Chapter 7
Inside the room, Duanmu Huaixin looked at Wen Weili with concern, "Sister Wen, you were so arrogant and impulsive today. What will you do if those people want to retaliate against you? How about coming with me out of the house and hiding for a while?"
Wen Weili's expression lost its outward arrogance. Hearing this, she smiled softly, "If we want to pull out the 'nail', we should be decisive and swift. Just wait and see. These people, driven to desperation, each have their own methods. I'm afraid that by tomorrow, Prince Huai's mansion will be bustling with activity."
Seeing Duanmu Huaixin still staring at her with his watery eyes, with an expression that he didn't dare to agree but also didn't dare to resist, Wen Weili smiled and ruffled Duanmu Huaixin's soft hair. "It's okay, the people Xinxin lent me are also very useful. It's because they gathered intelligence so quickly and accurately that I was able to make decisive decisions. This is all thanks to them."
"Of course," Duanmu Huaixin said proudly as Sister Wen patted his head with a satisfied look on his face. "They are the secret guards I carefully trained. Although, they are not as good as the secret guards of my father."
Wen Weili's mind raced, "Xinxin, when did the Emperor bestow upon you that concubine Sha?"
"Concubine Sha is probably my father's person." Duanmu Huaixin always had complicated emotions when he mentioned the emperor. This man was the Son of Heaven, and they could never get along like ordinary father and son. They even had to be suspicious of each other.
"I'm afraid Concubine Sha will report what happened in the past few days to the emperor. You'd better be careful in the court." Wen Weili knew that Duanmu Huaixin also had a tough battle to fight outside the mansion. If she were not a girl and could not serve as an official in the court, how much she would want to debate with the ministers in the court and protect her brother at the first moment.
Duanmu Huaixin raised his slightly childish face, his eyes, which used to be hazy and innocent, were now filled with determination. He told Wen Weili seriously, "I know, Sister Wen. As long as Sister Wen doesn't get hurt, Xinxin can protect herself."
Wen Weili looked at her brother-in-law with fondness. Xinxin used to be such a cute little ball, a fair and tender child, holding a big food box, and walking unsteadily, but standing at the foot of the wall of the Wen Mansion, waiting for her pitifully, just to bring her delicious food from the palace.
Seeing Sister Wen lost in thought again, Duanmu Huaixin took Wen Weili's hand and shook it gently. "Sister Wen, someone said yesterday that they sent some rare things that can be used to make delicious food. Would you like to try them?"
"Okay." Wen Weili followed Duanmu Huaixin to the small kitchen.
"Mrs. Li, what delicious food are you making today? Can I learn from you?" asked a fat chef with a silly smile.
"Of course." Wen Weili didn't care whether her cooking skills were leaked or not. It was better to say that now that they had learned it, Xinxin could eat well even when she didn't want to cook.
"No!" Duanmu Huaixin grumbled as he walked from behind Wen Weili into the small kitchen. "Sister Wen came here specifically to make delicious food for me. I won't let you eat it, and I won't let you see it. Get out, get out."
Duanmu Huaixin drove out all the chefs in the small kitchen, leaving only him and Sister Wen.
"Stop fooling around. How are the masters bothering you here?" Wen Weili tapped Duanmu Huaixin's forehead lightly.
Duanmu Huaixin pouted like a child who couldn't get any candy. "Because, if Sister Wen showed them how to cook, they would cook for me once they learned how to cook. But I don't want to eat their cooking. I only want Sister Wen's cooking!"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Don't you eat the same meals they cook on weekdays, the meals cooked in the big kitchen?"
"But this is the ingredient I specially asked someone to find, and I just want to give it to Sister Wen..." Duanmu Huaixin suddenly realized that he had said something wrong and quickly covered his mouth.
Wen Weili finally understood why the various ingredients that were usually delivered to the Wen Mansion mysteriously disappeared after some dishes were prepared.
"You can tell me what you want to eat, and I can make it for you. Why should you go to such lengths?" Wen Weili was both angry and amused. She stopped Duanmu Huaixin who was about to run away, "Duanmu Huaixin, explain it to me clearly, or you won't be able to leave today."
It was over. If Sister Wen called Duanmu Huaixin by her full name, it would mean she was extremely angry. Duanmu Huaixin froze, thinking about how to get through this. He turned around, pinched the corner of Wen Weili's clothes, and apologized to her obediently, "I'm sorry, Sister Wen. Ever since that incident, I only want to eat the food you cook. I can eat food made by others, but it's easy to spit it out, so I don't want to eat it either..."
So that's how it is. Wen Weili stared at Duanmu Huaixin's uneasy face and let out a long breath, "I don't blame you, it's okay, I will cook for you every meal from now on, okay?"
"Well, I'll accompany Sister Wen and cook together," Duanmu Huaixin said with a silly smile, "I like Sister Wen the most."
"Little fool, what do you know about love..." Wen Weili couldn't say what she wanted to say. She thought, Xinxin doesn't understand what love is, does that mean she understands it? It's better not to be so arrogant. Wen Weili swallowed her unfinished words and raised the corners of her mouth slightly, "If you want to eat the food I cook, you have to help me, okay?"
"Yeah!" Duanmu Huaixin nodded vigorously, his face full of anticipation.
"Let me see, what rare ingredients do you have?" Wen Weili opened a bamboo basket on the kitchen counter. Inside was a few pink wild peaches with a few drops of water on the peach leaves. They must have been picked and delivered not long ago.
"There are almost no wild peaches this season, but these smell very fresh, the fuzz on the fruit is very soft, and the leaf stems are intact." Wen Weili was indeed a little surprised. "It really is a novelty. How about I use the wild peaches to cook later?"
"Okay, okay." Duanmu Huaixin had no objection at all.
"In the other basket..." Wen Weili opened the other basket and exclaimed in surprise, "It's actually a stone fish!"
Stonefish is a kind of white fish that grows in the cracks of rocks on the top of cliffs. It is said to be boneless and tastes exceptionally smooth and tender, but few people can catch it.
Wen Weili pursed her lips in an irrepressible smile. This silly brother knew she loved fish, but she didn't like to find bones. He must have found this kind of fish on purpose. Even if his purpose was to get her to cook for him, all the ingredients he found were her favorites.
"Sister Wen, do you like it?" Duanmu Huaixin asked carefully.
"Of course I like him." Wen Weili pinched her soft earlobe and looked into his clear eyes. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart. How could anyone not love such a well-behaved brother? It was because of his sincere heart that she decided to go to the mansion to protect him.
"Let's make mountain peach rice and stir-fried rockfish today." Wen Weili rolled up her sleeves and started cooking with full motivation.
Although the stonefish looked pristinely white, Fumi-ri cleaned it first. Then, with the flat of her knife, she smacked it with a sharp, precise blow. Using a small knife, she scraped the fillet off diagonally, making a tiny scratch in the belly. With years of familiarity, she used the tip of the knife to scoop out the internal organs. She then removed the gills and the fishy streaks, rinsed it under water once more, and it was clean.
On the other side, Duanmu Huaixin prepared the marinade, poured it into the fish and kneaded it, trying to relax every piece of fish meat.
Wen Weili boils wild peaches in spring water, removes the pits, slices them, and soaks them in milk. She then washes the rice and simmers it in a pot. When the steam rises, she covers the rice with the soaked wild peach slices, sprinkles a little fine sugar, and continues simmering.
Duanmu Huaixin handed the marinated fish to Wen Weili and watched her coat the fish fillets with cornstarch, blanch them briefly in boiling water, take them out and let them cool for later use.
Wen Weili asked Duanmu Huaixin to slice the radish, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms, blanch them, and set aside. She also cut the green onions into sections, the chili peppers into slices, and the ginger into slices, setting them aside.
After the preliminary preparations were completed, Wen Weili took the wok, added a little oil, and stir-fried the onion segments, chili slices, and ginger slices. She then poured the radish slices, fresh bamboo shoots, and other ingredients chopped by Duanmu Huaixin into the wok, and then added water, salt, rice wine, and sugar and stir-fried them together.
When the food boils, Wen Weili pours the blanched fish fillets into the pot and asks Duanmu Huaixin to add more firewood and increase the heat. Stir-fry quickly and mix well before serving.
A stir-fried rockfish dish was ready. The aroma of the fish filled the kitchen. Duanmu Huaixin sniffed hard and couldn't help but praise, "I knew it was delicious just by smelling it. Sister Wen is amazing."
"You're so talkative." Wen Weili cursed with a smile. Figuring that the time was almost up, she asked Duanmu Huaixin to open the lid of the pot of mountain peach rice.
"Wow, it smells so good and looks so beautiful." The wild peach slices bloomed like peach blossoms on the white and crystal rice, and the sweet aroma came to your face with the water vapor.
Duanmu Huaixin couldn't wait to pick up a ball of rice covered with peach slices with chopsticks, blew on it, and put it into his mouth. The full aroma of peaches filled his mouth. There was still some peach juice left in the stewed wild peaches, which mixed with the rice, making it even softer and more delicious.
If you taste it carefully, you can taste the sourness of the wild peach in early spring. The rice fragrance and fine sugar neutralize this sourness. In the sweet taste, this bit of sourness seems even more memorable.
Duanmu Huaixin's eyes sparkled. Although he had eaten Sister Wen's cooking many times, he always found it delicious. "Sister Wen, this mountain peach rice is delicious. I love it so much. Can we have it again tomorrow?"
"There will be delicious food tomorrow, no need to rush." Wen Weili smiled and brought another plate of stir-fried rockfish, "Here, try this."
The stone fish was as white as snow, and looked particularly neat because it had no bones. The rising hot steam mixed with the unique fragrance of the fish made Duanmu Huaixin salivate. He keenly smelled the hint of spiciness in the fragrance.
Could it be very spicy? Duanmu Huaixin thought so, carefully picked up a piece of fish fillet, and put it in his mouth. His first feeling was that it was so fresh and tender. The meat of the stone fish was particularly firm. After being stir-fried with chili peppers, it showed a hint of numbing spiciness. However, because of the absorption of radish, mushrooms and other ingredients, the spiciness was not obvious. Only when chewing it carefully between lips and teeth could it be tasted.
Duanmu Huaixin picked up a few more pieces of fish and put them into his mouth. He felt the spiciness hidden in the fish even more and was thinking about drinking some water to neutralize the spiciness.
Wen Weili, who was standing by, filled a bowl of peach rice and handed it to Duanmu Huaixin, "Xinxin, it won't be spicy if you eat this."
Duanmu Huaixin stuffed a big mouthful of rice, and picked up several pieces of fish and put them into his mouth. Just as Sister Wen said, the tender and smooth fish meat combined with the sweet mountain peach rice not only eliminated the spiciness, but also slightly reduced the sweetness that would be felt after eating too much mountain peach rice. Mixed with the aroma of rice, it was even more delicious.
Seeing Duanmu Huaixin so satisfied with the meal, Wen Weili was also very happy. She scooped up a bowl of mountain peach rice and added a spoonful to Duanmu Huaixin's bowl.
The two of them spent a leisurely lunch in the small kitchen eating the fish fillets.
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