Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Madam Yan blushed with embarrassment, and her earlier imposing manner vanished.

How embarrassing, so incredibly embarrassing.

The last time I lost face this badly was the last time.

She forced a smile and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I made a mistake. I don't know what the servants in the manor were thinking, making such a mess."

"Madam Shen, I've heard that your cooking is incredibly delicious. Just hearing your description makes my mouth water. I was thinking of going to Ping'an County to try it sometime, but I never expected you to come to the capital. This is wonderful!"

Madam Yan looked at Shen Qing, her eyes bright with anticipation.

Shen Qing smiled and said, "Just now, Lord Yan was talking about you, saying that you are charming and cute, bright and generous. Now that I've seen you, it's true. Lord Yan has been talking about you a lot. As soon as we started cooking, he sent someone to pick you up. It shows how sincere he is about you."

"Pick me up? I came back on my own." Madam Yan looked at Yan Wenli.

Just then, a voice rang out:

"Master, the people from the General's Mansion say that the Madam has returned!!" A servant came running up, panting.

Madam Yan understood everything; she felt both sweet and embarrassed.

She glanced at Yan Wenli's disheveled appearance, a look of a little girl who had made a mistake on her face: "I'm sorry, why don't you go change your clothes first? This is my fault..."

"Hmph!" Yan Wenli turned his head away.

He should be angry for a while!

Although I wasn't particularly angry, I was even a little smug.

After all, his wife did this because she loved him so much.

She was too possessive of him.

"It was my fault. Please forgive me, I'm so magnanimous." Madam Yan shook Yan Wenli's hand.

Shen Qing and the others, seeing this, had already retreated back to the kitchen.

"Hmph!" Yan Wenli turned around.

He didn't want to forgive his wife easily; that would be too beneath him.

"When I was shopping yesterday, I saw a red tulle dress that I liked. I'll wear it for you tonight, so please don't be angry..." Madam Yan continued to coax.

Yan Wenli could barely suppress his smile, but then he remembered that he had been soaked to the bone today.

And he felt very embarrassed in front of so many people.

So he turned his head away again.

When Madam Yan saw this, she thought, "Oh dear, they're really getting carried away."

"Then you can stay here and be angry. I'll go help Madam Shen and the others." With that, she took a few steps and went straight into the kitchen.

Yan Wenli didn't even have time to call his wife to stop.

"No, couldn't you have said a few more words to comfort me...? It's a big bowl of hot soup..."

Feeling wronged and aggrieved.

In the end, I had to take a shower and change my clothes myself.

In the kitchen, only one dish remained to be prepared.

It's that Happy Chicken Wings.

Guo Tiancheng had already prepared and blanched the chicken wings, so Shen Qing could handle the rest.

Heat oil in a wok, then add the chicken wings one by one and fry over medium heat.

Before long, the aroma of chicken wafted out.

The chicken wings in the pan were fried until golden brown on both sides, making them look incredibly appetizing.

"It smells so good!" Madam Yan couldn't help but exclaim.

The more she watched, the more she felt that Shen Qing's cooking movements were elegant and beautiful, and that she exuded confidence from the inside out.

She has always admired confident women.

"This is just the beginning; the soul of Happy Chicken Wings is yet to come." Shen Qing smiled and pushed the fried chicken wings to the side of the pan, placing ginger slices in the middle.

Then, she picked up the Coke that had been prepared beforehand.

With a sizzle—

Numerous dense bubbles appeared in the pot, and the dark brown liquid churned in the hot pot.

A sweet aroma, a blend of caramel and citric acid, filled the nostrils of everyone present.

"This scent... it smells so wonderful..." Madam Yan sniffed, somewhat intoxicated.

This smells amazing!

Guo Tiancheng and Situ Liang recognized the smell; they had smelled this aroma before during the food competition.

Shen Qing then added light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and other seasonings to the pot, brought it to a boil over high heat, covered it with the lid, and slightly reduced the flames under the stove.

"It smells so good! The aroma is simply wonderful and delicious!" Madam Yan looked at Shen Qing with bright eyes.

She was the only daughter in the general's mansion and was pampered since childhood, enjoying a great deal of delicious food.

But she had never smelled such a pleasant scent before.

Seeing how much Madam Yan liked it, Shen Qing handed the porcelain bottle to her, saying, "Take a small sip and try it."

There was still some cola left in the porcelain bottle.

"Isn't this sauce?" Madam Yan asked, puzzled.

"It's a beverage, and it can also be used to make sauces; it's called 'happy water'."

"No wonder these chicken wings are called Happy Chicken Wings."

Madam Yan took the porcelain bottle with some skepticism, removed the wooden stopper, and curiously peered inside.

Through the bottle opening, you can see a dark brown liquid, currently bubbling with fine bubbles.

As I brought the bottle close to the opening, a cool, piercing gust of air hit my nose.

"This thing... it looks like a bottle of boiled vinegar..." Madam Yan said with a face full of curiosity.

"You'll know once you try it," Shen Qing said, keeping an eye on the cola chicken wings in the pot.

Madam Yan brought the bottle to her lips, tilted it slightly, and the liquid flowed into her mouth.

In an instant, she felt countless tiny bubbles bursting on her tongue, as if countless tiny peppercorns were dancing on the tip of her tongue.

"This...this...this..." Madam Yan felt like she couldn't even straighten her tongue.

But the next moment, a refreshing sweetness rose from the back of my tongue, mixed with some indescribable spice flavor.

She frowned and tried to discern the flavor, but she couldn't tell what it tasted like at all. She just thought it was extremely delicious and wanted to take another sip.

"It's not wine, not honey water, and not sugar water..."

"This is simply amazing!" Madam Yan tilted her head back and took another big gulp.

She experienced a feeling of exhilaration!

Shen Qing smiled slightly when he saw Madam Yan's reaction.

He raised his hand and lifted the pot lid.

The time is almost up; the sauce in the pot has become quite thick.

She picked up the spatula and kept turning the chicken wings.

The sweet aroma of caramel and the savory scent of chicken filled the entire kitchen, making one's mouth water.

Guo Tiancheng couldn't help but admire her from the side, and whispered to Situ Liang, "Watch Madam Shen cook more, and learn more."

After what happened in the kitchen today, he realized that his previous worries for Shen Qing were completely unnecessary.

"Master, I can't learn it, you should learn it." Situ Liang's eyes were full of respect.

How many years must he have spent learning Shen Niangzi's nimble movements and her mastery of the heat?

Guo Tiancheng sighed silently. Well, he couldn't learn it either...