Chapter 208: The Cat

Chapter 208: The Cat Servant

It had been two years since they last met, and Zhu Jingcheng hadn't changed much in appearance, except that his face had matured slightly, and his tone and behavior had become more steady.

He had officially succeeded as the head of the Zhu family, and this trip to Tianjin was made with the high hopes of the entire family.

Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian had arranged a banquet, preparing some local Tianjin delicacies to welcome Zhu Jingcheng.

The original kitchen manager of the official residence's inner quarters finally made an appearance. She was a local of Tianjin, having worked in the official residence for over twenty years, and her culinary skills were almost magical. Everyone around called her Auntie Yu.

Auntie Yu had been married to a servant in her youth, but her husband died after a few years. She sought the grace of her employers and did not remarry, raising only a daughter, whom everyone called Little Fish, after her mother's name.

Auntie Yu was not only skilled in cooking but also shrewd in dealing with people. She knew that the new prefect's staff would not be happy to have their positions usurped, so she stepped back a bit to a supporting role while subtly showcasing her abilities.

Now that the master wanted to prepare a table of Tianjin specialties to entertain guests, they remembered her. The Township Lord specifically requested her as the head chef, and no one could object.

"Good girl, don't just stand around. Go inside and find your sister Coral to play with, and check when the Township Lord will call for the meal."

After checking the dishes simmering or boiling on several stoves, Auntie Yu handed a small bag of twisted dough sticks to Little Fish and gave her a gentle push on the back.

The Township Lord had brought back these sugar-coated twisted dough sticks from Jixian the last time she returned. Seeing that the master liked them, Auntie Yu figured out how to recreate them the next day, even adding new flavors like salted pepper and scallion.

These twisted dough sticks were loved by everyone in the residence. They were crispy and bite-sized, with a satisfying crunch, perfect as a light snack that didn't fill you up, making them ideal for Little Fish to use as a small token of goodwill.

As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling face. After eating someone's twisted dough sticks, you naturally become friendlier.

Little Fish was thirteen this year, with her hair in double buns that looked like puffed-up cat ears. After hearing her mother's words, she dashed off in a flurry.

She ran all the way from the kitchen to the main courtyard but didn't enter immediately, instead peeking around the corner of the east wing, trying to get a look inside.

Coral saw her and went over to tap her on the head.

"You little smarty, what are you doing here?"

Little Fish smiled and opened the bag of twisted dough sticks. "Sister, try one. My mom just fried them. Last time you said you liked the ones with sesame, so this time she added a lot."

The aroma of the twisted dough sticks made Coral's mouth water, and she immediately grabbed one and popped it into her mouth. Coincidentally, Hong Fei and Bi Cui, the sisters, came over from elsewhere and started laughing when they saw them.

"Today we have distant guests at home, and everyone is so busy they can't keep their feet on the ground. How come someone is secretly eating alone here?"

Among these four girls, Coral was the personal maid of Miss Jiu Jiu, while Hong Fei and Bi Cui currently served the Township Lord. Little Fish worked in the kitchen. At first glance, they seemed unrelated, but in reality, there was a deep connection revolving around the kitchen.

In terms of seniority, the earliest kitchen manager who followed the master was undoubtedly Coral's grandmother, old lady Jin. When the Township Lord first became a Township Lord, and the master was not yet a scholar, and the family was still in Xiangping, old lady Jin was already cooking in the residence.

However, old lady Jin's skills were limited, and despite her efforts, she couldn't break through. Later, when Yin Chuan's husband, Quan Yu, became the house steward in the capital, Yin Chuan gradually overshadowed old lady Jin in the kitchen.

This time in Tianjin, the original head chef of the official residence's inner quarters, Auntie Yu, wanted to compete with Yin Chuan in the kitchen, so she allied with old lady Jin. The master's taste preferences were what old lady Jin told Auntie Yu.

That's why Coral, old lady Jin's granddaughter, became friends with Little Fish. But Hong Fei and Bi Cui were the daughters of Yin Chuan and Quan Yu, so when the two sides met, there was bound to be some verbal sparring.

Little Fish, being less experienced, blushed at their words, but Coral remained calm, stepping aside and generously inviting them, "If you're craving, come and eat. See if this can shut your mouths. After eating, we can all work together."

Hong Fei and Bi Cui exchanged glances, then walked over with a smile, each grabbing a twisted dough stick to eat.

"Delicious. These twisted dough sticks are best when fried by Auntie Yu."

"Let me guess why you're here—the master and the Township Lord are receiving distant guests in the main room. They haven't finished talking yet, and the guests had breakfast earlier. They'll probably call for the meal in about half an hour. Go back and tell your mom to prepare accordingly."

Hong Fei crunched on the twisted dough stick, "If you don't believe me, ask your sister Coral and see if we're lying."

Little Fish instinctively looked at Coral, who nodded at her. Little Fish breathed a sigh of relief and just handed the bag of fried dough twists to Hong Fei.

"Sister, don't be so formal, keep these as snacks for everyone. I'll head back to the kitchen to get back to work."

Watching Little Fish hurry away, Coral, Hong Fei, and Bi Cui all laughed.

Though they all had their families' interests in mind, they knew how serious the situation was. Having served the household for so long, they knew exactly where the County Princess drew the line.

The County Princess wouldn't meddle in normal competition, but if anyone lied to mess up the meal service for their own gain, not only the County Princess but even Miss Jiu Jiu wouldn't stand for it.

Hong Fei quickly passed around the small bag of fried dough twists to the servants in the courtyard, then folded up the bag and clapped her hands.

"The County Princess just had the Orchid Pavilion in the west cleaned up. Let's go and check on it."

Coral chimed in, "I'll keep organizing Miss's jewelry. Miss gets a ton of invitations every day and is getting busier."

The three nodded to each other and, after a quick chat, went back to their own tasks.

...

Zhu Jingcheng wanted to buy a house in Tianjin to set up another base for the Zhu family.

But finding the right place wasn't easy. It had to be big, fit for a merchant, well-built, and in a great spot with good feng shui... With all these requirements, it was impossible to decide without checking it out in person for over ten days.

Qiu Huanian had the Orchid Pavilion in the west cleaned up for the Zhu family to stay in temporarily until their new residence was fully prepared.

The Orchid Pavilion was a small courtyard tucked behind a grove of bamboo, with rooms on three sides and orchids planted in the center. In summer, the orchids were lush and fragrant, making it perfect for Su Xinbai.

Its only downside was its size, but since the Zhu family only had two adults and one child, it was plenty.

Three days after Zhu Jingcheng arrived, Su Xinbai finally showed up with Little Raccoon.

Qiu Huanian had people keeping an eye on the city gates, and he got word when the Zhu family's caravan was still two miles out.

Both Zhu Jingcheng and Du Yunse were swamped, so Qiu Huanian decided to go to the city gates to meet them himself.

The County Princess's outing was grand, and soon half of Tianjin knew about it, sending people to inquire who the important person was that warranted the Qishu County Princess's personal greeting at the city gates.

Qiu Huanian waited for about a quarter of an hour before the Zhu family's caravan appeared at the horizon. Fang Cai, a servant who had dealt with Qiu Huanian in the past, led the way on horseback to pay respects.

"Your humble servant pays respects to the County Princess. My lady and young master are just behind. My lady sent me ahead to greet the County Princess."

Fang Cai hadn't expected Qiu Huanian to greet them at the city gates; he was supposed to enter the city first to inform the magistrate's residence.

Qiu Huanian smiled and nodded, asking about their journey and the health of Su Xinbai and Little Raccoon, receiving positive answers.

Soon, the main part of the caravan arrived, and Qiu Huanian stepped forward to greet them, reuniting with his friend after two years in this season of intense heat and flourishing life.

Time had left no trace on Su Xinbai. He wore a white robe embroidered with bamboo leaves, his ink-black hair tied in a neat bun, his delicate features as serene as a painting, exuding a faint scholarly fragrance.

If there was any change, it was that Su Xinbai no longer showed any signs of depression or resentment, only calmness and harmony.

"Mr. Su, long time no see. Are you moved to see me?"

Su Xinbai, being a sensitive person, had a glimmer of emotion in his eyes, almost spilling over, but was interrupted by Qiu Huanian's teasing.

He sighed and looked away, "Two years apart, and the County Princess is still as informal as ever."

Qiu Huanian didn't argue, peeking into the carriage, "The elder is temperamental, I want to see the younger one. Where's my godson? Bring him out for me to see."

Su Xinbai pushed him, "Little Raccoon is asleep; we'll talk later."

Qiu Huanian didn't believe him and, while Su Xinbai wasn't paying attention, hopped onto the spacious carriage. Glancing inside, he met the eyes of Little Raccoon, who was sitting on the side playing with a Chinese ring puzzle.

Little Raccoon had a fair and clean complexion, his features a perfect miniature of Su Xinbai's. He wasn't at all shy around strangers, blinking his dark eyes and giving Qiu Huanian a sweet smile.

Qiu Huanian reached out to take the child, stroking his soft little face while playfully teasing Su Xinbai, "Is this what you call asleep? My little godson is such a sweetheart. Come here, let your godfather give you a kiss."

Little Raccoon giggled uncontrollably, even calling out in his tiny voice, "God... godfather."

Qiu Huanian raised an eyebrow triumphantly at Su Xinbai, who snorted, "Just you wait until I see Gu Gu and Yang Yang!"

Qiu Huanian wasn't afraid at all; he knew a hundred and one ways to tease Su Xinbai.

"Alright," Qiu Huanian said, "as the saying goes, 'The mother-in-law looks at the son-in-law and likes him more and more.' Go ahead, take a good look at my Gu Gu. You know what I'm getting at, right?"

Su Xinbai saw that this person was trying to betroth his precious child in just a few words, but he couldn't argue back. He could only look away, a smile gradually spreading across his face.

After a few jokes, the slight awkwardness that had arisen from their long separation had completely disappeared.

Times change, old friends reunite, and everyone has not become unrecognizably different. They can still joke and tease each other as they did in the past. In the swiftly changing years, this is so precious and rare.