Chapter 332: Chapter 310, Stoking the Fire and Plating_1
Seeing Xiao Yeyang chatting quite amiably with his grandmother and Grandma Gu, Daohua glanced at the sky, noticing that it was almost noon, and said to Xiao Yeyang, “Stay for lunch.”
Xiao Yeyang smiled and nodded, “Sure!”
Daohua stood up, “Then I’ll go cook.”
Xiao Yeyang quickly stood up as well, “I’ll come with you.”
Daohua raised her eyebrows, teasing, “A man like you willing to enter the kitchen?”
Xiao Yeyang hesitated for a moment and did not answer immediately.
Seeing this, Daohua pursed her lips and ‘hmphed’, “I knew it.” Saying this, she walked towards the outside of the house.
Xiao Yeyang lifted his foot to follow, but remembering the three elders still in the room, he quickly bowed in respect, “The younger generation will go help Daohua with the fire.”
Madam Yan asked curiously, “Do you know how to light a fire?”
Xiao Yeyang’s face stiffened, and he said with an embarrassed smile, “Old Madam, you have forgotten, when we were fleeing famine, I helped Daohua boil water.”
Madam Yan nodded, “There was such an incident, then go and give Daohua a hand.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yeyang quickly left the main house and walked toward the kitchen.
At this time, Grandma Gu looked towards Madam Yan and asked, “What’s this about fleeing famine that the young man just mentioned?”
Seeing both Grandma Gu and Gu Jian looking at her, Madam Yan smilingly recounted how they had met Xiao Yeyang back then.
After hearing the story, both Grandma Gu and Gu Jian didn’t look very pleased.
Grandma Gu, frowning discontentedly, said, “Being the son of a Prince, and yet he was kidnapped by traffickers. Prince Ping is not doing a great job as a father.”
Madam Yan, upon hearing Grandma Gu criticize the Prince, immediately reminded her, “Elder sister, you shouldn’t speak of such things. If word gets out, it could cause trouble.”
Grandma Gu laughed, “Don’t worry about me, even if I wanted to speak recklessly, I don’t have the means. By the way, how did you meet again after separating?”
“It’s all because of my granddaughter…”
Meanwhile, in the kitchen.
Xiao Yeyang sat behind the stove and got the fire going, burning brightly, instantly feeling smug and raising his eyebrows at Daohua, “It’s only lighting a fire, as if it’s so difficult.”
Wang Manman, standing on the side, laughed, “Little Prince, it’s not about burning the fire as strong as possible. If the fire’s too big, the lady’s dishes will get burned; if it’s too small, they won’t cook properly. So, you have to control the heat according to the lady’s needs.”
Xiao Yeyang glanced skeptically at Daohua, who looked at him with a face full of distrust, “I’ll definitely make a good fire; just wait and see.”
Afterward, Xiao Yeyang realized that fire was not so easy to manage.
Daohua kept asking for a big flame, then a small one, keeping him so busy that he was running in circles, and with the kitchen’s stock of firewood depleted, he had to quickly run to the yard to fetch more.
After the meal, he felt it was more tiring than morning drills in the military camp.
Daohua had Wang Manman carry the food to the dining room, while she scooped out the simmered pigeon soup from the clay pot. After scooping, she felt the heat and immediately pinched her ear.
“What are you doing?”
Xiao Yeyang curiously watched Daohua.
Daohua, still pinching her ear, said, “I burned my finger with the soup a little. I’m alleviating the pain.”
Xiao Yeyang was somewhat incredulous, “Pinching your ear can ease the pain, you’re kidding, right?” Saying this, he reached out to touch the hot clay pot directly.
“Ouch!”
Xiao Yeyang exclaimed, instantly imitating Daohua by pinching his own ear.
Daohua laughed and asked, “How is it? Does it work well?”
Seeing Daohua looking at him with wide, round eyes, something stirred in Xiao Yeyang’s heart, and he suddenly felt like teasing her, “I didn’t feel it, let me try again.”
As he spoke, he reached out to touch the clay pot again. This time, instead of pinching his own ear, his hands reached for both of Daohua’s ears at the same time.
Daohua, caught off guard by Xiao Yeyang’s sudden move, looked up at him with wide eyes, taken aback.
Xiao Yeyang was almost a full head taller than Daohua.
One with their head bowed, and the other looking up, they both stared blankly at each other, so close that they could feel each other’s breath.
Wang Manman returned to serve the dishes, just in time to witness this scene, and immediately let out a piercing scream.
Startled by the sound, Xiao Yeyang, as if electrocuted, let go of Daohua and averted his gaze, not daring to look at her.
Although Daohua also felt something off, hearing Madame Yan’s inquiry from the dining room, she had no time to think more about it and quickly carried the other dishes out of the kitchen.
It was only after Wang Manman had also left the kitchen that Xiao Yeyang swiftly grabbed a ladle and scooped up a pail of cold water to drink. After finishing one ladle, he still felt parched and drank another, only stopping when he heard Daohua’s calling voice, and sheepishly put it down.
“Xiao Yeyang, what are you still dawdling in the kitchen for? It’s time to eat!”
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yeyang slapped his cheeks and then walked to the dining room with a smile.
“Grandmother Gu, drink more pigeon soup, it’s good for your health.”
“Grandmother, this is your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs.”
“Master, I specially made this boiled beef slices for you, it’s definitely spicy enough, try it.”
Seeing Daohua busily attending to the three elders’ meals without any odd expression, Xiao Yeyang silently breathed a sigh of relief and began to eat voraciously.
After Daohua had set up the dishes for the three, as soon as she sat down, she noticed Xiao Yeyang only shoveling rice into his mouth, not even touching the dishes, and puzzled, she asked, “Why aren’t you eating the dishes? Is the food I made today not delicious?”
Saying so, she picked up a piece of rib and put it in her mouth.
“It’s quite delicious.”
Seeing everyone at the table looking at him, Xiao Yeyang smiled awkwardly, “I like eating plain rice.”
“Nonsense!”
Daohua directly exposed him: “You clearly like eating dishes.” Then, suddenly realizing something, she laughed, “You don’t need to be shy. You know my grandmother, and you’ve met Grandmother Gu and my master before too. They are all nice people, so you don’t need to be reserved. Just treat it like you’re eating at my place.”
At that, everyone at the table turned to look at Daohua.
Grandmother Gu, Gu Jian: Was this girl forgetting that this was their turf?
Madame Yan with an expressionless face: What was her granddaughter doing playing the host?
Xiao Yeyang bit his lip inwardly: Who was shy? Who was being reserved? This Yan Yiyi, if you don’t understand, don’t talk nonsense.
“Come on, let’s eat!”
Looking at the ribs in his bowl, Xiao Yeyang ground his teeth and took a bite, chewing noisily.
“Alright, alright, everyone eat up!”
Daohua called out and then happily started gnawing on the pig’s trotters she had marinated the day before.
Seeing this, the other four at the table all felt somewhat at a loss for words.
…
After the meal, Daohua began to clean up the dishes and chopsticks.
Xiao Yeyang glanced around the room, saw the three elders chatting and laughing, and as he had nothing to do while sitting idle, he felt a bit awkward. After a moment’s thought, he stood up and walked over, taking the dish from Daohua’s hands.
Daohua was clearly stunned; she had never expected this esteemed Little Prince to help clean up the leftovers. Nevertheless, seeing him taking initiative, she didn’t stop him, but instead gave him an encouraging look.
Seeing Daohua cheekily wink at him, Xiao Yeyang’s lips curved up slightly, and the bit of awkwardness he had felt about carrying plates disappeared, replaced by a surge of enthusiasm.
None of the three elders in the room voiced objection at his actions.
Madame Yan: With Young Master Yang’s assistance, my granddaughter can have it a little easier.
Grandmother Gu and Gu Jian: If they couldn’t enjoy their son’s fortunes, they might as well enjoy their grandson’s.
De Fu, who had been sent to buy gifts in the county town, came into the courtyard to find his master busily shuttling between the dining room and kitchen with a plate in hand, his eyes going wide in astonishment.