Chapter 88: Daily Routine of BBQ and Dumplings
In the Yikun Palace, Xiu Yu's favorite agarwood incense burned, while Tong Jia and Zi Fu discussed the not-so-secret secrets between Yinzhen and Defei. Meanwhile, Yinzhen, the protagonist of the two concubines' gossip, and Yinqi, the younger, stood outside the warm room, vying for telescopes to peer at the sky. After Yinzhen finished, Yinqi took over.
Yinqi was concentrating on watching the fast-moving clouds in the distance when he heard Yinzhen suddenly say, "Fifth brother, I really envy you."
"Hmm?" Yinqi put down the binoculars and turned to look at Yinzhen. "What do you mean, Fourth Brother? What are you envious of me for?"
"Heh." Yinzhen lowered his head slightly, looking at the small-leaf red sandalwood Buddhist beads hanging on his wrist. He seemed to no longer envy Yinqi so much. He simply said, "Concubine Yi's mother knows so much about Western things. You've been influenced by her. Not only me, but I think even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is envious."
After receiving Xiu Yu's instruction, Yin Qi no longer showed any arrogance in front of others. It was only because he always played with Yin Zhen that he felt that although the two brothers did not have the same mother, they had a very good relationship, so he stopped hiding it.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince doesn't envy us. He has his uncle praising him every day and his Khan father doting on him. Why would he envy us?"
Yinzhen patted the back of Yinqi's head like a little adult: "Yes, we really don't have anything worthy of his envy."
"Hmm..." Yinqi hesitated. He blinked his bright eyes, approached Yinzhen mysteriously, and said, "Actually, there's a little bit of that. My mother is very pretty, don't you think so, Fourth Brother?"
Yinzhen's face froze. He really didn't know what to say in response. Praising someone else's mother for her beauty was just a joke! After a long pause, he just said, "My mother is also very pretty." This mother was referring to Tong Jia Zifu.
On a winter day, heavy snow fell. Ever since Xiuyu heard that Yinzhen hadn't been loved by his biological mother, she'd become even more attentive to the Fourth Prince. Not only did she bring Yinzhen with her when she was teaching Kejing and Yinqi theoretical knowledge, but now, as they were grilling around the fire, Xiuyu had Yinqi go to Chengqian Palace to invite Tong Jia, Zi Fu, and the Fourth Prince to join them.
"The snow is really getting heavier." Tong Jia Zifu and Xiu Yu have become more familiar with each other recently. When the two meet privately, they don't follow the rules.
Xiu Yu invited Tong Jia Zi Fu to sit down, and took the hand warmer that Xiao Tao handed over to her. "It's only when it snows that we can gather around the fire to barbecue. Hot pot is also good. It's a pity that I'm not feeling well right now. Otherwise, we could move to the corridor and eat while enjoying the snow. It would be very comfortable."
"You really know how to live a simple life." Tong Jia Zifu put the hand warmer aside, took off Yinzhen's fox fur coat herself, and warmed Yinzhen's ears with her own hands. She said to Xiu Yu, "Our Xiao Si has been spoiled by your cooking skills. When he eats snacks, he thinks of the plum blossom cakes you made for Xiao Wu. When he eats, he thinks of your hot pot and barbecue."
"Mother, no way!" Yinzhen said it toughly but his body was honest. He had already picked up the chopsticks and was waiting for the meat on the stove to be cooked.
Yinqi held a small plate in his left hand and a small spoon in his right. He scooped a spoonful of lettuce sauce, then scooped some crushed peanuts and sesame seeds, mixed them well, and handed it to Yinzhen: "Fourth brother, this lettuce sauce made by my mother is delicious."
Yinzhen nodded and thanked him.
Xiu Yu filled a small dish of dry ingredients for Yinzhen and said with a smile, "This dry ingredient is freshly made. Xiaowu and the others haven't tasted it yet." Then she handed Yinzhen a piece of roasted beef.
"Mother is biased." Ke Jing defended herself and Xiao Wu: "As soon as Xiao Si came, Mother forgot about Xiao Wu and me."
"Your mother has forgotten you, but Empress Tong remembers you." Tong Jia Zifu picked up a piece of meat for each of the two little ones, Kejing and Yinqi. "If you two are willing, I would also be happy to live with Yinzhen in my Chengqian Palace."
Xiu Yu knew Tong Jia Zi Fu was joking. While adding warm plum juice to her glass cup, she said, "You let them go? I'm afraid they'll tear the roof off Chengqian Palace."
Tong Jia Zifu looked at the roof of Yikun Palace and said, "I didn't see your roof being torn off by those two. Isn't it still in good condition?"
The two ladies and the three little guys laughed, and Xiu Yu let Xiao Tao help her up. She said, "The after-dinner snacks haven't been prepared yet. Imperial Concubine, please continue grilling the meat with these three little guys."
"Leave it to the servants," Tong Jia Zi Fu said, "I'll prepare it with you and learn how to make it. I'll make it for Yin Zhen and the others later. In a few months, when you're laid up, someone will be able to make it for those three little dumplings when they want to eat."
"You?" Xiu Yu shook her head. "I'm afraid they can't learn it. After a few months, we should temper their tempers and ask them to wait patiently."
"You look down on me so much?" Tong Jia Zifu walked over to Xiu Yu and rolled up her sleeves. "I really don't believe it. Is it that hard to learn how to make a snack?"
The result, of course, was a slap on Tong Jia Zi Fu's pretty face. From kneading the dough to mixing the fillings, she had to make various shapes, such as the shape of a flower, and control the oil temperature when frying so that the petals could bloom. Tong Jia Zi Fu shook her head repeatedly when watching this.
"You're being a bit too meticulous, aren't you?" Tong Jia Zifu looked at the lotus-shaped pastry Xiu Yu had just pulled out of the wok and couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of her heart, "Let alone me, a woman who's never touched a woman's flesh and blood, even someone else in the harem wouldn't be able to match your skill."
Xiu Yu gestured to Xiao Tao to take the dim sum out of the steamer. She rubbed her waist, sat down, and said, "I knew this skill wouldn't be easy to learn. Is your Royal Concubine willing to learn?"
Tong Jia Zifu smiled and said, "As for me, I'd rather eat ready-made food. The food made by the small kitchen can't compare to yours, but it can at least save me some trouble."
Yinzhen looked at the various dim sum on the plate and sighed sincerely: "Mother Yifei is really amazing. My fourth sister and fifth brother are so lucky."
Yinqi was dissatisfied: "Fourth brother, every time my mother brings me snacks, I always share them with you. Don't you have the pleasure to enjoy them?"
Yinzhen said, "You two can see how each of these fancy snacks is made. You will enjoy both your taste buds and your eyes. I only enjoy the food but not the eyes. Is that right?"
"What's the point of arguing about this?" Tong Jia Zifu couldn't stand it any longer: "We've feasted our eyes, now it's time to feast our mouths."
The three little dumplings each picked out what they liked and placed it on the plate in front of them.
Barbecueing in one's own palace while entertaining two people from Chengqian Palace was certainly tiring. Fortunately, the atmosphere was harmonious, and Tong Jia Zifu didn't act like an imperial concubine. The servants in Yikun Palace were happy to serve these two masters.
A few days after the dinner, big red lanterns were hung in the Forbidden City in preparation for welcoming the new year.
Xuanye was currently training his navy in preparation for the Lunar New Year. Fortunately, the Qing Dynasty's current stockpile of firearms was far greater than it had been in the past, and the navy currently training in Dongting Lake was also working very hard. Everything, at least for now, seemed to be going well, so this Lunar New Year was quite lively.
There were fewer overt and covert verbal battles at the family dinner on New Year's Eve, probably because there were more and more children in the palace and more and more laughter. Xuanye controlled the whole situation, starting and ending on time.
Yinqi and his group of little friends were having a blast at first, but when it came time to set off the fireworks, Kejing stayed close to Xiuyu, covering her ears with her hands. Yinqi and Yinzhen lit the fireworks together, then ran to their respective mothers, looking up at the fireworks exploding in the sky.
Accompanying Concubine De was the Sixth Prince, Yinzuo. Yinzuo had not been in good health for the past two years, so Concubine De devoted almost all her attention to the Sixth Prince, who was her own son. When Yinzhen stood beside Tong Jia Zifu, he had secretly glanced at Concubine De, but seeing that Concubine De's heart and eyes were completely focused on his Sixth Prince, Yinzhen's clenched hands gradually loosened, and he tugged at Tong Jia Zifu's sleeve, saying, "Mother, would you like to stay up with me for a while to celebrate the New Year?"
"You?" Tong Jia Zifu picked up the little dumpling Yinzhen and said with a smile, "It's nice to talk now, but I'm afraid that when we return to Chengqian Palace, you'll yawn and fall asleep, and mother will have to wake you up to eat dumplings."
Yinzhen smiled sheepishly: "Don't worry, mother, I will keep my word this time."
After the fireworks in the imperial city stopped, the concubines from each palace brought their children back to their own palaces to prepare for the midnight hour.
In Chengqian Palace, Yinzhen was really putting in his best effort and making dumplings with Tong Jia and Zi Fu. However, the appearance of the dumplings was really terrible.
It’s different in Yikun Palace. Xiu Yu is skilled and makes all kinds of dumplings. Ke Jing and Yin Qi follow her example and their own dumplings are actually about 40% similar.
Xiao Tao helped and said, "Our princess and prince are really smart. They learn things quickly."
Kejing and Yinqi rushed to praise Xiuyu: "Mother taught me well."
Xuanye first sent Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager back to the palace, and then sat in a sedan chair and came to the Yiku Palace.
"It's snowing outside. Tomorrow morning, Yinqi and the others might be able to go out and have a snowball fight."
Xiu Yu was accustomed to the fact that Xuanye would come to Yiku Palace to stay up with her on New Year's Day every year. Kejing and Yinqi also knew that their father would definitely come, so after paying their respects, they asked their father to see if the "dumplings" they made were good.
Xuanye said, "You two made some, it won't boil soon, drink some soup!"
"Of course not." Ke Jing pursed her lips and turned to complain to Xiu Yu: "Mother, Khan Ama said we didn't do well."
Xiu Yu shook her head and smiled faintly: "I'll cook one pot of the ones my mother made, and another pot of the ones you two made. Even if it boils, it doesn't matter."
Kejing and Yinqi looked at each other and stuck out their tongues.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
