Chapter 323: Discovering New Delicacies
Chapter 323: Discovering New Delicacies
Su Su's impulsive hug left Qi Wang's heart melted.
He thought, what's the big deal about eating bugs?
Not a problem at all!
Then, Qi Wang led Su Su and the others in roasting grasshoppers.
To be honest...
These things actually emit a slight aroma when roasted?
Qi Wang still had some standards, so while eating, he suggested, "Would it be better to remove the entrails?"
Su Su looked at him blankly after hearing this, "...Ah? I used to be reluctant to throw them away."
It's good enough to have something to eat.
Throwing them away would mean not having enough to eat.
Qi Wang's heart twinged at these words.
Feng Xuanrui also felt a bit uncomfortable hearing this.
He skillfully plucked off the remaining heads and entrails, then patted his chest and said, "Rest assured, little sister. From now on, we can choose whatever we want to eat without worrying about others. We won't go hungry!"
Su Su listened and found this reasoning quite sensible, so she obediently nodded, "Okay, big brother. I'll listen to you."
Such an obedient and soft-hearted child, what was Chen Dalao's family thinking?
Qi Wang truly couldn't understand their mindset.
However, the most important thing at the moment was to accompany the children.
As for Chen Dalao?
Let him worry about mining!
When Qi Wangfei heard this news, her vision darkened repeatedly.
Why didn't the prince stop them? How could he even join them in eating those things? Moreover, they had even developed a new method—deep-frying.
This idea naturally came from Qi Wang. He felt that while roasting made them crispy, they were still a bit dry.
"I feel that deep-frying them would make them taste even better. They'd be more fragrant."
"Yes, yes! Frying them would definitely enhance the aroma."
......
While grasshoppers are considered vegetarian...
They're not exactly that.
After all, they are a form of meat.
But if you consider them as non-vegetarian...
Then they barely qualify as that.
Although Buddha is forgiving, they still didn't feel comfortable using the temple's pots and pans to fry these creatures.
So, Si Mao quickly went downhill to purchase some necessary items, and they set up a separate stove to fry a batch.
"So fragrant!"
"Even crispier!"
"Wow, they're actually pretty tasty when eaten like this!"
......
Deep-frying received unanimous praise from the children.
Even Qi Wang felt that these little insects were quite a delicacy.
Qi Wangfei couldn't accept such a scene and chose to stay away.
At this moment, she was listening to Autumn Aunt sharing interesting stories about the various mansions.
Of course, there were no extremely private matters.
Usually, such private details wouldn't be easily spread.
However, it was common to hear about the lively events in the various mansions.
Autumn Aunt first spoke about the events in Wei Mansion, "I heard that Xiao Xushi has been stripped of her authority as the head of the family. Currently, she's reflecting on her mistakes in the back courtyard. Wei Lafushi has taken back the role of managing the family."
Qi Wangfei nodded, "The Big Princess Consort intervened. If Wei Lafushi didn't show some gesture of gratitude, and if His Majesty then targets Huaiyang Houfu, she won't have a place to complain."
The Houfu has already declined in influence. If they continue to stir up trouble and incur His Majesty's displeasure, leading him to find a pretext to revoke their marquess position...
Wouldn't Wei Lafushi, at her age, clearly understand this?
To put it bluntly, as long as her own interests were not harmed, Wei Lafushi would only loosely manage the family affairs, choosing to turn a blind eye to certain matters.
However, once her interests were involved, Wei Lafushi could no longer feign ignorance.
"I heard that Wei Lafushi has added two more beautiful concubines to the Marquis. Now, the Marquis is so delighted that he probably doesn't even remember Xiao Xushi being punished in the back courtyard."
Qi Wangfei was not surprised by this outcome.
This was just a normal strategy employed in the rear courtyard.
Initially, when Xushi fell ill and passed away, the Xu family, in order to maintain this marriage alliance with Huaiyang Houfu, directly sent Xushi's younger sister to become the new marchioness of Huaiyang Houfu.
The Xu family didn't want to give up on Huaiyang Houfu, which was like a floating log in turbulent waters. After all, the father and brother of the two Xushi women were not outstanding and lacked ability. If it weren't for the elder Xushi's reputation and talent, the younger Xushi wouldn't have had a promising future, and Wei Lafushi wouldn't have agreed to this arrangement initially.
The Xu family's social status wasn't particularly high back then.
However, after considering the son's affections and the fact that a distant branch of the Xu family was quite influential, the Li family agreed to the marriage proposal.
Perhaps when the younger Madam Xu first entered the family, she had thoughts of treating her late sister's children well.
But when she gave birth to her own children, her attention and energy naturally shifted towards her biological offspring.
Especially when their interests conflicted.
Even though she was a concubine, she was still a primary wife.
So, why shouldn't her son become the heir and inherit the title of marquis?
With this ambition, Wei Mingqiao, the original primary wife's son and Madam Xu's nephew, became an eyesore.
Such incidents were commonplace in the capital, and Queen Qi had lost count of how many she had witnessed.
Yet, there were still many who would repeat the same mistakes.
They cloaked their actions under the guise of taking care of their own, when in reality, it was all about maintaining the interests between the two families.
Just as the master and servant were chatting, they saw Haitang hurrying towards them.
Upon seeing her approach, the two stopped their conversation.
Haitang entered and greeted them before speaking in a low voice, "The eldest daughter of the Huaiyang Marquis has brought along the eldest young master to the mountain. Knowing that Your Highness is also here, she wishes to pay her respects and express her gratitude."
If it weren't for Queen Qi and Lu Xinglan's rescue at the Lu family banquet, Wei Mingqiao might have burned to death by the fake mountain without anyone knowing.
The siblings' trip this time was also for praying for blessings.
Having heard that the group from the Qi Wang Manor had also come, Wei Yongmei, disregarding the incense offering, prepared to first express her gratitude to her benefactors.
Upon hearing Haitang's words, Queen Qi nodded, "They have arrived? Please invite them in quickly."
Queen Qi did not go out to greet them personally but instead gestured for Haitang to go and invite them in.
After Wei Yongmei and her brother, Wei Mingqiao, entered, the former first performed a grand greeting ritual to Queen Qi and then expressed her sincere thanks, even asking Wei Mingqiao to kowtow.
Previously, Wei Mingqiao had suffered burns and gone into convulsions, but thanks to Dr. Wu, the pediatric miracle worker, he was saved.
After returning to the manor and resting for two days, his recovery had been quite satisfactory.
In the past few days, with the conflict between Madam Xu and Old Madam Wei, the entire Wei Manor had been in a state of turmoil. Wei Yongmei did not want her brother to recuperate in such an oppressive environment, so she used this opportunity to bring him to Lanruo Temple.
Offering incense was a solemn matter, so even though Old Madam Wei was displeased, she allowed them to leave.
Only after truly leaving the manor and distancing themselves from the oppressive atmosphere did Wei Yongmei finally breathe a sigh of relief.
However, displaying weakness too frequently was not desirable.
Wei Yongmei understood that for her and her brother to live well and avoid being bullied, they could only rely on themselves in the end.
Thus, she was determined to maintain the relationships that she could.
Even if it meant enduring gossip and disdain from others, she would persist.
Surviving and thriving, free from bullying, that was what truly mattered!
Queen Qi did not make things difficult for the children and soon gestured for the siblings to rise.
Wei Mingqiao had not fully recovered yet, and he looked frail, his complexion pale, and his lips devoid of color.
Nonetheless, he was a handsome young boy with clear and bright eyes. However, his timid nature made it difficult for him to maintain eye contact for long.
After a few glances, Queen Qi noticed his discomfort and was about to speak when she heard footsteps from outside, accompanied by Suisui's cheerful voice, "Mother, I'm here!"
Second Watch
(End of Chapter)
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