The fire spirit danced continuously at the bottom of the stove, and the flames followed Xu Milu's wishes, making it even better than a gas stove.

The broth in the casserole pot made an enticing "bubbling" sound as it was heated. The lamb spine bones were almost piled up into a small mountain in the pot, and the radish chunks, which had been stewing for a long time, crumbled easily with chopsticks, emitting a fragrant aroma.

Wei Ying and Cheng Chumo stared at the still-boiling pot in front of them, both looking puzzled.

It is well known that the Tang people love to eat mutton. On ordinary days, there are many merchants selling flatbreads in the West Market. They usually cut mutton into fine mince, wrap it into flatbreads similar to pies, sprinkle sesame seeds on it, and then bake it in an oven.

Lamb is expensive, and ordinary people rarely eat it more than a few times a year. It is mostly used as a side dish to make soup or meat stew. There is also a way to cook lamb into small pieces, mix it with vegetables and flour, and cook it into a hot porridge.

This was the first time either of them had ever seen lamb spine hot pot.

Wei Ying swallowed hard, but first he had to satisfy his curiosity: "Madam Xu, why are all these dishes raw?"

He was referring to the bean sprouts, cabbage, tofu, and other items on the table.

Xu Milu noticed their curiosity and explained with a smile:

"It's freezing cold, so let's try a new way of eating. The meat in this pot needs to be cooked for a long time to bring out its flavor. Add bean sprouts, cabbage, and a piece of tofu to cook in the broth. Eat it while you're cooking, that's what makes it so delicious."

As she spoke, she gave a demonstration, picking up a tender cabbage leaf and swishing it in the pot. Once the cabbage had absorbed the broth, she put it in her mouth. The tender cabbage leaf, after being slightly blanched, still retained its crispness. Combined with the umami and mild spiciness of the mutton broth, after a few chews, her mouth was filled with the aroma of mutton.

Wei Ying, being cat-like in nature, was also envious. He imitated Xu Milu by scalding a piece of cabbage and taking a bite. His eyes immediately lit up:

"It really tastes great! Xuanbo, you should try it, it's absolutely delicious!"

Cheng Chumo watched for a while and quickly learned the trick. He put a piece of tofu in the pot to simmer slowly, while he carefully tasted a piece of radish. Although he didn't say anything, the sudden brightness in his eyes said it all.

The mutton was incredibly fresh, and Xu Milu was generous with the seasonings, so there wasn't a trace of gamey smell. The mutton spine was chopped into small sections, and the broth had completely soaked into the bone marrow.

The pieces of meat attached to the bone can be easily torn apart. Some meat is very "cunning" and hides in the corners and crevices, refusing to show itself easily. At this time, you have to use your lips and tongue to tear it apart with your teeth and suck it with your tongue until you suck the bone marrow hidden deep inside into your mouth. Only then can the entanglement with the bone be considered over.

"Phew, it's so hot—"

Wei Ying used the dagger he carried to cut the meat off the bone to eat, but eating like that wasn't very satisfying. After a while, he simply followed Xu Milu's example and started gnawing on the bone with his hands.

Halfway through the meal, Xu Milu opened her homemade low-alcohol osmanthus wine. As soon as she opened it, the whole room was filled with the fragrance of osmanthus. After taking a sip, the taste of meat in her mouth was completely replaced by the fragrance of flowers, which was sweet and very refreshing.

"This is osmanthus wine brewed using the osmanthus flowers from your residence. How about it? It's not a waste of those osmanthus flowers, is it?"

Xu Milu took a sip of osmanthus wine and felt a faint, cool fragrance lingering on her lips and tongue, as if she were in an osmanthus garden.

Wei Ying didn't even raise his head, and said decisively:

“It’s not a waste. Such good wine is worth it even if I get a scolding from my father. Besides, those osmanthus flowers used to be eaten by insects or fell into the mud. That’s what you call wasting good things, isn’t it, Xuanbo?”

Cheng Chumo remained silent, slowly picking at the tofu and eating it.

"The fact that Uncle Wei was so angry that he chased you all over the mansion with a rattan cane is now common knowledge throughout the court. Even His Majesty joked a few days ago that you were quite capable to have forced the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to resort to violence—"

Wei Ying was immediately speechless.

After chatting and laughing for a while, the three of them actually ate two full pots of lamb spine and several plates of tofu and vegetables. Even Cheng Chumo, who usually had no expression, couldn't help but show a shy look on his face at this moment.

I'm so full.

...

Xu Milu has a bigger appetite than the two of them. This meal only keeps her full for half a day. She can even take out a plate of oranges, peel them, and prepare to make orange jam.

"Such fresh oranges! This year, ships from Lingnan can't enter Chang'an, and the snow on the official road won't melt anytime soon. If you want to eat these fresh fruits, I'm afraid the only place in Chang'an is here with Madam Xu."

Wei Ying picked up an orange and tossed it aside, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Didn't Madam Xu say she needed to see us?"

"It's nothing else, but I heard that Chang'an was hit by a snow disaster this time, and many people's houses were collapsed by the heavy snow. My kind-hearted sister Yin wanted to go out with me to give some cloth shoes and old quilts to the disaster victims. I was just about to ask you about the situation."

Xu Milu peeled an orange and casually fed it to A Chou, who was lying on the ground gnawing on meat—this guy, being a cold-blooded animal, not only didn't hibernate, but he was even more energetic than a wisteria tree in winter.

Upon hearing this, Wei Ying and Cheng Chumo both became serious.

"This year's snow is really strange. It snowed heavily all night two days ago, and the next day many people's houses collapsed. In addition, the snow came suddenly, and people did not have enough warm clothes and charcoal. Now the snow has blocked the roads, and food and charcoal cannot be transported in. His Majesty is also having a headache over this matter."

Wei Ying rubbed his stomach, a self-deprecating expression on his face:

“My father originally intended to open the granaries to provide disaster relief, but I persuaded him to stop. If Madam Xu is willing, you can only ask Uncle Xuan to handle this matter for you. No matter how much I fool around in the meantime, I dare not cross the line in these matters.”

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