The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl

64. A’Chou’s Dumplings

Translator: Iris Guo

“I don’t see you gaining weight although you think about food all the time.” Zhong Mingwei raised his eyebrows, smiled, and whispered: “How about making some dumplings? Stuffed with shepherd’s purse?”

“Sure! And meat! Haha, I’m craving that.” said A’Chou with a smile. Then, she pinched Zhong Mingwei’s nose and continued: “Enough about me. What’s your favorite?”

Zhong Mingwei was stunned, and didn’t know the answer himself for a while.

He didn’t have a favorite. An Emperor shouldn’t have any favorites, which was taught by the Empress Dowager a long time ago. He stared at the disappearing crisp fried chicken of which he only took another bite with greedy eyes and didn’t understand why the Empress Dowager ordered others to move it.

Since then, he had learnt the imperial philosophy, which was no matter how much he liked a dish, he could only take three bites at most. Further, he still remembered the scene he made in the Cining Palace out of anger and what the Empress Dowager told him.

“Mingwei, to be an Emperor, you should have no partiality and be moderate.” The Empress Dowager said slowly while she wiping his tears: “You’ll understand it when you get older.”

As the Empress Dowager said, Zhong Mingwei did understand it as he grew up.

He had lived up to her expectations and grown into a shrewd Crown Prince who would never be swayed. His position in the government became stabler. He became calmer, and smiled less. Further, his admiration for her great wisdom grew with the passage of time.

As she said, he should have no partiality and be moderate, or he would have weaknesses, where people might attack.

…

“What’s your favorite?” A’Chou became a little impatient and pinched Zhong Mingwei’s nose.

“Dumplings.” Zhong Mingwei gathered his wits and felt soft inside seeing A’Chou’s big smile. “The dumplings you make.”

“Haha, I’ll knead dough and make some then.” A’Chou got out of Zhong Mingwei’s bed delightedly, and bounced out while humming the tune she heard from somewhere: “He was looking at me, and I was looking at him. He cared about me, and I cared about him. How could deadly foe become lovers? Then I followed him to the Palace of Hell…”

Day: The second day of the sixth lunar month, the 32nd year of Jiasheng Reign

Location: NingGuTa

After two days of rain, it cleared up today. After making Zhong Mingwei’s breakfast, A’Chou went out with a big bamboo basket on her back. There must be many mushrooms and fungi in the moist mountain. She couldn’t recognize edible mushrooms, but she knew all about fungi. After a stop-and-go walk to the foot of the mountain, she had already picked more than half a basket of fungi.

“Miss, nice to meet you again.” When Chen Qingxuan came out to get drinks, he saw A’Chou pulling fungi off the fence of his courtyard.

“Huh?” A’Chou was startled. She didn’t expect to be caught in the act, but the fungi were still in her hand. Thus, she blushed immediately and let go of the fence in embarrassment: “…Me too, Mr. Chen. Well, it doesn’t rain anymore, so I came out to pick some fungi.”

“Thirsty?” Chen Qingxuan sensed her uneasiness, so he hastened to smooth things over. “We have just prepared some jujube tea. Why not come inside?”

“Would it be okay?” A’Chou felt really embarrassed to bother Chen Qingxuan all the time. She became more ashamed looking at the mud on her shoes, and rejected while waving her hand hurriedly: “I’m not thirsty. I’ve picked too many fungi. Would you like to share?”

“Sure, but you need to share my tea since no gains without pains.” said Chen Qingxuan with a smile. Then, he opened the door and urged A’Chou: “Come on in.”

A’Chou had no choice but to follow Cheng Qingxuan into his courtyard. Then, she scraped the mud off her shoes against the steps, and entered the main hall with him. However, she saw an old woman with gray hair embroidering in front of the window.