Normally, she takes such a small box when she goes out to make house calls, but tonight she's going out for barbecue, so why is she bringing a medical kit?
The servants were very curious, but this was their master's business, and even if they were curious, they couldn't ask casually. They couldn't just guess what their master was thinking.
A maid reached out to help He Jiuniang carry the small box, but He Jiuniang said, "It's alright, I can carry it myself."
The main problem was that the small box was quite heavy, and the young maid didn't look as old as Lianhua, so they decided not to let her help.
The little maid knew that her master was showing her affection, and she was deeply moved.
She was arranged to be bought when He Jiuniang first came to the capital. The masters had not been in the capital for long and were about to leave, so they did not have much time to get along. However, she knew that the masters were all kind people who were easy to get along with and deserved her to repay them for a lifetime.
He Jiuniang had no idea what the little maid was thinking. Once she got into the carriage, she said, "Alright, don't stand there anymore. Go back and warm yourselves by the fire. We won't be back for dinner tonight."
She rarely brought maids with her when she went out in the capital; at most, she would have a coachman with her.
The main problem is that the weather here is too cold. She herself is healthy and it's not a big deal; she can even take a small hand warmer with her when she goes out. But these young maids are suffering. They are all only ten years old, and it's really heartbreaking.
In this feudal society, He Jiuniang could not ensure that they received fair treatment from the world, nor did she want to worry about it. But since they had been bought by her family, it was not a problem to protect them to some extent.
The maids' eyes reddened as they watched the departing carriage sniffle. Here, they felt the warmth of home, a warmth their parents had never given them.
This freezing weather is perfect for sleeping. He Jiuniang was sitting in the carriage, holding a hand warmer, and started to feel sleepy. Just when she thought she was only just starting to doze off, she heard the coachman say, "Madam, we've arrived."
He Jiuniang yawned, peeked out, and saw a separate courtyard with people already waiting at the entrance.
The coachman brought out a stool, and He Jiuniang got out of the carriage with relative elegance. A steward stepped forward to greet her and offered to help carry her small suitcase.
Although he didn't know why Madam Lu brought a medicine box for a meal, the Lu family was now a rising power in the capital, so he didn't dare offend them and smiled ingratiatingly.
Seeing that he was a grown man, He Jiuniang naturally had no intention of showing any tenderness or pity, so she handed the box over.
The manager accepted the box with a smile, and almost dropped it in a moment of carelessness.
How can this little box be so heavy!
Fortunately, he reacted quickly, otherwise he would have fallen.
He Jiuniang didn't know what to say for a moment. A grown man shouldn't be so weak.
If the timing hadn't been so inappropriate, she would have loved to take his pulse.
The steward was about to lead her away when He Jiuniang said, "Send someone to arrange my family's carriages and drivers. They can't stay out in this freezing weather."
"Yes, yes, I will arrange it."
This is in the suburbs, where the temperature is lower than in the city. Even if He Jiuniang didn't give the order, someone would arrange these things.
The coachman was on the verge of tears. "Waaah, my wife is just too good to me. Whether she's facing an assassination attempt or attending a banquet, she always thinks of me."
He Jiuniang followed them inside. This was the place where nobles gathered. This villa was heavily guarded. She could drink to her heart's content tonight... Oh no, she couldn't drink because she had to fly a plane later.
Well then, let's eat some good meat; we can't have come all this way for nothing.
"Madam, may I move this box somewhere else for you?"
The person in charge thought it was a first-aid kit and that it probably wouldn't be needed, so he wanted to help dispose of it.
"No need, give it to me."
He Jiuniang reached out and took it, and under the puzzled gaze of the steward, she entered a temporary, luxurious shed.
The shed was drafty and offered no protection from the cold, but it did keep out the snow. People roasted and ate inside the shed, right by the stove, so it wasn't too cold.
The only people here were the emperor and his princes, along with their trusted confidants and family members—people they knew very well.
It was the old emperor who suggested that everyone bake the food themselves, because he felt that it would be more interesting for him to do it himself.
However, he didn't think too much about it and just wanted to set up a stove inside the house. But Lu Baichuan suggested that it couldn't be indoors, it could only be outdoors, otherwise something might happen.
Fortunately, the suggestion was made in the morning, so people were able to temporarily build this shed.
When He Jiuniang arrived, the nobles had not yet been able to eat. It was not because the servants were slow in processing the game, but because these nobles were completely unaccustomed to housework and did not know what to do.
The smell of burnt food has already wafted from several of the princes' residences.
Upon seeing He Jiuniang enter, the old emperor didn't even require her to bow. He waved and said, "You've come at the perfect time. Your husband just finished grilling the venison. It's fresh venison that I hunted myself!"
Everyone was completely immune to the old emperor's fawning attitude towards He Jiuniang, and lowered their heads to continue with their own business.
"Great! I've never had venison before, so I'm in for a treat!"
He Jiuniang wasn't pretentious at all. She sat down next to Lu Baichuan with a smile, and Lu Baichuan handed her a skewer. She leaned over and started eating the skewer from Lu Baichuan's hand.
The freshly grilled meat skewers were still glistening with oil, emitting a fragrant aroma and carrying a faint muttony smell, which made He Jiuniang very satisfied.
But because of the skewers, her lips were greasy. Lu Baichuan took a handkerchief and carefully wiped them clean for her, asking, "How are you?"
"Good job, young man! You grilled it perfectly!"
He Jiuniang gave a thumbs up and praised her husband without reservation.
Her voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear, and Lu Baichuan smiled faintly, his ears turning slightly red.
Others felt a little uncomfortable watching the couple's sweet interaction.
In their memory, such tasks of serving others were usually done by women. Before He Jiuniang arrived, several princes had failed to roast the meat properly and had secretly handed it over to their own princesses to handle.
But now, seeing how Lu Baichuan takes such good care of his wife, and He Jiuniang praising him in such a lively tone, it's truly enviable!
They also wanted their princess to praise them: "You're a good young man!"
So, those princes who had started families secretly took over the task of grilling meat, grilling it with extra effort, and humbly asked Lu Baichuan how to grill the meat to make it tender and fragrant.
He Jiuniang opened the small box she had brought, took out several portions of barbecue seasoning, and said to the servants serving her behind her, "Send these to the Emperor and the princes respectively."
"yes."
After the servants had taken everything out, He Jiuniang said, "These are some seasonings that I figured out myself. Sprinkling some on will make it taste even better. If you like it spicy, add more; if you don't, add less."
Everyone was very interested in the things He Jiuniang had given them, and they couldn't wait to try them. The fragrance was indeed even stronger.
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