At night, Guan Hongsheng went to the manor on the outskirts of Beijing to pick up the elderly couple, Guan Shang and his wife, who were living there in their old age.
"Grandmother, it's me, Yue'er. I'm back."
"Grandfather, how are you all?"
"Oh my, this is my dear granddaughter! It's been over a month since we last met. How come you've become so thin?"
Guan Zhiyue reached out and helped an elderly woman with white hair, saying with a doting expression, "Grandmother, Yue'er missed you so much."
"Alright, alright, Yue'er, my poor Yue'er!"
“Grandmother, I’m not suffering. I still have you, I still have Grandfather, Father and my brothers,” Guan Zhiyue said obediently as she helped the old lady into the dining room.
The two elderly people in Jianwei General's Mansion are Guan Zhiyue's grandparents. The Guan family actually had another child, but he died on the battlefield before getting married, so he did not leave any offspring.
Now, the Guan family only has one son, Guan Hongsheng, and their grandson, Guan Zhiyue.
Guan Shang was also a man of great importance. Guan Shang was Guan Zhiyue's grandfather. He was sixty years old and a retired Grand Tutor of the first rank. As the name suggests, he was the tutor of the Crown Prince in the early days. After the new emperor, Li Qiji, ascended the throne, Guan Zhiyue's grandfather retired and spent his days drinking tea and tending to flowers at home, living a very happy life.
To be honest, Old Master Guan had his own considerations regarding Guan Zhiyue marrying his student, especially since he was now the only son left in the Guan family, and he didn't want his son to go to the battlefield again. So, his decision to have Guan Hongsheng seek imperial decree was partly driven by personal motives.
Guan Zhiyue's grandmother is He Shilian, who is fifty-eight years old. Her family used to be a scholarly family, but later they fell into decline. Guan Shang met her when he was traveling. The two shared the same interests, which became a beautiful story. He loved this child who had lost her mother very much.
Why would a family of civil officials produce a military family? It's because of the father of Li Qiji. The previous emperor was cruel and tyrannical, indulging in pleasure and showing no desire for change. He spent his days eating, drinking, gambling, and womanizing. The reason why many officials now submit to the current emperor, Li Qiji, is largely because they were hurt by the previous emperor.
Therefore, even if the current emperor murders his father, he still has many followers, which is the main reason why the Southern Kingdom can develop peacefully.
"Oh my, what delicious thing is this?"
"Mother, this is a hot pot with two broths that Yue'er made. Yue'er just came back yesterday, so I didn't pick you up that day. Today I made something delicious, so I brought you back so our family can have a reunion." Guan Hongsheng helped the old man to sit in the main seat.
Madam He bent over and fanned the bubbling hot pot with her hand. The aroma was fragrant but pungent, yet she didn't feel uncomfortable at all.
Guan Chengzhuo brought two bowls of medicinal food prepared by Guan Zhiyue from the kitchen and placed them in front of the two of them, saying, "Grandfather, Grandmother, this is the medicinal food that Yue'er asked me to bring out first, so that you two can have some first."
"Why would we need medicinal cuisine?" Guan Shang said, but he picked up the bowl without hesitation.
"Look how anxious you are!" Old Madam He teased her husband while also consciously picking up her medicinal soup and drinking it.
"This medicinal diet is quite good! I feel much better after drinking it!"
"Hmm, it's really good. Why don't you try it, boss?"
Guan Hongsheng said with a smile, "Father, Mother, you drink first, I'll go help you."
Guan Shang watched his son run away and said with a smile, "This child, he said he was going to help me watch the house, but he just ran off to steal some food."
"Hehe, you know that, why did you say it?"
"I'm just rambling on to you!"
"Yue'er, the whole manor feels much more lively now that you're back. It's only been a short time since we last met, but it feels like ages have passed."
"I wonder how she's doing in the palace? When I heard she was banished to the Cold Palace, my heart ached. We couldn't send a petition in, and I don't know what kind of suffering my granddaughter is going through inside!"
"Alright, the children are here. Let's not talk about these things anymore."
"Grandma, Grandpa, how is it? Is it delicious? That's a medicinal meal that I made myself, and I even used ginseng." Guan Zhiyue walked over from the kitchen carrying a tray.
"Little Yue'er, what are you carrying? It smells so good! Let your grandfather have a taste!" Guan Shang's mouth watered as he looked at the two plates of something yellowish-orange that Guan Zhiyue was carrying.
Guan Zhiyue placed a plate of pig's head meat and a side of fatty intestines in front of Guan Shang, asking him to taste it first and then tell him what it was.
Guan Shang didn't care about anything else. He picked up a piece of fatty intestine and put it in his mouth. The aroma of the braising sauce filled his entire mouth. The surrounding area was filled with the flavor of the braising sauce, and the soft and chewy fatty intestine was very delicious.
"Ah, it's delicious!"
"Madam, you must try this! It's really delicious!"
"Yue'er, what are these pieces?"
Guan Zhiyue said with a smile, "Grandfather, this is a cold dish, please try it!"
Guan Shang picked up a piece of braised pig's head meat, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly. He thought it was so delicious that it made his tongue fall off.
"Madam, please try this too, it's so delicious." Guan Shang would urge Old Madam He to eat something as well as she did.
Guan Hongsheng and the others brought all the remaining dishes to the restaurant. Guan Shang was completely bewildered by what he saw. Looking at the plates of raw food, he found it hard to swallow.
What is this?
"These are all raw!"
"Your Highness, what are you doing here?" Guan Shang was somewhat shocked to see His Highness carrying out dishes.
"Grandpa Guan, Madam Guan, I'm here as a guest. Why aren't you two welcoming me?"
"Oh, why aren't you welcome? Welcome! What are you doing here too?"
Li Qishang said with a smile, "My sister-in-law said that if you want to eat, you have to work, so I also have to work."
"That Yue'er, just wait and see how I deal with her!"
As soon as Guan Zhiyue came out, she heard the words about being punished. She smiled and placed a plate of condiments on the side table. She then smiled and said to Guan Shang, "Grandfather, what did you say? What are you going to do to me?"
"Sigh, Yue'er is no longer Grandpa's darling. Grandpa is about to start disciplining me."
"No, you're still my darling, my precious granddaughter. Who would dare to mess with you?" Guan Shang quickly comforted Guan Zhiyue. Tonight, he was going to enjoy a feast of food he had never eaten before.
"Bilian, Shangyao, come to the table and eat."
"We'll serve you first, then we can go eat," the two said in unison.
Guan Zhiyue glanced at the people present and said, "Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, why don't you let them both come to the table to eat? This hot pot is more lively when there are people around."
“Yes, yes, this tastes best when there are many people. When my sister-in-law made this in the palace, there were more than fifty of us eating it together,” Li Qishang added.
Guan Shang wasn't the kind of person who was particularly stubborn, so he agreed. The whole family sat at the table and ate with gusto, their mouths greasy with food. For a time, the Guan residence was filled with laughter and cheerful chatter.
After finishing her meal, Rosamund Kwan revealed that she had pork offal and pig's head meat for dinner...
The young people didn't react much, but the two old people, although they didn't like it, found the taste absolutely amazing. After thinking for a moment, the old man said, "Yue'er, get me that pig's head and intestines. Tomorrow I'm going to show off to my old friends..."
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