Beauty and the Beasts

Chapter 8: The Condiments That Were Being Treated as Medicinal Herb

The ginger left a cooling sensation on the skin, but it didn’t feel like it was working, only bringing about a gradual pain in her legs, causing Bai Qingqing to wince softly.

Harvey set down the ginger and rubbed his hands rapidly, before laying his palms over Bai Qingqing’s ankle and rubbing it with a proper application of strength. It was only then that Bai Qingqing felt a spicy and hot sensation on her skin—it was indeed working.

Staring at Harvey’s actions, Parker frowned hard and finally couldn’t tolerate it any longer. He shoved Harvey aside and declared, “Let me do it!”

Slightly displeased at being shoved away, Harvey said with a sullen expression, “You don’t know how to. What if you hurt the female?”

Parker hesitated a moment, then stiffened his neck and said, “You teach me!”

Although Harvey was a refined person, he was very insistent at this moment. He stared at Parker without saying a word.

The uncomfortable Bai Qingqing struggled to squirm out from Parker’s arms. “Stop fighting! Let me do it myself.”

“Don’t move!” Parker rebuked her. Seeing this, Harvey no longer dared to insist. He said to Parker, “Watch carefully.”

Harvey lifted Bai Qingqing’s leg and massaged it in slow motion. This time, Parker could only hold himself back. Then, after memorizing the moves and key points, he took over.

Parker feared he would hurt Bai Qingqing, so he was extra cautious and didn’t use as much strength as Harvey. He carefully observed Bai Qingqing’s expression as he massaged her leg, asking her every now and then if it hurt. Bai Qingqing felt that this wasn’t something to fuss over. So long as he didn’t cause her pain, she was fine with it. Hence, every time Parker asked, she would reply that she was fine.

After massaging for a while, Parker asked, “Is there anything else to be done?”

“Depends on her condition tomorrow,” Harvey said with a cold face. “Bring back this piece of yellow root and rub it on her leg when you’re free.”

Parker replied with an “Mm.”

Just as they were about to leave, Bai Qingqing suddenly tiptoed over with her injured ankle to take a look at the mortars and pestles.

As she had expected, there were other condiments, but she was left speechless by the quantity.

There was garlic, Sichuan pepper, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, fennel, and even red capsicum. There were perhaps many more condiments, it was just that she didn’t know what they were.

Bai Qingqing chuckled to herself, thinking that this was great—she was just fretting over having to eat tasteless food here. Thus, with these condiments, it would help the taste of the food greatly.

“Err… Harvey, where can we find these medicinal herbs?” Bai Qingqing asked with a pleasing smile on her face. The mud on her face had mostly peeled off and, even though a thin layer of marl had still remained, her delicate features could be vaguely seen by now.

Harvey appeared overwhelmed with honor at the question, his face flushing in an instant. Without hesitation, he stammered, “If you want… you can take it.”

Bai Qingqing’s eyes lit up as she said in a delighted voice, “Really? Would it be very troublesome to get these? Why don’t I help you the next time you go to pick the herbs?”

“No need, no need.” Harvey waved both hands.

Standing between the two of them, Parker fiercely glared at Bai Qingqing, then snapped at Harvey. “My female doesn’t want anything from you. I will pay you with food. Also, she has said that she only wants me as a partner!”

Harvey’s expression dimmed, a hint of jealousy in his sour voice. “Is it…”

It was only then that Bai Qingqing realized this Harvey had taken a fancy to her. She was surprised at the simple and crude approach the males took towards relationships in this world!

Although she had a pretty good impression of Harvey, she didn’t want to accept a man’s confession so casually like that. Thus, she didn’t rebut Parker’s words. After selecting the condiments she wanted, she told Harvey, “I want these.”

Harvey immediately snapped out of his gloomy state and quickly brought over a stack of dried tree leaves to wrap the medicinal herbs up in. Although the tree leaves were wind-dried, as they had been subjected to special treatment, they were softer. And even if one folded them, they wouldn’t break.

“The other medicinal herbs aren’t dangerous, but you need to take special care with that red one called oleander. Never touch it with your hands, much less get it into your eyes. It will hurt a lot,” Harvey said while holding a dried Heaven Chile, a worried look in his eyes as he gazed at Bai Qingqing.

“I know,” Bai Qingqing replied with a smile, then took from the pack of ingredients from Harvey. She thanked him sincerely before being carried away horizontally by Parker, whose jealousy was triggered.