Back at the prince's manor, Lu Qingwan entered through the back door, and Yue'er, looking secretive, scurried to meet her.
"Miss, you're back! Something big has happened!"
The little maid, afraid of causing Lu Qingwan trouble, had been calling her "Princess" conscientiously since arriving at the manor. In her moment of panic, she reverted to her original address.
"Don't rush," Lu Qingwan said, fearing the girl might trip and fall as she stumbled along. Just as she thought this, Yue'er tripped over something, letting out a yelp and landing flat on her face.
Ying Yi had wanted to help, but missed. Instead, Yue'er’s pulled her pant leg straight. Ying Yi, holding his pants, looked as terrified as a virtuous woman ensnared by the claws of Lu Shan.
Yue'er, her face flushed red, got up. "I'm sorry, big brother. I didn't mean to."
Ying Yi's expression was a picture of gloom. If you hadn't immediately turned to report to the Princess, your apology would have been far more sincere.
"Miss, Consort Dowager Wen sent someone today to ask why you hadn't come to serve her tea. But you and the Prince were both absent. The嬷嬷 (māmā - elderly female attendant) missed you and, as she left, she remarked on the excellent upbringing of Marquis Lu's daughter!"
Lu Qingwan's heart skipped a beat. The family drama she had anticipated for days had finally arrived!
"No, you said the Prince was also absent. Where did he go?"
Ying Yi interjected, "There was a great victory in Xijiang. The court has been discussing the details of the post-war negotiations with Xijiang these past few days. The Prince was likely summoned to the palace."
"Then we'll wait until he returns," Lu Qingwan said. Not serving tea to Consort Dowager Wen was Feng Xi Wu's decision. Lu Qingwan had no penchant for creating trouble for herself.
Once Lu Qingwan returned, Yue'er felt she had an anchor and immediately calmed down. She followed Lu Qingwan directly into the small kitchen. Seeing Lu Qingwan reach for vegetables in a basket, she quickly said, "Miss, if you want to eat something, please tell me. How can you do it yourself?"
"I'll even feed myself. Do you want me to feed you too?" Lu Qingwan grabbed a goose from a nearby cage and, with a swift motion, twisted its neck. The poor goose didn't even have time to struggle before it transformed from a live creature into an ingredient.
Yue'er quickly waved her hands. "Let's forget it. Miss, just do whatever you want. I won't say another word." As she spoke, she clapped her hand over her mouth in horror, as if afraid that if she said another word, Lu Qingwan would snap her neck like the goose's.
Ying Yi watched, feeling embarrassed. "Princess, perhaps I could help you prepare this goose?"
Lu Qingwan raised an eyebrow. "You know how?" Wasn't it said that a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen?
Ying Yi flashed a sheepish grin. "When we go out on missions, we occasionally hunt wild game to sustain ourselves. We're not great cooks, but we can clean it."
"Alright, then it's yours." Lu Qingwan beckoned to Yue'er. "Don't just stand there, come wash the vegetables."
Yue'er eagerly rushed over. Before long, Man Chun and the others also came to help. With many hands, the work was light. Before dinner, Lu Qingwan had completed all her preparations.
Yue'er, always chatty, couldn't help but ask, "Princess, these are all raw. How will we eat them?"
"Of course, I won't have you eat them raw." Lu Qingwan clapped her hands. "Go call the little Prince." This task naturally fell to Ying Yi.
And so, when Feng Xi Wu and his son returned, they saw a large pot placed in the center of the elegant and tranquil Wutong Garden. A lid covered the pot, obscuring its contents, but the aroma was already wafting out. Not far from the large pot, a makeshift stove held burning coal, emitting wisps of smoke. Various ingredients were arranged on a nearby rack: vegetables, river delicacies, chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Lu Qingwan was holding a bamboo tube and, with her bottom sticking out and in an unladylike posture, was blowing air into the stove.
Feng Xi Wu felt a twitch in his brow. "What are you doing?"
"You're back!" Lu Qingwan cried out as if she had found a savior. "Can you start a fire? Give me a hand?" The elegantly dressed woman now had soot all over her face. The wide sleeves of her ornate robe were tied up at the elbows with armbands, making her look like a kitchen maid who had run away from home.
The child watching giggled. "Mother, you've turned into a tabby cat!"
"Still laughing? Who am I doing this for?" Lu Qingwan playfully made a face at him, scolding him. "You ungrateful little thing, be careful or I won't let you taste a single bit of my hard work!"
"Mother, I was wrong!" the little bun said submissively, admitting his mistake.
Lu Qingwan: ...
"Your Highness, for the sake of your son's palate, a little effort?" Feng Xi Wu walked over with a darkened expression. He looked at the dry grass, firewood, and coal stuffed into the stove and raised an eyebrow. He seemed to have some basic knowledge.
Lu Qingwan noticed his surprise and huffed proudly. "I have some common sense, you know! But this fire just wouldn't catch. It's not my fault. This stove must be prejudiced against newcomers."
"And now?" Feng Xi Wu pointed to the faint but undeniable flame, a smile playing on his lips.
Lu Qingwan felt as if her world had turned upside down. "These days, even coal is playing favorites?" She had blown until her cheeks ached, seeing only smoke and no fire. But the moment he arrived, the fire just started burning on its own? Who could she complain to about such unfairness?
A group of maids and guards stifled their laughter. Lu Qingwan wanted to flip the table, but remembering how long she had struggled to prepare this first barbecue meal in this new world, she held back. Skewered vegetables were placed on the stove to grill. Beside them, Lu Qingwan had prepared her own barbecue sauce, and the scent of stewed goose filled the air. The little bun, his mouth watering, circled Lu Qingwan. "Mother, how did you think of eating like this? How are you so smart?" "Mother, when can we eat!"
The aloof young boy who had demanded Feng Xi Wu divorce her yesterday had instantly transformed into a chatterbox, impossible to get rid of. Li Yang stepped forward. "Princess, you've also been busy all day. Let us handle it. You can just guide us from the side." These were all rough soldiers who had eaten wild game in the wilderness, so Lu Qingwan didn't stand on ceremony and handed the ingredients to Li Yang.
Feng Xi Wu, with great foresight, moved a chair for her and ordered someone to prepare hot water for her to wash her hands. Lu Qingwan sat in the chair and let out a long sigh. "I'm exhausted. It turns out, doing everything yourself to get by isn't really suitable for me!"
Feng Xi Wu raised an eyebrow. "Since you're so tired, why go through all this trouble?" Lu Qingwan's exhaustion was evident. Sitting in the clinic during the day was one thing, but the evening's events could have been entirely avoided.
Lu Qingwan glanced at the little glutton squatting next to Li Yang, his eyes shining brightly. "The person who took care of him has been dealt with by me. Don't I have to compensate him for something?" No matter how bad Qing Yi was, she had spent several years with the little bun. Feng Xi Wu, as a father, clearly hadn't spent much time with his child. Lu Qingwan might scheme against adults, but she didn't want to hurt the child's feelings.
"In the next few days, create some distractions so he can pay attention elsewhere. You hurry up and find someone new to look after him, don't let Qing Yi ruin the child's entire childhood." Although she was still a young girl herself, she spoke with the affection of a doting mother.
Feng Xi Wu, with a teasing glint in his eye, remarked, "I didn't realize you had a talent for being a loving mother."
Lu Qingwan let out a cold laugh. "I think I have a greater talent for being a shrew. Would you like to test it?"
Feng Xi Wu's smile was infuriating. "A thousand different charms from the Princess, and I would gladly accept them all."
Lu Qingwan: Ugh!