Chapter 181: Used as a Shield

Chen Feng’s remark was meant as a joke, but the little girl took it so seriously that it seemed as if she was praising herself. She felt a bit embarrassed but managed to hold it in without showing it.

At the same time, she found the old Marquis very interesting. He didn’t seem like a stubborn traditionalist at all, quite humorous, in fact. With such an enlightened patriarch, it seemed that the prominent figures from the Chu family, like the third master Chu, Chu Lingxuan, and several other men from the Chu family, were all quite good. The old Chu family should be very harmonious.

It appeared that the so-called princess was nothing but trouble, ruining the Chu family’s peace. She wondered about the man who was both the current Marquis and the Princess’s husband. How could he get involved with the princess? He forced the original wife out of the house, drove the only son to the border, and he himself had a cold personality. Moreover, he let the little Chu Hanyan get that illness right under his nose. Perhaps the death of the daughter-in-law was also not normal…

Yet, in the corner of her eye, she noticed a faint smile on Chu Lingxuan’s face. It was a warm smile, like the gentle sunshine after snow. Not scorching, but clean and bright.

Chen Feng’s old face seemed to blush slightly. She lowered her head a bit, curtsied to the old Marquis and Chu Lingxuan, and said, “Old Marquis, Mr. Chu, Happy New Year.”

Chu Lingxuan’s face returned to its previous coldness, nodding, “Thank you, Ms. Chen. It’s New Year’s today, yet you’ve come all the way to cook and prepare dishes for my grandfather.”

Chen Feng smiled, “The old Marquis enjoys my cooking, and that’s my honor.” Then she mentioned that it was too late for a hotpot, so she would prepare some dishes first and have the hotpot later in the evening.

The old man laughed heartily, “I can enjoy both meals made by the little girl’s hands, even better.”

After Chen Feng and Mrs. Wei went to the small kitchen in the backyard, the old man’s face turned serious, his beard blowing up, and he said to Chu Lingxuan, “Boy, you’re even more gluttonous than I am, yet you use me as a shield. If you don’t say her cooking is delicious, how would I know?”

Then, he took Chu Hanyan by the hand and called for Qiqi and Gray to play in another part of the yard.

Feeling bored, Chu Lingxuan had no choice but to stride into the house.

Chen Feng looked at the food in the kitchen and decided on a menu: golden spare ribs, braised fish, garlic chives with preserved meat, garlic chives with dried tofu, stir-fried bean sprouts, stir-fried lotus root, and a pot of fish ball soup.

She knew her cooking skills couldn’t truly surpass the kitchen maid at Tangyuan, but the quality of her own water made the dishes more flavorful.

Apart from the golden spare ribs and the soup, she decided to add a bit of garlic chives fertilized with swiftlet droppings to every dish for seasoning. Due to the limited amount of garlic chives, she used them sparingly in each dish.

Thinking of the Chu family’s prosperity, she spared no expense on ingredients. She even carved a few flowers from white radishes, carrots, and oranges. After preparing the dishes, she used these flowers as decorations.

This was about elegance! In her previous life, even when dining alone at home, she would wipe the edges of the plates clean with a cloth. With free time, she would even carve cucumber and radish into floral shapes. She disliked seeing plates brought to the table with oil or soup dripping down the edges, finding it untidy.

The dishes in the Chu family were all exquisite, and with those “flowers” as embellishments, they looked even more appealing.

Mrs. Wei and the kitchen maid both exclaimed, “This is truly a feast for the eyes, Ms. Feng is so thoughtful.”

Chen Feng didn’t stay for the meal and politely declined the Chu family’s invitation for Dabao and Lu to join them for dinner. It was the second day of the Lunar New Year, and it was better for her to have dinner at home. After the meal, she planned to return to Tangyuan for a hotpot. Before leaving, she instructed the kitchen maid to simmer a chicken.

After having dinner at Luyuan, Chen Feng told Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang about the incident with old man Wang being driven away by her.

Chen Ming agreed, “A’Feng did the right thing. We cannot let him enter this gate. He acted recklessly as a father, his son was sold, and yet he didn’t even bother to find out where he was sold or how he would fare in the future.”

Mrs. Wang just covered her mouth with a handkerchief and wept.

Chen Feng then comforted her before heading to Tangyuan for the hotpot. Dabao wanted to stay, but Chen Feng instructed, “You can go and play today, but you can’t stay there for dinner.”

Seeing Dabao nod, she took him and, with the help of Zhui Feng, Xue Dagui, and Chu Xiaoniu carrying a specially made charcoal stove and table, headed to Tangyuan.

The old marquis and Chu Hanyan were still resting, but as soon as Chen Dabao entered the Serene Courtyard, Chu Lingxuan called him to the eaves to teach him real martial arts. Dabao was ecstatic and ran over, grinning widely.

Chen Feng sautéed the hotpot ingredients, added the simmered chicken broth, and secretly put in a bit of swiftlet incense residue. Once all the dishes were prepared and the soup was ready, a delightful aroma filled the air.

She and her team carried the pot and dishes to the main hall.

By now, it was pitch black outside, and snowflakes were drifting down from the sky.

In the front yard, the lanterns hanging from the trees on the veranda were already lit, casting a reddish glow over the ground. The lattice windows of the main hall also emitted an orange candlelight, accompanied by laughter. The voices of the old Marquis and Dabao were the loudest, followed by those of Qiqi, Gray, and Zhui Feng. Occasionally, Chu Hanyan’s giggles and Chu Lingxuan’s voice could be heard.

Even before entering the house, one could feel the warmth inside.

As the maid opened the door and lifted the thick curtain, Chen Feng walked in, feeling a rush of warmth. Dabao, Chu Hanyan, Qiqi, and Gray all eagerly called out “Mother” and “Auntie,” while Zhui Feng was held back by Xue Dagui and Chu Xiaoniu, afraid that he might rush forward.

Smiling, Chen Feng softly responded while directing her team to set up the pot and dishes. She mentioned that the broth in the pot would become richer and more flavorful as it cooked, and adding some chicken broth to it would extend its use for several days at least.

Then, Chen Feng bid farewell with Dabao and Zhui Feng.

Qiqi and Gray, not yet done playing, shouted, “Don’t leave, don’t leave, we want to be stubborn dogs…” that was Dabao’s voice.

This sparked another round of laughter. Silly Zhui Feng had no clue he was being teased.

Chen Feng and Dabao descended the steps, and Chu Lingxuan opened the door and walked out. He said, “Dabao has a talent for calligraphy. I have a copybook by Wang Youjun. Let him copy it every day, it will greatly benefit him. The copybook is in the outer study, I’m going to get it now.”

Before Chen Feng could respond or refuse, he walked ahead, and she had to follow with Dabao. After walking a while, they ascended a corridor with lanterns intermittently placed along its length. The lanterns emitted a red light, illuminating the path ahead and the slender figure in front.

Arriving at the outer study, Chu Lingxuan went in and out, not only handing Dabao a copybook but also giving him two brushes and an ink stick. He said, “Study well. If in the future, even the private tutor Mr. Jiang can’t teach you, I will find a way to bring in a better teacher for you.”