Rebirth: I'm a Daddy's Darling in the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 245 Those older brothers don't know the hardships we younger brothers endure!

When Yinzhi heard that he wanted to invite the imperial physician, Yintang's first reaction was naturally to stop him. However, he still had his ancestor on his back, and he was afraid that if he raised his voice, he would wake up his sixth brother and make him even more guilty. So he could only desperately wink at Dexi, hoping that he would understand his meaning and explain to his third brother that inviting the imperial physician was not allowed.

"Third Master, my master is fine. He just fell asleep because he was tired from walking. Would you be able to find a place for my master to rest? It's not good for Ninth Master to carry him like this all the time."

Upon hearing Dexi's words, Yinzhi breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that no one was hurt. If something had happened to his father's precious child in his garden, regardless of whether it was his fault or not, he would have been in deep trouble. It was just a matter of finding a place for Yinzuo to rest. That was easy to handle. As long as Yintang was safe from the brunt of his father's actions, he would be willing to give up his own place, even if it meant Yinzhi had to vacate it.

"Ninth Brother, come with me... First, put him on this bed. Hu Yang, go and get a blanket to cover your Sixth Master. The weather has been getting cooler lately. If he doesn't have something to cover him, with his small body, he might catch a cold when he wakes up."

With the help of his brother Yinzhi, Yintang carefully placed Yinzuo on the couch, then pulled over a nearby cushion, patted it, and used it as a pillow for Yinzuo. After tidying up and seeing that his sixth brother had not woken up, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ninth Brother, do you have to be so serious? Anyone who knows this kid is your elder brother would think you're his servant. Look at you, doing all this hard labor and serving him, you're almost as cautious as a palace servant attending to the emperor. What's wrong with you being a little rougher? Even if he wakes up, he's not going to eat you..."

Yinzhi's voice wasn't loud, but it certainly wasn't quiet either. When Yinzhi saw Yinzuo on the bed frown, he quickly reached out and pulled Yinzhi away from him. He stood there and observed for a while. Seeing that Yinzuo showed no signs of waking up, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness Sixth Brother wasn't woken up by Third Brother, otherwise I would have been in deep trouble. Third Brother, you're a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of an starving man, an elder brother who doesn't know the suffering of a younger brother. Do you think I'm willing to be so subservient and obsequious? It's only because I have no other choice. You're the older brother, even though your mouth is just as sharp as mine, Sixth Brother can't do anything about you. I'm different, though. When he punishes me, he doesn't hold back at all. Just now, I couldn't control my mouth again, and Sixth Brother gave me a beating with a feather duster. If it weren't for your new cook saving my life, I'd probably still be getting a beating at Shufeng Pavilion right now. Third Brother, you'd better let your cook show off his skills later. Maybe if Sixth Brother is in a good mood, he'll forgive me too?"

Alright, Yin Zhi finally understood. He was wondering why these two had come to him today. It turned out that one of them was relying on him, the cook, to save his life, and the other was relying on him, the cook, to get a good meal. Fine, then let this new chef show him his skills. It wouldn't be a waste of the money he spent to poach him.

Hangzhou cuisine is predominantly salty with a hint of sweetness, and its signature characteristic is its light flavor. This suits the taste of someone like Yinzhi who appreciates elegance. If he were eating alone, he would definitely instruct the kitchen to prepare some light and bland food. However, with Yintang and Yinzuo, two carnivores, present today, this meal is destined to be anything but elegant.

Dongpo pork, braised duck, stir-fried shrimp, rock sugar turtle, braised pork with dried vegetables, Shaoxing drunken chicken, steamed pork with rice flour, West Lake vinegar fish... When the dishes were served last, the lightest one on the table was the osmanthus sticky rice lotus root.

Yinzhu slept very comfortably. When he opened his eyes and learned that the meal was ready and waiting for him to wake up, he was in a better mood. Dexi helped him wash his face and hands, and then he followed Yinzhi and Yintang to the dining hall for the meal.

To be honest, after getting used to the heavy salt and oil flavors of Northern cuisine, Yinzhuo was not used to Hangzhou cuisine. But as the saying goes, no matter how good the delicacies are or how skilled the imperial chefs are, you will eventually get tired of them. Trying different flavors occasionally is naturally a delightful thing for Yinzhuo.

Unlike Yinzhuo, Yintang didn't care whether the dishes on the table suited his taste. From the moment the dishes were served, he stared intently at the West Lake Vinegar Fish, his brows furrowed so tightly they looked like a knot. After all, its dark appearance didn't look appetizing at all.

Yinzhi couldn't pretend not to see Yintang's unusual behavior. He turned to Yinzuo and asked him about it. He was amused and got up to bring the West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce to Yintang. He then watched with great interest how Yintang ate it.

Seeing that Yinzhi had been staring at the fish for a while without making a move, Yinzhi got up and walked over to him. As soon as Yinzhi saw his sixth brother coming over, he quickly picked up his chopsticks. He mentally prepared himself for a long time before forcing himself to put his chopsticks down on the dark West Lake Vinegar Fish.

"Mmm~~ It's delicious! Third Brother, Sixth Brother, do you want to try some...?"

Despite his usual fondness for sour flavors, Yin Zhi doesn't actually like sour food. That's why he hasn't ordered the chef's signature dish, West Lake Vinegar Fish, since the chef arrived. If it weren't for Yin Zuo and Yin Tang coming over today, the chef probably wouldn't have had a chance to showcase his family's secret recipe.

Upon hearing Yinzhi say it was delicious, Yinzhi also picked up his chopsticks, took a small bite, and nodded in agreement. Yinzhi looked at the two suspiciously, his expression seemingly saying, "Don't try to fool me. Although I haven't personally tasted this famous West Lake Vinegar Fish, I have millions of internet 'testimonials' who have proven through countless painful lessons that the reason West Lake Vinegar Fish hasn't been lost to history is because of stubborn individuals like them..."

But as the saying goes, everyone has curiosity. Even though Yinzhuo already knew that West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce wasn't very good, seeing Yintang eating it bite after bite made Yinzhuo inevitably have some doubts. Were all those online reviews lying? Or did the ancient version of West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce taste different from the modern version? Once someone becomes curious about something, how long can they hold onto it? Anyway, Yinzhuo didn't hold onto it for long, and soon he also picked up his chopsticks.

Well, how to describe this ancient version of West Lake Vinegar Fish? Well, even someone as picky as Yinzu couldn't find any major fault with it. He might not be used to the taste, but it certainly wasn't bad. Suddenly, a thought flashed through Yinzu's mind. That's right, he remembered seeing online that West Lake Vinegar Fish was extremely complicated to make, and many modern chefs simply couldn't get the balance right... So, this was the authentic West Lake Vinegar Fish he was getting to eat?

Seeing that Yinzhen was about to finish the plate of fish, Yinzuo quickly took the plate and handed it to Dexi, who was standing next to him. He was joking, if eating West Lake Vinegar Fish like this was considered an inescapable punishment, wouldn't that be too easy on Yinzhen? Even if he were to eat it, it had to be the same pure enjoyment version as the substitutes.

"Hu Yang, go to the kitchen and tell the chef that he makes all the other dishes quite well, but his West Lake Vinegar Fish isn't quite authentic. Now have him make another fish according to my standards and bring it up. Remember, the West Lake Vinegar Fish I want must taste like the kind of fish where you have a mouthful of vinegar in your mouth and then dive into West Lake to chase after the fish and gnaw on it. Got it?"