After reassuring her son, she quickly prepared gifts and asked the nanny to take the cook to the Xiao family to learn.

Xiao Family

In Yan Qiushu’s small courtyard, maids and older women gathered, along with two little children.

Wan’er and Dongdong, under the protection of their maids, were staring eagerly at something in front of them with wide eyes.

It was a stove, which looked like a small cave. There was a fire underneath, and the middle part was where food could be put to roast. Right now, there was a delicious aroma coming out of it.

Yan Qiushu had made this stove two days ago.

She got the idea to make an ancient version of an oven, so she could bake cakes, biscuits, and even grill food, which was easier than using charcoal that burned food quickly. Now, she mostly cooked for Madam Xiao and Dongdong, as well as Wan’er and other members of the Xiao family. She made lighter food for them since the diners were children and elderly.

After eating too much light food, she kept thinking about barbecue, so she asked Shui Yu for help. Surprisingly, a craftsman came right away.

At this moment, the stove was being used for the first time. It was filled with large skewers of meat sprinkled with seasonings, mashed taro, cut chestnuts, and other items. A while ago, she had also added two oranges.

Now, the stove was letting out the aroma of meat, chestnuts, and sweet oranges.

The fragrance made Wan’er leave the living room and look at the stove eagerly. Dongdong was drooling and almost approached it.

The nanny stopped them, fearing they’d get hurt.

Dongdong still got close, sniffing the aroma. He asked anxiously, “Sister Shu, when can I eat this?” His voice was a little hoarse because he caught a cold. On the last day of school, he had been too happy. He played Cuju ^[1]is an ancient Chinese ball game. with Yan Qiushu and sweated a lot, but then he kicked off his quilt at night and caught a cold.

That’s why Yan Qiushu added two oranges to the stove.

Roasted oranges can help with coughing, and Yan Qiushu could slightly enhance the flavors of food. She wondered if the effect of the oranges could also be boosted.

She patted Dongdong’s head and said, “Don’t rush. Otherwise, it won’t be cooked yet, and your stomach will hurt all night.”

Dongdong controlled himself but still watched eagerly.

Wan’er couldn’t hold back either and softly asked, “Sister Shu, how long will it take?”

“Almost done!” Yan Qiushu replied confidently.

The children’s eyes focused even more.

Two minutes later, Yan Qiushu had the stone slab covering the stove removed. She used iron tongs to bring out an iron sheet filled with food. The aroma immediately grew stronger.

A servant wrapped the iron sheet in thick cloth and put it on a stone table in the courtyard.

Everyone followed the food to the table.

“Wow!” Dongdong exclaimed.

“It smells so good!” Wan’er echoed.

Shui Yu praised, “Young lady, your cooking keeps getting better. I’ve never smelled such delicious mutton.”

Yan Qiushu smiled proudly. She had made grilled lamb chops. The lamb in this era was much leaner than in modern times. The little fat left on the lamb chops melted in the oven, leaving just a thin layer of oil that was still sizzling.

The spices like cumin and pepper were roasted perfectly, bringing out a great aroma.

On the other side of the iron sheet were roasted chestnuts, which had split open. They weren’t coated with sugar or honey, just had the natural sweetness of chestnuts. And the roasted oranges had thin skins and smelled the sweetest.

Aunt Xu cut the lamb chops into strips and put them away. Others peeled the hot oranges. The three diners just needed to eat.

Dongdong immediately grabbed the lamb chop in front of him, but Yan Qiushu stopped him and gave him a smaller piece instead, “Lamb can cause internal heat, so just taste it to avoid hurting your throat.”

Dongdong pouted unhappily, “I want a big piece!”

Being the darling of both the Xiao and Jiang families, Dongdong usually got whatever he wanted, especially when it came to food. If he couldn’t eat something, he’d start to get angry.

But as soon as he started to flare up, Yan Qiushu’s smile faded, and she frowned. “If you get angry, you won’t taste it properly~”

The girl, who always smiled, suddenly turned serious, her eyes sharp. Her cute face made Dongdong’s heart skip a beat, and he quickly shut up. He took the piece she gave him.

It was still hot, so he asked the nanny for a handkerchief. Holding both ends, he stretched out his small white teeth and took a bite. “Awoo…” A juicy piece of roasted lamb filled his mouth.

The strong aroma of cumin and other seasonings masked the mutton’s natural smell, making it taste delicious in every bite.

Wan’er, however, didn’t like the flavor and only took a small bite before stopping. Meanwhile, the chestnuts and oranges were also peeled and ready to eat.

She first ate a chestnut. The roasted chestnuts were pinkish and tender, with a soft texture, but a bit dry.

The surface of the roasted orange was slightly charred, but it made peeling the orange easier. Once peeled, the orange segments inside were plump and full of juice. She blew on them with her small mouth to cool them down and took a small bite.

Juice immediately flowed out, and Wan’er quickly caught it, happily smacking her lips, “It’s so sweet~”

Yan Qiushu took a bite of the mutton, then a slice of orange, and simply nodded.

It was so tasty! The mutton smell was suppressed, and the salty and spicy flavors from the cumin and other seasonings stood out more. The mutton was roasted to be incredibly soft and tender. Just a few chews made it melt in her mouth, leaving behind a meaty aroma.

It felt so good to eat large pieces of meat. After two bites, Yan Qiushu started to feel a bit full, so she ate another sweet and warm orange slice. The sweet and sour taste instantly refreshed her mouth, making her ready to eat more meat!