Xiao Linshuang was about to instinctively refuse, but was stopped by Lin Yuan’s firm grip on her wrist.
Lin Yuan stood up to make room, saying, "Miss Su is a guest, how can we let Miss Su sit there? Please come sit by me."
Su Qiuyu secretly gritted her teeth. To offer a seat while still deliberately emphasizing that she is a guest, an outsider, was that necessary?
"No thank you, I’m quite comfortable here," Su Qiuyu said with a smile, shaking her head as she took her seat.
Seeing her sit down, Lin Yuan felt it inappropriate to insist, and looked hesitantly at Princess Anle. Princess Anle gave Lin Yuan an approving glance and pulled her to sit down beside her.
She then looked at Su Qiuyu with concern, "Qiu Yu, if you’re not feeling well, don’t go up to Changshou Mountain to pray anymore. Zhengzheng has already sent a letter to your elder brother, and he will come to pick you up soon."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "If you don’t mind, once you’re feeling a bit better, come back to the Capital city with me. Please don’t go out alone again, it’s truly dangerous."
Su Qiuyu obediently nodded her head, agreeing to it.
Lin Yuan hadn’t expected Su Qiuyu to agree so easily to leave, and felt she was different from the day before. Hadn’t she looked down on her, saying she would never be able to set foot in the General Mansion’s door? Now, seeing how well Princess Anle was treating her, why wasn’t Su Qiuyu distraught or jealous? Could she have changed? Realizing she had no hope, did she give up on her own accord?
Of course, Lin Yuan wasn’t naïve enough to really believe Su Qiuyu would give up so easily. Although she hadn’t said a word to Xia Zheng since she entered, the way her eyes occasionally drifted to where Xia Zheng was sitting still betrayed her inner feelings. She still liked Xia Zheng very much, so much that she couldn’t bear to let go.
"Yuanyuan, hurry and introduce to mother your special dishes," Xia Zheng, ecstatic that Su Qiuyu had agreed to return to the Capital city, was nearly jumping with joy. It was high time he sent this burdensome god away, so that he could finally have a blissful time with Lin Yuan.
Seeing Xia Zheng happy, Lin Yuan’s mood also lifted. She began to point at the dishes on the table, introducing each one to everyone.
All these dishes were made with the ingredients she could find at present. They were not particularly rare, but they were novel. There were intimidating roast dumplings, crystal shrimp dumplings, tri-flavored potstickers, honey barbecued pork buns, eight-treasure rice, happy smiles, Mapo tofu, iron plate tofu, triple delight vegetables, fish-flavored shredded pork, and she even prepared several spicy dishes that suited Lao Fan’s taste: spicy fish head, boiled pork slices in hot sauce.
Since Xia Zheng loved sweets, Lin Yuan guessed that Princess Anle must also like light-flavored foods, and indeed, she guessed right.
Princess Anle pointed enthusiastically at the dish named happy smiles and asked, "What is this dish called? Happy smiles?"
Xia He and Qiu Ju smilingly held back their laughter, "Yes, that’s happy smiles. Madam, do try one. It’s guaranteed to make you happy and keep you smiling every day."
As she spoke, Xia He had already picked one up for her and placed it in her bowl.
Princess Anle took a gentle bite and found the taste sweet and rich, the exterior crispy, the interior sticky and chewy, very delicious.
"Mmm, not bad. This is red dates on the outside, I can tell. And what about the inside?" Princess Anle pondered after tasting, guessing, "It has a bit of a rice fragrance, but it lacks the hardness of rice grains."
Lin Yuan’s eyes curved into a smile as she said, "Madam is truly remarkable, guessing it straight away. Indeed, the outside is pitted red dates, and inside, it’s made with ground glutinous rice flour. Moreover, it’s coated with a layer of sugar, so it’s sweet and rich when you eat it, isn’t it like encountering good fortune, always with a happy smile?"