Chang Yuncheng declined Mr. Xie's invitation to stay for dinner.
"I'm going to see my father." He said, looking slightly uncomfortable, "Father still lives in the study?"
Mr. Xie nodded.
"Don't worry, he will be fine in a few days," she said calmly.
Chang Yuncheng retreated.
Because something happened to Aunt Zhou at home, Mrs. Xie excused herself from being upset and asked her aunt and children not to greet her. Ding Xihou stayed in the study all day long, claiming that he was fasting to forgive sins, so in the huge dining room, only Xie
Sitting alone, he looked at the table full of fine wine and delicacies without moving his chopsticks a few times.
"Madam." A woman came in and saluted.
"How is it?" Xie asked with lowered eyelids.
"The prince arrived outside the Marquis's study. When the prince didn't see him, the prince went back." The mother-in-law replied in a low voice.
Ms. Xie didn't say anything. She held the chopsticks in her hand and slowly plucked the roasted fish and tofu in front of her. She pulled out the fish bones one by one.
"He is..." she murmured, "he went back to have dinner with that woman..."
Mother Su quickly waved her hand to let her mother-in-law go down. She took the chopsticks and helped Mrs. Xie pick up the fish meat.
"Madam, it is because of your filial piety that the prince is afraid that if you find out and wait for him, your meal will be delayed," she said with a smile.
Mrs. Xie smiled and did not take the fish from Mother Su. Instead, she brought all the fish on the plate.
"The Marquis has not seen anyone these days, and it's not like he doesn't know..." she said, "He finally lied to me, and it was for that bitch..."
Ms. Xie used her chopsticks to poke the beautifully carved fish into pieces. Only when she picked out the fish bones one after another did she seem to feel relieved.
Chang Yuncheng stepped into the courtyard gate and saw all the girls standing in the courtyard, even Qiuxiang.
Seeing him coming in, everyone hurriedly saluted, and Qiuxiang stepped forward to take his clothes.
Doesn't this stinky little girl who is just a fool to follow the wind only see that woman?
Why didn't you go in to serve?
He couldn't help but glance at the dining room and saw that it was quiet there, not as lively as when the woman was eating.
I guess you have some winks until I come back...
"Put the food on the table," he said.
Qiuxiang responded and spread the word. The yard was busy and not chaotic, and the meals that had been prepared long ago were put on the table one after another.
Chang Yuncheng stepped into the house. Although he walked straight into his bedroom, the corner of his eye had already glanced over there, and he couldn't help but stop walking into the room.
no one?
He looked back and saw it was empty.
In a clean room?
He hesitated for a moment, then walked toward the clean room with louder footsteps, but did not hear the woman's shout.
Chang Yuncheng stopped and looked back, and saw Qiuxiang standing at the door of the bedroom looking at him, without any intention of reminding or discouraging, but...
"Your Majesty, do you want a servant to help you wash up?" She saw Chang Yuncheng looking over and asked hurriedly and respectfully.
Not in the clean room…
Chang Yuncheng hummed with some discomfort.
"Where is the young lady?" he asked seemingly casually.
Qiuxiang has already brought clean home clothes over.
"The young lady has gone to the second lady's place and asked someone to send a message back. The second lady has left some food for her," she replied.
Chang Yuncheng raised his head, took a deep breath, and stepped heavily into the clean room.
When Qiuxiang followed Chang Yuncheng towards the dining room, all the girls received a warning look from her eyes.
The prince is in a bad mood, very bad, so everyone should be careful.
The atmosphere in the entire Pengcheng Academy suddenly became tense.
At this time, Chen's courtyard in Xifu had not been so lively for a long time.
"..Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, what is this?"
Seeing another dish being served, Chen's daughter, who was gathered around the big table, immediately asked, while the young man sitting next to her couldn't wait to stand up and pick up the dishes himself.
"Second brother, mother hasn't eaten yet." Chen's daughter, fifteen-year-old Chang Yinglan, hit the young man's hand with chopsticks.
Qi Yue stood aside watching them and laughing.
"Auntie, you can't eat this." She said, picking up a few pieces and putting them on a small plate, "Auntie, try this and compare it to the crab roe."
Ms. Chen was leaning on a back chair with a thick blanket on her legs. She kept smiling as she watched the people in the room vying to taste the food. When she heard Qi Yue's words, she looked over and extended her hand with a smile.
"Young madam, our madam has been told by the doctor not to eat crabs and shrimps..." Cai Qing, who was standing by, saw that the second madam went to pick her up without any hesitation and said hurriedly.
The second lady took the small plate without stopping.
"I haven't eaten crab roe for a long time. I almost forgot what it tasted like when I think about it." She said with a smile, took a small bite and put it in her mouth.
Chen's young masters and ladies who were looking at the food all stood up with worried faces.
"Mother…"
Qi Yue just smiled and said nothing, nor did she try to dissuade him.
"My sister-in-law is a doctor. She said that mother can eat if she can." Chang Yunsheng said in a low voice and motioned for his younger brothers and sisters to sit down.
Everyone sat down in disbelief.
"How is it?" Qi Yue asked after watching Chen take two bites.
Mrs. Chen nodded with some nostalgia.
"It's delicious." She looked at Qi Yue and said with a smile.
Mrs. Chen was also very surprised. She raised her hand to indicate that Cai Qing hurriedly picked up some more for her.
"It does taste a bit like eggs." She ate it carefully and said, "But..."
The other children all asked the girls to pick them up for themselves.
"really…"
"But it really looks like crab roe..."
"Sister-in-law, please tell me how to make it?" Chang Yinglan ran to Qi Yue, shook her arm and asked repeatedly, "I will make it for my mother every day from now on."
"It's very simple, it's just raw eggs and raw salted duck eggs, stir-fried with sweet and sour wine," Qi Yue said with a smile.
"Yinglan, sit down quickly and let your sister-in-law eat. She has cooked these dishes and hasn't eaten them yet." Mrs. Chen looked at her daughter and said.
Chang Yinglan stuck out her tongue and hurriedly went back to sit down.
Here, the maids set up chairs, dishes and chopsticks for Qi Yue to sit down.
"Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law." Chang Yunsheng said in unison with his younger brothers and sisters.
"No, no, it's a blessing and a joy to cook for the people you like." Qi Yue said with a smile, pointing to the food she cooked, "Here, try this boiled fish, I
But a reminder, you must first pick up a small piece and try it to make sure you can eat it before eating."
This statement further aroused the interest of everyone present. Everyone did not believe it, and deliberately picked up a large piece and put it in their mouths. Suddenly, the table was in chaos.
Those who spit it out, those who want water, those who shed tears.
Mrs. Chen looked at the children's embarrassment without the slightest worry, and instead laughed.
Chang Yunsheng, brother and sister, sent Qi Yue out together. When they came to the door, the three of them all called Qi Yue "sister-in-law."
Qi Yue looked back at them, and the lantern in the girl's hand illuminated her peaceful face.
"Thank you, sister-in-law." The three of them bowed and saluted.
"It's just a meal, nothing serious. If you want to eat, come to me anytime." Qi Yue said with a smile.
"Thank you sister-in-law for your hard work in cooking and making my mother so happy." Chang Yunsheng said with a facelift, his expression could not hide his excitement, "This is the first time my mother is so happy since my father was gone..."
When he said this, his voice was trembling and he couldn't speak anymore.
Qi Yue looked at them and smiled slightly.
"Thank you for letting me cook for you," she said, waving her hands and turning around slowly.
Watching the woman surrounded by the misty lantern gradually move away, the three people at the door were still standing still.
"Why does she still want to thank us? Thank us for letting her cook?" Chang Yinglan said in confusion.
This was the first time she came into contact with the young lady of the Crown Prince, whose name she had heard for a long time, but she did not have the same impression as when she first heard the description. Instead, the thought that came to her mind was that no wonder the old Madam Hou liked her so much.
Chang Yunsheng looked at the woman's figure walking away and sighed.
"Because she must be too lonely over there." He whispered.
In that family, no one liked her except Mrs. Hou.
Even if she has such good cooking skills, it would be so sad and lonely if there is no one who wants to eat her cooking.
This is a fact that everyone knows. The three of them couldn't help but sigh and looked in the direction where Qi Yue left, which was already shrouded in night.
When Qi Yue walked in, the lights in the room were already dark.
Qiuxiang looked at her awkwardly and worriedly.
"The prince always... goes to bed early..." she stammered in explanation.
Qi Yue didn't take it seriously and smiled at her.
"Then I'll borrow your and Aru's place to wash up." She said, "I won't disturb the prince."
When Chang Yuncheng heard these words in the room, he felt a little...sad for some reason.
He looked at the tent roof in the darkness, and suddenly remembered that time when the scoundrel woman came to him, looking here and there, baring her teeth and claws, and her hair exploded at the touch...
It seemed like it had been a long time since I heard her scream and her name shouted at the top of her voice.
No one has ever called him that by his first name...
It's simple and direct, and all the emotions are clearly expressed with this title.
Chang Yuncheng! Chang Yuncheng!
This sounds...a bit...kind?
The door of the house rang softly, followed by tiny footsteps that were deliberately lightened.
The faint fragrance gradually spread and drifted in through the crack in the door.
A light came on, then dimmed a little, as if someone had deliberately blocked it.
"We should get a curtain here, otherwise it will affect the prince's rest..."
"Slave, I'll get it done tomorrow..."
Chang Yuncheng heard the woman's low voice over there.
Then there were the sound of soft footsteps exiting, the door was closed, and the room became quiet again, except for the faint light.
Chang Yuncheng put his hands behind his head and stood up suddenly after a moment of silence.
Qi Yue frowned as she read a line of words in the book.
"What does this mean?" She murmured, picking up a goose feather on the side, dipped it in ink, and wrote it down on the paper. "I'd better go ask the teacher tomorrow. The lines are like mountains separated by thousands of years."
"It's so late, why aren't you sleeping yet?"
Chang Yuncheng's voice suddenly sounded, and Qi Yue couldn't help but be alert.
She raised her head and saw Chang Yuncheng standing at the door of the bedroom opposite.
I was so absorbed in watching that I didn't hear him open the door.
"Did I disturb you?" Qi Yue smiled and said, putting down the book, "I can't sleep so I read for a while. I'm going to sleep now and won't read anymore."
After saying this, she got up from the desk and raised her hand to turn off the light.
