CHAPTER 1478: CHAPTER 1485: HUSBAND AND WIFE RETURN TO THE CAPITAL (4)

Shen Juhua took the bracelet, held it up to the sunlight to examine it, and said, "This is truly a fine piece. I thank you on behalf of my future cousin-in-law. You shouldn’t worry about the Nursing Home; my mother and I visit every now and then. Everything there is good now, everyone is well-fed and warmly dressed, and the little kids are even studying under Xi Niu’s guidance!"

Cai Wei said, "With you and your mother looking after the Nursing Home, I naturally have no concerns. However, I feel somewhat guilty that you have to take the trouble to care for it, when it’s my responsibility..."

Upon hearing Cai Wei being so polite, Shen Juhua got anxious, grabbed Cai Wei’s hand, and said, "Cai Wei, I won’t allow you to say such distancing words to me. Without you, Aunt Yan’s dirty deeds would still be well-concealed, and my mother and I would still be suffering. How could we have such a happy life today? So, don’t even mention just helping you look after a Nursing Home— even if it’s climbing a mountain of swords or descending into a sea of fire, my mother and I would never refuse..."

...

In the evening, Cai Wei declined Madam Shen and Shen Juhua’s invitation to stay for dinner, insisting on returning to the inn. She was not alone now; there was a man waiting at the inn for her to come back for dinner.

After returning to the inn, before even entering the door, Cai Wei smelled a rich, intoxicating aroma coming from the room. She pushed open the door and entered, inhaling deeply through her nose and remarked, "Eh? What’s this smell? It’s so fragrant!"

Nangong Yi, who was busy near the table, came to greet her upon her return and laughed, "You’ve come back just in time. Dinner is ready. If you’d been any later, I would have had to send someone to the Shen Mansion to find you."

While saying so, he began to help Cai Wei take off her cloak.

While washing her hands, Cai Wei saw four dishes covered with inverted plates on the table, presumably to keep them warm. Hesitating, she asked, "Yi, all of these... did you make them?"

Nangong Yi smiled noncommittally and said, "Come and try them, see if my cooking skills can keep up with yours?"

Cai Wei cleaned her hands with the spiced meat, dried them, and walked over.

The man uncovered the four dishes one by one. The first was a plate of stewed pigeon eggs; the second was fried wolfberry sprouts with oil and salt; the third was wine brewed steamed duck; and the last was cabbage stewed with frozen tofu. The combination of meat and vegetable was nutritious, and each dish was very beneficial for pregnant women and the fetus, clearly showing that the man had put a lot of thought into this dinner.

Seeing the fragrant delicacies dish by dish, Cai Wei felt an overwhelming sense of contentment. Her man had actually personally cooked for her, which was a remarkable event.

For men to cook was not a big deal in modern society, and many men even consider cooking fashionable, but in the feudal ancient society, there was a belief that "a gentleman stays far from the kitchen." It was commonly thought that men cooking indicated a lack of ambition and could be looked down upon by others.

Her man, the Monarch of a country, paid no heed to these criticisms. He personally prepared this loving dinner for her and their child. Ordinary household dishes they may be, but they were enough to make Cai Wei’s maiden heart bubble with pink thoughts...

Nangong Yi’s culinary skills were exceptional. Each dish was perfectly crafted with full color, aroma, and flavor, rivaling any Royal Chef. The man explained that the pigeon eggs tasted so good because they were cooked with dozens of chicken kidneys. The eggs, barely hardened and peeled, were then stewed with chicken broth and seasonings, resulting in their tender and incomparable flavor.

The dish of fried wolfberry sprouts, also known as "sweet head vegetable," was specially prepared by Nangong Yi for Cai Wei. It was a sort of Medicine Diet. Goji sprouts can help adjust conditions like yin deficiency, internal heat, and ascendant liver fire. He was worried that she had accumulated internal fire during the time she was captured, knowing that if the fire did not come out, it could harm the child. Therefore, he prepared this dish to help her cool down.