in2ebook Chapter 326 Dried Meat (1)
Chapter 326 Dried Meat (1)
Xiao Yuanzi was somewhat disappointed that he couldn't buy any beef. However, he didn't lose heart and quickly made a decision. He delivered the pork hind leg he had bought to Wutong Courtyard, then turned and left, seemingly already having a new plan in mind.
Sure enough, Xiao Yuanzi didn't give up on buying beef. He cleverly arranged for several young beggars to keep a close eye on the market. Once beef appeared, the beggars were to immediately run to Prince Yong's residence and report the news. Prince Yong's residence, of course, wouldn't mistreat these young beggars; if the information was accurate, they would receive a generous reward.
Meanwhile, in the Wutong Courtyard, Su Nuannuan was looking at the fresh pork hind leg with a satisfied smile. She turned to Zhixiang, who was sharpening her knife, and said, "Today we'll use this pork hind leg to make some jerky."
Upon hearing this, Zhixiang immediately became excited, swinging the cleaver in her hand even more vigorously. With a beaming smile, she asked, "Your Highness, how should this dried meat be made?"
Su Nuannuan thought for a moment and replied, "First, remove the bone from the pig's hind leg, leaving only the meat."
"Alright!" Zhixiang readily agreed. "Your Highness, please go over there and rest for a while, have some tea and snacks. Leave this to me, I promise I'll handle this pork leg meat perfectly." As she spoke, she winked mischievously.
Su Nuannuan couldn't help but laugh at Zhixiang's confident demeanor. Before she could even speak, the cleaver in Zhixiang's hand had already flashed across the pig's hind leg like lightning. Her movements were swift and skillful, clearly those of an experienced veteran.
Seeing this, Su Nuannuan said nothing more and turned to walk towards the stone table under the sycamore tree. There, an exquisite tea set, some delicious snacks and fresh fruits were laid out, waiting for her to enjoy.
"Sigh! I'm starting to miss the reclining chair in Cuiwei Palace." Su Nuannuan sighed softly, as if the warmth of her body still lingered on that reclining chair, making her miss it dearly.
However, before she could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly broke the tranquility from outside the Wutong Courtyard. Su Nuannuan frowned slightly, her face showing displeasure, and turned to Tingxue beside her, instructing, "Tingxue, go and see what's going on?"
Tingxue responded and quickly walked out of the Wutong Courtyard. Su Nuannuan remained seated, secretly wondering about the cause of the commotion.
Not long after, Tingxue returned. Not only that, but several people were following closely behind her. Su Nuannuan looked closely and saw that it was Xiao Yuanzi and several servants.
Upon seeing Su Nuannuan, Xiao Yuanzi immediately bowed and greeted her, saying, "This servant greets Your Highness, the Noble Consort."
Su Nuannuan was initially taken aback by this sudden display, but when her gaze fell upon the recliner behind Xiao Yuanzi, she was instantly captivated. The recliner looked brand new and exquisite, quite similar to the one she had used in Cuiwei Palace.
"This is..." Su Nuannuan asked with great joy.
Xiao Yuanzi quickly replied, "Your Highness, this is a reclining chair that the Prince specially ordered. It was delivered to you as soon as it was completed today."
The Prince said that Your Majesty usually enjoys resting in the recliner, and that she might not be comfortable without it. Therefore, when the government office was being built, the Prince specially commissioned this recliner from the craftsmen.
Xiao Yuanzi's words warmed Su Nuannuan's heart, and she couldn't help but sigh, "Jingcheng is so thoughtful."
After saying that, Su Nuannuan looked at the brand-new recliner with great joy, as if she could already imagine herself lying on it and resting comfortably.
Xiao Yuanzi was very happy to see that the Noble Consort liked it, so she quickly had someone place the reclining chair under the paulownia tree, then led her entourage to bow to Su Nuannuan and leave the paulownia courtyard.
Jinse and Tingxue stood to the side, their gazes fixed on their mistress. The mistress lay leisurely on the recliner, seemingly oblivious to the world around her. She gently covered her face with a round fan, revealing only a small portion of her features, yet her contentment and ease were palpable.
Jinse and Tingxue exchanged a smile, their eyes revealing their doting affection for the Empress. They knew that although the Empress could be a bit childish at times, she was a kind-hearted person. Seeing her so relaxed and at ease filled them with great comfort.
Meanwhile, Chika was intently processing a pork hind leg. She seemed completely unaffected by her surroundings, focused entirely on carefully removing the meat from the large bone. Her technique was skillful and swift, clearly indicating she was an experienced chef.
Su Nuannuan lay on the recliner, her face hidden behind a round fan, and slowly instructed, "After Zhixiang has removed all the pork from the hind leg, have her cut it into strips about the thickness of a thumb and the length of a hand span." Her voice was clear and melodious. Although most of her face was covered by the fan, it was clear from her tone that she had specific requirements and expectations for the preparation of this dish.
(Note: A span is the distance between the tips of the thumb and middle (or little) finger when the fingers are spread open. It is a traditional method of measuring length and is commonly used in daily life.)
"Yes, Your Highness, I understand." Jinse hurriedly replied, afraid that if her response was even slightly slow, Her Highness would fall into a deep sleep while waiting.
She knew that as long as her mistress gently covered her face with that exquisite round fan, it would be like a silent signal that she was about to enter a short period of rest.
Before Jinse could finish speaking, a soft snore reached her ears. Though faint, the sound was remarkably clear beneath the tranquil paulownia tree. She and Tingxue exchanged a glance, both revealing helpless smiles.
"Tingxue, you stay here to look after the Empress. I'll go help Zhixiang cut pork strips," Jinse said softly.
Tingxue nodded to show she understood, and Jinse turned and left, her steps light, as if afraid of disturbing the Empress's sweet dream.
An hour later, after Zhixiang and Jinse had finished cutting up the two huge pork hind legs, Su Nuannuan slowly woke up.
Tingxue had been keeping an eye on Su Nuannuan's movements. When she saw the fan covering the empress's face tremble slightly, she quickly stepped forward and carefully removed the fan.
"How long have I been asleep?" Su Nuannuan slowly opened her eyes and asked sleepily, her voice still a little groggy.
"Your Majesty, you slept for about an hour," Tingxue replied softly. "However, this servant observed that Zhixiang seems to have already prepared the pork."
Upon hearing the word "pork," Su Nuannuan became more alert and shakily stood up from the recliner, startling Tingxue, who was serving her. Tingxue quickly reached out to support her, fearing that her mistress might fall.