After the meal, although the atmosphere had been awkward, the Empress still ate quite a lot of dishes and rice.
Whether it was because of the exhaustion from last night’s “ordeal” or because Gu Fei’s food was just too delicious, she didn’t know. But the taste and variety were clearly different from what the imperial chefs in the palace made.
She was starting to worry—if she stayed here too long, how would she stomach the palace food again?
After the meal, Gu Fei said to Da Ya, “Da Ya, winter is coming soon. This afternoon, take Cheng Quan to the market and buy some pork. Have some of it salted for winter and next year’s use.”
Xiao Lingshuang, hearing the word “pork,” was instantly alert. This damn bandit wanted to eat that disgusting stuff?
Impossible…
She’d already decided to ignore this man, but curiosity got the better of her, so she spoke up.
Because in Beiheng, no one ate pork.
Once, in order to solve the food shortage among the commoners, she’d ordered someone to buy a piece of pork from the market. But the moment she tried it, she nearly threw up—it was pungent and nauseating.
Not only was it hard to eat, it was also difficult to find. Just hearing the word now made her queasy.
“Hey, you’re already eating good refined grains—why would you go buy that disgusting, foul-smelling pork? Are you trying to show off that you can eat anything in front of me? What a joke.” Her face was full of disdain.
Da Ya was instantly offended. “Madam, you must be mistaken. Pork in Shangyuan City is delicious! We can’t speak for other places, but here it’s amazing.”
“Especially the braised ribs and red-braised pork that Master taught us to make—they’re mouthwatering.”
“Oh, and Madam, didn’t you think the vegetable dishes today were especially tasty?”
Xiao Lingshuang thought back to the two dishes she’d just had and, honestly, they had been flavorful, so she nodded.
“That’s because we stir-fried them with pork lard.”
Ah…!
The moment she heard that, Xiao Lingshuang nearly gagged. That familiar pork flavor flashed in her mind and made her instinctively cover her mouth.
Gu Fei watched her clutch her mouth and smirked. “When it comes to cooking, Shangyuan City is undefeated. Other places just steam or boil their food. We not only steam and boil—we also stir-fry.”
“Stir-fry? What kind of method is that?” As annoyed as she was, the word still piqued her interest. Weren’t cooking methods always limited to steaming, boiling, roasting, or frying? What was this “stir-frying”? New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
Seeing her mood improving, Gu Fei said to Da Ya, “Da Ya, take Madam to the kitchen. Let her see what stir-frying really is.”
“Yes, Master! Madam, come with me!”
Xiao Lingshuang wanted to see it for herself, so she said nothing and followed along.
Da Ya led her to a large, round-bottomed wok with twin burners and proudly said, “Madam, this strange-looking round-bottomed iron wok is our Master’s own design.”
Xiao Lingshuang examined it.
It sat quietly on the stove, its body gleaming faintly, clearly well-maintained. Unlike the ornate, refined cookware in the palace, this one looked plain and practical, exuding a rare charm.
There were still traces of oil and leftover aroma around the rim—evidence of recently cooked deliciousness.
Surprise and curiosity flashed in her eyes. She had never seen such a uniquely designed cooking pot. In her understanding, kitchenware was just for support—she had never imagined it could be key to improving taste.
“This wok is too oddly shaped… and too simple,” she muttered.
Da Ya giggled. “Madam, don’t underestimate it just because it looks ordinary. This wok can cook unforgettable flavors!”
She turned to Er Ya and said, “Er Ya, go get that unused piece of pork from the cupboard. I’ll show Madam how we stir-fry vegetables with pork slices!”
Er Ya quickly fetched a palm-sized slab of pork.
After rinsing it with water, she placed it on the cutting board and, in a matter of seconds, sliced it into evenly thin slices.
Meanwhile, Da Ya reignited the stove, grabbed the pre-cut vegetables, and began the demonstration.
As the flames danced, the wok quickly heated up. Oil sizzled, and the pork began to flip and jump in the wok, emitting a sharp sizzling sound and releasing an incredibly appetizing aroma.
The rich scent flooded the kitchen, and Xiao Lingshuang was momentarily stunned.
It was clearly pork, yet it had none of that revolting stench from before.
“This… this is really pork?”
Da Ya said proudly, “Of course! Er Ya, bring the salt!”
Inside a black ceramic jar was snow-white salt!
“You call this salt? How can salt be this white?”
Er Ya responded confidently, “Madam, in this whole world, what we have in Shangyuan City, others might not have. And if others have something, we can do it better.”
“A few jin of snow-white, bitterless salt is nothing.”
Xiao Lingshuang felt utterly deflated.
She, a dignified Empress, had just been looked down on by two little maids.
Just then, Da Ya finished cooking the dish.
She placed a steaming, beautifully colored, fragrant plate of stir-fried vegetables with pork slices in front of the Empress, and Xiao Lingshuang could hardly believe her eyes.
The pork she once avoided at all costs now looked incredibly tempting. Even though she was already full, she couldn’t resist tasting it.
She took the chopsticks offered to her and carefully picked up a slice, placing it in her mouth.
In that instant, her taste buds felt like they had been awakened. The pork’s rich flavor and the perfectly blended seasonings completely shattered her past disgust.
That aroma bloomed in her mouth.
“This… how is this possible? Pork can be this delicious?”
Especially the piece of pork that had turned slightly golden and crispy—it was so fragrant that she knew she’d never forget it.
Right at that moment, Gu Fei walked in.
Seeing the Empress’s enchanted expression, he chuckled, “Well? Do you believe it now? Come on, let’s go for a stroll. You’re leaving the day after tomorrow—I’ll buy you something to take with you.”
Da Ya gasped beside him, “Madam is leaving so soon?”
Gu Fei rolled his eyes. “A wife’s got to go home and visit her family, right?”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingshuang put down her chopsticks and walked out of the kitchen without even looking back.
“Master, did I say something wrong again…?”