Chapter 91 (Tiger Pepper)
It attracted two guests at once.
Yan Qiushu was extremely excited. After seeing off a few young guests and seeing that it was almost dark, she helped settle the new guests and then ran to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
It is imperative that these two people have good food and drink, so that more people can come!
So what to do?
Girls of this era generally don't have such strong tastes, so Yan Qiushu plans to make more flavors, including a light dish of seasonal vegetables, slightly spicy tiger-skin green peppers, and her specialty, honey-glazed chicken wings.
The little girl must be a little uncomfortable as it was her first time away from home. Yan Qiushu was worried that they wouldn't sleep well, so she added another portion of strawberry wine.
It's been about seven days now, so it should be ready to drink.
She ran to get a jar, opened the lid, and the sweet aroma of wine inside immediately hit her nose, but the smell of the wine was not strong. It was brewed from strawberries, and the wine was also a beautiful pink color.
Yan Qiushu forced out the fruit wine, put it in a container, and let Shui Jue put it in the ice cellar for a while.
Then continue cooking.
If there is fruit wine, then there must be some snacks to go with it. I also had a portion of crispy pork, which was crispy and numb, very good.
After deciding on the menu, everyone started to work together.
No one knows how to cook tiger-skin green peppers, so Yan Qiushu has to do it. For the other dishes, she only needs to be the chef at the end, which is still very easy.
Deep-fry the crispy pork twice, stir-fry the seasonal vegetables, and roast the chicken wings.
Finally, there are tiger skin green peppers.
Long green peppers with pointed ends are used. When processing, the veins inside must be removed, so that the spiciness will be reduced to almost nothing.
Overall, the preparation of this dish is very simple. First, fry it in a pan until both sides are slightly charred, then add various seasonings and stir-fry. After the aroma comes out, add a little water and continue stir-frying until the green peppers are soft, then you can remove them from the pan.
However, considering that Hong Chufu and Fu Mingwan were both ladies from aristocratic families, their etiquette during meals should be very reserved, and it would be a bit indecent to eat such long green peppers. She was also considerate and used sterilized scissors to cut each pepper into two-centimeter-long segments.
The green peppers were ready and the chicken wings were grilled, and Shui Yu helped to carry the other dishes over.
Yan Qiushu would not eat with guests unless specifically requested. But this time, after the food and wine were served, she was about to leave when the two men stopped her and said, "Why don't you sit down and eat with us, Mr. Xiang?"
They were so friendly that even Yan Qiushu was a little surprised.
It was not that she felt inferior, but Mrs. Jiang's attitude before, and Mrs. Xue's later desire to take a concubine for her son, made her clearly realize that in this ancient time with clear class distinctions, her identity was just a boarder in the Xiao family.
Generally speaking, these people would not be willing to get along with her on an equal footing.
But these two people gave Yan Qiushu a very friendly feeling.
Actually, she still didn't know who these two people's parents were. But knowing was useless. Yan Qiushu was unfamiliar with the officialdom of this country. Without the Internet, there were no websites to publish information. She could only rely on herself to understand, and obtaining information was too slow.
After receiving the invitation, she hesitated for a second, then sat down calmly and asked Shui Yu to get another pair of bowls and chopsticks.
Fu Ming smiled and said, "Your Excellency is indeed straightforward, very much like the Xiao family."
Yan Qiushu smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Hong Chufu noticed this and explained in a gentle voice: "Ming Wan's mother is from the Shen family. She is a cousin of the Xiao family's third son-in-law. The Xiao family and the Shen family are married, so they are also relatives."
Yan Qiushu immediately understood, and her smile became much more genuine: "So that's how it is."
Fu Mingwan smiled narrowly: "Yes, Sister Shu, in a few months, we will be relatives. Can you come over to eat strawberries for free?"
Yan Qiushu's cheeks were flushed with laughter: "Of course you can."
Hong Chufu noticed her embarrassment, nudged his friend, and said with a smile, "Okay, let's eat first."
Yan Qiushu breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the pink porcelain bottle, opened it and poured wine for them: "This is the strawberry wine I brewed. The taste is very light. I just took it out of the ice cellar. You can try it."
She poured wine for Fu Ming first, and when she was about to pour wine for Hong Chufu, she was a little worried: "I don't know how to drink, will I get drunk?"
Yan Qiushu hesitated for a moment: "That shouldn't be the case, right? This wine has only been brewed for seven days, and the taste is very light."
"It's okay. Aren't you feeling at ease here? We can sleep together at night. Nothing will happen." Fu Mingwan said loudly while holding the drink and taking a sip.
She wanted to learn how her father drank and smacked his lips to taste the wine.
But as soon as the ice-cold wine entered her mouth, the sweet and sour taste flowed into her lips and tongue, which made her shudder and she forgot about trying to taste it like her father.
The wine went straight into my throat, and it tasted very light, with only a little bit of wine aroma, slightly smoky, but it didn't seem intoxicating at all.
Fu Mingwan's brows raised as he drank: "Wow! This tastes really good!"
Hong Chufu looked curious and took a sip from the cup. He said happily, "Hey, it's very good! There's only a little bit of wine, sweet and sour, quite appetizing!"
Seeing this, Yan Qiushu also took a sip. She had only tried it without ice before, and the taste of the wine was stronger. The taste of the iced wine was even lighter, and it tasted like a drink. When the tip of her tongue touched it, there was a slight smell of alcohol, but more of the familiar sweet and sour taste of strawberries.
It was sour and sweet, and it really whetted her appetite. After she finished her drink, she smiled and said, "If you've whetted your appetite, then eat quickly. Try these dishes. If you like any, you can order them tomorrow. By the way, this dish is made with chili peppers. They're called tiger skin green peppers, a crop brought back by General Xiao. The seeds have been planted, and they'll be ready to harvest in a few months. They should be ready for you at the food court."
"Tiger-skin green pepper? That's an interesting name."
"Then I'm welcome."
The two of them looked at the green peppers. They were stacked on the jade-white plate, one by one. If they hadn't been cut, they would have looked very beautiful. The green peppers had pointed tails, and the fried skin had patterns on it, which matched the word "tiger skin".
In fact, they had tried all the other dishes in the food court, but they had never seen the tiger skin green pepper dish before. They both reached for it with their chopsticks, picked up a piece of green pepper, and tentatively put it into their mouths.
I had just tasted the cold taste of wine in my mouth, and now I was eating the hot dish. It felt very satisfying. The green pepper was actually a bit meaty because it stayed in the pot for quite some time.
The salty and fragrant taste is permeated in it. When chewing it, the green pepper is soft but firm at the same time. The slight spiciness is not obvious, but it tastes just right.
Fu Mingwan was amazed: "It tastes pretty good!"
Hong Chufu also said: "Delicious, delicious, soft and fluffy!"
"As long as you like it." Yan Qiushu smiled and said, "Can you handle spicy food? If so, I can make a spicier dish tomorrow."
"Of course!" The two nodded hurriedly. The little girl was always very happy when talking about food, and Hong Chufu was even more enthusiastic: "We've tried most of the food in the food court and we love it! Especially the grilled fish, it's so delicious!"
Yan Qiushu said happily, "Okay, this is our first time entertaining guests, and I forgot to ask you about your preferences. I'll give you something even better tomorrow!"
The two of them nodded repeatedly, and kept reaching out their chopsticks. The boneless chicken wings tasted delicious, and the crispy pork was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a crispy and numb texture, which was also very delicious!
After a satisfying meal, take a sip of strawberry wine and feel so good!
Hong Chufu likes tiger skin green peppers very much. She keeps picking them up with her chopsticks, and one-third of the plate is empty. However, this dish is a bit salty and needs something else to go with it. The rice is in front of them, but people don’t eat rice while drinking, so she eats it mouthful after mouthful.
When Fu Ming regained his composure and poured himself some wine, he realized there was a lot less in the bottle. "A Chu, how can you drink so much?"
Hong Chufu blinked blankly: "No, I just drank a little bit?"
The little girl's pink and tender face was red, but not like the bright red when she was playing in the morning, but the slightly red after being drunk. She tried hard to keep her eyes open, and needed the help of her eyebrows, otherwise she couldn't open her eyes.
Fu Mingwan smacked his lips: "It's over, you're drunk!"
Yan Qiushu was also stunned: "This wine looks quite powerful?"
Fu Mingwan suppressed a smile: "I guess she hasn't drunk any alcohol. Look, we are fine."
Hong Chufu pouted unhappily: "No! I'm not drunk!"
"Okay, you're not drunk. Do you want to go and rest?" Fu Mingwan smiled and pushed her.
Hong Chufu's head swayed, making her feel even more dizzy. However, she shook her head stubbornly, took another sip of wine, picked up the crispy meat and put it in her mouth, making a crunching sound. After eating, she seemed to sober up a little and looked at her friend with grievance: "Wow, dad obviously thinks that His Royal Highness Prince Huai is wronged, so why doesn't he agree with us? He is too cowardly! Too much!"
Yan Qiushu looked at her in confusion. Was this the King Huai the man was talking about?
Is she also among King Huai's targets?
Fu Mingwan also felt that the situation was difficult. He pulled her to get her up and said with a dry laugh, "She's drunk, Ah Chu, let's go and rest."
"I don't!" Hong Chufu was forced to stand up, pushed her away unhappily, and patted his face, which was hot, as if he was a little drunk?
But she still shook her head and said stubbornly: "I'm not drunk, I just feel uncomfortable!"
Fu Mingwan came over to support her again and coaxed her, "Okay, you're not drunk, but you're full, right? Let's go back..."
However, before she could finish her words, she was interrupted. Hong Chufu threw himself into her arms, feeling wronged. "I feel so bad. Why is my father so timid? Isn't he the Minister of War?! Besides, His Royal Highness Prince Huai is not afraid of the Dali Temple at all. He definitely didn't do anything bad. Sister Shu, don't you agree? His Royal Highness Prince Huai is very good!"
Fu Mingwan wanted to cover her mouth, but she was heard at the beginning. Later, she gave up, thinking that he was not an outsider after all.
After a little inquiry, she found out that the Minister of War was planning to marry Prince Huai, so she simply gave up.
Otherwise it would be difficult to hide and make Yan Qiushu uncomfortable.
Hearing Hong Chufu's question, she replied perfunctorily: "Yes, yes, His Royal Highness Prince Huai is fine."
Hong Chufu was satisfied and was about to be happy when a clear voice said in his ear: "His Royal Highness Prince Huai is not a good person. He just looks like a modest gentleman."
Hong Chufu: “???”
The little fangirl glared at her, sobering up a lot. She looked at her angrily: "Why do you say that?!"
Fu Mingwan was also shocked. Everyone knew that King Huai had a good reputation, and she actually said that?!
Yan Qiushu looked at the two innocent girls and explained, "Prince Huai was not a good man. He did plot to murder Prince Chang. He was the only one who knew that potatoes were poisonous when he brought them back to the Great Zhou, but he kept silent."
"On the contrary, a chef in Prince Chang's mansion deliberately used sprouted potatoes to cook for Prince Chang. Do you think he is innocent of these two things?"
"You know, the chef at Prince Chang's mansion wouldn't even cook the potatoes over high heat to ensure they were toxic. He even confessed to it. Wasn't that intentional? Besides Prince Huai, who else could have figured out the toxicity of the potatoes in such a short time?"
Fu Mingwan thought about what she said and was shocked, but he didn't say anything.
Hong Chufu was completely sober. He pursed his lips tightly and tried to organize his words to refute: "Maybe he really doesn't know. After all, he just got the potatoes!"
"Do you think that if you came across such a good crop, you would ask whether the potatoes are poisonous?" Yan Qiushu asked back.
Hong Chufu couldn't avoid the pair of round eyes looking at her. She thought seriously for a moment. Her mind was actually a little straight after drinking, but when she thought about this question, she...still nodded: "Yes."
It can fill the stomach and can be produced in large quantities. It is such a perfect thing that she can't believe it and will definitely find out its weaknesses.
But... "But Your Highness is in a hurry, it's too late!"
Yan Qiushu said, "That makes sense, but it's a bit forced. After all, he brought back a lot of potatoes. If he had just asked people while they were transporting them, people who knew about potatoes would have told him. Ordinary people wouldn't waste even a little bit of food. If it wasn't poisonous, they wouldn't even waste the ones that sprouted. People who have been eating potatoes for a long time would definitely know."
Hong Chufu took two steps back in panic, and said with some resistance: "That makes sense! The King of Huai was able to be brought back because he cared about the safety of the people. You can't make random guesses about him like this!"
Yan Qiushu sighed and stood up. Fortunately, she had just finished her meal and asked the other maids and servants to go out for dinner, so there was no one around.
In ancient times, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, because of her gender, lack of experience, and simple nature, would easily make up her mind about someone and would be unwilling to believe the truth about herself.
But Yan Qiushu wasn't her relative, so many things were hard to say. She could only say, "He's not such a good man. I'm 90% sure he wants to marry you because of your father's status. If nothing unexpected happens, your father was willing to give in because of his good reputation. But Prince Chang and the Xiao family have an even better reputation. They can openly impeach him in the court, and your father has been shaken, so he doesn't want you to marry him. If you really like him, then wait two years. You're still young now. After two years, when everything is over, you can decide whether to marry him or not. Anyway... be cautious."
After she finished speaking, she turned and left.
Talking too much can easily cause rebelliousness, but if she doesn't say anything, Yan Qiushu will feel bad.
Xiao Huaiya had already dodged it, so she didn't say anything. But this girl was in the trap. If she didn't say anything, she would probably fall into it. When Prince Huai was exposed, it would be difficult for her, as Prince Huai's wife, to escape. She would end up like the third prince's wife, and even worse, her family would be implicated.
The Third Prince's wife had a chance of survival, but she couldn't. Hundreds of people in her family were ruined because of her. She was deeply sinful.
Yan Qiushu said all she wanted to say, but she felt that her words still created a gap in the girl's heart, otherwise she wouldn't have looked at her with such resistance just now.
She was afraid that if she said anything more, it would completely ruin the image of King Huai in her mind.
Yan Qiushu had a good idea.
Her words sobered Hong Chufu up.
She was in a daze and kept thinking about this matter.
After Fu Mingwan washed up with her, they lay on the bed and discussed this matter: "Do you think what she said is true?"
Fu Mingwan thought for a moment and said, "She feels very genuine to me, not fake. But I can't accept it either. King Huai is a good man. Your purse was stolen that time, and he caught the thief along the way. A man who helps others when he sees injustice can't be that bad, right?"
Hong Chufu pursed his lips: "I think so too. There must be a misunderstanding regarding the murder of Prince Chang..."
But when she remembered what Yan Qiushu said about potato sprouts being poisonous, she still felt a little unsure.
Fu Mingwan sighed and patted his friend's hand. "Why don't you wait and get married? Your father won't agree now anyway. If he really likes you, he'll definitely be willing to wait. Once things... calm down, you can get married and your father will be relieved."
Hong Chufu was a little reluctant, but she was not a fool. She felt the seriousness in Yan Qiushu's words, and even though she didn't want to believe it, she was still afraid.
It's not true that her feelings for King Huai were so deep that she would die without him. Therefore, after listening to Fu Mingwan's suggestion, she did not refute it, but thought seriously about whether she should do this.
Why not give it a try?
She had heard her parents secretly talking before. They said that the battle for the crown prince should be over within this year. King Huai did not like to fight for power, so he would naturally not get involved with them. He would definitely be safe!
Of course you can!
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