A Ming Dynasty Adventure

The essence of hotpot lies in the final noodles that have absorbed the aromas of various meats and vegetables.

Watching Wei Caiwei fish out the last noodle from the chicken soup hotpot, Wang Daxia’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He was in his growth spurt, a true carnivore who couldn’t enjoy a meal without meat. The bland congee with shredded chicken felt like he hadn’t eaten at all—his stomach was full, but his eyes and taste buds remained unsatisfied.

Wei Caiwei picked up the noodles with her chopsticks but didn’t eat them right away. She lifted the strands repeatedly, letting the autumn breeze disperse the steam. Once the noodles had cooled, she pushed the bowl toward Wang Daxia.

Wang Daxia was overjoyed. "For me?"

Wei Caiwei nodded. "I’m already full. The noodles were cooked for you. Remember not to eat anything too hot these next couple of days, and rinse your mouth often. Also, during Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone eats crabs, but avoid them—they’re inflammatory. Stay away from dipping sauces with scallions, ginger, or vinegar too, as they’ll irritate the membrane in your mouth. Take good care of yourself and make sure it doesn’t ulcerate."

Though she had intended to teach him a lesson about swallowing things carelessly, Wei Caiwei couldn’t bear to see Wang Daxia’s longing expression and gave him the most delicious part of the hotpot—the noodles.

Wang Daxia nodded repeatedly, cradling the noodle bowl larger than his head as he ate the cooled hotpot noodles. Soaked in broth and chilled, the noodles were even more flavorful. It was the best thing he’d eaten all Mid-Autumn Festival.

After the meal, Wang Daxia stayed behind as usual to help her clean up and wash the dishes. Wei Caiwei threw away the mooncakes he had chopped to pieces—fearing fragments from the cleaver had mixed into the filling. She couldn’t bring herself to discard the remaining seven mooncakes, but they were too hard to bite into. So, she stacked them into a pagoda shape and offered them before the spirit tablet of "Deceased Husband Wang Erlang."

The words "Blooming Flowers and Full Moon" on the mooncake crusts eerily matched the spirit tablet.

For some reason, seeing the rock-hard mooncakes placed before Wang Erlang’s spirit tablet made Wang Daxia’s teeth ache, as if they were offerings for him—which, in fact, they were. Wang Erlang was Wang Daxia.

After arranging the "offerings," Wei Caiwei set up several mousetraps around them to prevent the mooncakes from attracting rodents.

Wang Daxia remarked, "I think you’re overdoing it. Mice can gnaw through wood, but they definitely can’t chew through the mooncakes you made."

That was true.

Wei Caiwei put away the mousetraps.

Wang Daxia cleared his throat lightly. "It’s the fifteenth of August today. Do you have any plans?"

Wei Caiwei replied, "Cook, eat, take a nap. After waking up, prepare some restorative tonic for Lady Li of the Lu residence. Then cook again—actually, never mind. Cooking is too troublesome. I’ll eat out tonight. I woke up early this morning and worked all morning, but only the chicken soup hotpot was barely edible. The mooncakes were a disaster and made your mouth bleed. It seems the kitchen and I aren’t meant to be—let’s not torture each other."

Truly a "smashing" failure—the mooncakes were hard enough to break walls without cracking.

Wei Caiwei’s culinary challenge had failed; she went from starting out to giving up in just half a day.

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Daxia extended an invitation. "It’s the festival today. Restaurants will close early for the holiday—everyone’s celebrating. You might not find a place to eat tonight. How about... coming to our place for a meal?"

Wei Caiwei was taken aback. "Huh? To your home?"Wang Daxia nodded, "We're neighbors, and a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. It's a festival for family reunions anyway. Rather than spending it alone, why not join us? As you know, my stepmother has been divorced, so it's just me, my father, Commander Mu, and my younger brother at home. A simple household with few rules—just a meal together."

Autumn arrived, and the results of the metropolitan evaluation were announced. As expected, Wang Commander lost his official position due to his former wife Madam Wu's involvement in usurious loans and his negligence in oversight.

However, Lu Bing had put in a word with the Five Cities Patrol Battalion, ensuring that Wang Commander's trusted subordinate, Officer Mu, took over the position of commander at the Northern City Military Command. Commander Mu had started as a lowly soldier in the Northern City Military Command and worked his way up steadily. His appointment as commander was widely supported and respected by all. With Lu Bing's backing giving him an extra push, he was promoted one rank and became the new commander. After all, why let benefits flow to outsiders?

Commander Mu continued to reside at the Wang residence and still showed great respect to Wang Commander.

Wei Caiwei said, "Your family has four men celebrating the festival. What business does a widow like me have joining in? Besides, you're not the master of the Wang residence—your father is. If he doesn't extend a formal invitation, it wouldn't be proper for me to show up uninvited."

"You're only fourteen, and you're already in such a hurry to introduce me to your family? Have I agreed to it? Has your family agreed to it?"

Wang Daxia, always casual and accustomed to a carefree, spoiled lifestyle, hadn't considered such details of etiquette. He slapped his forehead and said, "You're right. But it's no problem—I'll go back and ask my father to send an invitation. He'll definitely agree."

Ever since Wang Daxia was promoted three ranks in a row to become a Hundred-Household Commander and Wang Commander lost his position, their career paths had reversed. Wang Daxia had become increasingly assertive at home. Confident that he could wheedle or pester his father into issuing an invitation, he saw no obstacle.

"Forced melons aren't sweet," Wei Caiwei still refused. "I'm perfectly content celebrating the festival quietly on my own. If the restaurants are closed, I can just reheat the leftovers from lunch and make do."

Just as Wang Daxia was about to persuade her further, there was a knock at the door.

Since the incident when Zhou Xiaoqi attempted to kidnap her in the middle of the night, Wei Caiwei never opened the door casually. "Who is it?" she asked.

"Your neighbor, Wang Commander."

Speak of the devil. Wang Daxia hurried to open the door. "Father? What brings you here?"

As expected, his son was here. On such a festive day, instead of staying home, he had to run off to the neighbor's—a widow's house.

However, Wang Commander had long given up any unrealistic expectations for his son. He couldn't control him anyway, so he let him be.

Wang Commander said, "I'm here to see Doctor Wei, of course."

Wang Daxia still blocked the doorway. "What does Father need from Doctor Wei?"

He worried that his father, unable to manage him, might instead trouble Wei Caiwei—perhaps handing her a stack of silver notes, a few acres of land, or a large house, demanding that she "stay away from my son," "stop pestering him," or "there's no future for the two of you."

Wasn't that how it always went in the storybooks?

In front of Wei Caiwei, Wang Commander refrained from losing his temper with his son, especially on such a festive day.

Wei Caiwei came forward to greet him. "Commander Wang, please come in and have a seat. Let me offer you some tea.""No need, I'm here to deliver an invitation." Wang Commander took out a bright red invitation. "We've been neighbors for four months now, looking out for each other and maintaining harmonious relations. Today being the Mid-Autumn Festival, I thought Doctor Wei might be spending it alone, so I've prepared some simple wine and dishes. I've come specially to invite Doctor Wei to join us for dinner tonight. I wonder if you would honor us with your presence?"

Wang Daxia was stunned. Had the sun risen from the west today! How did my father accidentally stumble upon exactly what I had in mind? How did he know I wanted to invite Caiwei to celebrate the festival together?

After a moment of surprise, Wang Daxia showed an approving smile toward his father. It was rare for them to have such a filial moment. He laughed and said, "For something like delivering an invitation, you could have waited until I came home and let me handle it. Father, you didn't need to make a special trip."

Wang Commander paused and said, "I actually wrote the invitation last night, originally planning to have you deliver it this morning. But you disappeared somewhere early this morning. I waited for you all morning at home, then through noon. I really couldn't wait any longer, worried that Doctor Wei might have other arrangements in the afternoon, so I came to deliver the invitation and extend the invitation in person. After all, I'm free of official duties now, just idling at home with nothing better to do. Doctor Wei, I wonder if you—"

Wei Caiwei accepted the invitation and said, "Since you honor me with this invitation, how could I refuse?" Thus she agreed to attend the Mid-Autumn banquet at the Wang residence that evening.

Wang Commander wouldn't invite her to a banquet without reason—he must have something to say to her.

Wang Commander said, "Excellent! Does Doctor Wei have any dietary restrictions? I'll go back and inform the kitchen."

Just as Wei Caiwei was about to say she had no restrictions and would eat anything, Wang Daxia interjected, "I know Doctor Wei's dietary restrictions and preferences. I'll go speak with the kitchen."

Both Wang Commander and Wei Caiwei glanced at Wang Daxia simultaneously, their gazes colliding on him before separating.

Wang Commander thought to himself: The way Doctor Wei looks at my son is quite peculiar! It somewhat resembles how my late wife used to look at Wang Daxia when he was little and being mischievous, breaking vases—that mix of doting and helplessness.

Their relationship... doesn't seem to be what the rumors in the streets suggest.

Wang Daxia happily followed his father home and went straight to the kitchen, directing the cook to prepare Wei Caiwei's favorite dishes. "...She doesn't like picking crab meat, as it gets fishy smell stuck under her fingernails and affects her handling of medicinal herbs. Steam the crabs, then pick out all the crab meat, roe, and paste inside. Marinate them with Sichuan pepper, scallions, ginger, and garlic minced, then coat with a layer of flour. Fry them again until crispy outside and tender inside, then stuff them back into the empty crab shells to absorb the freshness. Finally, prepare a dipping sauce with sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. Dip when eating—oh, that deliciousness."

This was a dish Ding Wu often made when he was around. Wei Caiwei particularly enjoyed eating crab meat in large mouthfuls like this, without having to fuss with various crab-picking tools, eating cleanly and refreshingly.

Wang Daxia had benefited from being with Wei Caiwei and had eaten this dish several times. He greatly admired Ding Wu's culinary skills.

The cook said, "This method sounds interesting. I'll try making one portion for the Second Young Master to taste, to see if it's the right flavor."

Although Wang Daxia wasn't currently the master of the Wang residence, he had been promoted three levels consecutively and had Lu Bing as his powerful backer. Meanwhile, the family head Wang Commander was already "yesterday's flower." The future of the Wang family belonged to Wang Daxia, and even the servants were following suit, currying favor with Wang Daxia accordingly.

Since Wang Daxia had taken the trouble to come to the kitchen to give instructions, the cook naturally had to serve him well, fulfilling whatever he requested without exception.Wang Daxia said, "Let's settle on pigeon soup for the broth, remember to stew it until tender."

"Understood, Second Young Master."

Wang Daxia instructed, "...vinegar-braised cabbage, red fermented glutinous rice steamed shad fish, yellow-braised chicken with Chinese yam, simmer a chestnut congee, for cold dishes make jade melon (cucumber) tossed with Liaodong golden shrimp (dried shrimp), and also prepare rose-scented goose oil steamed bread."

These were all dishes Ding Wu had previously made, and since Ding Wu only prepared dishes Wei Caiwei favored, following his recipes was guaranteed to please.

"Noted, all written down. What about drinks?"

Wang Daxia replied, "Doctor Wei rarely drinks alcohol, just prepare some casual fruit syrup that won't make one drunk no matter how much is consumed."

Wang Daxia was taste-testing in the kitchen, having tried the crispy fried crab three times before approving, "...this flavor is very close now, make it exactly like this."

Commander Mu reported Wang Daxia's afternoon activities to Wang Commander, naturally focusing on the positive: "Since Second Young Master was promoted to Hundred-Household Commander, he's become more attentive and caring. Completely different from the troublemaker who caused chaos in the northern district four months ago. His future prospects are limitless."

Commander Mu was genuinely happy for Wang Daxia.

Yet Wang Commander remained worried, "I'm his biological father, and he has never served me like this. For just one meal, he's taste-tested dishes three times - even preparing for the Emperor's arrival wouldn't require this much effort. Tell me, what exactly is his relationship with Doctor Wei? Why does he care more about her than his own father?"

Author's Note: All dishes mentioned in this chapter, including the crispy fried crab, are from "The Plum in the Golden Vase."

Additionally, regarding the hardness of Caiwei's mooncakes from the previous chapter - she only had flour and water. Even French bread has yeast added during kneading, where yeast fermentation creates internal gas pockets making it lighter and crispier. Caiwei didn't even proof her dough, directly baking unleadedened dough. If French bread with yeast can be that hard, Caiwei's five-nut mooncakes could only be harder.

Ranked by hardness: Russian black bread > Wang Xiaoxia's French bread > Caiwei's five-nut mooncakes.