The autumn sun fell on the stone lions in front of the general's mansion. When the old housekeeper saw Shen Weiwan carrying a bamboo basket into the door, his gray beard curled up: "Miss, is this a gift from the emperor?"
"That's right!" Shen Weiwan put the bamboo basket on the stone table in the yard. The sunlight shining through the leaves made her eyelashes shine. "Old housekeeper, tonight we have cabbage stewed with pork ribs, the kind with three layers of pork, and add more peppercorns!"
The old butler agreed with a smile, and secretly wiped his eyes when he turned around - since the old general passed away, how long has it been since the general's mansion had such a lively atmosphere?
Three days later, news of Liu's 3,000-mile exile spread throughout the capital. Someone saw her in the West Market, her hair disheveled, huddled in a prison cart, her nails clawing at the railings and cursing, only to receive vegetable stalks and rotten leaves hurled at her by passersby. When Shen Ruorou was taken to the ancestral temple outside the capital, she reportedly fainted three times from weeping. But everyone remembered her scratching herself like a monkey at the Spring Festival Banquet, and no one offered her a handkerchief.
Chen Weiwan stood before the dusty, long-forgotten warehouse, watching the old housekeeper open the golden nanmu cabinet. The jade ruyi within shone warmly in the sunlight. This roomful of treasures, emptied by the Liu family in a previous life using ten carts, was finally returned intact in this life. Her fingertips brushed against a white jade qilin, the cool touch reminding her of the coldness of the snow in her previous life.
"Miss," Chuntao ran in holding a letter. The gilded coat of arms of the Seventh Prince's Mansion on the envelope gleamed in the sunlight. "It's from His Highness!"
The letterhead was written in Xiao Yu's elegant handwriting, with only eight words: "The cabbages have been harvested. I'll wait for you tonight."
Shen Weiwan burst into laughter and stuffed the letter into her sleeve pocket: "Chun Tao, prepare the car! Let's go to the Seventh Prince's Mansion for a meal, and by the way, see if His Highness has burnt the cabbage!"
An alluring aroma wafted through the Seventh Prince's kitchen. Xiao Yu, wearing a moon-white apron, stood before the stove, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, revealing the smooth lines of his forearms. The stir-fried cabbage and meat sizzled in the wok, the soy sauce-colored broth coating the fatty and lean slices of meat. The green cabbage stalks, soaked in the oil, tumbled and curled in the iron pan.
"Your Highness, who did you learn this skill from?" Shen Weiwan leaned over, her nose almost touching his back, the warm smell of oil smoke mixed with the cedar scent on his body.
Xiao Yu turned around, his nose stained with soy sauce but he didn't notice it. A smile shone in his eyes. "I learned this from the imperial chef the other day. Knowing you like sour food, I added half a spoonful of Zhenjiang vinegar."
She picked up a piece of meat with her bamboo chopsticks and bit through the charred skin. The hot meat juices mixed with the aroma of vinegar exploded on her tongue. "Hmm! It tastes even better than the imperial chef's!"
Xiao Yu smiled, picked up a handkerchief, and wiped the grease from the corners of her mouth. When his fingertips brushed her lips, they both paused. The moonlight from outside the window had crept in at some point, casting a silver edge on the stove. The aroma of stir-fried cabbage and meat held a sweetness even sweeter than sugary cheese.
"Your Highness," Shen Weiwan suddenly put down her chopsticks and looked at the grease spots on his apron, "let's get married after we finish counting the warehouse."
The spatula in Xiao Yu's hand dropped onto the stove with a clang. He turned around, the surprise in his eyes slowly transforming into a starry smile. "Alright. I'll ask for your hand in marriage tomorrow. I'll send a sedan chair with eight bearers from the Meridian Gate to the General's Mansion, and let the whole capital know!"
Three days later, the news that the Seventh Prince was seeking to marry the General's daughter spread like wildfire throughout the capital. The old man selling candied haws made up a new jingle and sang it in a long drawl:
"Weiwan is really capable, the emperor gave her cabbage as a reward.
My aunt was exiled, and my cousin went to eat vegetarian food.
The prince is here to propose marriage, and the sedan chair is carried outside the door!
The general's mansion is decorated with red lanterns, and life is sweeter than sweet-scented osmanthus candy—"
Shen Weiwan listened, leaning against Xiao Yu's chest. She played with the red-gold hairpin he'd given her, the pearls swaying gently in the sunlight. The red ribbons from the wedding hall fluttered in the courtyard. The old housekeeper was directing the servants to hang up large red lanterns. The warm yellow light shone on her face, making it feel hot.
"Your Highness," she looked up at him, the tassels of her hairpin brushing his chin, "Do you think the Emperor will regret giving me cabbage?"
Xiao Yu lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, his voice tinged with laughter. "What does he regret? The entire court is jealous of me for marrying a princess who can write doggerel and eat cabbage in a fancy way."
"You are the only one who talks nonsense!" Shen Weiwan hit him, but couldn't help but smile.
Chuntao's voice came from a distance: "Miss! His Highness the Seventh Prince! The kitchen said that the cabbage given by the Emperor is ready. I will pack it for you to take back--"
Shen Weiwan looked at the greasy stains still lingering on Xiao Yu's apron, then at the red silk swaying in the wedding hall, and suddenly felt her eyes warm. The coldness of the snow in her previous life seemed to be melted by the aroma of this stir-fried pork and cabbage. She leaned on Xiao Yu's shoulder, looking at the gorgeous sunset in the sky, with only one thought in her mind: This life is really worth it. Those who hurt her have long become a laughing stock among the people; and she, Shen Weiwan, not only saved her family and avenged her, but also married the man she loved. The days ahead will surely be like this stir-fried pork and cabbage, fragrant, warm, and refreshing!
At this time, in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the old emperor was listening to the eunuchs reciting a new folk rhyme, and he laughed so hard that he slapped his thigh: "Great! This girl really didn't let me down! Pass the decree down, and reward her with two more baskets of radishes from the imperial vegetable garden, so that she can continue to stir-fry meat!" The seventh prince's tutor next to him suppressed his laughter, thinking that the emperor's reward would probably feed the future seventh prince's consort into the capital's number one foodie.
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