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

"Thank you so much, young lady. If it weren't for you, I don't know where my Aning would have gone."

"You must accept this silver, and this bracelet too. Wear it. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, our Ministry of Rites will definitely do its utmost to help you with this bracelet!"

As soon as Madam Zhou arrived, she took out a whole tray of silver ingots and even took off the jade bracelet from her wrist, insisting on giving it to Shen Qing.

Shen Qing was stunned.

It wasn't just the money; Madam Zhou had given her a promise in return.

The key point is that she didn't do anything; she just took the child home.

"You're too kind. It was just a small favor. I can't accept these." Shen Qing subconsciously declined.

Mrs. Zhou was extremely enthusiastic: "Why can't I take it? Please!"

With a single reach, he placed the bracelet directly on Shen Qing's wrist.

"It was just a small favor for you, but it was a huge help to us. If a child as young as Aning got lost on the road, her life would be over."

"Thank goodness we didn't run into any bad people."

"Don't rush off later, stay and have dinner with us. I'll treat you to something new today!"

Little Aning, standing nearby, tugged at Shen Qing's sleeve, saying, "Sister, let's eat together! Aning wants to eat with you!"

Okay, it seems like I have no choice but to eat this meal.

Shen Qing touched the bracelet on her wrist, feeling somewhat guilty.

She always felt that it was all the work of the good luck buff, and that even Xiao Aning's disappearance might be related to this good luck buff.

I'm a little embarrassed.

So she couldn't help but say, "I'm a decent cook, otherwise, I'll cook a few dishes for everyone to try."

Making a few dishes as a way of giving back isn't like taking something for nothing.

"How could I?" Madam Zhou said with a smile. "You're a guest, how could I let you do the work? Besides, today I'm going to show you a novel dish that you've definitely never seen before!"

"A novel kind of food?" Shen Qing asked in confusion.

And what other novel foods did she not know about?

"You've heard of hot pot, right?" Mrs. Zhou's expression suddenly became mysterious. "Last night was the last hot pot feast; there won't be any more after this. I brought back the hot pot broth. Later, after everyone has prepared the ingredients, I'll show you what hot pot tastes like!"

"This hot pot costs a thousand taels of silver per serving, and invitations are not easy to obtain. If you weren't such a great benefactor to my family, I wouldn't be willing to part with it."

Shen Qing's lips twitched: "..."

Goodness, they're treating the leftover hot pot broth like a treasure.

It became a rare and irreplaceable hot pot broth.

"Let's forget about it..."

"Oh dear, don't be shy. Now that you've brought my daughter back to the manor, it's only fair that I treat you to one last hot pot meal!" Madam Zhou was incredibly enthusiastic.

Well, things are valued for their scarcity, and now hot pot broth is a treasure among treasures in Beijing.

But as a modern person, Shen Qing didn't want to eat hot pot a second time.

She looked helpless: "I don't like hot pot, so I won't eat it. How about this, I'll make candied hawthorns for Aning. Didn't Aning want to eat candied hawthorns?"

"That's hot pot! How can you not love it?!"

Madam Zhou seemed not to have heard Shen Qing's subsequent words at all; she suddenly became agitated, her face turning red.

"Hot pot is the most delicious food in the world, bar none!"

Um......

She's a die-hard fan of hot pot.

Shen Qing felt defeated. She skipped over the hot pot and said instead, "I'll make candied hawthorns for A-Ning."

"Ah Ning, would you like some candied hawthorns?"

Upon hearing the word "candied hawthorn," Xiao Aning immediately nodded happily, "Aning wants to eat candied hawthorn!"

Her parents wouldn't let her eat hot pot or anything like that; she'd never had it.

But she loves candied hawthorn berries!

"This is so embarrassing. How can we let the guests do it? I'll have a servant go and buy a few candied hawthorns," said Madam Zhou from the side.

Shen Qing smiled and said, "Ah Ning is adorable. I also hit it off with Madam at first sight. It's just a candied hawthorn. Besides, my candied hawthorn is different from the ones outside."

"Candied hawthorn, candied hawthorn, Ah Ning wants to eat the candied hawthorn that her sister makes, Ah Ning's mouth is watering!!" Little Ah Ning shouted as she jumped up and down.

"Mom, I don't want to eat the candied hawthorns from outside, I want to eat the candied hawthorns my sister makes!!"

After Xiao Aning shouted this, Madam Zhou had no choice but to agree.

After all, this child ran away because of candied hawthorns. If we don't agree, who knows what kind of trouble might arise.

So everyone ran to the kitchen.

Before long, the servants of the Zhou family bought back the ingredients for the candied hawthorns as requested by Shen Qing.

The fresh hawthorns were large and round. Shen Qing took a thin bamboo skewer and inserted it into the hawthorn calyx by twisting it. The next moment, the hawthorn pit was completely removed.

Then soak all the pitted hawthorns in lightly salted water.

While the hawthorns were soaking in water, Shen Qing prepared some red date paste and chopped walnuts.

Remove the hawthorns from the water, mix the red date paste and chopped walnuts and stuff them into the hawthorns, then skewer them.

At this point, the hawthorns are ready.

Next comes the most important syrup.

Shen Qing chose to use rock sugar to make the syrup. When the syrup was almost ready, she sprinkled a handful of dried osmanthus flowers into it.

Then coat the skewered hawthorns with a thin layer of syrup.

The candied hawthorn berries are now ready.

"Wow, those candied hawthorns are so pretty! Ah Ning wants some!!"

Little Aning couldn't wait any longer and stared eagerly at the screen.

It was the first time she had ever seen candied hawthorns with fillings, and the sugar coating even had osmanthus flowers on it.

"Your candied hawthorns are truly exceptional!" Mrs. Zhou couldn't help but exclaim.

Strings of candied hawthorns were arranged on a plate. The hawthorns were round and plump, each one intact. Delicate osmanthus petals were embedded in the amber-colored sugar shell, and thin strands of sugar occasionally stretched between the hawthorns, shimmering golden in the sunlight.

"Try it," Shen Qing said with a smile.

Ah Ning couldn't wait any longer and picked up a skewer to start eating.

After just one bite, she jumped up happily: "It's so delicious! A hundred times better than the candied hawthorns outside!!"

Mrs. Zhou saw the tempting candied hawthorns and took a skewer as well.

The air is filled with the delicate, sweet fragrance of osmanthus. With a gentle bite, the crisp sugar shell shatters, revealing the sweet and tangy, plump hawthorn flesh that makes your mouth water.

After a few chews, the rich aroma of jujube paste and the oily fragrance of crushed walnuts spread in your mouth.

After swallowing it, the fragrance of osmanthus and the sweet aftertaste of hawthorn lingered in my mouth.

"This...this..." Madam Zhou exclaimed in astonishment, "How can these candied hawthorns be so delicious?!"

No, she can't even say for sure which tastes better, hot pot or candied hawthorn.

This candied hawthorn is absolutely amazing! It's not greasy at all, and it doesn't stick to your teeth. The filling of jujube paste and chopped walnuts is also superb.

The deliciousness of candied hawthorn berries can even be compared to that of hot pot.

Madam Zhou stared at Shen Qing in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief.

......

Pei Yuan turned around and headed towards the Water Moon Pavilion.

Aside from snail rice noodles, he couldn't eat anything else.