As soon as the two of them entered the small kitchen, the head chef who had been forced out of his position saw Song Shi and broke into a broad smile.
The working conditions at Qing’an Courtyard were quite good, but after only twenty days, he was already utterly exhausted. These past two days in particular, he’d wanted nothing more than to get on a horse and ride away at once!
“Chef Shi is so young, yet already so accomplished. I’ll be counting on you to take good care of Commandery Prince Rui’an’s meals from now on.”
With that, he dashed out of the kitchen, afraid that if he was even a moment slower, he wouldn’t be able to leave.
“…”
As soon as the former head chef ran off, the kitchen maids and servants who helped in the small kitchen immediately came over and eagerly asked her:
“Chef Shi, what can we do for you?”
“Are you making rice? I’ll go wash it.”
“I’ll go wash the vegetables…”
Song Shi: “?”
She’d already prepared herself to be ostracized and bullied, but she hadn’t expected everyone here to be so friendly.
Ostracizing her was out of the question. Everyone in the small kitchen knew that they could only keep their jobs here if Qi Jinrui was doing well, so they naturally had to treat him well.
Song Shi didn’t stand on ceremony. She ate a little, then set the kitchen maids and servants to work.
The whole group bustled about, and the small kitchen soon filled with the fragrance of food.
She’d decided: within three years, she’d use spirit spring cuisine[1]In this story, food prepared using the supernatural spirit spring water, which Song Shi believes can help restore health. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717367_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717367_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); to fatten Qi Jinrui up into a healthy, plump young man. Then she could at least call herself his lifesaver. It wasn’t too much to ask her lifesaver to free her from slave status and let her leave the residence, was it?
But if she wanted to leave within three years, three meals a day probably wouldn’t be enough. She’d have to increase it to five!
At noon, the servants and maids responsible for collecting the meals arrived right on time.
When Song Shi saw Guanyue standing at the front, her eyes lit up. She’d been just about to go find her!
“Sister Guanyue[2]‘Sister’ can be a friendly or respectful form of address for an older or more senior woman, without implying a biological sibling relationship. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717367_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717367_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, this is a small token of my gratitude. It’s nothing elaborate, but please accept it.” Song Shi pressed the food box into Guanyue’s hands. “Thank you for saving my life today.”
Thinking about what had happened, Song Shi still felt a little shaken. If Guanyue had arrived even a moment later, she would surely have been dead.
At least she knew how to show gratitude.
Guanyue accepted the food box. Before leaving, she turned back to remind Song Shi, “They’re only a maid and a concubine. If you take good care of Commandery Prince Rui’an, those two…”
Guanyue didn’t need to finish. Song Shi understood what she meant.
Song Shi had put a great deal of effort into lunch. Surely they’d all be pleased with it?
Song Shi suddenly felt nervous. To ease her nerves, she began preparing Qi Jinrui’s “afternoon tea.”
While Song Shi was busy preparing the “afternoon tea,” someone suddenly summoned her to the main residence.
The meal had only just been set out. Had they taken one look and already decided they didn’t like it?
With a nervous heart, Song Shi stepped into the dining hall at Qing’an Courtyard. Princess Consort Li and Qi Jinrui both looked at her. The five dishes and one soup on the table had not been touched at all.
At last, Song Shi understood why the former head chef had fled in such a hurry. She wanted to run, too.
“Princess Consort, Commandery Prince Rui’an, please forgive this servant. I’ll go prepare something new at once.” Song Shi apologized immediately.
Princess Consort Li gave a light laugh. “There’s no need. You’ve done very well.”
She was quite pleased with the dishes’ appearance and the fragrance wafting from them. Jinrui hadn’t even covered his nose.
Then why had they called her here?
Song Shi’s question was soon answered: while introducing each dish and explaining how it was made, she was to feed Qi Jinrui.
Introducing the dishes and explaining how she’d made them was no problem. But feeding Qi Jinrui… She discreetly studied his hands. They were fair, long-fingered, and clean. The only flaw was that they were rather thin. Once he put on some flesh, they’d surely look beautiful.
Wait—he’d been able to raise his hand and cover his nose that morning. How could he be unable to eat by himself?
“What is it? Unwilling?” Qi Jinrui’s voice was cool.
Song Shi hurriedly shook her head. “This servant is simply so delighted that I was momentarily stunned.”
Then she immediately put on a dazzling, perfectly practiced smile.
Qi Jinrui gave a quiet snort. Did he want someone to feed him? Of course not. But his hand trembled so badly that he could barely hold a spoon. Before Song Shi arrived, he’d been so weak that he’d dropped and broken two.
“This is fish-ball soup.” Song Shi scooped up a fish ball and brought it to Qi Jinrui’s lips. “The fish is killed fresh, then deboned and skinned, and the flesh is minced…”
Just how much effort did it take to make a tiny fish ball?
Qi Jinrui resisted eating fish, but the little ball resting on the spoon didn’t give off the fishy smell he hated. Instead, it smelled wonderfully fresh. After a brief hesitation, he ate it.
The soup looked as clear as water, but tasted rich and fragrant. When he bit into the fish ball, its filling burst with a rich, savory juice. The fish was tender and springy, and utterly delicious.
“This is pork-stuffed eggplant.”
The stuffed eggplant had been fried golden on both sides and topped with a slightly thick, pale-red sauce. It looked irresistible. Before Song Shi could explain how she’d made it, Qi Jinrui couldn’t resist taking a small bite. As he chewed, his beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, clearly pleased with what was in his mouth.
While he chewed, Song Shi fed him a spoonful of rice cooked until soft.
“This is steamed spareribs.”
The ribs were tender and came cleanly off the bone, leaving their fragrance lingering on his lips and teeth.
The steamed egg custard melted in his mouth without a trace of eggy smell.
The fifth dish was shredded chicken tossed with seasonal vegetables. Shredded carrot, celery, leafy greens, and hand-torn chicken were mixed together in bright colors. The vegetables were crisp, and the chicken tender and fragrant.
The sixth dish was finely shredded cabbage, lightly stir-fried using only the most tender inner leaves. It was slightly crisp and sweet.
Qi Jinrui was pleased with every dish, and so was Princess Consort Li. By the time Song Shi had finished describing half of them, the Princess Consort had already polished off a bowl of millet rice and was now eating a second.
It was strange: though the rice was soft, it hadn’t clumped together. It tasted rich and fragrant, and went down easily even without any dishes to accompany it.
Most of the five dishes and one soup ended up in Princess Consort Li’s stomach, while Qi Jinrui ate until he was about eighty or ninety percent full.
At the Hour of the Monkey[3]A traditional Chinese two-hour time period, approximately 3:00–5:00 p.m. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717367_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717367_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, it was time for “afternoon tea.”
Song Shi carried a food box to the little garden. Besides Princess Consort Li and Qi Jinrui, there was an adorable little girl there.
The tiny girl wore an elegant, pale-yellow dress. Her hair was parted into two small buns, with a short lock of bangs across her forehead. Her cheeks were plump, and her bright, watery eyes blinked as she looked at Song Shi with curiosity.
Song Shi knew who she was: Qi Chuyao, three years old, the eldest daughter of Qi Jinzhi—the Heir[4]The designated successor to a prince’s hereditary position; this title conveys status beyond simply being the eldest son. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717367_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717367_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, the Prince of Li’s eldest son, and Qi Jinrui’s elder brother. He was twenty-two and currently at the border, a young general.
The Young Lord’s Consort[5]The wife of a noble household’s designated heir; the exact formal title depends on the historical or fictional court system. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717367_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717367_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); was in poor health and rarely left her courtyard.
Prince Li had gone south to Jiangnan[6]Literally ‘south of the river,’ commonly referring to the culturally significant region south of the lower Yangtze River, noted for its prosperous towns and regional cuisines. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717367_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717367_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); to handle government affairs six months ago and wasn’t there either.
All three looked somewhat puzzled when they saw Song Shi.
When Song Shi explained why she’d come, the mother and son both put a hand to their stomachs almost simultaneously. They hadn’t even finished digesting lunch, and now she’d brought refreshments too?
Qi Jinrui didn’t want to eat, and Princess Consort Li couldn’t manage any more. Only Qi Chuyao clapped her little hands and urged Song Shi to bring the food out, smiling brightly. She wanted to eat.
There were only two refreshments: a large bowl of sweet soup with milk and taro balls, and a plate of soft mung bean cakes fried golden on both sides.
They looked simple, but were a huge amount of work to make. The fresh milk had to be strained and boiled to sterilize it and remove its raw smell. The taro balls came in five colors: pure white, with a milky flavor; pale purple, with a taro flavor; dark red, with a red-bean flavor; golden yellow, with a pumpkin flavor; and pale red, with a red-date flavor. Everything was made from real ingredients—no artificial stuff.
“So… pretty!” Qi Chuyao stared at the taro balls in the milk as if her eyes might stick to them. Princess Consort Li felt she could manage a small bowl after all.
Qi Jinrui’s gaze moved between the two treats. When Song Shi brought a pale-purple ball to his lips, he didn’t want to eat it—but his mouth was more honest than his thoughts.
The milk was rich, and its faint sweetness made the corners of his mouth lift without his noticing. The little ball was springy and soft, with a distinctive fragrance.
Qi Jinrui lowered his eyes and discreetly studied Song Shi’s slender, fair hands. How many more tempting dishes could those hands make?
Or would she be like the other cooks and fail to last more than a few days?
References[+]