Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

Steward Li and Ren Shuyi arrived home in the carriage. Gu Nanzhi directed them to unload all the items.

The whole family gathered around.

"Madam, what delicious food would you like to prepare?"

"Madam, what do you need me to do? Please give your orders,"

Everyone was quite looking forward to it and didn't seem to mind the slightly smelly internal organs.

Of course, this excludes Granny Xu and He Xin'er. Although neither of them said anything, their retreating postures and the disdain in their eyes were quite obvious.

But nobody pays attention to them or cares about them, so it doesn't matter.

"This is butter, this is tripe, this is honeycomb tripe..."

Gu Nanzhi explained to everyone that these things taste best when cooked in hot pot.

"Today I'm going to make a dish that you've never tried before: hot pot."

"Hot Pot?"

No one could have imagined it.

"Yes, hot pot. You'll see when it's ready. But there's a lot of preparation involved, so we can only have it in the evening. So everyone, get to work!"

Gu Nanzhi was so excited; if she said something was delicious, it must be delicious. They were looking forward to it.

"Yes, madam, please give your orders."

"Uncle Li, Zhou Cai, you all should wash the butter first, then cut it and render it. I'll prepare the seasonings."

"Yes, ma'am"

Everyone sprang into action, some preparing to cut and render the oil, while Gu Nanzhi prepared the seasonings for the hot pot broth, including various spices and chili peppers.

There are also scallions, cilantro, etc.

After the oil was heated in the pot, Gu Nanzhi instructed Cang Ling and the others to clean the internal organs. Although they wouldn't be able to eat it until evening, it was better to clean it up sooner rather than later, since they had nothing else to do anyway.

Everyone was busy with their own things, all for the hot pot that Gu Nanzhi had mentioned.

The butter is rendered, now it's Gu Nanzhi's turn. But time has already taken its toll; after finishing this little bit of work, it's already lunchtime.

We simply ate a quick lunch first, and then started preparing the hot pot broth...

"Madam, please tell me what to do next, and I will do it. The oil fryer is dangerous."

When we set up the oven, we also built a traditional earthen stove outside. Today, since making such a pungent hot pot broth wasn't done in the kitchen, it was all done on the earthen stove.

"Okay, put these in the pan and fry them."

Gu Nanzhi handed the cilantro and other seasonings to Zhou Cai, then stood aside and gave instructions.

This stuff really produces a lot of smoke, and when someone helps her, she slacks off.

"How far does Madam want it blown up?"

I'll tell you when I'm ready.

The seasonings sizzled as they hit the oil, filling the air with the aroma of butter and the spices.

Until the scallions and cilantro were almost dry from frying...

"Zhou Cai, that's enough. Take it out, then add the chili peppers that were just boiled in water."

"Yes, ma'am"

Gu Nanzhi stood aside, only giving instructions. Zhou Cai took over all the work near the oil pot, and then they started frying the hot pot base.

Then came the addition of various chili peppers. With the addition of chili peppers, the air was no longer filled with fragrance, but with a pungent chili smell.

The more chili peppers there are, the stronger the attack becomes.

"Ah"

"Achoo!"

"Achoo"

As the attack intensified, everyone nearby in the courtyard sneezed, with Zhou Cai, who was in charge of mixing the pot, suffering the most severe damage.

Gu Nanzhi saw that he was choking and tears were coming out of his eyes.

"Zhou Cai, give this to me, go stand over there and calm down."

"No need, Madam. Please stand further back, lest you choke."

As a subordinate, how could I possibly entrust this kind of work to my master? He could do it.

Later, Cang Ling replaced him and let him rest for a while.

"Cangling, keep stirring constantly, or it'll burn!"

"Understood, madam."

Gu Nanzhi kept directing, watching the bright red hot pot broth in the pot. As spices and Sichuan peppercorns were added, everyone gradually noticed that the aroma in the air was no longer just the pungent smell of chili peppers, but had a different kind of fragrance.

I'm even more excited...

"Alright, that's enough. Bring out the Azure Spirit."

"Yes, ma'am."

After a long stir-frying process, the hot pot base was finally successfully cooked from the oil-refining stage. After being poured into a container, Gu Nanzhi sprinkled whole small chilies and bay leaves on top...

"Alright, that's enough. We can eat it for a while. Once it solidifies, we can put it away. Thank you all for your hard work. The hot pot base is ready, let's have hot pot tonight!"

------

Another ordinary day has passed, and they seem to have gotten used to the farming life in the countryside, finding something to do every day on their own.

Since the autumn harvest is now over and everything that can be planted in winter has already been planted, the days are not busy and there isn't much to do.

The only thing they needed to do every day was to go up the mountain to chop firewood, and they also needed to stockpile it for the winter.

At this time, not only their own family, but everyone in the village was doing the same, stocking up on extra firewood before winter...

Life, though seemingly mundane, possessed a unique warmth. The only ones who felt somewhat out of place were Granny Xu and He Xin'er, who had intruded unexpectedly.

The two of them felt like outsiders, unable to fit into the group, even though they were in the courtyard and tried their best to talk to everyone and do something.

Ultimately, however, their hearts were never at peace, and thus they were unable to integrate into life in this small courtyard.

Gu Nanzhi couldn't be bothered with the two of them. Anyone who harbored designs on her people had better behave themselves...

"Xiahe, come on, let's go pick some vegetables."

All the vegetables they grew themselves are now ready to eat. Vegetables can be eaten as soon as they grow, regardless of size.

Moreover, Gu Nanzhi secretly watered these plants with spiritual spring water, making their growth even more delightful—crisp and tender.

"Miss, I'll go, you don't need to get out of bed,"

"Yes, Miss, Xiahe and I will go."

The two little girls were so enthusiastic!

"Alright, you guys go ahead, remember to bring back a little of everything, including scallions and garlic..."

"Okay, Miss."

With the food prepared, it seemed Gu Nanzhi only needed to open her mouth to enjoy this hot pot meal.

"Cangling, Uncle Li, your knife skills are excellent; you've sliced ​​them very thinly like this."

"Zhou Cai, burn the charcoal you bought and put it in the small stove..."

Under Gu Nanzhi's direction, when everyone prepared to eat, they no longer sat around a square table, but around a smaller iron pot filled with boiling red soup, bubbling and steaming...

There were also bowls of raw meat and lettuce prepared, and a small dipping sauce for each person.

The hot pot broth was already quite rich, with stewed beef tendon, tripe, and other ingredients already added beforehand...

"Let's eat, everyone! Put the meat in the pot. These pieces are all thinly sliced, so they'll be ready to eat in a little while, otherwise they'll get tough and won't taste good."