On the Winter Solstice, dumplings, glutinous rice balls, rice cakes, and sticky rice are all indispensable, and the kitchen is bustling with activity.
Inside the Bibo Courtyard, Zhang Gege and Gao Gege discussed ordering a hot pot together.
The princess was kind-hearted, and on such festivals, she would always give them extra dishes and two dishes each, so that they could have a sumptuous winter solstice.
Originally, a small banquet was to be held together, but since Consort Chun was pregnant and Consort Qing had not been dead for long, it was not appropriate to hold a banquet. So the kitchen was instructed to let everyone eat in their own courtyards.
Zhang Gege and Gao Gege were also unlucky. They entered the mansion after Changning became a concubine. Changning always favored them exclusively, and Yinzhen never favored them. Therefore, the two were still virgins, which made them a laughing stock in the mansion.
Originally, they were with Princess Niohuru, but who knew that Princess Niohuru harbored treacherous intentions and dared to oppose Consort Chun, thus meeting a tragic end.
This made their lives even more difficult.
Geng Gege, Wu Gege, Liu Gege, and Tang Gege are a group of people. Although they bicker and argue, they have a long-standing friendship and get along better than the two newcomers.
Moreover, these princesses of the Geng family had a subtle sense of superiority and looked down on the princesses who entered the household later, not to mention that they didn't even receive the emperor's favor.
Of the remaining women, Song Gege had a daughter, so her status was naturally a cut above theirs. The other concubines were even further inferior.
So no matter how aloof or talented Zhang Gege was, or how much Gao Gege relied on her status as a tribute girl or her youth and beauty, it was all useless.
They could only stick together for warmth, otherwise they would have no presence or place to stand in this Prince's mansion.
Zhang Gege prefers light and refreshing food, but she also finds it comforting to eat a steaming hot pot in winter. So she and Gao Gege discussed ordering a yin-yang hot pot, one side spicy and the other mushroom soup.
The kitchen was very busy today, so the food arrived a little late. Fortunately, the dishes were all very fresh, and it's rare that the kitchen didn't offer any discounts today.
Princess Gao asked curiously, only to find out that it was Chun Fujin's cat that had run away and happened to go to the kitchen to steal food. It was searched for by the head maids Chuixue, Yuzhu, and others. After they found it, they ordered a few dishes and said that the Prince was there.
The kitchen staff then prepared all the dishes with utmost care, fearing that if they relayed the message, the Prince would be displeased.
After all, the kitchen has always been a crucial and important place. If a group of people are dismissed under some pretext, it will be easy for others to take over.
However, Changning didn't mean that at all. She was too lazy to meddle in other people's business, since it wasn't like she would miss out on a single bite of food.
Unexpectedly, it was because of Chun Fujin that they ended up having a delicious meal by chance, leaving both of them with mixed feelings.
At first, when I learned that Chun Fujin was favored, I thought she was cunning and scheming. Later, I thought she was arrogant and domineering, actually holding onto the Prince and not letting him favor other women. How could that be?
But after all these years, they are still happily married.
Even her belly is so fertile, how many pregnancies has this already?
It just goes to show that luck is unpredictable.
The two of them couldn't even feel jealous; the gap between them was simply too vast, and they could only look up to them with admiration.
Princess Gao had previously tried to win the Emperor's favor, but after being punished by Yinzhen once, she gave up on the idea.
Enough is enough. It's better to live a wretched life than to die. It's better than having your tongue cut out.
They now live a peaceful and stable life, with plenty to eat and wear. The wife is fair and just, and they are doing quite well.
Qingzhi Courtyard
Changning was holding Tuantuan and scolding her: "You're not a child anymore, and you have a husband and a child, so why can't you control yourself? Where did that arrogant and domineering spirit go?"
The lost kittens were actually Tuantuan's three kittens. Changning discovered that Tuantuan really only cared about giving birth but not raising them. She only knew how to be affectionate with the two cats, Yuanyuan and Yuanyuan, and didn't care about the kittens at all.
Today is the winter solstice, and there weren't enough people in the yard, so Yuzhu and Xiaokangzi, who were supposed to take care of the cats, also went to help. Who knew that in just a short while, their three kittens would sneak away and get lost.
When they first discovered that their cat was missing, it was a huge shock, and Changning was extremely worried.
Thankfully, the three kittens were eventually found in the kitchen; they were still stealing food.
Changning said with a hint of exasperation, "You're such a love-struck fool!"
In the evening, Yinzhen and the children came over. They heard that Ta Xue's three kittens had run away that day, and they all came to express their condolences.
Tuantuan still acted like she was the most beautiful woman, completely unconcerned about the criticism from the crowd.
Just kidding, she's overjoyed that her children are now able to go out and find food on their own, okay?
The palace maids and eunuchs who were taking care of the cat and guarding the gate were also terrified. In a way, they were also responsible for the incident, but because of the festival, Changning let them off the hook. However, she would remember this time and punish them if they made the same mistake again.
After playing around for a while, Changning's stomach started growling. She couldn't stand being hungry anymore, even though she had just eaten half a bowl of sweet soup.
However, the pregnant woman was the most important person, so everyone began to eat.
As the snowflakes outside grew heavier, Changning specially ordered the kitchen to serve a pot of mutton soup.
This soup is made with tender and delicious lamb leg meat, simmered for four or five hours. It is served bowl by bowl, still steaming hot, and sprinkled with a handful of bright green scallions. The aroma is irresistible and just looking at it can warm you up.
The children had a snowball fight outside today, and after drinking a bowl of soup, their whole bodies felt warm.
Even Hongmin and Hongchen fed them a little bit each.
After each person drank a bowl of soup, their appetite was whetted, and they began to eat heartily.
Fei Yang'a was the first to pick up a piece of meat. He loved big meat dishes. He crushed a four-happiness meatball, about half the size of his palm, with a thick brown sauce on top, and ate it with rice.
Changning quickly told him, "We're having dumplings today, so eat less rice."
Upon hearing that there were dumplings to eat, Fei Yanga stopped mixing his rice and continued picking at his food.
Hutuli liked the honey-glazed chicken wings. The outermost layer was coated with honey, and there was a layer of bright syrup. The skin of the chicken wings was fried until crispy. They were sweet and salty. There were eight on a plate, and she and Changning shared them.
After everyone had eaten their fill, dumplings were served.
Today's dumpling fillings are very diverse, including lamb and radish, mackerel, chives, sea cucumber and shrimp, as well as the pickled cabbage and pork fritter filling that Changning specifically requested, and some fillings whose fillings I couldn't quite identify.
The family played like they were playing a game, each person eating one and then taking turns saying what they had eaten. Before long, they had identified more than a dozen different kinds.
We ate our fill of dumplings this meal.
After finishing their meal, they didn't leave immediately. Everyone was there to enjoy the warmth of family life. Even Hongmin and Hongchen weren't taken away by their wet nurse to sleep.
On New Year's Eve, we were required to enter the palace as usual; it was nothing like the leisurely life we have now.
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