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Unfortunately, Shen Chuwei was super protective of her food.
"Strawberries are fresh and juicy, sweet and crisp, and super tasty. Do you understand now, Sister Xu?"
Chun Xi was wiping the ornaments inside the room, and when she heard their conversation, she couldn't help but secretly laugh.
She heard the subtext in Lady Xu's words and deliberately chose not to remind her.
Serves Lady Xu right for coming over to make fun of the young master.
Lady Xu almost choked with anger but suppressed her irritation, and mocked on purpose, "Sister still has the mood to eat? This time you were driven out by His Highness, and it will be difficult to see him again next time."
Shen Chuwei took another two bites of strawberries with a crisp sound that Lady Xu couldn't ignore even if she wanted to.
"With strawberries this delicious, how could I not be in the mood to eat?"
Anyone who saw Shen Chuwei eating would develop a strong appetite.
Lady Xu shot a glance at the strawberries in her hand. Were they really that tasty?
"Do you often see His Highness?"
Shen Chuwei asked casually, but it irritated Lady Xu immensely.
Do you not know if I see him often or not?
Who in the palace doesn't have their own sources of information?
That's right, Shen Chuwei, a salted fish, indeed has no sources of information.
Not interested, and no money.
Lady Xu wanted to continue her sarcasm, but before she could speak, she heard Shen Fengyi yawn, "I've finished the strawberries, it's time for a nap."
Lady Xu looked at the empty fruit plate. All those strawberries were gone. Was she born in the year of the pig?
Chun Xi came over, cleared the fruit plate, and left.
Lady Xu originally came to make fun of Shen Fengyi but left with a belly full of anger instead.
As soon as she left Xiyun Pavilion, Lady Xu rolled her eyes. What was that, just strawberries? Was there anything she couldn't eat?
Lady Xu, the legitimate daughter of General Xu, had been haughty and unruly since childhood. She was determined to taste the strawberries.
She went back and drew a picture, asking her family to help find them.
Three days later
Lady Xu proudly looked at the basket of strawberries sent by her family, overjoyed. "Cai Xia, go wash some. I want to try them," she said.
Cai Xia carried the basket out and soon came back in with a plate of cleaned strawberries, "Young master, they're clean now."
Lady Xu looked at the strawberries on the fruit plate. They were very small with surfaces that were not as fresh or smooth as the ones Shen Fengyi had eaten.
"Why are these strawberries so small?"
Cai Xia also thought it was strange while washing them and guessed, "Could they be wild strawberries?"
Wild strawberries?
Lady Xu knew her family wouldn't deceive her and curiously put one in her mouth. After chewing twice, the bitter taste filled her mouth, and she covered it with a handkerchief and spat it out.
Cai Xia quickly brought water for Lady Xu to rinse her mouth, "Young master, could it be that the lady made a mistake?"
Lady Xu was also doubtful, "Take this stuff and ask around, what exactly is it?"
After several inquiries, she found out that what she had were not strawberries but snakeberries.
Lady Xu had wanted to show off, but instead, she made herself so disgusted she couldn't even eat.
Xiyun Pavilion
Shen Chuwei leaned on the soft couch, staring at the tree in the courtyard for a long while, its branches thick and lush.
"Chun Xi, the tree in the courtyard looks so lonely," she said.
It wouldn't be lonely if another lychee tree was planted.
Chun Xi thought she was longing for the Crown Prince's visit, "Young master, it's almost time for lunch. Why not cook a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and send it to His Highness? If His Highness is pleased, you might have a chance to serve him tonight."
Because scrambled eggs with tomatoes are super delicious and go well with rice.
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Speaking of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, Shen Chuwei hadn't had them for a while either, because the first batch of tomatoes had been eaten, and by her calculations, the second batch should also be ripe by now.
"Let's have scrambled eggs with tomatoes for lunch then!"
"...Okay." Could she refuse when her master wanted to eat?
Shen Chuwei had a delightful lunch, and then took a blissful nap.
After lazing around for half a month,
Shen Chuwei touched her stomach with a worried expression, "Chun Xi, I've lost weight."
"You do nothing but eat and sleep all day, do you have any idea how envious people would be if they heard you say that?"
In the palace, which woman isn't reducing her meals over and over again for the sake of her figure, some even dance every day to lose weight, fearing being disliked for gaining weight.
And there was Shen Chuwei, actually complaining about losing weight...
Shen Chuwei thought her hint was obvious, but Chun Xi didn't catch on, so she simply stated, "I want to eat meat."
It had been such a long time since she had meat, she had almost forgotten what it tasted like.
Only then did Chun Xi realize that her master was craving meat.
...Alright, she would go to the Imperial Kitchen to see if she could get some fresh meat.
Chun Xi felt the lotus pouch, it had been three months since her last salary, and though money talks, without the Crown Prince's favor and without financial support from her natal family, the Imperial Kitchen probably won't show a friendly face.
Chun Xi made a trip to the Imperial Kitchen.
"Eunuch Qian, it's been a while since Xiyun Pavilion has had any meat, I'm hoping to get some fresh meat to take back."
Eunuch Qian looked troubled, "Miss Chun Xi, we all follow rules here; we can't break them, can we? If the superiors blame us, we can't bear the consequences!"
Chun Xi wanted to say a few more words but saw Eunuch Qian turn and walk away without looking back, so she had no choice but to leave.
Chun Xi just returned from outside and was immediately pulled by Shen Chuwei to the lotus pond in the East Palace garden.
Chun Xi held a lotus leaf above her young master to shade her from the sun, preventing her from getting sunburnt.
As she looked at the still water and the fishing line without bait, she became worried, "Master, will any fish take the bait?"
Shen Chuwei said proudly, "I'm an expert at fishing; of course fish will take the bait. Just wait, we'll be eating fish."
Upon returning to the palace after going out, Xiao Jinyan caught sight of the petite figure beside the lotus pond in the garden and recognized it as Shen Chuwei at a glance.
"Has Shen Fengyi come to visit me recently?"
"Your Highness, Shen Fengyi has never come to visit you, but Lady Chang and Lady Xu often do," Eunuch Liu replied respectfully.
Xiao Jinyan's cool gaze flickered with confusion; that night, Shen Chuwei was so eager to share His Highness's bed to gain favor, failing just once, how could it be she didn't come at all when she wasn't confined?
"You all wait here," Xiao Jinyan, with his doubts, walked towards the artificial hill.
Chun Xi felt a bit sorry for her master fishing under the hot sun just to eat meat.
While holding a lotus leaf with one hand, she used a handkerchief with the other to wipe the fine sweat from her master's forehead.
"Master, instead of wasting time on fishing, why don't you try to curry favor with the Crown Prince? With his favor, not only the creatures in the water but even those on land and in the sky could be yours to have," she said.
Shen Chuwei rested her chin on her hand, "With so many women around His Highness, it's easy for him to become fatigued. So, you see, I'm not joining the fray out of consideration for His Highness's health."
Chun Xi: "..." My goodness, what can't you say out loud?
Xiao Jinyan: "..." Should I be thanking you then?
"The fish is about to bite."
"Where?"
Chun Xi looked around but didn't see any fish.
The next second, a fresh fish leaped from the water to the shore, flapping about with its pitch-black body on the green stone slabs.
Chun Xi was astonished. Did the fish come out on its own?
Xiao Jinyan was also startled to see the lively fish on the ground. Was this even possible?
Seeing that it was a blackfish, Shen Chuwei became somewhat excited, "Chun Xi, we'll have pickled fish tonight."