Arc 2: Part 15
"Why have you stopped speaking? The ingredients you've been choosing lately are excellent, many of them are for nourishing medicinal meals. I'm curious why you chose them."
Xiao Qingwan broke out in a cold sweat and laughed nervously, "Because I wanted to prepare a nourishing meal for my older brother..."
Xiao Lingchen, with a casual demeanor, looked towards the lotus pond in the distance, "There are many nourishing ingredients, why did you specifically choose Bai Zhu? Is this question too difficult to answer?"
Of course, it's difficult to answer!
How would she know why that loathsome Xiao Bai Zhu would use that worthless tree root!
Panic stricken, Xiao Qingwan felt a cold sweat roll down her forehead, realizing that any further evasion would appear suspicious. She was just about to fabricate an excuse, when she heard the maids calling from the kitchen.
"Miss, the ribs are ready. Is there anything else you need us to do?"
Relieved, she quickly replied, "Excuse me brother, I need to manage the kitchen. I'll be right back!"
With that, she hurried off to the kitchen, escaping the conversation.
Once inside, she pushed past the curious maids, grabbed Tong Su's hand, tugged her into a corner and urgently inquired, "Why did you use Bai Zhu? What are its benefits?"
Tong Su, leisurely wiping the flour off her hands, was not at all in sync with Xiao Qingwan’s anxious mood. She smiled and said, "I used it for medicinal cuisine; Bai Zhu is very good."
Bai Zhu is very good... but was she referring to the medicinal herb Bai Zhu or the individual, Xiao Bai Zhu?
Xiao Qingwan's head throbbed with frustration, her eyes shooting daggers at Tongsu: "Xiao Bai Zhu! You dare to trivialize this matter?"
Tong Su merely looked at her with an ambiguous smile, and leisurely said, "Sister, I am not brushing you off. Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Cut the nonsense; just tell me!"
Tong Su shrugged: "Bai Zhu dries dampness and promotes water metabolism, boosts the spleen and benefits qi, hence it's great for our older brother, who has a weak spleen and poor appetite. The 'Changsha Medical Explanation' also mentions it replenishes the core, quenches thirst, and boosts salivation; it's most beneficial for the spleen and greatly nourishes the stomach's qi, allowing better digestion..."
Listening to all of this made Xiao Qingwan's head spin. She was familiar with the words, but put together they made no sense to her. How could she be expected to remember all that?!
When the head cook exited the kitchen, she saw a man standing nearby the courtyard entrance, which made her legs go weak with fright. She politely greeted, "Sir!"
Xiao Qingwan heard the cry from inside the room and instinctively looked out the window. Xiao Lingchen was still there, apparently waiting for her.
Feeling more anxious than ever, she turned back to look at Tong Su. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head.
Tong Su was wearing a chef's outfit identical to hers, and the servants coming and going hadn't really differentiated between them. If she were to send Tong Su instead...
Xiao Qingwan’s eyes flicked around as she grabbed Tong Su's sleeve. Her face was dark with seriousness as she let out a cold growl, "I need you to do something for me…”
Xiao Lingchen, having asked the cook to leave, was losing patience. His dissatisfaction with Xiao Qingwan grew, filled with an odd sensation that was both amused and annoyed.
He was, after all, usually waiting in the palace for the emperor – not outside the kitchen, where the smell of cooked food was intense. He was certainly experiencing the sensation of waiting for someone else.
Just as he was about to turn around and leave, the kitchen door creaked open.
There was the young girl, ambling out with an unhurried gait. She'd put her bonnet back on and even covered her face with a thin layer of muslin; only her black hair, curved eyebrows and eyes, and smiling lips were visible.
The intense heat from the furnace seemed to light up her white chef's coat, giving it a radiant glow, and added a dash of blush to her beautiful face.
She emerged from the bustling worldly atmosphere and yet, compared to the noble ladies in the palace, she seemed more ethereal and an epitome of elegance.
Xiao Lingchen's breath momentarily hitched, he was stunned.
The kitchen door had only been closed and opened again, but the person who came out seemed to be completely different.
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