Chapter 35: Bewitched by the Smell of Grilled Skewers

Under Mu Rong Shu’s guidance, the lamb was quickly and efficiently cut into pieces. Er Zhu, amazed at how well it went, followed Mu Rong Shu’s instructions and expertly avoided the bones.

Mu Rong Shu also taught the kitchen staff how to slice beef and prepare skewers with a balance of fat and lean meat. This way, when she wanted to enjoy these dishes in the future, she wouldn’t have to cut them herself.

Once the lamb and beef were ready, Mu Rong Shu had the staff sprinkle salt and the medicinal herbs that Rong Yun Nan had helped grind, and began marinating the meat.

“Shu Er, can these herbs really be used like this?” Rong Yun Nan was surprised.

“Uncle Yun Nan, are you curious? Actually, many herbs, aside from their medicinal uses, can also be used in cooking,” Mu Rong Shu explained, noticing his surprise.

“Shu Er, you are truly learned. This is the first time I’ve heard that herbs can be used in cooking,” Rong Yun Nan said. Ever since Mu Rong Shu helped him with his asthma, he had placed complete trust in her.

“I also read about it in medical books, tried it myself, and found no side effects, so I dared to let everyone try it,” Mu Rong Shu silently added in her mind. Chinese civilization has never lost in the realm of food, she was just borrowing a little.

“Father, Second Uncle, Big Brother, please wash the bamboo skewers you made and then boil them in hot water so they’ll be safe to use later.”

After marinating the meat, Mu Rong Shu called the people who had made the bamboo skewers earlier to wash and boil them.

“Shu Er, is this enough? If not, we can make more,” Mu Si, worried it might not be enough, asked his niece.

“Second Uncle, this should be enough. Father, Big Brother, please go wash the skewers. Second Uncle, you and Wen Ye come with me to fetch other things,” Mu Rong Shu said, planning to also make some small cakes since there were children and elderly people present.

“We’ll follow Shu Er’s arrangements,” Wen Ye nodded, though he wasn’t as skilled as Mu Si with the bamboo skewers. Maybe the next task would allow him to outdo Mu Si.

“Xiao Tao, take Er Zhu to fetch the basket of eggs from the small kitchen. We’re going to start making the cakes,” Mu Rong Shu said, seeing how eager her second uncle and Wen Ye were. She decided to have them act as automatic egg beaters.

Initially, Mu Rong Shu had planned to assign this task to her father and Big Brother, since they had the strength from their martial arts training, but since her second uncle and Wen Ye were both restless, she decided to assign it to them instead.

Once Xiao Tao and Er Zhu returned with the eggs, Mu Rong Shu had the kitchen staff separate the egg whites and yolks into different containers.

“Shu Er, why are they separated? Aren’t they normally eaten together?” Mu Si, who had never seen eggs prepared this way, was curious.

“Second Uncle, they’re separated because they serve different purposes. Now you and Wen Ye each take a portion, and continue stirring in one direction until the egg whites turn white,” Mu Rong Shu explained, pouring the egg whites into two containers and handing them to her second uncle and Wen Ye, demonstrating a few times herself.

“Miss Mu, can this really turn white?” Wen Ye asked, not out of curiosity, but because he honestly didn’t know.

“As long as Wen Ye puts in the effort, it will definitely work. Now it’s up to you and my second uncle to see if we can have some delicious cakes today,” Mu Rong Shu said with a smile.

“Shu Er, don’t worry, Second Uncle will do it. I’ll supervise Wen Ye,” Er Zhu said confidently.

“Why do you need to supervise? I’ll definitely finish first,” Wen Ye retorted.

“Wen Ye, you didn’t do the bamboo skewers as well as I did earlier, so let’s see who’s better this time. I’m not afraid of competition!” Er Zhu said, eager to prove himself.

So, the two men who were unwilling to admit defeat began their new round of competition.

Mu Rong Shu, watching the two of them, shook her head helplessly. She then took Xiao Tao and Er Zhu to find her father and elder brother.

“Shu Er, your father and I have boiled the bamboo skewers and dried them. Is there anything else we can help with?” Mu Si asked, happy that his little sister had arranged such fun tasks for them.

“Now, we can start skewering the meat. Er Zhu, please go ask someone to catch a few fish from the pond behind the house, clean them, and bring them to the kitchen,” Mu Rong Shu suddenly craved grilled fish.

“Understood, Miss,” Er Zhu replied, quickly going to find someone to help catch the fish. From today on, he was dedicated to serving his Miss, putting her needs first.

Mu Rong Shu brought out the marinated meat and demonstrated how to skewer the first piece. She left Xiao Tao, General Mu, and Mu Si to continue skewering the meat while she went to check on the seasoning and how the grinding was progressing.

Rong Yun Nan, Song Yan ran, and Liu Ru Yan were grinding the spices with great focus and speed. When Mu Rong Shu checked, they were almost done. She had them stop when she saw it was enough.

She had intended to let them rest for a while, but they couldn’t sit still and went to help with the skewering. Mu Rong Shu didn’t stop them and instead went to her courtyard’s small kitchen to prepare the ingredients for the cakes.

Meanwhile, on Wen Jing’s side:

The young masters of the Mu and Song families were gathered around Wen Jing, watching him paint while he explained his techniques. They were learning a lot, and they found his explanation easier to understand than what their own tutors had taught them. No wonder he was the top scholar in the imperial exams.

They couldn’t help but feel in their hearts, “It’s such a waste that Wen Gong Zi didn’t pursue an official career!”

Once Mu Rong Shu had everything ready, she sent someone to fetch her mother, second aunt, and grandmother. She worried that her grandmother, due to her age, might not want to come outside, so she sent someone to ask her opinion.

When the old lady heard that her granddaughter was preparing fresh food and that her sons and grandsons were helping, she decided to go see for herself. She invited Madam Rong to join her in visiting the Gui Ning Courtyard.

Madam Liu and Madam Song had heard their daughters chatting excitedly about the event since yesterday. They were determined to go see what was happening, and the final outcome was that everyone headed to Gui Ning Courtyard.

Although they knew their daughter was busy with the preparations, they never expected things to be going so smoothly. Despite frequently attending banquets, they were surprised to see that even with fewer guests, the gathering was lively and filled with the warmth of family and everyday life.

By the time they arrived, the lamb skewers, beef skewers, roasted suckling pig, and grilled fish were already cooking. The aroma reached them from far away.

“Vei Er, what are they cooking? It smells so good!” It wasn’t that Madam Rong had never been to a banquet, but the aroma of grilled skewers and barbecue seasoning was so intoxicating that anyone would be mesmerized.

“Big sister-in-law, you’ve arrived. I sent someone to ask my mother if she wanted to come. I was worried about her health, but it looks like she made the right choice. It smells so delicious, if she didn’t come, she probably wouldn’t sleep tonight,” Rong Qing said, personally escorting her mother-in-law and her own mother. They met with her sister-in-law and the others on the way, exchanged greetings, and continued on. No one wanted to waste time with pleasantries, given how appetizing the smell was.

As they got closer, they saw a group of people surrounding Mu Rong Shu, who was teaching everyone how to grill the food. Every time she sprinkled some seasoning, little lumps of saliva could be seen forming in the onlookers’ mouths. Mu Rong Shu couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

The others were just as eager, so Mu Rong Shu picked up the pace, thinking to herself, “Once I teach everyone, I’ll set up a grill and a small hot pot at each table. That should be enough for everyone.”