Chapter 43043 I also love you
Chapter 43
Meng Yuning finally reacted this time and smiled happily.
She had originally planned to find an opportunity to get to know Cai Yuezhao, but she didn't expect that she would take the initiative to come to her and say that she wanted to learn how to cook. This was really a happy thing.
It's just learning a few dishes, why do I have to pay a tuition? This Miss Cai is quite cute.
Thinking this, Meng Yuning put the jade bracelet back into her hand and returned the dagger to her: "Miss Cai, just tell me what dish you want to learn. There's no need for a tuition fee."
Cai Yuezhao hadn't expected her to be so generous and enthusiastic. He was quite surprised, and felt even more guilty for his preconceived prejudice. He stuffed the dagger and bracelet back into her hands, saying, "Of course I have to. There's no point in learning your craft for nothing."
One was willing to give it, the other refused it, and the two of them were pulling and tugging at the kitchen door, pushing and refusing each other back and forth, causing the idle guards in the kitchen to look out.
Meng Yuning's strength was no match for Cai Yuezhao, who had practiced martial arts since childhood. After a while, the bracelet was put on her wrist again and the dagger was hung on her waist.
She felt a bit amused and helpless, and felt that if she continued to refuse, it would only hurt their relationship, so she smiled and gave up: "Thank you very much, Miss Cai."
Cai Yuezhao breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't expect that this weak Miss Meng could be so skillful with her hands. She was afraid that she would use too much force and hurt her accidentally. She was almost sweating from working so hard for her.
Meng Yuning smiled and asked, "Miss Cai, what dish do you want to learn? I know a lot of dishes. You can learn as many as you want, or even all of them."
Cai Yuezhao waved his hands hurriedly: "No need to be so troublesome, I only need to learn two."
It would be enough to learn to cook two of Yu Xiao’s favorite dishes and make them for him occasionally to express her feelings for him.
She would not spend all day in the kitchen, which she did not like, just to please him, no matter how much she liked him.
But then again, she couldn't quite understand Miss Meng's enthusiasm.
The chefs at Yu Xiao's residence each excelled at a different dish. When one person was cooking, the others would tacitly avoid him, never trying to spy on his skills. Furthermore, they wouldn't easily pass on their skills to others, which she felt was normal.
But why is this Miss Meng so generous and enthusiastic about her desire to learn cooking?
Meng Yuning didn't know what Cai Yuezhao was thinking. She was just happy to be able to interact with someone she admired. She pointed to the kitchen and said to her, "Mu Shan and the others are cooking now. Let's go out for some fresh air first. We can come back in later when I'm cooking, okay?"
Cai Yuezhao nodded: "Okay."
So the two of them went up to the second-floor deck. Su Yang and Yuan Qing's fishing competition was still in full swing, and there were many people around.
Meng Yuning liked the lively atmosphere and wanted to ask Cai Yuezhao if she wanted to go over and take a look. Seeing that she didn't seem very interested, she pointed to a sparsely populated corner and said, "How about we go sit there?"
Cai Yuezhao was worried and just wanted to be quiet for a while, so he nodded and followed Meng Yuning to the secluded and shady place.
The two of them leaned on the railing, looking at the river and feeling the river breeze. They had just met and were still a little unfamiliar with each other, so they didn't speak for a while.
Meng Yuning waited for a while and spoke first: "Miss Cai, what kind of dish do you want to learn?"
Cai Yuezhao thought for a while and said, "Meat dishes." Although Yu Xiao is not picky and likes to eat anything delicious, deep down he is just like her and can't live without meat.
Meng Yuning: "Okay, we'll be on the boat for a while anyway. I'll cook all the meat dishes I know how to make. You can try them first and see which one you like. Then you can decide what to learn."
Cai Yuezhao felt the kindness radiating from Meng Yuning and said with a smile, "Thank you, Miss Meng."
Meng Yuning smiled back: "Just call me An Ning."
Cai Yuezhao agreed and asked, "I wonder how old An Ning is this year?"
Meng Yuning: "I just passed my 50th birthday this year."
Cai Yuezhao: "I am two years older than you, so I will call you Sister An Ning."
Meng Yuning was very happy: "Sister Zhao."
Cai Yuezhao smiled and nodded.
With the change of address, the distance between the two people was invisibly shortened a lot. They looked at each other and smiled.
Cai Yuezhao asked curiously, "Sister Aning, how can you cook so many dishes?"
It is normal for a woman to be able to cook, but the cooking skills that can make Yu Xiao praise it must be extraordinary.
Meng Yuning then brought up the story she had told Qi Jingyan: "Sister Zhao, you know this too. My mother passed away early, and my father remarried not long after. My grandmother felt sorry for me and took me in to live with her for a few years. I loved eating when I was little, always running to the kitchen whether I had something to do or not. I learned by watching."
Cai Yuezhao was dumbfounded: "You learned it just by watching? How are you so amazing?"
Meng Yuning felt a little embarrassed by the praise, and looked at Cai Yuezhao with sparkling eyes: "But Sister Zhao, you are also very amazing. You have practiced martial arts since you were young. You must have endured so much hardship to achieve what you have today."
The girl in front of her blinked her big dark eyes and looked at her with admiration. Her voice was soft and sweet, with a lingering charm that was not common among girls in Beijing.
Cai Yuezhao's heart softened inexplicably.
She recalled that when she was in the capital, she felt that the Meng family were all birds of a feather. When she heard that Aning was sent to the carriage of His Royal Highness Prince Shen in a bundle by that old man Meng Huaifu, she just felt relieved.
But now that she really got to know Aning, she suddenly felt sorry for this sincere and enthusiastic girl.
When she spoke again, her voice had unconsciously become gentler: "Sister Aning, since we call each other sisters today, it is fate. If you are ever in trouble or someone bullies you in the future, no matter how far away, just send me a letter and I will rush to protect you."
Meng Yuning didn't know why she suddenly changed the subject so drastically, but she felt a warmth in her heart and her eyes became hot unconsciously.
Is this the heroic spirit of a daughter of a general, who can be so loyal to someone she just met?
Meng Yuning felt that she couldn't do it, and her admiration for Cai Yuezhao grew stronger. She grabbed her hand and said, "Sister Zhao, thank you."
Cai Yuezhao saw that her eyes were wet, like a lovable little puppy, and he couldn't help but reach out and touch her head.
She had only one younger brother, and her uncles and aunts had no daughters either. She was the only daughter in the Cai family. She did have some cousins on her maternal side, but they lived too far away to be close to her.
She did know quite a few noble ladies in the capital, but when they got together they either recited poems, played the zither, painted, or talked about rouge and jewelry. But she was not interested in any of these.
She liked to wield swords and ride horses outside the city, but the girls thought her hobbies were too crude, so they couldn't talk to each other.
Other military commanders' families did have similar-minded ladies, but His Majesty always disapproved of close personal relationships between military commanders, so she had to restrain her desire for intimacy. Whenever they met, she would deliberately keep a distance, fearing that she would give them a chance to talk.
So growing up, she has no close sisters, let alone close friends with whom she can confide.
When she was in Beijing before, she had met An Ning. At that time, she felt that they were not the same kind of people at all. She never thought that one day they would be able to talk to each other.
In addition, although she and the girl from the Qi family had only met a few times, they got along quite well. In addition, because of the relationship between Yu Xiao and His Royal Highness Prince Shen, she felt hostile towards the Meng family who were treacherous and took advantage of their misfortune, including An Ning.
But she didn't expect that when she saw An Ning now, she was completely different from what she had imagined.
It turns out that Aning was like that. When she walked, the size of her steps seemed to be measured with a ruler according to the general standard. I'm afraid she was oppressed by her unscrupulous father and stepmother.
The poor child lost his mother at a young age and had to struggle to survive alone in the deep courtyard. I don’t know how much hardship and grievance he had to endure in secret. He was really pitiful.
Thinking of this, Cai Yuezhao felt very uncomfortable and reached out to touch her head again.
Being rubbed on the head repeatedly by Sister Zhao, Meng Yuning felt like a little corgi at the moment, but she was still very happy to have made such a righteous friend. She hugged her arm and leaned her head on her shoulder affectionately: "Sister Zhao, I like you."
Such straightforward and passionate words made Cai Yuezhao feel a little embarrassed. She opened her mouth, but in the end she couldn't say "I like you too". It was really too corny.
Meng Yuning just expressed her feelings generously. She didn't care whether Sister Zhao responded or not.
But both of them laughed.
Meng Yuning asked curiously again: "Sister Zhao, why do you want to learn how to cook?" A heroic future female general like Sister Zhao should be riding a horse with a sword, traveling around the world in a carefree manner. It seems that she has nothing to do with pots and pans.
Cai Yuezhao has always been straightforward. Although he was embarrassed to mention his feelings for Yu Xiao, he didn't want to deceive An Ning. After a moment of silence, he said truthfully, "I want to make it for one person."
Meng Yuning immediately thought of Yu Xiao, but although they got along well, they were not familiar enough to talk about such private topics, so she tactfully did not ask any more questions.
---
Not far away, Qi Jingyan, Yu Xiao, and Yier, two adults and one child, were lined up in a row from tall to short, looking at them for a while.
Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing happily, Yu Xiao crossed his arms and asked in confusion, "Yunzhou, what do you think they are talking about? They seem so in tune with each other."
"Look, look, the heads are all leaning against each other."
Qi Jingyan's face was calm: "I don't know."
Yu Xiao: "Strange, it's rare to see Ah Zhao get so close to a girl. How come he and Miss Meng are so familiar with each other after only knowing each other for a short while?"
Qi Jingyan: "A Ning has a good temper."
Yu Xiao glared at him: "So what you mean is that Ah Zhao has a bad temper."
Qi Jingyan: "You said that."
Yi'er didn't want to listen to his two brothers bickering, so he ran towards An Ning. When he reached the two of them, he squeezed in between them without making a sound, hugged An Ning's legs, and looked up and called to her, "An Ning, An Ning, Yi'er is here."
Meng Yuning had no choice but to let go of Cai Yuezhao's arm, bent down to pick up Yi'er, and asked with a smile: "Why don't you watch the fishing?"
Yier hugged An Ning's neck: "Yier wants to go cook with An Ning."
Meng Yuning calculated the time and it was almost time, so she nodded: "Okay, let's go cook together."
After saying that, he looked at Cai Yuezhao again: "Sister Zhao, let's go."
So the three of them went downstairs together and went to the kitchen.
The guard who was burning the fire saw Meng Yuning coming back and stood up and said, "Miss Meng, it's time. I was just about to call you over to take a look."
Meng Yuning agreed and put Yier on the ground. Yier automatically stood farther away from the stove to avoid getting burned.
Meng Yuning lifted the lid of the pot, steam rose, and a scent of meat with a rich garlic aroma wafted towards her.
Meng Yuning took a sip and said with a smile, "That's the taste."
After all the commotion at noon today, Yi'er didn't eat lunch, so she just had a few snacks. When she smelled such an enticing aroma, she couldn't help herself and stood on tiptoe anxiously, slurping her saliva: "A Ning, Yi'er, try some vegetables."
Meng Yuning smiled and agreed, and asked the guards to bring out several steaming baskets and put them in a wooden basin on the side. Then she took two small bowls, put a few pieces of pork ribs in each, and handed one bowl to Yi'er and the other to Cai Yuezhao: "Try it, be careful, it's hot."
Yier licked his lips, very greedy, but looking at the steaming spareribs, he nodded obediently, holding the bowl, walked to the radish pile, found a big radish to sit on, and blew on the spareribs, trying to cool them down faster. A guard saw this, took out a palm-leaf fan, and helped to fan them.
Cai Yuezhao looked at the bowl that was stuffed into his hand and asked in surprise, "Can I eat first too?"
Meng Yuning invited enthusiastically: "Try it quickly."
Cai Yuezhao did not refuse, picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of pork ribs, put it to his mouth and took a bite.
The ribs have been steamed so that the meat and bones are separated. The meat falls off with a slight bite. The ribs are soft and tasty, with a strong garlic flavor, tender and juicy. One bite will leave you with an endless aftertaste.
After Cai Yuezhao finished eating this piece, his eyes widened and he nodded repeatedly at Meng Yuning, but he didn't bother to talk. He picked up another piece and ate it, and then picked up another piece.
Just like that, she ate up half a bowl of ribs in just a few bites. She even chewed the bones until they were crumbs before she stopped.
Still unsatisfied: "A Ning, what did you just say this dish was called?"
Meng Yuning smiled and replied, "Steamed pork ribs with garlic."
Cai Yuezhao excitedly decided, "I've made up my mind. I'm going to learn how to make steamed pork ribs with garlic."
She and Yu Xiao have similar tastes. If she likes it, he will definitely like it too. Besides, this dish is steamed, so there will be no oil splashing everywhere. She prefers to make it this way.
Meng Yuning smiled and agreed. Seeing Cai Yuezhao's eyes constantly glancing at the covered steamer, she asked, "Sister Zhao, would you like a few more?"
Cai Yuezhao waved her hands embarrassedly: "No, no, I'll be full if I eat any more. Let's eat with everyone later."
She had just finished eating, and Yi'er's spare ribs had gotten a little cold, so Meng Yuning pulled Cai Yuezhao over to watch little Yi'er taste the dishes.
Yi'er was small, so he ate much slower. His cheeks were bulging, and his mouth was busy chewing the food, so he had no time to talk. However, the little baby's big eyes were colorful, sometimes curved into crescents, and sometimes wide open, making everyone laugh.
Only after the little kid finished eating the last piece of pork ribs did he stand up from the big radish and loudly announced in a very serious tone: "This dish is delicious."
Everyone cheered in unison: "The food is delicious, delicious."
Cai Yuezhao was startled by the scene, but when she saw the little prince's smug look, she knew that this must be a way to coax a child. She couldn't help but find it interesting and couldn't help laughing.
Meng Yuning rolled up her sleeves and put on an apron. "Sister Zhao, the next dish I'm going to make is minced meat and mashed potatoes. Although it's a vegetarian dish, it's also very delicious. If you're interested, take a look. It's super simple."
Cai Yuezhao agreed and stood aside to watch.
Meng Yuning brought out the steamed spareribs and asked a guard to help her cut the large bowl of potatoes into slices, and then put them in the steamer to steam.
She found a whetstone, sharpened the kitchen knife, washed it, and took a large piece of fresh pork. She cut it into thin slices, then into strips, and then into small pieces. Finally, she chopped the meat into small pieces after a while.
Then I chopped some green onions, garlic, and ginger and set them aside.
Seeing how delicate Ah Ning was, yet she was very skillful in cutting vegetables, Cai Yuezhao couldn't help but admire her. He also said with some regret, "Ah Ning, if you had practiced martial arts since childhood, you would definitely be a good knife wielder."
Meng Yuning quickly shook her head: "I can't do that. You can ask me to chop vegetables, but if you ask me to chop people, I definitely can't do it."
Cai Yuezhao was amused by her statement of "cutting people", "That's nothing, anyway, His Royal Highness Prince Shen is here, he won't let you fall into any danger."
Meng Yuning couldn't agree with this. She almost got shot today thanks to His Royal Highness Prince Shen. But with so many people around, she didn't dare say this.
When Yi'er heard what Cai Yuezhao said, she walked over and said, "Aning, Yi'er is here. Yi'er will protect you."
Meng Yuning smiled and agreed. Yi'er was so small, not even as tall as her legs, but he kept talking about protecting her. It was so adorable.
The potato slices over there had been steamed. Meng Yuning asked the guards to pour all the potato slices into a large basin and use a large wooden spoon to mash the potatoes that had been steamed until soft.
She heated up the oil in a pan, poured half a pot of minced meat into the pan, stir-fried it until golden brown, added chopped green onion, ginger, garlic, and bean paste, and fried until fragrant, then added soy sauce, cooking wine, and an appropriate amount of salt, then added three ladles of cold water, brought to a boil over high heat, cooked for a while, added the starch solution she had just prepared, and simmered until the soup was thick, then served it for later use.
She first scooped out two servings of mashed potatoes in a small bowl, piled them into a mountain shape with a spoon, then poured the freshly cooked minced meat sauce on them and handed them to Yi'er and Cai Yuezhao: "Try it quickly."
The two of them held the bowl, scooped a piece of mashed potato covered with minced meat with a spoon, and put it in their mouths together. Their eyes narrowed instantly.
The minced meat is salty and fragrant, and the mashed potatoes melt in your mouth. One bite is full of soft, glutinous and fragrant flavor.
Yier said in a baby voice: "Nini is delicious."
Cai Yuezhao also nodded: "It's delicious, this mashed potato is really delicious. Sister An Ning, I've made up my mind, I will learn how to make this dish."
Meng Yuning couldn't help laughing, thinking that if she cooked another dish tomorrow, she would probably learn to cook something else after tasting it.
She ignored the two people eating from their bowls and told the guards to divide the large bowl of mashed potatoes into eleven portions, put them on plates, and then drizzle the minced meat sauce on them. Two hundred guards, twenty people at a table, plus the table where she and Qi Jingyan were sitting, there was just enough space for one plate per table.
Meng Yuning finished preparing two dishes, and Mu Shan and the others also finished preparing several dishes. Meng Yuning asked Yi'er if he wanted to try some. Yi'er ran to the bowls of dishes, took a look, and shook his head, saying, "Let's eat together later. Yi'er won't try any."
The little boy didn't have much confidence in the dishes cooked by Mu Shan and the others, and wanted to save his stomach for more meat and mud made by Aning.
Meng Yuning agreed and called everyone, "Let's eat."
So everyone came out of the kitchen, shouting and carrying pots of food and buckets of rice, and went to the second-floor deck.
The idle guards had already set the table and laid out the dishes. When they saw everyone coming out with the food, they ran over to help, and soon the food was on the table.
Meng Yuning held Yi'er's hand with her left hand and Cai Yuezhao's with her right hand, and sat at Qi Jingyan's table.
Meng Yuning used to sit between Yi'er and Qi Jingyan when she ate before, but today she just met Cai Yuezhao and was chatting with her passionately, so she sat between Yi'er and Cai Yuezhao.
In this way, Yi'er was next to Qi Jingyan.
Qi Jingyan took a look, reached out and picked up Yi'er, placed him on the chair on the left, took his bowl and chopsticks over, and then patted the chair on the right: "An Ning, come and sit here."
Meng Yuning was enthusiastically introducing today's dishes to Cai Yuezhao. Hearing this, she said "Oh" and without turning her head, she stood up and moved over, sitting on the chair next to Qi Jingyan, and also pulled Cai Yuezhao over to sit with her.
Meng Yuning continued, "This is cumin lamb. Your Highness and the young marquis both said it was like the barbecue they had in the northwest. Although I didn't make it myself, Mu Shan and the others have watched me make it a few times, and it looks delicious. Sister Zhao, try it."
Cai Yuezhao smiled and said yes, picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece and ate it, nodded: "It tastes good, but An Ning, I still prefer the steamed pork ribs with garlic and mashed potatoes with minced meat."
Meng Yuning just smiled.
Seeing Cai Yuezhao move to another place, Yu Xiao, who was sitting next to her, also stood up with his bowl and chopsticks and moved over.
Yi'er was sitting next to An Ning peacefully, but was suddenly carried to the other side by his brother.
Yier didn't know what was wrong with his brother and why he suddenly carried him away. But he wanted to sit next to An Ning, so he climbed down from the chair, walked around the wheelchair and ran back, but he found that there was no room next to An Ning.
The little boy was so angry that he raised his little fist and punched his brother on the back. Then he squeezed to An Ning's side and climbed onto her legs with a grunt: "An Ning, An Ning, hold me."
Meng Yuning then realized what Qi Jingyan had done just now. She didn't think much about it, thinking that she was used to picking up food for Qi Jingyan, and he just wanted her to pick up food for him.
So he smiled and said yes, holding Yi'er in his arms, and stretched out his hand in front of Qi Jingyan: "Your Highness, Yi'er's bowl and chopsticks."
Qi Jingyan handed Yi'er's bowl and chopsticks back. Yi'er rushed to take them and tilted his head proudly towards his brother: "A Ning is holding Yi'er while eating."
This is also a show-off. Meng Yuning couldn't help laughing and pinched the little baby's hand, which had become noticeably chubby recently. "Yes, An Ning, hold our Yi'er while he eats."
As he said that, he scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes and fed it to his mouth: "Ah."
Yier opened his mouth obediently and ate it in one gulp, smiling so much that his big eyes became slits.
Qi Jingyan shook his head helplessly: "A Ning, if you continue like this, you're probably going to spoil Yi'er."
Meng Yuning was anxious to talk to Cai Yuezhao and had no time to argue with him about how to raise a child properly. She used the public chopsticks to pick up two pieces of steamed pork ribs with garlic and put them in his bowl. She also took a spoonful of minced meat and mashed potatoes and put them in his bowl. She said in a coaxing tone: "I not only pamper Yi'er, I pamper you too. Come on, Your Highness, eat quickly."
Everyone at the table, who were busy eating, raised their heads from their bowls and said, "..."
The ribs Yu Xiao had just cleaned fell onto the table with a thud: "..."
Cai Yuezhao was shocked: "..."
Qi Jingyan: “…”
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