“Okay,” Yan Qiushu said, amused and no longer feeling sad.

Dongdong, feeling content, left with a beef-flavored pie in one hand and a sweet, milky tea in the other.

As he walked, he sipped his milk tea.

It was sweet and flavorful, delicious!

He had heard it was refreshing.

It was worth coming so early to act like a spoiled child!

However, when he reached the outer courtyard, he spotted a tall, thin boy approaching him. Their eyes met, the other boy’s brows furrowed while Dongdong’s face fell, prompting him to run away.

Shen Pingyu looked grim as he questioned the housekeeper beside him. “Are all the people in Pingzhou this lazy?”

He had asked this boy to return, have breakfast, and go to Imperial College half an hour ago, yet here he was, walking outside, eating on the go!

The butler, sweating, hesitated to respond. “This… well…”

Shen Pingyu sighed. “Never mind; you don’t have to tell me. I understand.” His expression hardened. “In that case, I’ll teach him a lesson.”

The butler remained silent, watching the young master dash away, his eyes filled with sympathy.

Just then, a maid he didn’t recognize walked by, carrying a food box. Upon seeing him, her eyes brightened as she approached. “Young Master Pingyu.”

“Yes? What is it?” Shen Pingyu asked.

Shui Yu smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Miss Yan made some milk tea, and I was just about to deliver it to your courtyard.”

Shen Pingyu raised an eyebrow. When he left Pingzhou, he had seen her holding a large cup. Curious, he leaned in to see.

Thinking he wanted it right away, Shui Yu opened the lunch box, took out the cup, and handed it to him. “There’s a straw; just drink it directly. It’s delicious and has tea leaves in it, making it refreshing.”

Shen Pingyu was caught off guard, his hands suddenly full of milk. The cup was large, forcing him to grip it with both hands; it felt warm but not too hot. The milk flavor was strong, though the liquid had a light gray-green hue. As he held it, the surface rippled, and the aroma of the milk tea wafted up to him, sweet and inviting.

He instinctively lowered his head and took a breath.

The hot liquid flowed in, and as the tip of his tongue met the rich milk flavor, a hint of bitterness followed, quickly softened by sweetness, finally revealing the distinct fragrance of tea.

After a sip, Shen Pingyu felt the warm liquid glide down his throat into his stomach. In the slightly chilly air, it warmed him from his core to his limbs.

Especially the sweetness made him feel less disappointed with Pingzhou, sparking a sense of happiness. He took another sip and noticed Shui Yu watching him with anticipation. He smiled and said, “This is delicious. Thank you for your trouble. I plan to visit Aunt Yan; why don’t we go together?”

“Yes!” Shui Yu sighed in relief, straightening up with a touch of pride.

The girl is amazing! Even Young Master Pingyu, who usually cares least about food, praised the meal!

But if they’re going to visit, they need to bring gifts.

So Shen Pingyu returned to his yard to fetch something.

After grabbing a gift, he headed straight to Yan Qiushu’s yard. However, as he got closer, he gradually slowed his pace, his expression becoming a bit odd.

Shui Yu, who had been two steps behind, noticed Shen Pingyu slowing down and inadvertently moved ahead. She paused and asked, “Young Master Pingyu, what’s wrong?”

Taking a deep breath, Shen Pingyu forced a smile and replied, “Nothing.”

He then walked ahead, this time much faster.

Shui Yu quickly jogged a few steps to keep up.

Thus, they arrived at the yard.

At this moment, Yan Qiushu, who usually cooked leisurely, wasn’t sipping tea or enjoying snacks as the two expected. Instead, she was pinching her nose while instructing two middle-aged men to wash something with clean water.

As Shui Yu approached, she caught a whiff of something and exclaimed, “Girl, what are you doing?”

Yan Qiushu straightened up, noticed them, and hurriedly said, “Oh, I’m preparing something to eat. Why is Pingyu here?”

Shen Pingyu tried to mask his distaste, his face serious. “Aunt Yan, I returned in a hurry yesterday and was rude. I brought a gift today to make up for it. I hope you won’t be upset with me.”

He presented a wooden box with polite hands.

Yan Qiushu couldn’t help but chuckle: “Why do you have to give me gifts when you call me aunt? It’s a bit embarrassing.”

Shen Pingyu replied earnestly, “Grandma has been struggling with her appetite and health. Thanks to Aunt Yan’s sour plum soup, she’s been able to eat better. As her descendant, I should express my gratitude…”

He seemed about to launch into a lengthy speech.

Some rumors she heard from Dongdong made Yan Qiushu’s heart skip, and she quickly accepted the gift. Fortunately, even though she had been busy, her hands were clean. After taking it, she added, “It smells a bit bad here, Pingyu, I won’t serve you now. I’ll ask Shui Yu to bring you something delicious later tonight.”

Shen Pingyu looked at her, wanting to say something but hesitating. After a few moments, he tactfully suggested, “If you’re facing any difficulties, just tell Pingyu. Although I’m not skilled, I can help with urgent needs.”

“No, the Xiao family treats me very well, and I don’t lack for money,” Yan Qiushu replied with a smile.

Shen Pingyu sighed, “Then why…” He glanced meaningfully at the items being washed in the well nearby. “The smell is quite strong.”

He had a sensitive nose and could handle pleasant scents, but he couldn’t tolerate this strange odor. As he walked closer, the smell intensified, and he realized the source was right here.

Yan Qiushu coughed lightly, feeling embarrassed about his misunderstanding. She explained gently, “Actually, this can be quite delicious, but it needs special cleaning and cooking methods. You’ll understand when I serve it to you tonight.”

“Thank you, Aunt Yan, for your kindness, but Pingyu doesn’t like rich foods.” Shen Pingyu couldn’t convince her, but seeing her insist on feeding him made him uneasy, and his expression shifted slightly as he quickly stopped her.

After speaking, he didn’t linger any longer, bowing and departing swiftly.

Shui Yu chuckled but rubbed her nose, still getting used to the situation. She asked, “Girl, is this really how you prepare the delicious dish you mentioned?”

Yan Qiushu shrugged: “Really? You still doubt me?”

“I believe it!” Shui Yu nodded eagerly, her smile a mix of enthusiasm and guilt.

She hadn’t expected the dish to smell so “strong”!

A few days ago, she heard Yan Qiushu talking about making braised dishes with pig offal. After several days of not doing much, aside from buying some items from the pharmacy and reading various medical books, she thought Yan Qiushu had forgotten about it.

But here she was, still waiting on it.

Yan Qiushu felt helpless, as the Xiao family held a high status, and most of the servants were family-born children who had never dealt with pig offal. When she requested it, they tried their best to clean it, but the smell lingered.

As they got closer, the odor became hard to bear, prompting Yan Qiushu to cover her nose while giving instructions.

She had asked someone to help and even promised to pay, just like whisking egg whites.

After some time, the cleaning finally met Yan Qiushu’s standards, and the two servants left.

Yan Qiushu took the now-clean ingredients into the kitchen.

Since she had instructed ahead of time, Aunt Xu had already boiled water. Yan Qiushu added bay leaves, green onions, ginger, and a bit of rice wine. When the water reached a boil, she placed the pig offal in the basket into it.

This step aimed to remove the fishy odor, but it wasn’t easy. Once white foam appeared in the water, she would take it out and rinse it again. Only when she was certain it was clean could she complete the first step.

Worried the pig offal’s smell might affect the cooking later, Yan Qiushu cooked it on the stove. A large iron pot sat above the stove. After cleaning the pig offal, she discarded the blanching water, refilled the pot, and boiled it again.

During this time, it seemed the spice bags had been prepared long ago, containing a total of eighteen spices like star anise, cinnamon, bay leaf, nutmeg, and others. This was considered a low-end version compared to ancient times. However, with her special skills, she believed she could make it slightly comparable to dozens of modern spices.

Yan Qiushu confidently estimated this and proceeded to add soy sauce and other ingredients directly into the pot.

Shui Yu had been listening as Yan Qiushu explained how to make braised pig offal taste delicious. She had thought the process was quite complicated, but it turned out to be as simple as throwing everything into the pot.

Still a bit skeptical, Shui Yu watched as Yan Qiushu assured her, saying, “That’s all there is to it!”

After adding the right amount of salt, Yan Qiushu covered the pot. “Alright, just let it cook slowly. Check on it from time to time and add a little water to prevent it from drying out.”

Aunt Xu nodded quickly, then asked cautiously, “Is it enough to just monitor the fire?”

“That’s enough!” Yan Qiushu replied, wiping her hands. “Eat lightly at noon today, so you can enjoy more at dinner!”

Shui Yu nodded, glancing back at the pot. Did the girl really enjoy this?

She vaguely remembered that the girl preferred cleanliness, but this concern faded during the lunch break.

Yan Qiushu maintained a very regular life.

Whenever she needed to handle things herself—be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner—she wouldn’t do everything on her own. After teaching Aunt Xu many cooking techniques, she realized many dishes were similar and only needed brief explanations, with her doing the final step directly.

This way, aside from meals, she had a lot of free time for rest or reading.

Every day, after lunch, she would read for a while before taking a nap.

Today was no different.

With the master resting, Shui Yu and the others could also take a break. Yan Qiushu slept in the inner room, while Shui Yu rested in the compartment meant for the maids to keep watch at night. Although Yan Qiushu didn’t need it, she offered Shui Yu a better place to sleep than where the maids typically rested.

She fell asleep early, but Shui Yu, being a maid, had to tidy up first, which delayed her by a quarter of an hour.

During that time, Yan Qiushu had drifted into sleep, while Shui Yu was just beginning to feel drowsy. As she closed her eyes and started to doze off, a delightful fragrance suddenly wafted through the air.

It was a light yet powerful aroma.

It was difficult to describe—like a mix of many things, producing just the right amount of meaty scent.

But soon, the fragrance grew stronger and more intense.

It was so strong that, even though Shui Yu’s eyes were heavy with sleep, she couldn’t fall asleep. The enticing aroma made her mind unusually alert, and she subconsciously wondered where it was coming from.

After what felt like an eternity, Shui Yu finally fell asleep. Yet in her dreams, the fragrance dominated, filling her thoughts with all kinds of delicious foods she had recently tasted. However, she couldn’t eat any of them, leaving her feeling unsatisfied and frustrated.

When she woke up, staring at the beams above her, she suddenly realized it was just a dream. The lingering fragrance, however, was undeniably real.

Looking outside, Shui Yu estimated the time. She had only slept briefly, and there were no noticeable changes in the sky. Unable to sleep anymore, she quietly got up, opened the door, and was met with a wave of strong fragrance!

Outside, other maids and Nanny Xu were gathered at the kitchen door, all fixated on the source of the smell.

In addition to them, maids from other courtyards, likely drawn by the scent, were peering in from the courtyard gate. It was quite a lively scene.

Although their yard often had many visitors, it was rare for everyone to gather like this without leaving!

Shui Yu walked over, bewildered, and asked, “Madam Xu, what’s going on?”

Aunt Xu, wiping away what could have been drool, pointed at the bubbling pot and exclaimed with admiration, “Look, the stew that the young lady is making is getting more and more fragrant! I can’t sit still! They all came because of the smell. It was quite stinky before, but now you can’t smell it at all!”

Shui Yu: “???” 

How could pig offal smell this good?!

She swallowed hard, unable to believe it, but had to admit that even she couldn’t sleep due to her hunger. After all, she had enjoyed so many delicious meals with Yan Qiushu lately!

As they chatted, those nearby listened intently. When they didn’t get the answers they wanted, they asked, “Shui Yu, what is that girl making? It smells so good!”

“Yes, Madam is so greedy she asked me to find out what it is.” 

“The eldest young master and young mistress feel the same! They were resting but can’t anymore!” 

One maid whispered, “Young Master Pingyu is so greedy that he’s drooling and can’t focus on his reading. Miss Three urged me to come ask about it!”

Shui Yu’s expression stiffened. She thought about whether they would actually eat what she would offer them.

Especially Master Pingyu…