Transmigrated Female Official

The next day, Chu Qingluo returned to the mansion and checked all the fresh ingredients prepared in the kitchen, making sure nothing was missing. She washed her hands, rolled up her sleeves, and began to prepare them.

"Are you cooking? Do you need my help?" Gongsun Yu asked from the side.

"It's not a vegetable, it's a pickled product."

Gongsun Yu expressed his confusion, but still wanted to lend a hand, so he followed her example and rolled up his sleeves as well.

The male servant in the kitchen had already washed the ingredients, so Chu Qingluo immediately started chopping them. She then said to Gongsun Yu, "Then can you help me chop this ginger and green beans? Slice the ginger and cut the green beans into sections."

"Okay." He had never cooked before, so his movements were rather slow, and he even gestured with his hands to show how to cut the green beans into even sections.

Seeing his somewhat clumsy attempts, Chu Qingluo couldn't help but chuckle. Even if he couldn't cook, his willingness to accompany her in her awkward attempts in the kitchen was a definite plus—he deserved praise!

Chu Qingluo took the raw papaya, cucumber, white radish, and the green beans and ginger that Gongsun Yu had cut into strips to the yard to dry. Finally, she put them into a large vat, poured in cooled boiled water to cover the ingredients, added appropriate amounts of salt, garlic, rice vinegar, rock sugar and red chili peppers, and finally added two drops of rice wine. She then put the lid on, filled the rim of the lid with water, and sealed it.

Then, she put the diced pineapple, mango, and apple into another large vat and marinated them in the same way, except without adding garlic, chili, and rice wine.

"How did you come up with the idea to make these things?" Gongsun Yu found it fascinating and was extremely curious.

Chu Qinglu smiled and said, "Didn't you mention yesterday that you could send homemade pastries? I suddenly remembered that the Sixth Princess is pregnant. Sour foods are definitely to her liking, and she'll want to eat more of them."

"So, these are all for the Sixth Princess?"

“No, it will take some time to marinate. After it’s marinated, I’ll divide it into three portions, one for each of the three princesses.” Seeing that Gongsun Yu still looked hesitant, she continued, “Don’t worry, this stuff is absolutely delicious. I can’t say that men will love it, but it should be very popular with women.”

Gongsun Yu smacked his lips, looking very tempted: "You've made me want to try it."

“Absolutely.” Chu Qinglu smiled, then said seriously, “They say ‘even heroes can’t resist the charms of a beautiful woman, and even a beautiful woman can’t resist the allure of love’… never mind, you probably haven’t heard of that.”

He glanced at her and asked, "Why do you always manage to say words I've never heard before?"

"Um...maybe it's because we're focusing on different things." Chu Qinglu chuckled, thinking to herself that if she recited the few ancient poems she remembered, wouldn't he be terrified? Although she only remembered a few, it was enough to make her famous throughout the Ji Kingdom.

……

A week later, Chu Qingluo's specially made pickled food was ready, and a sweet and sour aroma wafted out, making the Nine-Tailed Fox and the others drool. She first divided the pickled food into jars, preparing two jars for each princess. The rest she generously shared, with a special instruction to save some for Chu's mother…

When the princesses were given pickled treats, the Sixth Princess naturally accepted them readily. She even said that if she had tasted these pickled products earlier, her first three months of pregnancy wouldn't have been so difficult. Chu Qinglu smiled sheepishly and said that these were all newly created.

The Eighth Princess, however, was not so easy to please. She was still sulking and would cause trouble for Luo Lifei at the drop of a hat. For example, she insisted that Luo Lifei make her clothes and make alterations every few days, but she was never satisfied no matter what.

Luo Lifei was so angry she almost vomited blood, but she couldn't do anything about the Eighth Princess. Even after explaining many times that she had no relationship with Chu Yilin, the Eighth Princess wouldn't listen.

The Eighth Princess had witnessed Chu Yilin kissing Luo Lifei in public, and she simply couldn't swallow this insult!

Just then, when Chu Qingluo delivered the pickled products, she happened to witness the Eighth Princess making things difficult for Luo Lifei. She couldn't help but recall the first time she took the Eighth Princess's measurements… and felt genuinely sorry for Luo Lifei.

Luo Lifei saw Chu Qingluo and immediately gave her a pleading look.

Chu Qingluo received the message, but didn't know how to help, so she first bowed to the Eighth Princess: "Princess Xile".

The Eighth Princess was no longer so friendly towards Chu Qingluo. Firstly, because Chu Qingluo had spoken up for Yao Man in court, contradicting her; secondly, because of Chu Yilin, she was his sister and was simply caught in the crossfire.

She glanced at the jars in Chu Qingluo's hand and asked, "What are those two jars you're holding? They look so ugly and smell sour." She then covered her nose with her finger, looking disgusted.

Chu Qinglu smiled and explained, "This is a pickled product, and it's especially delicious. Ever since my second brother received the princess's gift, he's felt embarrassed. So, my family just made this, and he asked me to bring it for the princess to try. I hope the princess won't find it offensive."

Chu Qingluo's original intention was to follow the Eighth Princess's example. Since the Eighth Princess's gift was originally intended for Chu Yilin, she would return the gift in Chu Yilin's name. This was because she was still unaware of the rift that had developed between Chu Yilin and the Eighth Princess…

"Really?" The Eighth Princess was taken aback at first, then looked incredulous and asked suspiciously, "How could he possibly think of me at this time?"

Chu Qingluo sensed something was amiss and replied, "Second Brother often says that good food can make people happy, and good things should be shared with everyone." She praised Chu Yilin with great affection, not focusing on petty romance, which was to subtly explain that giving this little thing didn't mean anything special.

Hearing this, the Eighth Princess snorted and pouted, saying, "Bring it here and let me try it. If it's not tasty, I'll torture her!" She then glanced at Luo Lifei, who was still standing to the side.

Immediately, Luo Lifei felt even worse! What sins had she committed? She'd been used as a shield by Chu Yilin for no reason, becoming the Eighth Princess's punching bag! The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Who else could she hold accountable but Chu Yilin?!

Chu Qingluo was very puzzled. What did the taste of the pickled food have to do with Luo Lifei?

The Eighth Princess picked up a piece of radish, took a bite, and suddenly exclaimed, "How can it be so sour?! Are you trying to kill me with sourness?!" Then she threw the remaining half aside, looking displeased.

Seeing this, Chu Qingluo stepped forward, opened the lid of another jar, and said, "Princess, you can try these fruit tarts; they taste on the sweeter side."

The Eighth Princess didn't want to try it, but seeing the mangoes she usually loved in the jar, she swallowed hard and took a bite... They were indeed sweet and sour, quite delicious. She rolled her eyes and said, "This is barely acceptable."

Chu Qingluo breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "If the princess likes spicy food, she can sprinkle some chili powder on the pickled food when she takes it out to eat."

"Okay, I understand." The Eighth Princess's craving was instantly aroused. She waved her hand casually, signaling Chu Qingluo to leave. Then she said sternly to Luo Lifei, "You should go back first too. I will summon you if needed."

"Yes……"

The two then left the Flying Immortal Palace together. Chu Qingluo asked Luo Lifei if she had accidentally offended the Eighth Princess. Luo Lifei cried out that she was innocent. Although she was somewhat ashamed and angry, she still told them about Chu Yilin's crimes.

Chu Qingluo was stunned. That prodigal son, Chu Yilin, had truly caused her so much trouble. No wonder he was so shocked when he heard that Luo Lifei hadn't reached marriageable age…

"Alright, I'll help you get justice later." Chu Qingluo intended to stand up for her.

"I just want to tear him in two!"

"Um..." Chu Qingluo knew that there was no use in persuading her now, so she said instead, "Seriously, why don't you just go and help out at Mingyifang?" The subtext was that she wanted to avoid being tormented by the Eighth Princess forever.

"No." Being a lady-in-waiting is a superior position, and Luo Lifei doesn't want to give it up so easily.

Chu Qinglu shrugged helplessly: "Alright then, I have something to do, I have to go now."

"Wait a minute..." Luo Lifei licked her lips and asked curiously, "Did you make that pickled fruit yourself?"

Seeing her looking like a hungry cat, Chu Qingluo chuckled: "Yes, I'll make some more another day and have my second brother personally deliver them to your residence. You can enjoy these sour treats while tearing apart the sinners, how about that?"

"Haha! It's settled then!" Luo Lifei couldn't wait to torment Chu Yilin...

After parting ways with Luo Lifei, Chu Qingluo went to the Feixia Palace where the Fourth Princess lived, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She had to greet someone who clearly wanted to harm her with a smile and take the initiative to be friendly; it was incredibly disheartening.

"Oh, isn't this Lord Chu? What brings you here?" The Fourth Princess greeted him with a smile.

“Princess Fulin, you flatter me… It’s just that my family has recently made some pickled dishes that are especially suitable for summer and autumn. I brought them here for the princess to try.”

"Oh?" The Fourth Princess raised an eyebrow, glanced at the jar in her hand, and smiled, "But I don't usually like sour food; I prefer spicy. How... how are you going to eat this?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Qingluo had her male attendant fetch a clean plate and chili powder. She then placed the pickled food on the plate and said to the Fourth Princess, "If the princess likes spicy food, she can sprinkle chili powder on the pickled food and it will be ready to eat."

"Then help me sprinkle it, sprinkle a lot."

Chu Qingluo did as she was told, but the Fourth Princess was still not satisfied. She made Chu Qingluo sprinkle the chili powder several more times until the entire plate of pickled food was covered with chili powder before she said, "Try it for me, is it spicy enough?"

"..." Now, Chu Qingluo finally understood that this was a setup to destroy her.

Sigh, spicy food has never been her strong suit, and this time she's really messed up. But there's nothing she can do; the order has been given, so she has to bite the bullet and go for it! Chu Qingluo gasped, deliberately choosing the largest piece and putting it in her mouth…

The tangy flavor was secondary; the main attraction was the spiciness! Extremely spicy!! My eyes and nose were burning, and I kept wanting to cry. Finally, I managed to squeeze out a few words: "It's spicy enough."

The Fourth Princess was somewhat satisfied to see that Chu Qingluo had chosen the largest piece of radish instead of the smallest piece of green beans. She was glad Chu Qingluo was sensible and hadn't tried to be clever; otherwise, she would have made Chu Qingluo finish the entire plate of chili peppers! Thinking this, the Fourth Princess smiled and said, "Then I'll accept it."

Chu Qingluo was sweating profusely from the spiciness, her breath coming in hot gasps, but she still managed to say, "Sour foods are good for cutting through greasiness, but it's not advisable to eat too much of them in one day." After saying that, she gave the princess's male attendant instructions on how to store the food, as usual, before taking her leave.

After she left, the Fourth Princess stared at the bright red pickled food in front of her and muttered to herself, "Since she's so clever, how wonderful it would be if she could be used by me..."