CH 46

C46 – I’m A Good Student!

After seeing off his father, Tang Yue returned to his room. Wang Zizhao’s room happened to be adjacent to his own. Being neighbors with the prince gave him a pleasant feeling.

The room exuded comfort. It maintained an understated and luxurious ambiance. Tang Yue, exhausted from the day’s events, retired to bed early.

The following morning, Tang Yue was roused from sleep before daybreak. Disoriented, he hastily jumped out of bed and inquired, “Is the patient experiencing postoperative complications?”

A servant knelt inside the room, taken aback by Tang Yue’s reaction. He swiftly prostrated himself and replied, “No, young master. Wang Zizhao has breakfast at dawn every day. The steward instructed me to inform you.”

Tang Yue’s mind was still foggy. “Morning? What time is that?” He rubbed his hair and discovered it was tangled. In frustration, he tugged at it a few times, causing his scalp to tingle with pain.

Finally, his brain sparked awake, and he fully regained consciousness.

“Ah, they’re telling me to get up and prepare breakfast for Wang Zizhao. Is it really necessary to rise this early?” Tang Yue murmured to himself before proceeding to change his attire.

A servant hurriedly stepped forward to assist. Tang Yue noticed that the servant’s hands and movements were quite nimble, and he didn’t have the same fragrant scent as the maids, so Tang Yue felt comfortable letting him serve.

The kitchen in Prince Zhao’s Mansion was remarkably spacious. Initially, Tang Yue assumed it was a communal kitchen, but upon inquiry, he discovered that the expansive area was designated exclusively for Wang Zizhao’s use.

Tang Yue clicked his tongue and rolled up his sleeves, ready to start working. He had grown accustomed to someone’s arrogance, so he didn’t feel any envy.

Observing from the sidelines, the butler grew concerned and whispered, “Young Master Tang, why don’t you ask the chefs to do this?”

While Tang Yue was cracking eggs, he overheard the butler’s remark. He glanced at him and replied, “Of course, but you must assure me that your master won’t blame me. He insisted that I do it myself.”

Do you understand the significance of making it with your own hands?

The housekeeper’s face twitched, embarrassed laughter escaping him as he retreated to the side. However, his eyes remained fixed on Tang Yue’s hands, as if he feared being poisoned by him.

Tang Yue decided to prepare egg rice, soybean milk, and wonton for Wang Zizhao, ensuring he would have a satisfying meal.

Wang Zizhao’s kitchen was stocked with a variety of fresh ingredients, likely harvested and purchased early in the morning.

Tang Yue took a handful of vegetables and washed them. Just as he was about to start chopping, a thought crossed his mind, and he asked, “If I prepare breakfast now, won’t it be cold by the time Wang Zizhao wakes up?”

“…” The butler gazed at the sky and responded innocently, “Not at all. There are still two hours until young master Chen departs. You need to pick up the pace. Which dishes are you planning to make?”

Tang Yue paused and inwardly complained, Whose breakfast takes two hours to make?

“Egg rice, soybean milk, and wonton. I can have them ready within an hour.”

“Only… three dishes?” The butler’s mouth hung open in shock.

“Isn’t this enough? How much can your master consume? What does he usually have for breakfast?”

The butler started counting on his fingers, leaving Tang Yue feeling dizzy. There were five varieties of grilled meat and over three different dishes. He couldn’t even keep track of the extensive range of food.

Was he planning to prepare a grand feast fit for a Manchu Han banquet for just one person?

“Is your master a glutton?” Tang Yue asked irritably.

The butler’s expression changed, his face turning serious as he scolded, “Young sir, please mind your choice of words.”

Tang Yue had forgotten that, in this era, pigs were not considered cute. It wasn’t a term to be used lightly or for humor. He humbly acknowledged his mistake, saying, “I apologize. Please forgive me.”

Changing the subject, he continued, “However, Wang Zizhao is currently in recovery. It’s best for him to avoid heavy and indulgent meals, so it would be preferable to follow my proposed menu.”

With a resolute expression, he puffed out his chest and declared, “Fortunately, I stayed behind. Otherwise, if I were to consume meals like this, it would hinder your master’s recovery from his injuries.”

“Is that truly the case?” The Guan Family was astonished. Could it be that Wang Zizhao’s injuries were not healing completely due to the incorrect dishes prepared by the Chef?

However, their recipes had received approval from the Imperial Medical Office.

Tang Yue responded with certainty, “It is indeed true. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing more I can do!”

“Of course, I trust you. Let’s follow the young master’s instructions.” As the butler contemplated the uninspiring dishes that would adorn his master’s table in the coming month, he blamed himself.

How could such a simple recipe be served on Wang Zizhao’s table?

Tang Yue felt a secret sense of satisfaction. If you insist on having your father serve you, don’t even dream of indulging in the exquisite delicacies of land and sea.

He prepared breakfast for both of them. The butler assumed it was for Wang Zizhao and felt somewhat satisfied. He thought to himself, “Well, at least the quantity is decent.”

When Tang Yue went to find Wang Zizhao with their breakfast, he discovered that Wang Zizhao was already awake. He sat quietly on the bed, engrossed in reading a book while the morning light illuminated his face.

“Ahem… Stop reading for a moment. Let’s eat,” Tang Yue said as he placed the plate on the small table by the bed. He sat down on the bed and divided the food between the two of them.

Wang Zizhao held a spoon in his hand and asked with uncertainty, “Why are you sitting here?”

“Let’s eat,” Tang Yue replied, picking up a small wonton. It was thin and generously filled, with added shrimp. It tasted delicious, although he had to substitute the wonton skin with tofu skin, which wasn’t as smooth.

Observing that Wang Zizhao showed no intention of starting to eat, Tang Yue scooped up a wonton for him. “Eat it quickly. Give my cooking a try. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

Wang Zizhao genuinely wanted to summon someone to come and kick this rascal out, but he gave up on the idea because the delectable food was indeed tempting.

He set aside the wonton that Tang Yue had scooped and tasted one himself. His eyes showed a hint of surprise and delight.

While he had eaten meat paste before, he had never expected it to be so delicious. Even the soup was exceptionally flavorful.

The Egg Fried Rice was visually appealing as well. The golden outer layer looked tantalizing, and the mixture of rice grains and green vegetables whetted the appetite.

“How does it taste?” Tang Yue asked with a sense of satisfaction, observing his enjoyment.

Wang Zizhao chewed slowly, swallowed the food in his mouth, and nodded. “It’s good.”

Those two simple words served as high praise for Tang Yue’s cooking skills. Tang Yue smiled happily and asked, “Does that cover the tuition fee?”

Wang Zizhao put down his spoon, took the cup of water from the servant, and rinsed his mouth. Then he pointed to a box in the corner and said, “The notes should be in the box. Get a scroll from there. Let’s begin.”

Tang Yue followed the direction of his finger and noticed an additional box in the corner. It contained a stack of bamboo slips, causing a sense of overwhelming confusion.

It was a time when paper was scarce, making the process of learning how to read quite challenging.

He finally understood why the general level of knowledge during this era was low. With such a significant presence of bamboo slips taking up space in homes, most people would struggle to find solid ground for their feet.

Tang Yue realized that he wasn’t truly illiterate after all. Wang Zizhao had merely spoken the words to him once, but Tang Yue suddenly experienced a moment of enlightenment. If he didn’t associate the words with his mental dictionary and vivid hieroglyphs, he wouldn’t be able to remember them.

If Tang Yue hadn’t exhibited his inability to read beforehand, Wang Zizhao would have assumed that he had been deceived.

An hour later, with a joyful expression, Tang Yue pushed the sand table in front of Wang Zizhao. “What do you think? Isn’t my student impressive? Will I disappoint you?”

This sand table was specially crafted by Wang Zizhao, providing an ideal medium for practicing writing when paper was scarce.

Wang Zizhao scrutinized the words on the sand table and pointed out a few minor mistakes. Then he inquired, “Are you really unfamiliar with writing from the past?”

Although these words were not perfect, they did not resemble the handwriting of a beginner.

Tang Yue’s thoughts raced as he shyly smiled. “Ever since I was young, I desired to learn how to write. Unfortunately, no one taught me, so I had to imitate the appearance of others’ words on my own. I merely know the form without comprehending the meaning.”

Wang Zizhao accepted this explanation. It could also explain why Tang Yue’s writing contained several small errors. It seemed that he hadn’t received proper instruction in the past.

If Tang Yue were aware of Wang Zizhao’s thoughts, he would certainly burst into laughter. He was simply unconsciously following some habits from his previous life.

Tang Yue roughly estimated the number of words he had learned that day. There were over a hundred words today, and there were at least a thousand words in that box. It was about time for him to delve into commonly used vocabulary.

After the study session concluded, Wang Zizhao resumed his work while Tang Yue led his men to practice calligraphy.

The ink-making process was not as simple as using a brush. Tang Yue only knew the main ingredients, but the actual method required experimentation by these ancient people over and over again.

On the first day, they couldn’t even produce black ink. Tang Yue felt disheartened, realizing that unlocking his “golden finger” would be challenging. After all, he wasn’t all-knowing or omnipotent.

For dinner, Tang Yue prepared a wild chicken stew on Wang Zizhao’s table. There was a generous serving of sauced steak, golden shrimp balls, garlic scallops, vegetables, and steamed bass.

Wang Zizhao still greatly enjoyed the meal. In fact, he had previously tasted most of the ingredients on the table, but Tang Yue’s touch transformed the taste and presentation entirely.

He wondered where Tang Yue had acquired such culinary skills.

Tang Yue couldn’t help but feel fortunate that information development was limited in this era. Communication was slow, and acquiring knowledge was challenging. Considering that Tang Yue had lost his only family member and had minimal contact with others, it was understandable that the public’s perception of him differed from his true self.

Naturally, both Wang Zizhao and the Marquis of Yueyang were perplexed by Tang Yue’s extensive knowledge of things beyond the era. However, the former required Tang Yue’s talent, and the latter desired his vast knowledge. Consequently, they tacitly treated Tang Yue as a valuable asset rather than a strange anomaly.
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