There was already cooked meat and vegetables in the pot. Chuncao helped the two of them put them into their bowls. After Fu Lanyin tasted them, a smile appeared on her face.
"It tastes better than the hot pot we make!"
"Right? Eat more." You Tong was naturally happy to see that she liked it.
Fu Zhao didn't mind hot pot meat. He ate some beef, mutton, fish slices, and winter bamboo shoots. Seeing You Tong fiddling with duck intestines, he also tried some.
I must say, it tastes really good!
So they sat around the table and picked out their favorite dishes to cook in the broth.
Seeing You Tong use a small silver spoon to drop a milky white, sticky substance from the plate into the pot, she asked, "What is that?"
"Shrimp paste. It tastes delicious." You Tong was only two years older than them, with bright, smiling eyes and a radiant smile. The shrimp paste was crisp and tender, and it cooked in no time. They quickly scooped it out, dipped it in the sauce, and its crisp, fresh taste was simply divine!
The siblings tried it, and Fu Lanyin exclaimed in admiration, "It tastes better than boiled! It's even better than the crab meat balls we had last time!"
You Tong smiled upon hearing this.
Fu Zhao, however, picked up a bit of Fu Yu's bad habit: he couldn't resist sticking his chopsticks into the pot, while saying, "The taste is alright."
Fu Lanyin bluntly pointed out, "That's because you're ignorant!"
"Hot pot meat? Who hasn't eaten it before!" Fu Zhao retorted stubbornly.
The pot was steaming with a fragrant aroma, making the room even warmer. The three of them sat around the table, the siblings bickering and vying for their chopsticks, which was quite amusing. After finishing the hot pot, each of them drank a bowl of rich and fragrant pigeon soup, truly satisfied and wanting nothing more.
...
You Tong spent two or three days preparing this hot pot meal. Although it was troublesome, it finally eased her longing. Seeing the happy and satisfied look on Fu Lanyin and her brother's faces as they ate the hot pot, she felt much more at ease. Many noble families in and around the capital would eat hot pot, which showed that they liked the atmosphere of sitting around a table in a hot pot. However, the taste was bland and not very appealing.
Her hot pot broth is delicious and comes in a variety of flavors. With the dipping sauces, if she really opened a hot pot restaurant, it would definitely be packed with customers.
However, there is a shortage of manpower. Aunt Xia cannot handle it alone. We still need to find a cook who is dedicated to this job, as well as some waiters who can take care of the guests' meals.
While she was quietly making plans, Fu Lanyin, after finishing her hotpot in the west building, suddenly developed an upset stomach in the middle of the night.
Although the illness was not serious, the pampered young lady from a wealthy family would be alarmed even by the slightest headache or fever. The servants in the west wing dared not delay and hurriedly went to fetch a doctor in the dark. Unfortunately, the doctor Xu, whom the Fu family often invited, was away on family business and would not return for two or three days, so they first invited his apprentice, the doctor Jia.
Jia Lang's medical skills were quite good. He had visited the Fu family several times, and after examining them by observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, he hadn't found anything seriously wrong.
When asked about her recent diet, the old lady heard that Fu Lanyin had eaten blood sausage, fish, and shrimp the day before, so she advised her not to indulge in her cravings and prescribed a remedy. After some time, just before dawn, the news reached Shou'an Hall. When the old lady inquired, the servant, unfamiliar with the prescription and the doctor's explanations, assumed that Fu Lanyin's overeating was due to the hot pot she had eaten at the South Tower the day before, and blurted out the truth.
The old lady had just woken up when she heard these words, and she became secretly angry.
Author's Note: Both leg ornaments are complete!
Lan Yin, the cute little girl: Aren't they supposed to be the left and right protectors? ←. ← Thank you so much!
A landmine was thrown into the courtyard.
The clever fan threw a landmine.
The clever fan threw a landmine.
breathesky2007 threw a landmine.
Chapter 16 Husband and Wife
Madam Fu knew that You Tong was making delicious food in the small kitchen in the South Building.
The Fu family had four generations living together, and because there were many servants and maids, most of them cooked for themselves. Moreover, You Tong paid for all the kitchen utensils and vegetables herself and asked Aunt Zhou to find them outside, without spending a penny of the mansion's money. She also followed the rules when she came and went, so the old lady did not ask any questions.
But now, hearing that his own granddaughter got sick from eating in the small kitchen in the south building, how could he not be angry?
She harbored resentment, and her expression turned rather unpleasant when people came to greet her.
As the weather grew colder in early October, incense was rarely burned in Shou'an Hall. Because the old lady was afraid of the cold, the brazier was kept burning very brightly, and the charcoal smoke made the room warm as in midsummer, and also made the room exceptionally dry.
You Tong walked in through the chilly morning breeze, only to be enveloped in the sweltering heat of the room. Her nose felt like it was being scraped by knives, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Looking around, the room was neatly arranged with tables, chairs, and chests, and many antique and valuable items were displayed, but there wasn't a single water-grown plant in sight, not even a basin of water. It was a mystery how the people in the room could endure the heat without getting nosebleeds.
She silently grumbled to herself, but seeing that the maid had brought her red goji berry tea to replenish her qi and blood, she didn't dare to drink much.
The greetings were similar every day. The old lady chatted with Madam Shen about everyday matters, inquired about her great-grandson, and occasionally asked about her grandson. The two granddaughters-in-law of the eldest branch would then stand up to speak, showing both intimacy and respect. After sitting for a while, Madam Shen looked towards the screen several times but did not see her niece. When the conversation cooled down, she smiled and said, "Lanyin must have overslept. She was lazy again this morning."
"Poor thing, let her sleep."
Madam Shen asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Is she feeling unwell?"
"You ate something bad yesterday—" The old lady paused, looking at You Tong with reproach in her eyes.
You Tong had been quietly and dutifully listening for half a day when she suddenly heard these words and subconsciously looked up.
As he looked up, he met the old lady's gaze, which was stern, critical, and full of pressure.
The old lady came from a prominent family in Qizhou. She was pampered in her childhood and maintained a noble status after marrying into the Fu family. Over the years, the Fu family's prestige has grown, and she carries the title of a first-rank noblewoman bestowed by the imperial court. Her two sons also hold military power and command large armies. All the noble families in and around Qizhou respect her.
Having lived in a position of power and been the center of attention for decades, she was shrewd and arrogant. She valued her reputation and honor highly and held a deep prejudice against the Wei family's daughter, believing her to be "frivolous and lacking self-respect."
The way he looked at You Tong revealed his disdain, reproach, and displeasure without any attempt to hide it.
You Tong's heart skipped a beat.
Then Shen asked, "What? Isn't her food being carefully taken care of?"
The old lady snorted, glanced at You Tong, and said coldly, "Yesterday she went to the South Tower and ate hot pot, saying it contained raw blood and intestines. Even the cooks in the kitchen wouldn't touch such filthy things, how could Lan Yin eat it? Madam Wei—" Her anger intensified; if she weren't mindful of her status, she probably would have pointed her finger at him and reprimanded him, "If you like it, I won't stop you. But Lan Yin is young, don't coax her into eating unclean things!"
His words were blunt and full of rebuke.
Shen and her two granddaughters-in-law from the eldest branch of the family exchanged slightly different glances and subconsciously looked at You Tong.
You Tong was unaware of Fu Lanyin's illness. Upon hearing this, she was very worried, but then felt that the words had gone too far, so she stood up.
"My granddaughter-in-law had all the food from yesterday thoroughly washed several times; it's absolutely clean. How is Lanyin's condition? I'll go check on her later..."
"No need!" the old lady interrupted, slightly annoyed.
As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain outside fluttered slightly, and the servants greeted him in unison, "General." Fu Yu, still wearing his fine armor and radiating a chilling aura, strode in. He was dressed as he had been when he went to the training ground; the soft armor, woven from fine iron chains, was dark and icy cold, as if carrying the frost and snow of a harsh winter. A long sword hung at his waist, and he wore a pair of dark boots, his steps steady and powerful.
The commander of over ten thousand cavalrymen naturally possessed an imposing aura. As soon as he entered the room, the atmosphere seemed to suddenly tighten.
The old lady was delighted to see her grandson. "Xiuping, you've come so early?"
"Just returned from the training ground, and stopped by to give my regards to Grandmother." A hint of solemnity lingered between Fu Yu's brows as he bowed to the old lady, then inquired of his aunt. As he rose, his gaze fell upon You Tong—
Unlike her usual quiet demeanor at the back, she now had a worried look on her face and her back was straight, as if something was wrong.
Before entering, Fu Yu overheard half of what was happening and, with a slight thought, asked, "What's wrong with Lan Yin?"
The old lady recounted Fu Lanyin's matter, and seeing You Tong still standing there, seemingly about to argue, she felt that this granddaughter-in-law was indeed difficult and ignorant of etiquette. She held a high position in the household and hated being contradicted, and was even less willing to lower herself to waste words with a junior. She frowned and waved her hand, saying, "Alright, everyone go back. Xiuping, stay; I have a few words to tell you."
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen took her leave with her two wives from the eldest branch of the family.
Although You Tong was dissatisfied with the old lady's attitude, she was worried about Fu Lanyin's health, so she bowed and took her leave.
Fu Yu noticed this and frowned slightly.
I wanted to call out to her, but I didn't know what to call her, so I simply took two steps forward and gently pressed her shoulder.
You Tong turned around in surprise, "Is there anything else, husband?"
"What were you about to say?"
"Uh—" You Tong was stunned for a moment before she understood. Because she felt that the old lady was prejudiced and unreasonable, she was too lazy to argue with her at the moment. She lowered her voice and said, "Many people ate hot pot at the South Tower yesterday and they were all fine. I'm afraid there's another reason. I'll go and ask, so as not to delay the illness. Since Grandmother has asked my husband to stay, I'll take my leave now."
She was only fifteen years old and not as tall as Fu Yu. When she leaned closer, she was almost touching his shoulder.
Fu Yu felt a faint fragrance waft to his nose, like orchid and musk but not too strong, like jasmine but not too light, lingering and pleasant. She spoke with her head tilted back, her voice not loud, so he tilted his ear slightly to listen. His hand was holding her slender, rounded but frail shoulder, and for a moment he didn't think of letting go.
The couple stood together, whispering to each other. From the side, You Tong's petite and affectionate posture looked quite ambiguous.
This was the first time the old lady had ever seen Fu Yu show any patience towards a woman, and she unconsciously frowned.
Fu Yu didn't notice, and only after she finished speaking did he say, "Wait for me at the door for a moment."
After saying that, he let go of her hand.
You Tong guessed that he also wanted to visit his sister, but because he felt the room was hot and stuffy, he decided to wait for him in the corridor.
...
The servants and maids were temporarily dismissed, leaving only the grandfather and grandson in the room.
Seeing the scene just now, Madam Fu found it offensive and her expression darkened. She said in a deep voice, "Wei was fussing over food in the small kitchen earlier, and I didn't mind since nothing seemed amiss. Now she's caused this mess, which is infuriating! I'm too lazy to waste words with her, lest people say it's an elder being difficult. You should remind her to behave herself in the future and not to corrupt my granddaughter!"
She snorted heavily, her forehead furrowing even deeper, her brows furrowing with clear contempt.
—In families like this, the upbringing of their daughters is highly valued. You Tong has a notorious reputation in the capital, and before the marriage, the old lady had advised Fu Lanyin to stay away from her. Now that this matter has arisen, the old lady is quite angry to learn that Fu Lanyin often goes to the South Tower and seems to have a good impression of You Tong.
Fu Yu stood tall, and upon understanding the implication in her words, he frowned almost imperceptibly.
Although he came from a wealthy family, he had suffered greatly in recent years from fighting and patrolling the borders. While the Fu family did not eat offal, in the north, shepherds made lamb offal soup with heart, liver, intestines, and other offal, which tasted quite good. The old lady's criticism about the ingredients seemed to be a case of taking her anger out on others.
Judging from the tone, it seems that they feel You Tong has a moral failing and they need to be on guard against him like a thief.
For some reason, the scene from that night at the South Tower suddenly flashed before Fu Yu's eyes. She stood under the lamp, saying that those things in the capital were all in the past, and that she would be careful with her words and actions here. Her tone was light and casual, but her face clearly showed sadness, her eyelashes lowered to cover her bright eyes, and the corners of her lips slightly pursed.
That image is etched in my mind like a silhouette, exceptionally clear.
At that time, he shared his grandmother's prejudice and unintentionally hurt her. Now, hearing such arbitrary words again, Fu Yu felt uncomfortable and said, "Wei's temperament is not so bad."
"That's not necessarily true! Wei Sidao admitted it himself, so how could it be false? To be on the safe side, Lan Yin is straightforward, so we can't let her lead us astray."
Such stubbornness means refusing to listen to advice.
Fu Yu was concerned about his younger sister. Seeing that she had nothing else important to do, he simply said, "Grandmother, please rest. I'll go check on Lanyin."
Having said that, he bowed and took his leave.
The old lady knew he had no patience for the trivial matters of the inner quarters, so she repeatedly instructed him, "You must take what I say to heart!"
Before he finished speaking, Fu Yu had already gone around the screen and into the outer room.
The maids and servants who had been dismissed crowded into the outer room, and when they saw him, they quickly made way.
Fu Yu glanced around but didn't see You Tong. He lifted the heavy curtain and stepped out of the doorway. He saw her standing with her back to him on the veranda. An ivory-white brocade cloak with scattered flowers covered her figure. Her hair was piled high and her hair was lightly swept up. The thin and delicate butterfly hairpin made of red gold was adorned with tiny tassels, which made her look even more graceful and charming.
Hearing the noise, she turned around and saw it was him, so she smiled slightly and said, "Husband."
Bathed in the lazy sunlight of a winter morning, she was graceful and charming with a sweet smile.
Author's Note: When they're whispering in each other's ears, they finally look a bit like a married couple, tsk tsk~
Chapter 17 Advice