Lu Peng lowered his eyes and said, "Fourth Miss, you may not know this, but the Prince paid three times the price the day before yesterday to get the pastry chef at Mingyuan to make a new batch of crab shell pastries before dawn today. So these are all fresh out of the oven. If you don't believe me, Fourth Miss, you can touch them and see for yourself. I guarantee they're still warm."
Wu Hui actually reached out a finger and touched one of the edges; the pastry was indeed still warm.
She picked up a handkerchief to cover half her face and whispered in Wushuang's ear, "Your prince is too good at pleasing people. Knowing that you like flaky pastries, he'd rather spend several times the price to send them to you."
Wushuang blushed and pushed her away, saying to Lu Peng, "Please come all this way and thank your prince for me."
Lu Peng replied, "Your Highness's kindness is appreciated, as long as the Third Miss understands. This food box has two layers. The top layer contains ten savory sesame cakes filled with diced pork, while the bottom layer contains ten sweet ones filled with rose and jujube paste. Your Highness said that the Third Miss and her family of sisters are sitting in the carriage, and their tastes may not be the same, so I prepared some sweet and some savory ones. I think everyone will be satisfied."
Qiqiao followed in the carriage. When she saw that there was food, she immediately busied herself pouring tea and water for the three girls, and also handed a bowl to Lu Peng outside the carriage.
Wushuang took a sip of water to moisten her throat, then took a bite of the crispy and crunchy crab shell pastry. Suddenly remembering something, she discussed with her two sisters, "Let's share half of it with Grandmother and Second Aunt. They've been waiting for so long, just like us, and they must be hungry by now."
Before Wuyou and Wuhui could respond, Lu Peng said first, "Third Miss, don't worry, the Prince has also arranged food for the Old Madam, it's the Old Madam's favorite eight-treasure rice."
Wushuang never expected that Chu Yao would take such good care of even his grandmother. Besides thanking him repeatedly, she really didn't know what else to say.
As soon as Lu Peng rode away, the carriage immediately became lively.
Wuyou, biting into a crab shell pastry, said softly, "I envy Third Sister so much. The Prince treats you so well and considerately. He will definitely dote on you when we get married."
Wushuang pouted and said haughtily, "I don't want to marry him."
"If you don't marry him, I will!" Wu Hui chimed in playfully. "Regardless of family background, character, ability, or appearance, Prince Ying is one of the best you could ever find, and he's also kind-hearted. He takes care of the bride's entire family without even asking. Anyone who doesn't want to marry him is a fool."
"Who are you calling a fool?" Wushuang put down her teacup and asked angrily, "We've only been on good terms for a few days, and you're already cursing people. Second sister, we can't let her get away with this."
As she spoke, she pulled Wuyou to tickle Wuhui, and the three of them made a ruckus in the car, almost knocking over the half-full food box.
Just as they were having a great time, the carriage suddenly started moving.
Qiqiao, being a few years older than them, took on the role of the eldest sister, pulling the three girls one by one to sit down, and said loudly, "My good girls, the carriage is starting to move, so you should sit still and not bump into anything and leave scars, which your future husbands might not like."
After hearing this, Wuyou and Wuhui became even more cautious.
Only Wushuang didn't take it seriously. Wrapped in a cloak and leaning against a pillow, she leisurely drifted off to sleep with the swaying rhythm of the carriage.
He slept soundly for an unknown amount of time before being violently woken up.
Wushuang opened her eyes and saw Wu Hui squatting beside her with a cryptic smile on his face. He pointed to the car window behind her and said, "Wake up, your prince has brought you food again."
Wushuang rubbed her eyes and turned around, casually asking, "Lu Peng, what's it this time? Isn't Lingguang Guard supposed to be accompanying His Majesty's carriage on the road? Why is he always neglecting his duties..."
She wanted to say that he was neglecting his duties, but as her face came into view through the car window, the last two words got stuck in her throat and she couldn't say them.
The person outside the carriage, riding a black horse, dressed in black robes and wearing a jade crown, was none other than Chu Yao.
Chapter 87 | Table of Contents
Chapter 87:
Caught red-handed gossiping, Wu Shuang couldn't be more embarrassed. To make matters worse, Chu Yao deliberately teased her, saying, "If you think I'm neglecting my duties, then I'm leaving." (80)
After speaking, he pretended to urge his horse to move forward, but deliberately raised his arm to expose the food box in the window.
So what if they leave? What's the big deal? Do you think girls from the prestigious Runan Marquis's mansion would bow down and bend over for a bite of food?
Wushuang was about to retort when, before she could utter a word, she felt a soft, warm hand cover her knee. Turning around, she saw it was Wu Hui, who shook her head in greeting, her eyes full of warning.
What a spineless person!
Wushuang silently complained.
However, having traveled between the capital and Fujian with her parents, she knew all too well the hardships of long-distance travel by carriage—not only was the journey bumpy, but the food was also often unsatisfactory. Although they didn't go hungry, when the carriage reached remote mountains and wilderness, far from any village or shop, even if they didn't care about the cost, they couldn't buy fresh food. Most of the time, they could only make do with bland, tasteless dry rations to fill their stomachs, which was truly unpleasant.
"Alas!" For the sake of satisfying her appetite, Wushuang said against her will, "Your Highness, please wait!"
She was used to speaking to Chu Yao in a very informal manner, so she felt quite uncomfortable. Even Chu Yao, who had reined in his horse and turned around, looked puzzled: "You... are talking to me?"
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Wushuang could sense the teasing in his words.
A wise woman doesn't suffer losses in front of her. She brazenly said, "Your Highness has already come all this way, and we haven't even exchanged more than a few words. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
Before they had finished speaking, they heard snickers behind them. When they turned around, they saw not only the two sisters, but even the maid Qiqiao was covering her mouth, clearly unable to hold back her laughter.
Besieged on all sides, Wushuang could no longer pretend and simply reverted to her true nature, stretching her little hand out of the car window: "You've already brought it all, why aren't we eating it?"
Chu Yao didn't argue with her and obediently handed over the food box.
The laughter inside the car suddenly grew louder.
Wushuang pouted and turned around: "You all love to laugh so much, you're probably full from laughing, so you obviously don't need to eat. This whole box is mine!"
Wu Hui was not about to give in. Without any politeness, she reached out and, a step faster than Wu Shuang, lifted the lid of the box, grabbed a bun from the plate, and brought it to her mouth: "It's only natural for a brother-in-law to send food to his wife's younger sister. My eldest brother-in-law also often sends a lot of things to our house." After saying that, she took a bite, tasted it, and said, "It's a roast duck bun."
“There’s a Tianwang Roast Duck Bun shop in Qing County along the way. I’ve stopped there for a bite before when I was on a case. The shop isn’t big, but the food is exceptionally delicious, so I thought I’d let you try it too,” Chu Yao said.
"My third brother-in-law is very knowledgeable and has a lot of experience. He's really something." Since he's been fed, Wu Hui naturally had to say a few nice words.
The phrase "third brother-in-law" infuriated Wushuang. She slammed the lid of the food box shut and blurted out, "Just eat! Why all the fuss? Calling everyone 'brother-in-law' and randomly claiming relatives, how can you be so shameless?"
Wu Hui wasn't afraid of being scolded. He winked at Wu Shuang and said, "He'll be my third brother-in-law sooner or later. What's the big deal about calling him a few days earlier? Right, third brother-in-law?"
The last sentence, however, was about seeking an alliance with Chu Yao.
Chu Yao laughed and said, "That's very clear. It's a hundred times better than someone who refuses to acknowledge their future husband after meeting him."
Wushuang was both ashamed and angry. She picked up the food box and wanted to throw it back to Chu Yao.
Chu Yao spoke first, saying, "Although our family is just a royal residence, we can still make sure you have enough to eat. You can finish all twenty-nine buns by yourself in one meal. I'm fine with that, but I'm afraid you'll eat too much and get a stomach upset. We'll have to call the imperial physician to examine you later. If word gets out that it was caused by overeating, it will be embarrassing for you."