After Dressing Up As a Little Fulang

Zang Ya’s meal plan had always consisted of five dishes and one soup, along with some desserts, making it a total of six items.

Today, however, only three items were delivered, which was clearly a shortfall.

Qing Yue frowned as she observed one of the dishes that looked like noodles. Noodles were a delightful treat in spring, autumn, and winter, but eating them in this sweltering season seemed intentionally vexing, didn’t it?

With her young master suffering so acutely from the summer heat, how could such a thing be palatable to him?

Qing Yue felt that this new cook probably had no desire to continue working. If he didn’t want to work, she would gladly send him off to some remote place. In just a few moments, Qing Yue had already arranged for her men to escort Chef Zheng elsewhere.

Just as Qing Yue was about to express her anger and order the removal of these items to seek out more food, her young master, who couldn’t get up from the mat, made his way to the chair and sat down. He then inquired to the maid serving the food, “Are these the cold skin noodles?”

The cold noodles resembled yellow noodles but with white rolled skins. Arranged next to them were plates of shredded cucumbers, pickled radish, fried bean sprout, coriander and green onions. There were also, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, ginger and garlic sauce and chili sauce, all portioned into small containers, with additional bowls nearby for easy storage.

The maid seemed a bit apprehensive but answered earnestly, “Yes, these are called Liangpi Noodles.”

“How are these supposed to be eaten?”

Upon seeing Zang Ya’s interest in eating, the maid felt relieved and replied promptly, “Just add these ingredients in and mix them thoroughly. If there’s anything you don’t like, you can leave it out.”

Not everyone enjoyed all the side dishes. Mixing disliked items could spoil the taste, which might dissuade Zang Ya from eating, so she hadn’t mixed them before serving.

Despite the extra effort, Zang Ya’s status warranted such attention.

Zang Ya examined the spread. Perhaps because it was his first time seeing it or for another reason, he displayed an unusual patience.

Unperturbed, he nodded and said directly, “Alright, add the ingredients and mix them thoroughly for me. I want to taste how it turns out.”

“Of course.” The maid obeyed, swiftly pouring in the ingredients and seasonings as instructed, then stirring them evenly in the large bowl of cold noodles.

Soon, a pungent aroma of spice and sourness mingled with the freshness of the vegetables and the fragrance of the noodles, permeating the room with an appetizing allure.

Initially indifferent, Zang Ya’s attention was captivated as the maid stirred. Once she presented the dish before him, he began to eat with his chopsticks.

With each bite, the tangy and spicy broth blended with the chewy, cool noodles, complemented by the sweet-sour cucumbers and other ingredients, instantly stimulating the appetite.

The noodles, chilled to perfection, carried the pure essence of rice, enhancing the tangy and spicy flavors, making it utterly irresistible.

After Zang Ya took the first bite, he quickly polished off half of the noodles in just a few gulps.

Qing Yue was overjoyed to see him finally eating, relieved that the young master no longer rejected the food.

The maid who delivered the meal was equally pleased, grateful that she wouldn’t face any repercussions for returning with untouched dishes.

Recalling the fulang’s advice, she swiftly poured prepared spicy sauce over the boiled and shredded vegetarian eggplants, then mixed it thoroughly with the meat slices, drenched in the soup’s flavorful broth, and placed it beside Zang Ya.

Finding the cold skin noodles satisfying, Zang Ya glanced at the prepared vegetarian eggplants and meat slices, eagerly picking up his chopsticks.

The chilled eggplants, soaked in sweet and sour sauce, offered a refreshing blend of vegetable fragrance and spicy tang, delighting his taste buds with each bite.

The meat slices, carefully chosen from the most tender cuts, infused with yam, ginger, and lotus seed flavors, proved equally delectable.

In less than twenty minutes, Zang Ya, who had struggled to eat more than a few bites in recent days, emptied the large bowl of cold noodles, along with the vegetarian eggplants, meat slices, and even sampled some of the yam in the soup.

Qing Yue beamed with satisfaction. Her morning’s efforts in reprimanding Chef Zheng had not been in vain. Clearly, it had unlocked hidden potential!

Feeling eight times fuller than usual, Zang Ya visibly relaxed and seemed much more comfortable.

Observing this, the maid promptly offered the final dessert—a bowl of rose ice powder. She presented it alongside a box of ice cubes, suggesting, “Young master, this is rose ice powder. You can enjoy it as is, or if you prefer, add some ice cubes. Would you like more ice?”

Zang Ya nodded in agreement.

The maid added more ice and served the bowl of amber liquid, fragrant with rosehip essence, adorned with watermelon, mysterious white pieces floating around in a base of ice powder sprinkled with raisins and crushed peanuts.

Zang Ya was intrigued by this dessert’s aroma of rosehip.

After one sip, the cool, icy sweetness burst in his mouth, enhanced by the refreshing watermelon, bringing him immense pleasure.

Within moments, Zang Ya finished the dessert.

After completing the last bite, Zang Ya felt pleasantly full and significantly more at ease.

Qing Yue observed with great satisfaction. Despite the modest quantity of dishes served today, the young master had finished them all. It was a small victory!

Qing Yue couldn’t hide her happiness seeing Zang Ya prepare to take a stroll after his meal. After several days of discomfort, his walking routine had clearly been ignored. Today marked his first step toward resuming normal activities.

Qing Yue was overjoyed and looked at the maid who was packing her things. She took out a small purse that she carried with her and took out a silver leaf. She handed it to the maid who had just taken the step out and said directly: “This is for the cook, let him do his best for dinner.”

The maid quickly took it with both hands and said respectfully: “Yes, I will hand it over to Chef Zheng properly.”