13 If You Want to Learn, I’ll Teach You

While everyone was eating the dish that Yun Dai had cooked, the maid who was serving Consort Chen, Lv Ya, arrived, saying that Consort Chen wanted a dish with dark-colored meat also.

The people in the palace had always eaten only boiled meat and had never tried braised meat before. Yun Dai just listened and didn't correct the maid's description of the meat.

Actually, Yun Dai had made Dongpo Pork earlier.

Yun Dou had heard that someone from Consort Chen's court was here, so she had quickly come out with a face full of smiles and eagerly asked what Consort Chen wanted to eat.

Lv Ya knew that Yun Dou was ambitious and didn't like her. She replied coldly, "The Consort heard that His Highness ate something new today, and she wants to try it too. Do you know how to prepare that dish?"

Yun Dou was immediately put into an awkward situation.

Since Consort Chen was the Crown Prince's concubine, it was natural that she would want to discover what the Crown Prince had liked.

"If you don't know how to make that dish, then get lost." Lv Ya asked Mo Chun, "Who prepared that dish?"

Mo Chun pointed at Yun Dai. "It's our new girl, Yun."

"Oh, the kitchen helper who was sent from the Duke's residence?" Lv Ya herself had come from the Duke's residence along with Consort Chen.

Yun Dai replied, "Yes, that's right."

Lv Ya sized up Yun Dai.

Yun Dai had used some charcoal to hide her actual features, so she just looked like a clean, ordinary-looking woman. She was also wearing oversized clothes made from rough material, and she didn't look attractive at all.

Lv Ya made a face.

She'd thought that if the Duke's residence had sent a pretty one over, she could be of help to the consort. But this girl turned out to be such an unrefined woman.

Lv Ya soon lost interest in Yun Dai and left after instructing her to prepare the dish.

Yun Dou's expression was livid. She was fuming inside as she glared venomously at Yun Dai.

Mo Chun said, "Since this is what's happening, Yun Dai will be in charge of the Red Counter from now on. Yun Dou, you can just help around the kitchen."

Yun Dou agreed while clenching her teeth.

Even though every maid who worked in the kitchen got the same salary every month, if you cooked a main dish well and gained the favor of the ones who ate it, you could get an additional reward as well.

But if Yun Dou just helped around the kitchen, then she wouldn't be able to receive these rewards anymore.

Yun Dai could understand why Yun Dou hated her, but since she was out here to earn money, she wasn't going to just stand back.

Working for the Chen family had only earned her two or three silver coins a month, while even the lowest-ranked maid in the palace earned more than 40 silver coins.

That was a difference of more than ten times.

The palace was definitely different from anywhere else.

Otherwise, why else would the housekeeper of the Chen family say that she was lucky?

Since Yun Dai could get so much extra money every month, it would be enough to feed her son, and she could save a lot of money too. At this rate, she could buy a shop after two years and start her own business.

She didn't intend to remain as a maid in the palace forever.

Besides, she had to settle the score with that despicable and shameless Crown Prince.

So when Mo Chun assigned her to the Red Counter, she agreed very readily.

For dinner, she made braised fish for the Crown Prince, Dongpo Pork for Consort Chen, and boiled meat for the other two concubines.

But even her boiled meat tasted different from what they normally ate.

All of them were very pleased with the food she served them, and they rewarded her with money.

It was very clear that the royals in the East Palace liked this new cook very much.

In just one day, Yun Dai had earned nearly twice her monthly salary.

She put all the coins away and asked Mo Chun the next day to find a trustworthy guard to take the money back to Auntie Pan.

For lunch the next day, Yun Dai was in charge of preparing the main course.

Everyone was busy except for Yun Dou, who strolled around a few times, walked over to Yun Dai, and peeked her head to look at what Yun Dai was cooking in the pot.

Initially Yun Dai just ignored her, but Yun Dou's head kept going into the pot. At this rate, Yun Dai made a decision and asked her, "Do you want to learn? I can teach you."

Yun Dou made a face. "You? Teach me? What a joke."

But she still kept looking into the pot anyway.

Yun Dai ignored her after that.

But that night, for some reason, Consort Chen's maid, Lv Ya, came again. This time, she actually wanted Yun Dou to cook the next meal.

Everyone couldn't help but wonder to themselves. Was Consort Chen unhappy with Yun Dai's cooking?