"Well, if the master doesn't like it, then don't eat it. Guizhi, go to the kitchen and bring two bowls of sweet soup to the master." Liu Min obeyed her husband immediately after hearing what he said. Guizhi agreed and went out to the kitchen.
Not long after Guizhi left, the family was sitting around the table chatting and waiting for the sweet soup when they heard the maid outside say, "Master and Madam, Honglian from Grandma's side came over and said she brought the cabbage and beef meatball soup that Grandma and Grandma had carefully made for you."
"Oh? Call him in."
Duan Ni's interest was piqued all of a sudden, and he quickly asked someone to call Honglian in. He had just been bored with the table full of fat chickens and big fishes, but when he heard about the Chinese cabbage and meatball soup, he suddenly felt his mouth water.
Liu Min frowned slightly, while Duan Tingye and Shi looked at each other, and a bad premonition arose in their hearts at the same time.
Soon, Honglian came in with a food box. She bowed to Duan Ni and Liu Min first, then put the food box on the table. She took out the soup from the box and said with a smile, "My master has nothing to do outside today, so I came back early. I thought it would be best to drink some soup in the hot weather, which can relieve greasiness and reduce internal heat. So, I made this Chinese cabbage and beef meatball soup with grandma. After it was ready, my master tasted it and thought it was light and delicious, so I specially ordered the servants to bring it here for my master and Madam Min to have a taste."
Duan Ni nodded, stroked his beard and asked, "Did you send it to the old lady as well?"
Honglian smiled and said, "Of course I sent it. The old lady likes our grandma's craftsmanship, so grandma always thinks of the old lady whenever she makes something."
Liu Min laughed and said to Duan Ni, "That's true. The eldest grandmother must have learned a lesson in Meiyue Tower this time. After coming out, she has restrained her former domineering attitude in front of others and has become very filial. Even the prince has become much more sensible than before. Otherwise, with the prince's personality, no matter how filial he is, how could he think of cooking himself? This must be because his wife forced him to do so."
Honglian curled her lips inwardly, thinking that what the master said was absolutely right, and the mistress really used this to make a fuss. Seeing that Duan Ni had indeed frowned, she looked at her and asked, "Why did the prince suddenly think of cooking with his wife today?"
Honglian smiled and said as Duan Tingxuan had taught her: "This servant doesn't know either. The master didn't cook before. But today he came back and told grandma that governing a big country is like cooking a small fish, so he wants to learn the skills of cooking a small fish today, and also said that it's a good opportunity to show filial piety to the old lady. So grandma has no choice but to let the master do it."
As soon as he said this, Duan Ni's unhappy expression disappeared, and he laughed, "Oh? He said that? That's right, then has he realized something?"
Honglian smiled and said, "How dare this servant ask the master? I just heard him and the eldest lady talking about the right timing. I think he has some understanding, but these servants don't understand."
Duan Ni nodded and said, "It's rare for someone to comprehend this. Go back and tell your grandfather to come to my study after dinner. Ye'er, you can also come over. Let's listen to your brother's understanding. It's not just that governing a country is like cooking a small fish. It's also true for your career. After listening to it, you may be able to apply it to other situations."
"Yes." Duan Tingye nodded respectfully, with a flash of anger in his eyes. Shi also snorted angrily and turned away, but Duan Ni was happy at the moment and didn't pay attention to them, so he didn't notice this little action.
Honglian excused herself. Liu Min personally served Duan Ni a small bowl of soup. Seeing her husband couldn't wait to take a sip, his eyes lit up. Then he scooped out a meatball with a spoon and put it into his mouth with the soup and vegetables. He closed his eyes and savored it carefully. Her face looked a little ugly. Suddenly, she heard a light snort beside her. She turned around and saw Shi's face full of contempt. But the moment Duan Ni opened his eyes, she smiled again and said attentively, "It can be seen that the master hasn't eaten anything good outside these days. This bowl of cabbage and meatball soup makes you like it so much that you close your eyes and savor it. I don't understand, isn't it so delicious?"
Duan Ni didn't understand his daughter-in-law's dissatisfaction and thought she was just trying to please him. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's really delicious. Come on, you all try it. I didn't know cabbage soup could be so sweet. That's fine, but I don't know how these meatballs are made. Not only are they chewy, but when you bite them, there's even a stream of gravy coming out. The deliciousness is simply indescribable. Alas, I'm not one of those literati who writes in a flowery way. No matter what I say, you can't appreciate the taste of this. Try it for yourself. I guarantee you will be full of praise."
Liu Min and Shi really didn't want to praise it endlessly, but Lord Duan had already said it, what else could they say? Besides, this cabbage meatball soup was indeed delicious. The mother and her two children drank a few sips and were also very surprised. They didn't know why Su Nuannuan suddenly became so capable.
At the same time, in Chunfeng Garden, the young marquis was rubbing his hands in anticipation of the large bowl of cabbage and meatball soup on the dining table. When he saw Su Nuannuan coming in, he couldn't wait to ask, "Can we finally eat it now? If we don't eat it now, it will get cold."
Su Nuannuan smiled and said, "It's cold, so it's cold. Drinking some cold soup in the hot summer is just right to relieve the heat. Well, let me think, have they been delivered to all places? Have you missed any?"
Duan Tingxuan gritted his teeth and said, "I've sent them all. You didn't even miss Aunt Lin. You're so thoughtful, how could you miss anything? I didn't know you were such a thoughtful person. Now it's just the two of us left. We worked ourselves to death to make a pot of soup, but we haven't had a sip yet. My dear Nuan Nuan, please don't be so cautious, or I'll drip my saliva into the soup and you'll have to scream."
"Okay, okay, drink it." Su Nuannuan was speechless for the young master to use such a low-brow threat. When she sat down at the table, she saw Duan Tingxuan put a bowl of soup in front of her and smiled, "My wife has been busy at the stove, and you have made great contributions. Come, let your husband personally serve you a bowl of soup to reward you for your contribution."
"Then I would like to thank you very much, my Lord. You have put a lot of effort in chopping the beef. I will serve you a bowl of soup as a reward for your contribution." Su Nuannuan also smiled and served a bowl of soup to Duan Tingxuan. She was unwilling to accept this guy's hospitality in vain. Just now, when she felt hot while making the soup, she slightly opened her collar. As a result, she soon found that there was something wrong with the look in his eyes when he looked at her. She was regretting it now.
Honglian, Xiangyun, Cong'er and Hua'er, the four young girls, watched this scene and felt that Grandpa and Grandma were truly a loving couple who respected each other like guests and treated each other with respect. They were so happy. After Duan Tingxuan drank a mouthful of soup, he was inspired to praise it, saying things like "Don't say that the world is bitter, as long as you have soup, everything is enough." Honglian smiled and advised: "Grandpa, don't rush to praise it, drink a bowl of soup as soon as possible, otherwise if something comes later, you will have to go to deal with it on an empty stomach?"
"How could this happen?" Duan Tingxuan scolded Honglian: "Don't talk nonsense, I'm not that unlucky."
Before he finished speaking, he heard a series of footsteps in the courtyard. Apparently someone was running in. Duan Tingxuan and Su Nuannuan put down their chopsticks at the same time. Before they could stand up, they saw Siping running in, gasping and shouting, "Master, Eunuch Chang is here on the Queen's orders to invite you to come to the palace as soon as possible."
"Do you know what it is?"
Duan Tingxuan stood up suddenly, not even caring about regretting that he had not finished the bowl of cabbage meatball soup. It was really strange that the queen would suddenly give such an order, and he couldn't help but be frightened.
"I don't know. Eunuch Chang is still gasping for breath in the front yard. He also came here on a fast horse. His legs became weak after getting off the horse, so he sent me to come and tell you the news."
"Okay, I got it." Duan Tingxuan started to get busy after he came back. He hadn't changed into his home clothes yet, and he didn't care to change at this time. He hurried out with Siping. Su Nuannuan watched him leave, and was stunned for a while before saying to Honglian and others: "Your master has left, there are no outsiders here, let's eat all these meals together, otherwise it will be a waste."
"Grandma, do you know what happened in the palace? Why are you in such a hurry to send me over there?" Honglian Xiangyun knew Su Nuannuan's current temper, so she pulled Cong'erhuaer to sit down at the table and asked worriedly.
"How would I know what happened? Anyway, from what Siping said, I'm afraid it's not a good thing." Su Nuannuan sighed and murmured. Perhaps it was because of her fate with Duan Tingxuan that this foodie couldn't keep his heart calm after all. After taking a sip of soup, he put the bowl down and whispered to himself, "Speaking of which, your grandfather has had a hard time too."
"Yes, so grandma should be nicer to me on a daily basis. Although I was ruthless in the past, grandma knows in her heart that you were also wrong back then." Honglian finally heard a good word from her master about the prince, and she quickly struck while the iron was hot to persuade him.
After spending so many days together, Su Nuannuan also knew very well that Duan Tingxuan's character was not really a scumbag who was bad to the core. On the contrary, apart from being a playboy and a bit black-bellied, this man was also a pretty good man in ancient times. He came from a noble family and was both civil and military. Just looking at the identities of Xu Ranyun and Xue Zhilan, they were willing to devote themselves to him, which showed his charm.
However, it is precisely the "romantic" character, which is not considered a shortcoming in the eyes of the ancients, that Su Nuannuan, as Duan Tingxuan's wife, cannot accept. After all, she is a modern soul, and it is impossible for her to share a husband with a group of women.
If you think about it carefully, Su Nuannuan is willing to treat Duan Tingxuan as a friend, but the problem is: she is not his friend, she is the wife of the prince, the wife of Duan Tingxuan, and he is obviously unwilling to treat her as just a friend. So Su Nuannuan never dared to treat Duan Tingxuan well, for fear that he would go too far and exercise his husband's power after getting along well with him, and share the same bed with him, and have sex with him. I really can't do that.
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