Lu Wenjing’s face scrunched up like a bun. After thinking for a while, she finally said, “How about we eat some meat?”

Meat, do you understand?

The firm, elastic flesh of animals, tender and fragrant, delicious with any dish… meat?

“Then…” Su Yujin also thought for a moment, “Fěnzhēng Xiǎo Sūròu? And some wontons with shepherd’s purse and pork filling?”

“Great!” Lu Wenjing jumped up and down happily, then skipped off to go inside to rest and have some tea before enjoying the delicious food.

But before she even entered the house, she saw Xing’an lifting the bamboo curtain and walking out.

“Xing’an?” Lu Wenjing tilted her head. “What are you doing here?”

Suddenly, she realized something was wrong.

Xing’an was here, which meant her cousin was here! Oh no, oh no, oh no…

She had sneaked out, thinking she was completely undetected, but now she was going to be discovered!

Lu Wenjing quickly shrank back, turned around, and tiptoed away, but then heard a voice behind her, “Since you’re here, why didn’t you even say hello? Isn’t that a bit rude?”

Sure enough, she couldn’t escape.

Lu Wenjing’s face paled slightly, but she quickly regained her composure, turned around, and skipped over to He Yanxiu, who was standing in the corridor. “What a coincidence, Biǎogē, you’re here too.”

“Come to think of it, I heard Gūmǔ say that your old injury had flared up again, Biǎogē. Weren’t you out seeing a physician?”

She had to strike first!

“Yes, I came to see Miss Su.” He Yanxiu shook the plaster on his wrist and instructed Xing’an, “Prepare the herbal medicine for tonight early.”

Xing’an replied, “Yes,” and went inside to get the herbal packet prepared by Su Yujin.

Lu Wenjing’s face immediately turned awkward upon seeing this.

This Miss Su was actually a doctor?

Were her medical skills good enough to treat He Yanxiu’s recurring old injury?

Now, she couldn’t use He Yanxiu’s past against him anymore, so she just chuckled and said, “I was worried about my Biǎogē’s injury, so I came to check on him for my Gumu. It’ll put everyone’s minds at ease if I go back and tell her sooner.”

“Biǎogē, you don’t know how worried everyone is about your injury. Even my father talks about it three times a day. I’ve been thinking about it, and I realize I’m useless at everything except causing trouble. Now that I’m getting older, I should take better care of my parents. So I thought I’d come and check on your injury and tell them when I get back. It’s my way of showing filial piety…”

“Tell the truth!” He Yanxiu glanced at Lu Wenjing.

“I was craving Miss Su’s cooking, so I came to have a treat. I’ll leave after I eat, and my family shouldn’t find out.”

Lu Wenjing honestly explained, then cautiously glanced at He Yanxiu’s expression.

Come to think of it, she had many Tánggēs, but only this one Biǎogē.

Even though this one Biǎogē wasn’t always stern-faced, he still possessed an imposing aura that instilled fear in her, making her somewhat afraid of him, even though she was fearless at home.

“I’ll leave after I finish eating.”

Seeing He Yanxiu agree, Lu Wenjing was overjoyed. “Okay, definitely!”

That was her original plan.

“When you get back, don’t tell anyone I’m in Qinghe,” He Yanxiu instructed.

“Okay.” Lu Wenjing nodded again.

But then she tilted her head.

Was it because he was afraid she would tell Sister Ying about it?

But since her Biǎogē liked Miss Su so much, and Miss Su was the only woman he had been with all these years, why was he keeping it a secret?

Lu Wenjing couldn’t quite understand, but she felt it wasn’t her business, so she simply stopped thinking about it and quietly waited for dinner.

Dinner consisted of the dishes Su Yujin had mentioned to Lu Wenjing earlier.

It looked ordinary, but once you actually tasted it…

Pork and Shepherd’s purse wontons, needless to say, were just as delicious as the jìcài-filled dumplings Lu Wenjing had eaten last time. The Hóng Luóbo Yīng Zhēngcài had been steamed before being stir-fried, giving it a rich flavor. Fresh, fragrant, and pleasantly spicy, it was even more satisfying than meat.

The Yán Yān Bái Luóbo Yīng was made by removing the leafy portions and keeping only the thick central stems, which were cut into short lengths. It required no extra seasoning—just a light curing with salt. Crisp and refreshing, it paired perfectly with Xiǎo Sūròu.

The most delicious of all, however, was the Zhīma Yè Miàntiáo.

Made with fresh sesame leaves, the noodles were stir-fried until fragrant before being turned into Yuánguō Miàn. They were wonderfully aromatic and exceptionally comforting with every bite. On a crisp autumn day like this, a big bowl of these noodles was incredibly satisfying.

Lu Wenjing, who disliked the rabbit-shaped vegetables, ate a plate of Hóng Luóbo Yīng Zhēngcài and a large bowl of Zhīma Yè Miàntiáo, but barely touched the crispy pork and shepherd’s purse wontons and Fěnzhēng Xiǎo Sūròu she had been craving.

After eating her fill, she patted her belly and let out a loud burp.

Because He Yanxiu was there, Lu Wenjing didn’t dare linger. After finishing her meal and digesting for a while, she hurriedly left.

Su Yujin saw her off at the door.

Seeing that He Yanxiu didn’t follow, Lu Wenjing quickly grabbed Su Yujin’s sleeve, “Next time my Biǎogē isn’t here, send me a message.”

So she could come over for a meal.

Su Yujin, “…”

In terms of status, she was just a mistress!

If she openly associated with He Yanxiu’s Biǎomèi like this, others would likely think she was trying to curry favor with the He family, or even suspect that she harbored ambitions of climbing the social ladder.

That wouldn’t do. She would leave sooner or later, and although she would definitely be far away from here then, she didn’t want to make enemies now, becoming a thorn in someone’s side and affecting her peaceful life in the future.

“Why don’t you observe more closely? If Second Master is in the capital, then he definitely won’t be here with me,” Su Yujin explained. “If I go to deliver the message, what if Second Master arrives before the message does, and then Miss Lu bumps into him? That wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“That makes sense.” Lu Wenjing nodded. “Then I’ll handle this.”

It would also prevent Sister Ying from misunderstanding if she knew Su Yujin delivered the message.

“Miss Lu, take care.”

Su Yujin smiled and watched Lu Wenjing walk away before turning back.

He Yanxiu was holding the medicine that Xing’an had brewed, drinking it sip by sip.

The dark medicine smelled pungently bitter even from a distance, and since she had prepared the prescription, she knew exactly how bitter and unpleasant it tasted.

Yet He Yanxiu could drink the bowl of medicine in small sips without changing his expression…

And even after his sense of taste had mostly returned.

It has to be said, Second Master was indeed Second Master…

He could enjoy delicious food and drink bitter medicine with the same flair, something ordinary people couldn’t do.

After He Yanxiu finished the bowl of medicine, he noticed Su Yujin staring at him and immediately frowned, “Is there any candied fruit or other sweets?”

Su Yujin, “…”

So he did know what bitterness was!

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