I became a vicious stepmother and I went to the sea to feed my three children.

"Mother, I am unfilial and have caused you worry."

The empress dowager, who was originally resting on the chaise longue, suddenly opened her eyes when she heard the sound.

"Chen'er, is it really you?"

"Mother, I'm back. I made you worry. I'm unfilial."

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back——"

The Queen Mother raised her hand and placed it on his face with some trembling.

She raised her hand and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Although she is the biological mother of the emperor and Gu Yichen, there are not many signs of aging on her face, and her charm remains.

He looks to be only in his thirties.

The late emperor doted on the empress dowager, who was the most favored among the six palaces. Not many people dared to mess with her, and the empress dowager did not worry too much. In addition, she took good care of herself, so she naturally does not look old now.

"Sister, what is this?"

Bai Qingjiang half-knelt in front of Bai Qingyao, watching her pick out everything from the earth dragon, and put the small fish and shrimps separately.

I don’t know why there are so many small fish and shrimps in this cage.

Bai Qingyao threw the shrimps in her hand into the basin and began to pick other shrimps while speaking.

"These can be used to make sauce, though, especially the small shrimp, which is the shrimp paste I made earlier."

Bai Qingjiang and the others had eaten shrimp paste, but they had never seen how Bai Qingyao made it. Now that they saw her making it, their curiosity was instantly aroused.

He moved a small stool, placed it in front of Bai Qingyao, and prepared to attack.

"Sister, let me help you."

Bai Qingyao shook her head and said, "Second brother, please stop interfering. Go and help me get the wooden barrel back from the lake."

"Row!"

Bai Qingjiang nodded readily, put the wooden block back in its place, turned around and walked briskly towards the lake.

"Qingyao, what are you doing?"

Bai Qingyao did not deal with these things at home. One reason was that these things would have a fishy smell after they died, and the other was that since the workshop had been built, it would be more convenient to do it here.

"Aunt Jiang?"

Bai Qingyao's eyes fell on the box in her hand, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. "Are you here to bring food to uncle?"

She was holding a food box. These days, Aunt Jiang often came here to deliver food to Gu Dahu and Uncle Gu. After coming here a few times, Bai Qingyao also became familiar with this food box.

"Ah."

When talking about them, Aunt Jiang smiled.

"What are you doing?"

Aunt Jiang put the things on the wooden table beside her and looked down at the small fish and shrimps in the basins.

"I'm going to make some shrimp paste. I can also make fried small fish with those small fish. They'll taste really good."

“Shrimp paste?”

"Correct."

Bai Qingyao nodded, then remembered something and looked up at Aunt Jiang.

"By the way, Aunt Jiang, when you leave later, take a jar and try it. I just made it a few days ago."

Aunt Jiang was stunned for a moment, but when she met Bai Qingyao's gaze, she thought for a while and did not refuse.

"Okay, I'll take some with me when I leave."

"Then I'll go take food to your Uncle Gu first."

After the workshop opened, almost everyone in the village who did not go fishing came to work, including Gu Dahu.

However, he is more interested in hunting. After hunting, he will come here to help and earn some pocket money.

After Aunt Jiang left, a few more people came and answered them one by one with similar questions to Aunt Jiang's.

Before long, everything in the earth dragon had been picked out.

She stood up and put everything away.

She carried a wooden basin into the workshop, where there were tools for making sauce. When she was making the tools, she specially asked a craftsman to make them.

After the semi-finished shrimp paste was made, Aunt Jiang also walked out of the workshop.

Bai Qingyao carried the semi-finished product to the door and called out to Aunt Jiang.

"Auntie Jiang, let's go home. I'll get you some shrimp paste."

The two chatted along the way. Since moving here, their family has had less contact with most people in the village.

It’s not that they have a bad relationship, it’s just that the distance is a bit far, plus Bai Qingyao doesn’t like visiting people, and with her previous reputation, there are not many people in the village who have a good relationship with her.

There is no need for much interaction.

Except that Aunt Jiang was nice to her at that time and they occasionally interacted with each other.

"Aunt Jiang, take this back and use it to pickle fish or stew eggs. Add some cabbage and it will taste great."

When handing the shrimp paste to Aunt Jiang, Bai Qingyao also told her some cooking methods so that Aunt Jiang would know how to eat it.

This way of eating shrimp paste has never been seen in Dayuan Village before.

"okay, I get it."

Aunt Jiang put the jar in a wooden box, then slung it over her arm and said goodbye to Bai Qingyao.

Not long after she left, Bai Qingyao turned around and returned to the kitchen.

Royal Palace

Su Jingqian, dressed in luxurious attire, walked up the long steps and into the main hall.

Just as he was about to salute the emperor who was sitting high on the throne, he saw a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye and his eyes widened instantly.

Her reaction caught the attention of the emperor on the platform, but he did not speak in a hurry. Instead, he looked at the woman below the platform with a smile.

"Jing'er, you're here."

Looking at the woman under the platform, the emperor smiled faintly.

After hearing the voice, Su Jingqian took a moment to react before a stiff smile appeared on her face.

"emperor."

After saying this, her eyes still involuntarily swept towards the person beside her.

"Ah Chen?"

She spoke tentatively, but Gu Yichen ignored her.

When the emperor heard this, his eyes darkened. After a while, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Jing'er, I forgot to tell you before that Ah Chen is not dead. The previous news was all fake. Now that he is back safely, are you happy?"

Hearing this, Su Jingqian's heart skipped a beat. She calmly concealed the expression in her eyes and spoke to the emperor on the platform with a smile.

"Your Highness Prince Zhan has returned safely, and I am naturally happy. If the Queen Mother knew this news, she would certainly be very excited as well."

She brought the empress dowager out. The emperor said nothing, but just looked at her gravely.

However, Gu Yichen, who was standing beside her, looked at her.

"Isn't the Empress's sister-in-law worried about my brother's safe return?"

"What is this, War King?"

Su Jingqian's brows twitched, with a look of innocence on her face, as if she didn't understand why Gu Yichen said that.

Gu Yichen looked up at her. He would not be fooled by her expression.

"It's a coincidence that I met a woman on my way back."

"That woman had two brothers, and she married the eldest brother. The family was quite wealthy, but she later colluded with the family's enemies and attempted to seize their property."

"First, they sent someone to murder the younger brother, and then quietly gave the older brother some slow-acting poison. Later, the rich man's crime was exposed, and he was sentenced to be torn apart by five horses."

"What do you think, brother Huang?"

The emperor spoke without hesitation.

"She stole people's money and killed them. She deserves it."