Chapter 38038 Three Lives of Fortune
Chapter 38
Qi Jingyan glanced at him, his calm gaze piercing a warning: "Yu Lingchuan, put away your little calculations."
Yu Xiao wasn't annoyed by having his thoughts seen through, but he also knew his plan was a failure. He sighed and stopped talking. He just kept picking up food, eating, picking up food, eating...
However, he had eaten too much noodles in that big bowl earlier, and his stomach was still full. He ate a little of each dish, but after just tasting it, he couldn't eat any more and immediately became angry.
He wanted to make trouble for Mu Shan who served him noodles at noon, but then he thought, it was Mu Shan who advised him at that time, but he was the one who didn't listen.
Thinking about it this way, I got even angrier. Why didn't he listen to my advice at that time?
He couldn't eat, and hitting someone was unreasonable. He was so angry that he slammed his chopsticks on the table, stood up and walked away: "I'm leaving."
Meng Yuning was enjoying her meal when this person suddenly lost his temper. She was startled and asked Qi Jingyan in a low voice, "Your Highness, what happened to Young Marquis Yu?"
Qi Jingyan picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs for Meng Yuning and said, "He's full. Don't worry about him."
Meng Yuning asked in a low voice, but Qi Jingyan answered loudly. Yu Xiao, who had just taken a few steps out, paused and then walked away angrily.
Mu Yun at the side, as well as Mu Shan and Mu Feng at the next table all laughed out loud, especially Yu Yan, the follower of Young Marquis Yu, who laughed even louder and almost fell off his chair.
Seeing everyone laughing like this, Meng Yuning also laughed, thinking that the temper of this young Marquis Yu was quite strange. He could get angry even when he was too full.
The people at other tables ate very quickly. The bowls, plates, and rice bowls were all clean, as if they had been licked.
Meng Yuning's table ate the slowest. Qi Jingyan ate elegantly. Yi'er was young and ate slowly, taking small bites. Doctor Tang liked to enjoy food slowly. Meng Yuning also liked to chew slowly. Su Yang and Mu Yun wanted to eat quickly, but they were slowed down by everyone else.
So they waited until the guards over there cleared the tables before they finished their dishes and each of them had a bowl of carp and tofu soup to drink.
Meng Yuning carefully checked Yi'er's bowl of soup to make sure there were no fish bones before handing it to him. However, she still reminded him, "Yi'er, drink slowly with a spoon. If you find a fish bone in your drink, spit it out. Otherwise, it will hurt."
Yier said yes obediently, held the bowl, picked up the spoon, and drank slowly, one spoonful at a time.
Meng Yuning also served herself a bowl. The soup was thick, white and delicious, without any fishy smell. The tofu soaked in the soup had both the aroma of beans and fish, and was very delicious.
Qi Jingyan looked at the intoxicated expressions of Aning and Yier and couldn't help laughing, so he drank another bowl of soup as well.
After everyone finished eating, a guard came up and cleared the table. Meng Yuning took Yi'er for a walk hand in hand on the deck to help digest the food. Qi Jingyan turned his wheelchair by himself and followed silently behind.
Meng Yuning turned around and said, "Your Highness, how about I push you?"
Qi Jingyan smiled and said, "No need, you guys go your way."
Meng Yuning ignored them and continued to circle around the deck with Yi'er in her hand. Qi Jingyan turned his wheelchair, followed with a smile on his face, and never fell behind.
On the third-floor terrace, Yu Xiao sat on a chair with his arms folded, looking at the scene below. He sneered, "Pervert, you're too rude to watch."
After saying that, he moved the chair and turned in another direction.
Yu Yan came upstairs, walked to Yu Xiao's side, and asked, "Young Marquis, how long do we plan to stay on this boat?"
Yu Xiao looked at him: "What?"
Yu Yan thought of tonight's meal and was filled with aftertaste: "It's nothing special, it's just that the dishes made by Miss Meng are really delicious."
"Eat, eat, eat. All you do is eat every day." Yu Xiao scolded with a look of disgust. After scolding, he changed the subject: "But since you want to stay so much, then stay."
Yu Yan thought to himself, Young Marquis, don’t you want to stay? Why do you have to blame him?
But as long as he could stay, he didn't mind taking the blame, so he said yes with a smile, and then asked, "Young Marquis, if His Majesty knew that we were with His Highness, would he be angry?"
Yu Xiao sneered: "What's there to be angry about?"
His Majesty's order to him was to see the person alive or the body if he was dead.
His Majesty looked very sad at the time, and it was obvious that he thought Yun Zhou had died outside, so he was so generous as to let him lead 3,000 cavalrymen to search for him.
In fact, he had already found the traces of Yun Zhou and the others a long time ago, but he was busy cleaning up those bastards who intended to do something bad to Yun Zhou, which wasted time.
He had originally wanted to follow him secretly for a while, but today he saw that Qi Yunzhou actually treated him as a big enemy, so he was so angry that he showed up.
But since he has already appeared, then we should just escort him all the way to Lingnan. If we go our separate ways to avoid suspicion, wouldn't that seem too deliberate?
Besides, why should Qi Yunzhou have good food and shelter while he drinks dew and eats grass? This is unfair.
Speaking of accommodation, Yu Xiao ordered: "Go tell Prince Shen that I want to sleep with him tonight."
Yu Yan recalled what he had overheard from Mu Feng and the others' conversation. Now His Highness and Miss Meng were sleeping together. He looked embarrassed and said, "Ah? This is not good, right?"
Yu Xiao raised his foot and kicked him: "What? I told you to say it, so just go and say it."
He and Yunzhou have been playing together since they were one year old. From childhood to adulthood, they have slept together for countless days and nights.
But later the two had a falling out and became estranged.
This time, Yun Zhou had undergone a drastic change, and he had actually always wanted to have a good chat with him, even if it was just to sit there and accompany him silently.
But he was afraid that it would make His Majesty more suspicious of Yun Zhou, so he had to continue to be a stranger to him.
Now that we finally meet, it’s natural for us to spend the night chatting.
"Okay, I'll tell you right away," Yu Yan replied. He then stood up and leaned over the railing of the third-floor terrace. He said to Qi Jingyan, who was strolling in his wheelchair on the second-floor deck, "Your Highness, our young marquis asked me to tell you that he wants to sleep with you tonight."
Before Qi Jingyan could speak, Yi'er took the initiative to wave her hands: "No, brother wants to sleep with Yi'er."
Seeing Yi'er talking, Yu Xiao also stood up and leaned on the railing: "You little kid, just sleep with us."
Three years ago, when the Queen gave birth to Yi'er, he and Yun Zhou had already "fallen out", and he never had the chance to see Yi'er in person.
Later, when Yi'er was a hundred days old, Yunzhou wrapped Yi'er in a cloak in his arms, secretly took him out of the palace, climbed over the wall to his house in the middle of the night, took Yi'er out of his arms and showed him.
Yun Zhou, this guy, actually dared to sneak such a young child out. He was so shocked that he wanted to beat him up.
But when little Yi'er saw him, she gave him an innocent, toothless smile, and that little look almost melted his heart.
From then on, he vowed to treat Yi'er as his own brother.
Unfortunately, later on, except for Qi Jingyan bringing Yi'er to meet him secretly every year, they never had the chance to see each other more often.
Fortunately, Yi'er has a good memory. When they met this time, he still remembered him and was not shy at all.
The three of them were staying together tonight, so it was a good opportunity for him to get to know Yi'er better, in case they went to Lingnan and he returned to the capital, it would be hard to say when they would meet again.
Oh, by the way, the first time Yunzhou secretly brought Yier out of the palace, although he left a message for the Queen Mother, he was still severely scolded by the Queen Mother later. It is said that the usually gentle Queen Mother was so angry that she slapped him on the back twice.
Thinking of the past, Yu Xiao wanted to laugh, but his heart couldn't help but feel sour.
Let him sleep with Yier in his arms tonight, to make up for the brotherly love he has been missing in the past few years.
But unexpectedly, Yi'er still waved her hands: "No, my brother and I have to sleep with An Ning."
Meng Yuning looked embarrassed: "..."
Good Yier, you shouldn't say this so loudly.
Although Yi'er didn't quite understand, he intuitively felt that it was enough for him, his brother, and An Ning to sleep together. There couldn't be one more person, not even Brother Yu.
It was common knowledge among the guards that the three of them slept together, so even when they heard what the young prince said, they didn't react and just went on with their business.
But Yu Xiao was so shocked that he almost fell off the third-floor terrace. His eyes were wide open, and he looked at Qi Jingyan in disbelief.
Although he knew that Qi Jingyan was still in mourning and had a broken leg, and Yi'er was still there, they couldn't do anything even if they slept together.
But Yunzhou and this Miss Meng didn't even have a wedding ceremony. They just slept together. Does that mean that he recognized her identity?
No, he was serious? He ignored her identity as a daughter of the Meng family and was serious with her?
Looking at the attitude of everyone on the boat towards Miss Meng, he knew that Qi Jingyan had no intention of taking her as a concubine or anything like that.
But he looked at Qi Jingyan for a long time and didn't know what to say.
If she is really a good person and has no other thoughts about Yun Zhou, then the man is unmarried and the woman is unmarried, and they were originally engaged. If they really get together in the future, it doesn't seem like a big deal.
However, earlier at the dinner table, he had a fancy for the food and even said he wanted to take Miss Meng away...
Now that I think about it, Qi Jingyan didn't attack him violently, that was all thanks to the fact that he was a cripple now.
Yi'er stood in front of his brother's wheelchair, looking up and confronting Brother Yu who wanted to snatch his brother away. Qi Jingyan looked at Yu Xiao's colorful expression leisurely.
Meng Yuning guessed that Yu Xiao probably wanted to talk to Qi Jingyan, so she walked over to Qi Jingyan and quietly suggested, "Your Highness, how about I sleep in another room tonight while you and Young Marquis Yu catch up?"
Qi Jingyan: "No."
Upon hearing this, Yi'er immediately turned around and hugged An Ning's legs: "An Ning, Yi'er wants to sleep with you."
Seeing the three people below acting so affectionately, Yu Xiao had a feeling that he was the villain who had forced others to separate from their wives and children. He shook his head, shaking the strange thought out of his mind, and waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it, just pretend I didn't say anything."
Qi Jingyan smiled and shook his head, then said to An Ning, "An Ning, take Yi'er to play for a while, then go back to your room and rest. I'll talk to the young marquis and come back later."
Meng Yuning said hurriedly, "Okay, Your Highness, go ahead and get busy."
Qi Jingyan was pushed by Mu Yun for a distance, then changed his mind and said, "I'd better go back to my room to take a shower first, so as not to disturb you later."
Meng Yuning naturally had no objection and nodded in agreement.
Qi Jingyan asked Mu Yun to push him back to his room, take a shower and change clothes, and then went to the third floor to find Yu Xiao.
---
Meng Yuning played with Yi'er for a while, and seeing that it was getting late, the two of them went back to their room.
When she got to the room and saw that the hot water was ready, she took Yi'er to take a bath, then dried him, changed him into clean pajamas, and carried him back to bed: "Yi'er, lie down for a while, An Ning, go take a bath, okay?"
Yier pointed at the little wooden horse that Aning had bought and said, "Aning, Yier wants to play with the little wooden horse for a while."
Meng Yuning agreed and put on the little shoes for him. Yier rode on the little wooden horse, swinging back and forth, having a lot of fun.
Meng Yuning smiled and watched for a while, then told him to be careful not to fall and went to the bathroom to take a shower.
The wind was strong on the river, and all the new clothes she had hung on the clothesline were dry.
She took a shower, changed into the new cotton clothes she had bought, then washed her and Yi'er's clothes and hung them on the rack. She then gathered up the remaining clothes and carried them out.
As soon as I opened the door of the bathroom, I saw Yi'er lying on the small wooden horse, guarding the door of the bathroom.
Seeing Yi'er lying there motionless, Meng Yuning lowered her head and saw that the little baby had closed his eyes and had fallen asleep.
At that moment, Meng Yuning's heart softened.
She casually put the clothes on the cabinet beside her, squatted down, gently picked up Yi'er, and said in a gentle voice: "Yi'er, let's go to bed."
Without even opening his eyes, the little kid smelled the familiar scent and automatically put his two little hands around Meng Yuning's neck. He put his face close to hers and murmured, "A Ning, Yi'er is waiting for you."
Meng Yuning carried Yi'er to the bed, lay down, held the little baby in her arms, pulled the tiger-head quilt over his belly, and gently patted his little butt: "Yier, be good, Aning is here, here."
This feeling of being needed and relied on was something she had never experienced from anyone else. It was a novel feeling that moved her deeply.
An idea even came to her mind that if Qi Jingyan returned to Beijing in the future, she might as well persuade Yi'er to stay in Lingnan.
But on second thought, I felt that I was daydreaming and dreaming.
Yi'er is not an ordinary child. He is of royal blood and shoulders the weight of the mountains and rivers. How can she keep him, and how dare she keep him?
But baby Yi'er is so cute, she really can't bear to let him go. Her heart breaks when she thinks about being separated from him one day.
Meng Yuning pulled Yi'er closer to her arms and kissed him on the cheek.
Then imagine that a few years later, a little kid of a few years old will wear a complicated dragon robe, sit properly on the dragon throne, listening to words that he cannot understand, and Meng Yuning feels distressed.
But these are not things that she, an outsider, is qualified to control.
When Yi'er returns to Beijing, he will definitely miss her.
Alas, but she really didn't want to go back to the capital with them.
She likes Lingnan, likes the flowers blooming in Lingnan all year round, and likes the fresh fruits and vegetables available in Lingnan in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
So, we still have to separate when the time comes.
Fortunately, there are still a few years left. By then, Yier will be a few years older and probably won't be so attached to her. As long as Yier doesn't miss her so much, she shouldn't be so sad.
After thinking about all sorts of things, Meng Yuning gradually fell asleep.
---
Qi Jingyan and Yu Xiao were on the third-floor terrace, looking at the river, feeling the river breeze, with a cup of tea and a half-moon, having a long conversation.
Although it was said to be a long talk, the two of them actually didn't say much.
Both of them understood the current situation clearly and understood it tacitly.
As long as Emperor Kangwen had not eliminated his suspicion of Qi Jingyan, he would not be able to leave Lingnan.
Not only that, I'm afraid I'd have to show my broken body to others in order to save my life.
Therefore, Qi Jingyan's broken legs would probably have to be "used" for two or three years before Emperor Kangwen could feel at ease.
Other things, whether it is revenge or achieving great things, need to be planned slowly and done step by step. They cannot be explained in a few words.
The two sat in silence for a long time. Yu Xiao reached out and patted Qi Jingyan on the shoulder: "Don't worry, Yunzhou. No matter what the future holds, I, Yu Lingchuan, will always stand by your side."
Qi Jingyan looked at him with a sincere gaze and a moving expression: "Having such a friend is truly Yunzhou's great fortune."
Seeing his friend being so sentimental for the first time, Yu Xiao rubbed his arms, moved his chair back, and said with a look of disgust, "Don't give me that. First, tell me how those bastards under your command convinced the Hezhou County Magistrate that those bills were mine, Yu Xiao's."
Seeing that he was fine, she started to settle the accounts again. Qi Jingyan laughed so hard that his shoulders trembled, but he refused to tell the truth.
Yu Xiao raised his foot and wanted to kick his chair, but he stretched out his leg and retracted it midway, stomping it hard on the ground and said angrily: "Qi Yunzhou, you broke your leg, you really escaped a few good beatings."
After Qi Jingyan laughed, he took out a token from his arms and threw it to Yu Xiao.
Yu Xiao took it, turned it over and over to examine it carefully, and immediately flew into a rage: "How dare you, Qi Yunzhou, forge this prince's token, and even forge it so realistically."
Qi Jingyan supported his forehead with his hands and laughed continuously.
"Go ahead and play with it, but don't embarrass me." Yu Xiao also smiled, threw the token back into Qi Jingyan's arms, stood up and walked downstairs: "Okay, I'm going to bed."
Qi Jingyan patted the wheelchair armrest: "Can't you just carry me downstairs?"
"Your legs are broken, but your arms are not. Just crawl down by yourself." Yu Xiao said coldly and ruthlessly, then left without paying any attention.
Qi Jingyan shook his head helplessly.
Seeing Yu Xiao leave, Mu Yun and Mu Shan came upstairs and carried Qi Jingyan and his wheelchair downstairs. Then Mu Yun pushed Qi Jingyan back to the room.
As soon as he entered the room, Qi Jingyan found that Aning and Yier were already asleep. He raised his hand and made a gesture to silence them.
Mu Yun slowed down his movements, pushed the wheelchair to the bedside carefully, and helped Qi Jingyan onto the bed. Then he turned and left, closing the door behind him.
Qi Jingyan lay down and turned his head to look, and saw Yi'er curled up in a small ball, nestled in Aning's arms. Aning hugged Yi'er, and her loose hair covered half of her face.
Qi Jingyan reached out and gently tucked her hair behind her ears. He saw beads of sweat on her forehead and Yier's little face was flushed.
The further south you go, the deeper the summer becomes and the hotter it gets.
But these two, one big and one small, insist on hugging each other when they fall asleep every night.
Qi Jingyan felt a little helpless. He reached out and slowly took Yi'er out of Aning's arms. Both of them were sleeping soundly and had not woken up yet.
Qi Jingyan took a handkerchief from the bedside table, wiped the sweat from Aning's forehead first, then wiped Yier's forehead as well, then used his hand as a fan to fan them both for a while, then he lay down, closed his eyes and went to sleep.
---
The next day, when Meng Yuning woke up, she saw Yi'er had already woken up and was lying quietly beside her, playing with a strand of her hair, while Qi Jingyan was still sleeping for the first time.
She thought she woke up early, but when she turned to look out the window, she found that it was already dawn. Then she realized that Qi Jingyan woke up late, and guessed that he must have come back very late last night.
Seeing her wake up, Yier smiled: "A Ning is awake."
Meng Yuning sat up, held the little girl in her arms, and asked softly, "Brother, why haven't you woken up yet?"
Yi'er: "Brother is a lazy guy."
Meng Yuning burst out laughing and repeated in a low voice: "Yes, brother is a big lazy guy."
As soon as she finished speaking, she met Qi Jingyan's smiling eyes. She was embarrassed, then pretended that she had not said anything and greeted him: "Good morning, Your Highness."
Qi Jingyan had just woken up, his voice a little hoarse: "Good morning."
Yi'er turned around and found that his brother had woken up, so he got down from Aning's arms and climbed onto his chest and lay there for a while.
Meng Yuning got downstairs first, took a piece of outer clothing and went to the bathroom. After washing, changing clothes, combing her hair, she came out and saw Qi Jingyan sitting up and Yier also got downstairs after putting on his shoes.
She took Yi'er to wash and comb her hair. After Yi'er was ready, she took Yi'er out and said, "Your Highness, let's go out and see what we have for breakfast. By the way, I'll call Mu Yun in for you."
Qi Jingyan agreed and watched them both leave. Soon, Mu Yun came in, helped him to the wheelchair, and pushed him to the bathroom.
---
Meng Yuning took Yi'er out and saw Yu Xiao leaning on the railing on the deck. She saluted him and then walked towards the kitchen.
Seeing her running towards the kitchen, Yu Xiao's eyes lit up and anticipation suddenly rose in his heart.
Meng Yuning brought Yi'er into the kitchen and found that what they had for dinner this morning were the hand-rolled noodles made by Mu Shan, served with the pickled vegetables bought from the market yesterday.
She and Yi'er were not picky. They each had a bowl and sat in the kitchen to eat.
After finishing the meal, Meng Yuning filled another bowl of noodles, added some pickled vegetables, and sent it to Qi Jingyan.
Qi Jingyan was already on the second-floor deck. He took the bowl and started eating.
Yu Xiao was shocked to see Qi Jingyan eating the bland noodles without a word and without any complaints. "You had this for breakfast? Why don't you ask Miss Meng to make you some?"
Qi Jingyan: "Cooking is very tiring. My brothers just make do in the morning."
Thinking of the delicious food he hadn't eaten much of last night, Yu Xiao touched his rumbling stomach and urged persistently, "But don't you think this noodle is tasteless? Even if Miss Meng makes a side dish to go with it, it would be fine."
Listening to Young Marquis Yu's words, Meng Yuning continued, "Young Marquis, you haven't eaten either, right? I'll go cook two dishes for you and His Highness to eat together."
After all, we just spent so much money on Young Marquis Yu yesterday, so it’s not too much for him to eat something good.
Qi Jingyan grabbed her wrist and said, "We'll have to make lunch later. There's no need to bother now. You and Yi'er can go play."
Meng Yuning felt that she was on Qi Jingyan's side. Since he said so, she would naturally listen to him. So she smiled politely at Yu Xiao and took Yi'er to feed the little rabbits.
Yu Xiao was so angry that he fell backwards: "Miss Meng said she would cook two dishes for me, why are you so nosy?"
Qi Jingyan continued eating noodles with the bowl in hand until he finished the two remaining noodles in the bowl. Then he said, "Eat whatever you have. I'm not that picky and want to eat good food every meal."
Yu Xiao raised his foot and kicked Qi Jingyan's wheelchair leg lightly, with a look of grievance on his face: "You are with her every day and can eat two good meals a day, but I have been traveling for so many days to find you and can't even eat a hot meal. You don't feel sorry for me as a brother at all, and you only care about protecting your woman."
The words "your woman" were very pleasing to Qi Jingyan's ears. He rarely showed any patience and advised kindly: "Lingchuan, don't be angry. Just have some noodles in the morning. An Ning will cook for lunch."
Yu Xiao said angrily: "I won't eat it. I'll save my stomach from now on."
Qi Jingyan advised again: "Listen to me, and eat a few bites less, otherwise you will be too hungry by noon and won't be able to eat much."
Yu Xiao looked at him for a few seconds, "Really?"
Qi Jingyan: "When have I ever lied to you? Come, take this bowl to the kitchen."
Yu Xiao rolled his eyes: "Since we were little, you've lied to me so much."
Having said that, he still took the bowl and chopsticks that Qi Jingyan had used, walked to the kitchen, and filled a small bowl of noodles to eat.
---
Meng Yuning played with Yi'er for a while, and when she saw it was almost time, she brought her kitchen helpers and appeared in the kitchen in a grand procession.
I bought a lot of meat yesterday, so the main focus these two days is eating meat.
The dishes ordered today are braised beef with potatoes, fried eggplant boxes, and a cumin lamb dish specially ordered by Marquis Yu Xiao.
He originally wanted to eat sweet and sour pork ribs, but yesterday he used up all the ribs except for one that he salted and marinated, intending to use it to make salty bone porridge later.
In addition to these three meat dishes, we also ordered stir-fried celery with dried tofu, a dish of shredded cabbage, a dish of chopped green onion and egg drop soup, and three vegetarian dishes.
After deciding on the dishes, everyone worked together to prepare the ingredients and cook the rice.
After about half an hour, the ingredients were ready and the rice was served.
Meng Yuning decided to make stewed beef with potatoes first. She prepared a basin of water, added two spoons of salt and two spoons of white vinegar, put the beef in and soaked it for about a cup of tea to soak out the blood and impurities in the beef. Then she took it out, washed it, blanched it in cold water, skimmed off the blood foam, took out the beef, rinsed it with hot water, and placed it in a clean bamboo basket for vegetables to drain the water.
As she did so, she reminded the guards who were watching: "Beef taken out of the hot pot must be washed with hot water, not cold water, otherwise the beef will become tough and difficult to chew."
Everyone responded in agreement.
Heat oil in a pan, pour the drained beef into the pan, stir-fry until the surface of the meat is golden brown, add seasonings such as onion, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, star anise, etc., add a little sugar to enhance the flavor, add soy sauce, appropriate amount of salt, and finally pour two spoons of rice wine, stir evenly, add boiling water to cover the beef.
Meng Yuning covered the pot and instructed the two guards who were stoking the fire: "Simmer on high heat for a while, then reduce to low heat and simmer for half an hour. Then put the half basin of potatoes in and simmer for another quarter of an hour."
The two guards agreed and started to light the fire while keeping an eye on their respective pots.
After two pots of stewed beef were put into the pot, Meng Yuning instructed Mu Shan and several other guards who were keen on learning to cook to make stir-fried celery with dried tofu, shredded cabbage, and the cumin lamb that they had made yesterday.
After finishing the three dishes, Meng Yuning started to make fried eggplant boxes.
The eggplant was cut into thick slices, and then cut in the middle and stuffed with meat stuffing mixed with seasonings.
Meng Yuning mixed some thick starch liquid, rolled the prepared eggplant boxes in the starch liquid twice, picked them up with chopsticks, and put them into the hot oil pan one by one. When both sides were fried until golden brown and the eggplant boxes floated in the oil, they were taken out.
One of the guards was itching to try: "Miss Meng, let me try."
"Okay, you come." Meng Yuning handed him the chopsticks and made way for him.
The guard followed Meng Yuning's method and put the eggplant boxes coated with starch into the pot one by one. When both sides were golden brown, he took them out and repeated this process until all the eggplant boxes in the pot were fried.
Then, under the guidance of Meng Yuning, all the eggplant boxes were put into the pan and fried again, and then taken out. Only then was it considered done.
There was only one dish of chopped green onion and egg soup left, so Meng Yuning called a guard who had been eager to try but never had the chance to make it, and asked him to do it.
Meng Yuning said from the side, and the guards did as they were told.
First boil a pot of water, and when the water is almost boiling, add appropriate amount of salt and a little oil to the pot. Then take half a bowl of starch and add water to make it into a paste. Pour it into the pot and stir it quickly. When the water boils, quickly pour the evenly stirred egg liquid into the pot, add chopped green onion, turn off the heat, and serve.
I cooked so many dishes in one pot, and two pots of beef stewed with potatoes are ready over there.
As usual, Yier was allowed to taste everything. After Yier said it was delicious, everyone cheered and took the dishes out.
Yu Xiao's stomach was just right at the moment, a little hungry but not too hungry. He felt that he could eat a whole cow at this moment. Seeing everyone coming out of the kitchen with dishes, he held the bowl and chopsticks, and stood by the table with a fierce look in his eyes.
With the mentality of being lenient in spending other people's money, Meng Yuning specifically asked Mu Feng to put the pot of braised beef with potatoes in front of Yu Xiao.
Yu Xiao's eyes lit up and he sniffed twice. Without waiting for Qi Jingyan to pick up his chopsticks, he picked up a piece of braised beef and put it in his mouth. After just one bite, he squinted his eyes in intoxication.
The beef is tender and crispy, and the soup is rich. It is even more tender than the braised tofu we had last night, and it is so delicious that it will make your tongue melt.
Try another piece of potato, it is soft and fragrant, melts in your mouth and makes you want to stop.
Yu Xiao felt his chopsticks weren't strong enough, so he simply picked up the soup spoon on the table, scooped up a large spoonful of beef and potatoes, and buried his head in the bowl as he began to eat. He didn't look up until he had finished the bowl. He nodded at Meng Yuning and said, "This dish is amazing."
Meng Yuning smiled and said, "As long as the young marquis likes it, I'll make it next time you buy beef."
When Yu Xiao heard this, he immediately said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of the food in the future. Just tell me what you want to buy."
Meng Yuning smiled and nodded in agreement.
Yu Xiao ate with relish, finishing two bowls of braised beef with potatoes in one breath, and half a plate of cumin lamb. Then he went to get more rice and slowed down his eating pace.
After he tasted the fried eggplant box with a crispy and fragrant outer layer and tender and juicy inner layer, his eyes widened and he directly took away half of the plate.
Meng Yuning looked at Yu Xiao, who was eating voraciously and with extraordinary generosity, and then looked at Qi Jingyan, who was slow and elegant. She found it quite magical that two people with such different personalities and styles could become such good friends for life and death.
Seeing her eyes shifting between him and Yu Xiao, Qi Jingyan tilted his head and asked, "What's wrong?"
Meng Yuning shook her head. "Nothing, I just wanted to see what dishes you all like."
Qi Jingyan knew she wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't ask any further questions. He just said, "I like any dish An Ning cooks."
Hearing this, Yu Xiao sneered, thinking that Qi Yunzhou was willing to say such words just to make a woman happy. But after sneering, he felt that what he said was right, because he also thought that every dish cooked by Miss Meng was delicious.
Yu Xiao was really satisfied with this meal and was so full that he could hardly walk.
After eating and drinking enough, Yu Xiao was in a good mood. The smile on his face never disappeared. He sat with everyone and talked about food with Meng Yuning across from him, across from Qi Jingyan.
"Miss Meng, who taught you this cooking skill?"
Meng Yuning made up a story: "I lived with my grandparents when I was little. I was a glutton back then, and I loved running to the kitchen whenever I had time. I'd follow the chefs in the kitchen and watch them. I memorized everything after watching them so many times."
Qi Jingyan glanced at her, then looked at Mu Yun calmly.
Mu Yun nodded, understanding that this also needed to be investigated.
Yu Xiao exclaimed in admiration: "You can tell at a glance that Miss Meng is truly gifted in cooking."
Meng Yuning said modestly: "No, no, it's just a random act."
Yu Xiao asked again, "Can Miss Meng cook Lingnan cuisine?"
Meng Yuning didn't dare to say that she could make it: "I haven't done it yet, but I should be able to learn from a local chef when the time comes."
Yu Xiao nodded: "Then when we get to Lingnan, I will definitely try the Lingnan dishes made by Miss Meng before leaving."
Meng Yuning: "Okay, then I'll learn it as soon as possible."
She remembered that the book mentioned that tasting all the delicacies in the world seemed to be one of Young Marquis Yu's life ideals.
Yi'er ran around with a windmill in his hand, saying, "Boiled chicken, salt-baked chicken, soy sauce chicken, beggar's chicken, Yi'er wants to eat chicken."
The little baby's babyish voice made everyone burst into laughter.
---
I ate like this for five days and almost finished all the food I bought in Hezhou County last time.
All the chicken and duck were eaten up. There was no meat left, and only some vegetarian dishes such as radish and cabbage were left, which everyone found tasteless.
Meng Yuning said that there were still some dried vegetables, plus the fish caught from the river every day, which could sustain them for a while.
But Yu Xiao refused. He said that he could only eat good food on the way. Once he arrived in Lingnan and finished his business, he would have to rush back to the capital, where he would have to sleep in the open for a while.
So on the sixth day, at Yu Xiao's strong insistence, the boat docked again.
Meng Yuning got off the boat with everyone as usual, but when she returned to the market, the first thing she did was to buy a mirror.
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