it.

So, as soon as Jin Xiaoyu opened her mouth, the man next to her said in a gaggle of voices.

“Of course not! Tarico has been looking forward to your return!”

“He has always wanted to go to the capital to look for you, but the Seventh King said that if he went, he would become a burden to you, so that’s why he held back.”

“He often watched the moon in the night alone, saying that he missed you very much.”

“……”

Jin Xiaoyu couldn’t help but smile and look at Tarico again before asking, “Really?”

This time, however, Tarico looked calm, “Does it matter to you if it’s true or not? You don’t like me.”

The people around them all rose up, “Cut it out, Tarico! Don’t pretend it.”

“If she doesn’t like you, how can she rush to chase you? Miss Jin, you’re not here to chase us, are you? Are you coming to chase Mcginon?”

Jin Xiaoyu smiled up, “If Tarico won’t take me in, I’ll have to find Mcginon.”

At that moment, Tarico seemed to understand something, and he suddenly took Jin Xiaoyu in his arms again, and hugged her very, very tightly.

The people around him were once again roaring jokingly, and Wang Wen even said outright, “Tarico, why don’t you just carry her to the bridal chamber!”

Of course, Tarico couldn’t do that. A man could do something like that only if the girl nodded.

The moment Jin Xiaoyu was carried into Tarico’s arms, she had a real sense of reassurance.

Before this, her heart was scattered and she didn’t care about anyone or anything. But now, like a little girl, she felt very grounded inside this embrace, as if all her thoughts had been gathered and placed on Tarico alone.

That night, Jin Xiaoyu slept very soundly.

She woke up once in the middle of the night, but when she saw the figure outside, she drifted back to sleep.

……

The next day on the way, Jin Xiaoyu only revealed some of the situation in the capital to them.

But not all of it was revealed. All that was said was good, lest they worry about Xiao Baoshan and Ye Xiaoxian.

When it came to the prosperity of the capital, they were all full of anticipation and eagerness.

Someone even asked Jin Xiaoyu, “Did you get tired of the life in the capital and that’s why you come back to Tarico?”

Without thinking, Jin Xiaoyu said, “Of course.”

“Then why didn’t you find a good one to marry in the capital?”

“Life is life, while love is love.”