Chapter 354: Mutton Barbecue]
No, Xiao Yunshuo was the first to deny this idea.
Although Chen Fenghe is not like other women who are speechless when they see men other than their husbands, she will command men to do things according to her instructions in a dignified manner, and is brave and resourceful, with a heroic spirit that is no less than that of men, but... she will never fall in love with any other man easily.
So... she doesn't trust him, or maybe there's something that makes him unable to satisfy her, so... she doesn't even care about the Crown Princess or the future Queen?
Xiao Yunshuo's mind raced, thinking over and over again. It seemed that the only time she'd let her emotions down was when she'd just said those words...
Chen Fenghe already regretted it and said with a smile: "Your Highness, I was just talking nonsense just now. Just pretend you didn't hear it, okay?"
Seeing her like this, Xiao Yunshuo knew that she had fully armed herself again, hiding the hardness and determination within, and his heart couldn't help but feel even more depressed.
She was on guard against him and wouldn't let him get close to her.
Which man in this world would she be willing to show her true self to?
Thinking that he was not that person, Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but close his eyes tightly.
That’s all…
There is still a long way to go.
He was confident that one day, she would be willing to reveal her true self to him.
If during this process, a man appeared who made her fall in love...
Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but clench his hands hidden in his sleeves.
By then... there will naturally be a corresponding solution.
In short, the whole world belongs to him, including her and her heart.
The carriages quickly returned to the village, where servants had already opened the gate and welcomed both carriages in.
The Yun Mansion was renovated, and on the day Xiao Yunshuo moved in, a group of servants moved in with him.
There were about twenty people in total, from the guards to the cooks, the horse feeders and the carriage drivers, to the errand boys, as well as the maids who were responsible for cleaning and sewing.
Among these people, eight or nine were disguised as Xiao Yunshuo's former secret guards, and the rest were indeed people Yuan Xu had found who had worked in other mansions, or people who looked smart and were recruited.
The Yun family's house was built into a large courtyard with three entrances.
The carriage entered the house, passed the first hanging flower gate, and stopped after reaching the main courtyard.
Those serving in this courtyard are naturally Xiao Yunshuo's confidants.
Yuan Xu had already gotten off the carriage. The coachman opened the curtain and welcomed Xiao Yunshuo and Shen Fenghe out of the carriage.
Even though they were all family, Yuan Xu still put on a good show and said with a smile, "Mr. Su, the young master lives in three main rooms. These two rooms in the east wing are reserved for Young Master Yun. If there is anything wrong with the young master's health, it will be convenient for Mr. Su to get up and check on him immediately."
Chen Fenghe laughed dryly twice.
Fortunately, she was only assigned the east wing, which was much better than she expected.
However, she had to admire Xiao Yunshuo's ingenious arrangement.
Although the Yun family's house was built next door, it was naturally not appropriate for her and Qin Mengyue to have too close contact with the Yun family.
As the saying goes, a widow's door is full of gossips. Even ordinary interactions will be gossiped about.
Therefore, the two families may be in a state of "hearing each other's chickens and dogs but never interacting with each other until they die" in the future.
She had originally thought that even if he moved next door, the way they got along wouldn't change much.
In fact, it might even be less common than the days before when he stayed at home every night.
After all, he already has his own house, and there are probably many people around secretly monitoring her and Qin Mengyue, so he always has to be careful.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yunshuo would take advantage of the fact that she disguised herself as a man to go shopping in the town and let Yuan Xu create a new identity for her.
This way, she could resolve the crisis in the town and enter and leave the Yun Mansion with a legitimate reason. Even if she stayed in the Yun Mansion permanently, no one would be suspicious.
Xiao Yunshuo turned around and glanced at her, then said, "Mr. Su, please follow me."
Chen Fenghe had no choice but to follow him into the east wing.
The furnishings in the room were quite simple. There were many medical books on the shelves, as well as medicine twisters, small scales for weighing medicine, and a whole wall of medicine boxes. Each small square box was engraved with the name of the Chinese medicine in small seal characters, and of course, they were all filled with medicinal materials.
The corners of Chen Fenghe's mouth twitched. These arrangements naturally could not be completed overnight.
It seems that Xiao Yunshuo had planned this a long time ago.
In addition to these, there was also a brocade-covered bed in the room.
Chen Fenghe laughed dryly and said, "Your Highness, you have quite a complete collection of medicinal herbs here, and the arrangements are... very thoughtful. But... although this house is not far from the courtyard where my mother and I live, it's a bit inconvenient to go in and out because there are so many people around. Even if I disguise myself as Mr. Su, how can I switch freely between my original identities? So..."
——Let’s find an excuse to get rid of ‘Mr. Su’…
She can teleport in space, and except that Chen Fenghe and 'Mr. Su' cannot appear at the same time, it is very easy for her to switch freely.
But... is she crazy to rush under his nose?
Xiao Yunshuo glanced at her, raised his hand and opened one of the square boxes on the medicine cabinet, pressing his finger inside.
The medicine cabinet immediately rotated slowly, revealing a secret door, behind which was a secret staircase leading downwards.
Chen Fenghe: “…”
"Your Highness, when did you dig this...?"
Xiao Yunshuo said calmly, "We started working on it a few days ago. However, it's not completely dug yet. This secret passage leads to the second room of the main house in the courtyard where you live. If anything happens in the future, we can act quickly. You can also switch between your identity as a daughter and Mr. Su with ease."
Although Chen Fenghe didn't want to get too close to him, she had to admit that it was indeed necessary for him to dig the tunnel.
"Your Highness is very thoughtful."
Xiao Yunshuo closed the secret passage again and said, "I think we can dig through it tonight. You can have dinner here and then go back through the secret passage. I'll have Yuan Xu talk to Queen Mother."
The dinner at the Yun Residence was quite sumptuous. The cook came over and asked, "We bought some fresh lamb chops and lamb legs at the market today. How would you like to eat them, young master?"
When Shen Fenghe heard this, his eyes lit up and his mood instantly improved.
In this ancient time when there was nothing, only delicious food could comfort her.
Before Xiao Yunshuo could say anything, she said, "Lamb chops? They must be grilled! Light a small stove and place a wire grate over the charcoal fire. The lamb chops don't need to be prepared, and just slice the lamb legs thinly. Do you have any green onions? And sweet potatoes... Oh, and ask the kitchen to make some pancakes, really thin ones, and grill them until crispy. Also, shred the white radish, slice the garlic, and prepare some salt and cumin. That's about it. Oh, and if you could warm up a pot of sorghum wine, that would be even better."
The cook was stunned for a moment.
I heard that Mr. Su was the doctor hired by the young master, and the host family respected him, but he was a bit too familiar, wasn't he? The host hadn't even said what he wanted to eat, and he was already ordering food?
Moreover, the young master is weak and sickly, and his diet has always been light and mild. It would be bad for his health if he suddenly ate food that was directly cooked overcooked.
Isn't Mr. Su a doctor? How come he doesn't even understand this?
The cook didn't dare to respond and subconsciously glanced at Xiao Yunshuo.
Xiao Yunshuo said calmly, "Just prepare as Mr. Su said."
Chen Fenghe also realized that she had been a bit too 'insolent'. She glanced at Xiao Yunshuo with a bit of embarrassment, coughed twice, and said, "Of course... Your young master is weak and not suitable for eating these meaty and roasted foods. So stewing mutton and white radish soup is the best choice. It is both light and nourishing."
The cook naturally continued to look at Xiao Yunshuo, waiting for his master's decision.
Xiao Yunshuo still spoke in a calm tone, "Just do as Mr. Su said."
The cook then agreed to prepare it.
After a while, the ingredients and Huolu Kaoliang wine mentioned by Chen Fenghe were all ready.
The lamb chops were washed with clean water, and according to Chen Fenghe's instructions, they were cut a few times and marinated with salt and cumin.
The sweet potatoes were cut into thin slices, and the green onions were cut into sections. I also asked someone to prepare some clean branches and cut a plate of square pieces of mutton and mutton fat.
Chen Fenghe first placed the lamb chops on the iron net and slowly roasted them, then tied up his sleeves with the cuffs used to tie wide sleeves and began to skewer the lamb.
Xiao Yunshuo was sitting on a soft couch not far away. Seeing her slender arms like white jade exposed because of the cuffs, his eyes couldn't help but darken.
A piece of lean meat, a piece of fat meat and a piece of green onion are skewered alternately, and then grilled on charcoal fire.
Then the sliced mutton is spread on the fire one by one. After a while, it starts to sizzle with oil and emits an enticing aroma.
Chen Fenghe seasoned the food with salt and cumin, and waited until the surface was golden brown before wrapping the roasted lamb and shredded radish in thin crispy pancakes and bringing them to her mouth.
As soon as you take a bite, the aroma of charred lamb instantly blooms on your taste buds.
"Hmm..." Chen Fenghe closed her eyes and savored the food carefully like a sated Persian cat.
The only drawback is that there are only dry ingredients like salt and cumin, but no sauce.
Tomorrow she will have to make some fermented black bean paste, sweet bean paste, soybean paste and the like herself.
Xiao Yunshuo gazed at her lovingly, and couldn't help but curl up the corners of his lips.
Next to the stove for roasting lamb, there is another small red clay stove with sorghum wine on it.
Xiao Yunshuo raised his hand to pick up the wine jug and poured a glass of wine into her cup. He couldn't help laughing and said, "Is it really that delicious?"
The mutton skewers were also grilled. Chen Fenghe took the mutton off the twigs with a pancake, wrapped it in pancake as usual, and was about to bring it to her mouth, saying with a smile: "Of course it's delicious."
As she spoke, she blinked and glanced at Xiao Yunshuo, then suddenly sighed and said, "It's a pity that Master Yun, you are too weak to eat food that has been cooked over open flames. Alas! What a pity... Alas! You...!"
Before she finished her words, Xiao Yunshuo suddenly reached out and grabbed her slender wrist, forcibly pulled the pancake-wrapped lamb skewer that was almost in her mouth, and bit off half of it in one bite.
Chen Fenghe: “…”
After tasting it for a while, Xiao Yunshuo nodded and said with a smile, "It's really good."
As he said this, he took another bite of her hand.
Chen Fenghe suddenly felt his lips touching her fingers, a wet, hot and lingering touch, she didn't know whether he did it intentionally or not.
Her face flushed uncontrollably and she subconsciously wanted to pull her hand back.
But Xiao Yunshuo didn't let her have her wish and ate the last bite from her hand.
"Who said I can't eat it? If something goes wrong, with a doctor like you here, are you afraid that I can't cure it?"
Chen Fenghe: “…”
This is what they call not gloating over someone else's misfortune, right? Besides, Xiao Yunshuo was just feigning illness.
However, Chen Fenghe smiled, she was not so easily "bullied".
"Mr. Yun is right. Even patients are prone to cravings occasionally, so don't be too restrained. Feel free to eat a little. I'll prescribe some gastrointestinal medicine for you later, and you'll be fine."
Xiao Yunshuo smiled indulgently, raised a glass of wine to his thin lips and took a sip.
As he was speaking, the mutton and radish soup was ready and was brought in piping hot.
Cut the lamb leg into large pieces and put it into a pot with cold water. After boiling out the blood, skim off the foam and change the water. Cut the radish into large pieces and put it into the pot together with the lamb. Then add ginger slices, green onions, star anise, peppercorns, dried orange peel, hawthorn and other auxiliary ingredients. Stew until soft and tasty.
After taking it out of the pot, you only need to season it with salt, and no other effort is required.
Drinking a bowl of hot mutton soup in winter can be said to be very satisfying.
Of course, there is also a way to prepare a secret sauce and dip the boiled lamb in it.
However, we already have grilled lamb chops and lamb skewers today, so we'll have to save the boiled lamb for another day.
Chen Fenghe has never been very restrained when it comes to eating. She can eat meat and drink wine with big mouthfuls, so there is naturally no reason for her to imitate the small appetites of those ladies in the capital.
After eating and drinking, Chen Fenghe sighed with satisfaction.
Seeing her like this, Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but laugh and said, "Is it really that delicious?"
Chen Fenghe glanced at him and said, "Of course."
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something, blinked her eyes, and smiled, "Oh, I just said I would prescribe a prescription for you, young master, I almost forgot. I'll go get the medicine right away."
She walked into the pharmacy in the east wing, weighed some astragalus, codonopsis, hawthorn, poria and other medicinal materials with a small scale, wrapped them in paper into several packets, and then came out.
"Drink this decoction three times a day after meals. Drink it for three days and it will resolve the problem of today's diet. Young Master, don't forget to take the medicine on time."
Xiao Yunshuo glanced at her indifferently, without asking any more questions, called Yuan Xu over, and took the medicine to the kitchen to boil it.
Shen Fenghe then yawned and said, "Master, I'm tired. I'll go back to my room and rest."
Having said that, without waiting for Xiao Yunshuo's consent, he returned to the east wing, pressed a mechanism, and went back to his own yard through the secret passage.
The medicine was ready in a short while. Xiao Yunshuo took a sip and almost vomited it out.
He had never tasted such bitter medicine.
Seeing this, Yuan Xu hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong with this medicine?"
Xiao Yunshuo put down the medicine bowl and said calmly, "Open the remaining medicine packets and take a look."
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