Chapter 29: Piggy Dumplings
Eagerly, Anji hurried back to her room.
"Hurry, Lizi! Close the door behind you and light the candles. I’ll eat something light for lunch. There’s no time to waste. Also, could you bring some charcoal pencils and writing paper? There are not many hours until tomorrow!"
There are not many hours until tomorrow? Lizi chuckled and shook her head helplessly. Today had exactly the same number of hours until tomorrow as yesterday. She knew her young mistress took studying seriously. Anji worked diligently without cutting corners. However, there were very few occasions when she was this enthusiastic. The three-year-old child had forgotten all her etiquette after getting swept away by a wave of passion. It was adorable.
Eagerly, Anji removed her shoes and clambered onto her bed as Lizi put the books beside her.
Anji pulled out the worn-out handwritten notes and unfolded them. She tried to straighten them out to the best of her abilities, but they’d need to be pressed down on with a heavy weight overnight to become wrinkle-free.
Lizi brought over the custom-made low table and placed it on the bed for Anji. As the youngest princess was always sick, the gardener’s son made it for her so Anji could sit up and eat her meals comfortably in bed. She disliked being spoon-fed.
Now, that table serves a different purpose. Anji was very comfortable with her bedtable, and on chilly days like this, she would snuggle under her quilt to read. Compared to stroking the fire continuously to heat the room, Anji preferred this method. There was less smoke, and Anji could even open the windows to get fresh air without catching a chill from beneath the blanket. The papers on her table were well shielded from strong breezes, reducing the need for cluttering paperweights.
"I’ll get the writing materials now," Lizi informed after ensuring Anji was comfortable. "What would you prefer for lunch? We should have congee, but the cook can make some oil pancakes if you want."
Thick and warm congee on a cold late-autumn afternoon was good. However, Anji had been eating that for the past few days due to her fainting episode in the bathtub. She wanted a change in taste, but oiled pancakes usually made her sleepy in the afternoon. She’d ask for steamed buns, but she already had that for breakfast. Eating cold dishes was also not good when the weather was chilly.