The dumplings were all wrapped up and were just waiting to be put into the pot.
Third Young Mistress Chen and the two maidservants sat in the courtyard and chatted. The chores in the kitchen were almost done. The two maidservants could not interfere in the following matters and stood at the back, pouring tea and water. Li Yi busied himself in the kitchen while Chen Chong and Ceng Shichun stood at the entrance of the kitchen, watching.
The Assistant Minister of Revenue, Ceng Shichun, still had a look of surprise on his face. He shook his head and said, "If my colleagues in court were to find out that the dignified Dean of the Mathematics Academy, Grand Scholar Jin Ziguang Lu, is actually doing this kind of kitchen work, I wonder how many jaws would drop."
Chen Chong snorted coldly, his eyes filled with disdain as he said, "It's clearly an insult to the culture. It's more likely they'll laugh their heads off. "
Damn it, he had always disliked this guy. Not only did he not make a move, but he was also standing here making sarcastic remarks. Li Yi looked back and said indifferently, "Come over and peel off those scallions."
Chen Chong sneered. "Are you ordering this official?"
"If you don't want to peel it, then please leave." Li Yi didn't even turn his head. "I think you're used to living a luxurious life. You probably won't care about a plate of dumplings."
"… Where's the green onion?"
"The corner." After marinating the fish, Li Yi said, "If Zeng Daren has nothing else to do, why don't you mash those cloves of garlic into garlic paste?"
"Alright." Ceng Shichun readily agreed without any resistance.
In the courtyard.
Miss Chen looked at Zeng Zuimo and said in confusion, "Zuimo and Assistant Minister Zeng are both surnamed Zeng. Could it be …"
Zeng Zuimo smiled and said, "It's all in the past."
Third Miss Chen saw that her expression was a little gloomy, so she didn't ask further. The three of them chatted about something else. From time to time, sounds could be heard coming from the kitchen not far away.
"I asked you to peel the scallions, not to peel them all. Look at the scallions you peeled. What's left?" This was Li Yi's angry voice.
"You dare to shout at this official!" Chen Chong's voice was similarly enraged.
"What's wrong with that? Do you have a problem with that?"
"This official …"
"You have something to say, right? If you have something to say, go out and say it!"
"…"
"Forget it, forget it. There are only a few green onions left. There's nothing for you to waste. Go, take this trash out and throw it away … What do you mean by 'Supervisor'? You can't do anything right, but you're good at spoiling things. You can only throw trash away …"
Chen Chong angrily walked out of the kitchen with a dustpan in hand. After taking two steps, he turned back and asked, "Where should I throw it?"
Wan Ruoqing stared blankly in a certain direction. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "There …"
Third Miss Chen shook her head and said, "It doesn't matter. Let them be. It will be more lively this way."
She looked at the two women with a smile on her face and asked, "You must have known that child for a long time, right?"
Ceng Zuimo was confused. "Which child?"
Wan Ruoqing smiled and nodded. "We first met in Qing 'an Fu. It has been almost two years since then."
While the three of them were talking about these things, a fragrant aroma gradually drifted out of the kitchen.
…
Usually, there were only the four of them in the small courtyard. Most of their meals were at the stone table in the courtyard. If the weather was bad, they would eat inside the house. Li Yi would occasionally eat here, so it wouldn't be crowded with one more person at the table. Any more and it would be hard to sit down.
As outsiders, Assistant Minister Zeng and Supervisor Chen could only sit at the stone table outside. This was a special seat for distinguished guests that Li Yi had specially arranged for them.
After they sat down, Li Yi took a few bites and then stood up. "Everyone, eat first. I'll go cook the dumplings."
Wan Ruoqing stood up. "I'll go help."
"You guys eat, I can do it alone." Li Yi shook his head and walked toward the kitchen.
Third Miss Chen's gaze moved away from the door and asked, "Does he often cook?"
"He never cares about what outsiders say. When he was in Qing 'an Fu, he often cooked himself." Wan Ruoqing nodded and asked, "Is the food to your liking?"
A gratified smile appeared on Third Miss Chen's face. "Even the imperial chefs in the palace are only so-so."
The three of them talked for a while. After a while, Zeng Zuimo looked outside with some confusion and murmured, "Why isn't he back yet? I'll go and see."
She got up and walked out of the courtyard, heading in the direction of the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Li Yi added a fire under the stove and washed his hands in a basin on the side. Then, he picked up the bowl and ate the dumplings in the bowl one mouthful at a time. Let's call them dumplings for now.
The dumplings made by Miss Zeng looked like dumplings before they were put into the pot. After they were put into the pot, they were a mixture of dough, meat filling, and water. The taste was really the most unique dumplings he had ever eaten.
"Well done, we're all waiting for you inside, and you're actually stealing food here!"
A surprised and excited voice came from behind. Then, Li Yi's wrist was grabbed by someone. Miss Zeng looked at Li Yi with a proud expression as if she had caught a thief who had stolen something.
"What stealing food? You're a girl. Watch your words …" Li Yi was still holding the bowl in his hand. He said, "Don't move, be careful not to spill it …"
It was very rare to see Li Yi embarrassed. Miss Zeng raised her chin and said with a little pride, "You were stealing food, and I caught you. You still want to deny it?"
Li Yi looked at her and said, "Please, stealing food is a matter of two people. One person can't do it."
"Why can't one person do it?"
Zeng Zuimo looked at him with some confusion. As soon as she said this, she understood what he had just said. Her face turned red, and she glared at him. She whispered, "Lecher …"
"Don't worry about stealing food." Li Yi put down the bowl and said, "The dumplings are almost ready. Help me bring them in later."
Zeng Zuimo walked to the front of the stove and said, "I want to eat the dumplings I made."
"You made them?" Li Yi shook his head and said, "I threw them away. They are all scattered in the pot. How can I bring them up?"
"You!"
Zeng Zuimo looked at him with some embarrassment. Those were the dumplings she had painstakingly made. Although they were not good-looking, it was still her first time. How could he …
Her eyes inadvertently caught a glimpse of the bowl that Li Yi had placed on the side, and her expression was slightly startled.
Of course, there were not dumplings in the bowl. The dough and meat were scattered, and there was no dumpling shape at all. The only one that was somewhat similar was a dumpling with two round ears, which she had made herself.
"You …"
Her voice softened, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Li Yi. Although she was a little flustered and bewildered at the moment, there was another kind of sweet and warm feeling in her heart.
Li Yi took out the bowl and chopsticks, intending to rinse it with water again. He said, "Help me keep an eye on it. When the water boils twice more, you can put it into the pot."
"Okay."
Zeng Zuimo nodded and made a vague syllable from her throat. She stood on tiptoe and leaned over to look into the pot.
When she made such a posture, her body would naturally bend down in an arc.
This familiar arc made Li Yi's hand feel a strange feeling, and his mind couldn't help but recall the scene in the morning.
When Zeng Zuimo inadvertently turned her head, she saw that he was staring at a certain part of her body. Her body stiffened, and that part seemed to begin to become numb again.
Her breathing was a little rapid, and she said angrily, "Where are your eyes looking!"
"Ahem, ahem!" Li Yi coughed dryly, looked at the pot, and said, "It's about time, let's start the pot …"
Zeng Zuimo's face was blushing. She looked back and whispered, "It's not boiling yet …"
"It's not boiling yet … It's not bad."
…
In addition to the dumplings, the dishes on the table were also very sumptuous. They were originally packed according to the number of people. Li Yi brought out the last bowl of dumplings and said with a smile, "Everyone, try the taste first …"
"Delicious!"
Xiao Cui ate a dumpling. Although it was scalded and kept sucking in air, her chopsticks had already reached out.
Her eyes inadvertently glanced at Li Yi, and as if she had discovered something, she pointed at the corner of his mouth and said with a smile, "Li, did you secretly eat in the kitchen just now?"
Splash!
Hearing the words "secretly eat," Zeng Zuimo's wrist trembled, and the dumpling she had already picked up fell back into the bowl.
In the courtyard, next to the stone table.
Chen Chong picked up a dumpling, dipped it in vinegar, and took a bite. Then, he was startled, raised his head, and asked doubtfully, "Assistant Minister Zeng, don't you feel that this dumpling … is a little raw?"
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