"Don't, don't, don't, Your Highness, you don't need to bother with such trivial matters. Please rest over there," Qi Zhenzhen said flusteredly.
Gu Sinian was unfazed. "Qi Yi is already tidying up. Even he, a child, knows that one cannot gain without effort. How can I eat and drink without doing anything? Besides, the food was delicious, and I ate a bit too much. A little activity will help with digestion."
After speaking, he carried the dishes and followed Qi Yi into the kitchen.
Qi Zhenzhen and Yun Shi exchanged glances, both bewildered.
"Zhenzhen, is this alright? Even in ordinary farming families, men rarely do such chores. Is it okay for His Highness to do this?" Yun Shi asked softly.
Qi Zhenzhen was also helpless. Why was Gu Sinian so down-to-earth?
"Mother, don't worry. We didn't force him to do this; he volunteered. Besides, isn't Brother Yi also doing it? Perhaps he doesn't want to lose face in front of Brother Yi?"
The reason was far-fetched, but Qi Zhenzhen couldn't think of any other excuse. Could it be that the esteemed young lord of the Duke's mansion simply found it fun?
While the mother and daughter were filled with unease, Gu Sinian and Qi Yi finished their chores.
Qi Yi was beaming, while Gu Sinian remained expressionless.
"Mother, Sister, His Highness was very efficient," Qi Yi said with a smile. "When I first started clearing the dishes and washing them, I was quite clumsy. I can't compare to His Highness."
Qi Zhenzhen muttered to herself, what a silly boy, what was there to compare in such matters.
Sitting there felt awkward. As Qi Zhenzhen was pondering what to say, Gu Sinian stood up and beckoned to Qi Yi, "Let's go out for a stroll."
Qi Yi had eaten quite a lot that evening. Qi Zhenzhen had also planned to ask him to go out for a walk later, but Gu Sinian spoke up first.
Qi Yi clearly had a good impression of Gu Sinian. After bidding farewell to Yun Shi and Qi Zhenzhen, he followed Gu Sinian out.
"Zhenzhen, I always feel that this young lord is a bit unusual..." Yun Shi frowned slightly.
Qi Zhenzhen also had this feeling. Young masters from noble families should disdain associating with people like them. Yet, Gu Sinian seemed to have no such awareness. Although his expression was always indifferent, when facing them, there was no hint of disdain in his eyes.
"Mother, don't overthink it, or you'll get a headache again..." Qi Zhenzhen smiled. "Whatever his intentions are, we just need to treat him sincerely. I don't think he has any ill will."
Yes, Yun Shi hadn't found any ill will from Gu Sinian, but she still felt something was strange.
"Oh dear, Mother, we don't interact with people like him every day. He's here on official business and staying at our house. We just need to serve him diligently in terms of food, drink, and lodging. Don't think too much about anything else. He won't be staying for many days," Qi Zhenzhen said, knowing Yun Shi was prone to worry.
Yun Shi suppressed her confusion and could only agree with what Zhenzhen said.
The next morning, Qi Zhenzhen woke up even earlier than usual. After simply washing her face, she saw Gu Sinian emerge from his room. He nodded at her and walked directly to Qi Yi's door, raising his hand to knock.
A moment later, Qi Yi came out dressed in a short tunic, his eyes still a little sleepy. He called out to his elder sister and followed Gu Sinian outside.
Since winter had set in, Qi Yi still got up to exercise every day, but it was always Qi Zhenzhen who had to urge him. Even then, he would only start moving when it was light. To think that he was up so early today. It must have been arranged with Gu Sinian last night. She wondered what Gu Sinian had said to make the boy so diligent.
Regardless, this was a good thing.
She chopped two knuckle bones and threw them into the pot, adding water and letting them simmer. Then, she kneaded the dough, let it rest, and prepared the filling.
Once the filling was ready and the dough had rested, she rolled it into thin wrappers. Qi Zhenzhen skillfully began to wrap wontons. The round wontons, resembling small ingots, were neatly arranged on a bamboo mat, looking very appealing.
As she was about to finish, Aunt Lin arrived at the kitchen. "Zhenzhen, why are you up so early today?"
"I need to simmer bone broth, which takes time. I can't afford to sleep in," Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile.
Aunt Lin hesitated. She had seen the young man arrive yesterday and was surprised he was staying. She hadn't gotten any information from her own daughter. Seeing how respectful Zhenzhen was towards the young man, Aunt Lin was very curious about his relationship with the Qi family. If they were relatives, it would be fine, but if not, it was ultimately not appropriate for him to stay with the Qi family.
"Auntie, if you have something to say, just say it directly. If I can tell you, I definitely won't hide it."
"We usually just boil wontons in water. Why are you simmering bone broth as a base? Is it because of that young man?" Aunt Lin asked tactfully.
Qi Zhenzhen immediately understood her meaning. "Although we know each other, he is an official of the court and is here on official business. It's fine for us to be casual in our daily lives, but we can't neglect him, can we?"
An official of the court? Aunt Lin gasped inwardly. She hadn't expected the young man to have such a background. Fortunately, she had asked tactfully. If she had been blunt, she might have offended him without realizing it.
"Zhenzhen is right, we should be attentive," Aunt Lin said. She crouched by the stove, poking the wood to spread the flames a bit more. The pot was already boiling. To stew the bone broth well, it needed to be simmered over low heat.
In another pot, she added water, lit a fire, and brought it to a boil, ready to cook the wontons as soon as they returned.
Gu Sinian and Qi Yi had been out for more than half an hour. When they returned, Qi Yi's face was flushed red, but he couldn't hide his excitement. Gu Sinian's expression remained unchanged, just as it was when he left.
"Wash your faces, catch your breath, and get ready to eat," Qi Zhenzhen called out.
She put chopped scallions, dried shrimp, a dash of soy sauce, and a pinch of dried scallop powder at the bottom of the bowl. Then, she poured the steaming bone broth over it, followed by the cooked wontons. The aroma was enticing.
Aunt Lin still took the meal into the house, while Qi Zhenzhen and the other three sat around the table.
She pushed the vinegar and chili oil towards Gu Sinian. "I don't know Your Highness's preference, so please adjust the sour and spicy taste yourself."
Gu Sinian followed Qi Zhenzhen's example, scooping a spoonful of chili oil and two spoonfuls of vinegar. He stirred the spoon along the edge of the bowl, allowing the vinegar and chili oil to disperse evenly in the broth.
He scooped a wonton into his mouth. It was a substantial feeling.
Not that the taste was unique, but it was substantial.
This was Gu Sinian's feeling.
He had eaten small wontons many times, but this strange feeling was indeed the first time. It was a solid sense of groundedness.
The bowl was quickly emptied. Gu Sinian, mimicking Qi Zhenzhen's earlier actions, prepared the broth and added a few more wontons. He took a bite, but the feeling was not the same as before. As expected, only the food prepared by her hands could evoke such a special feeling in him. Gu Sinian was puzzled as to why he felt this way.