Chapter 15 (Red Bean Double Skin Milk (Part 1)…)

That day, when Dongdong came home from school, Yan Qiushu heard him proudly say he made Zhou Zhaoqin cry because of the roasted chicken.

The little boy raised his chubby face high, feeling a mix of pride and unease: “Did I go too far?”

Yan Qiushu was eating a chicken drumstick and felt uneasy. If it were modern times, she would let the kids solve their problems. But in ancient times, royal children were more precious because they held power. Would they cause trouble for the Xiao family because of her?

In response to Dongdong, she pinched his chubby face and said, “It’s okay. You didn’t do anything.” 

Wasn’t it just enjoying something delicious in front of him?

Even so, Yan Qiushu felt a bit uneasy. The old emperor was not a good person. Many emperors acted recklessly knowing their end was near, leaving others to clean up their messes. 

Yan Qiushu wondered what kind of trouble she might face. Dongdong sighed, looking reluctant, “Sister Shu, can you ask Aunt Xu to make me some food tomorrow? I want to bring it to them.”

“What happened?” Yan Qiushu asked, surprised.

Dongdong scratched his face, eyes darting away: “They looked so pitiful. None have a sister who can cook like you. I just wanted to make Zhou Zhaoqin mad, but I didn’t expect him to cry like that…”

Usually, he would ignore it, but seeing Zhou Zhaoqin’s red and swollen eyes made him uneasy.

Yan Qiushu smiled and said gently, “Okay, I’ll make some for each child in your class!”

Dongdong was pleasantly surprised: “Really?”

Seeing her nod, he jumped up in joy, hugged her, and kissed her: “Thank you, Sister Shu!”

Yan Qiushu couldn’t help but smile wider. 

Because of Xiao Huaiting, the Xiao family, including Dongdong, treated her as a close guest rather than a servant.

Yan Qiushu felt lucky to have support. While she thought about this, two groups of people arrived. One was Xie Qingyun’s nanny, and the other was from Xiao Huaiting’s side. They both reassured her that the situation at the Imperial Academy was minor, and she didn’t need to worry.

Were they afraid she would feel guilty for feeding Dongdong and causing trouble?

Yan Qiushu was grateful and remembered something important. 

She had been thinking about how to help the Xiao family. Food and supplies cost money. If the imperial court didn’t provide it, how could the Xiao family manage on their own?

The thought lingered in Yan Qiushu’s mind after she took the food out of the oven. 

What kind of store made money in her past life? 

Fast food restaurants and milk tea shops came to mind. 

She believed she wasn’t good at business, but with her skills and the Xiao family’s support, opening fast food restaurants nationwide was possible. 

There were still two years before a significant event, so she couldn’t prepare all the food and supplies now. However, if she delayed it a bit, Xiao Huaiting might have a better chance of survival. 

In the story, Xiao Huaiting was powerful. If everything went well for him, it would be hard to say who would win against the enemy.

She quickly came up with a plan to offer various goods. For instance, roasted chicken was pricey for regular people, but she could sell roasted chicken legs, wings, feet, and even chicken skin and buttocks. 

Every part of the chicken is useful! 

Once the oven was ready, the cooking process would be straightforward, like an assembly line.

That afternoon, Yan Qiushu wrote a proposal and gave it to Xie Qingyun. She stressed that she would only be a technical consultant and wanted to do this mainly to repay the Xiao family for taking her in. 

She delivered the proposal, but there was no response yet. Now, she anxiously waited for an answer, feeling that the Xiao family’s future depended on this. 

After a few nights of insomnia, she struggled to sleep again.

Meanwhile, in Kyoto, someone else was also unable to sleep. 

In a rundown palace that seemed empty for years, special guards worked in shifts to keep the imprisoned occupants from escaping. 

The person inside was the crown prince who had been overthrown five years ago.

Unlike the graceful prince remembered by Kyoto’s officials, he had become shabby after years of confinement, with an unkempt beard and a limp.

The Crown Princess looked worse than a common woman. Her patched clothes and rough hands contrasted with the beauty she once had, only a wooden hairpin held her hair.

As usual, palace staff brought simple food—steamed buns and vegetables meant for ordinary servants. 

If they wanted something richer, they either had to pay or rely on kind people to sneak food in, which rarely happened due to strict security.

On a rainy night, the family entered their makeshift temple home early. 

Despite leaks in the hall, their sleeping area was dry.

The Crown Princess urged, “Ah Heng, go to bed early.” 

The obedient boy seemed to remember something and rushed to get a small wrapped item from his schoolbag. He shyly said, “Mom and Dad, my friend gave me this. It’s delicious! You should try it.” 

The Crown Princess was surprised. In the dim light, she recognized it as a chicken wing. 

It smelled nice but was cold. 

Confirming it, her eyes watered, and she struggled to breathe, feeling pain in her chest. 

Her son had been sent to the cold palace when he was under two years old, and now at seven, he treasured a simple chicken wing.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to hide her feelings, saying, “Mom doesn’t want it; you eat it.” 

Zhou Zhaoheng blinked, confused, but handed it to his father.