Chapter 21: Twice-Cooked Pork, Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, and Stir-fried Shredded Potatoes

Upon seeing Lu Yuance enter, Princess Chenyu ordered the doors to be closed.

The moment they shut, her demeanor shifted entirely. She said excitedly, "Ace, come over and eat! This flavor is truly marvelous. I wanted a second one the moment I finished the first, but I barely managed to hold back—otherwise, I’d lose all my dignity in front of the servants." As she spoke, she picked up another one to eat, exclaiming, "Delicious, truly delicious!"

Lu Yuance felt quite helpless; she was exactly as she had always been, a completely different person in private than she was in public.

Seeing him take one as well, Princess Chenyu asked eagerly, "Isn't it wonderful?"

Lu Yuance’s expression turned instantly serious. "It is very good, perhaps too good."

Satisfied, Princess Chenyu continued eating as she replied, "Who would have thought such delicious fruit could be found outside the city? There are several pounds here; let’s enjoy them together. It would be best to finish them all."

Lu Yuance’s mouth twitched. "Aunt, aren't you going to save any for your own two sons?"

Princess Chenyu continued eating with great pleasure, dismissively saying, "They are still young; they will have plenty of chances to eat good things in the future. I am different—I’m over a decade older than they are, and I don't have many days left to live. You are the Crown Prince, the Emperor's favorite son; your status is even more exalted than mine, so you should eat well just like me."

Lu Yuance: "..." Thank you so much for your "care."

After eating five, Lu Yuance voiced his doubts. "The capital and its surrounding areas have suffered from drought for two years, and Songshan Village, where that cook is from, is no exception. We never saw fruit this good before, yet now, during a drought, it suddenly appears. Don't you find that strange?"

Princess Chenyu paused in her eating. "Didn't you tell your eldest cousin that there is a water source on Tianlei Mountain near Songshan Village? And the wells in Songshan Village never ran dry, so it’s likely just the fruit from the mountain."

Lu Yuance picked up another cherry and took a bite. "This fruit is so full of moisture, it must be watered frequently; it doesn't look like wild fruit. Besides, Tianlei Mountain is teeming with wild beasts. Ordinary people wouldn't dare go there every day to water fruit just for the sake of it, wasting precious water."

Princess Chenyu frowned. "Are you saying there is something wrong with this fruit and we shouldn't eat it?"

Lu Yuance looked helplessly at his aunt, who hadn't stopped eating. "If I said that, would you listen?"

Princess Chenyu laughed. "Of course not. Even if Lady Liu had ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare poison me."

Lu Yuance stood up. "Enjoy your meal then; I have matters to attend to."

Princess Chenyu’s eyes brightened instantly. "You're done? Perfect, then these are all mine."

Lu Yuance: "..." Are you a child? Can you please act like a Princess?

...

Elsewhere, after Mu Gushan and Mu Gushui returned home, they informed He Shi and Mu Delu that Yu Jinzhen had hunted a wild boar and a rabbit.

He Shi was deeply skeptical. "How is that possible? That girl is just a child; how could she be so capable?"

Fearful that his mother wouldn't believe him, Mu Gushan said anxiously, "It’s true! Everyone who went up the mountain today saw it. I’m not lying."

Mu Gushui added, "I saw it too. If Mother doesn't believe us, you can ask others to verify it."

He Shi suddenly looked as if the sky had collapsed. "So the Third Branch has dozens of pounds of meat waiting to be eaten? If we hadn't separated the family, we would have had a share of that meat!"

Mu Gushui’s wife, You Shi, complained bitterly, "It’s all Father and Mother’s fault for being so eager to split the family. I heard today that Lady Liu did leave the village, but she left with another woman, carrying large bundles. The rest of the Third Branch is still safely in the stone cave. She clearly didn't do anything wrong; it was all just an excuse to split the family."

Upon hearing this, He Shi was even more furious. "How abominable! I’ll show them!"

Seeing that no one intended to go demand the meat, You Shi asked, "Are we not going over there?"

Mu Delu replied, "Go? Of course we are going!"

That night, the Third Branch of the Mu family prepared their meal together. Although Mu Guhuai couldn't do heavy labor, he could still help with cooking. Knowing that Yu Jinzhen was exhausted, he had her sit aside to supervise while he and the three children did the work.

Yu Jinzhen was happy to rest, directing them to make twice-cooked pork, sweet and sour spare ribs, and shredded potatoes. The three children busied themselves while drooling.

When the five sat around the table, they began to eat. The children, being fond of sweets, went straight for the spare ribs. With one bite, their faces filled with delight.

"Sweet and sour ribs, these are so good!"
"So tender and sweet, I love them!"
"Delicious, so delicious!"

Mu Guhuai took a piece and was also conquered by the sweet and sour flavor. "It really is delicious."

Just as Yu Jinzhen was about to speak, she signaled for everyone to be quiet. The four didn't understand, but they obediently kept their mouths shut.

Suddenly, Yu Jinzhen walked to the edge of the stone wall, pulled out a whip, and lashed out at the people below.

Mu Gushan and Mu Gushui, who were in the middle of climbing up, were caught off guard. Both their hands were struck by the whip almost simultaneously, and they immediately pulled back.

Looking up, they saw Yu Jinzhen peering down at them with a smile. "I wondered what those rat-like noises were. So, it’s you two. Old Woman He, did your sprain heal so quickly that you’ve started climbing walls?"

Mu Guhuai sighed, knowing his adopted daughter wouldn't let herself be bullied, but he still walked over to her side.

He Shi, who had injured her foot, was leaning against a nearby tree. She roared, "Yu Jinzhen, it’s you again! How dare you whip my sons?"

Yu Jinzhen raised an eyebrow. "I already did it, didn't I? What makes you think I wouldn't dare?"

"You!" He Shi knew she couldn't outargue Yu Jinzhen. With others, she could use the concept of filial piety to pressure them, but Yu Jinzhen was not blood-related. She could only glare at Mu Guhuai. "You unfilial son! You have wild boar meat and don't think to honor your mother, instead eating and drinking well with the children here! You will face retribution!"

Yu Jinzhen scoffed. "Didn't your two sons tell you? I was the one who hunted the boar. I don't want to give it to you, so why are you blaming my godfather?"

He Shi said viciously, "If you hunted it, it belongs to the Mu family. You should send it all to us."

Yu Jinzhen blinked. "You must be mad for meat to think I’d send it all to you. But in consideration of your age, you can wait there. Once we’re finished, I might just be kind enough to toss you a couple of bones."

With that, she sat back down with Mu Guhuai and continued eating happily.

Mu Guhuai asked in a daze, "Zhenzhen, should we really ignore them?"

Yu Jinzhen replied, "No need. They can't climb up. Come, eat your meat."

Mu Guhuai sighed.

The mother and her two sons below were seething with rage. If they had known earlier that Yu Jinzhen could be this infuriating, they would have stopped her from entering the Mu family the moment they first saw her!