Xiao Huaiwu laughed and asked her son, “What should we do? Go or not?”

Dongdong nodded with tears in his eyes: “Go!” 

He was worried that his younger uncle and older uncle would punish him for being lazy.

Xiao Huaiwu called the maid to dress him. After he changed clothes, he took his small schoolbag and left. Since it was still early, he planned to walk to Yan Qiushu’s yard to see if there were any treats. 

Yan Qiushu was eating noodles. When she saw Dongdong, she asked, “Are you better from your cold?”

“Yes,” Dongdong sighed. “I thought I could rest today.”

His voice was clear, without any nasal sound.

Yan Qiushu was excited. She realized her cooking had a special effect!

She remembered how roasted oranges helped with coughs when she was a child, but this time it worked even better.

Dongdong had just been sick for a day, so it must be her cooking that made him better!

Yan Qiushu’s palms were sweaty from this realization. She wiped them on her clothes and smiled at Dongdong: “Sister is eating noodles. Do you want some?”

Dongdong eagerly replied, “Yes!”

Yan Qiushu invited him over, touched his forehead, and felt he was still warm. She happily said, “I’ll make you honey-glazed roast chicken for lunch today to make up for the lamb chops you missed yesterday.”

“Wow!” Dongdong exclaimed. 

Although he didn’t know what it looked like, he felt it must be good from her tone and nodded greedily, excited for noon.

_

At the Imperial College, after the Si hour ^[1]which is 11 AM to 1 PM., the teacher left.

The hungry students jumped up and shouted, “Time to eat!”

“Today my mother brought me four-joy meatballs and mushroom soup. They were delicious!”

They left the classroom chatting, and the palace servants greeted them with food boxes. In the dining hall, Dongdong met the emperor’s grandson Zhou Zhaoqin.

The door was wide enough for two people to pass through.

When Zhou Zhaoqin saw him, he said loudly, “The chef my mother hired made a lot of delicious food. I’ll share it with you later!”

The other children praised him, saying, “Thank you, Your Highness!”

“Your Highness’s mother really loves you. Mine doesn’t,” another child said.

“It must be delicious! I heard the chef in His Highness’s house is amazing!”

Zhou Zhaoqin was young, having only been in enlightenment for two years. He had learned some flattering words. He didn’t have high expectations and was happy with their praise. After sitting down, he waved his hand for the palace servants to open the food box.

The box was big. When opened, it revealed a bowl of food. The strong smell of sauce filled the air. Chicken legs in brown sauce were arranged with colorful carrots and vegetables next to white rice, making it look appetizing.

“Wow! It smells so good!”

“It’s much better than last time!”

“Your Highness, I want to eat!”

The children gathered around, eager to try it.

Zhou Zhaoqin proudly said, “We have enough. My mother asked the cook to make plenty. Lai Fu, share some with them.”

The palace maid quickly distributed teriyaki chicken legs to everyone.

It tasted delicious. The children sincerely praised it: “It’s so good!”

“Your Highness, this is definitely better than others! I never ate carrots before!”

Suddenly, a new delicious smell mixed with the aroma of soy sauce caught everyone’s attention.

Zhou Zhaoqin noticed the pleasant fragrance and looked around.

He saw that at a nearby table, the Xiao family member he disliked and the deposed prince’s son he hated were sitting together. They had a large food box with a chicken that looked very appealing.

The chicken had smooth, shiny skin and looked delicious, but it was huge!

Zhou Zhaoqin felt a bit disgusted: “I’ve never seen anyone so rude!”

Dongdong was surprised by the huge chicken. He thought, Is this the surprise Sister Shu mentioned? It smells good, but it’s too big!

Noticing the large amount of food, he called Zhou Zhaoheng to join him.

Ignoring the criticism, he believed Sister Shu’s food would be better, so he tore into the chicken leg eagerly.

A soft tearing sound echoed as the roasted chicken skin was pulled apart, revealing the tender, juicy meat inside. The chicken leg meat detached easily from the bones, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.

Several children who were eating thought: “It smells so good!” 

The aroma wasn’t strong like teriyaki sauce; it was sweet and just right, making it tempting. 

Suddenly, the meat in their mouths didn’t seem as tasty anymore! 

Zhou Zhaoqin felt his expression change. He was drawn in by the smell and stared at the chicken leg, which looked tender and juicy.

But he pursed his lips and clenched his teeth, thinking, “It must not taste good! How could the Xiao family’s chicken be better than my royal chef’s?”

He reminded himself of this, but then he saw Dongdong tear off a chicken leg. Instead of eating it himself, he handed it to the boy sitting across from him. Then, Dongdong tore off a second chicken leg, some burnt skin still hanging on it.

Dongdong took a big bite, and the flavor filled his mouth with salty and sweet tastes. He enjoyed it so much that he didn’t notice Zhou Zhaoqin at all.

Zhou Zhaoheng, sitting across, was eating even more eagerly. He seemed to find it incredibly delicious and swallowed the meat without choking.

At that moment, Dongdong opened a food box and took out a kettle. A sweet and sour smell filled the air. He poured two cups and handed one to the boy: “This helps balance the grease. Sister Shu said it will make you eat more and grow strong!”

“Thank you!” the boy, who was eating fast, gratefully took a big sip. The sweet and sour taste cleared the meat flavor from his mouth. He nodded, saying, “It’s good! Sour and sweet!”

“Exactly!” Dongdong said happily, sipping his drink. He didn’t drink as eagerly as Zhou Zhaoheng, seeming used to these tasty treats.

Zhou Zhaoqin could no longer hold back and cried loudly, “Wow!”

Children’s arguments are simple: my things are better than yours, especially with those they dislike. 

Who would have thought that after all his effort, he found someone else’s food even better!

Zhou Zhaoqin had never been so upset before that he cried!

His crying startled the other two kids. They quickly looked at each other and ran away, one with the plate and the other with the kettle of sour plum soup.

Once they left, Zhou Zhaoqin cried even louder. “That’s too much! They took all the food!”