Chapter 62: A Small Family Feast of Color and Fragrance

That morning, Zhao Pingzhi drove the carriage into town and bought quite a lot of things on his return.

Chicken, duck, fish, meat—everything you could think of.

As Li Yuer put it, “Since sir is willing to treat my illness for free, from today onward, all meals are on me, a humble girl.”

All in all, it was a fair exchange.

Xu Ping’an was more than happy with the arrangement.

After all, as long as the accounts were settled, once her illness was cured, she’d be on her way—no reason to stay.

However…

“Sir, I can’t cook…”

Zhao Pingzhi wore a long face, looking utterly aggrieved. He held a knife in his hand but had no idea how to use it.

Then there was Li Yuer, the corner of her mouth curving up, willow brows arching.

“Did sir really think I could cook?”

Xu Ping’an turned to Liu Yingying. The girl raised her chin with a haughty air.

“I can eat!”

Nonsense, I can too!

Finally, he looked at Lady, who wore the expression of a greedy little kitten.

And in front of him, the room was filled to the brim with ingredients.

“So… all of this was bought for me, wasn’t it?”

His mouth twitched twice, and he turned to Zhao Pingzhi, who looked apologetic.

“I say, Old Zhao, buying is fine, but next time, could we buy just the right amount? You bought three whole sheep in one go—who could finish all that?”

“Ah? But… they wouldn’t sell just one. Three was the minimum.”

Zhao Pingzhi scratched his head and replied with a pitiful look.

“They wouldn’t sell less? Where did you buy them?”

“The sheep farm outside the city.”

Alright, that was a miscalculation.

This guy is a General, after all. Maybe he really has no experience buying things himself.

In large households, all purchases are decided by the main house and handled by the steward.

“Didn’t you say you farmed as a child? How do you not even know how to buy groceries…”

Xu Ping’an stared speechlessly at Zhao Pingzhi, who scratched his head again.

“But I asked around, and everyone said the sheep farm outside the city had the freshest meat.”

It’s fresh, alright—freshly slaughtered, how could it not be?

But hauling back three whole sheep at once, don’t you think that’s a bit much?

Never mind, since they’re already here, there’s no point in letting them go to waste.

“Alright, Old Zhao, go out to the woodpile by the gate, grab two bundles, and light a bonfire. We’ll smoke the meat.”

No choice—too much mutton, and if it’s not smoked, it’ll spoil soon.

He could use the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice to preserve it, but that’s not something he wanted to reveal, nor did he want Zhao Pingzhi to know about other such things.

Although he was nominally Li Yuer’s servant, his true loyalty was to the Zhennan King.

If too many good things were exposed, who knew what the Zhennan King might think.

To be honest, someone who could hold such a high position and have the Emperor’s trust—if you said he had no schemes, even a dog wouldn’t believe it.

Best to avoid contact with such people whenever possible.

And better not to reveal anything, or who knows what the consequences might be.

Xu Ping’an didn’t want to see headlines one day like: “So-and-so attempts to harm the Zhennan King, wanted across the country.”

“Alright, sir! Leave it to me!”

If there’s something Zhao Pingzhi knows well, it’s smoking meat over a bonfire.

He’s a military man.

In these times, if there’s any good rations, it’s the cured meat soldiers can carry with them.

What General who’s ever been on campaign doesn’t know how to make cured meat?

He handed two sheep to Zhao Pingzhi to take outside for smoking, and quickly butchered the remaining one himself.

Today, he was going to show off his culinary skills!

Knife in hand, slicing meat, the five girls quickly came over to help.

These five girls had grown up with hands untouched by spring water.

Li Yuer, being the Shizi’s daughter, had never helped in the kitchen.

Besides, she’d always been frail and sickly, never able to handle the smoky, fiery kitchen.

But today, with the Mountain Lord Inner Core providing yang energy, Li Yuer’s complexion was as healthy as anyone’s, her body stronger, her mind clearer, so she joined in.

“Wash these side ingredients for me, just use clean water. There’s a basin over there.”

“Yes, Husband!”

Pei Qingxuan snapped to attention, happily carrying the basin to fetch water.

Li Yuer rolled up her sleeves and looked at Xu Ping’an.

“Sir, what can I do?”

“You…”

Looking at her slender arms and petite frame, Xu Ping’an hesitated.

“Go to the medicine room in the east wing, first cabinet on the left. Bring back a few spice packets. Also, fetch the iron buckets and fill them with water in the courtyard.”

As for carrying those full buckets?

That was out of the question for Li Yuer. With her tiny arms, she could barely lift twenty or thirty pounds. If she tried to carry a big bucket of broth, her little bones would snap.

“Jing’er, sir has given us a task. Let’s set out… cough~ Lead the way, to the east wing!”

“Yes, Miss!”

Li Yuer and her maid looked as serious as ministers on imperial orders.

Seeing Pei Qingxuan and Li Yuer both had tasks, Liu Yingying grew anxious.

“Ping’an, Ping’an! What about me? What should I do?”

“You? Miss Liu, even though Fengyi Pavilion is your business, have you ever set foot in the kitchen?”

Xu Ping’an kept cutting meat, glancing at Liu Yingying.

The girl’s pretty face flushed, a hint of annoyance in her expression.

“If Li Yuer can do it, why can’t I?”

That was her trying out life, and besides, Li Yuer was steady by nature—what about you?

Always flustered, just making trouble.

But at this point, if he didn’t give her something to do, she’d make a scene for sure.

“Then you and…”

“Master, I’m Ning’er.”

“Don’t call me master, you’re not my master!”

“Okay, master, no problem, master.”

Xu Ping’an fell silent again.

Was Ning’er hard of hearing? Maybe he should prescribe her something.

“You two… prepare the plates and bowls, and set the table. As the first family of Liuyexian, you should know better than me. Go on.”

Liu Yingying raised her brows.

“Mm, that’s more like it. Ning’er, let’s go!”

“Yes, Miss.”

Xu Ping’an watched Liu Yingying march off like a triumphant rooster, and couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile.

No more interruptions. Time to get started!

Thirty-six Dishes of the All-Lamb Banquet!

Yingfeng Fan, Shuangfeng Cui, Longmen Jiao, Mingkai Yehe—all delicious in color, aroma, and flavor.

Yuzhu Lantern, Wangfeng Slope, Tan Lingzhi, Binghua Songrou—not a single dish fell short!

The inscription:

Heaven and Earth~

A magnificent feast!

When the thirty-six dishes of the All-Lamb Banquet were laid out on the table, the girls were all flushed and sweating, their breathing light as orchids, but their faces were lit with joy.

After all, they had never experienced this before.

Their first time, the freshness of it, and the sense of accomplishment from having helped prepare the feast, filled them with excitement.

As for Zhao Pingzhi, he was still outside, tending the fire, his face black and white from the smoke.

None of the girls pitied his hard work. Each took their seat, eager and expectant.

Xu Ping’an didn’t say much about the seating.

But without question, Pei Qingxuan, whom Xu Ping’an acknowledged as Lady, sat at the seat of honor.

Neither Li Yuer nor Liu Yingying tried to contest her position.

But the seat to the right of the main spot became a battleground for the two.

How did they decide?

With a simple hand game—the ancient version of rock-paper-scissors.

It was called “Bag, Scissors, Hammer.”

The winner… turned out to be Li Yuer. The defeated Liu Yingying, unwilling as she was, could only sit in third place with a pout.

The other two maids stood off to the side.

After all, servants didn’t share the table with their masters.

Now, with three girls seated and two standing, no one touched their chopsticks. Instead, all eyes turned toward the master bedroom.

When Xu Ping’an came out, having changed out of his kitchen headscarf and put on a fresh coat, he opened the door.

He saw five hungry little… pets?

But in the blink of an eye, the five kittens turned into five girls, all sitting there, eyes full of hope.

Strange, why did he think of pets?

Xu Ping’an puzzled over it, rubbing his chin as he walked to the table.

“What are you all doing? The food’s ready, why aren’t you eating?”

“And you two, there’s no need for all these rules about status at my table. If you’re eating, sit down with us.”

The two little maids glanced at Li Yuer, and only after she nodded did they sit down carefully.

They sat upright, heads slightly bowed.

Clearly, for maids and servants of this era, letting go of ideas about status was no easy task.

Ning’er hesitated, then spoke up.

“But master… I am of low status. How could I take a seat?”

“No need to call me master. If I say sit, then sit. If you stand while I eat, I’ll lose my appetite.”

“Okay, master. Yes, master. No problem, master.”

His hand, just about to pick up his chopsticks, froze.

This girl was definitely doing it on purpose!

No one says it three times in a row by accident. If that’s not on purpose, what is?

Suddenly, he felt like he’d lost his appetite.

Ning’er, on the other hand, ignored his strange look, sat beside Liu Yingying, and waited obediently for the meal to start.

Alright, no point arguing with a little maid. Time to eat.

“Alright, everyone’s here, let’s eat.”

Just then, Zhao Pingzhi, who had just reached the door, froze, pulled back his foot, and squatted at the threshold with a pitiful look.

“Oh, right. Jing’er, bring some dishes to Old Zhao. We can’t forget our great contributor.”