Lanqin rolled her eyes at Fourth Master, then put down her plum juice cup and left. Damn it, you always eat more than me!
This was the first time that the Fourth Prince had been given the cold shoulder and eye-roll by one of his own princesses, and he was quite embarrassed, especially in front of his two sons and so many servants.
The two princes were even more surprised that this Princess Niu dared to show their father such disrespect. Their own mothers were either very respectful or extremely sweet and obsequious in front of their father.
Su Peisheng thought to himself: Isn't this all because the master spoils him?
Meanwhile, Madam Yin woke up early to find that the Fourth Prince had taken Lanqin and the other princes out to farm, and her heart sank again. Why did the Fourth Prince bring her here, leaving her stranded? It would have been better if she stayed in the manor. In the manor, she wasn't the only one left alone in her chambers. Now, she watched as others received the emperor's favor every day, while she, pregnant, was left here, cold and lonely, just like her own mother.
"Princess, the weather is so nice, let me accompany you for a walk," Ye Ying said. "Your pregnancy is stable now, so going out for a walk will be good for the little prince in your belly."
Outside the window, the trees are lush and the sun shines brightly; the occasional chirping of birds heralds the imminent arrival of summer.
"Take an umbrella and come with me for a walk." Madam Yin stood up, walked to the door, and leaned against the doorframe, peering outside. Perhaps, if she went out for a walk, she might run into Fourth Master. It was better to stay hidden in the house like this and never even see his face.
As soon as the master and servant stepped out of the courtyard, they encountered a young eunuch under Su Peisheng's command running towards the kitchen.
"Oh, are you going to serve the master his meal?" Ye Ying remembered this little eunuch; he seemed to be the same little eunuch who had delivered the message to Madam Yin last time.
The young eunuch turned his head and saw that it was Lady Yin. He remembered that he had been rewarded for relaying the master's message to her last time, so he stopped, bowed, and said, "This servant is here to deliver the meal to the master and the young princes in the kitchen for Princess Niu."
Madam Yin was startled, but still said calmly, "Then you should go quickly, Father-in-law!"
The young princess took her leave and went to the kitchen. Seeing that Madam Yin looked somber, Ye Ying comforted her, saying, "Princess, I heard from the maids on this estate that there's a lotus pond to the east, and it's full of lotus leaves now. Let's go there and admire the lotuses." Madam Yin nodded and let Ye Ying help her walk towards the lotus pond to the east.
As for Lanqin, she spent millions of brain cells to include all the seasonal vegetables grown and livestock raised on the estate in her recipes.
The kitchen staff had already prepared the ingredients, and most of what Lanqin ordered was already in stock. So, in less than half an hour, plates of her favorite sliced meat began to be brought over.
The dining table had been moved here long ago and was placed under a large locust tree next to the farmland.
The Fourth Prince and his sons washed their hands and faces with water brought by the eunuchs. When they saw Lanqin directing the servants to do something, they quickly ran over to the big locust tree.
"What are you planning to eat?" Fourth Master asked.
A hot pot was already set on the dining table, and next to it was a shelf with a rectangular iron box on it.
"Hot pot and barbecue!" Lanqin smiled mysteriously. She was now going to use her foodie skills to appease those who had underestimated her abilities. Besides, the estate was rich in resources; everything was readily available. She only needed to say a few words, and her subordinates would quickly find everything she needed. The long iron box for holding charcoal, originally used for smelting pig iron in the estate's blacksmith's workshop, was temporarily moved there to serve as a grill. As for the ingredients for the hot pot and barbecue, they all came from what was already available on the estate.
"Roasted lamb chops?" the eldest prince asked. As he said this, he couldn't help but glance at the third prince, afraid that he would cry and make a fuss because the lamb he had held just yesterday was now their meal. However, the third prince obviously hadn't made that connection yet, and just stared blankly around the grill.
"Ugh, these Manchus, all they know is roasted lamb chops!" Lanqin thought to herself, but said aloud, "Today it's all skewers, roasted lamb chops are too greasy. First Prince, look, these vegetables can all be roasted, they smell so good. You can grill them, put them in hot pot, and you can even grill them yourselves, eat and play at the same time."
Lanqin smugly explained her arrangements while glancing at the Fourth Master. He had a smile on his lips, but his face held an inscrutable expression.
"Wow, can these chilies be roasted too?" The Third Prince curiously picked up a string of chilies.
"Sure, brush it with oil first, then sprinkle with salt, cumin powder, pepper, and other seasonings, and then you can put it on the grill. But be careful to flip it often, or it will burn." Lanqin had never actually grilled anything herself, but after imagining a barbecue in the wild, she instructed the servants to prepare these things. As for grilling techniques, she relied entirely on what she had seen when she ate barbecue at the back gate of the university.
"Then teach me how to grill it," the eldest prince suddenly said. "Third brother, why don't you sit at the table with Father? Once I've grilled it, you and Father can eat it." The third prince was still not five years old, and his forehead was barely as tall as the stove frame.
So, with the eunuchs serving them, the Fourth Prince and the Third Prince began to cook hot pot.
Lanqin and the eldest prince then began their first-ever barbecue in front of the smoky grill.
Lanqin held several skewers of mutton in her hand. Relying on her memory, she first brushed on some mutton fat, then sprinkled on some salt, and began to flip them over. The eldest prince took a few skewers of vegetables and, watching Lanqin's movements, began to grill them in a similar manner.
However, barbecuing was not as easy as Lanqin had imagined. The mutton fat on her skewers started dripping down and onto the charcoal, sizzling and smoking, making her eyes sting.
The pain made my hands start to tremble, and the meat began to smell burnt.
"Su Peisheng, go and let Princess Niu rest for a while." Fourth Master couldn't stand it anymore.
When Lanqin looked at the lamb skewers she had grilled, some were burnt and some were raw; they were completely inedible. She then looked at her eldest brother and saw that his skewers were turning yellow, and the eggplants were smelling delicious.
How embarrassing! It's not even as good as what a little kid can bake!
Lanqin pouted and sat back down at the dining table, looking dejected.
Su Peisheng had already ordered his servants to grill various kinds of skewers.
"Hehehe..." The Third Prince looked at Lanqin and began to grin.
...
Lanqin wanted to pull his ear again, but Fourth Master actually grinned and smiled too.
Laugh away! This is my first time baking, is it good or not?
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