Since there wasn’t a proper earth oven for roasting lamb, Jiang Yanyi had to set up a temporary fire pit in the yard.

Today, the butcher had delivered a few fat lambs, each weighing about 50 pounds even after removing the skin and innards.

Jiang Yanyi made incisions on the thick parts of the meat and prepared a large wooden bowl.

She mixed fine flour, salt water, eggs, turmeric, and water to make a paste.

Her shop’s usual seasoning was Cornelian cherry paste, but today she also used some precious black pepper powder she had been saving to make the lamb extra tasty.

Cornelian cherry paste has a milder spiciness compared to black pepper and lacks its fragrance.

Black pepper was very expensive, so even wealthy families would only use it during festivals or when entertaining guests.

Although black pepper has a spicy flavor and “pepper” in its name, it’s completely different from chili.

Black pepper resembles Sichuan peppercorn but is white and has a much more specific growth environment.

After mixing the black pepper powder into the paste, Jiang Yanyi spread the marinade over the entire lamb while lamenting, “Once my chilies are ready, black pepper can take a backseat!”

She had only bought a tiny bit, and it was ridiculously expensive.

Her apprentice, Qiu Kui, helped spread the paste on the lamb, mimicking Jiang Yanyi’s movements.

Qiu Kui had been learning cooking from her for some time.

Jiang Yanyi had noticed that Qiu Kui was extremely persistent.

When learning how to cook, most people start with the basics, like handling ingredients and practicing knife skills, which takes years of practice.

However, Qiu Kui insisted on imitating Jiang Yanyi’s every action, from the angle of cutting vegetables to her stance.

If she couldn’t match Jiang Yanyi perfectly, she refused to move on to the next task.

This meant Qiu Kui learned slowly, but her foundation was very solid.

After coating the lamb, Jiang Yanyi rubbed salt into the incisions.

The lamb was quite heavy, and with her injured foot, she and Qiu Kui would struggle to lift it onto the rack over the fire pit without dropping it.

Jiang Yanyi decided to go next door to the tailor shop to ask Uncle Chen to help hang the lamb over the fire pit.

As she opened the door, she saw two men standing outside like guardian deities.

These two were trusted aides of Chu Changping, whom Jiang Yanyi had met before.

She asked, “What brings you two here?”

The men cupped their fists and said, “We’re here on Third Master’s orders, to protect you, Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Yanyi noticed her neighbors peeking over to watch and felt a bit self-conscious, thinking that she’d still need to run her business here.

She said, “Please, come inside.”

They hesitated, but Jiang Yanyi added, “I’m roasting a lamb in the yard, but it’s quite heavy. Would you mind helping me hang it up?”

With that, they entered the shop, though they kept the door half-open to avoid any misunderstandings.

Thanks to their help, the lamb was soon hanging over the fire pit.

Whenever there was heavy or tiring work, the two men eagerly took over, allowing Jiang Yanyi and Qiu Kui to relax.

One of the men was named Yang Xiu, and he was skilled in social graces, always speaking appropriately.

The other was named Bing Shao, who was quiet and rarely spoke, focusing only on the work.

After cutting up lamb slices for boiling, Jiang Yanyi parboiled the ribs, adding scallions, ginger, star anise, and fennel to the pot.

She simmered it until the meat was tender and falling off the bone before removing it.

The most crucial part of smoked lamb ribs is the smoking.

Since smoking in the kitchen would produce too much smoke, Jiang Yanyi had Yang Xiu and Bing Shao set up a tripod outside to hold the pot.

The roasting lamb gave off a rich, roasted aroma, while the boiling lamb ribs released a gamey, savory scent.

Yang Xiu and Bing Shao had traveled a long way with Chu Changping, from Yongzhou to Xizhou, then back to the capital, and finally fleeing to Xizhou.

They had often eaten whatever they could find, mostly dry and hard food, rarely tasting anything as delicious as this.

The lamb’s aroma alone made their stomachs growl.

Yang Xiu swallowed and asked, “Miss Jiang, what are you cooking in that pot?”

To him, the boiled lamb ribs already seemed ready to eat.

Jiang Yanyi, adding firewood to the fire pit, replied, “I’m going to smoke the ribs; it’ll taste even better. Could you let my uncle at the Protectorate Office know that he can come here to eat? Bring everyone else staying at the inn, too. I have a lot of lamb meat stocked up.”

The two men split up, one heading to the Protectorate Office, the other hurrying to the inn to call the others.

Once the large pot was hot, Jiang Yanyi tossed in some tea leaves and red sugar, which quickly released a rich, fragrant smoke.

She placed the grid over the pot and spread the boiled lamb ribs on it, covering the pot to let it smoke.

Thick smoke rose from the edges of the pot, filling the air with a sweet, caramelized aroma.

Qiu Kui pointed to the pot anxiously, “Hua Hua, it’s burning!”

Jiang Yanyi added more firewood to the pit and reassured her, “No worries, that’s how smoked lamb ribs are made.”

After three minutes, she turned off the heat and let it sit before lifting the lid.

As the sugary smoke dispersed, the ribs were golden, as if coated in a layer of caramel, with a more natural sheen from the smoking process.

Tasting a piece, Jiang Yanyi nodded in satisfaction, “This is perfect!”

The lamb was tender and flavorful, infused with a hint of tea and sweetness.

The smokiness had just the right amount of sweetness, without being overwhelming.

Turning around, she saw Qiu Kui watching her with wide eyes, practically drooling like a puppy yearning for a bone.

Jiang Yanyi chuckled, feeling both amused and sympathetic, and handed her a rib, “Give it a try.”

The ribs were so tender that the meat fell right off the bone.

Qiu Kui eagerly bit into the rib, savoring it so much that she couldn’t even stop to talk, only nodding vigorously with wide eyes to show her delight.

In the evening, the east wind blew, carrying the aroma of roasted lamb ribs from the courtyard towards the Feng residence.

The servants of the Feng residence, smelling the fragrance, couldn’t help but click their tongues, “What delicious food is Manager Jiang next door cooking today? It smells so good!”

Xing Yao, holding a medicinal dish prepared in the kitchen, walked past the eaves with an expressionless face and glanced at the two chatting servants. “What are you muttering about?”

“Guard Xing,” the two servants greeted him and lowered their heads, trembling.

Xing Yao said, “Get going.”

Only then did the two servants feel relieved and quickly left.

Xing Yao stood there, took a deep breath, glanced in the direction of Jiang Yanyi’s shop, and couldn’t help but mutter, “Smells delicious.”

Inside the study, Feng Shuo and his group of advisors, along with Chu Changping, had just finished discussing important matters.

As they left the study one by one, they all caught the scent of the roasted meat in the air, taking deep whiffs.

Those unaware might have thought the Feng residence’s cook was preparing dinner, praising it highly.

Chu Changping was the last to leave.

As he reached the door, he was met by a servant waiting outside with a message.

“Master Chu, someone from outside the residence has asked me to pass along a message inviting you to dine at Jiang’s Antique Soup later.”

“Thank you,” Chu Changping nodded to the servant.

He had been deep in thought, but the aroma in the air stirred a bit of hunger within him.

As Chu Changping departed, Xing Yao entered the room carrying the medicinal dish. “Master, it’s time to have your medicinal meal.”

Feng Shuo had lost his sense of taste years ago, which made his sense of smell sharper than most.

Sitting behind his desk, looking over a defense map, he asked, “What is she cooking tonight?”

The “she” he referred to was, of course, Jiang Yanyi.

Xing Yao recalled the fragrant roasted lamb that had been carried by the wind, swallowed hard, and said, “It seems like it’s roasted whole lamb, and some smoked lamb ribs.”

Looking at the medicinal meal in front of him, Feng Shuo suddenly lost all appetite.

Meanwhile, Chu Changping’s dozen or so trusted men sat at two tables in Jiang Yanyi’s shop.

The broth in the copper pot was boiling, ready for lamb slices to be dipped.

On the table were several large plates of roasted whole lamb and ribs.

This group, having never tasted such delicacies, ate ravenously.

Jiang Yanyi, mindful of the fact that too much meat could become overwhelming, also grilled some garlic eggplants on a barbecue rack.

Watching her skillful grilling technique, Chu Changping suddenly felt he no longer recognized his niece.

“I remember when you used to cook, you couldn’t even hold the knife properly,” he said.

Jiang Yanyi knew her current cooking skills were vastly different from the original owner of this body.

She explained, “Back when I was in the military camp, I spent some time helping in the kitchen. The head cook took me on as an apprentice. I figured learning a skill could always provide a way to earn a living, so I learned a few things from him.”

It was true that she had apprenticed under Cook Li.

Chu Changping listened to her casual explanation, but he could imagine how difficult that period must have been for her.

The lamb in his mouth tasted delicious, yet it seemed bitter, as though he were chewing on gall. “Ah Yi, you’ve suffered,” he said.

Jiang Yanyi placed the grilled eggplants onto a plate and brought them over. “Uncle, don’t say that. Look at me, I’m fine now. Back when I was in the capital, I used to think the small square of sky I could see from the courtyard was the entire world. Now, having experienced so much in Xizhou, I’ve seen the vastness of the world. I no longer dwell on the past. I made many mistakes back then, and some punishments I’ve received were deserved, but I regret harming Yan Gui…”

If it hadn’t been for the original Jiang’s scheming that ruined the female protagonist’s reputation, her younger brother wouldn’t have been crippled by the emperor’s anger.

Jiang Yanyi had borrowed this body for a second chance at life, so she treated the original’s family as her own.

The topic made the atmosphere heavy.

Chu Changping patted her shoulder. “Some things weren’t your fault. Don’t take all the blame. Yan Gui is very worried about you. If it weren’t for the emperor’s tight surveillance over the Chu family, he would have sent you a letter by now.”

Jiang Yanyi felt her eyes welling up and asked, “How is his leg?”

“When I left the capital, things were urgent, so I hadn’t seen Yan Gui’s injury myself. But I heard that both his kneecaps were shattered. He likely won’t be able to stand for the rest of his life,” Chu Changping’s voice trembled.

Jiang Yangui was only a teenager.

His father, Jiang Shangshu, was either hitting or scolding him, while his mother spoiled him endlessly.

This caused him to develop a rebellious personality, constantly engaging in wild behavior with other rich kids from the academy.

However, in the political world, factions were inevitable, and the sons of ministers attending the academy naturally formed alliances as well.

Jiang Yangui’s legs were broken by a rival group of boys, but only a minor official’s son was scapegoated.

Outsiders saw it as kids playing too rough, and the incident was brushed aside. Meanwhile, the emperor remained a paragon of virtue.

Chu Changping sighed. “Your mother was spoiled by her family when she was young, and she never grew out of it after marriage. If she hasn’t come to her senses yet about you and Yangui, I plan to take them out of the capital and bring Yan Gui to live with me, so he can keep your cousin Chengmao company.”

Chu Chengmao was Chu Changping’s only son.

Years ago, he defied the emperor’s order to marry a princess and instead wed his first love.

Sadly, she passed away a few years after giving birth.

Chu Changping raised his son alone, and though his parents tried to encourage him to remarry, he never did.

He raised Chu Chengmao well.

Two years ago, Chengmao passed the imperial exams with flying colors but later chose to pursue a military career, much like his father.

In truth, both Jiang siblings had been poorly raised.

Jiang Shangshu neglected them, while Jiang’s mother spoiled them excessively.

As Chu Changping said, Jiang’s mother had been pampered since childhood, indulged by her family.

When she married Jiang Shangshu, whose status was lower at the time, she would throw tantrums whenever things didn’t go her way, even returning to her family’s home when upset, leaving the Jiang family helpless.