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

Once all the food in the restaurant was sold out, the princess couldn't wait to pull Shen Qing into the carriage heading to the princess's residence.

Throughout the entire process, he never asked a single question about Gu Qionghua.

The carriage swayed and rattled for an hour before finally stopping in front of the princess's residence.

The eldest princess pulled Shen Qing straight to the main kitchen of the princess's residence.

"Madam Shen, please make me a portion of everything in the restaurant. Zhaohua will definitely love it!" The princess said eagerly.

Shen Qing smiled faintly and said, "Your Highness, the food sold in the restaurant is very oily and spicy, which is not suitable for children."

"Why don't you tell me what your daughter Zhaohua used to like to eat? I'll cook a special meal just for her."

Shen Qing's tone was exceptionally calm; her attitude was nothing like that of someone preparing food for a dead person.

It was as if Gu Zhaohua was still alive, and Shen Qing was carefully learning about Gu Zhaohua's preferences, trying her best to cook a meal that Gu Zhaohua would like.

The princess's expression softened instantly, and a look of nostalgia flashed in her eyes: "Zhaohua loved sweets the most. She would always secretly eat candy without the servants knowing. The little girl couldn't resist candy at all."

"She likes things like rose cake, osmanthus porridge, and candied dates."

"And candied hawthorns, she always sneaks out to the street to buy them from the vendors, no matter how many times I tell her not to listen."

"Yes, yes, those soft and chewy pastries are also her favorite. If no one is watching, she can secretly eat four or five pieces."

"..."

When talking about Gu Zhaohua, the princess's eyes shone with memories, and she radiated a deep maternal love.

She enjoyed talking to Shen Qing like this, as if her Zhao Hua were still alive.

Unlike the people she usually met, who would only remind her over and over again that Zhaohua was gone.

"Many children love sweets," Shen Qing smiled. "Your Highness remembers this so clearly; you must love your daughter very much."

"I roughly know what dishes to make. Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"Madam Shen, please do as you please. There's no need to add anything special. I'm sure Zhaohua will enjoy your cooking."

The eldest princess's eyes were filled with affection, and she admired Shen Qing's culinary skills to the point of prostration.

Originally, all I wanted was for Madam Shen to replicate the dishes from the restaurant, but I didn't expect her to be so patient and to inquire so meticulously about Zhaohua's preferences.

She felt that her Zhaohua was being treated with great respect.

The eldest princess stood to the side, watching Shen Qing busy herself with anticipation.

Shen Qing has already decided what to do.

For children who love sweets, pumpkin and millet porridge is the best choice for their main dish.

Millet is good for the stomach, while pumpkin is a natural source of sweetness.

The princess's kitchen was fully equipped, with everything one could need, and had many servants to help out.

Shen Qing selected a pumpkin, processed it, cut it into small cubes, and lightly stir-fried it in a pan with a little oil.

In this way, the surface of the pumpkin cubes will caramelize slightly, and the sweetness will be concentrated.

Add pumpkin to millet porridge and simmer slowly. Sprinkle a few goji berries before serving for a sweet, fragrant, and healthy treat.

For her second dish, she chose shrimp balls in tomato sauce.

First, marinate the shrimp with salt, ginger juice, etc. After marinating for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, add egg white, mix well, and then coat with a thin layer of starch.

Pour oil into a wok, then slide the shrimp coated in starch into the oil. After about ten swirls, the shrimp can be taken out.

Next, peel and stir-fry the tomatoes to make a tomato sauce.

Leave a little oil in the pan, add minced ginger and sauté until fragrant, then pour in the tomato sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and coat each shrimp with the bright red tomato sauce.

Finally, add a little cornstarch slurry to ensure the tomato sauce adheres firmly to the surface of the shrimp balls.

Sprinkle with chopped green onions, and this plate of shrimp balls in tomato sauce is ready to serve.

The third dish was osmanthus-scented glutinous rice lotus root.

Fill the holes of the lotus root with glutinous rice, then simmer it in rock sugar and brown sugar water until flavorful. After cooking, don't rush to cut it; let the lotus root soak in the sugar water for a while.

Just before serving, drizzle a spoonful of osmanthus sauce on top for a fragrant and sweet flavor.

The fourth dish was baked pumpkin with salted egg yolk.

Cut the pumpkin into strips, pour a little oil into a pan, and fry the pumpkin until the surface is slightly browned.

After frying the salted egg yolks until they foam, add a few drops of cooking wine to remove any fishy smell. Then, pour in the fried pumpkin and gently stir until each piece of pumpkin is coated with golden salted egg yolk paste.

The last dish was sweet fermented rice balls.

Pour glutinous rice flour into a wooden basin. Take a small piece of soft tofu and process it into a smooth paste. Then add the tofu paste into the glutinous rice flour and knead it into a smooth dough.

Adding soft tofu at this step is to make the glutinous rice balls softer and more tender after cooking.

Roll the rested dough into balls, and cook them in boiling water.

Finally, prepare a sweet fermented rice soup, add glutinous rice balls, and garnish with a few goji berries.

Before long, the five dishes were neatly arranged on the table.

The princess was already drooling just looking at it.

All five dishes were sweet, but the sweetness of each dish was different.

"Zhaohua, Zhaohua will definitely like it."

"Madam Shen, come with me and try these dishes with Zhaohua," the Princess said.

As soon as she said it, she realized she had been a bit presumptuous.

Inviting someone to have dinner with a deceased person sounds rather unlucky.

She just lost control of herself for a moment. Shen Qing's calmness and easygoing nature made her subconsciously feel that her Zhao Hua was still there.

"If you mind..."

"I don't mind," Shen Qing interrupted the princess.

The princess's eyes lit up: "I will go and have someone make arrangements right away."

The servants brought a table full of food to the courtyard where Gu Zhaohua used to live.

Three seats, three sets of bowls and chopsticks.

The eldest princess and Shen Qing sat down, leaving the remaining seat empty.

The dishes on the table were a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

The pumpkin and millet porridge is golden, with a few goji berries sprinkled in, creating a delightful contrast of red and yellow.

The shrimp balls in tomato sauce are bright red and tempting, like little red candies.

The egg yolk baked pumpkin is bright and eye-catching, steaming hot with white vapor rising from it, and the egg yolk looks like fine golden sand piled up on the surface of the pumpkin.

The osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root is a light amber color, with osmanthus petals scattered on the surface of the lotus root slices. The glutinous rice is white, and the osmanthus is golden yellow, making it extremely beautiful.

The sweet fermented rice balls are round and plump, with egg flowers floating on the soup noodles, and the red of the goji berries appearing and disappearing. The unique sweet aroma of the fermented rice lingers in the air.

"Zhaohua will definitely love these tomato shrimp balls. They're so sweet and sour, and the shrimp are so bouncy and tender. They smell amazing!" The princess exclaimed after taking a bite of the tomato shrimp.

In fact, she ate with Zhaohua every day, and this was the first time that someone else was present.

But she was inexplicably extremely happy.

When this Lady Shen faced her, she did not show that annoying pity, nor did she feel sorry for her, nor did she find her strange.

Madam Shen understood her, and she understood her feelings as a mother.

"This osmanthus-scented glutinous rice lotus root is really good. The lotus root slices melt in your mouth, the glutinous rice is soft and sticky, and the osmanthus fragrance is so gentle. Zhaohua, you should try it."

"The baked pumpkin with salted egg yolk has a rich, oily aroma. The pumpkin is soft and tender, and the salted egg yolk has a slightly grainy texture."

"Zhaohua, you love sweets, isn't this sweet fermented rice balls especially delicious?"

"..."

The princess ate and talked, and even kept putting food on the empty seat.