The carriage went directly to the He family's house.

He Youyou and Ali had already prepared the ingredients and cookware.

The hot pot is a large, dry pot, and the grill is a smokeless grill in He Youyou's own space.

Ah Li has mastered the He family's barbecue skills and is now an expert at grilling meat.

He cooked the meat to medium-rare before everyone arrived.

This is done to save time.

When the people arrive, put the meat, which is 70% cooked, directly into the oven to roast until fully cooked, and then sprinkle with seasoning.

The fragrant roasted meat will be ready to eat soon.

"Auntie! Brother Ali! We're here!"

The person arrived before the voice.

Immediately afterwards, a series of footsteps could be heard, getting closer and closer.

The second prince's small figure appeared first at the door.

The high threshold did not slow him down at all.

"It smells so good!"

Smelling the aroma and seeing the barbecue grill inside, they rushed over without hesitation, reaching out to grab the meat skewers.

Ahri reacted quickly, reaching out to grab him by the back of his collar and pulling him away.

"Don't rush, don't rush, this meat isn't cooked yet, eating it will give you diarrhea."

"Brother Ali, I'm so hungry!"

The second prince touched his belly and said with a wronged expression.

Ah Li laughed and said, "Have a snack first, I'll bake it right away."

"I don't want dessert, I want meat," Zhao Wenqi said, standing in front of the oven, waiting eagerly.

Ah Li kept turning and grilling the meat skewers, sprinkling them with the secret seasoning He Youyou had given him.

He could have resisted the urge, but the aroma made Zhao Wenqi feel increasingly hungry.

"Brother Ali, hurry up, I can't hold on much longer."

"Almost there, almost there. Let me flip it over and sprinkle the sauce on the other side again."

Zhao Wenqi swallowed hard.

On the other side, He Youyou was also busy boiling the hot pot.

Zhao Changqing followed Zhao Wenqi in silently.

He sat at the table, his eyes fixed on her hand movements.

He Youyou put some ingredients that could withstand long cooking times into two compartments of the pot.

In a few other compartments, some slices of meat were placed.

"Your Highness has something on your mind."

It is used in an affirmative tone.

In the past, whenever Zhao Changqing came, he would always look at her and say a few words after entering the door.

This time when he came in, he didn't say a word.

He sat there silently, not looking at her face, just staring blankly at the movements of her hands.

Zhao Changqing is a man of crystal clarity.

Every emotion is written on their face.

As the boss, He Youyou actually quite likes this kind of employee.

They are easier to manage than those who appear to know nothing on the surface but have a lot of ulterior motives.

"I……"

He opened his mouth, but didn't know where to begin.

He Youyou handed him a pair of chopsticks: "Eat first, we'll talk after you finish eating."

I turned to look at Ahri's side; the first batch was already baked.

Zhao Wenqi was eating a skewer of grilled meat, his mouth was full of oil, and cumin was stuck to half of his face.

Seeing that the two of them were enjoying their meal, He Youyou didn't go to greet them.

He took out a bottle of wine and waved it in front of Zhao Changqing: "You were drinking in the palace just now? Are you going to drink now or not?"

Zhao Changqing placed his cup directly under her hand: "Fill it up."

He Youyou didn't fill his cup.

I only poured about half a cup.

People with worries tend to get drunk quickly and shouldn't overindulge in alcohol.

The soup in the hot pot was bubbling away, and the slices of meat had changed color, tumbling up and down in the broth.

He Youyou scooped the cooked meat out of the pot and put it in his bowl.

"Try this beef that Matthew sent from Jizhou. Eat your fill first, then drink."

In Jizhou, Ma Xiuyuan's breeding farm is doing very well.

Obtaining a slaughter permit was also a piece of cake for him.

In addition to sending meat, they also sent a letter.

The letter stated that the imperial court's land reclamation work was in full swing, and his cattle were not only supplied to Jizhou but also transported to other regions over long distances.

He is very confident that the number of livestock he raises will double next year.

Let He Youyou sit back and wait for her share of the profits.

"Um."

Zhao Changqing silently buried his head in his food.

After eating for a while, he suddenly looked up, his dark eyes fixed on her: "Youyou, why did you agree to come to the Han family in the first place?"

He Youyou was surprised that he suddenly asked this question.

He paused for a moment, then put down his chopsticks: "Because the Han family allows me to realize my own value."

"value?"

"Yes, value. That's what distinguishes humans from ants. Humans need self-actualization, not just to live aimlessly. I am, and so is Ahri."

He Youyou glanced at Ah Li, who was busy grilling meat over there.

“Look at Ah Li, he could live on just his beautiful face. But he felt it wasn’t enough; his value was more than that. He wanted to carve out an upward path in the mire of fate. In the Han family, he could realize his value and achieve his dreams… so he came.”

Ahri rolled up her sleeves, her pretty little face glowing red in the glow of the charcoal fire.

“Me too.” He Youyou took a sip of wine. “The Han family has what I need and provides me with enough capital to achieve my goals. For me, the Han family was the best choice I could make when I came here.”

Zhao Changqing looked at her face and remained silent.

The Han family...

It used to be a cage for him.

It was a place that bound him.

But now, there are things he needs here too.

"Auntie!"

After finishing a skewer of grilled meat, Zhao Wenqi ran over to find He Youyou.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!