The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 54: Cheese and Plantains
Nian Shilan was lying quietly on the bed sleeping, while Guyu and Xiaoman, who were on duty, were taking a nap on the floor of the bed.

Nian Shilan came to the kitchen of the palace in her dream.

She stood in the kitchen and looked around. The servants were all busy, and still no one could see her condition. She walked around the kitchen casually.

It was strange that the kitchen manager was not Li Dafu whom she had met a few days ago, but a thin eunuch who looked to be around thirty years old.

The steward was arranging work for other people when a third-class maid accidentally knocked over a salt jar. The steward scolded her in a shrill voice.

Nian Shilan thought there was nothing interesting in the kitchen and was about to go out to look somewhere else when a head popped in from the kitchen door. It turned out to be Jiang Fuhai, a close eunuch of Ulanara.

I just don't understand why he was wearing the clothes of a young eunuch, and not the clothes of the eunuch in charge of the concubine that Nian Shilan usually saw.

Jiang Fuhai leaned his head out to take a look, and the eunuch in charge of the kitchen just happened to see him.

The eunuch in charge asked with his eyes tilted sideways: "Why are you here? It's not time for dinner yet. Does the concubine have any instructions?"

Jiang Fuhai put on a flattering smile, "Eunuch Zhou, our concubine sent a servant over to see if the steamed cheese bananas for the concubine are ready. The concubine likes to eat this these days."

When the eunuch Zhou Gonggong heard this, he immediately put on a smiling face.

"You should have told me earlier. It's just ready. I'll send someone over right away."

"No, no, don't bother the kitchen staff. You still have to direct everyone to prepare dinner for the masters. This is just a small matter, I can do it myself."

Jiang Fuhai waved his hands hurriedly.

"That's fine. The food isn't heavy. Then you can deliver it to Fu Jin and let her fill her stomach first. We'll deliver it after dinner is ready." Eunuch Zhou was also happy to have some free time after hearing what Jiang Fuhai said.

Jiang Fuhai took the food box handed to him by the eunuch in the kitchen and walked out happily.

Nian Shilan was curious and followed.

Jiang Fuhai was seen carrying the lunch box and walking around in circles until he arrived at the courtyard where Yixiu lived, which Nian Shilan had seen in her dream last time - the Peony Pavilion.

Nian Shilan followed all the way to the Peony Pavilion and watched Jiang Fuhai enter the small kitchen.

Nian Shilan also followed in.

Jiang Fuhai looked around and saw no one in the small kitchen. He opened the lunch box and took out the bowl of cheese and bananas. He then uncovered the steaming pot in the small kitchen and found another bowl of the same cheese and bananas in the pot.

Same bowl, same flower-shaped food, and even the colors are exactly the same.

Jiang Fuhai replaced the original bowl of food in the lunch box with the bowl in the small kitchen, then picked up the replaced bowl of cheese and bananas and devoured it in no time. Then he wiped his mouth, packed the lunch box, and left the small kitchen.

Nian Shilan couldn't understand why Jiang Fuhai did this.

But she continued to follow Jiang Fuhai, and this time, they arrived at a courtyard she had never been to before. This courtyard was actually next to Yinzhen's front yard.

Nian Shilan didn't have time to see the name on the plaque in the yard. Jiang Fuhai walked very fast and she almost had to jog to keep up with him.

After entering the yard, Nian Shilan saw the two sisters of the Ulanara family, Yunxi and Yixiu. Next to them was a woman whom Nian Shilan did not recognize. Judging from her clothes and appearance, her status was comparable to Yixiu's.

Jiang Fuhai first handed the food box to Yunxi's personal maid, then respectfully saluted Yunxi and knelt on the ground.

"Please forgive me, Madam. I was a little late when I went to the kitchen to get the cheese and plantains. The kitchen was afraid that the food would be prepared in advance and cooled down, and the taste would be bad. So I went and waited for a while, got this fresh food, and hurried over. Please taste it, Madam."

Yunxi sat under a pomegranate tree, Yixiu stood beside her, and the unknown woman stood on the other side of her. This time, Nian Shilan saw Yunxi's face clearly, and it seemed familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it.

Yunxi stroked her round belly, which looked like she was about to give birth.

"It's okay. The kitchen is thoughtful and they just want me to eat something fresh. Get up, don't kneel anymore, be careful of your knees." Yunxi had a smile on her face, looking a bit kind as a mother.

"Thank you, Master Fujin." Jiang Fuhai kowtowed and stood up.

Yixiu went forward and opened the lunch box, and saw that the small bowl in the lunch box was still emitting steam.

The other woman reached out and took out the bowl, held it in front of Yunxi with both hands, and then took out a small spoon and handed it to her.

Yunxi smiled and nodded, then picked up the spoon and slowly ate the bowl of dessert.

But just after she took a few bites, she saw the woman that Nian Shilan didn't know suddenly covered her mouth and retched.

Yunxi lost her appetite instantly and put down the spoon with a frown.

"Xu, what's wrong with you?"

The woman called Xu hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed while replying to Yunxi: "Master Fujin, please forgive me. I am just feeling unwell due to my pregnancy. I did not mean to cause trouble for you."

After saying this, he kowtowed like crazy.

"Forget it, get up. It's not easy for a woman to get pregnant. Considering that this is your first offense, get up. Take good care of yourself. You don't need to serve me these days."

Yunxi sighed and picked up the spoon again.

She also experienced discomfort in the early stages of pregnancy, so why bother making things difficult for a woman who was suffering the same way as herself?

Xu kowtowed to express her gratitude, and just as she was helped to stand up by her maid, she couldn't help it, so she covered her mouth and ran out of the yard to vomit.

Nian Shilan could tell that Xu was trying her best to suppress the indecent sound of her vomiting, but it was still clearly audible through the courtyard gate.

Yunxi's expression changed and she slammed the spoon in her hand heavily on the table.

All the servants serving in the yard knelt down in an instant. Yixiu was also stunned for a moment and knelt at Yunxi's feet.

Yunxi stretched out her hand and slowly pressed down her throbbing temple. This scene was really disgusting. Even if she had a good temper, she couldn't let herself be disgusted again and again.

Yunxi ordered that Concubine Xu, who had behaved inappropriately, should be punished by kneeling for an hour to let her reflect on her behavior.

Xu's maid crawled a few steps on her knees.

"Please show mercy, Madam. Concubine Xu is four months pregnant and the baby has just taken root. It is not suitable for her to kneel for a long time. I am willing to take the punishment on behalf of Concubine Xu!"

The maid kowtowed.

"Xu cannot discipline his servants properly. He is punished to kneel for two hours. Reflect on this."

Yunxi's voice was gentle, but the words she said were tiring and cruel to Xu.

Nian Shilan suddenly remembered that in her previous life, she took advantage of her favor and was so arrogant that she was punished to kneel down in the Zhen family. Did she also have such a hateful face at that time?

(End of this chapter)