roccoschili Chapter 31 Let's eat watermelon!
Chapter 31 Let's eat watermelon!
Chapter 31 Let's eat watermelon!
Soon, several junior eunuchs from the Imperial Kitchen placed the imperial dishes onto the pre-cleaned table. Wu She skillfully arranged for the attendants beside her to taste each dish first, and after a short while, there was nothing unusual.
Then, at Li Shimin's signal, everyone started eating. Looking at the table full of delicious food, a hint of excitement flashed in Chang Le and Cheng Yang's eyes.
Today's lunch was prepared with a total of eighteen dishes because Li Shimin had notified him in advance. It was indeed more abundant than usual. Of course, compared with the royal families of previous dynasties, this was relatively frugal.
Perhaps it had been too long since the family had dined together like this, Chengyang was still somewhat reserved. To avoid putting pressure on her, Chang Le kept putting various dishes into her bowl at Li Shimin's subtle prompting.
Empress Zhangsun watched this scene with a smile but said nothing. She knew that her husband was like this; he clearly wanted to care about Chengyang, but he just didn't know how to express it.
Royal dining etiquette is strict, requiring one to chew slowly and quietly while eating. Of course, such rules are an exception in front of Little Sizi.
However, what puzzled everyone was that Xiao Sizi, who usually made the most noise when faced with food, was unusually quiet today, which made the people at the table feel a little uneasy.
"Sizi, these are all your favorite dishes, why don't they suit your taste today?"
Seeing that Xiao Sizi was slowly and carefully eating a bowl full of delicious food, Li Shimin finally couldn't help but ask a question.
"No, it's just that I kind of miss Lin Fan's cooking! Especially the eggplant and scrambled eggs, they're so good!" As she spoke, Xiao Sizi sullenly put the small spoon she was holding into her mouth.
Of course, this doesn't mean that Lin Fan's cooking skills are better than those of the imperial chefs. Rather, there weren't as many seasonings available in ancient times, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes was a dish that Xiao Sizi had never eaten before. So, she couldn't muster any interest in the food she was used to eating.
"Eggplant and Egg? What kind of dish is that? No tongue! Send someone to the Imperial Kitchen to ask if anyone knows!"
Seeing that Xiao Sizi had a poor appetite, Li Shimin could only send someone to the Imperial Kitchen to inquire, since in his opinion, few people could compare to the imperial chefs in the palace when it came to cooking.
"No, it's not here! Only Brother Lin Fan knows how!" Xiao Si shook her head, stirring the bowl with her little spoon.
"Wow, Little Sizi, the older brother you mentioned actually needs to prepare his own meals?"
Princess Chengyang, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but speak up. In her little mind, such a powerful person probably didn't need to eat, or rather, wouldn't such a person have servants around to serve him?
"Yes, Lin Fan prepares all his own meals! And they taste amazing!"
Little Sizi looked down at the meat in the bowl, but all she could think about was Lin Fan.
"I never expected that someone of that stature would cook for himself; it's truly unbelievable," Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but remark.
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was about to say something, but at Empress Zhangsun's signal, he remained silent. Seeing how much Xiao Sizi praised that mysterious older brother, she knew that her second son was somewhat unconvinced at this moment.
"Hmph, if I have the chance, I'll see what you're capable of? How come you've managed to make my little ox miss you so much!" Thinking of this, Li Shimin suddenly lost his appetite for the imperial food in his bowl.
What should have been a warm and pleasant family dinner ended abruptly with Xiao Sizi's incessant chatter to Lin Fan. It was only then that Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun learned what Xiao Sizi had been through these past two days.
"A small room that can control its own movement? A house much taller than the Tai Chi Palace? A carriage that can run on its own without horses? Delicious drinks? Ice cream? Strange and unusual shops...?"
Little Sizi's childish, babbling explanations completely shattered everyone's preconceived notions. The only thing that drove them somewhat crazy was that whenever they tried to ask Little Sizi for details about those things, his answer was always the same: "I don't know either!"
It was precisely this dreamlike, hazy feeling that made them even more curious about Lin Fan's identity.
After explaining for a while, Xiao Sizi felt a bit thirsty. Then, to the puzzled looks of the others, she picked up a large green fruit, about the size of her head, from a pile of items and placed it on the table.
"Hmm, what a big fruit! It does look somewhat like a winter melon?"
"Dad, you're so silly! This is a watermelon!" Little Si immediately corrected Li Shimin when he spoke.
"Ahem... Father just thinks this fruit is somewhat similar to the cold melon, but I wonder if the taste is as bland as the cold melon?" Although Li Shimin was rebuked by Xiao Sizi, he was not angry and quickly explained.
"Yes, have you ever eaten rhinoceros horn? I wonder what it tastes like?" Empress Zhangsun quickly spoke up to help Li Shimin out of the predicament.
"My boyfriend said it's sweet, but it's not quite ready yet!"
"So, is it eaten directly, or does it need to be cooked?"
Although most fruits and vegetables can be eaten directly, they had never seen this fruit before and did not know how to eat it for a while.
"I vaguely remember that Guoguo said it was in the seventh room!" There was just too much information, and Xiaosizi was a little unsure for a moment.
"Since that's the case, let's try it and see!" After saying that, Li Shimin turned to look at Wu She, his meaning quite clear.
Before long, Wu She summoned a eunuch who was carrying a plate with a small knife on it. The eunuch then carefully cut the watermelon open under the watchful eyes of everyone.
As soon as it's cut open, the bright red flesh is revealed, with juice flowing down it, making it look very appetizing.
Little Si Zi had been watching from the side on tiptoe, and by now he couldn't help but drool. He was about to secretly reach out his little hand to take a piece when the sharp-eyed Empress Zhangsun stopped him.
"Mother!" Little Sizi blinked her innocent big eyes and pleaded with Empress Zhangsun with longing.
"Don't rush, Sizi, wait a moment!"
The eunuch had just finished cutting the watermelon when, at Wu She's prompting, he picked up a small piece. Although he was a little scared, he slowly opened his mouth and took a bite. At this moment, the only sounds in the quiet hall, besides the sound of Xiao Si Zi swallowing his saliva, were the crisp chewing sounds of the watermelon in his mouth.
The next second, the eunuch's eyes widened, and then he started eating one bite after another.
"How does it taste?" Li Shimin asked.
Seeing this, Wu She frowned and quickly stepped forward, gently sweeping a whisk in front of the young eunuch. The young eunuch, who was engrossed in eating, immediately came to his senses.
"His Majesty is asking you a question! How does it taste?"
The young eunuch's legs gave way and he knelt on the ground with a thud: "Your Majesty, this fruit is sweet and refreshing, simply a delicacy! This servant has never tasted such delicious fruit before!"
After a short while, seeing that the young eunuch was unharmed, the danger was naturally over.
"Come on, since there's no problem, everyone should try it!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Sizi eagerly picked up a slice of watermelon. Just as she was about to put it in her mouth, she suddenly remembered something, turned around, and brought the watermelon to Empress Zhangsun.
"Ani Ni Xian Qi Ba!"
"That's so kind of you, Sizi!"
Seeing how well-behaved and sensible Xiao Si Zi was, Empress Zhangsun was extremely pleased and couldn't bear to refuse. She reached out and took the watermelon. When she saw the bright red and crystal-clear flesh up close, she couldn't bear to eat it for a moment.
"Hehe, Mom, hurry up and check if you're alright!"
Under the expectant gaze of Xiao Sizi, Empress Zhangsun put the watermelon to her mouth and took a small bite. The next second, she felt the flesh and juice surging in her mouth.
"Mmm! Delicious! It's truly fresh, sweet, and delicious—a real culinary gem!"
Seeing his mother's satisfied expression, Xiao Sizi smiled, revealing his little tiger teeth. He turned around and went back to the table, picked up two slices of watermelon, and handed them to Chang Le and Cheng Yang respectively.
"Thank you, Little Sizi!"
"You're welcome!" Little Sizi said, humming a little tune as she ran back to the table.
Li Shimin stood to the side with a smile, watching the little prince. "So young yet already knows etiquette, truly worthy of being my little prince!" He secretly praised him while also feeling a little expectant.
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