After listening to Senior Servant Gui, Chu Lian remembered that she had taught the girls how to make a whole bunch of snacks on a particularly boring day. Since they usually had some spare meat left in the kitchen that would spoil if they couldn’t finish it, Chu Lian had the girls turn them into all sorts of meat-based snacks.
There was pork jerky, translucent shredded beef, spiced beef jerky, and many more!
This was the first time she had made these kinds of snacks since coming to the Great Wu Dynasty. There actually wasn’t all that much meat left in the kitchen too, so they only had a few bags’ worth, even after spending all that effort to make them. Even the handmaids weren’t given any; the jerky was meant only for her. That translucent shredded beef was still soaking in a small jar, waiting to be eaten in two days.
However, Senior Servant Gui was now suggesting that she give all her hard-won snacks to He Changdi. How could the greedy Chu Lian bear to part with her food?
“Momo, it wasn’t easy for me to make those snacks. I haven’t even eaten more than a few pieces! I’ve been craving them for so long. Anyway, that translucent shredded beef was just made. I don’t know if it can be eaten now. What if it doesn’t taste good?”
Senior Servant Gui hadn’t thought that the usually generous Third Young Madam, who could even bear to reward her servants with silver accessories without batting an eyelash, would suddenly turn into such a miser. She couldn’t even bear to part with a few bags of snacks?
Senior Servant Gui felt helpless. She knew that Third Young Madam’s childish temper was going to flare up again, so she patiently tried to persuade her. “Third Young Madam, how could anything you made not taste good? Don’t worry, this old servant has tasted it already. That translucent shredded beef is delicious!”
Chu Lian’s eyes widened in disbelief. She pointed at Senior Servant Gui and said poutily, “Momo, you ate my shredded beef in secret!!”
Senior Servant Gui didn’t expect that she would expose herself in a moment of carelessness. She awkwardly continued, “This old servant simply tasted it a little. Didn’t Third Young Madam say before that it would be done after soaking for four to five days? This old servant was simply helping Third Young Madam conduct a taste check first.”
Chu Lian was extremely put out. She had been wondering why her beef jerky had been running out so quickly. So it was Senior Servant Gui who had been sneakily eating some!
Why were the people around her such gluttons for food! Wasn’t it enough having just one glutton around?
Senior Servant Gui realised that they had strayed from the topic at hand, so she quickly pushed it back to the right track. “Ay, it was this old servant’s fault for stealing Third Young Madam’s snacks. This old servant promises not to steal any more snacks and to watch over Xiyan and the rest. Third Young Madam, there isn’t much left, and it won’t be enough for you anyway. Besides, we can make them any time here. If you send it to Third Young Master and he likes it, he might even begin to long for you! It’ll all be thanks to these snacks, if you send them along…”
Chu Lian was a little motivated by Senior Servant Gui’s words. That was true. She could make them any time she wanted, but it was impossible for He Changdi up in the north.
It was also true that there wasn’t much left anyway, as much as she liked them. She was simply trying to have some other flavours to spice up her usual meals. Fine, she would give the remainder to He Changdi.
“Alright, momo, get Xiyan to bring the snacks over. Put them into a small bag alone and ask the courier to take special care of it.”
“Very well, this old servant will do so now.” Senior Servant Gui quickly rushed off to find Xiyan.
The pork and beef jerky had a long shelf life as long as they were careful about not letting them touch water. Thus, Chu Lian wasn’t afraid of the food spoiling before it reached the northern border.