Chapter 135 Savory Dumpling

Chapter 135: Savory Dumplings

Qiu Heng returned to Lengxiang Residence and took off her mask.

"Miss, have some water," said Fang Zhou, who had been pacing anxiously, her heart finally settling when she saw Qiu Heng.

Qiu Heng took the cup and drank it all in one go, her breathing a little ragged. "I'll bathe first."

"Water's ready."

Qiu Heng smoothed her sweaty hair, undressed, and headed for the waist-high tub.

Fang Zhou, getting towels and stuff ready, gasped softly. "Miss, your ankle—"

Qiu Heng looked down at her right ankle, which was throbbing with pain.

Her ankle was slender, skin like jade, but several finger marks stood out clearly.

Qiu Heng smirked.

Xue Han sure was ruthless—no wonder it hurt so much at the time. Good thing she could take it.

"It's nothing. Somebody grabbed me."

"Was it the Chancellor's guards?" Fang Zhou's face went pale.

The things her lady had to do were truly dangerous.

"The Chancellor's residence—" Qiu Heng drew out the words, then sighed softly. "There really are a lot of guards."

They had even arranged for shadow guards to patrol and stake out the place all night, blocking her from sneaking into the residence at night.

Looked like if she wanted those letters and ledgers, she would have to walk into the Chancellor's residence in broad daylight.

Qiu Heng rubbed her temples, feeling the headache.

"Fang Zhou, did Nanny Su ever meet you back then?"

"She did, miss." Fang Zhou was sharp and caught the hint. "Worried she might recognize me, miss?"

Qiu Heng was indeed worried about that.

She had to take down Chancellor Fang, but she also had to keep herself and Fang Zhou safe.

Fang Zhou waved a hand. "Don't worry, miss. She won't know me. Back then, Nanny Su had her nose in the air—she looked at my grandpa like she was doing him a favor and never even gave me a real look. At best, she'd remember me as a chubby girl. Besides, I've changed so much since I lost weight, and so many years have passed. Even people who knew me well wouldn't recognize me."

Fang Zhou could spot Nanny Su right away because five or six years don't change a middle-aged person much. But a little girl of ten turning into a young woman was a huge change, especially going from a chubby girl to the slim young woman she was now.

Hearing that, Qiu Heng went on, "So, do you still remember the snacks Master Fang's son liked?"

"Of course I do." Bringing up that past made Fang Zhou's hatred surge. "Nanny Su said her young master had no appetite and wanted something savory to get his appetite going. My grandpa recommended savory dumplings..."

The almost see-through dumpling skins were stuffed with minced water chestnuts and fresh mushrooms mixed into the meat, served with a secret tangy sauce—fresh, tasty, and light.

My grandpa's savory dumplings were the best. I used to love them and learned to make them carefully from him, but I never made them in all my years with the Chen family.

The savory dumplings I loved were a painful memory for me.

"You've never had them, miss. I'll make them for you tomorrow." Fang Zhou scooped up some water and gently poured it over Qiu Heng's shoulder.

What did the savory dumplings do wrong? The fault was with those bullies who threw their weight around.

Her lady had said they would work together to personally eliminate those people.

"Compared to the ones Master Fang's son ate back then, how will Fang Zhou's savory dumplings measure up?"

Without hesitation, Fang Zhou replied, "They certainly can't match my grandpa's."

Qiu Heng looked up at Fang Zhou. "This concerns our future plans. I want an honest assessment."

Fang Zhou paused, then fell silent for a moment before saying, "Probably about eighty percent of my grandpa's skill."

The seasoning of the savory dumplings was crucial, and she had a talent for it—her grandpa had praised her more than once.

"Make plenty of savory dumplings tomorrow. I'll bring some for Nanny Su to taste."

Fang Zhou's eyes widened. "Should I poison them? Something slow-acting?"

Qiu Heng smiled gently. "No, just let Nanny Su enjoy the delicious savory dumplings. So make sure they taste good, Fang Zhou."

"Alright, I'll practice making some first thing tomorrow morning."

That night, Qiu Heng didn't sleep well. Though she had applied medicine to her ankle, the pain persisted.

That Xue Han, her nemesis—she cursed him several times in her mind before finally drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Fang Zhou brought freshly steamed savory dumplings to Qiu Heng.

Seeing the dark circles under Fang Zhou's eyes, Qiu Heng felt a pang of sympathy. "There's no need to stay up all night even if it's urgent."

"The dumpling skins need to be prepared in advance. It's not every day, just this once." Fang Zhou picked up a dumpling, dipped it in sauce, and said, "Try it, miss."

Qiu Heng took a bite, and her eyes lit up. "Delicious!"

Fang Zhou's eyes crinkled into crescents. "I'm a bit rusty since I haven't made them in so long. I can do even better."

"Then this afternoon, bring the finished dumplings and find me..." Qiu Heng gave some instructions before heading out.

The driver was still Uncle Zhang—the same coachman who had driven Fang Zhou and the disguised maid Qing Luo to fetch Qiu Heng from outside the city.

The estate had more than one driver, but Uncle Zhang was the oldest, the slowest to react, and the most taciturn, which made him Qiu Heng's favorite.

"Uncle Zhang, change direction. Head to Lingwei Temple."

"Sixth Miss isn't going to the Chancellor's residence?"

"First to Lingwei Temple, then to the Chancellor's residence."

"Got it." Uncle Zhang acknowledged and tugged the reins to steer the carriage.

Today was the day Master Miaoqing of Lingwei Temple was hosting a Dharma assembly, and she had to go take a look.

On the road to Lingwei Temple, there were many carriages and horses, with a steady stream of pilgrims.

Qiu Heng had Uncle Zhang stop the carriage early, put on a veiled hat, and headed into the temple.

The temple gates were wide open, and the sound of chanting filled the air. Qiu Heng mingled among the many pilgrims, flowing with the crowd to the altar grounds.

A Taoist priest in ceremonial robes was making hand seals and reciting incantations, drawing everyone's attention.

One look was all it took for Qiu Heng to feel disappointed.

The Taoist priest leading the ceremony looked to be about sixty. Age-wise, he could kind of match her master, but his face and build didn't look familiar at all.

When she first met her master, he was already a hundred years old. Over the following decade, she watched him age more and more, his eyelids sagging so much you forgot what his eyes used to look like.

But for Qiu Heng, if she saw someone who just looked like her master, she couldn't be sure it was him, but she could tell right away if it wasn't.

"Excuse me, is the Taoist priest leading the ceremony Master Miaoqing?" Just to be safe, Qiu Heng asked the person next to her in a low voice.

The person glanced at Qiu Heng with surprise and said with slight displeasure, "Missy, this is Master Miaoqing's blessing ceremony. Who else would be leading it if not the True Man?"

Qiu Heng quietly backed away. Sensing someone coming, she glanced over and spoke first, "Officer Xue."

Xue Han walked over to Qiu Heng. "Sixth Miss Qiu, are you here to see if Master Miaoqing is the person you're looking for?"

"Yes." Qiu Heng removed her veil, holding it in her hand. "And you, Officer Xue?"

"Such ceremonies draw many people, so the Imperial City Bureau needs to keep an eye on things." Xue Han looked at the young woman, whose eyes showed faint signs of tiredness. "Did you not rest well, Sixth Miss Qiu?"

Hearing this, Qiu Heng gave Xue Han a deep look.

He was busy day and night, yet his eyes were clear and he looked full of energy.

"I didn't rest well. Are you busy lately, Officer Xue?"

"Not busy."

Qiu Heng's mouth twitched a little, but she kept her tone steady. "Not being busy is good."

"If you've got some free time, Sixth Miss Qiu, I'll take you somewhere."

"I've got stuff to do this afternoon."

"That's fine, there's still time. Let's talk about Honored Consort Yu's business."

"Alright." Qiu Heng agreed.