JIN WANG DOTES ON HIS CONCUBINE

41-45

Chapter41

The small kitchen was the busiest at noontime.

Everyone had their own work that needed to be done, so they would take turns to have their lunch break. Yuyan and Yucui had become more restrictive after Jin Wang's last visit to the small courtyard. During his last visit, he found no one working at their posts.

Yaoniang came to the small kitchen to get her lunch.

The meals for the wet nurses were made separately. To produce the best milk to feed the little princess, the nurses' meals were all first-class. There were chicken, duck, lamb, and fish. None of the meals were repeated. Additional fruits and snacks were also provided.

For today's meal, besides the dishes of meat and vegetable, there was also soup. It was a soup of pig trotters with soybeans and herbs. This soup was good for promoting milk production and served as nourishment for the wet nurses.

Flowers floated at the surface of the milky white stew. Within the soup, pieces of pig trotters and soybeans bobbed up and down. The chef began to stew the soup before sunrise and it was simmered slowly over a low fire. Now, she opened up the lid of the pot and a savoury aroma swirled through the air. The people who stood nearby, couldn't help but salivate at the smell.

"It smells sooo good! What delicious food did Mommy Mo make today? Let me try some." The speaker was a young servant girl named Xiao Man. Whenever she saw something yummy, she would want to try it.

When she first entered the small courtyard, she was very thin. Now, she more closely resembled a chubby ball. According to the nannies who worked in the kitchen, she was round enough to be butchered for a New Year's celebration. These words weren't meant to be reprimands but were said with helplessness and even hints of pride.

Xiao Man's mouth was very sweet and she was a hard worker. Everyone loved her very much.

Seeing that Xiao Man was gluttonous again, Mommy Mo laughed. She slapped away Xiao Man's outstretched chubby paws and said, "This was prepared for the wet nurses. You can't eat this."

Xiao Man gulped and enviously said, "Nanny Su and the others have really great meals. If I could eat their food every day, it would be great."

Old Lady Wang, who stood at the side and was filling a large basin with cooked dishes, heard this and laughed. She joked, "If you want to eat their meals, it won't be easy. First, you have to find someone to marry. Then, you need to have a kid. But being a nanny is a pretty nice job with decent pay.

Old Lady Zhao was angered. "You uncultured swine! Xiao Man is still young. Telling her this, aren't you afraid of misleading her?" As she said this, she stuffed some fennel seeds to Xiao Man. "Here, you can eat these instead."

Xiao Man thanked her and ran away with a big grin. The servant girls like her, who did labour work, were usually the last to enjoy lunch.

Mommy Mo saw Yaoniang walk in. She smiled and said to her, "Nanny Su is here early today."

Yaoniang nodded. "The little princess is asleep so I came here first. Later, Yuyan will come and we will switch."

The wet nurses' meals were already prepared and served on the plates. Mommy Mo looked at Yaoniang hesitantly and asked, "I stewed some pig trotters today. Do you want any?"

Yaoniang didn't like to eat meat. She especially disliked this type of meat stew. Yet, to produce enough milk for the princess, she does try to eat as much meat as possible. But she would never drink the broth. Despite not drinking the broth, Yaoniang produced enough milk so it didn't really matter. Mommy Mo also knew about this, which was why she asked.