Chapter 9 Spicy Appetizers
When the sun was high in the sky, the kitchen finally brought in breakfast. The maids filed in and set the table neatly and orderly.
Cui Ying was originally very hungry, but after all the food was laid out, she put down her chopsticks and stared at the steamed fish on the plate.
Cui Jin placed the bowl of bird's nest porridge in front of Cui Ying and said softly, "Didn't you say you were hungry, Miss? Eat quickly, it's not good for your stomach if it gets cold."
Cui Ying rested her chin on her hand, lazily exhaled, glanced at the food, and said with little interest, "What is all this?"
Cui Jin took the menu from the maid and dutifully recited the names of the dishes: "These are rock sugar bird's nest porridge, jade shrimp, steamed pigeon with lily bulbs and red dates, steamed sea bass, yam and pork heart soup, steamed goji berry sprouts, and lotus leaf fish ball soup—"
Cui Ying covered her ears: "Okay, stop reading, I know what it is."
A whole table of dishes, all either steamed or boiled, not even a single appetizer.
If this were at the Duke's mansion, the first bowl served should be a bowl of hot and sour soup sprinkled with scallions.
Cuijin noticed that her young mistress had no appetite, so she suggested, "If you don't want to eat these, why don't you ask the kitchen to make them again?"
Cui Ying waved her hand: "Forget it, it's too much trouble. Go to the kitchen and get me a few bell peppers so I can eat more rice."
Cui Jin agreed and went to the kitchen herself to find peppers.
Feeling bored and with nothing around to amuse him, Cui Ying turned his attention to the food.
She scooped out the fish balls and stuffed them into the fish's mouth, mentally giving this new dish a name: "Why are you in such a hurry to harm each other?"
Then he took the shrimp out and put them into the pork heart soup, giving it a new name: "Killing the Heart and Destroying the Soul".
Just as she was engrossed in researching her new recipe, Cuijin entered the room, wiping her sweat, and said, "Miss, there are no chili peppers in the kitchen, so I suppose you won't be able to eat any."
Cui Ying's eyes widened, and she forgot all about studying the new dish, exclaiming incredulously, "What? The Yongding Marquis's kitchen is so big, and you can't even find a single chili pepper?"
Cui Jin nodded: "The head cook in the kitchen said that peppers are a foreign import from the Hu people. They are a strange and unorthodox thing. Only common people eat them as a vegetable. Eating them is bad for your health. If you want to eat spicy food, there is dogwood available."
Cui Ying was completely exhausted and slumped on the table, whimpering: "The dogwood is tasteless. What's the difference between eating it and not eating it? I don't want it. I want chili peppers."
Cui Jin looked troubled, unsure of what to do.
Cui Ying had no intention of making things difficult for her maid, so she said, "Never mind, I don't have an appetite anymore. You can share the food. I'm going to go back to sleep."
After saying that, he propped himself up, swayed as he climbed onto the bed, tilted his head to the side, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
But I didn't sleep very comfortably.
Xiao Qiyu's bed was too hard. Although she could feel that there were many soft mattresses on it, it still couldn't compare to her own bed.
The bed was uncomfortable enough, but the empty stomach made it even more uncomfortable.
Cui Ying hasn't eaten anything since she got into the bridal sedan chair yesterday; it's been two days since she last ate.
Right now, all she wants to eat is something spicy and appetizing, like shredded pork with chili peppers, stuffed pork with chili peppers, roast goose with chili powder...
The smell of chili peppers lingers in my dreams and waking life.
No, I absolutely have to eat bell peppers today!
Cui Ying suddenly sat up.
Cui Jin was busy serving food to the maids below when she noticed the commotion on the couch. She quickly went over and asked, "What's wrong, Miss? Did you have a nightmare?"
Cui Ying stared intently, her eyes unblinking, revealing a stubborn determination. She said, word by word, with utmost seriousness, "I've made up my mind. I must eat chili peppers today."
Cui Jin was utterly helpless, both laughing and crying: "But there's nothing in this mansion, so even if you really want it, there's nothing you can do."
Cui Ying turned to look at Cui Jin, her expression inscrutable, and said, "There aren't any in the manor, but there are some outside."
Cui Jin's smile froze on her face as a strong sense of foreboding washed over her, and she immediately tried to stop her young master.
However, Cui Ying had some rudimentary martial arts skills, and her movements were much faster than the average person. While Cui Jin was still in a daze, she had already rolled off the bed and was about to take a step.
"You mustn't, young lady!"
Cui Jin grabbed Cui Ying's waist and cried out, "This is the Yongding Marquis's residence, not the Weiguo Duke's residence, miss!"
“If you sneak out of your own home and are discovered, you will only be confined to your home by your wife for a few days. But you are a newlywed bride now. Since ancient times, how could a newlywed bride sneak out of her husband’s home? If this is discovered, the Yongding Marquis’s mansion will be gossiped about. This is unacceptable, truly unacceptable, young lady!”
Cui Ying sighed: "Let me go first, I won't run away."
Cui Jin loosened her grip with a hint of disbelief, looking at the unruly little ancestor with a worried expression.
Cui Ying didn't run away; instead, she went straight to the back of the antique display shelf.
In front of the bookshelf against the wall, there was an ebony desk, simple and clean, without any fancy decorations.
Aside from writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, there was only a neat stack of documents on the desk. From bottom to top, they were the *Book of Rites*, the *Great Learning*, the *Book of Documents*, and *The Art of War*. The first three volumes were as clean as new, their colors raw, as if they had never been opened since they were placed there. Only *The Art of War* had clear, bright pages, showing that its owner frequently consulted it.
Cui Ying quickly ground the ink, then took a clean sheet of Xuan paper from the bookshelf behind him, sat down in the chair, and began to write characters earnestly.
"Stir-fried pork with chili peppers, stuffed pork with chili peppers, a roast goose, and a box of chili pepper powder..."
Cui Ying looked serious, her delicate red lips pressed tightly together; anyone who didn't know better would think she was writing something serious and important.
Having written enough about food, she suddenly paused, thought for a moment, and continued writing: "A pot of perilla drink, a pot of walnut milk, a pot of plum juice..."
There was plenty of food and drink, but Cui Ying still felt something was missing.
What did she usually do when she was at home, eating and drinking?
Scratching his head, Cui Ying suddenly had a flash of inspiration and picked up his pen to continue writing: "The Investiture of the Gods: The Howling Celestial Dog and the Untold Stories of King Zhou of Shang... Remember to buy the unedited old version, remember, remember."
With food, drink, and sights all provided, Cui Ying was quite satisfied. She folded the paper and handed it to Cui Jin: "Find a servant to run errands and have him buy everything on the paper for me. Remember to give him a generous reward."
...
As the sun sets in the west and dusk settles, fiery clouds fill the sky, their vibrant colors resembling the hem of a woman's wedding dress, merging with the banners of the restaurants on the street, fluttering amidst the bustling crowds.
"Sir, Liu Bochen, the gatekeeper of the Vermilion Bird Gate, has finished his shift and left the team—"
"The gatekeeper of the Vermilion Bird Gate, Ji Chang, has finished his shift and left the team—"
"Qian Rugou, the gatekeeper of the Vermilion Bird Gate, has finished his shift and left the team—"
The city gate was bustling with noise.
Xiao Qiyu shifted his gaze from the fiery red sky in the distance to his three subordinates: "Have you all handed over the duties?"
Liu Bochen, who was in the lead, cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to the commander, the handover has been completed."
Xiao Qiyu nodded: "Let's go back."
The three answered in unison: "Yes!"
As soon as the words were spoken, Ji Chang and Qian Rugou both set off to leave, but Liu Bochen did not move. Instead, he walked towards Xiao Qiyu.
Beneath the majestic city gate, a young man rode a black horse, clad in light armor. A crimson robe covered his strong and upright body, and his face was as handsome as jade, with unparalleled good looks.
Among those entering and leaving the city gates, there were often young women in groups. When they saw this young officer, the girls blushed, whispered among themselves, and ran away.
Liu Bochen dismounted and said, "Qilang, you should go back quickly. The bride is newly married, how can you leave her alone in an empty room? If you are worried, I will stay and guard tonight. I guarantee that not even a fly will be able to get into the Vermilion Bird Gate."
Since His Majesty lifted the curfew, night market shops have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and the streets are bustling like never before. The number of people out on the streets is more than three times that of the daytime. As a result, the task of inspecting the city gates has become of paramount importance. We must not only keep an eye on fugitives from various provinces, but also guard against Turkic spies. We must not relax our vigilance at any time.
The Vermilion Bird Gate is the main city gate, and it receives the most people among the five city gates. All the responsibility rests on the shoulders of Xiao Qilang, who is only ten years old.
As night fell and torches were lit, Xiao Qiyu's eyes were fixed on the faces of the people entering and leaving the city gate. His gaze was sharp as he asked, "Old Liu, are there any differences in appearance between Han Chinese and Turks?"
Liu Bochen sighed, realizing he had been talking to a brick wall. He then said, "There's not much difference. The Turks belong to the Northern Hu and look similar to the Han people. The difference is with the Western Hu, where there are more blond-haired and blue-eyed people... I'm telling you, Qilang, you should take my advice. You can't be careless when it comes to marriage. I've been through it all, and I know how serious it is."
"You should mind your own business," Xiao Qiyu said without changing his expression. "Everyone has their own way of getting along as a couple, and it's not appropriate for me and that person to meet."
They start fighting as soon as they meet.
Liu Bochen said, "Seventh Brother is right, but what you said probably only applies to long-married couples. You just got married, and you left your wife alone at home the next day. To put it bluntly, you are disrespecting my wife's entire family. It is disrespectful."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiyu was slightly taken aback and looked at Liu Bochen.
Is it disrespectful to people?
He didn't think that much about it.
Seeing that he had finally listened, Liu Bochen spoke even more earnestly: "Besides, think about it. A delicate and frail young lady suddenly marries into a strange family. She is not used to the food and living conditions, has no relatives by her side, and her husband abandons her. How can you expect her to feel good?"
Xiao Qiyu focused his mind, his grip on the reins tightening slightly.
Although he found it hard to associate Cui Ying with "gentle and weak," he took the fact that she "didn't like the food and lodging" to heart.
The family has many elders who have always preferred light flavors. To save time, the cooks always steam or boil the dishes. Over the years, even he himself has stopped liking his own family's food, let alone Cui Ying.
That guy has been hanging out in the streets since he was a child, and he's become quite picky about food.
Maybe she hasn't eaten since this morning...
Xiao Qiyu's heart sank suddenly. He looked up at the sky, which had become completely silent, and gently squeezed his horse's flanks. He said to Liu Bochen, "Thank you for keeping watch today. I will take your place another day."
"Of course, of course, Qilang, hurry home," Liu Bochen said hastily.
Xiao Qiyu gave a low shout of "Giddy up!" and the horse reared up and disappeared into the crowd in an instant.
Two incense sticks later, the sound of horses' hooves appeared outside the back gate of the Marquis's residence.
Xiao Qiyu strode towards his courtyard, carrying a food box filled with various snacks from the night market.
The moonlight was like water, the shadows of the trees in the courtyard swayed, the pond rippled, and the young man walked briskly.
As soon as Xiao Qiyu stepped onto the corridor, he heard laughter coming from inside the room.
Cui Ying's laughter.
Without thinking much, he walked straight up and pushed open the door.
The lights were bright, and the aroma of charred fat filled the air. Countless oil-paper packages were scattered on the ground, and half a roast goose sat on the table, its bones strewn all over the place. There were also half-eaten candied fruits and pastries, and half-finished plum juice...
The culprit lay on the bed, its calves swinging leisurely, its two delicate, white feet bobbing up and down, its tiny toenails glistening with vibrant balsam juice, making them look smooth, lustrous, and fragrant.
Cui Yingben was chuckling to himself while reading the storybook. Hearing the door open, he turned around and saw Xiao Qiyu. He then turned back to her without a care and said casually, "There's still some left on the table. Eat and drink as you please, make yourself at home."
A note from the author:
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