Chapter 81: The Taste of Mother’s Cooking

Heaven Dou City.

Dan Heng and his family were secretly arranged to settle in the city by "Xue Qinghe," who also provided them with a house.

The house was located in an ordinary district of Heaven Dou City, unremarkable and surrounded by common residents.

Pushing open the door, "Xue Qinghe" led them inside. The interior was quite spacious—far larger than Dan Heng's home in the small town.

In the courtyard, there was a small plot of land, with a willow tree growing beside it.

At the entrance of the house, a small flowerbed had been built, though only a few scattered flowers were planted in it.

Smiling, "Xue Qinghe" said, "Mr. Dan Heng, no nobles know about this place, so they won't come to bother you. If I visit, I will also make sure not to be seen."

Dan Heng nodded slightly. "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do, especially after the excessive things I did before."

"Xue Qinghe" was referring to burning down Dan Heng's old home.

"Let's not waste time. Why don't we start moving in the furniture?"

"Alright..."

"Xue Qinghe" then touched her wrist, and in the next moment, wardrobes, tables, chairs, and various pieces of furniture appeared in the courtyard.

These were all items "Xue Qinghe" had deliberately taken before setting fire to Dan Heng's house.

After some thought, "Xue Qinghe" added, "Rest assured, Mr. Dan Heng. The ones who handled the bedding were all girls with clean backgrounds. They didn't touch or leave anything behind unnecessarily."

Dan Heng acknowledged this with a hum and walked toward the house.

The interior was also much more spacious, with four rooms—three bedrooms and a large hall. This meant Zhu Zhuqing and Ziji wouldn't have to squeeze into the hall together.

There was no dust inside; it had all been cleaned beforehand.

Gu Yuena rolled up her sleeves, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Dan Heng and said, "Husband, let's tidy up the house together?"

Dan Heng agreed.

"Xue Qinghe" smiled. "I'll help too."

And so, the five of them began cleaning both inside and outside the house.

Before long, under their combined efforts, the courtyard and rooms became spotless.

Ziji clutched her stomach as it let out a loud grumble. She turned to Dan Heng and said, "Brother-in-law, go cook! I'm starving! I'll handle moving the furniture—you just go…"

She pushed Dan Heng by the shoulders, practically shoving him toward the kitchen.

Gu Yuena watched this scene with amusement, unbothered by Ziji's behavior.

"Xue Qinghe" found it curious—Ziji was a Title Douluo, yet she addressed Gu Yuena as 'sister.'

Could it be that Gu Yuena was even stronger?

And what about Dan Heng...?

"Xue Qinghe" couldn't quite figure it out. This family seemed very mysterious.

Perhaps Mr. Dan Heng was more than just a scholar.

Ziji suddenly elbowed "Xue Qinghe" and huffed, "What are you standing there for? Stop dawdling and help move the furniture! Otherwise, you won't get to eat later!"

Finally finding someone she could boss around, Ziji didn't care about "Xue Qinghe's" status.

As long as it wasn't related to Dan Heng, even if the person was the Crown Prince, it didn't matter.

"Ziji! Show some respect to His Highness!" Gu Yuena frowned.

"Xue Qinghe" quickly waved her hands with a smile. "It's alright. Ziji is right—I should help."

Saying this, she picked up a wardrobe and carried it into the rooms.

After a busy period, all the furniture had been moved inside.

However, the rooms still felt quite empty, especially the ones belonging to Zhu Zhuqing and Ziji, which only had bedding and little else.

Buying additional furniture would have to wait until tomorrow. For now, it was time for their first dinner in Heaven Dou City.

"Xue Qinghe" originally planned to leave but was persuaded to stay by Gu Yuena.

At first, she hadn't expected much from Dan Heng's cooking.

But when she saw the table full of beautifully presented, fragrant dishes, she—already slightly sweaty from the work—felt a wave of warmth flood her heart.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but she felt like she had never eaten food this delicious before.

Gu Yuena smiled and placed some food into "Xue Qinghe's" bowl, saying, "Your Highness, eat as much as you like. My husband's cooking skills are top-notch."

Gu Yuena had already seen through the fact that "Xue Qinghe" was actually a woman in disguise. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for her to act so friendly.

Of course, her goodwill was also due to the fact that "Xue Qinghe" had a strong influence in helping her husband advance.

"Xue Qinghe" was flattered and quickly expressed her thanks.

She glanced at Ziji beside her—this powerful woman was eating without any concern for manners, shoveling food into her mouth.

Could it really be that delicious?!

Hesitant, "Xue Qinghe" took a bite.

Instantly, the rich flavors exploded on her taste buds.

Her eyes unconsciously closed in pleasure as she savored the incredible taste.

For a moment, she felt like she had traveled back in time to her sixth birthday. On that day, her mother had personally cooked for her, and the food had tasted just like this—unparalleled in its deliciousness!

Unfortunately, that had also been the last time her mother ever cooked for her.

As she swallowed, "Xue Qinghe" regained her composure and noticed the others staring at her in surprise.

They didn't understand why she looked as if she was about to cry over a mere bite of food.

Ziji muttered, "No need to flatter him. You won't get extra food that way… Ow!"

Gu Yuena rapped Ziji's head with her chopsticks.

"Just eat."

"Xue Qinghe" felt embarrassed and scratched her head. "Sorry, it just reminded me of something from my past…"

Dan Heng and Zhu Zhuqing simply lowered their heads and continued eating, maintaining their usual quiet dining habits.

Gu Yuena then asked, "Husband, are you planning to look for a job?"

"Xue Qinghe" also looked at Dan Heng and added, "Actually, there's no need. As my advisor, your salary is more than enough to live comfortably in Heaven Dou City."

Dan Heng shook his head.

It wasn't that he needed a job—he just didn't want to stay home all day with these three women. That would be unbearable!

Ziji suddenly giggled and suggested, "Why not have Bi Ji come over? She's reliable and popular. Let her earn money while we just spend it!"

Gu Yuena rolled her eyes at her.

Dan Heng frowned slightly, his opinion of Ziji dropping even further—how shameless!

Poor Bi Ji, having a sister like Ziji was truly unfortunate.

"No need. I'll go job hunting tomorrow," Dan Heng said.

"Xue Qinghe" tried making conversation, but since Dan Heng mostly remained silent, she eventually focused on eating instead.

Although the meal was quiet, she felt an inexplicable sense of warmth.

So much so that when she finally left Dan Heng's house, she couldn't shake a strange sense of loss.

Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

Upon returning, "Xue Qinghe" was immediately summoned by Emperor Xue Ye.

Yet, she was still lost in thought, reminiscing about that meal.

By the time she arrived, Prince Xue Xing had already finished reporting his findings.

"That's the situation, Your Majesty. I've spoken with this remarkable talent, but unfortunately, he has no interest in fame or fortune..."

Of course, he took most of the credit for himself.

"Xue Qinghe" snapped back to reality, feeling furious—this shameless man was stealing her achievement!

The emperor frowned. "Then did you at least ask him how the Heaven Dou Empire should break through its current predicament?"

"Uh…"

Prince Xue Xing looked toward "Xue Qinghe" and asked, "Qinghe, did you ask?"

"..."