Chapter 12 (Bento – Teriyaki Chicken Rice)

The weather was sunny, but the autumn breeze was cool, not hot.

However, Yan Qiushu felt dizzy and blinked twice before she managed to open her eyes.

“Miss, are you not feeling well? Why don’t we call a doctor?” Shui Yu asked worriedly. She looked a little tired.

Yan Qiushu yawned and shook her head, saying, “No, I’m fine.”

She had just stayed up late last night.

It wasn’t on purpose; she was up all night thinking about how to keep Xiao Huaiting alive and save the Xiao family from disaster.

Yan Qiushu felt helpless. She hadn’t experienced the intense struggles of ancient times. Her old life had been peaceful, with only minor workplace politics, which seemed like child’s play compared to this era.

Feeling lost, she thought of many plans, but none seemed to work. She eventually fell asleep, only to dream of Xiao Huaiting’s death.

The dream felt surreal. She saw a handsome young man in armor with a thin, sunken face. His eyes seemed unruly, but hid despair. Facing a rain of arrows, he waved his sword with all his might but couldn’t hold on. He was struck, his body trembled, and blood stained his chest…

Yan Qiushu woke up terrified, but after that, she couldn’t fall asleep.

Having experienced birth, aging, sickness, and death as normal, she had never faced a young person’s death in her old life except for her own bad luck in a car accident.

After waking up, Yan Qiushu stayed up until dawn.

Having experienced death herself, she treasured her new life. So when she couldn’t sleep, she got up and made breakfast.

Skipping breakfast could lead to gallstones^[1]are solid particles that form in the gallbladder due to skipping meals.

! 

Since she was responsible for Madam Xiao’s health, she made noodles and sent some to Madam Xiao. After eating, she returned to sleep.

Making breakfast stabilized her mood, and she didn’t feel so uncomfortable anymore. This time, she managed to fall asleep.

But since she promised Dongdong a lunchbox yesterday, she asked Shui Yu to wake her at 9:30. Still feeling groggy, she looked sick, worrying Shui Yu.

Yan Qiushu washed her hands, splashed cold water on her face to wake herself up, and then tied her hair up, getting ready to cook!

She checked the kitchen’s preparations, confirmed the dishes and seasonings, and started cooking.

Teriyaki chicken rice is quite simple to make. Debone the chicken thighs in advance, tenderize them with the back of a knife, and marinate them. Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken skin-side down until browned, then flip and cook a bit longer.

When nearly done, pour the prepared black teriyaki sauce and simmer.

Though there wasn’t much oil, the natural honey made it tasty. 

Alongside the teriyaki chicken, Yan Qiushu prepared blanched carrots and cabbage.

Once ready, Shui Yu brought out the lunchbox.

A large chicken thigh, topped with thick sauce, went into the box. Beside it, there were compartments for fresh carrot slices, cabbage, and white rice.

In this era, lunchboxes of wealthy families had insulation^[2]refers to materials that keep things warm.. They were lined with cotton wool, had a kettle above, food in the middle, and more cotton wool on top, keeping food warm longer. 

Once everything was ready, a servant took the lunchbox.

Yan Qiushu didn’t need to worry about the rest. She just had to deliver a few more portions to other courtyards and save some for herself, Shui Yu, and Aunt Xu.

Imperial College Introductory Class

This class had eight students, all five-year-old boys, dressed in elegant clothes. One even wore clothes with partial gold^[3]refers to clothing with some gold-colored details.. 

Gold was the most precious color, and only the emperor could wear pure gold. Others of lower rank wore clothes with only some gold, but even that marked high status.

At this moment, a boy in gold was secretly playing with toys while others were reciting poems.

Chubby Dongdong was sitting diagonally behind him, shaking his head as he recited. When he saw the boy playing, he frowned and turned away in disgust.

Why did Grandpa Jiang want him to study with this guy?

That boy wasn’t as good as him!

Dongdong puffed out his chest and continued reciting until… he felt hungry.

Before leaving that morning, he received a light breakfast from Sister Shu, but it wasn’t enough. He didn’t want to eat anything else, leading to his current state.

He rubbed his belly and looked outside expectantly. It was almost lunchtime!

What would Sister Shu bring him today?

Dongdong’s mouth watered in anticipation. But as he was reciting, he accidentally choked on his saliva, causing a violent coughing fit.

The teacher, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and sharply called out, “Xiao Pingzhou! Get up and recite this poem!”

The teacher started talking, and all the other kids went quiet, their eyes wide open and ready for something interesting.

But Dongdong hadn’t learned the new poem taught today. His round face turned red as he stammered, unable to recite it.

“Tsk~” The third prince’s eldest son and second grandson, Zhou Zhaoqin, made a mocking sound.

Dongdong glared at him, embarrassed. The teacher quickly intervened, saying, “Okay, if you don’t know it, just keep trying. We’ll check tomorrow, and if you still don’t know, you’ll have to copy it as punishment!” He let Dongdong sit down.

The teacher didn’t want to upset either the emperor’s grandson or the descendant of the Xiao family, especially since the two families didn’t get along. He couldn’t risk letting them fight.

Dongdong sat quietly for the rest of the class until it ended. Afterward, palace maids assigned to serve them at the Imperial Academy took them to a special dining room for meals.

“Young master, the Xiao family and the Jiang family have both sent food. Which one do you want to eat?” The palace servant placed two lunch boxes side by side. One looked fancy with delicate designs, while the other was plain and old.

While opening the Jiang family’s lunch box, the palace maid asked, but Dongdong reached for the Xiao family’s box instead and said, “I’ll eat this one.”

The palace servants were surprised but quickly assisted. When the well-insulated lunch box from the Xiao family was opened, the smell of various dishes filled the room. The strong aroma of sauce from one dish overwhelmed all other scents, catching the attention of the eight children.

The room fell silent as everyone instinctively turned towards the source of the fragrance.

Dongdong took a deep breath and looked pleased. Just as he was about to eat, he noticed everyone watching him. Feeling proud, he picked up a piece of chicken leg with his chopsticks. The chicken had been cut into small pieces and drizzled with sauce, making it tender and juicy with a hint of honey that was sweet but not too greasy.

“It’s delicious!” Dongdong exclaimed happily. Thanks to the heat preservation, the food was still warm and tasted great. He paired the meal with some tender white rice, which had just the right flavor.

Dongdong ate quickly, enjoying it as if it were a grand feast. The strong aroma of the sauce made some children stare with curiosity. Is it really that good? How was it made? They hadn’t tasted it yet!

Dongdong noticed them staring and ate even faster, thinking they deserved it for making fun of him earlier.

Zhou Zhaoqin took a closer look but, annoyed that Dongdong wasn’t sharing, pretended to laugh and said, “It’s just food.”

The children were only five years old, but their families’ conflicts had already affected them. Some families wanted to befriend the Xiao family but were ignored, so the kids didn’t get along.

Dongdong, who had been spoiled growing up, was even more stubborn, which made things colder between them.

The palace servant also smelled the fragrance and was about to compliment it when he heard Zhou Zhaoqin’s comment and quickly shut his mouth to avoid offending him. He opened the other lunch box and gently reminded Dongdong, “Young master, you should try this one. Nanny Ji said you’d like it.”

Inside was chicken steak!

“I love it!” Dongdong eagerly grabbed a piece and put it in his mouth, but he was disappointed. The crust was hard, not crispy, and the seasoning was bland. It tasted nothing like the chicken steak he remembered.

Disgusted, he went back to eating his teriyaki chicken rice.

Yum! Delicious!

The carrots tasted amazing after soaking up the sauce! Even the cabbage, which he usually didn’t like, tasted different!

The palace servant, who had hoped to please Dongdong by supporting the Jiang family, was speechless. Was the difference really that big?

Dongdong kept eating. A thin boy sitting nearby was watching him eagerly while nibbling on a half-eaten steamed bun in his hand.

Steamed buns are a good meal for regular poor families, but in the palace, some maids and eunuchs looked down on them.

The students at the Imperial Academy were all royal family members or children of high-ranking officials. Their families were wealthy, and they usually sent them food. The school cafeteria also had meals, but you needed money to buy them, which parents provided in advance.

But this boy had a special situation.

He was the son of the deposed crown prince. The emperor had decided that the punishment shouldn’t affect the crown prince’s wife and children, so while the crown prince was imprisoned, his kids were still getting an education at the Imperial Academy.

However, his food situation wasn’t great.

Some princes and officials suspected the deposed crown prince might regain power, and no one wanted him to live well. So while they couldn’t openly harm him, small inconveniences and embarrassments were common.

The palace servants had to manage meals based on orders, and the boy often didn’t get enough to eat. He rarely had meat.

Dongdong felt awkward being stared at and looked up. It was that boy. He remembered that his uncle once told him to help the deposed prince’s child if he ever met him, but the Jiang family had repeatedly warned him not to associate with him. So they had never interacted before.

But this time…

He glanced at the extra lunch box. Although the food wasn’t tasty, it would be a waste to throw it away. He pushed it over and asked, “Do you want some?”

Zhou Zhaoheng’s eyes brightened a bit, and he seemed uncertain. His thin cheeks puffed up as he looked nervously. After confirming the signal, he carefully took the lunch box.

What he craved was what Xiao Pingzhou(Dongdong) was eating. The rich aroma made his plain steamed buns unappetizing. Maybe this food would be tasty too.

He took a bite, and the crispy chicken fillet made a crunch sound. The meat inside wasn’t very tender, a bit bland and thick, but it was real meat!

Zhou Zhaoheng squinted happily while eating, radiating joy.

Dongdong felt even more sympathetic and whispered, “This isn’t that tasty. Sister Ah Shu’s chicken steak is the best. I’ll bring it for you next time!”

Zhou Zhaoheng blinked in surprise. He didn’t expect Dongdong to still be willing to talk to him. After confirming he heard right, he blushed and nodded hard, whispering, “Thank you…”