A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 498: Fishing

Sister Liang was a bit stunned. Her Ladyship is really too carefree, letting the Little Prince crawl on the ground?! The precious Little Prince, all filthy—how improper!Xia Ruqing didn’t care about that. Seeing Sister Liang’s displeasure, she explained, "Children in the countryside roll in the mud and crawl on the ground, which actually makes them stronger. It’s not good for a boy to be too pampered!"

Sister Liang still had some concerns. But even if he is mischievous...

Before she could say anything else, she looked down and saw Little Bun had already crawled onto the grass. Xia Ruqing smiled as she watched him, making no attempt to stop him. It’s just grass, not dangerous at all! Sister Liang had no choice but to hold her tongue.

Half a Shi Chen later, Xia Ruqing, as expected, hadn’t caught a single fish. But she had clearly seen them in the Xiao Xi; though not large, they were about three or four inches long and probably weighed half a pound! It was just that these fish were too cunning; they simply wouldn’t take the bait!

While she was pondering this, Little Bun’s voice called out, "AH... OH! AH... MOTHER!!" He was gurgling excitedly, holding something up.

Xia Ruqing leaned closer to his dirty little hands for a look. "EW~~~" She definitely had goosebumps.

Little Bun had actually dug an earthworm out from the mud beneath the grass. Like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, he wasn’t scared at all. He just looked thrilled with what he had found.

The sight gave Xia Ruqing goosebumps, and she turned to Xiao Zhu Zi. "Take it from him!"

Xiao Zhu Zi wasn’t afraid of such things. She stepped forward with a smile, saying, "My Lady, this is perfect for fishing! Perhaps the fish will love this!" The bait from the Imperial Kitchen was chopped meat, not nearly as good as this!

Xia Ruqing had a flash of inspiration. "Oh my, how did I not think of that!" She immediately had Xiao Zhu Zi prepare the new bait.

Little Bun seemed to understand everything. When he saw the earthworm on the hook being cast back into the water, he happily rolled around twice more. "HAHA..." And then... he successfully covered himself in mud.

Sister Liang could hardly bear to look. Oh, my little master!

As it turned out, earthworms were what the fish truly loved best. Half a Shi Chen later, with a continuous supply of earthworms from Xiao Zhu Zi and Little Bun, Xia Ruqing caught one fish after another.

She caught a total of six, all of varying sizes. The largest was over four inches long, estimated at a pound, while the smallest were still over three inches and more than half a pound. The small fish basket was nearly half full.

Xia Ruqing proudly held the mud-covered Little Bun. Without the slightest hesitation, she kissed his face and praised him, "Son, you’re amazing! We caught all these fish together!" As she spoke, she started towards the house.

At that moment, Zhao Junyao entered.

Xia Ruqing, holding the child, hurriedly went forward to greet him. "Greetings, Empe—"

"Wait!" Zhao Junyao interrupted her. "What happened to him?" he asked with a stern face, pointing at Little Bun.

Xia Ruqing looked at the little mud-caked child in her arms, her heart tightening. What should I say? Just as she was wondering, Sister Liang, who was beside her, knelt. "Your Majesty, it is all this servant’s fault. This servant failed to look after the Little Prince properly!"

Zhao Junyao glanced at the Wetnurse Nanny on the ground but said nothing. His gaze then shifted to Xia Ruqing, waiting for her explanation.

Xia Ruqing looked left, then right. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to tell the truth. "Your Majesty, he was playing on the grass for a while and... well, this is the result! I haven’t had a chance to bathe him yet."

Zhao Junyao’s frown remained.

Hearing the word ’grass’, Little Bun, still in Xia Ruqing’s arms, grew excited again. "AH... OH!" He pointed to the patch of grass where he had been playing, his face full of anticipation, as if to say, Father Emperor, it’s fun over there! Let’s go together!

A child’s world is bright and simple: laugh when happy, cry when sad. It was as straightforward as that.

Zhao Junyao gave Little Bun a cool look and chided, "Ten months old, and all you know is how to play!" Having said that, without the slightest show of disgust, he took his son and walked towards that same patch of grass.

Little Bun was so overjoyed he practically vibrated. He hadn’t had nearly enough fun!

Xia Ruqing was speechless. What on earth? Your Majesty, you just said our son only knows how to play at ten months old, so what are you doing now?

Sister Liang, watching the retreating figures of the Emperor and the Little Prince, was also filled with a complex mix of feelings. Well now, Her Ladyship carried him there once, and the Emperor carried him there once! Truly... remarkably consistent!

Xia Ruqing, carrying the fish basket, led the others back first. Time to make grilled fish! This was the simplest method; no pots or stoves needed, just a fire.

She ordered Xiao Xizi to fetch some spices from the Imperial Kitchen. She also requested raw meat—chicken wings, lamb, lamb chops, and the like. Then, she asked for various seasonings: oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, chili powder, and so on, needing a bit of each. Xia Ruqing listed her requests one by one.

Xiao Xizi chuckled. "Understood, My Lady! It’s not our first time preparing this for you. We servants know exactly what’s needed!" Her Ladyship loved barbecue in the summer and hotpot in the winter; they knew it all by heart.

Xia Ruqing laughed too. "Excellent. The usual, then. Just make sure nothing is forgotten!"

Xiao Xizi acknowledged with a "Yes!" and hurried off.

Xiao Zhu Zi carried the fish basket to the water’s edge, where she scaled, gutted, and washed the fish, all in one smooth sequence. In less than thirty minutes, the five or six fish were cleaned and ready, nothing left but their plump, appealing flesh.

Meanwhile, Xiao Xizi had returned. He was laden with so many items he could barely manage, even with the help of several Little Eunuchs from the Imperial Kitchen who had carried things for him.

Xia Ruqing surveyed the small courtyard, now fully equipped with everything needed, her face beaming with joy. Xiao Xizi, Xiao Zhu Zi, Zi Yue, Zi Su, and the others all pitched in to help, setting up the grill, slicing meat, preparing marinades, and so forth.

In any case, by the time Zhao Junyao returned with Little Bun, everything was ready. After the father and son had bathed and changed, freshly grilled skewers were already waiting for them.

"Your Majesty, would you like to try one?" Xia Ruqing asked, her face alight with excitement.

In the distance, the setting sun, red as blood, cast a golden sheen over the mountains and water. Even that Xiao Xi shimmered with ripples of golden light. The scenery before them was breathtakingly beautiful.

Zhao Junyao squinted at the undulating hills in the distance, savoring the beautiful view and the delicious food in his hand. Little Bun, in his arms, tugged at his sleeve, also munching away with great delight. The setting sun stretched the silhouettes of the family of three into long shadows.

For a fleeting moment, Xia Ruqing thought, If only... if this were the twenty-first century, and we were a legally married couple, how wonderful would that be! I would be his lawful wife, not a concubine, not some other woman, but his one and only!

Sounds of laughter drifted from the small courtyard, audible even at the Empress’s nearby residence. However, the Empress was busy tending to the Little Princess and had no time for anything else.

The barbecue lasted a full Shi Chen. Little Bun, having no teeth, only drank milk, had some fresh fish soup, and ate a few bites of steamed bun. He didn’t have any of the other dishes; he was still too young, and they worried he wouldn’t be able to digest them properly.