After washing the pot clean, she added sugar and water again, stirring continuously with a spatula. Dense tiny bubbles soon appeared, and when the sugar around the edges of the pot began to slightly crystallize, Mu Jianxi immediately moved the pot onto the countertop.
Once the syrup had cooled slightly, she quickly poured in the hawthorn and kept stirring with the spatula, flipping them continuously until each hawthorn and grape was evenly coated in a white frost. When every piece was distinct and evenly covered, the snack was done.
The four secret guards had been watching from the side for a long time. As soon as the sweets were finished, they couldn’t wait and each grabbed a snow-coated hawthorn ball and put it into their mouths. The taste was sweet and sour—delicious.
Mu Jianxi picked up the cooled candied hawthorn skewers from the oiled paper and examined them. They were translucent and crystal-like, and she looked very satisfied. She gave them more than ten skewers.
“Ye Feng, Ye Yu, take these two kinds of snacks and bring them to your master as a gift. After all, it was his money that paid for the ingredients.”
“Ye Li and Ye Han, you two pack the rest properly and come with me to deliver some to the Eldest Princess and the consort.”
Following their directions, Mu Jianxi quickly found the room where the Eldest Princess and the consort were resting. When they saw her arrive, they immediately welcomed her in and invited her to chat.
The Eldest Princess felt drowsy and unwell. She had no appetite and even felt nauseated whenever she ate anything. The consort sat beside her, extremely worried.
After entering, Mu Jianxi said directly, “Eldest Princess, you must be having a poor appetite and feeling very weak right now. You probably want something to stimulate your appetite. I just happened to make two kinds of snacks—would you like to try them?”
The Eldest Princess immediately became interested. Seeing the crystal-like treats in Ye Li and Ye Han’s hands, she found them very novel and nodded.
The two placed the candied hawthorn skewers and snow-coated hawthorn balls on the table, then quietly stepped back.
The Eldest Princess picked up a snow-coated hawthorn ball and put it into her mouth. The sweet and sour taste immediately stimulated her appetite; her earlier nausea completely disappeared. She then picked up a candied hawthorn skewer and bit into it—the sugar shell cracked with a crisp sound, and the flavor inside was different yet equally delightful. She even handed one to the consort so he could try it.
After tasting it, the consort also found it excellent and curiously asked, “What is this made of?”
“This is candied hawthorn. The white one is called snow-coated hawthorn balls. However, Your Highness should not eat too much—just one or two pieces a day is enough to stimulate the appetite. Eating too much may not be good for the fetus.”
“I understand. Thank you, Miss Mu.”
“Also, please wrap any leftovers in oiled paper. If left exposed, they won’t keep well.”
Meanwhile, Ye Feng and Ye Yu carried two trays back to another room. At that moment, Gu Ruizhe was reading a book. He looked up at the food in their hands and became interested. He took a skewer and bit into it—the outer layer was crisp, the inside was sour, but the combination was perfect.
“Where is Mu Jianxi?” Gu Ruizhe asked.
Ye Feng honestly replied, “Reporting to my lord, Miss Mu has taken Ye Li and Ye Han to deliver some to the Eldest Princess and the consort. She said the Eldest Princess has been unable to eat properly since becoming pregnant, so she made it to help stimulate her appetite.”
“I understand. You may leave. No need to stand guard outside. Whatever she wants to do, all of you should help her.”
“Yes, my lord.”
On the way back, Mu Jianxi heard the system issue a command: “Host, please make fish head tofu stew and pepper pork tripe chicken soup. Complete the task.”
Mu Jianxi smiled slightly. She had originally planned to make those two dishes anyway—she didn’t expect the system to match her intention so well.
“Bao Bao, prepare all the ingredients needed for these two dishes.”
“Understood!”
After preparing and cutting all the ingredients, Mu Jianxi began cooking.
She stuffed medicinal herbs into the chicken and placed it into cleaned pork tripe, tying it tightly at the end. She then put it into a pot, adding water until it covered the chicken, and boiled it for one hour.
While waiting, she prepared fish head tofu stew. She poured oil into the pot and pan-fried the fish head until it firmed up and changed shape, then flipped it over. Ye Yu and Ye Feng brought over a clean large clay pot and a smaller one, placing them on charcoal stoves.
She divided the fish head into two portions and placed them into the two clay pots. In the same pan, she left a bit of oil and sautéed ginger, garlic, pickled chili, and chili peppers until fragrant. She added a splash of white wine, then poured in water and added diced tofu.
Seasoning followed—salt, chicken essence, pepper powder, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. She poured the broth into both clay pots and covered them to continue simmering.
After fifteen minutes, she opened the lids and sprinkled chopped chilies and scallions on top. The dish was ready.
She tested the chicken with chopsticks—it pierced through easily, meaning it was done. She placed it on the countertop and had Ye Han cut it into even pieces. She then placed it into two small pots, poured in the cooked chicken broth, and added red dates, goji berries, and white peppercorns. The two of them carried the charcoal stoves and pots to the dining table to continue simmering there.
That night, the four of them gathered around the table. The Eldest Princess and the consort saw several unfamiliar dishes and assumed they were made by the palace cooks.
Later, Gu Ruizhe couldn’t help but explain, “Sister, brother-in-law, these are not made by your household cooks. They were made by Mu Jianxi.”
The two of them looked at her in shock.
“Miss Mu, I didn’t expect your cooking skills to be so excellent. Not only can you make snacks, you can also cook dishes. I must try them properly.”
The consort immediately stood up and served her a large bowl. She took a spoonful of soup, then ate some chicken and pork tripe. The broth was rich and flavorful, filling her mouth completely. The chicken was tender and smooth, while the pork tripe was springy and delicious—truly wonderful.
Seeing her enjoy the food so much, the others also started eating. Even the consort couldn’t help but let out a satisfied sound. He had never expected fish head to be so tender, especially paired with silky tofu—it was an extraordinary delicacy.
On the other side, the four secret guards and Han Yan sat at another table eating. They shoveled food into their mouths as if they had not eaten in days. At first, Han Yan looked down on them, but after tasting it herself, she couldn’t help but go back for another bowl of rice.
They were already used to it—anyone who ate Mu Jianxi’s cooking could never resist having another bowl.
The Eldest Princess noticed some black objects inside the white ingredient and picked one up curiously. “What is this? It looks so strange.”
“This is water bamboo. We happened to gather it on the way here—you can try it.”