As Hutuli grew older, the five-year-old girl was already being treated like a little adult. Changning felt that she was still interacting too little with her peers.
Hongyan and Hongzhao had cousins outside the mansion to play with, and Haha Zhuzi to accompany them while they studied. In the afternoons, they could ride horses and practice archery, making their lives very fulfilling.
Hutuli was only close to the eldest princess Yierha, her second brother's daughter Moyaqi, and several princesses from the Zhijun Prince's mansion.
However, the sisters didn't play together every day. Hongyan and Hongzhao lived in the front courtyard, so it was just the mother and son who stayed in Qingzhi Courtyard on weekdays.
Although Changning felt that it was good to have a good relationship with the girl and that he could express his maternal love, he couldn't let her play alone all the time!
Hutuli was a restless person, so if she wanted to go horse racing, she could only wait until her brothers or father were free. Over time, she stopped running horses as much.
Changning didn't want to stifle her natural instincts, so she thought of finding a few young girls of similar age to serve her.
Zhao Fuhai, sensing his master's intentions, was about to go and look for him when Su Peisheng came over with a smile, followed by a dozen or so pretty and docile little girls.
When Zhao Fuhai saw him reporting to his master in such a fawning manner, he became furious. "Pah! This damned eunuch, does he think he can serve his master?"
Don't you even look at the wrinkles on that old face? You could trap several flies in them.
"Master Chun, this is something I specially found. Please take a look, are you satisfied?"
Looking at them, Changning noticed that they all appeared quite fair-skinned, suggesting they had been trained for some time and were very well-behaved, not glancing around aimlessly.
She nodded in satisfaction, then gave Fubuki a look, signaling her to call Kotori over so she could choose for herself.
Upon learning that she was being chosen as a maidservant, Hutuli was very excited and came running over, blinking her big eyes and tugging at Changning's sleeve.
"Mother, Mother, are you really letting me choose for myself?"
Changning understood her excitement. This was the first time she had made such a big decision on her own, and she felt like "I'm an adult now."
Changning decided that she could let Hutuli train her own team now, as her different status meant she had to familiarize herself with these things in advance.
"Of course you can. Go ahead. You can keep any of the ones you like. Just think of a few names yourself."
Hutuli looked excited, with a hint of pride in his eyes.
The eldest sister, Yierha, also had a few maids, but those were given directly by the Fujin (principal wife), while she herself had personally chosen these.
So, Hutu walked around the girls, looking them over, and finally pointed to four of them.
Changning took a look and saw that they all had round faces and looked adorable. That was good; if they were lively, they could play together with Hutuli.
As for the name, Hutu originally thought of pickled cabbage, blood sausage, aspic, and red bean paste, but Changning rejected them.
"Hutuli, if you want to eat it, just have them make it tonight. It's not very elegant for girls to have such a name."
Hutuli also had her own little idea: "How can Mother name her maids after food? Sister Pomegranate, Sister Grape, they are all food."
Changning then realized how important it is for parents to teach by example.
So she broke down the reasoning and explained it to Hutuli, who finally reluctantly agreed to change the name to "Jieqi" (節氣), since she and her brother were both born on Grain Rain (谷雨).
The names of the four maids have been decided: Grain in Ear, White Dew, Frost's Descent, and Minor Snow.
Hutuli, along with his four newly minted little followers, went back to happily build with blocks.
This set of building blocks was a gift from an outsider. It's as big as a camphor wood chest and made of rare rosewood. It's exquisitely and ingeniously crafted. Hutu has recently become obsessed with this set.
After settling things over with his daughter, Meng Guqing brought over a whole sheep.
Changning said helplessly, "I can't eat much, and you're provoking me again!"
Meng Guqing generously handed the skinned lamb to Zhao Fuhai, his face beaming with excitement: "This is a lamb from our Ujimqin. It has no gamey or fishy smell, and the meat is the most tender. I brought it here especially to share with you."
Just thinking about it makes Changning's mouth water – those plump, tender little lambs!
So the two hit it off immediately, and right there in the courtyard of Qingzhiyuan, next to the grape trellis, they had Eunuch Ma set up a stove and start roasting.
This Ujumqin lamb is truly exceptional; the aroma wafted far and wide as soon as it was roasted.
The mutton was roasted to a deep brown color, sizzling and dripping oil onto the charcoal fire, which then ignited the flames high.
Changning didn't find the smoky smell pungent at all; on the contrary, she especially liked it, especially when sprinkled with cumin and chili powder. The pungent aroma was so strong that it made her stumble.
Meng Guqing, standing next to him, looked smug.
So, once you've tried Ujumqin lamb, you definitely won't regret it!
Just as Changning was salivating, Hutu came over, drawn by the aroma.
"Mommy! Auntie! What are you roasting? It smells so good! I'm so hungry!"
Meng Guqing waved to her: "Come on, Auntie brought you something delicious! Smell this, and look at this cigarette!"
Hutuli was particularly obliging, immediately sniffing the meat like a puppy, then beaming with delight, exclaiming, "It smells so good! I'm going to eat a few extra pounds of meat tonight!"
As they were talking, Yinzhen returned to Qingzhi Courtyard with his two sons.
Earlier, he had heard Su Peisheng talk about the matter in Hutuli, and then he heard that Meng Guqing had sent a lamb over, so he estimated that it was about time and specially brought his son back to freeload a meal.
The three children were overjoyed. They had never seen anything like this before. In the past, the kitchen would prepare the food and bring it over. They only saw the finished product and had no idea how it was made.
I've never even seen seasonings like salt, sugar, or vinegar.
However, they all recognized the chili peppers.
Fei Yanga loves spicy mutton the most, and he was directing from the side: "Here, this leg, sprinkle some more chili powder, yes, sprinkle a little more."
This was the first time Eunuch Ma had ever roasted mutton in front of so many masters. He felt full of energy and worked up a sweat as he roasted the meat.
The group watched it like it was a spectacle, so much so that they kept glancing at it even after it was cooked and the eunuch was cutting it into plates.
After a long day of work, we were finally able to eat.
The children ate with great relish; they watched the meat being grilled!
Changning ate a piece of roasted lamb leg, but Granny Zhang wouldn't give her any more. She was so hungry for it that Granny Zhang had no choice but to serve her a plate of hand-pulled lamb, but she only ate a few bites.
However, Changning chewed each bite forty or fifty times, reluctant to swallow. The aroma of mutton filled her mouth; it was simply too delicious.
Yinzhen treated Meng Guqing the same way he treated other women in the family, being polite but not familiar with her.
Meng Guqing ignored him completely, ate with the children, and then held hands and sang Mongolian songs together until very late.
However, everyone felt very happy.
Changning thought to herself, "This is what elementary school students write. What a fulfilling day."
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