20demayo Chapter 69 What Spicy Strips Should I Eat? Let's Cool Down!
Chapter 69 What Spicy Strips Should I Eat? Let's Cool Down!
Chapter 69 What Spicy Strips Should I Eat? Let's Cool Down!
Liangyi Hall.
Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne, his vermilion pen hovering above the memorial, unable to fall for a long time.
"Smack."
The vermilion brush was thrown on the table, rolled twice, and stained a piece of Xuan paper red.
"Wang Dequan".
Li Shimin rubbed his temples, feeling unwell all over. His mouth tasted bland and he longed for something chewy and flavorful. "What time is it?"
"Your Majesty, it is three-quarters past 9:40 AM."
Wang Dequan carefully replaced the cold tea.
"Um—cough, is there still no word from the Imperial Kitchen?" Li Shimin's eyes drifted towards the door.
Logically, Chang Le or Si Zi should be delivering "military rations" by now. Those few spicy strips yesterday, though few in number, were enough to satisfy my craving. Why haven't they arrived at all today?
Wang Dequan said with a bitter face, "Your Majesty, I just sent someone to check. The gate to that courtyard is tightly closed, and there's a sign standing at the entrance—"
"What brand?"
"They said it was a business suspension for rectification."
Li Shimin's eyelids twitched, and he abruptly stood up: "Stop business? Su Mu is just a woodcutter, what business is he supposed to stop? Is he trying to manipulate me? Because I didn't give him an official position?"
An appetite spoiled by oils and spices will have a severe backlash if that supply is cut off.
Li Shimin found everything unpleasant to look at, feeling that the main hall was empty and even the air felt dull.
"Go! Let Chang Le go!"
Li Shimin paced around the palace with his hands behind his back, saying, "Tell her that no matter what method you use, you must make Su Mu fire!"
"I did this for the sake of the crucial food supply for the soldiers in the North! It's definitely not because I'm greedy!"
Fifteen minutes later.
Li Lizhi, lifting her skirt, pushed open the door to the backyard of the imperial kitchen, panting heavily.
The courtyard was quiet, devoid of the usual pungent yet alluring smoky atmosphere, only a faint, refreshing scent of grass and trees.
Su Mu was squatting by the well, holding a small knife in his hand, whittling something.
Little Sizi sat on a small stool next to the door, her back to it, still sobbing. She was clearly still angry, her shoulders shrugging.
"Su Mu!"
Li Lizhi disregarded her manners and strode over. "What's wrong with you? It's practically a commotion outside! Father is throwing a tantrum in the palace, and Uncle Cheng is refusing to leave the door. Why are you stopping work at a time like this?"
Su Mu didn't even raise his head, his knife steadied perfectly, and a thin, cicada-wing-like layer of emerald green skin spun off from the piece of winter melon in his hand.
"I'm busy."
Just two words, as indifferent as water just drawn from a well.
Li Lizhi was momentarily speechless, and her anger flared up instantly.
She is the eldest princess; who in the whole world would dare to speak to her like that?
Do you even know what you're saying?
Li Lizhi's eyebrows furrowed. "This is an imperial decree! Father Emperor said these red strips are related to the great military and national affairs, and you must make them today, even if it's only a hundred—no, fifty will do!"
"Don't even mention fifty, not even half a stick."
Su Mu threw the peeled winter melon into the basin of water and finally raised his head.
He glanced at Xiao Sizi, who was still wiping away tears.
"Can't you see it?"
Su Mu gestured with his chin towards Xiao Sizi, "This girl's mouth is full of blisters, and her voice is hoarse. If she eats that stuff again, does she want to lose all her teeth before she even grows up?"
Li Lizhi was taken aback.
That's when she noticed that something was wrong with her sister.
Normally, this little girl would rush over to her as soon as she saw her, but today she remained silent.
Li Lizhi squatted down and turned the little ox around.
Seeing this, I felt heartbroken.
The little girl's lips were swollen and red, and the corners of her mouth were cut. Her originally pink face was scrunched up, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes.
"How did it get like this?" Li Lizhi reached out to touch it, but was afraid of hurting her.
"He doesn't want to live anymore."
Su Mu threw the diced winter melon into the casserole, then grabbed a handful of soaked mung beans. "She's willing to risk her life for a meal. She's risking her life, but as the cook, I still have to maintain some dignity. I can't let her actually get sick from eating this."
Li Lizhi was somewhat speechless.
She glanced back at the empty stove, then at Su Mu's expression that said no one could help him.
"But----"
Li Lizhi bit her lip. "You can't eat the rhinoceros horn, but you can cook it for someone else. Father is waiting, and the entire court is waiting—"
"I don't have that kind of free time."
Su Mu interrupted her, turned around and cut a few pieces of lean meat. His knife skills were extremely fast, and the meat was cut into small, even pieces. "Right now, I just want to calm this little darling down."
As for your dad, and that fat guy by the door, if they're really craving chili peppers, let them go eat them themselves, and don't bother me.
"You!" Li Lizhi stomped her foot in anger.
Why is this person so stubborn?
That's the Emperor! He's the Heavenly Khan!
In his opinion, it wasn't even as important as a little girl's mouth ulcer?
Gumbling.
The water in the clay pot has boiled.
A very light, yet exceptionally refreshing aroma wafted out.
It's not that overpowering meaty aroma, nor that stimulating spiciness.
That's the delicate fragrance of mung beans bursting open when boiled, mixed with the sweetness of winter melon and a hint of the refreshing tangerine peel.
In the sweltering heat of late summer, this aroma is like a cool breeze, seeping into your nostrils and calming the anger in your heart.
Su Mu lifted the lid of the pot and stirred it with a spoon.
The mung beans have split open, the winter melon has become translucent, the diced meat is tumbling inside, and the soup is clear and slightly yellow.
He then took a small bowl from the side, which contained steamed egg custard that had been prepared long ago.
The steamed egg custard was incredibly tender, with a smooth, mirror-like surface that trembled with the slightest movement. It wasn't topped with soy sauce, just two drops of sesame oil and a few sprinklings of tender green scallions.
"Don't cry."
Su Mu carried the steamed egg custard to Xiao Sizi, squatted down, and said, "Open your mouth."
Little Sizi was still angry, turning her head to the side: "No way! I won't eat anything but spicy strips! I'm going to starve myself!"
"Really not going to eat?"
Su Mu took a spoonful and scooped up the steamed egg custard. It looked soft and glutinous. "I specially made this flawless white jade. It melts in your mouth, no chewing required, and it won't hurt."
Little Sizi secretly glanced at it.
The faint aroma of eggs and sesame oil, though not strong, whetted my appetite.
My mouth really hurts terribly, and I'm really hungry.
"Just one bite."
Little Sizi, true to her principles, extended one finger.
She opened her mouth carefully, afraid of touching the wound.
Su Mu put the spoon in.
Warm and smooth.
The moment the steamed egg custard touched the tip of my tongue, it seemed to melt into a puddle of water, carrying a fresh and sweet taste. It slid down my throat effortlessly without any effort from my teeth.
It doesn't hurt!
It really didn't hurt at all!
Moreover, the taste buds that had been overstimulated by spicy snacks were soothed by the warm and smooth steamed egg custard, giving rise to a long-lost sense of comfort.
Little Sizi's eyes lit up.
"More!"
"Didn't you just say you were going to starve to death?" Su Mu said sarcastically, but his hands didn't stop, feeding the baby spoonful after spoonful.
Li Lizhi stood to the side, watching this scene unfold.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the old locust tree, dappling Su Mu and Xiao Si Zi.
The man who usually seemed lazy and had no respect for imperial power was now very focused, blowing on each spoonful to make sure it wasn't too hot before serving it.
Li Lizhi's stomach let out a rather uncooperative growl.
Glug—!
The sound wasn't loud, but it could be heard clearly in the quiet courtyard.
She didn't eat much in the morning because she was waiting for that spicy snack.
Looking at that simple bowl of steamed egg custard and that pot of bubbling mung bean soup, I found them even more tempting than the delicacies from the imperial kitchen.
After Su Mu finished feeding Li Lizhi the last spoonful, he looked up and glanced at her.
"What are you looking at?"
Su Mu pointed to the clay pot next to him, "There's also mung bean and old duck soup in the pot, it's good for clearing heat and reducing internal fire. If you want some, help yourself, the bowls are in the cupboard."
Li Lizhi blushed, intending to say defiantly, "I'm not hungry."
But that sweet taste is just too much like a hook.
She walked over as if possessed, picked up a rough porcelain bowl, and ladled a spoonful for herself.
The soup enters the mouth.
The mung bean soup has a sandy texture, which is mixed with the rich flavor of old duck soup and the refreshing taste of winter melon.
One bite, and it felt like all the heat in my internal organs was gone.
Holding the bowl, Li Lizhi suddenly understood why Su Mu dared to refuse her father.
In this dilapidated woodshed, there were no rulers and ministers, no grand plans.
Only this bowl of hot soup can make one feel comfortable, and that wonderful brother who would protect his sister from a mouthache even if it offended the whole world.
As for Cheng Yaojin scratching at the wall at the gate, and the Emperor waiting anxiously in the palace—
Let them get worked up first.
Anyway, this soup is quite delicious.
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