He Changqi’s group of friends couldn’t be bothered with judging Madam Zou once the handmaid started bringing out dish after dish from the huge container.
The first dish was a whole row of sweet and sour pork ribs covered in a thick sauce served on a delicate porcelain plate. The second dish was served in a clay pot. When the lid was lifted, the fragrant aroma of the braised duck within drifted out. Next, there was a huge serving of poached fish slices that looked as soft and tender as tofu, covered in a layer of red hot chillis. Right after that, it was a plate of sauteed shredded pork in sweet bean sauce, decorated with thinly sliced spring onion. Then a large bowl of steaming hot tofu soup… As each dish was placed on the table, the eyes of the gentlemen seated at the table widened more and more.
Finally, the handmaid brought out a small pan and stove and placed it in the center of the table. When she carefully lit up the stove, the gentlemen all wore expressions of astonishment.
Heir Zheng had never seen such a method of eating before. Furthermore, he had never seen nor eaten anything like all the delicious and fragrant dishes placed on the table before!
He pointed excitedly at the lit stove in the center. “Sister-in-law, what’s that called? I’ve never seen a dish like this before, even when I visited the palace!”
Seated at the host’s place at the table, He Changqi was clearly more than satisfied with the dishes that Chu Lian had cooked for them today. Other than the poached fish slices that he had eaten before, he hadn’t even seen or heard of the other delicacies placed before him now.
Since Madam Zou was to present the dishes in place of Chu Lian, Chu Lian had already told her all about the dishes and their names.
By this time, all the hungry men had turned to look up at her with expectation. Having those eyes fixed upon her gave Madam Zou the long-awaited satisfaction of having all attention drawn to her.
That satisfaction also gave her courage; the courage to follow through with a thought she had been harbouring for some time.
She smiled elegantly, showing off the aura of a model noble lady.
Thus, He Changqi’s friends heard her speak in a lovely, womanly voice. “Gentlemen, the one in the center is called a ‘dry steamboat’. This method of eating is very simple. You just have to prepare all the ingredients for cooking beforehand and place it in the pan. When you want to eat, all you have to do is light the fire under this pan. It’s very convenient.”
Heir Zheng loved novel things, so he leaned forward to take a closer look before applauding and giving praise, “Wonderful, wonderful! This is just too wonderful! With this, no matter when you’re hungry, you’ll be able to eat some freshly cooked food! What a great idea!”
The other men gave their agreement.
When Madam Zou heard Heir Zheng’s praise, she was even happier. The corners of her lips lifted up as she couldn’t hold back the excitement in her heart. “Indeed. I just so happened to discover this method of eating one day, I didn’t think that Heir Zheng would like it this much.”
The joy on the men’s faces faded away and they all stiffened. He Changqi was flooded with embarrassment. He wanted to tug at his wife’s sleeve to stop her, but Madam Zou was already carrying on with her explanation. “These here are poached fish slices. The red pieces floating on top are a new type of vegetable that Dalang bought over from some outsiders. I thought these looked strange and new, so I tried using them in my cooking. Who could have expected that these would enhance the flavour of these poached fish slices so much? You’ll have to try it for yourself later! As for that dish over there…”
Madam Zou jabbered on by herself and introduced all the dishes on the table. However, she didn’t realise that the expressions of the men at the table had already changed and become a little unusual. Xiao Bojian’s slanted eyes were full of disdain. He looked at Madam Zou with contempt. This woman had just tried to claim Lian’er’s credit for herself. Wasn’t she even the slightest bit ashamed that she was speaking such blatant lies right in front of them?
He Changqi’s face was already flushed red from his suppressed emotions. However, he just didn’t have the heart to expose his wife, upon seeing her so animated.
It wasn’t until Madam Zou had finished introducing every single dish that she realised that her surroundings had fallen silent. The air around them wasn’t as lively as it had been when the dishes had been brought out. She looked around, feeling a little lost, as her heart leapt into her throat. She tried asking lightly, “What’s wrong? Do you not like the dishes that Sister-in-law has prepared?”
The young Marquis Weiyuan and Honglu Temple’s Lord Ge both exchanged looks and had a tacit understanding. Marquis Weiyuan smiled and bowed towards Madam Zou. “Sister-in-law, you’re thinking too much. It’s our fortune to be able to taste Sister-in-law’s cooking for ourselves.”
After hearing Marquis Weiyuan’s words, Madam Zou’s heart settled down. She was about to speak further when He Changqi quickly cut in. “Alright, enough. I’m going to chat with my good friends here. Why don’t you return first?”
Madam Zou could only keep her silence. It was a rare occasion for her husband to bring his friends over after all. Furthermore, they were all men. It wasn’t very appropriate for her to stay in this gathering as a lady of the inner court. Thus, she bid her farewells to them and left with a distinguished and elegant air, accompanied by her maidservants.
