As soon as she woke up, she asked the kitchen to send chicken breasts. She sprinkled seasonings and marinated them.

Aunt Xu quickly lit the fire, Shui Yu helped to apply oil, and Yan Qiushu coated the dough with egg and flour. Without breadcrumbs, she needed to do this two or three times to ensure the coating was thick enough but not too thick.

When the oil was 50% hot, she quickly added the prepared chicken breast.

The oil pan made a sizzling sound as the chicken began to fry.

It only took three to five minutes to fry the chicken fillet. The oil temperature shouldn’t be too high; otherwise, it would burn easily. Frying it slowly over low heat for a few extra minutes was better.

Just then, Dongdong’s excited voice came from the gate: “Hurry up! I can smell the food!”

“Slow down! I can’t keep up!” Wan’er reminded him softly, trying hard to lift her little skirt to keep up with her fast-running brother. Her little face was flushed.

Dongdong sighed and waited for her.

When she caught up, he took Wan’er’s hand and ran toward the delicious smell.

“Sister Ah Shu! I brought Sister Wan’er!” Dongdong called out.

Yan Qiushu smiled and turned around with a plate in her hand, saying cheerfully, “Perfect timing! The chicken steak is ready. Do you want to taste it to see if it’s good?”

Dongdong’s eyes widened at the food on the plate.

A delicious aroma filled the air. The food looked orange-yellow, cut into strips, and sprinkled with a special blue-gray powder.

This strange fragrance seemed to come from the powder.

Just looking at it made Dongdong want to eat. When Yan Qiushu asked, he was almost drooling: “Yes, yes!”

Wan’er, who was slower, smiled and greeted Yan Qiushu, then blinked her big eyes and nodded, “Okay.”

Yan Qiushu took the two children to the dining room.

Dongdong was lively, while Wan’er was calm. They were quite different, but Dongdong took care of Wan’er, making sure to match her walking speed.

The three of them—one adult and two children—sat down together.

Yan Qiushu placed the plates in front of them and gave each a pair of chopsticks.

The two children began eating.

Dongdong eagerly grabbed a piece of chicken with his little chopsticks.

Yan Qiushu was shocked: “Slow down! It’s hot!!!”

But Dongdong didn’t care!

He bit into the chicken, and it made a crisp crunch sound as the skin broke, revealing the hot meat inside. He hissed from the heat.

Yan Qiushu quickly said, “Spit it out, it’s too hot!”

“Huff, huff…” Dongdong shook his head and continued eating carefully. His cheeks puffed out as he blew on the food to cool it. When it was cool enough, he finished it quickly.

The crispy shell breaks open, revealing tender meat inside. The meat, soaked in salty flavor with a hint of pepper and numbing spice, tastes amazing.

Dongdong was so happy that he shook his head. It was worth it that he endured the heat and didn’t spit it out. After taking a bite, he declared, “It’s delicious! It’s delicious!!!”

Wan’er was more delicate. She blew on it for a long time with her lips pouted before carefully taking a bite. She was very satisfied and said, “It’s delicious!”

Both children remembered that Yan Qiushu asked them to taste it, so they had to decide after tasting.

Yan Qiushu felt relieved and ate a piece. The chicken steak was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Although there were no chili peppers and fewer breadcrumbs, she added a little Sichuan peppercorns, giving it a spicy taste. Combined with the salty and fragrant meat, it was still extremely delicious.

Just as she praised herself for her excellent performance, a strange nanny approached the entrance of the courtyard with a smile. Her eyes were only on the little boy who was eating happily: “Young Master.”

Dongdong heard the voice and grinned, “Madam Ji, here are some chicken steaks for you to eat~”

He held a piece of chicken steak in his chubby little hand and pushed it forward.

Nanny Ji ignored her completely and just smiled, saying, “Young Master, we should go back. The master and his wife are waiting for you to come back for lunch.”

Yan Qiushu was puzzled, wondering who the master and madam were.

Dongdong’s face fell, and he shook his head, “I don’t want to! I won’t go! I haven’t finished the chicken chop yet!”

The smile on Nanny Ji’s face paused, and her expression darkened. She glanced at Yan Qiushu as if to complain but tried to be patient. “It’s just a little food. The chef in our house can do better.”

As she spoke, she looked at Yan Qiushu and commanded, “Miss Yan, please tell me the recipe for this chicken chop later, so Young Master Dongdong won’t be unhappy.”

Yan Qiushu, watching silently, thought: Good job! This is the first time I’ve seen someone ask for a recipe so rudely!

Just like the original Yan family in Yan Qiushu’s memory, they claimed to be aristocrats, different from ordinary people. When they enjoyed something delicious, they would ask for the recipe, but even the servants were not so arrogant.

Her expression changed as well. Her innocent-looking face became indifferent. She replied sarcastically, “Madam, didn’t you say the chef in your house could do better? How come he can’t even make chicken steak? You should figure it out yourself!”

Nanny Ji’s face darkened. She thought the girl was too ignorant and said unhappily, “Miss Yan, this is not a big deal. Are you worried my Jiang family will compete with you for some interests? Don’t worry. We won’t seek profit from this. Besides, if the young master is happy, the master and his wife will send him a reward.”

“Shui Yu, show the guest out!” Yan Qiushu said directly.

Nanny Ji looked furious. She glared at Yan Qiushu hatefully, sneered, and turned to Dongdong with a stronger tone: “Young Master, let’s go back. The master and his wife miss you very much!”

“I’ve only been back for two days!” Dongdong pouted, feeling a little aggrieved. He didn’t understand what Yan Qiushu and Madam Ji were talking about. Still eating his chicken chop, he said reluctantly, “But there are other things to eat. I won’t be able to eat them if I leave, and I don’t want to go back…”

His voice got softer as Nanny Ji’s expression grew more serious. When he finished speaking, she said in a deep voice, “You can’t be ignorant. The master and mistress will be disappointed!”

After saying this, she moved forward to take Dongdong away.

Dongdong’s eyes turned red. He glared at her, pushed her away, grabbed a handful of chicken fillets, jumped past the nanny, and ran away quickly!

“Hey?! Young Master!” Nanny Ji was dumbfounded. She never expected Dongdong to run away, so she hurriedly chased after him.