Sending Erxi back with Zhang Fangcao and their belongings to Longxiangyuan, Qi Zhenzhen, accompanied by Feixu, carried a jar each as they walked towards Zhaohuitang.
The Old Madam was waiting at the courtyard entrance, her gaze expectant, which brought tears to Qi Zhenzhen's eyes. She hurried to her grandmother and handed the jar to Fang Momo, then supported the Old Madam's arm. "Grandmother, the weather is so cold, why are you out here?"
"You ungrateful child, tell me yourself, how long have you been gone? You still remember to come back?" the Old Madam chided. "Without you chattering to this old woman all day, I don't even eat my meals with relish. Tell me, how will you compensate me?"
For Qi Zhenzhen, she had few people to care for. Initially, she saw Yun Shi and Qi Yi as mere responsibilities, but as they spent more time together, they gradually became her concerns, and she wanted to protect them. The Old Madam, for her, was initially a shelter she sought, but through their interactions, she had also become her concern. Unlike Yun Shi and Qi Yi, the Old Madam did not need her support; instead, she constantly protected her. This kind of affection made Qi Zhenzhen cherish her even more.
"Counting the travel time, it's been nine days in total," Qi Zhenzhen sniffled. "I know you missed me, and I missed you too. I brought you something delicious, something you can't eat often. I guarantee you'll love it."
The grandmother and granddaughter entered the room together. Fang Momo ordered the meal to be served, and Qi Zhenzhen personally arranged the marinated spicy rabbit meat pieces and the fully flavored spicy rabbit heads onto plates before the Old Madam.
"This dark stuff? It doesn't look appetizing at all. Can it be tasty?" the Old Madam asked suspiciously. The delicious dishes Qi Zhenzhen usually made looked good and tasted even better; none of them were like this.
"Smell it!" Qi Zhenzhen helped the Old Madam sit at the dining table. "Let's set the rules first. You can have two pieces of this rabbit meat, and for the spicy rabbit heads, you can only have half. Don't blame me if I don't let you eat more later."
The Old Madam, half-believing, picked up a piece of spicy rabbit meat and put it in her mouth. The spicy flavor spread from her tongue to her limbs. The spiciness was just right. Indeed, not only are people not to be judged by their appearance, but the deliciousness of food cannot be measured by how it looks. Things that look good are not necessarily tasty, and things that don't look good are not necessarily not tasty.
Qi Zhenzhen watched the Old Madam closely. Seeing her pause, she knew the spicy rabbit suited her taste.
"Zhenzhen, can Grandmother eat this entire plate?" the Old Madam asked, trying to coax her.
Qi Zhenzhen shook her head. "No. No matter how delicious something is, one should not be greedy. You promised your granddaughter. If you can't keep your word, you won't be allowed to eat anything I make in the future."
The Old Madam pouted and mumbled, "If I don't eat it, I don't eat it. But you still have to give me some tomorrow."
"From now on, you can have the same portion at lunch as you had tonight. After eating, you must drink two cups of chrysanthemum tea," Qi Zhenzhen seized the opportunity to negotiate.
The Old Madam disliked chrysanthemum tea, saying she couldn't get used to its taste. However, eating too much spicy food could cause internal heat, and chrysanthemum tea was very effective at dispelling it. Furthermore, it was good for the liver and eyes, cleared heat, and detoxified. For someone her age, drinking a little every day was very beneficial for her health.
"Let me eat a bit more, and I'll drink three cups," the Old Madam said after some thought.
From the moment she truly considered the Old Madam as family, Qi Zhenzhen had begun to strictly manage her diet. Other things could be discussed, but this was non-negotiable. It wasn't that Qi Zhenzhen was being overly meticulous, but rather that the Old Madam's eating habits, from her youth until now, were extremely poor. If they weren't corrected properly, she would suffer later.