Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard

“We know you well enough, we knew you would definitely ask this first.” Seeing Ji Liuxia’s appearance, Han Mingxiang shrugged her shoulders and said.

“But then again, Xiaoli, what exactly are we eating for lunch?” Meng Jiangzhuo asked.

“We’re eating something delicious. I need to go work in the kitchen. Do you guys want to play or come with me?” Du Xiaoli asked.

“We’ll go with you.” Han Mingxiang recalled, “Last time we came here for a gathering we all went to help in the kitchen, this time we’ll go together too.”

“Mm, let’s go and see, maybe we can even learn a few new things!” Ji Liuxia echoed.

“I think it’s better for you not to learn.” Meng Jiangzhuo covered her mouth, laughing, “Last time you learned two little dishes from Xiaoli and said you would go back make them for us to eat. In the end, you burned your family’s kitchen. Let’s count, how many times have you burned down your kitchen now?”

“That was just a little mishap on my part, a mishap, you know?” Ji Liuxia pouted, refusing to admit that she was not cut out for cooking.

“If Liuxia-jiejie enters the kitchen, you absolutely can not let her take charge or control the fire. You can just watch from the side later.” Du Xiaoli said seriously.

“Ah– Xiaoli,” Ji Liuxia screeched, “Even you are ridiculing me!”

“Haha, we are all just being honest!” Du Xiaoli said, “Okay, let’s go to the kitchen or else we’ll be behind later.”

When their entourage arrived at the kitchen, Xia Yuan and Ying Ge were nearly done washing the vegetables, which Qiao Zhu then cut into thin slices and placed on a plate.

Ji Liuxia walked over and picked up a nearly transparent piece of beef, saying, “Xiaoli, why are you cutting this so thinly? How can this be stir-fried?”

“Did I saw we were going to stir-fry these?” Du Xiaoli asked rhetorically.

“Ah! I know, we’re having hotpot today, aren’t we?” Ji Liuxia shouted, recalling when Ji Liufeng had come back and ordered hotpot made.

“Yes, a snowy day like this is the best time to eat hotpot around a warm fire.” Du Xiaoli laughed.

She glanced over. The spices she had named were already prepared, some of the more difficult spices to obtain had been brought over from the Blizzard Pavilion by Ying Ge earlier in the morning.

“Xiaoli, what is this for?” Although Meng Jiangzhuo and the other girls had eaten hotpot a few times at the Blizzard Pavilion, it had already been fully prepared for them, so they didn’t recognize what Du Xiaoli had brought them here to do.

“I’m going to fry the hotpot base. It’s a freshly fried soup base that makes hotpot the most delicious.” Du Xiaoli said. She had people start the fire and promptly began to fry the seasonings.

Because of the cold weather this time, Du Xiaoli did not have Han Mingxiang and the others help out. She simply let them watch from the side. Seeing Du Xiaoli’s fragrant, red stir-fried soup base, everyone began to drool.

“Just looking at this base makes me want to eat.” Ji Liuxia greedily said, licking her lips.

“Mhm mhm, it looks so appetizing!” Meng Jiangzhuo followed, saying.

“Xiaoli’s cooking is truly something to look forward to.” Fu Yalan echoed the others.

Du Xiaoli added the hotpot base into the prepared po, bringing it to the specially prepared stove. Hearing their words, she smiled, “You’re all so greedy yet still aren’t giving me a hand.”

“Ha, I really want to help out. If Xiaoli is willing, I can!” Ji Liuxia said.

“Okay, okay, okay, you’d better just stay where you’re standing.” Du Xiaoli waved her off, asking Xia Yuan and Qiao Zhu to carry the pot.

Then, she asked Qiao Zhu to bring the already cooked chicken feet, chicken wings, ribs, and so on to the dining room. These dishes were a bit more time-consuming so it was easier to cook them ahead of time and then add them into the pot.

“Xiaoli, do you have marinated chicken feet this time?” Ji Liuxia asked, her eyes fixed on the chicken claws boiled in plain water.

“Only you are this greedy.” Du Xiaoli said, however she opened another pot, which happened to be filled with marinated chicken feet.

“Let’s go, in a while after they’re done marinating we’ll have them send these over. For now let’s go to the dining room to eat hotpot.” Du Xiaoli said.

“Okay, seeing all this makes me crave food so badly,” Ji Liuxia said.

Du Xiaoli had originally wanted to eat under the plum blossom trees in the courtyard. But considering Meng Jiangzhuo and the girls didn’t have any cultivation, it would be too cold for them to eat outside, so she went to the dining room. But from there, they couldn’t see the snow outside.

On the bright side, eating hotpot warmed them up. After eating for a little bit, they opened the window. They could admire the snow as they ate hotpot, temporarily taking away the unhappiness on their hearts and forgetting their sadness.

After eating, they chatted in the warm room. Ji Liuxia proposed going outside to have a snowball fight. Fu Yalan and Meng Jiangzhuo didn’t have internal cultivation so they only played for a little before going back inside and watching Du Xiaoli and the others play. Han Mingxiang’s cultivation was not high, but she still had some internal cultivation and could resist the cold, so she, Ji Liuxia, and Du Xiaoli played with snow in the courtyard. The echoes of their screams when hit by snow, and joy when hitting others floated about the courtyard.

When they grew tired from playing, Du Xiaoli and Han Mingxiang collapsed directly onto the snow. Ji Liuxia was at the side, building the snowman that Du Xiaoli had described to her.

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