From that day onward, Wen Xian and Zhao Huai agreed on a truce. Both of them had received orders to secretly protect Ji Yunshu, and therefore were forced to stick together day and night.
Ever since the night they drank wine together, their relationship had improved for the better. They were no longer at each other's throats, and their only shared responsibility was to keep Ji Yunshu safe.
Little did they know that Ji Yunshu did not need their protection. There were already more than enough experts protecting her.
After submitting the document to the Imperial Court, Jing Rong decided to just let nature take its course and enjoy his free time.
What should I do during this time? Of course, I'll try everything I haven't tried before! After all, I have nothing to do now anyway.
Recently, Jing Rong had taken up an interest in cooking. Very early in the day where the sun had yet to even rise, he went to the kitchen, and bugged the chef to teach him how to cook. The chef was extremely annoyed. “Your Highness, you're a noble man, and you should leave all these grunt work to us.”
“Just treat me like your apprentice, and don't let my identity as a prince hinder our learning progress. Teach me well, and this prince will learn diligently.”
“My apprentice?” The chef's voice quivered as he waved his hand. “Your Highness, please have mercy on me. This humble one is a timid man, and can't take this fright.”
“Are you going to teach me or not?” Jing Rong glared at the chef.
This man is more persistent and long-winded than the monks in the temple. This is so annoying. Intimidated by Jing Rong, the chef had no choice but to agree, “Of course.” His answer was succinct.
Jing Rong nodded in satisfaction.
Then, the chef began to teach Jing Rong with a pair of trembling hands. On the other hand, Jing Rong was learning from the chef earnestly, and followed the chef's instructions religiously.
“Heat the oil until it starts smoking.”
Jing Rong waited for the oil to start smoking.
“Add a teaspoon of salt.” He added a teaspoon of salt.
“Add half a teaspoon of sugar.” Then he added the sugar.
“Quickly put the meat in!” Jing Rong quickly threw in the meat.
…
“The food is ready.” Finally, the spicy stir-fried pork was served!
They unintentionally prepared enough dishes to fill up a big table, but unfortunately, the dishes looked hideous. Some were burnt, while the others looked sloppy. The food was either overcooked, or undercooked. In short, it looked like the end result of a catastrophe, where none of the dishes looked appetizing.
With a spatula in his hand, Jing Rong stood before a dish he could not name. He knitted his brows, pointed at the dish and asked the chef, “What's this?”
“Stir-fried seasonal vegetables.”
“This?”
“Sweet and sour pork ribs.”
“What about this?”
“This…” The chef clicked his tongue as he could not figure out what the plate of blackened food was made of. After a brief moment, he finally recognised the dish. “It's steamed fish.”
Ugh… Someone, pass me a bucket, a big one! It was a hilarious scene to watch the two men deciphering the dishes.
The chef asked, “Your Highness, you cooked these. Why are you asking me the names of these dishes?”
“Because… this prince had forgotten the names. I'll bring a notebook to jot it down during the next lesson.” Jing Rong sounded very eager to learn. He pointed at the burnt fish and said, “Serve all the other dishes, except for this one.”
“Huh?” The chef was taken aback. He hurriedly said, “Your Highness, you have to tell everyone that you made these.”
“Of course I made these!” How dare you try to steal my credit? You're so shameless.
The chef was rendered speechless.
Before long, all the dishes were served. When the others saw the dishes, they were all bewildered, not only because the prince actually entered the kitchen and cooked, but also because of how “appetizing” the dishes appeared.
Mo Ruo gulped as he thought to himself, after all, this is the prince's first experience in the kitchen, and I shouldn't criticize him.
With his chopsticks, he took one bite. Then, he forced a smile and complimented, “That's not bad at all. It's delicious. Actually, this is already nicely marinated. I wonder what else you add into the dish. Maybe there’s some garlic in this…” He was making things up, and his words did not make sense.
Jing Rong countered, “I only want to know how does it taste?”
“It tastes good. It's acceptable. ” Mo Ruo put down his chopsticks and said, “Also… I'm brewing some medicine in my room. I need to go have a look. You guys enjoy your meal, and don't have to save anything for me.” In a blink of an eye, he disappeared from their sight. He’s escaped!
“Is it that bad?” Tang Si was curious about how bad the dishes could be. She clicked her tongue as she looked at the table full of dishes. “Some food doesn't look good, but tastes good. When I lived in Houliao, we ate everything, including the snakes, insects and rats. Although they are ugly, they taste amazing.” As she spoke, she picked up an unidentifiable chunk from the plate and placed it in her mouth. With strenuous effort, she attempted to chew it into smaller pieces, but to no avail. Eventually, she gave up.
She gulped, gave the happy Jing Rong an awkward glance, then pointed at her teeth and said, “I have been having some issues with my teeth. I need to go look for Mo Ruo, and have him check my teeth. You all enjoy your meal. Don’t need to wait for me to come back.” She quickly ran off. Another person has left the table.
Unlike Mo Ruo and Tang Si, Ji Yunshu was acting relatively calm. She picked an unidentifiable piece and tasted it. Wearing no expression, she put down her chopsticks, nodded and said, “Hmm… that's not bad.”
To prove that the food was indeed not bad and to stay true to her word, she took a few more mouthfuls. After all, she needed something to fill her stomach.
Jing Rong was extremely pleased, and he continued to place more food in her bowl.
“Eat more. This prince will cook more if this is not enough.”
Ji Yunshu did not know how to respond.
“Eat more. This is nice. See how skinny you are. You have to eat more so that you can be healthy and bear more children in the future.”
Ji Yunshu was rendered speechless. This was the consequence she had to bear for lying. Despite her reluctance, she had to finish what she started. As a result, Ji Yunshu forced the entire bowl down her throat…
That night, Ji Yunshu had an upset stomach and went to the toilet more than ten times, until she fell weakly into her bed.
Qiao'er had a candle stand in one hand, and a bowl of warm water in another hand. She stood by Ji Yunshu's bed and asked, “Teacher Ji, do you want some warm water?”
Ji Yunshu did not move.
“Teacher Ji?”
Still, Ji Yunshu remained silent.
Qiao'er thought Ji Yunshu had fallen asleep. As she was about to leave, the person on the bed said, “Help me up… and bring me to the toilet.”
This is a lesson to teach everyone not to lie. We should never speak against our conscience, or we will have to pay for the lies we tell. However, because she told Jing Rong that the dishes he cooked were not bad, Jing Rong's confidence was boosted, and he went to the chef again in the wee hours of the morning.
Brother, please spare me!
The dishes he made this time had a better appearance, and were at least properly cooked. However, the taste of the dishes was still somehow “unfathomable”.
Just like yesterday, Mo Ruo took a few bites reluctantly before he complimented Jing Rong's cooking skills half-heartedly. Then… he fled the dining room again.
Tang Si followed suit!
Once again, the great responsibility of finishing the dishes fell upon Ji Yunshu. Naturally, she spent another night suffering from diarrhea.
Oh, my God! Finally, they could not take it any longer, and began to rebel against Jing Rong.
