Dongdong grinned, “What did you give Brother Pingyu to eat just now? Can I have some, too?”

Yan Qiushu couldn’t help but laugh and pinch his chubby face. How happy and carefree he was!

“Of course, since our Dongdong wants some too,” she replied.

Dongdong gleefully placed his round face into her hands, “Sister Shu, you’re so good to me, pinch me more…”

“What’s going on?” Yan Qiushu asked with a playful slap on his face, seeing through his intentions.

Over the past few months, she had come to understand this child well. Sure enough, Dongdong shyly confessed, “Brother Pingsong just came back and hasn’t tried Sister Shu’s cooking. Can you send him some?”

Yan Qiushu chuckled, “I saw you didn’t dare to approach earlier, so I thought you didn’t like your Second Aunt and Brother Pingsong.”

Dongdong twiddled his fingers and mumbled, “Second Aunt is so strict and scary, but Brother Pingsong is really nice. He used to take me out to play, but since I started school, he hasn’t had time.”

Yan Qiushu smiled knowingly. Children are often a reflection of their parents. The Third Prince isn’t very likable, and Zhou Zhaoqin, his son, has picked up his domineering ways. If he were older, he’d likely be disliked too.

Xiao Pingsong, on the other hand, seemed gentle, and even Dongdong thought he was nice. So, Song Mingdai couldn’t be as cold as she seemed. She smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll make lunch and deliver it to them.”

“Yay! Sister Shu, you’re the best!” Dongdong cheered with excitement.

Yan Qiushu turned and said, “Let’s check the main kitchen for some fresh ingredients.”

“Coming!” Dongdong hurried to follow.

The head chef, accustomed to their visits, led them to the area with fresh supplies. “Miss Yan, these just arrived this morning. Which ones would you like?”

Yan Qiushu scanned the ingredients. She had cooked so many dishes that methods popped into her head instantly. It was just a matter of which dish appealed to her the most at that moment.

After a quick look, two ideas came to mind. “Dongdong, we’ve had plenty of meat and fish this year. How about going vegetarian?”

Dongdong didn’t mind as long as it was tasty, so he eagerly agreed, “Okay!”

Yan Qiushu picked up some tofu and eggplants and left.

She had decided on two homestyle dishes: minced meat with eggplant and pan-fried tofu. Not overly spicy, but flavorful and distinct from what they had eaten before.

The key to making a delicious minced meat and eggplant stew is frying the eggplant properly.

First, slice the eggplant into appropriate strips and fry them in a pan until both sides are golden brown. While the eggplant is cooking, prepare a common sauce using vinegar, soy sauce, salt, sugar, starch, and water.

Once the eggplant is done, remove it from the pan. In the remaining oil, sauté minced garlic until fragrant, then add the minced meat. For the best flavor, use a 3:7 ratio of fatty to lean meat to avoid excess oil. When the minced meat changes color, add the eggplant and sauce, then simmer on medium heat for about half a cup of tea.

Making pan-fried tofu is even simpler.

Take two-thirds of the tofu, cut it into pieces, and lay it flat in a hot, oiled pan. Fry until both sides are golden brown, then remove and place it on a plate. Gently break the center of each tofu piece so that the sauce can better soak into it.

Next, combine white sesame seeds, cornel chili oil, peppercorns, salt, sugar, soy sauce, chopped green onions, and a little water in a pot. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then add a bit of water starch until thickened. Finally, pour this delicious sauce over the prepared tofu.

As the thick, brown sauce cascades over the tofu, it seeps into the breaks, coating each piece in rich, spicy flavor.

After preparing these dishes, there was still some tofu left, so I made crucian carp and tofu soup.

There’s nothing more comforting than sipping hot soup in winter.

Once the two dishes and soup were ready, the maids were called to deliver them to the other courtyards, as usual. Madam Xiao’s health had been improving, and her appetite was growing. She particularly loved spicy strips. Thankfully, Nanny Huang had spicy strips on hand to please her; otherwise, Yan Qiushu feared she would become upset.

Xiao Huaiqi and Xie Qingyun also praised the dishes cooked by Yan Qiushu.

The third young lady of the Xiao family didn’t eat much spicy food, so Yan Qiushu always sent her the smallest portion. The fourth young ladies, Xiao Huaiwu and Xiao Huaiting, were often not home during the day, which made it tricky. As for the second wife, Yan Qiushu wasn’t sure of her tastes, so she sent two portions.

She hoped they would enjoy the food.

Thinking it over, Yan Qiushu sat down in the dining area with Dongdong. She sampled the eggplant first. The long strips of fried eggplant were soft but not mushy, easily folding in half. The thick sauce dripped over them, accompanied by bits of minced garlic and meat.

With one bite, the eggplant burst with flavor—salty, fragrant, tangy, and spicy, with a soft and tender texture.

After just one bite, Yan Qiushu immediately took a big mouthful of rice.

Dongdong next to her also tasted the dish and instinctively reached for the rice. In just two bites, half the rice was gone from his small bowl.

Dongdong’s nanny was surprised and asked, “Did you change the rice today?”

“This goes perfectly with rice,” Yan Qiushu explained with a smile.

Dongdong didn’t dislike food, but he usually favored vegetables. One bowl of rice was usually enough for him, and he always placed it in the center before eating, never starting with the rice.

Even now, he was still eating—one bite of vegetables followed by two bites of rice!

He had never behaved this way with other spicy dishes before.

The nanny was worried and asked, “Miss Yan, is this dish too salty?”

Yan Qiushu quickly replied, “No, madam! Would you like to try it?”

Seeing that she didn’t immediately object, she asked Shui Yu to fetch a pair of chopsticks.

The wet nurse didn’t expect Yan Qiushu to genuinely let her try it. She felt torn because Dongdong had never eaten such strong flavors apart from spicy strips. The spiciness of those strips was controlled, as she worried about him consuming something too intense.

These days, all doctors practiced traditional Chinese medicine, which emphasizes a light diet. Occasional spicy food can warm the body in winter, but too much salt, especially with rice, is not healthy. Naturally, she had her concerns.

When the chopsticks were offered to her, the nanny felt hesitant but decided to take them and carefully picked up a piece of eggplant.

It was salty when she tasted it but not overly so—just the right amount. Along with the saltiness came other flavors: a hint of sourness, a touch of sweetness, and a slight spiciness. The eggplant’s soft texture made it delightful and truly appetizing, perfectly complementing the rice!

The nanny shyly admitted, “I misjudged. I hope Miss Yan won’t take offense.”

“No, not at all,” Yan Qiushu smiled and shook her head. She understood how parents cared for their children and appreciated their politeness.

The embarrassment faded from the nanny’s face as she returned to her place behind Dongdong, continuing to watch over him as he ate.

However, this time, she was less composed.

As noted earlier, the eggplant was quite tempting. Now she couldn’t help but drool, swallowing her saliva as the aroma of the minced meat and eggplant wafted through the air.

In the quiet restaurant, the other maids were focused on their tasks, making the sound of her gulp a bit more noticeable.

Dongdong, who was thoroughly enjoying his meal, perked up his ears and looked over with sparkling eyes, as if discovering a new truth, and said loudly: “Mammy, do you want to eat until you drool?”

Nanny: “…”

Yan Qiushu covered her face in embarrassment.

That poor child!