She set aside four tarts, intending to bring them to Old Madame Gu during dinner. Naturally, she had prepared a completely different spread from yesterday’s, a clear sign of her dedication to winning over her mother-in-law.
As Xie Yuechan approached Taoran Residence, she ran into someone who brought a genuine smile to her face. “Sister-in-law! What a coincidence.”
If there was one person in the Gu household Xie Yuechan truly liked, it was Zhu Shi. The eldest sister-in-law was gentle, virtuous, empathetic, and well-read—a sharp contrast to Yuechan herself. To Yuechan, she seemed to have no flaws at all.
Having heard about the minor scene Old Madame Gu had caused the previous day, Zhu Shi felt a twinge of playful schadenfreude. She asked with a sweet smile, “Third Brother’s Wife, what delicacies have you spent your efforts on today?”
Xie Yuechan affectionately took Zhu Shi’s arm. “Just a pot of soup.”
“Why not the porridge from yesterday?” Zhu Shi continued. “I didn’t get a taste, which was quite a regret. I thought I might be able to try some today.”
In truth, her “regret” was mostly about missing the drama, but she was genuinely curious about the taste of a porridge made with both shrimp and crab. She just couldn’t bring herself to admit it. Besides, wasn’t porridge the easiest way to show filial piety? Why would someone go through the trouble of changing the menu every single day? She found it hard to believe a noble daughter actually knew so many recipes; usually, they only learned one or two simple dishes to keep up appearances.
Zhu Shi secretly suspected that the maids did the cooking and Yuechan simply took the credit.
“If you want to try the clay pot porridge, that’s easily fixed!” Yuechan chirped, missing the underlying skepticism. “Next time I make it, I’ll send you word so we can gather together. Or I can teach you—it’s very simple!”
Caught off guard by how sincerely Yuechan took her polite small talk, Zhu Shi felt momentarily choked up, unsure of how to decline. Is this woman actually a bit dim? she wondered. Can she not hear the subtext, or is she truly this guileless?
“…The key is to add the side ingredients just as the rice grains begin to ‘blossom’ but still hold their shape. That way, the porridge is silky but not a mushy mess. If you’re like me and prefer it thicker, just simmer it longer. And you don’t have to stick to shrimp and crab; pork ribs, white clams, or chicken all work wonderfully…”
As Yuechan prattled on with the recipe, Zhu Shi’s maid, Si Mei, listened intently, nodding and memorizing every word. She thought to herself that her mistress could use this method to cook for the Eldest Young Master.
Zhu Shi’s expression stiffened slightly as she began to wonder if she was being too judgmental. After all, so far, Xie Yuechan hadn’t actually done anything to provoke her or disrupt her life.
A maid spotted them and lifted the curtain, ushering them into the main hall. When Old Madame Gu saw Xie Yuechan’s somewhat clumsy but technically correct salutation, she felt a wave of weariness.
This daughter-in-law was remarkably thick-skinned. She hadn’t seemed bothered at all by yesterday’s cold shoulder. Since the Old Madame wasn’t the type to truly torment her family members and couldn’t bring herself to use underhanded household tactics, she found herself at a loss for how to “discipline” her.
Fine, she thought.
After being coaxed by the Grand Preceptor the previous night, the Old Madame had reached her own conclusion: it was better for the girl to obsess over food than to go out and embarrass the Gu family name. Besides, the food was actually quite good. It wasn’t exactly scandalous for a lady of the house to refine her culinary skills.
The Old Madame signaled for them to rise and, to the utter shock of both Zhu Shi and Yuechan, announced that Yuechan was henceforth excused from the daily ritual of standing attendance.
While Yuechan didn’t know what internal struggle had led to this, she recognized good news when she heard it.
Ji Tao opened the food box and presented the dishes: a bowl of Hibiscus Vegetable Soup, a plate of garlic chicken wings, and a small dish of cherry egg tarts.
Zhu Shi assisted in setting the table, but when she saw the soup, a hint of disdain flickered in her eyes. It looked watery and plain—no ginseng, no rare ingredients. Just a clear broth with a few floating leaves and wisps of egg. Could this possibly taste good?
She was about to be proven very wrong.
“Both of you, sit and eat,” the Old Madame said. “I am not accustomed to being hovered over.”
The Old Madame waved a hand, signaling for both women to take their seats.
Today’s main courses from the grand kitchen included vegetarian roast goose, sautéed shredded mutton, braised soft-shell turtle, hibiscus tofu, and pearl vegetables in chicken broth. The Old Madame looked at the large, over-stewed chunks of meat and felt her appetite wither. She started with a bowl of the turtle soup. The grand kitchen always catered strictly to her preferences—not just light, but almost entirely devoid of salt.
The turtle was fresh and the meat tender, yet the thick layer of grease floating atop the broth left her feeling heavy and nauseated.
Nanny Xu quickly served her a portion of the pearl vegetables to cut through the oil, but the greens left her mouth feeling bland and hollow. When she reached for the shredded mutton, the gamey scent hit her like a wall. Not a single dish sat right. Her appetite vanished.
She dabbed her mouth with a cloth and turned her gaze toward the offerings Xie Yuechan had brought, deciding to at least give her daughter-in-law some face. “This soup looks refreshing. Pour me a bowl so I may try the flavor.”
Like Zhu Shi, she didn’t harbor high hopes. She simply felt her palate was too weary for anything heavy or salty.
However, one sip of the broth and her eyes nearly widened in surprise. It was unexpectedly delicious—vibrant and savory enough to make one’s eyebrows jump. Spinach leaves, wisps of egg, diced carrots, sliced shiitake mushrooms…
Common, everyday ingredients, yet they possessed such depth. Unlike the meat broths from the main kitchen, this soup lacked that suffocating layer of fat; it was light, clean, and left her craving another spoonful.
With her stomach finally settled, the Old Madame looked at the golden-brown chicken wings with newfound interest. “I’ll try these wings. They do smell quite fragrant.”
The skin had been pan-seared to a slight crisp. As she bit down, there was a faint, satisfying crunch, followed by a burst of juices. The chicken fat merged with the pungent aroma of garlic—a bold, assertive flavor that was simultaneously rich and cleansing.
The meat inside was incredibly tender, falling away from the bone with the slightest pressure. Even though the bones hadn’t been removed, the Old Madame found them effortless to eat.
Xie Yuechan had used a touch of pepper and cornelian cherry in the seasoning. Unprepared for the sudden kick of heat, the Old Madame nearly choked. She quickly took another gulp of the vegetable soup to soothe her throat.
When she spoke to Xie Yuechan again, her expression had softened considerably. “Your skill is indeed impressive. You have put much heart into this.”
Her gaze then drifted to the bright yellow treats she had been eyeing for some time. “And what is this?”
“This pastry is called an ‘egg tart,’” Xie Yuechan explained. “It’s made with eggs and milk, and the filling is soft and tender. Would Mother and Sister-in-law like to try some?”
Zhu Shi, still reeling from the “slap in the face” delivered by the delicious vegetable soup, didn’t dare offer any more cynical opinions. She felt a bit resigned as she smiled. “How could I? These were a filial offering for Mother. How could I take a share?”
“If A-Chan doesn’t mind, why should an old woman like me care?” The Old Madame replied. Perhaps it was the satisfaction of a good meal, but the rush of carbohydrates made her voice much warmer. “Eat. I won’t have it said that the Gu household is so stingy we won’t even give our own daughters-in-law a piece of cake.”
“Since Mother puts it that way, I shall have a taste.”
Zhu Shi stopped her protests and gracefully lifted a tart, shielding her mouth with a handkerchief. Mm… so sweet and fragrant. It seemed this Xie woman truly did have some skill; she realized she had vastly underestimated her.
This shift in the Old Madame’s attitude didn’t mean she had fully accepted Xie Yuechan as her daughter-in-law. It was more of a temporary truce—an understanding that as long as Yuechan didn’t commit any egregious blunders, they could coexist in peace.
To the Old Madame and Zhu Shi, Xie Yuechan was still a high-risk landmine that could explode at any moment.
Princess Danmin, however, had changed her mind quite a bit after several interactions. In her spare time, she began to drop by Snow-Fall Residency or invite Yuechan to her own Moon-Crossing Residency for tea and needlework to pass the days.