Consort Zhuang doesn't want palace intrigue; she just wants to raise her child and live a caref

Chapter 204 Purslane Hydrosol (2)

With a smile on her face, she gently led the two adorable children toward the small kitchen, patiently reminding them along the way: "This is our first time making purslane hydrosol, so we must not make too much."

The obedient and sensible Canglan Jingyao held Su Nuannuan's hand tightly and nodded repeatedly in agreement, "Yes, Mother."

However, the lively and energetic Canglan Jingcheng had other plans in mind after hearing these words. He blinked his bright eyes, quickly raised his head, and asked expectantly, "Mother, since we only used a little purslane this time, can we make food out of the rest?"

Upon hearing this, Su Nuannuan couldn't help but smile. She lowered her head and gazed tenderly at Cang Lan Jingcheng, replying, "Of course, how could I forget the delicious food that you, my little foodie, have been longing for?"

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Cang Lan Jingcheng was overjoyed. Like a happy little rabbit, he leaped high into the air and excitedly grabbed Su Nuannuan's hand, shouting, "Yay! Great! We can eat delicious food again!"

Seeing her brother so carried away, Canglan Jingyao couldn't help but pout and mutter in a low voice, "Hmph, look how pleased you are with yourself." However, her voice was so faint that it would be difficult to hear unless one listened carefully.

Faced with this situation, Su Nuannuan simply smiled slightly, shook her head gently, and said nothing more.

Before long, the group arrived at their destination—a small kitchen filled with the faint scent of cooking. At that moment, Zhixiang, who was busy in the kitchen, was frowning at a basket full of fresh and juicy purslane, completely at a loss as to where to begin.

She had never eaten purslane before, let alone cooked it. At this moment, she was filled with conflicting thoughts, wondering whether she should ask her mistress for advice.

When she looked up, she was pleasantly surprised to find her mistress leading the two young princes slowly towards her.

"Your Majesty, why have you come here so suddenly?" Zhixiang quickly bowed respectfully and asked with a puzzled look on her face.

Su Nuannuan smiled and looked at the basket of purslane that hadn't been turned over yet. She gestured with her chin and then softly replied, "Look, that's what I came for."

Zhixiang didn't need to look back to know that this direction led directly to the purslane that was causing her so much trouble.

She hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I was just about to ask you for advice. I really don't know how to prepare purslane; I've never cooked this ingredient before."

Hearing Zhixiang's plea for help, Su Nuannuan smiled gently and patiently explained, "Actually, purslane is very easy to prepare. First, remove the roots and wash it thoroughly. Next, blanch it. Blanching is necessary because fresh purslane contains a considerable amount of oxalic acid, and without blanching, it will taste somewhat bitter. But don't worry, after blanching, most of the oxalic acid in the purslane will be lost. In this way, it will not only be healthier to eat, but also taste more delicious."

Su Nuannuan didn't tell everyone the key reason. Even if she did, they might not understand what oxalic acid is, let alone the complex reaction between oxalic acid and calcium, and how the resulting precipitate eventually forms lumps—what people commonly call kidney stones. If she were to explain all this, she would probably have to constantly explain various technical terms and concepts, which would be exhausting just thinking about it.

"After blanching, purslane can be eaten as a cold dish, stir-fried with meat, or even used to make porridge," Su Nuannuan continued to teach Zhixiang how to cook purslane.

While Su Nuannuan was explaining to Zhixiang how to process purslane, Canglan Jingcheng and Canglan Jingyao quietly approached the basket containing the purslane. They were enthusiastically dividing the purslane into two piles.

"My mother just said you can't use too much," Cang Lan Jingcheng said earnestly, clutching his own bunch of purslane tightly.

"This is far too little!" Canglan Jingyao complained, staring at the two purslane plants she held in her hand.

“That’s quite a lot, there are two big ones!” Cang Lan Jingcheng said, holding up two fingers and waving them.

Canglan Jingyao didn't care about anything else. Taking advantage of her brother's momentary lapse in attention, she quickly snatched two more purslane plants from his pile. If Su Nuannuan hadn't been there, the two siblings probably would have started fighting.

At this moment, Su Nuannuan noticed the two little ones arguing and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you both unhappy?"

Upon hearing the question, the two little ones both pointed at each other and shouted in unison, "He/She stole my purslane!"

Su Nuannuan looked at the two of them with a puzzled expression, then turned her gaze to the purslane placed behind them and asked in confusion, "Didn't you already divide it up? Why are you still fighting over each other's?"

Canglan Jingyao pouted and muttered aggrievedly, "Brother only gave me two purslane plants." On the other side, Canglan Jingcheng retorted confidently, "Mother said that you don't need that many purslane plants at all."

Su Nuannuan shook her head helplessly, sighed softly, and walked to the middle of the brother and sister, slowly squatting down. She first reached out and took a purslane from Canglan Jingyao's pile, gently placing it back into Canglan Jingcheng's pile, and then explained earnestly, "You see, two purslane stalks are indeed a bit few, but four seem a bit too many. Three purslane stalks are just right."

Now, neither of them spoke.

Yaoqin, observing her mistress's poor handling of the situation, whispered to Jinse, "Your Majesty is truly resourceful."

Jinse rolled her eyes at her and didn't say anything.

"Alright, Cheng'er, take the basket and find your Aunt Zhixiang. Yao'er, take your three purslane plants and go with your mother." Su Nuannuan said as she stood up.

Soon, the two little ones stood up, each holding their own purslane, and before leaving, they didn't forget to give each other a "humph".

Seeing this, Su Nuannuan smiled and shook her head.

When Canglan Jingyao arrived with the purslane, Su Nuannuan led her to another room.

This room contains all sorts of materials and tools of different textures.

The pot used to extract purslane hydrosol is also here.

"First, we need to remove the roots of the purslane and then wash it clean."