She took a bite and her eyes immediately lit up. The texture was unique, the flavor fresh and fragrant, with a faint lingering sweetness. She couldn’t help but take a few more pieces.
Suddenly, the Eldest Princess casually glanced at Mu Jianxi and her own younger brother. For some reason, the two of them looked especially pleasing to the eye—like a perfect match. The brother was cold and distant like frost, while Mu Jianxi was lively and spirited. The more she looked, the more compatible they seemed, and a faint “motherly smile” appeared on her face.
She reached under the table and pinched her consort’s thigh. He immediately winced in pain and looked at her in confusion. She nodded toward the two people still eating, and with just a glance, the consort instantly understood what she meant.
His gaze also shifted to them, and like her, he increasingly felt that they were extremely well-matched. He recalled how the princess had once often mentioned her worries about her younger brother’s marriage. Everyone called him the “God of Slaughter,” and no young woman dared to approach him. Those who admired him either kept their distance out of fear or were once thrown away by him when they tried to get close. After that, no woman dared to approach him again, afraid they might lose their lives.
Yet unexpectedly, there was now a woman he was willing to get close to—and he even seemed to treat her quite well. The only issue was that the girl didn’t seem to have any romantic interest in him at all.
The couple exchanged a look, silently agreeing that they should probably talk about this later.
After the meal, the Eldest Princess looked at Mu Jianxi and said, “Miss Mu, I feel a little too full. Would you accompany me for a walk to help digest it?”
“No problem.”
The two of them walked into the garden, and the Eldest Princess curiously asked, “Miss Mu, how did you and my younger brother meet?”
Hearing this, Mu Jianxi awkwardly smiled and told her the story of their first meeting.
The Eldest Princess immediately burst into laughter after hearing it. She had not expected her younger brother to actually make multiple visits just for a bite of food—and even bring her along on his trip. It seemed that Mu Jianxi held quite a significant place in his heart.
“You two have spent some time together now. What do you think of him?” she asked.
“He…” Mu Jianxi said thoughtfully, “he’s very cold. He gives off a chilling aura from time to time—when he’s around, you don’t even need to worry about summer heat. The common people tremble like they’re shaking in fear when they see him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile.”
A hint of sadness flashed in the Eldest Princess’s eyes. “He used to smile a lot when he was young. But after our mother was framed and died, he never smiled again. At seven years old, he went to the borderlands to fight in wars and defend the nation.”
In the pavilion, the consort was drinking tea with Gu Ruizhe.
He teased him, “We’ve known each other for so long, and this is the first time I’ve seen you allow a woman to get close to you. In the past, you never let any woman come near you. Have you finally fallen for someone?”
“No,” he replied flatly.
“Then why do you let Miss Mu approach you? I remember you used to be extremely picky with food. Could it be just because she cooks well?”
At that question, he did not respond. A complex emotion lingered in his eyes.
The three of them had grown up together. The consort, Lu Jin’an, was the legitimate son of the current Grand Tutor. One day, his father brought home two children—a boy and a girl. He had once suspected they were his father’s illegitimate children, only to later learn they were the princess and the prince. After that, they grew up together, and over time he developed feelings for the princess. When he later passed the imperial examinations and became a top scholar, he formally asked the emperor for her hand in marriage, willingly giving up his official career to accompany her to her fiefdom.
In the courtyard, Mu Jianxi lay on a chair basking in the sun, feeling something was missing in her mouth. She suddenly thought of how, in her past life, she would watch dramas while chewing spicy beef jerky, tearing it into strips and chewing slowly for a long time.
Thinking of it made her decide immediately—she got up and headed to the kitchen. On the way, she ran into Ye Yu and Ye Han.
“Where is the prince? Why are there only the two of you? Where are the others?” she asked.
“The prince went out on business with them,” Ye Yu replied. “He told us to stay and help you. Miss Mu, are you going to make something delicious again?”
She nodded and continued toward the kitchen. The two quickly followed her.
At that moment, the system’s voice sounded:“The pepper pork tripe soup and claypot fish head stew tasks have been completed. The space system has upgraded to level three. Please continue.”
Mu Jianxi took out the remaining beef from yesterday, blanched it, and cut it into evenly thick slices before braising it in a pot. Once the beef changed color, she removed it and asked Ye Yu to lightly pound the slices before cutting them into strips.
She added oil to the pan, stir-fried scallions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and chilies until fragrant, then removed the solids. The beef strips were then added and stir-fried evenly. Before finishing, she sprinkled chili powder mixed with other ground spices and added white sesame seeds.
The dish—hand-pulled beef jerky—was finished.
She wrapped the freshly made jerky in oiled paper and gave each of them a bag, keeping one for herself. The rest, when they weren’t looking, she had Bao Bao store away into her space for later.
She took a piece and tore off a small strip to chew. Seeing this, Ye Yu and Ye Han followed her example, tearing small pieces from their own and chewing slowly.
With nothing interesting in the manor, Mu Jianxi decided to go out for a walk to see if she could find anything unusual. Naturally, the two of them followed.
And so, a striking scene appeared on the streets: one woman and two men all tearing and eating something while walking. Passersby couldn’t help but stop and watch. The aroma even drifted through the air, making people curious about where they had bought it, wishing they could try some themselves.
Mu Jianxi glanced toward the distant mountains, which rose very high, and asked, “What kind of trees grow in that mountain ahead?”
“That’s Song Mountain,” Ye Yu replied. “Mostly pine trees. Apart from being cut for firewood, they’re not very useful.”
Mu Jianxi immediately thought of matsutake mushrooms—the “king of fungi”—with their tender texture and sweet fragrance. Even simple grilling on a stone plate made them delicious. In modern times, they were seasonal luxury goods, sometimes selling for millions per piece in high-end restaurants. She had been lucky enough to try them a few times before.
Since she was free anyway, why not try her luck in the mountains? Even if she didn’t find matsutake, picking pinecones would still be worthwhile.
Two hours later, the three of them reached the mountain. Although they didn’t find any matsutake, they collected many edible wild mushrooms and pinecones. The pinecones here were especially large, with rich pine nuts inside.
Ye Yu and Ye Han walked behind her carrying cloth bags, panting as they picked everything up without complaint. They knew that whatever she took an interest in could always be turned into something delicious—something they would never get tired of eating.