Xiao Huaiwu's sarcastic tone succeeded in making the person who was about to get off the carriage freeze with his hand just exposed.

But soon, she came down again.

The woman was about twenty-five or twenty-six, with a small, delicate oval face and outstanding appearance, but her expression was particularly cold, with her eyes slightly lowered. From the moment she got out of the carriage to the moment she landed, her movements revealed a sense of coldness. She didn't look at anyone and stood beside the carriage in a cool blue dress.

She waited until another boy, about twelve years old, got off the carriage before she followed him over.

"The daughter-in-law greets mother and sister-in-law." The woman spoke, her voice as clear and cold as broken jade. Then she looked at the people around her: "Third sister, fourth sister, Wan'er, Dongdong..."

The young man, on the other hand, looked simple and honest, and smiled heartily, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "My child greets my grandmother, my aunt, my third aunt, and my fourth aunt..."

He greeted everyone one by one. Unlike his mother who ignored Yan Qiushu, he looked directly at her. Since he didn't know her, he politely inquired with his eyes. After getting the answer, he quickly greeted her: "Hello, Aunt Yan."

An alternative way of observing etiquette, similar yet different from the child Shen Pingyu.

One is that the reserve that seems to be engraved in his bones does not allow him to be impolite.

The other is to think that this is how it should be.

After the meeting, the woman frowned slightly: "Ping Yu left?"

Madam Xiao and the others looked a little strange, with an indescribable feeling. When they heard the question, they did not reject it, but said, "He just left. If you want to find him, it's still not too late to send someone to stop him."

"I was wondering why you came back today. It turns out it was for the Shen family?" Xiao Huaiwu suddenly realized and couldn't help but complain again.

Song Mingdai looked straight ahead and said calmly, "I have this thought, but forget it if I miss it. After all, the Xiao family is my daughter-in-law's home. My husband married me back in a formal ceremony, and now my son is the eldest grandson of the Xiao family. Why can't I come back?"

"Hmph!" Xiao Huaiwu snorted coldly and strode away.

She had taken leave to come back and send the child off just for Ping Yu's sake. Now she and this man were not getting along, so it was better for her to leave early.

Xiao Huaiwu left with anger, and walked very fast, like a gust of wind, brushing past people. He had already walked a long way away, out of the sight of the Xiao family.

But when she reached a certain street, a little girl who looked like a maid came over and knelt before her, crying, "General Xiao, please help my wife. My master always beats people when he comes home drunk. This time he beat my wife so hard that she vomited blood. She wants a divorce, but he won't allow it and even beats her..."

Xiao Huaiwu's face suddenly turned even worse, and he followed her without saying a word: "Lead the way!"

"Yes!" The maid got up crying and took her to an alley.

Passersby saw this and shook their heads, sighing, "The Xiao family is really good. They are always willing to help us when we encounter problems. My relatives were the same before. My husband's family had to sell his wife for gambling, and he also asked the Xiao family for help to solve the problem..."

Others may not care about these things, but Xiao Huaiwu, the fourth daughter of the Xiao family, has always cared about them whenever she encountered them in recent years. As a result, the atmosphere in Kyoto has become particularly good. There are fewer men beating their wives, and everyone is used to it.

I just didn't expect things to turn out like this on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

But what everyone didn't expect was that when Xiao Huaiwu followed the maid through several alleys, the person she saw at the final destination was not an ordinary woman, but the third prince's wife.

This side.

Mrs. Xiao couldn't help but sigh when her daughter left in a fit of temper, but she couldn't bear to blame her daughter-in-law. Her husband had died five years ago, and although her daughter-in-law had been staying in her parents' home for the past two years, she had never thought of remarrying and had taught her grandson very well. Even if her words offended her, she would just ignore them and said slowly, "Let's go, everyone go back."

"Yes." Everyone followed Mrs. Xiao into the house.

Yan Qiushu naturally followed.

But she was a step slower and secretly looked back at the woman.

The woman was walking slowly, completely disdainful of other people, and a vacuum zone automatically left around her. Dongdong, who was always close to his family, also moved from Yan Qiushu's left side to the right side, away from her.

It’s not like I’m afraid, but rather I don’t dare to provoke.

Her gaze had no effect on Song Mingdai.

But the boy next to her noticed it, and immediately gave an embarrassed smile and nodded at her.

Yan Qiushu also smiled subconsciously and quickly looked away.

When they reached the inner courtyard, they each went back to their own courtyard.

The boy followed his mother back to the home he had not visited for a long time.

The closer he got, the more he could feel his mother's mood getting lower. The boy frowned slightly and racked his brains to think of something to cheer his mother up, but he was tongue-tied and couldn't say anything, so he said dryly, "Mom, I heard that Aunt Yan I just met is a good cook. Dongdong has gained weight. I just saw Dongdong, and he really has gained a lot of weight! Doesn't he look like a ball?"

The woman nodded calmly: "Yeah."

The young man lowered his eyes in disappointment and continued walking dejectedly.

Mom is so hard to please!

Song Mingdai, the cold and beautiful woman just now, is the wife of Xiao Huaian, the second young master of the Xiao family. Her father is an official of the Dali Temple, but his official position is not high. She relied on the relationship with her son-in-law to enter the Dali Temple and hold real power.

At that time, everyone in Kyoto talked about Xiao Huaian and Song Mingdai with great envy, and many people were a little jealous.

Because most of the men in the Xiao family are Confucian generals. They may not be the top scholar in both civil and military affairs like Xiao Huaiting, but they definitely have a good literary background, good figure, good looks, good family background, good personality, and handsome appearance. They are the dream husbands of many women.

The fact that Song Mingdai married him and the couple lived in harmony is a beautiful story.

But the good times didn't last long. In the battle five years ago, Xiao Huaian died, and his two brothers-in-law also died. No one envied him anymore, and everyone was filled with sighs.

Yan Qiushu didn't know the other information.

Because all the original owner knew was some very superficial information, which the women in the harem would occasionally talk about.

In fact, before the male members of the Xiao family died one by one, Xiao Huaiting was considered an excellent son-in-law by many ladies. Unfortunately, too many people died in the Xiao family, and the emperor was now clearly suspicious and wanted to control the military power, so no one dared to get close to him. As a result, Xiao Huaiting was still alone at the age of twenty.

Yan Qiushu's thoughts froze. Why did she think of this? She calmed down and looked at the second courtyard again, full of surprise.

When I think of Song Mingdai in my memory, the two words that most people describe her are gentle and talented, followed by the fact that she is taciturn. I didn't expect that after these five years, she has become so aloof and unworldly.

It seemed as if to isolate everyone.

But she spoke like... a woman in the harem who was focused on the backyard and fighting for status.

The eldest grandson of the Xiao family.

This was the first time Yan Qiushu had heard these four words. What did the eldest grandson mean?

Xiao Huaiting is unmarried now. The country is now in a period of transition. The old emperor is old and weak, and the young and strong princes are ready to make moves. The enemy will not miss this time when the internal affairs are most chaotic. The next few years will be the busiest time for Xiao Huaiting.

Not to mention that he was carrying the entire battlefield alone, and everyone knew what the chances of his survival were. He was not married yet and had no children. Once he died, the title of Duke would naturally fall on his eldest grandson.

When these words are put forward at this time, it always makes people feel uncomfortable.

But inexplicably, Yan Qiushu just couldn't hate this person. A woman like Song Mingdai shouldn't behave like this.

Every word he said this time seemed to reveal a strong sense of incongruity.

"Sister Shu!" Dongdong shook her arm.

Yan Qiushu came back to her senses and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Dongdong chuckled: "What did you just give Brother Pingyu to eat? Can I eat it, Dongdong?"

Yan Qiushu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. She pinched the little face angrily. The round head was full of food. How happy!

She said, "Since our Dongdong wants to eat it, of course it's okay."

As expected, Dongdong held her face with her hands and smiled happily, and even offered her chubby face to her: "Sister Shu, you have worked hard, pinch it more..."

"You're being too nice for no reason. Tell me, what's the matter?" Yan Qiushu slapped him on the face and asked with a smile.

The past few months of getting along were very effective. She saw through the child at a glance. As expected, Dongdong smiled shyly: "Brother Pingsong just came back and hasn't eaten the food made by Sister Shu yet. Can you bring him some?"

Yan Qiushu smiled and said, "I saw that you didn't even dare to approach me, so I thought you didn't like your second aunt and brother Pingsong."

Dongdong rubbed his fingers together and whispered, "Second Aunt is so serious and scary, but Brother Pingsong is very good. He used to take me out to play, but then I went to school and he didn't have time to take me with him."

Yan Qiushu pursed her lips and smiled. Many times, children are a mirror for their parents. The Third Prince is not likable, and Zhou Zhaoqin has learned his domineering side from him. If he were not still young, he would also be very unlikable.

Xiao Pingsong had a gentle expression, and Dongdong also said that he had a good personality. Song Mingdai was definitely not as she appeared. She smiled and said, "I see. I also need to make lunch, so why not just send it over to them?"

"Wow! Sister Ashu, you are so nice!" Dongdong jumped three feet high with joy.

Yan Qiushu turned and said, "Let's go to the big kitchen first to see if there are any fresh dishes."

"Here I come!" Dongdong hurried to follow.

The head chef was already accustomed to their arrival. When he saw them coming, he immediately took them to the kitchen where all kinds of fresh ingredients were stored and said, "Miss Yan, these were just delivered this morning. Which one do you think is suitable?"

Yan Qiushu glanced at the food. She had cooked so many times that many cooking methods would appear in her mind at the first sight of the ingredients. It just depended on which method she liked best at the moment.

After reading it, she only had two thoughts in her mind: "Dongdong, we've eaten enough meat and fish this New Year, why don't we have something vegetarian?"

Dongdong just wanted something delicious, so he nodded readily: "Okay!"

Yan Qiushu took two pieces of tofu and a few eggplants and left.

She wants to eat... minced meat, eggplant and pan-fried tofu!

These two dishes are home-cooked, not very spicy, and the taste is completely different from the previous ones, but they are delicious!

The most important thing about minced meat and eggplant stew is to fry the eggplant.

First, cut the eggplant into long strips of appropriate size, and fry them in a pan until both sides are golden brown. At this time, you can take some time to prepare a common sauce, including vinegar, soy sauce, salt, sugar, starch, and water.

At this time, remove the eggplant, add minced garlic to the remaining oil and stir-fry until fragrant, then add the minced meat. The ratio of fat to lean meat is 3:7, so that there will be no over-oil. After the minced meat changes color, pour in the eggplant and sauce, and cook on medium heat for half a cup of tea.

Pan-fried tofu is even simpler.

Take two-thirds of the tofu, cut it into blocks, spread it flat in a pan with hot oil, and wait until both sides are golden brown before taking it out and placing it on a plate. Slightly break the middle of each piece of tofu so that the soup can be better absorbed.

The next step is to mix the white sesame seeds, the previously made cornel chili oil, peppercorns, salt, sugar, soy sauce, chopped green onions and a little water into the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, add a little water starch, wait until it becomes thick, then serve and pour it on the tofu that has been prepared.

The thick brown soup slid onto the tofu as it was poured, flowing into the tofu through the broken parts, and most of it flowed to the outside of the tofu, staining every piece of tofu with this thick and slightly spicy soup.

After everything was done, there was still a little tofu left, so I made some crucian carp and tofu soup.

There is nothing more comfortable than drinking a cup of hot soup in winter.

After the two dishes and one soup were prepared, the maids in the courtyard were asked to deliver them to other courtyards one by one as usual. Madam Xiao had been getting better and better recently, and her appetite was getting better and better. She loved spicy strips very much. Fortunately, Nanny Huang was holding spicy strips in her hand, which could scare her, otherwise Yan Qiushu was really afraid that she would get angry.

Xiao Huaiqi and Xie Qingyun were also very supportive of the dishes cooked by Yan Qiushu.

The third young lady of the Xiao family doesn't eat much heavy flavors, so the amount of food Yan Qiushu sends to her is the smallest each time. The fourth young lady, Xiao Huaiwu and Xiao Huaiting, are basically not at home during the day, so it doesn't work. Now there is a second wife, and Yan Qiushu doesn't know her appetite, so she sends two portions.

Hope they find it delicious.

Yan Qiushu thought about it and sat down in the restaurant with Dongdong. She tasted the eggplant first. The long eggplant was fried and was soft but not rotten. When it was put together, it was folded into two pieces. Thick soup was dripping on it, and there was also a little minced garlic and minced meat.

When you take a bite, the eggplant seems to be full of juice, with a salty and fragrant taste with sourness and spiciness, and a soft and tender texture.

Yan Qiushu took just one bite and then immediately took a big mouthful of rice.

Dongdong next to him also took a bite of the dish, and subconsciously took a bite of the rice. In just two bites, only half of the rice was left in the palm-sized bowl.

Dongdong's wet nurse looked surprised and asked, "But the rice has been replaced with new rice today?"

"This goes well with rice." Yan Qiushu explained with a smile.

Dongdong doesn’t dislike eating, but normally he prefers vegetables. One bowl of rice is enough for him, and he always puts it in the middle before eating. He never eats rice at the beginning.

And he is still eating now, one bite of vegetable and two mouthfuls of rice!

I've never seen anything like this when I've eaten other spicy dishes before.

The nurse said worriedly, "Miss Yan, I'd like to ask if this dish is too salty."

Yan Qiushu said hurriedly: "No, Madam, can you try it?"

She asked, and seeing that she didn't object immediately, she asked Shui Yan to get a pair of chopsticks.

The wet nurse didn't expect Yan Qiushu to really let her try it. She was in a dilemma because, except for spicy strips, she had never seen Dongdong eat anything with such a strong flavor. The amount of spicy strips was controlled and she was afraid that the child would eat something too strong.

Nowadays, doctors are all Chinese medicine practitioners. Chinese medicine practitioners emphasize a light diet. Spicy food can be eaten occasionally to warm the body in winter, but if it is too salty, it will not be good if it is only eaten with rice. Therefore, she naturally had some concerns.

The chopsticks were right in front of her, and the nanny felt awkward whether to take them or not, but she took them anyway and carefully picked up an eggplant.

It is indeed salty when you put it in your mouth, but not excessively so, just normal saltiness. However, in addition to the saltiness, there are other flavors, a slight sourness, a subtle sweetness, and a slight spiciness. Combined with the soft texture of the eggplant, it is delicious, and it is really appetizing and goes well with rice!

The nurse said shyly, "It was my assumption. I hope Miss Yan won't be offended."

"No, no." Yan Qiushu smiled and shook her head. There was nothing strange about this. Parents of children cared about their children but also remembered to be polite. She understood it very well.

The embarrassment on the wet nurse's face disappeared a lot, and she stood behind Dongdong again, wanting to continue looking straight ahead and waiting for the young master to have his meal.

But this time she was not as steady as before.

As I said just now, this eggplant is quite appetizing. Now she couldn't help but drool. When she smelled the aroma of the minced meat and eggplant in the air, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva with a "gulp".

The restaurant was quiet, and the other maids were doing their own things, so the noise was a bit obvious.

Dongdong, who was eating with great relish, moved his ears and then looked over with sparkling eyes, as if he had discovered a new world. He said in a loud and clear voice: "Mammy, are you eating so hard that you drool?"

Nanny: “…”

Yan Qiushu covered her face.

This unlucky child!