Chapter 5 The Best Meals

Aunt Wu's expression darkened, "Third Miss, what do you mean by that? What we eat here is merely the leftover food from each household, how can it compare to what the masters have?"

"It is indeed the case!" Zhang Qingting nodded in agreement, "I can't keep such good things at my place, but my esteemed father and mother can. Since it is what my parents have left, it is fine for me, as their child, to have some. Come, come, let's add another set of chopsticks and bowls; my meal isn't that great anyway, so let's eat here. Hui Xin, why are you just standing there? Come over and eat with us!"

Zhang Qingting smiled faintly, walking up calmly and leisurely. She glanced at the table full of fish and meat, clicking her tongue in appreciation, "This looks quite good! Better than what I eat every day!"

Madam Wu uncovered a small porcelain bowl sealed with cotton paper beside her. As soon as it was unsealed, a tangy and sweet aroma wafted up, quite enticing, making one salivate uncontrollably.

In the blink of an eye, the entire table of dishes was gone

"Miss, your words are rather harsh!" Aunt Wu stiffened her neck and disdainfully glanced at Zhang Qingting. "We deliver meals to each household according to the rules of the residence every day. As for the occasional leftover delicacies, they are not solely from your household. We simply consume them; what can be done about it? Should we throw them away? This is also a directive from the lady, and others have no say in it"

Eating on time and maintaining a regular schedule are indeed the proper customs expected of a family of officials. Today, there was no banquet or special dishes ordered, yet when mealtime arrived, they claimed that the food was not prepared. This does seem to carry an intention of deliberate difficulty.

Puff! As soon as these words were spoken, everyone burst out laughing

The group of cooks immediately froze, raising their eyes in unison to look at Zhang Qingting, then all turned their heads to gaze at Wu Dama in the middle. She was the steward promoted by the lady, and today she did not allow the preparation of meals for the third young lady's room; no one dared to say a word.

She first pointed to a pot simmering over a flame not much larger than a candle, "This dish here is chicken soup braised tofu. It uses only the finest chicken broth; it takes three chickens to produce this small amount, and it’s all for you. If the fire is too strong, the tofu will break apart, so it can only be cooked over a gentle flame, and we mustn't rush it! We started simmering this in the afternoon, and looking at its color, I estimate it will be ready in another two or three hours."

She gave a glance to the side, and people around her lifted the lid of the steamer, revealing several dishes, instantly filling the room with a delightful aroma

However, a respectable master has a separate small kitchen in his own courtyard, and that Zhang Qingting, without a doubt, has never enjoyed such treatment

The kitchen is located in a corner of the northern side of the inner courtyard, sheltered from the wind, consisting of a separate small yard, three bright rooms and two dark ones, five large rooms in total, which is undoubtedly far superior to the house where Zhang Qingting used to live. Now the sun has set behind the mountains, leaving only the evening glow filling the sky. It is estimated that the meals have been distributed everywhere, and no one is seen moving about at the entrance.

No need to be polite! Aunt Wu, feeling quite pleased with herself for having silenced Zhang Qingting, smiled and said, "As long as you can understand my intentions, that is enough. Since the meal will take a little while longer, please feel free to leave for now! Once these dishes are ready, I will definitely send someone to deliver them to you right away!"

Because Huixin's duties primarily involved serving meals and making tea, and she was eager to redeem herself, her words were quite clear. Although the third young lady was merely a concubine's daughter, the food in their quarters, despite being somewhat rationed, was never delayed.

Zhang Qingting likely had a rough idea in mind; by the time he finished speaking, he had already arrived at the inner kitchen

Hui Xin did not dare to move, while Zhang Qingting boldly moved a stool and squeezed into the middle of the crowd. Now, who would still dare to eat? Everyone looked at each other, stood up, and retreated to the side

Zhang Qingting paused suddenly upon hearing this, turned around in confusion, and asked, "Well... um... Aunt Wu, you are being so nice to me, could it be that you have taken a liking to me?"

Madam Wu looked at Zhang Qingting again, her smile not reaching her eyes, "Third Miss, please do not misunderstand, we have prepared your dishes with great care!"

On the way, Zhang Qingting asked her to share what was happening in the kitchen

The sky is vast and the earth is vast, but eating is the most important! Whoever dares to delay Miss Zhang's meal will have to face the consequences!

The kitchen of the Zhang residence is divided into internal and external sections. The external kitchen is managed by male chefs, who not only provide meals for the servants and attendants who enter and exit through the main doors, but also prepare some exquisite dishes needed for the inner courtyard, which are delivered daily to the internal kitchen for distribution. To avoid suspicion, the internal kitchen employs only female cooks and maids, who are responsible for the meals of the various masters and the maids around them, ensuring a much higher level of delicacy.

Hui Xin quickly stepped forward, intending to announce her arrival before speaking, but was stopped by Zhang Qingting. She softened her footsteps and entered the courtyard, standing outside the liveliest large room. Through the slightly ajar door, she saw a group of kitchen maids sitting in a circle, happily enjoying their meal.

This dish is braised abalone. Just look at the portion; it is definitely a five-head abalone! It does require a longer cooking time, so please be patient a little longer

This is the pickled sour cucumber and sour radish specially prepared for you, all freshly picked, made from the tender core of the best ones. The taste is good, but it needs to be pickled a little longer to fully absorb the flavors

She looked around, yet her words were indirect, "Everyone is dying, quickly take away these leftovers! If this dog food is given to Miss San, aren't you afraid that the madam will skin you alive!"

"How can you not be stronger than your master? At least you are stronger than those in my place. Or in your eyes, I am not qualified to be this master, right, Aunt Wu?"

The green branch struggled to get up from the bed, "Miss, please don't go! It is indeed the case that the meal will be served a little later. Even if you do go, it should be me who goes..."

Madam Wu suddenly met Zhang Qingting's gaze, feeling a bit startled, but in that brief moment, she calmed down. "Indeed!" she then greeted everyone as if nothing had happened, "You all hurry and eat! There is still a lot of work to be done later!"

Zhang Qingting let out a cold laugh and suddenly leaned against the door, saying, "I heard that the meal in my room is not ready yet"

Zhang Qingting looked on with great interest as Aunt Wu introduced each item, "Miss, please take a look! Since it is hot today, I am afraid it might cause you discomfort, so I dare not serve you the usual large fish and meat. Therefore, I have specially prepared these few items for you."

Just stay put! Ai Ye, Lan Xin, hold her down, don't let her get up! Hui Xin, have a sip of water, let's go with the books!" Zhang Qingting lifted her leg and walked outside

Pitifully, Huixin finally dared to take a sip of water at this moment, gulping it down as if she wanted to drink the entire pot dry. However, fearing that the young lady would become anxious from waiting, she forced herself to drink quickly, then set the cup down. She choked slightly, but disregarding her image, she hurriedly raised her sleeve to wipe her mouth and, enduring the pain, took a dragonfly to the kitchen

I won't mention a few other side dishes; once everything is prepared, I will serve them all to you at once!" Aunt Wu provocatively looked at Zhang Qingting, "Third Miss, did you see? It's not that I'm not preparing for you; what I'm preparing for you is the best! If you want to enjoy good food, you can't expect it to be ready immediately, can you?"

Aunt Wu seemed to have anticipated this situation long ago, so she feigned surprise and asked, "Third Miss, you hold a distinguished status; how can you eat the same food as us?"

Good! Zhang Qingting stood up and lifted his leg to step outside

Hearing that there was no food to eat, Zhang Qingting was quite displeased. He immediately threw down the sunflower seeds, stood up, and clapped his hands, saying, "I shall go and see who in this household is denying me food!"

Aunt Wu's round, oily mouth was almost grinning crookedly, "Miss, take care, I won't see you off!"

Zhang Qingting nodded earnestly, "Aunt Wu, you have truly worked hard. It is really too much trouble for you to prepare these wonderful things for me!"