The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

At the kitchen doorway, where Shen Qing had just peeked out, Wei Siyu looked at the busy figures inside and asked.

Shen Cao mentally calculated the time and said, "Have them tidy up; we can start eating soon."

Upon hearing that they could eat soon, Wei Siyu immediately ran to Shen Qing and the others to help tidy up, eager to get everything ready for dinner as quickly as possible.

Just now, while he and Shen Yu'an were reading in the study, the aroma from the kitchen kept wafting out and into his nostrils.

His thoughts were completely disturbed by the aromas.

The words in the book seemed to have grown arms, crawling everywhere.

He even found himself holding his book upside down at some point.

He couldn't resist any longer, so he went to the kitchen.

Looking at Wei Siyu's impatient appearance, Wanyue couldn't help but tease her, "Sister Cao'er, look at Wei Siyu, it's like she hasn't eaten for hundreds of years."

"Didn't you just come back from the county magistrate's banquet? Why didn't the county magistrate provide you with a meal?"

Shen Cao didn't know how to put it. She wanted to ask if Wei Siyu was like this when she first met him.

When it was almost time, she lifted the lid of the stew pot, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.

The sweetness of the cabbage, combined with the addition of lard and fried pork balls, makes the cabbage even more flavorful and richer.

Fish balls added to the umami flavor of the stew.

Shen Cao picked up a rice noodle and took a bite. The taste was just right, and the rice noodle was cooked through.

She sprinkled a handful of chopped garlic chives into the pot.

After drizzling some sesame oil, the stew was ready to serve.

This was the first time Wanyue had ever seen this kind of food. Two large bowls of various vegetables were mixed together. It wasn't fancy at all, but the taste was the most delicious she had ever tasted.

She prepared rice and pancakes as the main dishes.

These are also sold in restaurants on weekdays, and I keep a lot at home.

When Shen Cao, Wan Yue, and Shen Wan each brought a dish to the table, everyone else was already seated.

It was past dinner time, so Mr. and Mrs. Shen simply closed the restaurant.

Mr. and Mrs. Shen, Shen Yu'an, Wei Siyu, Shen Cao, and Wanyue sat at one table.

Shen Wan, Shen Qing, Xiao Qi, Xiao Qiao, and Aunt Lu Wu and Aunt Lu E sat at one table.

Originally, Shen Cao wanted Aunt Luwu and Aunt Lu'e to sit at the same table with the adults, but they refused to agree, so Shen Cao had to switch places with them and sit at the same table with the adults.

Wanyue originally wanted to sit at the children's table, but seeing that Shen Cao had changed her seat, she followed suit and changed her seat as well.

Each table also had a small bowl of chili oil.

"Those who can eat spicy food can scoop some of the stew into their own bowl and add chili oil for a different flavor."

"I was short on time today, so I only made these four dishes. I'll cook a big feast for you when I have more time later."

Shen Cao picked up her teacup and addressed Shen Yu'an and Wan Yue.

Before Shen Yu'an could speak, Wanyue spoke first, "Sister Cao'er, you've worked hard. This is already very good."

"I've never eaten these dishes at home before... I've never even had them in the palace." She almost let it slip.

Princess, have you forgotten your place? These are just ordinary home-cooked dishes; it would be strange if you had ever eaten them.

"I've learned a lot from your visit. Now I finally understand what it means to have a world beyond your reach and a person beyond your reach."

Shen Cao [Legend has it that he was the first person to broaden the princess's horizons.]

After Wanyue finished speaking, Shen Yu'an chimed in, "Cao'er, you're overthinking it. We're all family here. Besides, although you have fewer kinds of dishes, the quantity is large."

"Moreover, I think that stew, now that it's getting cold, would be very warming and perfect for the current weather."

It has to be said that Shen Yu'an is indeed a qualified foodie.

As for Wei Siyu, his mind was already on the food on the table. His hand was already next to his chopsticks, just waiting for the word "Let's eat" so he could start eating immediately.

"Alright, everyone, sorry to have kept you waiting. Let's eat."

Everyone immediately reached for the dishes they were interested in with their chopsticks.

Since we had already eaten shrimp and scrambled eggs, no one ate them first.

Shen Yu'an likes spicy food. He is very interested in twice-cooked pork covered in red oil. The bright green garlic sprouts are soaked in the bright red oil. The pork belly is cut into thin slices. The protein shrinks when heated, and each thin slice of pork belly curls into a small meat cup.

Some of the meat cups were filled with chili oil, while others were coated with a few slices of garlic sprouts, making them look especially tempting.

He picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork with his chopsticks; it had both meat and garlic sprouts.

When you put it in your mouth, the first thing you taste is the unique aroma of garlic sprouts, with a hint of garlic flavor, followed by the slightly spicy taste of chili oil and the salty and savory flavor of seasonings from the hot pot base.

Towards the end, the pork belly looks like it has a lot of fat, but it's not greasy at all. Instead, it has both the texture of lean meat and the melt-in-your-mouth texture of fat.

This tastes so good with rice.

He immediately served himself a bowl of rice.

He picked up a large mouthful of twice-cooked pork and placed it on top of the rice. The red oil immediately seeped into the rice, and he shoveled both the pork and rice into his mouth.

good to eat.

He never cared about his image when it came to food, and besides, everyone in the room was his own family, so he could enjoy the food without restraint and abandon his image as a young nobleman.

Then he used the serving chopsticks to scoop himself a bowl of stew and added a large spoonful of chili oil.

What initially seemed like an uninteresting stew instantly became something he liked.

Stewed vegetables are milder than twice-cooked pork in terms of their robust flavor.

The cabbage is sweet and savory, with a much richer flavor than simply stir-fried cabbage.

Meatballs were a first for him, and the meatballs were incredibly juicy and tasted exceptionally delicious.

He couldn't resist picking up another meatball.

He was curious about where Shen Cao learned to cook all these delicious dishes; they always brought him unexpected surprises.

Shen Cao: [Of course, I learned it from the vast working people who have accumulated knowledge over five thousand years.]

When it comes to cooking, I'm a grandmaster.

He had eaten fish balls in mala tang before, but the fish balls in the stew had a sweeter taste, probably from the cabbage.

The flavors of vermicelli, dried bean curd, and various other ingredients in the stew blend together to create a delicious overall taste, yet each ingredient has its own unique flavor when eaten individually.

This seemingly ordinary stew is surprisingly delicious.

He admitted that he had raised his voice a bit too much about the stew, which was in no way inferior to twice-cooked pork.

He took another bite of the chestnut chicken and was once again captivated by Shen Cao's culinary skills.

He could say this was the best chicken he had ever eaten.

The chicken is tender and flavorful, with all its umami taste brought out during stewing. The addition of a hint of chestnut sweetness makes the chicken savory, sweet, and delicious.

That bite of chicken made me eat another half bowl of rice.

Looks like he's going to eat too much again tonight.

After he had almost finished eating, he finally had a moment to look up and see what else was there.

Everyone was busy eating and didn't have time to talk.

Especially Wanyue, who used to be a picky eater, rarely put down her chopsticks while eating.