The chef of the Chu family initially wanted to help Jiang Yanyi handle the fish, but when he saw her swiftly gutting and scaling the fish with a few decisive strokes, his eyes widened.

Her technique was fierce, but her movements were undoubtedly efficient.

After cleaning the fish, she separated the flesh from the bones, washing off the black slimy membrane from the fish skin.

A significant part of the muddy taste in grass carp comes from this slime.

She chopped the fish bones into sections and sliced the fish meat with exceptional skill.

In the culinary world, an amateur watches for entertainment, while a professional looks for subtleties.

Liu had been observing for a long time.

Even though Jiang Yanyi had already started the soup, she still couldn’t discern anything special.

Now that she had come this far, everything would be in vain if she left now.

Liu was determined to monitor Jiang Yanyi until she finished this meal.

She believed it was simply a matter of who could wait longer: Jiang Yanyi was waiting for her to leave so she could find someone else to cook, while Liu was waiting for Jiang Yan Yi to embarrass herself.

Liu was fully committed to this situation, unwilling to give up.

Jiang Yanyi, however, had no time to guess Liu’s little thoughts.

She marinated the fish bones and fish meat separately, then washed and sliced the sauerkraut into half-finger-thick pieces and blanched it to remove its muddy taste.

Sour fish is a classic dish in Sichuan cuisine.

In the past, when Jiang Yanyi made it, there was always a strong fishy odor, even though she had completely removed the fishy smell.

For a long time, she couldn’t figure out why.

Later, she learned from an experienced Sichuan chef that sauerkraut also has a muddy taste.

To make this dish authentic, one must not shy away from the hassle; the sauerkraut also needs to be blanched and stir-fried to remove its odor.

After preparing the sauerkraut, Jiang Yan Yi heated the pot, added a generous amount of oil, and once it melted, she added some sesame oil to heat it further.

Stir-frying the ginger, garlic, and scallions together, the aroma was overpowering, causing everyone in the kitchen to sniff and peek into the pot.

After frying the green Sichuan pepper until fragrant, she added the fish head and bones first to evaporate the moisture, then added the sauerkraut to stir-fry and release its sourness.

At this point, the fragrance of the fish meat and various seasonings had filled the kitchen.

Jiang Yanyi poured a spoonful of yellow wine along the edge of the pot to release its aroma.

Finally, she poured in a pot of boiling water, and the pot began bubbling rapidly, with the fish soup turning thick and white, the aroma wafting upward with the steam.

After adding the seasonings and simmering for a moment, Jiang Yan Yi scooped the fish bones and head into a soup bowl.

Taking advantage of the boiling broth, she began adding the fish slices.

The fish had been coated with egg white during marination, which made it more tender.

The thin layer of starch on the surface locked in the moisture of the fish, allowing it to cook almost instantly upon hitting the pot.

Once she poured the fish slices into the soup bowl, along with the broth, she sprinkled on chopped garlic, scallions, green Sichuan pepper, and prickly ash, then drizzled two spoons of hot oil over the top.

The sizzling sound instantly released a burst of fragrance.

The enticing aroma drew the onlookers to gather at the door, continuously complimenting the dish.

Liu was in a daze, feeling as though she were dreaming.

Although she had been watching intently throughout, the bowl of fragrant sour fish placed before her still felt surreal.

Jiang Yan Yi wiped her hands on her apron and asked her, “Aunt, did you learn how to make these two dishes today?”

Liu seemed to wake from a dream, responding, “Ah?”

Her eyes appeared to understand, but her hands seemed to lack the knowledge.

She sheepishly covered her thumb, which was hardly hurting anymore, and sighed, “Oh, my hand hurts. I’ll go back and apply some medicine.”

Once Liu left, Qiu Kui noticed it was almost mealtime and also told Jiang Yanyi she was going back.

Jiang Yanyi invited her to stay for a meal, but Qiukui refused.

The servants in the household often looked at Qiukui with unusual eyes, and Jiang Yan Yi understood that she felt uncomfortable here.

So, she packed a plate of dim sum to take back for her.

Jiang Yanyi only made these two main dishes, but a servant came to report that there would be guests at the residence today, and they needed to add more dishes.

Jiang Yanyi didn’t have the time to continue busying herself in the kitchen, so she handed the position over to the chef at the stove.

When it was time to eat, only the women of the inner court were present.

The men of the Chu family seemed to be in the front hall accompanying the esteemed guest, and Chu Changping rushed back from outside.

Liu, not knowing what news she had heard, had left the kitchen with a solemn face, but now her brows were raised with hidden joy.

Jiang Yanyi guessed it had something to do with that esteemed guest in the residence.

She also noticed that a large portion of the sour fish she had made had been taken away!

During the meal, she barely managed to scoop up a few pieces, and the bowl of sour fish had only the soup left.

Liu’s youngest daughter used her chopsticks to poke around in the soup bowl, finally only managing to scoop out a bit of sauerkraut, her eyebrows drooping down.

Seeing her sister still wanting to scoop some soup to eat with rice, Liu quietly scolded, “Huibao, eat less. In a couple of years, you’ll have to find a suitor. What family would want to marry a chubby girl like you?”

Chu Huibao looked at her sister with pitiful eyes while biting her chopsticks.

Chu Shubao was gnawing on a large bone and, upon receiving Huibao’s gaze, said, “Mother, little sister is still growing.”

Thinking of the task she would have to ask Chu Shubao to do later, Liu saw that she was so full her belt was tight and groaned, “You eat less too!”

Today, the old lady of the Chu family had a delightful meal and, seeing Liu scolding her two granddaughters, said, “What kind of mother scolds her children like that? They’re young girls now; let them eat as they wish. After they marry, they won’t have such days anymore.”

Liu was scolded by the old lady and could only comply.

Old Lady Chu had finished eating and wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief. “You’ve learned to cook from Yiyi; starting tomorrow, make these dishes for this old woman to taste.”

Liu finally understood why Old Lady Chu had remained silent when she had made things difficult for Jiang Yanyi earlier—she had been waiting for this moment.

Liu secretly lamented; she had been the one to say she wanted to learn to cook to honor Old Lady Chu.

Now that the old lady repeated her words back to her, Liu couldn’t even argue against it. If she did, she might end up being labeled unfilial.

Not to mention the hardships of cooking, the main issue was that she didn’t know how to cook at all!

Liu finally understood what it meant to shoot herself in the foot.

---

After finishing her meal, Jiang Yanyi went to see Jiang Yanguo, but Liu, not knowing whether she wanted to take her two daughters for a walk or something else, lingered at the flower gate leading to the front courtyard instead of returning to her own yard.

Feeling puzzled, Jiang Yanyi frowned as she headed towards Jiang Yanguo’s courtyard.

Chuo Shubao, having eaten her fill, just wanted to go back to her room to read, but was being pulled by Liu to endure the cold wind outside.

She looked very reluctant. “Mother, it’s so cold here; let’s go back to our room.”

Liu glanced around and, seeing no one passing by, reproached her, “Do you know who the esteemed guest visiting the manor today is?”

Chuo Shubao yawned and asked, “Who?”

Liu leaned close to her ear and said, “The Prince of Liao Nan! He’s the one with the most military power among the vassal kings!”

Chuo Shubao pulled her cloak tighter around herself and started walking back. “Mother, let’s not dream. You want me to go into the royal residence and become a maid for them, right?”

“Pah, pah, pah! What are you thinking?” Liu yanked her daughter back. “The Prince of Liao Nan has a military advisor by his side who is said to be quite favored. I just saw him when I returned from the kitchen; he’s really quite handsome! Your third uncle is his colleague; you’re good enough for him. Come on, let’s go see him. If you’re willing, I’ll talk to your third uncle about it later.”

Chuo Shubao touched her round belly and said, “Mother, I’m too full.”

“You’re always stuffing your face!” Liu was annoyed when it came to this but still dragged Chuo Shubao along.

As they passed through the flower gate and were about to head toward the ear room in the front hall, they spotted the hem of a plain-colored skirt under the eaves.

“Thank you.” A smooth, melodic voice came from under the eaves.

“It’s just a small favor.” The voice was clear and refined, but it obviously belonged to a man.

The three of them crouched beneath a snow pine tree, watching as Jiang Yanyi held a bottle in her hand and curtsied to a man in a bamboo-green robe, then withdrew her skirt as he turned and walked away.

Liu ground her teeth in frustration.

Once the man was far enough away, she scolded Chuo Shubao, “You were dawdling, weren’t you? You let someone get ahead!”

She had chosen her son-in-law after much deliberation; she couldn’t let someone else snatch him away!