Chapter 1167: Chapter 1164: Good Dish

“Ah? The Old Madam… doesn’t know?” Madam Hu also froze, reasoning that since the Du families had been rewarded, it was impossible for the Old Madam not to have heard the news.

“I knew about the flood in South State and the outbreak of an epidemic, but I didn’t know that Ah Yu had gone too.”

“Isn’t Ah Heng just being reckless? An epidemic is no trivial illness; it could wipe out an entire city of people.”

“This child, when the incident happened, he even lied to me, saying he wasn’t in the city!”

“If it weren’t for the Du families receiving their reward, and us asking about it, when would he have stopped hiding it?”

Madam Hu dared not say more; it was clear that both the master and lady had kept their own people in the dark; she just nodded and said she knew nothing.

“Forget it, I’ll ask them myself.” Madam Liu actually had a pretty good idea already.

Ye Muyu called the kitchen to prepare lunch; she herself went in and made two main dishes, a fragrant pot fish and lotus root soup.

Lotus roots, if left undug, stay in the field, and when dug up in winter, they are still very fresh. Therefore, in the capital, aside from cabbage and radishes, lotus root is another fresh vegetable common folks can enjoy to change up their diet during winter days.

When Chu Heng returned, from the gatekeeper at the entrance, he learned that the elders, along with Chu Sheng and Chu Zhang, two children, had come. He entered the courtyard and, upon reaching the dining hall, saw the four children sitting on both sides with Chu Zhiwen and Madam Liu at the head of the table.

Ye Muyu was serving soup to the children.

He walked up, took the soup ladle from Ye Muyu’s hand without saying much, and began ladling soup into the bowls for the children.

Seeing him come, Ye Muyu took her seat.

Chu Sheng and Chu Zhang, seeing Chu Heng in his official attire, were somewhat awkward and reserved, especially when they saw him silent and stern-faced while serving the soup. Chu Sheng quickly stood up, “Third Uncle, I, I can serve myself.”

“That’s right, you’re all grown up now, you should be able to serve your own soup.” Chu Heng said, handing him the soup bowl and ladle. Once he took them, Chu Heng directly sat next to Ye Muyu.

Chu Sheng’s heart tightened instantly; it was an indication of Third Uncle’s dissatisfaction with him. After all, how could he allow Third Aunt to serve him soup herself?

With Chu Sheng nervously leading the way, the other three children also proactively stood up to serve their own soup.

Madam Liu, seeing Chu Heng’s blatant protectiveness, found it somewhat amusing. It seemed, indeed, as Madam Hu had correctly said, the couple had a good relationship.

“Father, Mother, the fragrant pot fish is still heated on charcoal below; it’s still warm. You should try it.” Ye Muyu, oblivious to these dynamics, eagerly recommended to everyone.

Chu Zhiwen cheerfully drank a cup of warm wine first, then reached out with his chopsticks and grabbed a spicy grilled piece of fish, red with dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns, which looked incredibly appetizing. Aside from the fish, there were plenty of side ingredients, including potato strips, greens, lotus slices, bean sprouts, tofu, and wood ear mushrooms among others.

The fish skin was crispy, and yet the inside of the fish was tender. This combination of extreme textures created a novel sensation.

The fish flesh had absorbed the savory broth, resembling tender steamed fish, yet the skin remained crispy.

The flavors of the side dishes were rich and spicy, with that hot and numbing taste that was particularly appetizing and good with rice.

The lotus root soup, on the other hand, was more clear and light-tasting. After a big mouthful of a dish, a sip of the soup would make one’s body feel all warm and toasty.

Chu Zhiwen, who, due to motionsickness from the journey, had lost his appetite and had lost a few pounds, finally felt he could comfortably eat a meal.

Chu Sheng and Chu Zhang, both teenagers around fifteen or sixteen, ate in silence, simply focusing on their meal.

Ye Muyu, seeing that everyone was eating happily, was relieved. With the exhausting journey, she was genuinely worried they might fall ill if they abruptly stopped.

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