Hot and bustling

There were all kinds of delicacies in the palace—from flying birds to land animals and even sea creatures. It was no exaggeration to say that just breakfast alone was enough to fill a big table.

But no matter how delicious the food was, Xiaoyi had no appetite for it.

He usually takes only a few bites from each dish, and if he takes one bite too many, the servants would remove the dish from the table. Even if he liked a particular dish, he could not express his fondness for it and can only say that “it’s alright”. Similarly, if he disliked a dish, he couldn’t express his distaste for it and can only say “it’s alright”. If he comes across a dish that is mediocre, he could only describe it as such.

In short, he had to describe every dish as “alright”.

Before this, he still had some freedom, but things were becoming more restrictive in the palace. He couldn’t make decisions about what he eats and drinks, and he had almost no time for leisure. All his time was now spent on studying, writing poetry, and accompanying his father to court.

All he could hear on a daily basis were the reports from the ministers. Every day, there was someone telling him about the things that he cannot do and the things that he cannot touch. He even has to avoid getting caught when watching ants move on a cloudy day, otherwise he could get reprimanded if someone saw him doing that.

At the thought of this, Xiaoyi’s eyes darkened.

At this moment, Xiaoguo was handing the peeled eggs to Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi.

Zhuang Zhuang smiled sweetly at Xiaoguo. Then, he put down the buns and picked up the eggs to eat.

Xiaoyi didn’t move an inch. He continued to chew on the bun while staring blankly at the eggs on the plate.

Xiaoguo looked at him curiously. Thinking that the eggs were out of his reach, she pushed the plate closer to him.

Just then, Xiaoyi was jolted from his thoughts. His heart started to pound when he looked up and saw Xiaoguo smiling at him.

“Let’s eat.”

Although Xiaoguo was shocked by the boy suddenly looking up, she still said gently, “Eat more. You have to eat your fill for breakfast. You will grow taller when you eat more.”

It had been a long time since he had heard someone say the words “eat more”.

Xiaoyi held back his tears and nodded. Then, he shifted all his attention to the dining table. With gleaming eyes, he picked up a bun with his left hand and an egg with his right.

He took turns to eat the buns, eggs, and porridge. In between, he would take a few bites of the pickled vegetables that Xiaoguo had added to his bowl.

It was a simple meal, but it was the most comfortable, filling, and satisfying meal Xiaoyi had eaten in the past few months.

Ruyi and the others arrived when they had just finished clearing up the table.

The group had headed out early in the morning, hoping to reach Xiaoguo’s place as soon as possible.

Xiaoguo had invited them not only for Zhuang Zhuang’s birthday, but also because she was hoping to meet up with everyone.

It had been a few months since the last gathering. Everyone had been very busy in the meantime, so taking a day off to rest was a good idea. Besides, a gathering like this could help strengthen their relationships and was beneficial for bonding.

The weather was too cold, and there was not enough room to fit so many people in the carriage. Hence, Qin Anming and Shu Botong, who were in their prime, sat outside to drive the carriage, while Ruyi sat in the carriage with the girls and Uncle Xu.

Zhuang Zhuang stood at the door and welcomed the guests to express his gratitude.

Qin Anming stroked Zhuang Zhuang’s head and praised him for being cute and sensible. He praised the little guy so much that he almost floated into the sky.

As for Xiaoyi’s identity, Xiaoguo had learned her lesson. She simply told everyone that he was Zhuang Zhuang’s friend to avoid causing unnecessary panic among the group.

As they were walking into the house, Qin Anming suddenly grabbed hold of Xiaoguo.

He led her to a quiet place and Xiaoguo couldn’t help but feel curious about his mysterious behavior.

When they came to a stop, she asked eagerly, “Brother? What’s wrong?”

Xiaoguo was feeling a little excited at this moment. She didn’t know why she was feeling so excited.

Qin Anming looked at her strangely and said, “I bought two hens for Mrs. Yang. I didn’t attend the babies’ one month birthday the last time. Come with me when I pay her a visit later.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s it. What else could it be?”

Qin Anming asked curiously. Xiaoguo had been behaving strangely since just now. What could be the reason?

Xiaoguo put away her disappointed expression and patted his shoulder. For a second, she thought he had come to his senses and was going to ask for her help to propose to Ruyi.

“What’s wrong?”

Qin Anming was feeling confused. “Why is she behaving so strangely and not finishing her sentences? This is quite annoying.”

Xiaoguo waved her hand and said nothing. It seemed that she would have to find a chance to chat with him later.

“What exactly is going on?”

Qin Anming chased after Xiaoguo, looking determined to find out the truth.

But who was Xiaoguo? If she told him now, Qin Anming might become shy and hide from everyone. Hence, no matter how much the other party pressed her, she simply refused to tell him anything.

Qin Anming had no choice but to give up. “Forget it, forget it. Just remember to come with me to Mrs Yang’s house later.”

“Let’s go now, and we can invite them over at the same time.”

“That’s fine with me.”

Anytime was fine.

The two of them went to the courtyard and took out two live chickens from the carriage.

Xiaoguo looked at the two chickens that were flapping their wings. She swallowed hard. So they were live chickens. She thought that Qin Anming had brought slaughtered chickens.

“Let’s go,”

Xiaoguo nodded and followed him to the Yang residence.

—-

After Mrs Yang and her family arrived, everybody started preparing lunch.

The women were all kept busy in the kitchen. Other than Uncle Xu, the men were also helping out.

Although most men would stay away from the kitchen in the Shao Nation, the men who were present at this gathering did not care much about this.

The reason why Uncle Xu was not in the kitchen was very simple. After losing the last competition, Uncle Xu almost burned down the kitchen when he tried to start a fire. Just this incident alone was scary enough.

It was better to let him look after the children.

This was the first time Xiaoyi had seen babies this small. He watched them curiously for a long time. When he realized that they were both little boys, he felt extremely happy. He loved playing with boys. Girls were too delicate.

It was no wonder that he thought that way. Many ministers in the capital had sent their children to the palace to play with Xiaoyi. However, those kids were all too proper. The boys were so obedient, let alone the girls. Xiaoyi wanted to invite one girl to climb up the tree and play with him, but she only knew how to cry.

To summarize, he still liked to play with Zhuang Zhuang the most. Next was Xiaohu, because he was very good at climbing trees and playing in the rivers.

He was not fond of playing with the delicate children in the capital at all. They were all so boring.

Although there were many people in the kitchen, it was not chaotic at all. Instead, it was very orderly. Some of them were washing vegetables, some were cutting vegetables and stir-frying, some were tending to the fire, washing pots, and adding water, while others were kneading dough, rolling it out, and cutting noodles. Everyone had their own tasks.

“My mother’s hand-made noodles are very chewy. You’ll understand when you eat them. I’m not boasting at all.”

Mrs Yang said as she cut the vegetables.

“Then I have to eat more later.”

Shu Botong was a very sociable person. It didn’t take long for him to become good friends with everyone.

“It’s absolutely delicious. Once you eat it, you will keep craving it.”

After Mrs Yang finished speaking with a smile, Old Mrs. Yang also smiled and said in embarrassment, “You’re exaggerating. It’s just simple noodles. They’re not that good.”

“Auntie, you’re too humble. I still remember the taste after eating it the last time.”

Jiang Danhe’s words piqued everyone’s interest.

“When did you eat it?”

Xiaoguo put down the shovel and turned to ask curiously. Since his return, he had never eaten at the Yang residence.

Jiang Danhe said with a poker face, “When I was in my teens.”

“Hahahahaha…”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter.

How could he possibly remember the noodles from more than ten years ago? Even if he wanted to praise someone, he didn’t have to be so exaggerated. It was hilarious. So, everyone was extremely tickled by his words.

Just like that, Jiang Danhe’s unintentional joke had boosted the morale of everyone in the kitchen. Because of that, the cooking was done very quickly. In no time, two large tables full of dishes were made amid laughter and joy.

Xiaoguo had found out about everyone’s preferences in advance, and prepared a special menu for her guests. Everyone’s favorite dishes were present on the table.

Spice Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Di Sanxiang, Sweet and Sour Fish, Vinegar Cabbage, Cabbage Heart in Golden Soup, Carbon Grilled Pork Chop, Marinated Pork Knuckle, Sautéed Pork Knuckle, Eggplant Meat, Tomato Eggs, Celery Shrimp, Lion’s Head, Mushrooms and Vegetables, Cold Vegetable Assorted Sauce, and Stir-Fried Pork belly.