“Third Brother!”
Xu Lingxi was delighted. She pulled Su Wan’ning over and quickly introduced him in a low voice.
“This is my third cousin, Li Xuzhi. His health isn’t very good, but he’s a really good person!”
Then she introduced Su Wan’ning.
“Third Brother, this is my good friend, Su Wan’ning. She’s amazing!”
“I’m Su Wan’ning. Greetings, Third Young Master.”
Su Wan’ning curtsied politely.
“Miss Su, you don’t have to be so formal.”
Li Xuzhi’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before moving away. He turned to Xu Lingxi and asked,
“It’s already so late. Why did you run out here again? Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”
“I’m strong and healthy!”
Xu Lingxi pointed toward Qingfang and the others.
“We’re going to grill the fish we catch here later. You can also try Wan’ning’s cooking.”
“Sure.”
Li Xuzhi didn’t want to spoil her fun and readily agreed. He then ordered his people to bring over several more folding screens and surround the open area.
That way, they really wouldn’t have to worry about getting chilled.
Xu Lingxi exaggeratedly cried out about how touched she was. The cousins hadn’t seen each other for a long time and had plenty to talk about.
Su Wan’ning tactfully began preparing the seasonings.
The fish they caught weren’t very big, but every one of them was fresh and lively. A young maid from the kitchen had already cleaned and gutted them.
Su Wan’ning rubbed the fish thoroughly with coarse salt for a while to draw out the fishy moisture, then stuffed ginger slices and mint leaves into their bellies.
She made shallow cuts on both sides of each fish and mixed fine salt, Sichuan pepper and dogwood powder, rice wine, and maltose into a sauce.
She brushed on a thin layer, wrapped each fish in fresh lotus leaves, and secured them with thin bamboo strips.
They were slowly roasted over low heat.
Little by little, the sauce seeped into the fish while the mint leaves released a refreshing fragrance inside the lotus leaves.
The two people chatting nearby gradually grew quieter.
Su Wan’ning felt a gaze land on her.
She looked up and met Li Xuzhi’s beautiful, starry eyes.
She gave a slight nod.
“It’ll be ready soon.”
“Chef Su’s skills are impressive.”
Li Xuzhi gave her a very direct compliment.
He clearly saw the young cook’s face quickly turn red in the darkness. She lowered her head and didn’t dare meet his eyes again.
He chuckled.
“Looks like I’m really in for a treat tonight.”
“Why don’t you thank me? Sit here and wait. I’ll get it for you.”
Xu Lingxi ran over to Su Wan’ning.
“Wan’ning, Wan’ning, my Third Brother can’t eat anything too spicy, salty, or oily.”
“Okay.”
Su Wan’ning had already prepared different flavors separately. She pointed toward several other fish.
“Here. These are the ones you asked for—the insanely spicy ones.”
“Only you understand me, Wan’ning!”
Xu Lingxi happily ran back again.
Only then did Su Wan’ning quietly rub the inside of her thigh.
Someone with poor health who usually stayed at home had suddenly appeared at this hour.
The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
She was wary of everyone in the Li family, but she couldn’t act like a frightened fool. She couldn’t show even the slightest trace of fear or disgust.
So she had no choice but to pinch herself several times and make herself look a little more “shy.”
After hiding her emotions, Su Wan’ning stir-fried another dish of lotus root slices.
She used the lotus roots she and Xu Lingxi had just dug up.
The slices couldn’t be too thin. They needed a little thickness so they would remain pleasantly crisp.
She heated the wok with Sichuan pepper, dogwood, and Chinese chives, then quickly stir-fried the lotus root slices.
At the end, she added rice vinegar and locust-flower honey to balance out the spiciness.
“So delicious!”
Xu Lingxi couldn’t stop after just one bite.
Li Xuzhi couldn’t resist either and picked up a piece.
“Sweet with a hint of spice, crisp and refreshing. It really is delicious.”
But as soon as he finished speaking, he began coughing violently.
“Third Brother!”
Xu Lingxi hurriedly poured him some water and patted his back. After a while, he finally stopped coughing.
“I’m sorry for disturbing your fun.”
Li Xuzhi looked embarrassed.
“Would it be possible for you to prepare something lighter for me next time, Miss Su? I haven’t had much appetite these past few days.”
“Of course. Does Third Young Master have any particular requirements for the ingredients?”
Su Wan’ning smiled politely, but immediately became alert inside.
With the Li family’s resources, they certainly weren’t lacking food.
So why did he specifically want her to cook for him?
The grilled fish and stir-fried lotus root she had made tonight weren’t based on any ancient secret recipe, nor did they contain anything particularly special.
So what exactly was he after?
“Third Brother! She’s my good friend! How can you ask her to cook for you?”
Xu Lingxi suddenly changed her tone.
“But if you’re willing to pay her a high price for a meal, I won’t stop you.”
There was no reason to refuse money when you could earn it!
“Fine. Third Brother definitely won’t shortchange you.”
Li Xuzhi laughed as well.
He immediately arranged for Chef Su to come and cook dinner for him the following evening.
Then, saying that he was feeling tired, he returned to his quarters.
The moment he turned around, Su Wan’ning caught a faint scent.
It was strange.
It wasn’t the smell of medicine.
What was it?
She tried her best to remember the scent.
After eating her fill with Xu Lingxi, she returned to their courtyard.
The two girls chatted and gossiped until well into the night before finally falling into a deep sleep.
The next morning, they got up early to bid farewell to the Old Ancestor.
When the Old Ancestor saw Xu Lingxi was planning to accompany Su Wan’ning, she didn’t let Zhou Mama go with them. Instead, she specifically instructed her,
“If things over there are chaotic, come back to the estate and stay here. Once the shop in the county has been renovated, you can move there.”
“Yes. Thank you, Old Ancestor.”
Truthfully, if it weren’t for the fact that she had been brutally murdered in her previous life, Su Wan’ning would really have been touched.
They had only met once or twice, yet this elderly woman was already giving such thoughtful advice and care to a younger relative she barely knew.
Everything about her seemed kind and compassionate.
But Su Wan’ning didn’t dare accept that kindness.
The two of them brought only Qingfang with them. A strange coachman was driving the carriage.
Su Wan’ning deliberately glanced at him.
Once inside the carriage, she smiled and asked,
“Yesterday, I think I saw a servant who only had four fingers. I remember that many wealthy families have requirements regarding the appearance of their maids and servants. But your household seems much more open-minded?”
“Miss Su may not know this, but our Old Ancestor is very kind. As long as they have good character, she is willing to help people with minor physical disabilities.”
Qingfang gestured toward the estate.
“There are quite a few people there with weak legs or speech difficulties. As long as they’re honest and hardworking, that’s enough.”
“A kind family will surely be blessed with good fortune. I truly admire the Old Ancestor.”
But silently, Su Wan’ning added the rest of the saying in her heart:
A family that accumulates evil will surely suffer its consequences.
Unfortunately, this made finding that four-fingered servant much more difficult.
But there was no rush.
Sooner or later, she would find every single one of those people and send them to keep Zhao Escort Leader company.
The carriage soon stopped outside the Lin family’s house.
The courtyard gate was open, and the sound of crying came from inside.
The crying was truly miserable.
The corners of Su Wan’ning’s lips couldn’t help curling upward.
She jumped down from the carriage and hurried inside.
“Aunt, what happened? Why are you all crying?”
“You still know how to come back?”
Madam Li was leaning against the edge of the bed, covering her face as she cried.
“Your uncle is already dying, yet you couldn’t even bother coming home. All you know is how to enjoy yourself at the Li family’s estate. Do you even have us in your heart?”
“You’ve only been in the palace for a few years, and you’ve already become wild. You’ve even forgotten the kindness of the people who raised you. In the future…”
Following what Lin Jiabao had taught her, she continued scolding Su Wan’ning one sentence after another.
But then, from the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught sight of Su Wan’ning’s right arm.
There was no bandage.
No wound.
Her mind exploded with a loud boom!