On June tenth, Jiang Mingxin, Old Mr. Jiang’s daughter, celebrated her birthday. She invited a group of young ladies from wealthy, official families to admire the flowers and sip tea in her garden, and Yun Ying was invited to join the fun.

However, her mood was clearly foul that day. A single question from Jiang Mingxin made it impossible for her to stay, so she feigned a headache and hastily excused herself.

It turned out that Jiang Mingxin had seen Yun Ying looking melancholic and had teased, "Oh my! What’s wrong, Miss Yun? Could it be that your senior brother didn’t give you the Clear Condensing Dew, so you’re angry? That ’friend’ he mentioned couldn’t be a girl, could she? You’d better ask him. You can’t let someone else snatch away such a handsome and dashing senior brother."

She was only teasing, hoping to cheer Yun Ying up.

After all, if some girl’s face was injured, how could Yun Ying—a girl so radiant she scorned even the lightest touch of makeup—worry about her senior brother being stolen away?

But Jiang Mingxin’s words had struck a nerve. A complex mix of emotions churned within Yun Ying. Forcing a smile, she claimed she was drained from staying up late the previous night and left, using a headache as her excuse.

At dinner that evening, Qin Feng gazed at the exquisite, meticulously prepared dishes on the table, knowing his junior sister had put a great deal of effort into them.

Ever since he had returned, his junior sister had always thoughtfully prepared delicious meals for him, caring for him with such meticulous attention that his heart was constantly filled with a gentle warmth. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

He watched Yun Ying, dressed in a pale blue robe, a gentle smile playing on her lips as she placed food on his plate. Her porcelain-white cheeks were free of makeup, yet they held a natural, faint blush that complemented her bright, dark phoenix eyes and lovely red lips. She was truly more beautiful than any flower.

He watched his junior sister with a soft, smiling gaze. Without a word of thanks, he ate every piece of food she served him.

Seeing his daughter continuously serving his disciple, Master Yun pouted. "Is this old man’s fate so bitter?" he grumbled. "Am I always to eat what’s left after your senior brother?"

Yun Ying and Qin Feng glanced at each other and laughed in unison.

Yun Ying stuck out her tongue. As she served her father, she chided him playfully, "Dad, didn’t I used to cook for you every single day? It’s a rare treat to have Senior Brother back, so it’s only right I serve him a little more. Besides, there’s still so much food on the table!"

’It’s not about the food,’ Master Yun thought. ’I just can’t stand how you forget all about your father the moment you see your senior brother.’

Qin Feng paid no mind to the father-daughter bickering—they were always like this. He was eating some fragrant, tender fried ribs when he suddenly remembered something. He smiled at Yun Ying and said, "Junior Sister, let me tell you about a dish. It’s made with pig offal, and it’s incredibly delicious. You should try making it sometime."

Every dish on the table was exquisite and vibrant, as beautiful to look at as it was delicious to eat. But they were a world apart from the flavor of braised pig offal with pickled vegetables.

’She loves cooking,’ he thought, so he told her about it, figuring she’d like to learn a new dish. In the past, whenever she ate something new outside, she would always come home and learn to replicate it. That was how she had developed such superb culinary skills.

Yun Ying was stunned. "Pig offal? How can anyone eat that stuff?"

Qin Feng grinned proudly. "I didn’t believe it at first, either. But Juhua braises it with pickled vegetables, and it tastes amazing. I’m not kidding, you’ll see once you try it."

Master Yun chimed in eagerly, "Really? Then Ying’er, you should give it a try. If your senior brother says it’s delicious, it must be delicious." He, too, was a great lover of fine food.

Yun Ying asked hesitantly, "But that stuff reeks. How did that Juhua girl get it clean?"

Qin Feng was struck dumb. He had been too busy eating; he’d never thought to ask. Besides, back then, the Zheng Family was making a business of it. No one would have had the gall to ask for their trade secrets—that would be like stealing their livelihood!

Yun Ying looked at her senior brother, her heart sinking. ’I come up with new, delicious dishes to please him every single day, yet all he remembers is the pig offal made by that Juhua.’

’Uncouth Juhua, using filthy pig offal to cook with pickled vegetables... truly the taste of a country bumpkin.’

’And yet, I don’t know how to clean it. I couldn’t make my own, better version even if I wanted to.’

For the next few days, she became obsessed with the pig offal, repeatedly trying to clean it with all sorts of ingredients.

Each attempt left her on the verge of vomiting from the stench. Her slender, fair fingers were tainted with the foul odor, which took a long time to scrub away with soap. Even then, the moment she brought her hands near her nose, the memory of that rank, fishy smell came rushing back.

In the end, she discovered that vinegar could remove the stench from the intestines and stomach, but a fishy smell remained. She had no desire to cook the wretched thing anyway, so she tearfully gave up. She scrubbed herself from head to toe several times and even broke her own habits by using fragrant herbs to scent her clothes.

Qin Feng, seeing her so preoccupied, thought she was genuinely interested in the dish and had sworn to master it.

So he consoled her, saying it was alright if she couldn’t figure it out. When he went to Qingnan Village, he would ask Juhua to explain the cleaning and cooking methods to him in detail, and then he would come back and tell her.

Yun Ying’s heart soured. ’I can cook so many different dishes. Why does my senior brother have to be so fixated on braised pig offal with pickled vegetables?’

「At the end of the seventh month」 The Fifth Prince, who was in his fiefdom in Donglin State, sent men to summon Master Yun. The message said the Fifth Prince had contracted a mysterious illness and requested Master Yun’s help with diagnosis and treatment.

Master Yun’s stubborn temper flared. He claimed he was too old and frail, fearing a trip to Donglin would see him dead on the road. Thus, he bluntly refused.

Qin Feng, far more perceptive than his master, told the messenger he would go treat the Fifth Prince in his master’s stead. He asked the man to go on ahead, promising he would follow soon after.

He was worried his master would stir up trouble and be unable to live out his later years in peace.

Once the date for his long journey was set, Qin Feng told his master he needed to make a detour through Qinghui County to deliver medicine to Juhua. Otherwise, with this trip, he didn’t know how long it would be delayed.

Hearing this, Yun Ying’s mind fell into turmoil.

Master Yun said, "Very well. Delivering it sooner means she’ll suffer less. But couldn’t you go on your way back? Why be in such a rush to go now?"

Qin Feng frowned. "Who knows what kind of trouble this business with the Fifth Prince will cause? If I’m delayed for a long time, it could cause problems. Besides, I’m also worried about Juhua. Sigh... she’s just so..."

Seeing his worried expression, Master Yun asked curiously, "Is there something else so special about this girl?"

Qin Feng thought for a moment before replying, "She is very special. Yes, she’s quite different from everyone else."

To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.