Yan Qiushu's hands felt sore after cutting for a while. She looked down and saw Wan'er looking at her eagerly.

She directly handed the dough in her hand to him and said, "Would you like to try it?"

"Can I?" Wan'er was startled and waved her hands around helplessly, as if she was resisting, but her eyes were still fixed on the dough.

Yan Qiushu smiled and said, "Of course, it's very simple."

She demonstrated it and Wan'er took notes carefully. It was indeed very simple. When she really took over, she was able to cut the face smoothly very quickly.

Yan Qiushu freed her hands and continued to light the fire in the stove that had just been used to cook the scissors. She took out a small milk pot, poured some oil into it, and started to season the food with green onions, ginger, garlic, salt and other ingredients.

Taking into account Wan'er's dislike for spicy food, this seasoning was made in two portions, one salty and one spicy.

After finishing, Wan'er also cut the remaining noodles. She came over excitedly to take credit: "Sister Shu, I'm done! Those little shrimps in the bowl are running around!"

"Wow, that's amazing." Yan Qiushu gave a thumbs up.

Wan'er was so happy that she was smiling from ear to ear, happier than usual, and kept jumping around in the kitchen.

Yan Qiushu was afraid that she would get hurt, so she hurried her out. She was still smiling, with no trace of gloom in her expression.

Yan Qiushu looked at this and felt relieved, so she started to knead the noodles.

The soup was filtered out with a colander, and a small bowl was filled with white and plump noodles that looked like shrimps. Finally, the seasoning that had been prepared in advance and a spoonful of delicious chicken soup were poured on it. The bowl was exactly 80% full, and the scissors noodles were ready: "This is yours, try it and see if the scissors noodles made by our Wan'er are delicious!"

"Yeah!" Wan'er nodded expectantly, and ran to the stone table early to sit and wait.

The maid brought her portion to her.

Yan Qiushu followed closely and took a portion, but her bowl was much bigger than Wan'er's palm-sized bowl. The food at the banquet was cold, and she was used to eating what she cooked herself, so she didn't eat much and was still hungry.

The two sat down and looked at each other until Yan Qiushu said, "Let's eat."

Wan'er then took the spoon and started eating.

The chicken soup is delicious, mixed with the fragrance of pasta. The hot soup is brought to your mouth by a spoon. You take a sip, and your pale lips and teeth are immediately stimulated and you can't wait to take the second bite.

After tasting the soup, eat the scissors noodles.

Different from the usual long and thin noodles, or hand-rolled noodles cut into neat sheets, the scissor noodles are pointed at both ends and soft in the mouth, while the middle is soft and firm. When chewed carefully, the slightly fragrant soup cannot stop the sweetness of the starch from spreading freely in the mouth.

Especially the scissor noodles, each one is so small that sometimes when you don’t want to chew it, you can just take a sip of the soup and swallow it down with a gulp. The noodles are so slippery!

As Wan'er was eating, she realized that the noodles went into her stomach before she had time to chew them. She felt like a fish had slid into her stomach. She was so surprised that her eyes widened. She also thought it was particularly interesting: "Sister Shu, this is so delicious! I didn't even take a bite and it went into my stomach!"

"Yes, it's very slippery!" Yan Qiushu responded with a smile.

Hers was spicier than Wan'er's, and she liked vinegar, so she added some sourness. It was salty and sour, sour and spicy, spicy and numb. In addition, there was the aroma of green onions brought out by the hot oil, and the delicious chicken soup as the base. The taste was so wonderful that she didn't want to stop.

"Huh..." She blew on the spoon full of scissors noodles to cool it down a little, took a big bite, gulped it down, and swallowed it.

It was worth it that her hands were sore from cutting.

The noodles are not too thick and you won’t choke if you chew them lazily.

She swallowed it without chewing, which made Wan'er giggle and she continued eating too.

After finishing a small bowl at this speed, she put down the spoon, supported her chin with both hands, and watched Yan Qiushu eat.

The little girl is very sensible. She knows that it is not advisable to eat too much at night as it will easily cause food stagnation. So she always eats whatever she is given and never asks for more. If Dongdong is not full, she will definitely pester her to continue eating.

Although naughty children easily attract adults' attention, Yan Qiushu pays more attention to the quiet little girl. She usually asks Dongdong to take care of her, and she has been paying attention to her at this time, and she found...

Why is this kid still looking at me?

Her eyes were dark and clear, as if they could see straight into people's hearts. Yan Qiushu felt a little embarrassed by being stared at, and blinked and said, "Why are you staring at me?"

Wan'er smiled shyly and covered her eyes when asked this question.

Yan Qiushu thought she would not say anything more, so she continued eating. But after a while, she put down her hands again and asked in a soft voice with some sincere doubt: "Sister Shu, why don't you hate me and give me delicious food?"

Yan Qiushu was surprised: "Why should I hate you?"

The little girl pursed her lips and said, "I don't have a father. My grandfather is leaving and my brothers don't want me. They don't want to play with me. They say I'm a fatherless child and that we are from the Xiao family..."

Yan Qiushu's face darkened: "Who said that?!"

Wan'er closed her mouth and said nothing.

The nurse behind her sighed, "They are the two children from the Du and Liang families. Actually, it's useless to plan. The third young lady also made trouble before, but people say that children speak without restraint. You can't just grab other people's children and beat them. This time, the young lady wanted to play with them, but the children from these two families didn't want to, so they said such things. The young lady is sensitive and ran out crying."

Yan Qiushu thought about the two families that the wet nurse mentioned, but couldn't remember them.

She didn't have much contact with outsiders as her status was not suitable. She went to Dongdong only to promise to deliver his birthday present, and then she left.

But after hearing this, she still felt a little regretful.

You shouldn’t go to so much trouble to make so many delicious dishes!

She asked the Xiao family to get a lot of fresh fruits. Although the quantity was not large, there were many varieties. Some of them were out of season, but thanks to someone's clever thinking, some of them were preserved.

But these things were eaten by the bullied Wan'er and the Xiao family's children, especially the third daughter of the Xiao family, who seemed to have a very good temper, who was even upset. This must be a serious matter, so she was very heartbroken.

Yan Qiushu's face turned cold, she leaned over and hugged Wan'er, saying softly:

"Don't pay attention to what they say. It's because they are stupid that they think the Xiao family is unlucky. Think about it, what kind of people are your family? Generations of war gods, protecting the country. If it weren't for them, would this group of people be able to stand here and speak now? I guess it's because of the defeat in the war, the displacement..."

She gave examples to prove her conclusion, and then she said, "These people are just stupid. Do we need to care about them? Do we, Wan'er?"

Wan'er was a little dazed, and nodded subconsciously: "Yes! No need!"

Yan Qiushu was satisfied: "That's right. Wan'er, if you hear those idiots talking in the future, will you still keep it in mind?"

"I don't remember!" Wan'er's voice became much louder.

"Yes, I don't remember!" A more determined child's voice interrupted, with a sound of hitting the ground, more determined than what Wan'er said.

They both looked at the same time and saw three people, one big and two small, walking in from the courtyard gate. The big one was naturally Xiao Huaiting. The boy had a look of joy that he couldn't hide, and his expression was very gentle when he looked over.

The younger one is Dongdong, and he was the one who spoke first.

The other one was a little boy who was slightly taller than Dongdong, but much thinner. Under the bright candlelight, his face looked a little yellowish, his chin was pointed, his eyes looked a little big, and his clothes were rather plain. He looked like a child from an ordinary family.

But it was strange. Dongdong, with his status, only interacted with children of noble families. Why would he bring a child from an ordinary family to her yard at this time?

"Little Uncle!" Wan'er shouted loudly, got off Yan Qiushu's legs, and looked at them happily: "Dongdong~"

Yan Qiushu also stood up to greet him: "Come in quickly."

"I'm so sorry to bother you so late." Xiao Huai Ting bowed shyly and was about to express his inner apology when Dong Dong came running over with the child in his arms and said excitedly, "Sister Shu, this is my good friend Heng! I thought he wouldn't come to celebrate my birthday, but it turns out that my uncle brought him here just now!"

Ah Heng?

Yan Qiushu's mind raced, and she soon matched the child that Dongdong talked about every time he came home from school. Although he didn't mention his identity, those who could go to the Imperial College were all children of noble families. How could someone dress so simply?

She was greatly shocked, and guessed that this child was some unloved poor kid, so she smiled and said, "Hello, Ah Heng, you came so late, have you eaten yet?"

Dong Dong answered quickly: "No!"

Then he looked at her with a frown, full of hints.

Yan Qiushu understood. She had originally intended to let them taste the noodles, but now she couldn't. She pinched Dongdong's face on purpose, and her face swelled up with anger. "What a naughty child, why didn't you come earlier? One after another, where are the candied haws!"

But today is his birthday, so I should still pamper him.

Dongdong also felt guilty, so he stood there obediently, looking up at his face and letting her pinch him as much as she wanted.

Yan Qiushu was reluctant to really do it, so she pinched him, and after letting go, she pulled the little boy to the stone table: "Sit down first, Shuijue, bring the sour plum soup over, drink it first to whet your appetite, and then we'll eat the meat."

"Thank you, Sister Shu." The little boy smiled embarrassedly, pursed his lips, and sat down next to Wan'er. His little face turned red and he looked extremely at a loss.

Yan Qiushu gave a few instructions and went to the kitchen as Xiao Huaiting was still watching over them.

But Dongdong was still following her. When she arrived at the kitchen, she turned around and embarrassedly took out his hand that had been hidden behind his back. It was a bag filled with various kinds of meat.

He begged, "Sister Shu, can you make something delicious? Ah Heng rarely eats these. I asked him to come over and eat a lot of food, but he came too late and all the food was distributed..."

At that time, he thought Ah Heng was not coming, and he got angry and did not stay.

Unexpectedly, on the way back from the birthday party, he saw his uncle and Ah Heng standing there waiting for him. He immediately regretted not leaving anything, so before coming, he insisted on going to the kitchen to get something. If Sister Ah Shu was not resting, he could ask her to help cook something.

If she takes a rest, she can only eat something simple.

Fortunately, she didn't rest!

Yan Qiushu had already agreed to it, so she naturally didn't care about it. She took it and said, "Okay, go greet your friends, I'll take care of this."

"Yes!" Dong Dong happily responded: "Thank you for your hard work, Sister Shu!" After saying that, he hesitated for a moment, then stood on tiptoe and pulled her hand. When Yan Qiushu possessed him, he whispered in her ear: "Sister Shu, when you get married in the future, I will definitely give you a lot of dowry! Then when you become a general, no one will dare to bully you!"

Yan Qiushu: “?”

She was embarrassed and waved her hand: "Go away, go away!"

"Sister Shu, don't be shy! Girls are all going to get married." Dongdong left, but before leaving, he smiled and said this, then skipped away.

Yan Qiushu closed the door unhappily.

Who to marry?

In ancient times, when a woman got married, the benefits were too heavily tilted, and it was a loss-making transaction, so it was better to forget about getting married. With the support of the Xiao family, she could buy a farm and become a landlord, grow crops and raise chickens and ducks, and that would be good enough.

As she was muttering, the door was pushed open.

Yan Qiushu didn't even turn around: "What else? If you have nothing to do, go out and play. I can handle it myself."

"It's me." A clear young voice appeared.

Yan Qiushu turned around quickly, and the young man smiled and said, "I'm sorry to bother you so late at night. I'll help you."

"No, go play with them." Yan Qiushu refused.

Xiao Wai Ting did not leave, but walked over to her and took the garlic she was working on: "Is that so?"

"...Yeah." Yan Qiushu nodded, silently made room for him, and glanced over there with her peripheral vision.

The boy was tall, and when she stole a glance at him, she could only see his strong jawline and a very obvious and somewhat sexy Adam's apple.

Looking down, I saw a pair of slender hands peeling a garlic carefully but clumsily.

Her lips curved secretly.

This hand is really beautiful.

The ingredients Dongdong brought were all meat.

There were lamb chops, pork chops, and even a whole chicken. It was obvious what he wanted to eat.

Yan Qiushu decided to satisfy him, but it took a little longer because the roasted chicken needed to be marinated. In order to save time, she asked Xiao Huaiting to take a needle and poke holes all over the chicken while she prepared various seasonings.

She waited until Nanny Xu came over and said the stove was lit before putting the roast chicken and lamb chops in.

It takes a little longer to roast the chicken, so she put it inside, and the lamb chops outside. While waiting, she found a few oranges, put two of them in the oven and roasted them. It can not only cure coughs, but also prevent colds and coughs.

In addition, I made some orange tea with oranges, which has the effect of helping digestion after boiling.

This is what Yan Qiushu learned from the doctor in the mansion after she discovered the magical effect of her golden finger. It is quite effective in dealing with Dongdong who likes to eat something delicious.

They will definitely need it later.

There were three children talking and chatting in the yard. Soon, only two children were left. Wan'er was carried by the wet nurse to say goodbye to Yan Qiushu. The little girl had a good schedule and seldom stayed up late. It was a little late at this time and she could hardly open her eyes. She said goodbye to Yan Qiushu in a baby voice.

After she left, the yard seemed a little quieter.

Until the aroma of barbecue filled the air, the two children, who were also a little tired, sat up straight and turned to the barbecue stove on their left, staring at it intently.

Zhou Zhaoheng, who had never seen such a fragrance, murmured, "What a nice fragrance..."

Dong Dong raised his chin proudly: "Yes, my sister Shu is amazing at cooking! Not only is the food fragrant, but it's also super delicious! I guarantee you've never tasted it before!"

"Yeah!" He nodded vigorously, his eyes full of anticipation, and finally swallowed secretly.

It smells so good.

In fact, he had already eaten dinner, but now he felt so hungry that he could eat a cow!

As if she had heard their thoughts, Yan Qiushu moved. She was about to turn on the oven, but Xiao Huaiting said, "I'll do it. What should I do?"

Seeing this, Yan Qiushu stood aside and gave orders. When the stove lid was opened, a wave of heat came. It was the first time for the boy to do this. Feeling the heat that seemed to burn his hair off, he found that cooking was really dangerous.

He carefully took out the oranges that were roasted with thin skin and lots of juice.

The two boiling oranges were still smoking when he brought them over through the cloth and handed them to the two children.

Yan Qiushu took out other things with tongs to have a look. The oven could not control the temperature, so she had to estimate the time herself. When it was almost time, she would take them out to have a look, turn them over, etc.

After the lamb chops were taken out, they were actually already cooked to a edible degree, but not completely done, so she spread the prepared garlic sauce on them. Children don’t like spicy food, so they only like garlic.

The roast chicken also needs to be turned over and greased with oil.

After sending it back in, Yan Qiushu went to the kitchen again and started to light a fire and cook.

The two children, heads close together, ate an orange together and enjoyed it very much, especially Zhou Zhaoheng. He had heard Dongdong talk about roasted oranges several times, but this was the first time he ate it. Xiao Waiting helped him peel the orange. After the thin orange peel was peeled off, the unusually full flesh inside seemed to be able to expand at any time.

He waited until it cooled down a little before he dared to put it in his mouth. As soon as he bit into it, the sweet and sour juice, along with the warm temperature, was so sweet that it went straight to his heart!

Zhou Zhaoheng was already looking forward to this delicious meal, but after just one bite, he felt that his expectations had been met!

Even a simple orange can be made so novel and delicious, the flesh must be even more delicious!

Yan Qiushu did not disappoint the children's expectations.

After two cups of tea, she timed it so that Xiao Waiting could bring out the grilled lamb chops.

The strong garlic aroma paired with the lamb smeared with cumin and other spices made Zhou Zhaoheng drunk with just one sniff.

The eldest brother had two lamb chops, and the two children got one, while Xiao Waiting got one. The young man even took a knife and helped them chop it up.

The mutton fat was sizzling as it was roasted, and it seemed to be still roasting when it was taken out. Finally, Dongdong couldn't wait any longer, and his mouth was already watering: "Eat it quickly, it's the best! But it's easy to get angry, and Sister Shu won't let me eat more."

He felt extremely sorry, so whenever he had something to eat, he would wolf it down like now, taking one big bite!

The mutton that had been roasted and separated from the bones was torn off. The abundant juice dripped secretly, but most of it went into his mouth. The salty garlic and mutton blended into one. Dongdong ate so much that he didn't want to open his eyes. It felt like his mind was full of roasted lamb chops: "Wow! It's so delicious!"

Zhou Zhaoheng, who also wanted to eat a lot, was a little shy at first. When his father sent him out, he was reminded to be polite and reserved as a guest. But seeing Dongdong like this, he forgot his father's instructions and just wanted to eat as much as he wanted.

He opened his mouth as wide as possible and bit down hard on the lamb chop.

The gravy and garlic juice rushed to the tip of his tongue. Just this bit made his heart tremble. When he ate the meat, he was directly intoxicated.

It’s really delicious!

Dongdong is so happy living in such a home.

The little boy was full of envy towards his friend. While eating, Zhou Zhaoheng also glanced at Dong Dong, who did not open his eyes. However, Xiao Waiting was also standing by and happened to see the glance clearly. He was immediately choked up in his heart and could hardly swallow the delicious food in his mouth.

But Zhou Zhaoheng didn't notice it. After reading it, he just focused on eating.

The lamb chops were not big, so the two boys shared them. Each of them took three or four bites and they almost finished it.

The lamb chops are very fat, but you don't notice it while eating. But after finishing, both of them felt a little greasy. Yan Qiushu brought three cups of hot orange fruit tea, which was sour and sweet with a little bitterness. After drinking it in one gulp, the tea flowed down the mouth into the esophagus, taking away the greasiness in the mouth.

Dong Dong smacked his lips: "Sister Shu is so amazing!"

Just then, a sweet smell appeared in their noses.

They both looked at the same time.

Yan Qiushu came out with a plate: "Sweet and sour spare ribs, try it."

There is no tomato for coloring, but there is white sugar. The sweet and sour spare ribs she made are browned, somewhat similar to braised spare ribs, but the sweet taste is still particularly attractive.

Xiao Waiting was the first to reach for his chopsticks and gave each of the two children a piece of food: "Eat quickly, this won't taste good if it gets cold."

The ribs will shrink a little after being cooked, exposing the bones at both ends and leaving meat in the middle, so they are very easy to remove from the bones, similar to lamb chops. However, compared to lamb chops, these ribs have a sweet and sour taste with a slight salty taste.

Dongdong was so happy while eating that he wanted to hum a song. His short legs couldn't touch the stone bench, so they swayed unconsciously, feeling very happy.

Zhou Zhaoheng was a little more reserved, but he also ate them with complete immersion, one bite at a time, not forgetting to sip the sweet and sour sauce off the bones. After he finished, he looked at Yan Qiushu and praised her obediently: "Sister Shu, this is so delicious! I like it the most!"

"I'll cook it next time and let Dongdong bring it to you." Yan Qiushu smiled contentedly. In addition to satisfying her own appetite, the compliments from others are also extremely important. She was happy to hear that and felt that her hard work was worth it.

She held her orange fruit tea in her hand and took a sip. Compared to sour plum soup, orange fruit tea had a different kind of sweet and sour taste, with the aroma of orange, which aided digestion. She cooked so many extra dishes in the evening and she couldn't help but take a couple of sips. She had to drink something, otherwise she would have trouble sleeping later.

By the time we finished eating all the sweet and sour spare ribs, the last serving of roasted chicken was ready.

However, when the fragrant roasted chicken came out of the oven and was placed in front of the two children, they burped at the same time. Dongdong covered his stomach and said with regret: "It's over! My stomach is so full!"

Zhou Zhaoheng also rubbed his stomach and made the same discovery: "I can't eat anymore either."

Even if he still wanted to eat, the child's stomach was so small, and he had also drunk a lot of tea, so it was unexpected that he could eat so much today.

Both children looked at it eagerly, their mouths watering, but no one touched it. They thought it would be a waste of food if they tried to eat it harder.

Yan Qiushu suggested that Zhou Zhaoheng take the child away directly. Her suggestion was strongly supported by the two children, so when the child was sent out, he was holding a large food box in his arms, which contained a pot of sour plum soup and a roasted chicken.

He was escorted all the way to the palace gate, and then someone came out to pick him up. After various silent transportations, he finally returned from outside the palace to a dilapidated palace somewhere outside the imperial city.

The person who sent him back did not dare to stay any longer and left.

Only the seven-year-old child felt no danger. He just felt that tonight was the happiest and most satisfying day he could remember. He ran towards his parents happily.

The deposed Crown Prince and Crown Princess, who had not slept yet, were also looking forward to it.

Noticing the movement, the two of them quickly came out to greet them. They saw their son's thin face was excited, holding up a large food box with both hands: "Mom and Dad! This is a gift from my friend's sister Shu. Come and taste it while it's hot. It smells delicious, better than anything I've ever eaten!"

They both laughed. The deposed Crown Princess brought her son into the house and said with a smile, "Mom doesn't like it. I'll save it for you tomorrow."

Zhou Zhaoheng looked at his mother in surprise. He quickly opened the food box and presented the still warm and fragrant food to her like a treasure: "This is really delicious!"

How could anyone not like food this good?!

The deposed Crown Princess just shook her head and smiled, firmly refusing this.

Zhou Zhaoheng looked at his father again, not knowing what was going on. His father had eaten it last time and said it was delicious. He thought he would accept his kindness, but this time, the man just shook his head and said, "Dad has eaten it before. It's enough. You can eat this tomorrow. Ask your mother to heat it up for you then."

"Okay." Zhou Zhaoheng was very regretful. He sighed as he could not share this good thing with his loved ones. Suddenly, he remembered something and took out a sticky thing from his sleeve. His childish voice was crisp and intimate: "This is also delicious. It's called sweet and sour spare ribs. It has a lot of sugar. It tastes sour and sweet. I secretly hid it for you~"

He felt a little embarrassed when he spoke, and shared a portion with Dongdong. There wasn't much sweet and sour pork ribs actually, but he was reluctant to finish it all. However, since it wasn't his, he was too embarrassed to ask for a pack up.

So when I finished eating, I couldn't help but secretly left one in my sleeve, thinking of bringing it back for my parents to have a taste each.

The two people who had no reaction to the delicious roasted chicken held their breath at this moment.

With the dim light of the oil lamp, their eyes all fell on the object held in the small hands.

The stuff was really sticky. When the little hand held it, it could be pulled into threads, sticking between the fingers and the thing called ribs. This child's most precious piece of clothing without patches was definitely stained with sugar.

But he didn't care, because he just thought that his parents must have never eaten these delicious things. Their family was locked up in this square palace. Except for him, his parents had never gone out for so many years, which was even more pitiful.

But in fact, although they have not tasted such good things, they have used better ones, such as the top-quality blood bird's nest, well-preserved lychees and spare ribs.

A deathly silence reigned in this dilapidated palace.

The woman's breathing became rapid and restrained, while the man slowly reached out, took the sweet and sour pork ribs that his son had brought to them as a treasure, and slowly put it into his mouth.

The cold sweet and sour pork ribs were a bit hard and greasy, and had a slightly salty taste from the sweat on his son's palms. It didn't taste good. If it were five years ago, he wouldn't even look at it, but now he ate it more carefully than anything else.

After eating, he asked, "Ah Heng, do you want to leave here?"

Zhou Zhaoheng noticed that his parents were in a bad mood, and he subconsciously threw himself into his mother's arms. Suddenly, facing his father's question, his mind buzzed, and he whispered, "Can we leave?"