After Song Shi had spent half a month feeding Qi Jinrui spirit spring cuisine five times a day and coaxing and persuading him to drink spirit spring medicinal soup, his complexion had improved considerably.
He hadn’t put on any weight, though. It seemed to have gone to Princess Consort Li, Yaoyao, and Imperial Physician Xu instead; all three had grown a little rounder.
Imperial Physician Xu especially. Ever since he’d tried the breakfast she made with such care, he hadn’t missed a meal. Every day, he came by under the pretext of taking Qi Jinrui’s pulse and preparing medicine, just to mooch a meal.
Imperial Physician Xu knew perfectly well this wasn’t proper. He had only himself to blame: Song Shi was too good a cook. She made five meals a day, almost never serving the same thing twice, and every dish was delicious. He simply couldn’t help himself.
“Song Shi, are you trying to get yourself fired?”
Qi Jinrui’s cool remark made Song Shi start. When she came to, she realized she’d nearly fed him a red-bean tangyuan[1]Soft dumplings made from glutinous rice flour, often served in a sweet soup and sometimes filled; they are also associated with family reunion and festive occasions. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717370_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717370_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); through his nose.
“Please forgive me, Commandery Prince Rui’an. I was thinking about the dinner menu and got distracted.”
Seeing that Song Shi had owned up to her mistake, Qi Jinrui let it go. But just as he was about to ask what she’d been thinking of cooking, her sweet red-bean soup filled his mouth, along with a soft, chewy little dumpling.
“Commandery Prince Rui’an, would you like to try eating by yourself?” Song Shi asked tentatively. Half a month had passed. Surely he was strong enough to manage on his own now?
“What, are you tired of feeding—”
Before Qi Jinrui could finish, Song Shi shoved the spoon into his hand. “Here. Hold it.”
Qi Jinrui refused. He simply let go, and the spoon dropped back into the bowl.
“…”
Was he a child?
Song Shi picked up the spoon again and put it into Qi Jinrui’s hand. To keep him from letting go again, she helpfully steadied his grip with her own hand and scooped up a spoonful.
Unable to break free, Qi Jinrui glared at Song Shi, then stubbornly turned his head away to show he wouldn’t eat it.
“Don’t be angry, Commandery Prince Rui’an. I only thought you might try because you’ve been looking better lately. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’ll gladly keep feeding you until you’re sick of it.”
Qi Jinrui froze for a moment. So she’d known what he was about to say.
Hmph. She was using sweet words to coax him again. She must have grown tired of feeding him!
What was so hard about eating by himself?
“Let go. I’ll do it myself.”
Song Shi did as he asked, her gaze fixed on Qi Jinrui’s hand. The other three at the table were watching, too. Yaoyao, especially, blinked her big eyes, wanting to say something but afraid of disturbing him. Even her chewing had slowed.
Qi Jinrui picked up the spoon awkwardly. His hand trembled with weakness, and he tightened his grip, doing his utmost not to spill the food. By the time he brought it to his lips, he hadn’t dropped the spoon, and only a little of the food had spilled. The four watching him lit up.
With his own effort, Qi Jinrui successfully ate a red-bean tangyuan.
“Wow, Uncle Rui is amazing!” Yaoyao clapped in delight.
Princess Consort Li smiled with relief, and Imperial Physician Xu nodded in satisfaction. Qi Jinrui had been frail and sickly from birth, and his deficiency of qi and blood[2]A diagnosis within traditional Chinese medicine: qi refers broadly to vital functions or energy, while blood is understood through that medical framework. It is not a direct modern clinical … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717370_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717370_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); could not be cured completely. But with proper care—good food, sound sleep, and a cheerful mood—he could still reach a state of health close to that of an ordinary person.
Song Shi used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Qi Jinrui’s forehead. “Commandery Prince Rui’an, are you tired?”
“No.”
He was, in fact, tired. But every time he managed to eat a spoonful of the sweet soup he’d scooped up himself, he felt deeply satisfied.
Qi Jinrui finished the whole bowl of red-bean tangyuan by himself. Princess Consort Li found the sight deeply heartening. Her son had seemed more and more alive lately. He’d always been so listless, without a trace of a young man’s energy. Now he talked more—and even yelled at people.
Though by “yelled,” she meant that he’d only raised his voice a little to scold Song Shi. Thinking of it made Princess Consort Li smile.
Whenever Song Shi made him angry, he threatened to send her away. But once she actually left, he’d eagerly have someone call her back. In the end, she always soothed him with a few words or some delicious food. He really was like a child.
At first, Princess Consort Li had tried to intervene and persuade him, but as time went on, she realized there was no need. Song Shi could handle things perfectly well herself. Why, she’d been angry just a moment ago, and now she was smiling.
“Princess Consort Li, the Prince has returned to the residence. He’s on his way to Qing’an Courtyard now,” Guanyue reported, then glanced at Song Shi with concern.
Concerned about what?
Song Shi looked puzzled. Was she going to be out of a job as soon as Prince Li arrived?
Surely not. The spirit spring cuisine she’d been feeding Qi Jinrui for the past half month had clearly helped him improve. If she was still going to be dismissed after all that, she was out of ideas.
“Grandfather!”
Yaoyao hurried out the door on her short legs, bursting with excitement.
Five people had arrived outside. At their head was Prince Li, his face stern and his presence imposing. But when he saw his eldest granddaughter running toward him, his expression softened. He crouched and scooped up the little girl.
“My Yaoyao has grown again.” Prince Li hefted the child in his arms. She was a little heavier than before, and her cheeks had filled out, making her look especially rosy and cheerful. Unable to resist, he gave one a gentle pinch. It was soft and plump.
The maids and servants hurriedly dropped to their knees to pay their respects. Song Shi was among them, of course. Kneeling for two people or three made no difference to her; she was used to it by now.
“Rise.”
Prince Li’s gaze fell on Qi Jinrui.
Qi Jinrui managed to rise from his chair and bow in greeting.
Prince Li carefully supported his younger son, his eyes full of concern. “Have you been feeling any better lately?”
Qi Jinrui nodded.
“On this trip to Jiangnan, I went out of my way to find two cooks and a female physician skilled in medicinal cuisine for you. How about trying some medicinal dishes at dinner?” Prince Li’s eyes brightened when he mentioned the female physician; he was clearly very pleased with her.
At the mention of medicinal cuisine, Song Shi finally understood why Guanyue had looked at her with concern. Medicinal cuisine was made by combining medicinal herbs with food: the food helped the medicine take effect, and the medicine enhanced the food’s benefits. Together, they were nutritious and could both prevent and treat illness.
Her spirit spring cuisine was also a kind of “unorthodox medicinal cuisine”—it had healing effects and tasted delicious. It was every bit as good as medicinal cuisine!
Qi Jinrui frowned. He’d certainly eaten medicinal cuisine before, and had continued eating it for years, yet his health had never improved. These past dozen or so days, by contrast, had been the most comfortable he’d felt in a long time.
He didn’t want to eat medicinal cuisine, but he couldn’t bring himself to go against his father’s wishes.
“Although the female physician isn’t very old, she’s extremely skilled. Her medicinal dishes are a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, with not a trace of medicinal taste. Before coming to Shangjing City[3]Shangjing can literally mean ‘upper capital’ in Chinese. Here it is a place-name within the novel’s fictional state, not necessarily a historical city. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717370_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717370_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, she’d already obtained the prescription for the medicine you’ve been drinking lately and devised a medicinal-cuisine menu especially for you.”
“Oh? Then we should certainly try it.”
It wasn’t Qi Jinrui who said this, but Princess Consort Li. In previous years, the medicinal cuisine her son ate had mostly been nourishing dishes. This was the first time anyone had designed dishes to go with his prescription. Perhaps it would work well?
Well, it seemed she really might be out of a job this time.
Song Shi felt a pang of frustration. Couldn’t they see that Qi Jinrui was gradually improving under her care? The evidence was right in front of them—how could they not see it?
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