Xu Jingrong was still worrying about his life, while Wen Ye had already swiftly snatched the pig's trotter from Xu Jinglin's hands. Yun Zhi, with perfect tacit understanding, wiped Xu Jinglin's mouth and hands with a damp cloth.
Tao Zhi quickly gathered the unfinished roasted lamb chops and pig's trotters and carried them to the small kitchen.
Only Xu Jinglin, still out of the loop, stared at his suddenly empty hands in confusion.
Where was his roasted pig's trotter?
Xu Jingrong turned around after pacing a couple of times and was utterly stunned. If it weren't for the strong aroma of meat lingering in the air, one wouldn't have guessed that his younger brother had just been munching on a pig's trotter with greasy lips.
Although Madam Lu knew her two sons well, she still held a sliver of hope on her way to the west courtyard that the brothers were, as Nanny Ji had speculated, reading books with their second aunt, Wen Ye, in the west courtyard.
However, as Madam Lu approached the entrance of the west courtyard, the smell of charcoal and roasted meat wafting from the courtyard shattered her illusions.
The maids following her stopped in their tracks, their heads bowed low. Nanny Ji inwardly scolded herself for sharing her speculations with Madam Lu. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Now that Madam Lu was upset, she suddenly began to worry about the young master's backside.
The servants, smelling the delicious aroma in the air, had mixed thoughts.
Only Xu Yuxuan, nestled in Ji Yinyin's arms, had his round puppy-like eyes light up, his nose twitching slightly.
Madam Lu watched the maid who had hurriedly bowed from a distance before disappearing in the blink of an eye. She took a deep breath and said, "Let's go in."
There was no need to wait for any announcement.
As soon as Madam Lu stepped through the first gate of the west courtyard, her brows furrowed slightly. The servants of the west courtyard were too careless—only a single path had been cleared through the snow-covered courtyard.
She would have to reprimand them later.
With this thought in mind, Madam Lu arrived at the main courtyard of the west courtyard. The gate was wide open, and from a distance of several dozen steps, she saw a large and two small figures gathered around a charcoal brazier, with a few maids standing nearby.
The aroma of meat grew stronger, yet not a single piece of meat was in sight.
Madam Lu, who had been harboring some anger, felt half of it dissipate at the sight. The corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
Were they treating her like Xu Yuxuan, trying to fool her?
Wen Ye stood up to greet her, her voice as gentle as water, "Sister-in-law."
Xu Jingrong's eyes widened in surprise. How could his second aunt have two faces?
In the past, when Wen Ye spoke to her like this, Madam Lu had assumed it was simply her nature. But now, she suddenly realized that she might have been deceived by Wen Ye's outward demeanor.
Strangely, in the past, she would have been angry by now.
Madam Lu suppressed the inexplicable emotion in her heart and, with a stern face, pretended not to notice anything, asking, "Why are you roasting food in the courtyard?"
This time, Xu Jingrong had the foresight to cover Xu Jinglin's mouth, knowing his younger brother couldn't keep quiet.
Wen Ye walked over, moving closer to Madam Lu, her voice softening slightly, "Actually, we weren't just roasting food. I had the small kitchen prepare some lamb chops. Would you like to join us, Sister-in-law?"
Wen Ye knew that once Xu Jingrong and Xu Jinglin came to the west courtyard, it was only a matter of time before her secret lamb chop feast was exposed.
After all, when the brothers returned to the east courtyard, their maids would surely notice the lingering aroma of roasted meat.
The only thing she hadn't anticipated was Madam Lu's sudden visit tonight.
Since the secret was out, she could only try to salvage the situation.
This wasn't the first time Madam Lu had heard Wen Ye speak in such a soft tone. Just a couple of days ago, Wen Ye had come to the main courtyard to ask her about some accounting issues, and her voice had been even gentler then.
But back then, Wen Ye had seemed genuinely timid, whereas now, Madam Lu sensed a faint hint of affectation.
Madam Lu quickly dismissed the thought, chalking it up to being overworked during the day and imagining things.
Seeing that Madam Lu remained silent, Wen Ye turned her attention to Xu Yuxuan, who was staring at her intently, and tempted him, "Yuxuan, would you like to try the lamb chops your mother roasted?"
Xu Yuxuan nodded eagerly, "Yes, I want some~"
Just as Madam Lu thought Wen Ye was going to fetch the lamb chops to entice Xu Yuxuan, Wen Ye suddenly changed her tone, saying regretfully, "But you can't have any."
Xu Yuxuan froze for a moment, then pouted, his eyes welling up with tears as he looked at Madam Lu.
Even at his young age, he knew who to turn to when he wanted something.
Madam Lu couldn't help but feel a wave of exasperation at Wen Ye's blatant shamelessness.
So her earlier feeling hadn't been an illusion after all.
"Such roasted food is too heavy and can cause heatiness. It's not suitable for frequent consumption," Madam Lu said, glancing at her younger son, whose mouth was still covered. Then, looking at Wen Ye, she added, "And don't try to hide it anymore."
What was the difference between this and covering one's ears while stealing a bell?
"And you two," Madam Lu turned to her two sons, their round bellies a clear sign, "no more eating."
Without anyone to stop them, it was obvious they had taken the opportunity to stuff themselves.
Xu Jingrong, already full, didn't mind not eating more. What surprised him was that his mother hadn't punished him for it.
Xu Jinglin, on the other hand, looked as if the sky had fallen. He ate slowly and hadn't even finished one pig's trotter!
Madam Lu then turned to Xu Yuxuan, tapping his little nose and couldn't help but say, "You've been led by the nose by your mother, and you didn't even realize it."
In the past, Madam Lu had feared that Xu Yuxuan's future stepmother would take advantage of his young age and manipulate him.
Now, Xu Yuxuan's stepmother had indeed done what she had feared, but the reason was simply to continue eating roasted lamb chops under her watchful eye...
What could she even say to that?
In the vast Duke Xu's mansion, it wasn't as if Wen Ye couldn't have a few lamb chops after marrying into the family.
However, Madam Lu, who had been groomed to be the lady of the house since she was five, couldn't allow such casual behavior as sitting around a brazier, gnawing on a lamb chop without a care for appearances.
Wen Ye, sensing Madam Lu's slight concession but firm stance, wisely instructed Yun Zhi and Tao Zhi to prepare dinner, and soon everyone moved to the dining table.
The roasted lamb chops and pig's trotters reappeared, but this time they were cut into small pieces and arranged on plates.
The dishes Madam Lu had brought were also reheated and served.
The familiar light and bland dishes.
With Madam Lu present, no one dared to serve the young master and the second young master any roasted lamb chops or pig's trotters.
Xu Jingrong, ever the clever one, only picked at the vegetables, using his actions to curry favor with Madam Lu.
Xu Jinglin, on the other hand, looked at the plain porridge in his bowl and then at the roasted pig's trotters he had been longing for. His expression of wanting to eat but not daring to move was pitiful to behold.
The maid serving him only dared to add other dishes to his bowl, not touching the lamb chops or pig's trotters.
After sitting down, Wen Ye directly served Madam Lu a piece of roasted lamb chop coated in sauce, saying, "Sister-in-law, try this. The sauce is my own special recipe, different from what you're used to."
Although the lamb chops had been cut into small pieces, the meat was still attached to the bone. Madam Lu couldn't possibly pick it up and gnaw on it, so Bai Mei, who had served her meals before, stepped forward. Using a small knife, she carefully removed the meat from the bone, cut it into thumb-sized pieces, and placed them on a porcelain plate in front of Madam Lu.
Only then did Madam Lu pick up her chopsticks and take a small bite.
Her chewing was minimal, her movements elegant, and Wen Ye couldn't help but admire her.
After a while, Wen Ye asked, "Sister-in-law, how is it?"
Madam Lu replied, "It's acceptable."
Hearing this, Wen Ye served Madam Lu two more pieces, letting Bai Mei continue to carefully prepare them.
After finishing a piece of lamb chop, Madam Lu finally remembered Xu Yuxuan, who was sitting beside her. She coughed lightly and said, "Nanny Ji, let Yuxuan try some of the lamb chops his mother roasted."
Only then did Nanny Ji spring into action.
Xu Yuxuan had been staring at the lamb chops in Wen Ye's hands, his mouth watering.
When Nanny Ji placed the prepared meat into his bowl, Xu Yuxuan looked down at it, then lifted his head again, continuing to stare at Wen Ye's hands.
The child's gaze was so intense that Wen Ye couldn't help but notice.
She stopped Nanny Ji from picking up the bowl to feed him and instead used serving chopsticks to give Xu Yuxuan a piece with the bone still attached.
Sure enough, his little round eyes lit up, and he clumsily imitated Wen Ye, using his hands to hold the lamb chop and gnaw on it.
He didn't manage to bite off much meat, but he still chewed with great enthusiasm.
Madam Lu saw this but didn't stop him.
Perhaps she thought that, given Xu Yuxuan's young age, it wasn't a big deal to let him forget his manners just this once.
Wen Ye watched for a moment, then her gaze fell on Xu Jinglin, who was miserably sipping his porridge. A sudden wave of compassion washed over her, and she casually served him a piece as well.
Xu Jinglin stared at the lamb chop that had suddenly appeared in his bowl, rubbing his eyes once, then again. It was real!
He quickly looked up at Madam Lu, his eyes filled with longing.
Madam Lu, who had already finished her second piece of roasted lamb chop, met her youngest son’s gaze and paused before saying, "Your aunt put it there for you. Just eat it."
Xu Jinglin immediately beamed, chuckling as he gnawed on the lamb chop.
Although there were no pig trotters, having roasted lamb chops was still a treat.
However, he didn’t hold it in his hands and gnaw as he had done before. Instead, he clumsily struggled with his chopsticks.
Madam Lu had a small appetite. After three pieces of lamb chops, half a bowl of porridge, and a few bites of vegetables, she was full.
By then, the plate in front of Wen Ye was already piled with bones.
Madam Lu glanced at it, her gaze involuntarily drifting down to Wen Ye’s stomach. Did eating so much not make her uncomfortable?
But then... her eyes returned to Wen Ye’s face, studying it for a moment, and she thought it made sense.
With such a round, smooth, and radiant face, it was no wonder she had such an appetite.
In her own home, Wen Ye didn’t hide her appetite. In truth, she hadn’t eaten much. The pile of bones made it seem like a lot, but there wasn’t much meat, and she hadn’t eaten any staple food that evening.
Facing Madam Lu’s doubtful gaze, Wen Ye smiled sweetly.
Madam Lu’s gaze froze, suddenly understanding the meaning behind her smile.
The harmless smile seemed to silently say: "Since you’ve eaten my roasted lamb chops, you can’t hold it against me later, can you?"
As the saying goes, when you accept a gift, your hands are tied; when you eat someone’s food, your words are softened.
At this moment, Madam Lu couldn’t bring herself to say anything harsh. She only remarked, "You are the mistress of the west courtyard. You must set the right example for the servants and not let them become lazy and neglect their duties."
Wen Ye wasn’t sure what Madam Lu was referring to, but she nodded earnestly, her expression one of absolute agreement and humble acceptance of the advice.
Seeing her like this, Madam Lu was suddenly reminded of Wen Ye’s earlier unguarded behavior in front of her. The words she had been about to say inexplicably stuck in her throat.
The image of her sister-in-law had suddenly changed, and yet, as the one who had been deceived, Madam Lu couldn’t bring herself to feel angry.
She thought to herself, this was very strange.
Surely, she hadn’t been swayed by just a couple of roasted lamb chops.
Although... they really were quite delicious.
Wen Ye steered the conversation back to the lamb chops, saying, "Sister-in-law, you might not know this, but I had the lamb chops marinated early this morning with a special seasoning I prepared myself. That’s why they taste so good."
Madam Lu looked up at her and asked, "So, you spent the whole day doing just that?"
Wen Ye nodded honestly, "Yes."
Madam Lu: "..."
Recalling how she had been busy from morning till night, Madam Lu fell silent.
*
By the end of the hour of You (around 7 PM), Madam Lu returned to the main courtyard.
Duke Xu, who had been busy all day, had just finished his dinner. Upon returning to the main courtyard, he learned that Madam Lu had gone to the west courtyard to dine with her sister-in-law. When he saw her return, he noticed the unreadable expression on her face.
He stepped forward and asked, "What’s wrong? Did dinner at the west courtyard not go well?"
Madam Lu shook her head, "Not exactly."
Duke Xu was about to ask, "Then what’s the matter?" when he caught a faint whiff of roasted meat emanating from his wife. He changed his question to, "Did you have some roasted meat?"
Madam Lu nodded, "I had a few lamb chops at my sister-in-law’s place."
Duke Xu was even more surprised, "No wonder I smell lamb."
Hearing this, Madam Lu instinctively lowered her head to sniff. There was indeed a faint scent, probably picked up from the west courtyard.
But Duke Xu’s tone of surprise inexplicably stirred a sense of annoyance in her. She frowned and said, "What, I’ve been managing this large estate for you, and now I can’t even have a few lamb chops?"
Duke Xu immediately sensed danger and quickly explained himself.
*
In the west courtyard.
The case of the Ministry of Personnel’s nephew committing murder on West Market Street had finally been resolved, and Xu Yuejia returned home earlier than usual.
Coincidentally, he ran into Tao Zhi, who was carrying a food box to the front courtyard.
Xu Yuejia paused in his steps, only to see Tao Zhi bow to him before turning to the servant guarding the study door and saying, "Madam has sent some roasted lamb chops. Take this and share it among everyone as a late-night snack."
After handing over the food box, Tao Zhi bowed to Xu Yuejia once more and left the front courtyard.
Xu Yuejia glanced at the food box in the servant’s hands but said nothing. He pushed the door open and entered his study.
In the main hall of the west courtyard, Wen Ye was holding a list of preferences and dislikes that Xu Yuejia had sent over two days earlier.
Things like "no more than eight dishes for breakfast and lunch, no more than seven for dinner, and no late-night snacks" were written on it.
Wen Ye read through it from start to finish, clicking her tongue several times before teasing Yun Zhi, "We’ll be saving a lot of food in the future."
Yun Zhi: "..." How was she supposed to respond to that?
