The stew, delicious and intoxicating, one bite after another. Food is paramount to the people, and even more so to women. One Goody Turd, one moment of bliss. Every Goody Turd, every moment of bliss...
Soon, Madam Zhao, a woman who loved to eat, finished the honey ingredients the Little Sea Monster had accumulated for several days. That meant there would be no more "Goody Turds" to eat.
Madam Zhao hastily ordered her maid, "Quick, have the kitchen prepare a similar delicacy for me exactly as the Little Sea Monster described!"
In no time, a "Goody Turd" that looked nothing like the original was served on Madam Zhao's dining table. Blowing on it as it steamed, she took a small bite. The taste was completely off.
Madam Zhao cursed, "You good-for-nothings! It's not as delicious as that little brat made it. Go summon the head chef... and that Little Sea Monster to me at once!"
Upon hearing this, the maid immediately bowed low and retreated, rushing off to fetch them.
Soon, the head chef, the assistant chef, and the Little Sea Monster all arrived.
"Why doesn't it taste the same this time? I've been feeding all of you for nothing!" Madam Zhao said icily.
The assistant chef looked at the head chef, the head chef looked at the Little Sea Monster, and the Little Sea Monster looked at Madam Zhao before calmly saying, "Madam Zhao, you may not know, but to make this delicacy, one needs favorable timing, advantageous location, and unity among people. Favorable timing is when it's just getting dark, advantageous location requires high-quality honey, and unity among people means having a pure heart of a child. Only then can a delicious dish be made."
Cooking is a talent. With the same ingredients, some people can make something fragrant, while others make something very ordinary. Perhaps the feel for cooking is different. The key is to put your heart into it, to create with feeling and novelty.
"It's almost dark, so favorable timing is approaching. What about the advantageous location? Little Sea Monster, where did this honey come from?" Madam Zhao asked smilingly.
The Little Sea Monster walked out the door and pointed to a beehive in the corner of the courtyard, saying, "It was taken from there."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao immediately ordered tools to be prepared, deciding to collect the honey herself. She naively believed that collecting the honey herself was the true pure heart of a child, unaware that a person's pure heart of a child is demonstrated in their everyday actions, their original intention, and their true nature.
Accompanied by a group of maids and servants, she majestically approached the hornet's nest. Seeing the dense swarm of bees, Madam Zhao felt both excited and fearful. She ordered her servants to knock down the hive, while she stood aside, waiting to collect the honey.
Fate, as it happens, did not unfold as she imagined. The moment the hive was knocked down, swarms of angry bees poured out, coincidentally heading straight for Madam Zhao. Madam Zhao panicked, screaming and dodging everywhere. As the sky darkened, the bees attacked en masse. Strangely, the bees only pursued Madam Zhao, as if everyone else were mere statues in their eyes. In the end, Madam Zhao alone had to bear all the harm, stung all over her face and body, a complete wreck. Her face swelled up like a pig's head, her eyes could barely open, and she was utterly disheveled.
Seeing this, the servants quickly carried Madam Zhao back to the mansion. Just then, Steward Lin had returned from a trip, weary from travel and resting with a cup of tea. When Steward Lin saw Madam Zhao's appearance, he was both amused and angry, and quickly called a doctor to treat her. Lying in bed, enduring unbearable pain, Madam Zhao's heart was filled with regret. She regretted her harshness towards the Little Sea Monster and her greedy act of disturbing the beehive.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Lín Xiǎo tugged on the Little Sea Monster's hand and said, "Little Sea Monster, I heard them say the bees only stung Madam Zhao. Why didn't they sting anyone else?"
The Little Sea Monster teased, "Perhaps others are ugly, or perhaps others are thin and don't have much flesh on them, or perhaps others have lower status... In any case, Madam Zhao suffered greatly this time. I hope she recovers her former radiance soon."
Lín Xiǎo said indignantly, "A woman like her deserves it. Relying on her grandfather's favor, she's incredibly domineering. Sometimes I really don't understand why Grandpa likes her."
Young children don't understand adult matters, but all adults were once children! When he grows up, he will understand Steward Lin.
Next, Lín Xiǎo said earnestly to the Little Sea Monster, "You must be very careful around that woman from now on! Her knocking down the beehive was a literal beehive! You have offended her unimaginably, as if you've knocked down an abstract beehive!"
The Little Sea Monster nodded. "Thank you for your concern, young master. I will definitely pay close attention."
The Little Sea Monster realized Lín Xiǎo was a smart fellow, and presumably, others could also understand a principle. Eating honey attracts bees, so after disturbing the hive, the bees stung the person who ate the honey. Sometimes, the sweet taste can be a source of disaster.
At the same time, the Little Sea Monster saw through Lín Xiǎo's intentions. Madam Zhao was using her current status to constantly expand her own power, while Lín Xiǎo's father was lazy and his mother was frail, so his parents could hardly help Lín Xiǎo's future development. Madam Zhao intended to take over the Lin family's business after expanding her power. Therefore, Madam Zhao repeatedly troubled the Little Sea Monster.
However, in the Little Sea Monster's view, Lín Xiǎo was more worthy of attention. Firstly, Madam Zhao had only given birth to one daughter for Steward Lin, and no son. In that era of valuing men over women, having a son was very prestigious, and the future of the Lin family would be entrusted to a male descendant of the Lin surname. Secondly, although Lín Xiǎo was not as clever as the Little Sea Monster, among his peers, he was already considered intelligent and a handsome young man who knew how to adapt to circumstances. Thirdly, and most importantly, Steward Lin would definitely support Lín Xiǎo and continue to nurture him.
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. Madam Zhao's pretty face had mostly recovered, but the incident of disturbing the beehive left her with lingering fear, her resentment lingering for a long time.
A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, unfathomable. This time, she didn't show any blame towards the Little Sea Monster. Had she still not understood the principle that honey attracts bees? We shall wait and see...
When things are out of the ordinary, there must be a reason. Indeed, a few days later, Lín Xiǎo shared some inside information with the Little Sea Monster, urging him to leave as soon as possible. With Lín Xiǎo's help, the Little Sea Monster quietly left the Lin mansion under the cover of night...\n\n