PFC Chapter 2: Little Sizi 1, you must keep this a secret!
Chapter 2: Little Sizi 1, you must keep this a secret!
Su Mu subconsciously wanted to take the dough ball out.
This area is the imperial palace; even a dilapidated woodshed that no one cares about is not a place that anyone can just trespass on.
But looking at the little girl in front of him, who looked to be only three or four years old, she was wearing ordinary clothes, but the material was the finest Shu brocade, and the jade pendant hanging at her waist was incredibly translucent.
On second thought, who else could be running around the palace like this, besides Princess Jinyang who is showered with love and affection?
That was Li Shimin's darling, and Empress Zhangsun's lifeblood.
If I get a stomachache from eating this, my hundred-odd pounds of flesh won't even be enough to warrant being beheaded!
"Go! Go! Go."
Su Mu didn't get up, but simply raised the bowl of fried rice higher, as if teasing a cat, "Go back to where you came from. This stuff is too oily, and kids won't be able to digest it."
The little rhinoceros got anxious.
The overpowering aroma lingered right under her nose, which was practically torture. She stood on tiptoe, her chubby little hands flailing wildly in the air, trying to reach the bowl.
"No... Brother..."
Little Sizi pouted, her eyes instantly reddening. Her big, black, grape-like eyes immediately filled with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall, only letting them swirl in her eyes.
"I'm hungry...my tummy hurts..."
She didn't try to snatch it, but instead pitifully clutched her stomach, her voice soft and sweet, with a slight lisp from her still-growing baby teeth: "Pretty buddy, can you give Xiziqi a bite? Just one bite..."
A beautiful pot?
Su Mu's eye twitched.
This nickname... although it's a bit cheesy, it sounds rather pleasant.
In this life and the next, who could resist a human baby who is exquisitely beautiful and calls you "pretty brother"?
Moreover, the cub looked really hungry, its little belly making a series of rumbling sounds.
"Alright, alright, stop with your magic."
Su Mu sighed, ultimately unable to bring himself to do it.
He was a cook and couldn't bear to see people go hungry, especially such tiny children.
"Just one bite, no more!"
He found a clean little wooden bowl and scooped out about two spoonfuls. This fried rice was very oily, and the child looked weak; eating too much would easily cause indigestion.
The tears in Xiao Sizi's eyes vanished instantly, her change of expression astonishing. She held the rough wooden bowl in both hands as if it were some rare treasure.
There are no spoons.
But this was no challenge for the noble princess of the Tang Dynasty.
The little rhinoceros grabbed it directly with its hands.
The moment her fingertips touched the rice, it was so hot that she flinched, but the irresistible aroma made her completely forget about it.
Ignoring the heat, I grabbed a small handful of golden rice grains and eagerly stuffed them into my mouth.
boom!
Xiao Sizi froze instantly.
At that moment, there were no golden dragons flying or fairies scattering flowers.
Only the purest and most intense joy!
That's the intense Maillard reaction that occurs when oils and carbohydrates are mixed and stir-fried at high temperatures.
The aroma of lard dominates the entire mouth, the tenderness of the egg swirls on the tongue, and each grain of rice is like a little sprite, bouncing and bursting as it is ground by the teeth!
It has none of the gamey smell of mutton, none of the mushy texture of stew, and none of the bitterness of medicinal cuisine.
It smells amazing!
A pure, irresistible aroma that makes you want to swallow your tongue!
"Ugh!!!"
The little ox's eyes widened suddenly, its cheeks bulging, clearly unwilling to swallow.
In that instant, she felt that everything she had ever eaten before was fake. The food prepared by those old men at the Imperial Kitchen was practically pig feed!
"You're a liar!"
Little Sizi chewed quickly, mumbling indistinctly, a grain of golden rice still clinging to the corner of her mouth: "Mother used to say the food in the imperial kitchen wasn't good... Turns out the good food was all hidden away by the handsome chefs!"
This is so delicious!
She felt every pore on her body relax, and the cold, hungry feeling in her stomach was instantly soothed by the hot meal.
Two spoonfuls of rice is about two bites for an adult.
But for Xiao Sizi, this was the most delicious meal she had ever eaten since she was born!
She ate extremely fast, like a whirlwind.
The little chubby hands were covered in oil. After finishing what was in the bowl, he still lingered and stuck out his pink little tongue to carefully lick around the edge of the wooden bowl, as if he wanted to lick the wood grain clean.
"I want more..."
Little Sizi held up the empty bowl and looked at Su Mu pitifully.
"That's all."
Su Mu refused decisively, and casually moved his large bowl a little further away, saying, "This stuff is made with strong oil; with your small frame, eating too much will give you an upset stomach tonight."
Little Sizi pouted, about to cry again.
Su Mu, however, was prepared.
The system's newbie gift pack included a bunch of random basic seasonings and ingredients, including a jar of pickled honey grapefruit tea.
This stuff was a common drink in my previous life, but in the Tang Dynasty, it was a miracle cure for indigestion and greasiness!
He took a rough porcelain cup, scooped a spoonful of thick grapefruit honey, and poured it into warm water.
"Drink this."
Su Mu handed over the cup, saying, "It's for digestion. You're not allowed to cry after you finish drinking it, or I'll throw you out."
Xiao Sizi sniffed and looked at the pale yellow water with some suspicion.
Do I need to take medicine again?
She hates drinking water the most; it tastes bitter.
But seeing the handsome man's determined look, she cautiously leaned closer and tentatively stuck out the tip of her tongue to lick it.
acid.
Then comes the sweetness!
That refreshing, fruity sweetness instantly washed away the lingering greasiness in my mouth.
The warm liquid slid down my throat, and my stomach, which had felt a bit tight from eating too fast, suddenly felt much better.
"Wow--!"
Little Sizi held the cup with both hands and drank it in big gulps, her eyes crinkling into two crescent moons with laughter.
"It's sweet! It tastes delicious!"
After drinking a glass of water, Little Sizi let out a comfortable burp, slumped down on a small wooden stool next to the woodpile, patted his round little belly, and looked completely satisfied.
This is what a human life should be like!
Seeing the little girl's blissful expression, Su Mu felt inexplicably pleased.
This is probably a common problem for chefs: seeing diners conquered by their skills gives them a greater sense of accomplishment than being given an official position.
However, as enjoyable as it may be, there's still business to be done.
"Have you eaten and drunk your fill?"
Su Mu squatted down, his line of sight level with Xiao Sizi.
"Mmm!" Little Si nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushed.
"Then you have to promise me something."
Su Mu put on a stern face, deliberately adopting a fierce expression, "What you eat and drink here today, you're not allowed to tell anyone when you get back. If your father and mother find out..."
He made a throat-slitting gesture, "I'll be banished from the palace, and you'll never be able to eat such delicious food or drink such sweet water again."
When the little ox heard that it wouldn't be able to eat anymore, its face turned pale with fright.
She quickly jumped down from the wooden stump, covered her mouth tightly with her two little hands, and shook her head like a rattle drum.
"Not good, not good! This is not good!"
She released one hand, raised it above her head, and solemnly swore, her little face incredibly serious: "I'm the most tight-lipped! Even if Father asks me, I won't say it! I absolutely do not know any pretty boys in Taiwan, and I absolutely do not know any pretty boys hiding in the woodshed cooking!"
Su Mu: "..."
He suddenly felt a chill on his back.
Does this girl really know what secrecy means?