72. Worried about her food

But in mid of tracks, she stopped and turned her eyes towards solemn-looking Bolin. ''No, I can't tell them. I am still not sure if some of the newcomers work for the enemy. Let's make plans.'' She turned around and walked straight back to her room. She pushed the bowl with porridge away and started thinking while she leaned at the table. ''What excuse can I use? Wait, the houses... Yes. I can't buy the house just for Lou family. The girls and their mother can live in the house right next to Lou. She might not be able to work but she can help with the small kids while he works.''

Bolin started pacing. ''What about Hualing and boys?''

Shu Ya shook her head. ''The cooks we need to there all the time. I will start showing them new recipes and will spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen. Tomorrow will bunch of people come to work for us... Oh again stress... When can I finally be lazy?''

Bolin chuckled but saw the bowl with porridge and pushed it in from of her. "Miss, don't forget that you just got a little bit better. If you get sick the mess in this place will be unimaginable when guests come."

Shu Ya listlessly poked the porridge with a spoon. "I am actually not really hungry." Lately, she was really losing wish to eat, especially when she eats alone. But now she has to stop joining others in the dining hall.

Looking at how she just poked the porridge Bolin wrinkled his eyebrows. ''I'll tell boys that the porridge was not good today and they have to cook another for you.'' He about took it away when she grabbed the bowl and shook her head.

''It is tasty, it's just... I hate eating alone. I know that as your master I have to eat aside from everyone. But... sigh. Never mind, ill get used to it.'' She started eating slowly and after eating for a while she pushed the almost empty bowl away. ''I can't anymore. Tell them it was tasty. I just am not that hungry. They shouldn't overfill the bowl for me. If I overeat in the evening my stomach will hurt at hight.''

Bolin nodded and took plates filled with food and her almost empty bowl back.

Looking at his serious expression the boys looked at full plates in worry. ''Was it not tasty enough? She didn't eat enough...''

Bolin shook his head. ''She said it was too much. In the evening do not overfill her bowl and at night she doesn't eat additional food. Don't worry.''

The boys nodded but Huan's face became determined. ''I will try to cook every night different kind of porridge for her then.''

Bolin nodded. ''Good. Try that. I am going back.''

They nodded and saw him leaving. Huan sighed. ''She just got better and probably her body need nutrition but not too many. I will try to make porridge a bit lighter and easy to digest so she doesn't feel heavy when she goes to bed.''

Hong sighed. ''She is younger than us and still has to think about so many things. I hope winter will come soon so she can finally relax.''

Heng shook his head. ''Do you think our miss can relax? She will be troubled with other things. If we are healthy, if everyone has food, if we are warm if animals are fine, if people in the surrounding are fine... She just thinks too much about other people well being. I herd mother talking with Louli...''

The other two boys heard him sighing and looked at him with worry.

''It seems miss is seriously sick and there is a chance she can heal if she grows up. But she is too stressed by everything that happened to her so far. We need to find out what can we do for her. Should we ask Wen Dalun? He knows it.'' Heng looked at the other two and peeked trough door in the dining hall.

Wen Dalun, as usual, had a bowl filled with meat and was eyeing more on another side of the table.

Huan shook his head. ''I need to fry some more or others might not have enough. Strange, he is healer, he should know that eating so much meat is not good for the body... Sigh.''

Wen Dalun saw his bowl empty so he added some rice and when he was about to stand up and get more meat, a plate filled with freshly fried meat was planted in front of him.

He turned his head and saw Huan looking at him with a flat expression. ''Eat. Let others have some meat as well. After you are done, come to us. We need to ask you a few questions.'' He was about to leave when he saw his unwilling expression. ''If you don't come from today on you will get food in your room and only rice and vegetables.''

Wen Dalun could see on his face that he will really do that so he just nodded. ''Fine. I will come.'' He saw Huan having a serious expression on his face as he turned around and went to the kitchen. ''What is it now?''

As soon he was full he stood up and went straight to the kitchen. In passing, he saw a group of children eating quietly bunch of vegetables and sighed. Kids on the north knew how important vegetables were if more kids on the south did the same...

As soon as he entered the kitchen he saw everything clean again. The boys would always clean the kitchen after they finish cooking so it is ready for the next meal. They were standing next to a bowl of porridge that Shu Ya didn't finish and looked at him.

He could see their expression and became serious. ''She didn't eat all?''

The shook their heads. ''It seems it is too much for her. Her stomach is heavy over the night if she eats too much. You are a physician. We heard that she is still not well yet. Is there any food she can eat to make her get better faster or are there foods that she can't eat at all?''

Their expressions showed hin that they were really worried about her. That is good so, she needs protectors. Especially now...