Chapter 14 (Roast Whole Chicken)

Yan Qiushu was savoring the food. Dongdong finished a small lamb chop and was eyeing a second one when Yan Qiushu wasn’t looking.

But Yan Qiushu noticed and held his chubby little hand firmly, “No!”

Dongdong’s eyes filled with tears as if he had been wronged, “Sister Shu! I want to eat! Wuu… I have to go to school tomorrow, so I won’t get to eat anymore…”

Yan Qiushu said seriously, “I know you want to eat this, but mutton can make you feel ‘hot’ ^[1]which is eating too much mutton is thought to cause internal heat.. You kicked off your quilt earlier, and now your throat is sore. I’m allowing you to have some, but if you don’t listen, you can’t have any more!”

Although she looked too young to lecture a child, her firm and serious eyes made Dongdong a bit scared.

He looked at her with red eyes, trying to see if she was serious.

Yan Qiushu didn’t back down.

Dongdong understood and lowered his head, feeling aggrieved.

Yan Qiushu gently rubbed his head and gave him an orange. She felt guilty about craving barbecue and cooking it as soon as the stove was ready. But the child was sick and couldn’t eat much, so she had to disappoint him for now.

“Oranges are tasty too. Don’t be upset, okay? When you’re better, I’ll make lots of yummy food for you!” Yan Qiushu promised.

Dongdong pouted again, trying to play the victim to get something more.

But when he pursed his lips, the juicy orange segment burst in his mouth, flooding it with sweet and sour juice. The meatiness was gone, and he swallowed it down, his mood lightening.

Sweetness does bring joy!

While eating the oranges, Dongdong felt better. He nodded obediently, “Okay, Sister Shu, but you have to keep your promise!”

Yan Qiushu smiled, “Of course I won’t forget.”

Afterward, she divided the remaining lamb chops, letting Shui Yu and the others each keep one piece. The rest, along with some chestnuts, were sent to other courtyards as usual. Before sending them off, she added a little chili to the lamb chops, as Mrs. Xiao liked spicy food.

After adding the chili, she put them back in the oven to heat for a while before sending them.

Dongdong watched this and filled up on chestnuts and oranges to keep his stomach from growling. He didn’t dare stare at the food anymore and looked around instead. Suddenly, he saw a woman at the gate. He quickly stood up and shouted, “Auntie!”

Yan Qiushu turned and saw a group of people. They were so focused on eating that they didn’t notice when the visitors arrived. She apologized, “Young Madam.”

Wan’er also stood up and softly called, “Auntie.”

“Ah Shu, Wan’er, Dongdong,” Xie Qingyun greeted with a smile and took Yan Qiushu’s hand kindly, “Thank you for taking care of these two kids. It must be tiring for you.”

Yan Qiushu shook her head quickly, “No, Wan’er is so well-behaved, and Dongdong is adorable. I like them very much.” She didn’t think of it as a burden. The mansion was usually quiet, and it was nice to have the kids around.

Xie Qingyun’s smile deepened. She spoke softly, “I’m here now because I have something to tell you.”

She gestured to the two strangers following her and explained, “These two were sent by the Third Prince’s wife. She heard that the Second Prince’s grandson was craving the food you made, Ah Shu, so she specially sent Eunuch Liu and others to learn from you. If it’s inconvenient, that’s okay. The Third Prince’s wife is kind and won’t press the issue.”

She introduced them, “This is Miss Qiu, a distinguished guest here.”

“Hello, Miss Qiu,” the two quickly greeted, eager to learn. “The emperor’s grandson has been thinking about the meal that the young master of the Xiao family had at the Imperial College two days ago. Please teach us, Miss Qiu.”

Yan Qiushu raised her eyebrows. She hadn’t expected the prince’s wife to send people to learn from her.

Though Xie Qingyun hinted she could refuse, and the Xiao family’s reputation was at stake, it wasn’t a big deal.

This wasn’t a secret recipe, so she decided to teach them.

At that moment, Dongdong tugged on Yan Qiushu’s sleeve with some reluctance. When she bent down, he whispered, “Sister Shu, don’t teach them! If they learn, they’ll compete with me!”

Yan Qiushu smiled helplessly and whispered back, “Don’t worry, even if they learn it, they can’t beat you!”

She straightened up and said with a smile, “Of course. Please follow me.”

Yan Qiushu generously showed them how to make a simple dish called teriyaki chicken leg rice ^[2]is a Japanese dish with grilled chicken in sweet soy sauce. without holding back. She even threw in a bonus recipe for fried chicken.

The visitors left gratefully after learning, leaving behind a tuition fee of fifty taels of silver!

Yan Qiushu was thrilled. Fifty taels of silver!

The Prince’s Mansion was indeed generous!

While she often felt guilty accepting gifts from the Xiao family, she took this money without hesitation. If the Jiang family could be this generous, she would be happy to teach more.

This money, along with her own, totaled two hundred taels.

The Xiao family also gave some gifts. If needed quickly, exchanging them would cost a lot. 

Yan Qiushu was very happy, but Dongdong was not. 

Their enlightenment class ^[3]which is basic education class. had only two days off. He had caught a cold and hoped to rest longer.

The next day, the doctor checked him, looked at his eyelids and tongue, and told Xiao Huaiwu that Dongdong was fine and had recovered from the cold.

Xiao Huaiwu was surprised: “So fast?”

Dongdong panicked. He thought he wouldn’t have to go to school. He weakly said, “I’m not well yet?”

As soon as he spoke, his voice was clear again!

The doctor smiled and said, “Doesn’t he seem energetic? He might be growing up and is healthy.”