Jingyi eagerly agreed, placing her forefinger and her thumb on her mouth. A high pitched whistle sounded out which called upon a white dove which landed on Jingyi's shoulder. Xiao Lu gave Jingyi a sheet of paper and a brush to write out a message, and the dove was send-off. Both Jingyi and Xiao Lu followed Fangsu to the entrance of her house, "Wait, hold onto me." Fangsu took both of their hands.
"Why?" Jingyi questioned, clearly confused to why they need to hold onto Fangsu.
"The barrier that is placed here only allows people with the Chen family blood or jade," Fangsu explained as they walked through the barrier easily, "If you don't have access, the barrier would activate itself and incapacitate you." Fangsu let go of the Jingyi and Xiao Lu who shudder at thought of the barrier incapacitating them. The trio entered the house where Fangsu's grandpa was sitting inside drinking tea.
"Grandpa!" Fangsu cheerfully greeted her grandpa.
"Elder Chen," Both Jingyi and Xiao Lu respectfully greeted, bowing all the way to the waist.
"No need to be so formal," Fangsu's grandpa smiled. Jingyi saw the resemblance between the Fangsu and her grandpa, their smiles were small but they had a weight to them whether it be they were happy or angry.
"Both Fangsu and Elder Chen have the same smile," Jingyi commented.
"Really? I would have never thought about that," Fangsu's grandpa continued to sipping his tea wanting to hear more.
"Fangsu is always calm very much like you are right now, " Jingyi spoke out of her heart speaking all of Fangsu's traits, "She must have learnt her skills from you,"
Fangsu's grandpa let out a relieved breath, "I only taught her skill but her mother taught her cooking," He drained the last drops of the tea and stood up, "I'm thankful Fangsu has a friend like you." Fangsu's grandpa thanked Jingyi and Xiao Lu.
"Grandpa! Come help me peel the bamboo shoots!" Fangsu shouted from the kitchen, the sounds of utensils clanking against each other, steam and the aroma of fragrant oil swirled mingled in the air. Jingyi and Xiao Both being curious about Fangsu's cooking skill peeked through doorways of the kitchen.
Fangsu's ash grey hair was tied up in a bun with a beige ribbon as she opened at boiling pot filled with ingredients that she had bought in the market silkie chicken, bamboo shoots and herbal plants. After checking the progress of the bamboo shoot and silkie chicken soup, Fangsu began making the dough which she allowed to rest. In a bowl, a mixture of minced meat, finely diced bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, sesame oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and egg whites was stirred together so that it would be incorporated together.
Xiao Lu entered the kitchen, "Could I help out?" Asking if there were any task to be done.
Fangsu shook her head, "You're a guest, there is no need for you to help out," As she rolled out the dough.
Xiao Lu also began rolling out the dough alongside Fangsu who could not stop Xiao Lu from helping in the kitchen. Jingyi stood in the doorway wanting to help also but was too shy that she would make a mistake. "Jingyi do you want to help too?" Fangsu kindly asked seeing that Jingyi wanted to help make buns.
"But, what if I make a mistake?" Jingyu pouted sadly. Despite her hands dusted with flour, Fangsu pulled Jingyi into the kitchen. Tying an apron to prevent possible flour from dirtying Jingyi's clothes. Fangsu slowly taught Jingyi to roll out the dough and folding technique of the buns to hold the meat filling.
Eventually, they finished all the dough and meat filling, making a mountain of buns. "We make a mountain of buns." Jingyi cheered happily while Xiao Lu and Fangsu giggled at Jingyi's cute childish behaviour. Fangsu took 8 of the buns they made, placing them into a readily available steamer that Fangsu had already placed beforehand. While the buns steamed in the steamer, Fangsu returned to check on the soup which was ready to serve (Dragon's beard bamboo shoot & silkie chicken soup). Dishing out the soup into a bowl to be served for dinner, "Xiao Lu can you take this soup to the table?"
Fangsu asked while taking more of the bamboo shoots and stir-frying it with spices and cured ham. Fangsu took another portion of the cooked bamboo shoots which was saturated with sauce while being garnished with chillies and Szechuan peppercorn. As a finishing touch hot oil was poured onto the dish.
Xiao Lu took the bowl of soup and a ladle into the dining room, where chopsticks, bowls and spoons were being set by the Fangsu's grandpa. Jingyi, Xiao Lu and Fangsu's grandpa had already seated themselves at the dinner table. Fangsu finally came into the room with the freshly steamed buns (Pork & Bamboo shoot bun), the stir-fry bamboo shoot with cured ham and the Szechuan peppercorn bamboo shoot dish in her arms which was placed on the dinner table. "Let's eat!" Fangsu smiles happily.
The dinner was filled with laughter, joy and noise which Fangsu missed with her mother and sisters. After the dinner, the finished Fangsu packed a box filled lightly oil uncooked dumplings to prevent them from stick to each other and the surface. Fangsu walked the girls out of the house through the barrier, Fangsu rushed back inside the house to retrieve a lilac purple jade hairpin embellished with silver peacock feathers. A carriage was waiting patiently outside. Fangsu handed the box to Xiao Lu, "Here are the buns we didn't eat," Fangsu smiled gently at the two girls giving the buns that the three of them made together, "You can eat it as a meal or a snack to share with your family."
Xiao Lu received the box of buns, but before they left. Jingyi and Xiao Lu hugged Fangsu as they happily laughed at each other. Jingyi and Xiao Lu entered the carriage leaving Fangsu who waited for the sight of the carriage to disappear from her sight.
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While in the carriage that headed home. Jingyi held onto the box tenderly, remembering the fun times they had together making buns even though her own ones didn't turn out that great. Jingyi could only feel guilt, deceiving Fangsu from the fact she was partly responsible for the death of Fangsu's family. But, Jingyi felt selfish for wanting to keep their friendship even if it meant she had to keep hiding the truth from Fangsu by any means possible. As the distance from the Jingyi's house lessened, Jingyi hopped out of the carriage with Xiao Lu who carried the basket of buns.
"Jingyi you're home." A male called out to Jingyi who patted Jingyi's head, messing up her hair.
Jingyi swatted the hand from messing her hair any further, "Fang-Ge! Stop messing my hair!" Jingyi poured as she untied her hair to fix the mess her brother made.
"What do you have there?" Yi Fang peered over to the box that Xiao Lu was carrying.
"Leftover buns from dinner at Fangsu's place," Jingyi answered while smiling which surprised Yi Fang to see such a happy expression on his little sister.
"The buns don't look the same," Yi Fangsu commented while opening the box to see some of the buns were beautifully folded while the rest looked like a child had made them. "What is this? It's so weirdly shaped!" Yi Fang laughed while holding a bun with folds that were uneven and lopsided.
Jingyi pouted her lips angrily, "Don't mock my buns!" Jingyi lunges to grab the precious bun she painstakingly made with Fangsu.
Yi Fang was surprised the hear that Jingyi had made the weirdly shaped buns, "You made those buns?" Yi Fang questioned still quite unsure if Jingyi actually made buns.
Jingyi glared at Yi Fang menacingly, "I did. Fangsu was the one who taught me how to make buns." Turning her back towards her brother, Jingyi depressingly sulked, "Fangsu is my only friend and she never once criticised me."
Yi Fang felt guilty for leaving Jingyi behind all those years ago when he was travelling for a mission by the request of Li Qiang. "Sorry, you know I never meant for those words to hurt you," Yi Fang patted Jingyi's head, trying to comfort her, "I was only teasing you."
Jingyi smiled, "Okay, I believe you but you won't be allowed to have any of the buns because you insulted my precious buns." Cheekily sticking her tongue out while running off to the room, to hide the buns away from her brother but she knew that it would be a matter of time before her brother found them.
Morning came, the bright sunlight illuminated the day waking the people of the capital for the beginning of a new day. Jingyi had already awakened with Xiao Lu brushing her hair, tying it into a simple half up and half down hairstyle. Xiao Lu finished tying up Jingyi's hair, "Miss, shall I ask the house chef to cook the bamboo buns for breakfast or have the usual?" Asking Jingyi whether she would like the buns or the usual meal for breakfast.
Jingyi rubbed her eyes tiredly, "Bun." Jingyi didn't feel that hungry especially in the morning but her mother stressed the idea of eating breakfast. Xiao Lu lead Jingyi to the dining room where her father, mother, Yi Fang and his servant Lan He were already sitting at the table. As soon as Jingyi sat next to her mother in front of Lan He, Xiao Lu rushed to the kitchen. Jingyi looked at Lan He's direction and once they locked eyes with each other, Jingyi could not help but blush out of embarrassment.
"Jingyi did you behave yourself when you were having dinner at the Fangsu's home?" Jingyi's mother gently asked Jingyi since her antics were quite unusual.
"I did." Jingyi answered pouting at her mother, "Fangsu taught me how to make buns."
"She did?" Jingyi's mother smiled happily at Jingyi, "Was it the bamboo shoot ones made with Shittake mushroom and scallions?"
Jingyi nodded enthusiastically, "Wait how do you know?" Jingyi was shocked that her mother knew what the buns were made with.
Jingyi's mother giggled lightly, rubbing Jingyi's forehead affectionately with her thumb, "Have you forgotten who taught her that recipe?" Reminding Jingyi of the relationship of her mother with Fangsu's mother. The three men didn't understand what the two females were talking about, thus, they were confused about the origin of the buns.
Realisation had struck Jingyi, laughing at her own forgetfulness, "Let's hope they taste is how you remember it." Jingyi smiled when Xiao Lu entered with a basket filled with the same buns. Jingyi went to grab a bun with her chopsticks and placed it into her mother's bowl. Her mother broke apart the bun with her chopsticks, smelling the bun that was lightly fragrant of sesame oil.
A wave of nostalgia flooded Jingyi's mother. "It tastes exactly how I remember but it slightly tastes a little different." As she continued to eat through the bun, a smile bloomed on her face. The men were confused to why an insignificant bun could make Lady Rong smile so much.
"Lady Rong, what is so special about this bun?" Lan He was the first to ask about the origin of the bun.
"Let's just say, " Jingyi's mother gestured her forefinger to her lips indicating to Jingyi to keep this knowledge to themselves, "It's a secret among us women." Smiling like a sly fox.
After breakfast was finished, Jingyi returns to her chambers to change into more appropriate clothes for the palace for the group meeting. Dressing in a white jacket, a pastel purple hanfu embroidered with silver peacocks feather that reflected the light, and a white satin cloak to keep herself warm from the cold autumn wind. Jingyi took out the lilac jade hairpin that was embellished with peacock feathers and slid it into her hair. The stark contrast between her dark black hair and the bright lilac jade hairpin highlighted her glossy black hair which was well cared for. "Miss the hairpin that Fangsu picked for you suits you well." Xiao Lu was given a basket of freshly made buns by another servant.
Jingyi stared at the beautiful hairpin that held her hair, "It is a beautiful hairpin." Jingyi felt a warmth grow from within herself thinking of Fangsu who gifted her with a present that seems so mundane to most people but it gave Jingyi a greater sense of pleasure and guilt. "I will treasure this hairpin."
"Jingyi! Hurry up!" Yi Fang called for Jingyi from outside her chambers, who was already dressed in an embroidered magenta hanfu while Lan He was dressed in a navy hanfu.
Jingyi rushed out of her room with Xiao Lu following behind, "Fang-ge! Lan He! Sorry, I was just getting my hair done." Once the two young men saw how dressed up Jingyi was.
They were surprised to see a lilac hairpin in her hair. "Who gave you that hairpin?" Lan He asked as black lines began forming on his forehead.
Jingyi pushed down those line on Lan He's forehead down using her hands, "Don't make that face," Jingyi smoothed out the lines from his face which returned back to its normal state, "You will get wrinkles."
"Jingyi just answers the question," Yi Fang scoffed at Lan He obvious affection towards Jingyi. Jingyi was truly oblivious to Lan He's affection towards her but they equally loved each other. He knew that Lan He would treat Jingyi better than all the other men who were pursuing Jingyi just because of her status of being the beloved daughter of the top general.
"My friend, Fangsu," Jingyi answer honestly while hopping into the carriage while the other two hopped onto horses, "Oh! Xiao Lu! Don't forget the buns!" Jingyi took the box of buns into the carriage with her.
The black lines visibly disappeared from Lan He's face as the misunderstanding cleared up.
Jingyi moved the curtain of the carriage aside, "Fang-Ge, I will be going out with Fangsu tomorrow."
Yi Fang agreed and continue to ride towards the Palace. As they entered the palace, they showcased their identification jades and was immediately granted permission into the palace. The trio continued to Li Qiang's study where Gang Hai and Li Qiang was already conversing. The trio entered the room, bowing in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness,"
Li Qiang chuckled lightly, "I have told you much time you don't need to greet me like this when we are together." Gesturing them to rise from their position.