Chapter 27 (Egg Roll – Part 2)

The next day at 3:30 p.m.

The winter sun felt warm at noon. Yan Qiushu lay lazily, not wanting to work anymore after a busy morning, and asked Aunt Xu to help with lunch.

At the same time, in the Imperial Academy, students in the classroom were nodding off to the teacher’s gentle tone.

Until the bell rang.

All the children suddenly sat up straight, their big black eyes fixed on the teacher, quietly wishing for school to end soon!

Only the Master and Zhou Zhaoqin looked at them blankly.

The Master laughed: “What’s going on?”

A little kid replied eagerly: “Pingzhou will bring us tasty food.”

Zhou Zhaoqin, who had no idea about this, looked dejected. He glanced at the little boy two seats away and pouted.

Upon hearing this, the teacher looked over. Remembering the double-skin milk and snacks sent by the Xiao family for the teachers, he raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Pingzhou, do you have some for the teachers?”

Dongdong quickly stood up: “Master, of course there is!”

After saying this, he pursed his lips uncertainly.

He had just told Sister Ah Shu that he wanted to share some with his classmates and hadn’t specified anything else. He wasn’t sure how much Sister Ah Shu would send this time. If it wasn’t enough, he would have to give up his own share.

Ouch! Just thinking about it hurt.

His chubby face reflected his thoughts, showing his lively expression. The teacher chuckled and said, “Alright, school’s over. You all can have a break.”

“Farewell, Master!” The children’s cheerful voices echoed throughout the classroom. They quickly cheered and dashed to the cafeteria.

For the first time, Zhou Zhaoqin was a step behind, walking just ahead of and just behind Dongdong. As he passed by, he turned to look at Dongdong, bit his finger, and wanted to say something, but his ears turned red with embarrassment, so he finally left in a huff.

Dongdong stood behind, puzzled.

But then he set it down and eagerly walked toward the cafeteria, feeling excited and proud.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, the children cheered even louder. In addition to the lunch boxes brought by their palace servants, Dongdong’s servant was also carrying a large food box!

It was a super big food box, surely filled with delicious treats!

But instead of opening it and distributing the food right away, the servant handed it to Dongdong: “The servant who delivered it said that Master Xiao should treat his classmates. This is packaged separately.”

As he spoke, the lid opened, revealing packages wrapped in oil paper bags.

The children formed a tight circle, their hands clasped together, with their wrists tied with red ropes. Although the smell was hidden from those far away, those close by could catch a whiff.

The scent was milky and sweet, enticing many children to inhale deeply, wanting more.

These children, being descendants of high-ranking officials, had experienced many fine things. Despite their excitement, they remained calm and collected. However, Dongdong felt uncertain.

Should he really deliver it himself?

He pouted, appearing somewhat reluctant and shy. In his eagerness to stand up, he hit his head on the bench with a bang.

He picked up two bags and approached a classmate, saying, “This is yours.”

The child closest to him, practically drooling at the sweet aroma, took the food with both hands and cheerfully exclaimed, “Thank you, Pingzhou!”

Pingzhou was taken aback, his face turning red with gratitude. Flustered, he quickly composed himself and replied sternly, “You’re welcome.”

Then he moved on to the next classmate.

With one child setting the example, the others quickly followed suit, all thanking him earnestly as they received their food.

At that moment, the first child who received the food wasted no time in ignoring the lunch sent by his family. He untied the red rope and revealed what was inside.

As he unfolded the light brown oil paper, tender yellow custard rolls dotted with black sesame seeds appeared. Each roll was cylindrical, and the moment it was opened, a rush of enticing aroma filled the air.

“It smells so good…” the child exclaimed, taking a small bite of the egg roll.

The roll, crispier than he expected, shattered easily between his lips and teeth. Though some crumbs fell off, the taste was sweet and milky, with an incredible crispness and a lingering warmth…

He turned to his companion with sparkling eyes, saying, “This is delicious!”

His friend devoured the roll even faster, “crunch, crunch, crunch,” like a little hamster, finishing the whole thing in no time. He exclaimed happily, “Mm! So delicious! So sweet…”

As the egg rolls were enjoyed one after another, the entire cafeteria seemed to be enveloped in sweetness. Zhou Zhaoqin, who had not received his yet, secretly swallowed his saliva. He chewed on his usual lunch, which suddenly felt tasteless, kicking his legs under the table in frustration.

His relationship with Xiao Pingzhou was strained, so he had no intention of asking for food!

But…

Zhou Zhaoqin glanced at him with regret, realizing that his previous offense might have cost him the chance to enjoy these treats. He noticed Dongdong was almost at him, delivering food to classmates behind him.

At that moment, his little follower whispered, “Your Highness, will he give it to us?”

“I don’t—” Zhou Zhaoqin huffed, about to say he didn’t want it. Suddenly, a figure approached him. He swallowed his words and turned to the side in confusion.

He saw Xiao Pingzhou standing beside him, holding two oil paper bags: “Here you go.”

One for each person.

There was no favoritism; he simply handed it over.

The surprise lasted only a moment as Zhou Zhaoqin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

After a few breaths, he realized the person in front of him had not left.

Zhou Zhaoqin hesitated, subconsciously cradling the oil paper bag in his arms. Was Xiao Pingzhou about to walk away again?

At that moment, his attendant nudged him, saying, “Your Highness, you need to thank him.”

Zhou Zhaoqin:? 

He looked around and noticed his classmates watching curiously, with Xiao Pingzhou also looking at him. His face flushed. He felt so nervous that he forgot his manners and hurriedly said, “Thank you, thank you!”

His words came out quickly, and he stuttered a little.

Still, Dongdong felt satisfied. He smiled and said, “You’re welcome.”

Then he dashed back to his seat, asking the palace servants to take the remaining egg rolls to where the master was resting. He couldn’t wait to share his joy with Zhou Zhaoheng: “Ah Heng, they all thanked me just now~”

He spoke softly, but the joy in his voice was evident.

In the past, no one dared to bully him, but no one ever approached him either. He often felt isolated from the group. However, things began to change with the double skin milk sent by Sister Shu. Now, he could clearly sense the shift in their attitudes.

Seeing his joy, Zhou Zhaoheng’s eyes twinkled, and he smiled: “Yes, I heard it; Dongdong is very popular.”

Dongdong laughed and replied, “No, it’s Sister Shu who is popular!”

Yet, with Sister Shu unable to come to school, everyone’s attitude towards him shifted.

Dongdong covered his mouth and smiled before starting to eat.

Sister Ah Shu said that if you want to enjoy snacks, you must finish the staple food first. So, he had to eat his meal before diving into the egg rolls. Zhou Zhaoheng followed suit. Recently, Sister Ah Shu had sent many meals, and if they didn’t eat them, Dongdong would end up with a stomachache.

Well, that’s what Sister Shu said.

As Zhou Zhaoheng ate the slices of meat, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was made especially for him by Sister Shu!

Everyone enjoyed the delicious food in silence. Some munched on egg rolls, while others saved them to share with their families at home.

I had my lunch in this fragrant space filled with the scent of milk.

Lunch lasted half an hour.

Usually, it could be finished in about fifteen minutes. Palace servants served on the side, and afterward, everyone could take a moment to rest.

But before Dongdong could relax, children approached him one after another: “Pingzhou, these are the cakes I brought!”

“Pingzhou, this is for you. I love this fried dough twist; my chef makes the best!”

Zhou Zhaoqin hesitated but eventually pulled out a piece of dessert and shyly offered it, saying, “This is for you…”

He braced himself for a strange look from Xiao Pingzhou.

Unexpectedly, a little boy with a box of treasures captured everyone’s attention, leaving Zhou Zhaoqin unnoticed: “Xiao Pingzhou, this is my favorite snack. My mother usually doesn’t let me eat it, but I begged her for a long time before she let me bring it. Now I’m giving it to you.”

The little boy looked pained but opened his box to reveal a collection of fried cicada pupae.

Dongdong, who received this surprise gift, thought, “???” 

If I take this back, will Sister Shu be scared and cry? I heard girls are very afraid of insects!

That afternoon, Yan Qiushu received the surprise gift Dongdong brought back.

Fortunately, the fried cicada pupae didn’t appear in front of her, so she remained unaware of it.

In the following days, the palace was quiet.

There was little to do except that Yan Qiushu earned some tuition fees from selling egg rolls, contributing to her farm purchase.

On the third day, Dongdong returned with news: Zhou Zhaoqin, the second prince’s grandson, told him that his father was ready to speak to the emperor, and only the emperor could issue an edict for him to become the second prince’s grandson’s study partner.

Yan Qiushu was taken aback: “He told you?”

Didn’t they almost fight last time?

Dongdong was also surprised. Was this really the time to discuss this?!

Yet, he pouted and whispered, “Well, the second grandson… isn’t so annoying anymore. He even said if I’m not happy, he won’t let me be his companion, but his father disagrees.”

Yan Qiushu blinked, looking at the anxious little boy in front of her, and smiled softly while rubbing his head.

She realized she shouldn’t judge children like adults. When she was young, she might argue with a child one day and play with them the next.

With tears in his eyes, Dongdong complained, “Sister Shu! Why are you laughing?”

Yan Qiushu hugged him and reassured, “Don’t worry; it won’t happen.”

Even though this was an adult issue where children couldn’t request a pause, the Xiao family was not to be underestimated. Xiao Huaiting had been away for so long that matters on their end would likely be resolved soon.

A few days later, startling news swept through Kyoto: the Qiao family, who held power as the governors of Jinzhou, was exposed for lending money at extremely high interest rates!