The trial-tested braised duck was “hot selling” beyond Ji Caimai’s imagination. When he found Wen Mingtang, he saw that Wen Mingtang was already braising the next pot of duck. Ji Caimai nodded with satisfaction and said to Wen Mingtang: “This is good, the officials all said it is good. It is also very good as an everyday snack. In my opinion, it will be in short supply daily!”

It turned out that snacks were not just sweet cakes and pastries, but braised dishes like these can also be used as snacks!

Normally, most snacks were sweet cakes and pastries, which girls liked more, but not many men were keen on them. Compared to that, this braised duck was loved by both men and women!

Yu Jijiu of the Imperial College next door, staged another “face-slapping” drama today. He came over to take a look at the lunch and saw that it was a duck. He immediately shook his head and said, “I don’t like duck, I would never eat it even if I die!”

Ji Caimai was then forced to “give” Yu Jijiu a few pieces of duck neck, collarbone, duck wings, and duck feet to try. Yu Jijiu couldn’t refuse his kindness at that time, so he had to accept them reluctantly.

Less than half an hour after lunch, Yu Jijiu came over again, wiping his mouth and asking him, “Do you have any more of that duck? It smells so good! It’s so tasty! I’ll take it back for my family to try!”

Ji Caimai pointed at the empty plate and said, “It’s too late Yu Jijiu. Please come back tomorrow!”

At lunch, he said he could never eat it, but now he said it tasted so good. The “persistence” of Yu Jijiu next door was still the same as always!

Most people didn’t get to eat the braised duck today, but Lin Fei, who bought a large plate early, had more than some leftover and took some back to try.

…

After the beginning of summer, the sky darkened later and later. When Jingyun Hóu¹ returned to the mansion, it was still bright daylight.

Usually, at this time, the evening meal in the mansion had not been finished yet.

Jingyun Hóu thought about it and decided not to go to the main hall, but to go back to the study in the main courtyard to read a book or something.

To return to the main courtyard, one has to pass through the main hall, but today, before reaching the door of the main hall, he heard laughter coming from the main courtyard.

What made him so happy? Jingyun Hou was quite surprised.

Although the rule of not talking while eating or sleeping was not set up as strictly as in some other families, people rarely talked at the dinner table. Even if they had to say something occasionally, they would just say it in a low voice and continue eating.

It was really rare to see such a happy scene at the dinner table!

Jingyun Hóu was in a good mood. He turned around and walked into the main hall. When he entered the door, the sound of laughter could be clearly heard.

“I like duck wings. There’s just the right amount of meat. It’s not difficult to remove the two bones in the middle. It’s just right!” This was the voice of a young woman. Jingyun Hóu quickly recognized the identity of this young woman – Suízhū Jùnzhǔ².

The eldest son was already engaged to Suízhū Jùnzhǔ, so she would be considered a family member from now on. Both the Jingyun Hóu’s Mansion and the Jùnwáng³‘s Mansion were not old-fashioned and pedantic. Now that the marriage had been decided, they could get together so as to not feel constrained living together in the future.

Therefore, during these days, Suízhū Jùnzhǔ often came to the mansion to talk with the wife of Jingyun Hóu.

“Duck feet are also good,” said the eldest son. “The meat on the feet is springy and crunchy, and it’s also very fun to eat!”

“Both duck wings and duck feet are good,” the last person to speak was Jìngyún Hóu Fūrén. She said quietly, “The duck neck is the most fun to chew. Leave some for your father to try!”

These duck wings, duck feet, and duck necks were they eating duck?

Jìngyún Hóu raised his eyebrows in surprise: Duck was very delicate to cook, because it had a natural duck smell, and it was difficult for ordinary chefs to cook it well. Even if it is cooked, as far as he knew, no one in their family seemed to like eating duck.

Could it be…

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Suízhū Jùnzhǔ laugh and say, “I don’t eat these things at first. Even the ones made by the chefs in the mansion sometimes make me sick of them! But I never thought that there would be such a skilled chef in the public kitchen of the Dali Temple. I like the cold noodles, ice jelly, sour plum drinks, and duck products very much!”

Sure enough… Jìngyún Hóu smiled and shook his head, then walked in with a stomach that was still a little full.

In the main hall, hearing Suízhū Jùnzhǔ say “like it”, Jìngyún Hóu’s wife immediately smiled and said, “Since you like it, come every day. Ah Fei will bring some back every day. The dishes made by the chef are very novel and interesting!”

The words “Come every day” made Suízhū Jùnzhǔ blush. She glanced at the shìzi beside her, and although she was a little shy, she still responded.

Jingyun Hou came in at this time. After everyone nodded, he walked to the side of Jingyun Hou’s wife, sat down, and said, “Erlang brought food back again?”

Jìngyún Hóu Fūrén nodded, pointed to the full box of untouched duck necks under the food box, glanced at the Guógōng⁴‘s Mansion across the street, and said, “It’s suitable for drinking.”

Jingyun Hou understood, shook his head helplessly, and said, “I’m afraid he won’t accept it.”

“It’s Dad’s business if he doesn’t accept the job. How can you, as his son, eat all the food alone?” said the Jìngyún Hóu Fūrén.

This was reasonable. Jìngyún Hóu called a servant and asked him to send the box of duck necks to the other side. Not long after, the servant came back with the duck necks and said helplessly but habitually, “Ye Guogong said that he had eaten his evening meal, so he asked the Ye Hóu to keep it for himself!”

“It’s useless no matter how good her cooking skills are.” Jìngyún Hóu picked up a piece of duck neck and started chewing it, shaking his head at his wife, “This is Dad’s bottom line.”

“I know this is the bottom line,” said Jìngyún Hóu Fūrén, “Let’s send it first, and we can talk about the rest later!”

This was something the second son had specifically instructed. Every day, the food he brought back had to be taken back and forth to the Guogong’s Mansion across the street.

So her father-in-law watched them eating tea eggs, Bobo chicken, braised pork, cold noodles, braised duck…

Jìngyún Hóu Fūrén suddenly felt that this scene was indeed a bit strange, but she did not understand the purpose of her second son’s instructions.

Of course, eating couldn’t shake the bottom line! Lin Fei naturally understood this truth. He just felt that Wen Xuance’s case was a little weird. If the truth was not what everyone saw, everything he did today…

Later, he tapped the table lightly with his index finger: Maybe it would come in handy in the future.

Lin Fei opened the account book in front of him and continued to look through it.

…

Wen Mingtang was also squatting on the ground at this time, flipping through… not books or account books, but the beef, beef heart, and beef lungs that Ji Caimai brought from the farm…

The most common meat ingredients sent from the farm were pork, fish, chicken, duck, etc., and it was the first time that Wen Mingtang had seen beef since he came to the Dali Temple.

“It’s really not much. I just happened to have some this time, and I heard you say that braised beef is delicious, so I brought it!” Ji Caimai said this, but he flipped through the “quite mixed” beef in front of him and said with a headache, “But the beef alone is not much. I’m afraid that each person won’t get much if we make braised beef. Master Wen, look at this…”

Wen Mingtang, who was squatting on the ground flipping through the books, looked up at Ji Caimai and smiled, “Then let’s make braised beef next time. This pile of beef in front of me is just the right amount to make a new dish!”

T/N Guess what Master Wen will do tomorrow^-^

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Footnote

1. Marquis
2. Princess of Second Rank/ daughter of a prince of second rank also known as country lord
3. Prince of Second Rank
4. Duke