Chapter 421 Crab Roe Buns

Even though Yuan Hongqu was very busy all these years, she never missed making one dish for Daiyu every day.

Even if they might not see each other at all that day, Yuan Hongqu would still take the time to prepare food in her space.

This is the tacit understanding between the two.

Sometimes Daiyu would make some small snacks to save for Yuan Hongqu to eat when she came.

One after another, exquisite crab roe soup dumplings were placed in small steamers. Yuan Hongqu even made the cherry blossom-shaped soup dumplings that Daiyu requested.

The dough is made with red dragon fruit juice, and after steaming, it has a light pink color like cherry blossoms.

The small buns form the base, with a small amount of dough left over on top, which is then shaped into flower petals and decorated with crab roe in the center, just like the stamen of a flower.

While the xiaolongbao were steaming, Yuan Hongqu prepared a dipping sauce with sweet red vinegar and ginger juice.

As the delicious food was freshly made, each steamed bun looked as tempting as a blooming flower. Each person also had a bowl of thin noodles topped with a thick layer of crab roe, making one's mouth water just looking at them.

"Granny, it's so delicious. I want to eat it again before we get ashore."

Daiyu was still not satisfied; it was just too delicious.

A simple meal made Daiyu and Yuan Hongqu realize that the things happening outside were really no big deal!

"Hmm, let's see what Lan Su teaches the Tenth Prince next time." Yuan Hongqu wasn't really keen on doing this recently.

It was indeed delicious, but dismantling the crab was too much work.

"Is this another masterpiece by the Tenth Prince?" Daiyu thought that crabs had been kept in the space at some point.

"Yes, Lan Su said she would teach him to practice his aim. She had people catch crabs in the water early this morning. This is the season when crabs are plentiful. They caught more than a dozen baskets, and each boat received some."

"How do you practice your aim with crabs? By skipping them across the water?" Daiyu casually picked up a crab shell that she had just set aside.

"This is so light and flimsy, it's not even as useful as stones or tiles!"

"Lan Su's teachings are not that simple." Yuan Hongqu didn't know how Lan Su came up with such a tricky method. Hundreds of crabs were placed in a circle on the deck, and each crab was labeled with a number. Then the Tenth Prince had to find the crab with the corresponding number within a breath, and hit it with a red bean to count.

Once the crabs are released, the place is already chaotic and completely disordered. It's unlikely that you can find the correct one even in three breaths, let alone within a single breath.

Moreover, you have to use red beans to hit it, and red beans are small to begin with. There's also a slight breeze on the boat from time to time. Even if you finally find one, the red bean you throw might be blown off course by the wind and hit another crab.

So the Tenth Prince didn't manage to hit a single crab all day.

“Granny, why does the Tenth Prince’s martial arts practice always involve food? From onions at the beginning to crabs now, I remember he even used a slingshot to shoot fish,” Daiyu recalled the interesting things she had seen in the past few days.

While other people practice martial arts and get covered in sweat, the Tenth Prince's martial arts training always makes one feel that he's about to get covered in oil and fat.

It's always related to food.

Yuan Hongqu couldn't possibly tell Daiyu that she had made the Tenth Prince chop onions all day in the first place, just to tease him.

Little did anyone know that Lan Su had been following suit these past few days, using all sorts of ingredients to train the Tenth Prince.

"I've noticed you've been studying diligently these past few days. Did what I said to you last time put any pressure on you?" Yuan Hongqu thought to herself that she regretted asking Daiyu to put in a little more effort for next year's imperial examination.

“Daiyu, I must have been bewitched last time, actually thinking about making a name for myself. In fact, it’s already quite impressive if anyone in our academy dares to take the exam. You and those students who have been studying the classics since childhood are on different starting lines. We don’t need to compete with them. Their strengths in the exam are our weaknesses. Such a competition is unfair.”

After thinking about it seriously for a few days, Yuan Hongqu realized that her original intention had changed since she took over the academy.

Perhaps before meeting Daiyu, he did have grand ambitions, wanting to change the world's prejudice and neglect of women with his own strength.

However, after taking on the task of caring for Daiyu, all she could think about was taking good care of Daiyu, watching her grow up healthy and happy, live a long and healthy life, and have many children and grandchildren.

This is what she originally wanted to do.

The original Yuan Hongqu who gave everything to the academy had already died in prison. The current Yuan Hongqu is a reborn Yuan Hongqu. She wants to merge the two, so she must make some choices.

“Granny…” Daiyu looked up at the courtyard outside the window, where there were no seasons, and the flowers and fruits were always so lush.

All of this is because of the presence of the goddess Yuan Mama, which makes such a miraculous sight possible.

I think it's very likely because of my nanny that I'm still alive and healthy, and my life is so colorful every day.

"I'm very happy to do these things," Daiyu said loudly, as if afraid Yuan Hongqu wouldn't believe her, almost as if she wanted to raise her hand and swear.

“My father only has me as his daughter. Although I don’t want to admit it, I still have worries. If it’s really like what’s written in the book, and my father passes away early, then my life will definitely take a sharp turn for the worse. Even with the title of princess now and you by my side, I will still be worried. The line in the book, ‘Three hundred and sixty days a year, the wind and frost are relentlessly pressing upon me,’ will probably happen soon. Only if I am strong enough, like my nanny, and unmoved by external things, can I protect myself if that day really comes.”

"How could I let that happen? If that day ever comes, it will only happen when I'm no longer here."

Yuan Hongqu was shocked. She really hadn't expected Daiyu to have thought so much and to have already awakened to the essence of feminism.

“Grandma, don’t underestimate me. You know, I can memorize those books after reading them once and reciting them once. Compared to others, I have a great advantage. Reading is not tiring for me at all.”

"Then don't work so hard. You're not allowed to read for more than two hours a day. You were too young when we traveled this waterway last time, and you didn't appreciate the beautiful scenery around you. This time you should really enjoy it. You can read anytime, anytime, but we'll only be able to see this scenery twice. Who knows when we'll have the chance to see it again?"

"But Granny, isn't it said that flowers may bloom again, but youth never returns? Isn't it said that we should cherish time and study hard while we are young?"

"We must act according to the times and circumstances, without rushing, and first enjoy the scenery."