Chapter 44

Chapter 44

“I know someone who sells tea dust and stems. They don’t make for the best tea on their own, but they should be perfect for making this milk tea,” Cook Chen mused, taking the suggestion to heart.

Goat milk was nutritious, but its strong, gamey odor usually made children dislike it. If those tea stems could be used to make milk tea, it might actually work.

After Jiang Yunsui finished her bowl, Cook Chen served her another small portion. By then, today’s supply of goat milk was almost gone.

“Let’s head back first. We need to send this large bowl to the Young Master as well.”

Cook Chen was doing this to help Jiang Yunsui get into the Young Master’s good graces.

Jiang Yunsui nodded. “Okay, Auntie, let’s go home quickly! I have something good to show you.”

Cook Chen said goodbye to the other maids and led Jiang Yunsui away.

Back at their small courtyard, Jiang Yunsui immediately took out a ceramic bowl and poured some of her milk tea into it. The two puppies instantly huddled together, jostling each other as they began to lap it up.

“Auntie, Auntie, look!”

After finishing the rest of her drink, Jiang Yunsui grabbed the little embroidered pouch containing the gold peanuts and silver melon seeds and ran over to show her.

Cook Chen was truly shocked when she saw what was inside. She quickly closed the pouch and handed it back to Jiang Yunsui. “Suisui, you can’t just show these things to anyone, do you understand?”

Who didn’t like gold and silver? This was real money.

“Especially when you’re outside. If you go out to buy things, you must never use the gold and silver from this pouch. Otherwise, bad people will target you and try to steal your things.”

Jiang Yunsui listened intently and nodded.

“I know, Auntie. But what should I do if I want to buy something?”

“If you want to buy something, ask Uncle Li or Nanny Zhou if they can exchange them for copper coins or broken silver. Those are much safer to use.”

Knowing how dangerous it was for common folk to flaunt their wealth, Cook Chen shared her survival experience with Jiang Yunsui. In short: be cautious and keep a low profile.

Seeing Jiang Yunsui’s little head nodding along, Cook Chen felt a sense of satisfaction. Suisui was truly such a good girl.

“Auntie, for you.”

She pulled several gold peanuts and a gold melon seed out of her little embroidered pouch. “Half for each of us.”

Cook Chen refused to take them.

“Auntie can’t take these. You really are too honest-what are we going to do if you get cheated in the future?”

She was so pure and innocent that she looked incredibly easy to deceive. “No matter who is good or bad to you, don’t just give everything away.”

Cook Chen was genuinely kind to Jiang Yunsui, but what if she met someone in the future who only pretended to be kind to trick her out of her belongings?

“Keep these things for yourself. Find a place that only you know about and hide them well. Don’t tell anyone.”

Seeing that she was adamant about refusing, Jiang Yunsui stuffed two silver melon seeds into her hand.

“Take these!”

The little girl intentionally kept her face stiff, imitating Ji Yan’an’s expression. But with those chubby cheeks, there was no intimidation at all-only cuteness.

Cook Chen was completely charmed and gave her cheek a little squeeze. Oh, she really did look much better now that she had gained some weight.

“Let’s see if this scarf fits.”

The rabbit fur scarf was finished. Cook Chen tried it on her; it was a little loose, but children grew fast. It wouldn’t be used until winter anyway, and by then, it would likely fit perfectly. If not, she could just alter it.

Jiang Yunsui was already at an adorable age, and with her chubby face framed by the white, fluffy rabbit fur scarf, she looked even cuter.

“Come on, Auntie will take you to the Front Courtyard.” Cook Chen nodded with satisfaction, proud of her own handiwork.
The remaining scraps of jade could still be fashioned into a small, round bead hair ornament.

Thanks to the milk tea and her connection with Jiang Yunsui, Cook Chen was actually allowed inside.

Ji Yan’an had already heard that Jiang Yunsui was back, and he sat unhurriedly at his desk, practicing his calligraphy.

“Let her in, and Cook Chen as well.”

The two entered, and Jiang Yunsui immediately pattered over to Ji Yan’an’s side.

“Young Master, Young Master! Auntie brought you something delicious. I’ve already tasted it for you; it’s wonderful!”

Jiang Yunsui’s milky voice was brimming with cheer.

Cook Chen was slightly startled by her bold movements, but seeing how calm Nanshu and the others were, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at Ji Yan’an’s expression.

“You certainly make it sound nice. You were just being a glutton yourself, weren’t you?”

And she even ‘tasted it for him.’

Jiang Yunsui gave a silly, sheepish giggle.

“Bring it here. I want to see what exactly you like so much.”

Nanny Zhou used a small bowl to scoop some out and placed it before Ji Yan’an.

“This is… milk?”

He instinctively frowned.

There had been a period when he couldn’t keep any food down and had lost a significant amount of weight. Someone suggested that milk was very nutritious and recommended he drink more of it.

Uncle Li and the others had managed to get some goat’s milk, but far from drinking it, he had vomited just from the smell. And that was even after the goat’s milk had been processed to remove the odor.

“It’s very tasty!”

As Jiang Yunsui spoke, her large eyes remained fixed on the bowl of milk tea.

“Hurry and try it!”

Under an indulgence that Ji Yan’an himself wasn’t even fully aware of, Jiang Yunsui had grown increasingly bold and relaxed in his presence.

Ji Yan’an frowned and didn’t drink immediately. He simply picked it up and held it under his nose to catch the scent.

There was no gamey smell; instead, there was a fragrant aroma of tea.

“There’s tea added to this?”

Jiang Yunsui nodded like a little chick pecking at grain.

“Yes, yes! This is milk tea. It’s really, really good!”

Seeing the expectant sparkle in Jiang Yunsui’s eyes, Ji Yan’an finally took a small sip.

Surprisingly, the taste was actually quite good.

Ji Yan’an struggled with solid food, but he did enjoy drinking tea.

This goat’s milk carried the fragrance of tea, and the sweetness was moderate enough for his palate.

He followed up with a few more sips.

Nanny Zhou, Nanshu, and the others watched nervously, terrified that he might throw it up.

When they saw him swallow it-and finish nearly half a bowl-their eyes widened in shock.

This… this… the Young Master actually drank it!

And this time, Jiang Yunsui wasn’t even doing a mukbang performance for him!

“The taste is decent.”

Jiang Yunsui’s little face was full of pride. “Right? I told you!”

“Nanshu, reward her.”

Nanshu gave an excited affirmative and approached Cook Chen with five taels of silver.

Cook Chen quickly waved her hands. “Young Master, Suisui was the one who came up with this milk tea. I only followed her instructions to make it.”

Ji Yan’an replied, “Take it. I have a separate reward for her.”

Jiang Yunsui’s eyes brightened even more at that.

Those eyes, as clean and bright as the stars in the sky-they truly were beautiful.

Cook Chen left in a daze, never expecting to receive a reward of five taels of silver.

Of course, what surprised her even more was Ji Yan’an’s attitude toward Jiang Yunsui.

It seemed Suisui was even more favored by the Young Master than she had imagined.

With that, her heart was finally at ease.

After seeing Cook Chen off, Jiang Yunsui came running back.

There was still so much milk tea left; surely she could have another small bowl?

Returning to Ji Yan’an’s side, Jiang Yunsui happily sipped on another small bowl of milk tea she had begged for.

Ji Yan’an told Nanny Zhou and the others to share the rest.

Then, Ji Yan’an called the Little Mushroom over and handed her a small, exquisite jade gourd and a tin of high-quality tea.