“Hot and sour soup,” Yan Qiushu replied, serving a bowl for each of them along with sliced egg burritos. “Come and eat.”

Dongdong quickly stopped Xiao Huaiting from holding him and ran to the dining table, sitting properly and waiting for the tableware to be set so he could start eating.

When Yan Qiushu handed him a spoon, he took the bowl without hesitation and began drinking in small sips, clearly trusting her cooking.

Xiao Huaiting was left speechless and joined them. However, remembering the sour plum soup from before, he looked at the thick soup in front of him with a slightly sour and spicy aroma. Instead of starting with the soup, he picked up an egg roll first.

The egg rolls were abundant with eggs, wrapped tenderly, and lightly seasoned. They had a mild salty flavor and contained ingredients like carrots and chopped shrimp to add richness. They were light but not bland, and if tasted carefully, one could enjoy a variety of flavors.

Xiao Huaiting ate with great appetite and couldn’t help but admire her cooking skills.

No wonder his mother couldn’t resist it.

However, since he wasn’t very familiar with her, he didn’t say much and just kept eating, savoring each bite as if it were some rare delicacy. Yan Qiushu felt uneasy seeing this and reminded him, “Have some hot and sour soup; it’s delicious and not very sour.”

“Okay.” The boy raised his eyebrows after the reminder but didn’t refuse. He cautiously took small sips.

Surprisingly, despite the sour smell, the taste wasn’t too sour. It just whetted his appetite perfectly, giving more of a salty and spicy flavor.

The thick soup contained tender tofu, slightly crunchy carrots, and soft but chewy black fungus. Its smooth texture seemed to flow from his mouth into his stomach.

His throat, which felt dry after eating the omelette earlier, now felt soothed, and he found himself craving more.

“This is really tasty!” Xiao Huaiting finally praised it.

Dongdong nodded vigorously, but his taste was not as strong as Xiao Huaiting’s, so he added, “The oven pancakes are the best!”

As they talked, they continued eating and drinking without stopping.

Before leaving, Dongdong hesitated and asked, “Uncle, can I come back for lunch tomorrow?”

Xiao Huaiting gave him a playful slap on the face, blocking his pitiful expression. “No.”

“Oh…” Dongdong looked very disappointed, his lively expression shrinking like a puppy deprived of its treat.

Yan Qiushu curiously asked, “Where is he going tomorrow?” She wondered if he had to return to the Jiang family.

Xiao Huaiting explained, “Dongdong attends classes at the Imperial College. He arrives at 3:00 a.m. and leaves at 3:00 p.m. He took special leave these past two days, so he has to go back to school tomorrow.”

Now Yan Qiushu understood.

The Imperial College is a school that only royal family members and the children of high-ranking nobles and ministers can attend. The teachers there are scholars personally invited by the emperor, holding very high status. However, as it’s located within the imperial city, entry and exit are strictly controlled.

Of course, students aren’t allowed to come back home for lunch.

Seeing Dongdong’s sad expression, Yan Qiushu suggested, “It’s possible to make some food and have it sent to the Imperial College, as long as Dongdong can come out to receive it.”

Dongdong’s eyes lit up, and he shook Xiao Huaiting’s hand eagerly. “Uncle~~~”

Xiao Huaiting pinched his chubby face reluctantly but couldn’t bring himself to refuse when he saw his nephew so happy. “But it’s too much trouble for you.”

“It’s not a problem. I just like doing this.” Yan Qiushu quickly waved her hands.

Xiao Huaiting didn’t refuse again. Dongdong sweetly thanked Yan Qiushu, and they left happily.

But soon after they left, a nanny from Xie Qingyun’s side came and said there was work that needed Shui Lu’s help. She took the pale-faced Shui Lu away without any hesitation, leaving Yan Qiushu without a care.

Yan Qiushu couldn’t help but admire the Xiao family. Although they appeared to be a strict military family, their customs weren’t as demanding as the so-called scholarly families, and they were quite considerate in this matter!

Especially since all she did was send some egg burritos to Dongdong, and they had specially returned gifts.

Although the gifts weren’t extravagant, they were enough for a luxurious meal.

Not to mention, all the ingredients came from the Xiao family, which meant they were actually taking a loss!

Looking at the gifts in front of her, Yan Qiushu sighed deeply.

The Xiao family was too good. She felt uncomfortable knowing that Xiao Huaiting would die in two years, the Xiao family would be destroyed, and their army would be taken by the Prince of Jin to strengthen his power.

But what could she do?

Yan Qiushu fell into deep thought.

Over at the Jiang family’s residence, it was not as peaceful as the Xiao family.

The head of the Jiang family and his wife were upset about not being able to bring Dongdong back. Nanny Ji, who seemed superior when Yan Qiushu saw her earlier, now bent over and flattered her master, saying, “This servant had no choice. It’s all the Xiao family’s fault for tempting the young master with food. He loves to eat and play, so he naturally didn’t want to come back.”

Madam Jiang’s usually kind-looking face was now full of anger. “What do the Xiao family mean by this? They carry bad luck and want to keep my grandson too?! Do they want to pass on their bad luck to him as well?!”

Angrily, she slapped the table, causing the flesh on her face to tremble.

The smile lines around her eyes disappeared.

Nanny Ji could only smile bitterly. “Madam Xiao’s nanny, Nanny Huang, came to deliver the message personally. I dared not force her to leave, so I had to report back.”

Hearing the words “Madam Xiao,” Madam Jiang’s face changed slightly, and she appeared timid for a moment. But realizing this, she became even angrier and sneered, “The Xiao family…ha!”

Lord Jiang, who hadn’t said much, spoke hesitantly, “The Third Prince’s eldest son wants to select a companion, and I was thinking of letting Dongdong be a candidate, but…”

He stopped speaking, mumbled a bit, and then sighed, “Why are we getting close to the Xiao family again?”

Madam Jiang knew about this and was very upset. She angrily scolded Madam Ji: “I told you, you can’t do anything right! It’s just some food. Tell the kitchen to prepare it and send it to the Imperial College tomorrow to bring the young master back. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I’ll handle it right away.” Madam Ji nodded quickly and said with a smile, “Our family’s cook knows the young master’s taste very well and can definitely bring him back.”

To win over Dongdong, the Jiang family spent a large sum of money hiring a retired imperial chef to cook for him. This strategy had kept Dongdong with them for a long time. If it weren’t for Dongdong’s fondness for Xiao Huaiting, he wouldn’t have gone back in the last two days!