Why am I, a cook, always involved in cases?

In their busy work day after day, the two rarely have the opportunity to visit this quiet corner.

However, today's event made everyone's heart feel light, like catkins floating in the wind. This is indeed a rare exception.

In order to ensure everything is safe, Lin Zhiruo locked the warehouse containing rare ingredients tightly and carefully hid the key.

Although she was worried that outsiders might discover this secret, she knew that once the secret was leaked, it would cause a series of troubles, so she chose to remain silent and keep the secret deep in her heart.

While Wang Dahai was busy preparing tea and snacks in the kitchen, Lin Zhiruo began her tea-making ceremony.

She gave up the traditional teapot and chose those transparent and crystal glassware. These utensils were originally tools for making medicine. However, when tasting a delicate tea like jasmine tea, using rough pottery is undoubtedly disrespectful to tea.

Lin Zhiruo first warmed the cold containers with warm water. After the temperature rose, she poured out the warm water, then gently placed the hydrangea-like buds and slowly poured in nearly boiling hot water, as if giving them new life.

"Wow, it smells so good!"

Xiao Cui couldn't help but admire.

As the buds bloom, the rich fragrance spreads like clouds and mist, intoxicating.

"Lin Zhiruo, is this the tea you mentioned before?"

Xiao Cui asked curiously.

Lin Zhiruo nodded slightly, while Hu Lan'er seemed unusually calm, perhaps she had already experienced this beautiful scene.

"The water temperature for brewing tea needs to be just right, and this kind of tea is not common."

Lin Zhiruo added softly.

The tea leaves can be kept for a while, and Wang Dahai generously served pancakes and mooncakes.

The mooncakes were quite large, so Lin Zhiruo used a simple homemade kitchen knife to carefully cut them into eight pieces.

Xiao Cui's attention was instantly attracted, and she began to carefully compare which one was fuller.

At first, Xiao Cui was skeptical about whether it was appropriate for her to join the Shangshi Bureau, but she was young and full of energy, and soon began to talk with Wang Dahai freely.

Hu Lan'er also gets along very well with Wang Dahai.

Wang Dahai was very pleased with the two girls' reactions.

Many palace maids maintained an indifferent attitude towards eunuchs, but people like Xiao Cui, their existence itself was a kind of warmth and comfort.

"Girls, this is not a place to play. Don't come here again next time."

Wang Dahai reminded with a smile.

Although this sounds like it implies "it's okay to come back next time", to be honest, such behavior is indeed inappropriate.

"Come to think of it, is it always this lively here?"

Hu Lan'er asked while tasting the mooncake.

These words made Lin Zhiruo realize that she was a new palace maid.

With the entry of Concubine Shuwan into the palace, a group of new palace maids were added to the harem.

Hu Lan'er has only been here for about half a year.

"Well—this time it lasted longer than before."

Xiao Cui held the kitten on her lap and stuffed its mouth with mooncakes.

Seeing the kitten trying to lick the fallen crumbs, Lin Zhiruo quickly picked up the kitten and fed it the fish.

"This is because I heard that a foreign envoy will be visiting soon."

Wang Dahai's beard, which was stained with snack crumbs, rose slightly as he spoke proudly.

(Is it really okay to say this?)

Lin Zhiruo poured tea while thinking to herself.

She originally came to Shangshiju to boil water, but perhaps bringing them here was a wrong decision.

Lin Zhiruo couldn't help but start blaming herself.

"So there's a distinguished guest coming."

There was a gleam in Xiao Cui's eyes, but when Lin Zhiruo handed her another mooncake, her attention was immediately attracted by the mooncake.

Lin Zhiruo wanted to find another topic, but Hu Lan'er took the initiative and brought up another matter.

"By the way, there's a strange smell in the north lately. Do you know what it is?"

"It smells weird... It's deserted over there. Maybe the sewer is clogged?"

Wang Dahai said.

If the sewers that discharge waste are blocked, the smell will indeed spread.

"I rarely go north, so I'm not sure. Do you have a mission going there?"

Xiao Cui asked while eating the second piece of mooncake.

"Hey, there's a lot of grass over there."

Hu Lan'er took out a stack of papers from her bosom with a smile. The papers looked like snack wrappers, with many vivid pictures drawn on them with ink.

Lin Zhiruo came forward curiously, while Xiao Cui and Wang Dahai looked a little surprised.

The paper is filled with delicate turkey patterns, each stroke imbued with the power of life, and the turkey's name is marked in the upper right corner.

“It’s a really nice painting.”

Lin Zhiruo exclaimed sincerely.

The brushstrokes are concise and powerful, just like the illustrations in an atlas.

Even the turkey's feathers are depicted in great detail.

"Well, there are lots of turkeys to draw here, that's nice."

Hu Lan'er said happily when she saw that Lin Zhiruo also seemed to have a special liking for turkey.

Wang Dahai and Xiao Cui felt uncomfortable with these realistic turkey paintings and looked away.

Turkey can also be eaten, although the prostitutes in the red-light district are not keen on it, so few people are willing to sell it, but the turkey meat is delicious and has great food value.

"In places like the orchards in the south, there aren't many turkeys because they're taken care of. But in places like the ruins in the north, it's different. There are a lot of big turkeys."

"turkey?"

I heard that the turkey in this world has delicious meat, not as tough as the turkey in the world before I crossed over, but it is very difficult to catch, so Lin Zhiruo has never tried it yet.

Hearing this, Lin Zhiruo's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Want to take a look?"

"Go!"

Xiao Cui and Wang Dahai looked at the two of them with indifference, while the kitten, probably because it was full, was scratching behind its ears with its hind paws, looking leisurely and comfortable.