After a long pause, Xu Yuehuai asked, "Are you sure we're going to admire the flowers, and not that they're going to tell me about my background?"
She had been hoping that the truth of the matter would come to light.
Third Sister carefully recalled the maid's words again. Indeed, she hadn't mentioned anything about her background. She quickly said, "They only said they were going to admire the flowers and might not be back until after they've had a meal. But even if they found out something, they certainly wouldn't tell a maid."
"I understand, I'll go right away." Xu Yuehuai thought about it carefully and felt that what she said made sense. She quickly replied to Third Sister, got up, dressed up, and prepared to go out.
Before leaving, he reminded San Niang and Anan to pay attention to any unusual people or things, and to be careful if anything happened.
She was always worried that Marquis Ningyuan would come to visit again.
Upon arriving at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the guards outside immediately welcomed them inside. The Duke's wife was overjoyed, holding Xu Yuehuai's hand as the two strolled around the garden and pavilions of the mansion.
"Yuehuai, I really like you so much the moment I see you," the Duchess of Zhenguo said, unable to contain herself.
Xu Yuehuai wasn't averse to it; the two did indeed feel a certain affinity for each other. "Yuehuai also likes Madam very much."
"Then why don't you stay for lunch?" The Duchess of Zhenguo was delighted to hear that she also liked the idea and immediately invited them to stay for a meal.
Xu Yuehuai did not refuse, and just as the two were about to return to the front hall, the butler suddenly arrived.
"Your Excellency, our cook has suddenly suffered a stomach ailment, and his apprentice quickly took him out to see a doctor. It seems unlikely he'll be able to come back for lunch..." The steward trailed off, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping.
At first, the Duchess of Zhenguo thought everything was fine, but after he finished speaking, she realized that the cook was sick, and how could she invite Xu Yuehuai to have lunch?
Her face immediately turned pale, and she sighed, "Yuehuai, I'm sorry, as you heard, the cook is sick. It looks like we won't be able to have lunch."
The Duchess of Zhenguo was already very embarrassed, but in the end she became very sad.
From the moment she first saw Xu Yuehuai, she felt that this was her daughter who had been missing for many years. Of course, she wanted to spend more time with her. Seeing that this opportunity was about to slip away, how could she not be heartbroken?
Xu Yuehuai took in his expression.
She pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Madam, it's alright. Since you like Yuehuai so much, why don't you let Yuehuai show you his skills?"
"Really?" The Duchess of Zhenguo was immediately delighted upon hearing this, but quickly hesitated. "I'm so sorry, I invited you to my residence, you are a guest, how can I let you..."
Xu Yuehuai interrupted her directly: "Madam, don't forget, I own a restaurant and I started out as a chef. There are probably very few chefs in Chang'an who can compare to me. You can rest assured and leave it to me."
Her words made the Duchess of Zhenguo laugh heartily, and she quickly agreed: "Alright, alright, then it's up to you."
"Okay." Xu Yuehuai agreed and asked the butler to take her to the kitchen of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Xu Yuehuai went into the kitchen and looked around. There was fish and meat, sauerkraut, and all kinds of common fruits and vegetables.
She had an idea in a flash: let's make sauerkraut fish!
Xu Yuehuai quickly scooped a large, lively fish out of the tank, then grabbed a stick and stunned it. He then scaled and skinned the fish, gutted it, and cleaned its insides.
After the simple processing, the fish head was chopped off, and the remaining fish body was cut in half. Then, it was sliced into fish fillets along the grain. Xu Yuehuai wielded the knife up and down on the fish, and soon it became a plate of neat fish fillets, with a single complete fish bone.
Use only the egg white from one egg, add it to the fish fillets and mix well. Add a little seasoning and then seal it with a small amount of oil. Next, prepare the side dishes. Take out the pickled sauerkraut, rinse it twice, and cut it into small pieces for later use. Then prepare scallions, ginger, garlic, and red chili peppers, and cut them into sections, slices, or mince.
"Heat the oil in the wok." Xu Yuehuai hummed as he placed the wok over the stove and poured in the oil. Once the oil was hot, he first put the fish head in and fried it from both sides until it was golden brown. Then, keeping the oil in the wok, he added scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers and stir-fried them until fragrant.
Add some other ingredients and white sugar, then add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Use a strainer to remove the solids, then add the pickled cabbage.
Two minutes later, take out the pickled cabbage and place it at the bottom. Then, put the fish slices in and cook for two minutes until they float to the surface. Take them out, pour the soup over them, top with scallions and chili peppers, and then drizzle with hot oil. It's done!
The scallions and red peppers on top of the sauerkraut fish look absolutely gorgeous.
Before even seeing the dishes, the Duchess of Zhenguo could smell their aroma and her appetite was whetted.
When she saw the steaming hot pickled fish, she couldn't help but praise, "Yuehuai, everyone says you're an amazing cook, and seeing it today, it's definitely true. It looks like I'll get to try the cooking of the chef from Tianxianglou today."
"Madam, you flatter me. Please try it. This pickled fish is most delicious when it's hot." Xu Yuehua smiled shyly and then ate with him.
"It's so delicious! The fish is incredibly fresh and fragrant, with the sourness and spiciness of the pickled cabbage. It's absolutely delicious!" The Duchess of Zhenguo ate with great pleasure, and her affection for her grew even stronger.
While she admired Xu Yuehuai's skills, she also felt a little sad. If Xu Yuehuai were really her daughter, she should have enjoyed wealth and honor, instead of being as intelligent and sensible as she is now, with skills that surpassed others. These are all crafts that require years of hard work, so she must have suffered a lot over the years.
Thinking of this, the Duchess of Zhenguo took her hand again and chatted with her, telling her about the past.
"Yuehuai, do you know? I gave birth to my daughter at the temple, but she was switched with a peasant woman." At this point, the Duchess of Zhenguo choked up. "For so many years, I have been searching for you. Fortunately, Heaven has a benevolent heart and has brought you back to my side." At this moment, the Duchess of Zhenguo was convinced that Xu Yuehuai must be her daughter.
Although Xu Yuehuai had doubts about her origins, since there was no conclusion yet, she argued, "Madam, I am not your daughter, I am Xu Yuehuai."
“I have never lived in Chang’an City, so I’m afraid your daughter is someone else.” She said each word carefully.
She didn't want to give the couple too much hope now, in case the truth came out and she wasn't their daughter, it would only make it harder for them to accept.
The Duke of Zhenguo's wife's expectant eyes quickly turned to disappointment, and then she muttered, "Xu Yuehuai, you are Xu Yuehuai."
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