Chapter 581 - 584: Or Has the Princess Consort Really Returned?
Hua Manman didn’t hide anything and answered truthfully,
"I learned from an elder in my family."
Feihua Zhenren couldn’t help but ponder. If she learned from a family elder, then it had nothing to do with the Princess Consort.
But the dishes she made tasted exactly the same as the ones the Princess Consort used to make.
Feihua Zhenren couldn’t resist asking further.
"Did your family elder ever teach anyone else how to cook?"
Hua Manman had learned to cook from her maternal grandmother. Her grandmother was old by then and constantly busy with household chores. How could she have had the time to take on other apprentices? Besides, her grandmother only treated cooking as a hobby, not a professional pursuit.
So she shook her head and said no.
A kitchen helper finished cleaning the fish, and Hua Manman rolled up her sleeves and went over to prepare it.
Feihua Zhenren’s eyes followed her every move.
With him watching with his own eyes, he could be one hundred percent certain that Hua Manman cooked the food herself, with no one helping her cheat.
But the more certain he was, the more conflicted he felt.
’What exactly is the relationship between the Heir of Prince Yu and the Princess Consort?’
「...」
Bao Hong was on the ground, screaming in pain.
Seeing this, his classmates were so frightened they backed away several steps.
They looked at Li Xun with pure terror.
They never imagined that the Heir of the Regent King, despite his young age, would be so skilled. In just a few moves, he had taken down Bao Hong, who was a head taller than him.
Li Xun rubbed his wrists. He looked at Bao Hong, who was curled up on the ground, and asked lazily,
"Want more?"
Bao Hong was furious, but he was also terrified of Li Xun’s strength and didn’t dare to fight back.
His classmates helped him up, and he limped away in disarray.
Only when they were far away did Li Xun wave his hand.
"Let’s go back."
His followers quickly asked, "Boss, didn’t you just say you wanted to play in the bamboo forest? Why are we leaving already?"
Li Xun pouted. "What’s so fun about this crappy place? If you want to play, you can stay here by yourselves."
’I have to hurry home for dinner!’
His followers were very confused.
’Why is the boss so fickle?’
It really was just like the old saying—
Never try to guess the boss’s mind!
Since their boss was leaving, his followers certainly weren’t going to stay behind.
And so, they all left in a swarm.
When Ke Lang, carrying his book box, nervously entered the bamboo forest, he found it completely empty. There wasn’t a soul in sight.
He froze.
’Why isn’t Bao Hong here?’
’Could it be that he got held up by something else and didn’t have time to bother me?’
’If so, that’s great!’
Ke Lang felt a wave of relief and quickly turned to leave the bamboo forest.
「...」
Li Xun excitedly ran into the Regent Prince Mansion, heading straight for the kitchen.
Before he even entered, he smelled the rich aroma of food.
’Mother really is making something delicious!’
Li Xun hopped over the threshold and ran inside, calling out loudly.
"Mother, I’m back!"
Hua Manman was just taking the salted chicken out of its brine and placing it on a plate. Hearing him, she looked up and smiled at the boy.
"You’re just in time. Go wash your hands. We can eat soon."
Li Xun obediently washed his hands, then sidled up to his mother and asked sweetly,
"Is there anything I can help you with, Mother?"
Hua Manman pointed to the salted chicken in front of her. "Drizzle some sesame oil on top."
Li Xun immediately brought over the oil jar and carefully poured a little sesame oil.
The golden sesame oil drizzled over the chicken, giving the tender white meat a glistening sheen.
It instantly made the dish look even more appetizing.
Li Xun couldn’t help but lick his lips.
’I want to eat it so badly!’
Just then, he heard a SMACKING sound. He followed the noise and saw Feihua Zhenren squatting to the side, eating boiled peanuts.
Earlier, while Hua Manman was stewing the old duck with dried tangerine peel, she had also boiled some peanuts and edamame on the side.
Feihua Zhenren had been drooling for a while now.
But since dinner hadn’t officially started, he couldn’t touch the main dishes, so he could only munch on the peanuts and edamame.
The peanuts were boiled with spices, making them especially fragrant.
The edamame, on the other hand, was cooked with just a little salt, preserving its original fresh aroma. It was slightly crunchy and very refreshing.
While waiting for dinner, Feihua Zhenren was satisfying his cravings by snacking on peanuts and edamame.
Li Xun still remembered Feihua Zhenren badmouthing his mother yesterday. But because his mother had warned him about it, he couldn’t lash out, so he could only ask in a passive-aggressive tone,
"Are the peanuts and edamame good?"
Feihua Zhenren smacked his lips and gave an honest review. "They’re delicious, but they get a bit dry after a while. It would be perfect if I had something to drink."
Li Xun couldn’t hold it in any longer. "Didn’t you say my mother was no good yesterday? How come today you think the food my mother makes is delicious?"
Hua Manman hadn’t expected this.
She looked toward Feihua Zhenren.
Her gaze made Feihua Zhenren very embarrassed.
He gave an awkward laugh. "I was narrow-minded yesterday. It was my fault. I apologize to the Heir of Prince Yu."
But Hua Manman said, "I am no longer the Heir of Prince Yu. You can just call me Manman from now on."
Feihua Zhenren was taken aback and blurted out,
"Your name is Manman, too?"
Hua Manman knew what he was thinking. She chuckled softly, two faint dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth.
"That’s right."
Her smile seemed to merge with the image of the former Princess Consort.
The intense feeling of familiarity washed over him again.
Feihua Zhenren murmured, "Is this a coincidence? Or..."
’...or has the Princess Consort truly returned?’
But the Princess Consort was already dead. He had personally examined her body; she had stopped breathing. It was absolutely impossible for her to be alive again.
But then he recalled what the Regent King once said—
"She will come back. She promised me."
Feihua Zhenren had originally thought those were just the ramblings of a man who couldn’t accept reality, words he used to deceive himself.
But what if...
’What if the Regent King was telling the truth?’
Feihua Zhenren’s mind filled with fantastic tales of resurrection, and the way he looked at Hua Manman became increasingly strange.
His stare was making Hua Manman’s skin crawl.
Just then, the spareribs were almost done steaming.
She turned, lifted the pot lid, and a wave of hot steam rushed into her face.
When the white mist cleared, it revealed a bowl of steaming taro spareribs.
The taro, cut into small pieces, was steamed until it was soft and mushy, its sweet flavor infused into the spareribs.
The light purple taro contrasted with the pinkish meat of the ribs, and a sprinkle of chopped scallions was added just before serving.
The fresh, vibrant appearance alone was a feast for the eyes.
Feihua Zhenren was still lost in thought, but his nose twitched involuntarily.
’It smells so good!’
’I’m starting to drool again.’
The dishes were nearly all ready, just as someone came from the front to announce that the Regent King had returned.
Hua Manman instructed the servants to carry the dishes to the dining hall.
Li Ji and his son, Li Xun, both preferred milder flavors, so their chopsticks went straight for the steamed taro spareribs.
The ribs were steamed until they were tender and smooth. A single bite was sweet and delicious, soft and sticky.
Hua Manman and Feihua Zhenren, however, preferred spicy food.
This was especially true for Feihua Zhenren. He hadn’t eaten a meal this satisfying in a long time and accidentally ate until he was stuffed.
But there was still a lot of food left on the table.
Unwilling to stop, he popped a digestive pill into his mouth, went to the latrine for a while to make some room in his stomach, and then returned to keep eating.
Hua Manman watched, completely dumbfounded.
’So this is one of the benefits of being a skilled physician!’
...
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