The so-called assorted minced meat was actually meant to be mixed with rice. It contained minced meat, shrimp paste, minced chicken, diced mushrooms, all stir-fried until fragrant and richly seasoned—perfect for eating with rice.
But the problem was that Pei Ke’s current condition simply wasn’t suitable for eating such food.
“What else is there?” Shen Lingwei quickly asked.
Chen Shitou thought for a moment. “Oh, there’s also a bowl of shredded chicken soup. They said the broth was made from old hen stock. It smelled very rich—even I found it appetizing. The Second Young Master drank a few sips.”
Shen Lingwei’s brows furrowed even deeper.
Clearly, her guess had been right. In order to make the Second Young Master eat, Cook Liu had disregarded his condition and fed him greasy, hard-to-digest food.
“Brother Chen, the Second Young Master has only just recovered from a long illness. Suddenly eating these things—his body may not be able to handle it.”
Chen Shitou was taken aback, the relief on his face fading. “Th-then what should we do?”
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp voice came from behind:
“Whether it’s suitable or not—do you get to decide that? Are you replacing the doctor now?”
Shen Lingwei turned around. Cook Liu had appeared behind them at some point, holding a plate of pastries.
Old Woman Guo and Old Woman Tian stood behind her, one on each side like attendants.
Cook Liu stepped forward with a fake smile. “Madam Shen, how many days have you even been here? I know better than you how to arrange the Second Young Master’s meals. Who are you to speak so boldly here?”
The two women behind her chimed in:
“Exactly. Sister Liu has worked so hard to prepare food and get the Second Young Master to eat, and here you are making sarcastic remarks. What are your intentions?”
“I think she’s just jealous that Sister Liu is favored by the Second Young Master and the Old Madam, so she’s deliberately picking faults.”
The three of them spoke one after another, clearly trying to embarrass Shen Lingwei in public.
Servants and maids had already gathered around, whispering and pointing.
Facing the accusations, Shen Lingwei remained calm. Her gaze did not waver. Instead, she stepped forward and stared directly at Cook Liu.
“Is that so? Then are you certain that in his current condition, the Second Young Master can handle greasy meat and overly sweet pastries?”
Cook Liu felt a flicker of unease but forced herself to remain firm. “So what if he can’t? If the Second Young Master wants to eat something, does he have to listen to you? Who exactly is the master here?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Old Woman Tian immediately supported her. “We made the dishes. Whether he eats or not is up to the Second Young Master. If you have the ability, make something he’s willing to eat and let him choose!”
Then she added mockingly, “I’m just afraid some people can’t cook anything worthwhile and are afraid of being kicked out by the Old Madam, so they come here to nitpick and smear others.”
The murmurs around them grew louder. The crowd’s gaze toward Shen Lingwei became wary and guarded.
Cook Liu rolled her eyes and added, “That’s right. Do you dare to make a bet with me—let’s see whose food the Second Young Master actually eats.”
This was an obvious provocation.
She intended to use this opportunity to drive Shen Lingwei out of Jinghe Garden and reclaim full control of the kitchen.
All eyes turned to Shen Lingwei, waiting for her reaction.
But Shen Lingwei did not fall for it. After a brief silence, she spoke clearly, word by word:
“Cook Liu, both of us are responsible for serving the Second Young Master. Everything should be based on his health—not used for gambling or competition.”
Her sharp gaze swept over the three of them. “If you want to coax him into eating or curry favor, that’s your business. But if something happens to his health, who among you will take responsibility?”
Cook Liu’s face turned pale, and she immediately flew into a rage. “Nonsense! You’re just cursing the Second Young Master!”
Shen Lingwei did not continue arguing. Her gaze swept over the chestnut cakes on the tray and she said calmly, “I have no intention of cursing him. I’m only stating facts. Chestnut cakes are heavy and difficult to digest. Given the Second Young Master’s weak digestion, it’s best he eats less of them.”
With that, Shen Lingwei walked past Cook Liu and left.
The Second Young Master was frail—she couldn’t just stand by and watch Cook Liu feed him harmful food. But for now, she had no power or status. All she could do was make things clear in public.
If something really happened later, she would at least have grounds to step in and help.
Cook Liu choked on her words and glared fiercely at Shen Lingwei.
Over the next two days, Cook Liu changed tactics and continuously fed Pei Ke different dishes: sweet and sour fish slices, honey-glazed ribs, scallion oil shredded chicken, salt-and-pepper ribs—each one rich, oily, and highly appetizing.
Pei Ke did eat, managing about half a bowl each time.
Cook Liu became extremely smug, boasting to everyone, “The Second Young Master loves my cooking. Some people’s bland food—he doesn’t even glance at it!”
In truth, Shen Lingwei had already noticed a half-worn mechanical box in Pei Ke’s room. It had a mortise-and-tenon structure, with some parts smooth and shiny from repeated handling.
Not only that, she discovered that Pei Ke liked collecting objects with intricate structures and precise shapes, as if he had a natural sensitivity and fondness for them.
So Shen Lingwei cut the yam cakes into hexagons, or arranged them into honeycomb patterns. She carved the poria cakes into shapes resembling small Luban locks—each piece distinct, angular, and perfectly fitted.
Every day, her food was sent together with the dishes made by Cook Liu and the others.
As expected, Pei Ke was attracted to these unusual shapes. Each time he ate, he would stare at them for a long time, sometimes even reluctant to eat them.
For three consecutive meals, the food boxes returned from Jinghe Garden were completely empty.
Shen Lingwei felt relieved, thinking that Pei Ke had eaten everything.
This made Cook Liu and the others feel threatened. They worked even harder, preparing more elaborate dishes and even snacks—fried ribbonfish, golden tofu, grilled skewers—one after another.
It wasn’t until the next night, when Chen Shitou had someone bring several plates of sticky, spoiled yam cakes back to the kitchen, that Shen Lingwei suddenly realized—
Pei Ke hadn’t eaten any of them.
Not only that, the cakes had been left too long and had already gone bad, becoming inedible.
Chen Shitou scratched the back of his head, looking regretful. “Madam Shen, I’m sorry. The Second Young Master just kept looking at them but didn’t eat. I couldn’t do anything…”
Behind him, Old Woman Tian and the others burst into laughter.
“Oh dear, not a single bite? I thought you had some real skill—turns out it’s just decorative nonsense.”
Old Woman Guo added mockingly, “Exactly. No matter how pretty they look, if the Second Young Master won’t eat them, it’s all wasted effort.”
“If you don’t have the ability, you’d better leave Jinghe Garden early. The Marquis’ residence doesn’t keep idle people.”
Their words grew harsher and harsher, waiting to see Shen Lingwei hang her head in defeat.
But Shen Lingwei showed none of the expected sadness or disappointment.
Instead, a faint suspicion began to form in her mind.