“Master, you’re back!” Er Ya greeted Gu Fei with a sweet smile.
Gu Fei patted her on the cheek. These two girls were becoming more and more delicate and charming. In another couple of years, they would definitely grow into top-tier beauties.
At that moment, Da Ya came out of the kitchen. “Sir, I especially warmed some ginger wine for you and Miss Leng tonight. I noticed both of you seem to have caught a bit of a cold. It’ll help warm your bodies during dinner.”
“You two really know how to care for others. Unlike that Ye Anlan—she’d probably be happier if I dropped dead,” Gu Fei said.
Da Ya smiled sweetly and replied, “Back when you rescued me and Er Ya from those mountain bandits, we both decided we’d serve you for the rest of our lives.”
The Empress stood nearby, listening to the exchange between Gu Fei and the two maidservants. Only now did she understand that both Da Ya and Er Ya had been saved by Gu Fei.
“Miss Leng, hurry and wash your face. Dinner will be ready soon!” Da Ya said.
No matter how displeased Xiao Lingshuang felt about Gu Fei, she had to admit that these two silly but lovable maidservants were rather likable. She rarely smiled, but this time, she did and nodded.
“Da Ya, Er Ya, you two shouldn’t call her Miss Leng anymore. From now on, she’s your Madam,” Gu Fei added.
The Empress gritted her teeth at Gu Fei’s words. She wanted nothing more than to bite him to death. That damn bandit, that shameless scoundrel—he was clearly trying to make everyone aware of their relationship.
Da Ya and Er Ya looked Xiao Lingshuang up and down with their big eyes, then asked softly, “Master, are you sure you didn’t say it wrong?”
“No mistake. From now on, Leng Lingshuang is my wife. You two must take good care of her.”
Er Ya leaned in and whispered, “Master, aren’t you afraid Constable Ye will be upset?”
Gu Fei snorted, “What do I care if she’s upset?”
Hearing that, Er Ya felt alarmed. “This is bad. We absolutely cannot let Constable Ye know about this. Otherwise… even we won’t have it easy.”
Da Ya and Er Ya smiled politely at the Empress and said, “Madam, please sit. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“Hey… hey… I’m not!” The Empress was speechless. She had never seen anything like this before.
“No, you are my wife—just not yet consummated!” Gu Fei said with a grin.
“You’re such a scoundrel!” Xiao Lingshuang cursed and immediately ran back into the house.
Gu Fei rubbed his temple and walked into the bedroom. His head was indeed feeling quite dizzy. He flopped onto the bed and quickly fell asleep. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Bored in the room, Xiao Lingshuang soon came out and wandered into the kitchen to see how Da Ya and Er Ya were preparing dinner.
As an Empress—and previously a princess—she had seen what an imperial kitchen looked like. Compared to that, Gu Fei’s kitchen didn’t have any royal chefs or many helpers. In the large kitchen, only Da Ya, Er Ya, and two girls tending the fire were working.
The kitchen was spotless. The floor, walls, and even the counters were lined with pristine white tiles.
Da Ya and Er Ya were working together to clean and cut a fish. When they saw Xiao Lingshuang coming, they giggled and called out, “Madam!”
Xiao Lingshuang almost lost her temper, but then thought to herself, “I’m the Empress—what’s the point of arguing with a couple of clueless girls?”
She didn’t respond, nor did she deny it. Instead, she curiously asked, “In such a big kitchen, why are only the few of you working? Where are the others?”
She had noticed that, aside from Gu Fei, Da Ya, Er Ya, the two fire-tending girls, and the steward Cheng Quan, she hadn’t seen anyone else in the whole house.
“Madam, in our Master’s house, it’s just the four of us girls and Brother Cheng Quan who guards the door.”
“No house servants at all?” Xiao Lingshuang couldn’t help but ask.
“Madam, our Master is really stingy. He says more people means more mouths to feed.”
“If it weren’t for the need to tend the flowers and plants in the courtyard, I’m afraid even the four of us would be too many in his eyes.”
“What… that Gu Fei bastard! He’s so stingy, yet he built such a huge house? Isn’t that contradictory?”
The Empress couldn’t figure it out. She thought to herself, “Is this another one of those ‘forward-thinking plans’ again?”
“Madam, you must think this house is a waste because it’s so big, right?”
“But it’s not what you think. This house was built by the people of Shangyuan County as a gesture of gratitude for the Master who brought them prosperity and happiness. They built it voluntarily for him.”
“So this house didn’t cost a cent. Hehe… if he had to pay for such a big house, he’d never agree to it.”
Hearing this, Xiao Lingshuang felt even more suffocated. When did bandits and scoundrels become so enlightened, while the corrupt officials in court all looked proper on the surface but knew nothing of gratitude?
“Madam, our Master is really a good man. You’re blessed to have married him.”
Er Ya’s words nearly made Xiao Lingshuang explode on the spot.
She roared internally, “I’m the Empress—the most exalted in the land—and I’m a match for him? He couldn’t earn me even in ten lifetimes!”
“Is that so?” Xiao Lingshuang snorted coldly.
“Of course! Among the top ten beauties in Shangyuan City, which one doesn’t dream of marrying our Master? But he’s always unmoved.”
“Hmph. Unmoved by them, yet somehow set his eyes on me!” she muttered to herself.
“That’s exactly why I said you’re truly blessed to win our Master’s favor!” Er Ya said cheerfully.
The Empress’s chest rose and fell violently. She couldn’t take Er Ya’s words anymore.
“Here, Madam. Our Master brewed this yellow wine himself and boiled it with ginger. Please have a bowl!” Da Ya had, at some point, brought over a steaming bowl of ginger wine from the pot.
The Empress had never even heard of yellow wine before. But seeing the golden liquid in the bowl, she couldn’t help but swallow a little.
She hadn’t eaten all day. The aroma in the kitchen made it impossible for her to resist. Besides, her body felt cold and uncomfortable. The steaming bowl of yellow wine was quite tempting.
Da Ya noticed her hesitation and coaxed, “Madam, are you worried about the taste? Don’t worry, I added honey, goji berries, and osmanthus. I guarantee it’ll warm you up all over!”
Xiao Lingshuang took the porcelain bowl with both hands. Slowly bringing it to her lips, the rich aroma made her frown slightly, but she still took a small sip.
The sweetness, mixed with the faint fragrance of osmanthus, surprised her. It actually tasted better than she had imagined.
She took another sip. Half an incense stick of time later, the entire bowl was empty.
“So? Tastes good, right?” Da Ya’s big round eyes narrowed into crescents, her expression sly like a little fox.
“Yes, it’s good. I feel warm all over after drinking it. This yellow wine is not bad!” the Empress couldn’t help but praise.
“Then have some more. I’ll bring the rest to the Master,” Da Ya said.
The Empress nodded.