Transmigrated as a Cannon Fodder Wife A in Ancient Times - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

The two returned to the bedroom, and Wei Lan eagerly hugged Lu Zijin tightly.

Seeing Wei Lan so clingy, Lu Zijin shook her head with a chuckle and said, “I asked them to prepare hot water, so we can bathe and rest early.”

Wei Lan’s arms wrapped around Lu Zijin’s waist, refusing to let go, and she looked up at Lu Zijin, saying, “Madam, shall we bathe together? It saves time and water.”

Lu Zijin chuckled and leaned in to bite Wei Lan’s lips lightly, saying, “You wish. You go bathe in the guest room obediently.”

“Fine then,” Wei Lan said, deflating instantly when her wife disagreed, and she slumped softly into Lu Zijin’s arms.

Soon, the maids prepared the bathwater, and Wei Lan reluctantly went to bathe in the guest room, while Lu Zijin stayed in the bedroom.

When Wei Lan finished bathing and returned to the bedroom, Lu Zijin was already reclining on the bed, waiting for her.

Wei Lan eagerly climbed onto the bed and buried herself in Lu Zijin’s arms, saying, “Madam, I missed you so much.”

Looking at the little Qianyuan acting spoiled, Lu Zijin’s fingertips gently pinched Wei Lan’s nape, occasionally rubbing it, and asked, “What do you want to do now?”

Wei Lan leaned in to kiss Lu Zijin’s lips and said, “I want to play with my little phoenix, Madam. Are you over your anger? It’s been days since we did that.”

Lu Zijin’s lips curved slightly, and her fingertip tapped Wei Lan’s nose lightly.

Wei Lan buried her face in Lu Zijin’s arms, acting spoiled, and asked, “Please, Madam, is it okay?”

Seeing the little Qianyuan acting spoiled, Lu Zijin smiled and relented, thinking her little Qianyuan was too cute.

Seeing Lu Zijin agree, Wei Lan eagerly kissed her, feeling a bit unaccustomed to being the one initiating, since her wife usually pinned her down for kisses before.

While kissing, Wei Lan untied Lu Zijin’s inner robe, and soon she saw the little phoenix she loved…

The next morning, when Wei Lan woke up, Lu Zijin was already gone. She touched the bed beside her, which was cold, indicating Madam had left a while ago.

Wei Lan sighed, thinking Madam was a workaholic who got up early every day for business, while she was much more carefree, sometimes sleeping until late morning when tired.

Wei Lan hugged the blanket, rolled around comfortably twice, rested a bit longer, and then got up. As soon as she got up, several head chefs from the Lu Family Tavern arrived at the Fuqu Pavilion courtyard.

Wei Lan washed up simply, ate some breakfast, and began training the chefs.

She first had someone bring out a copper pot and explained its use to the chefs, saying, “The chimney on this copper pot is for smoke, and there’s an opening below to put charcoal in. It’s like having a pot on each table, using charcoal to heat it, so the pot can cook things. Of course, it’s best to place a wooden board underneath to avoid burning the table.”

Wei Lan thought for a moment and continued, “Let’s go. The next step is the ingredients and base. You don’t need to worry about the base for now; I prepared the finished base, and you can use it directly. Mainly, I’ll show you the dishes and teach you how to eat them.”

Fearing someone might sell the base recipe, Wei Lan decided the kitchen maids could prepare the base, paying them extra.

She said, “Look, fresh beef and mutton are sliced thinly, vegetables are cut slightly, and tofu is cut into cubes. Once the pot boils, you can cook and eat.”

Wei Lan had someone add charcoal to the copper pot, and the broth inside soon boiled.

Wei Lan put a plate of meat into the pot and said, “Once the pot boils, you can add these ingredients. Swish them briefly, and the meat is cooked. Try the flavor with this sesame sauce.”

The chefs initially thought Wei Lan, an outsider, was instructing experts, but knowing the master was highly favored, they dared not show it.

They took bowls and chopsticks, skeptically tried some meat, and after one bite, their expressions changed.

One said, “This is delicious.”

Another said, “Yes, the broth tastes great, and it’s even more fragrant with the sesame sauce.”

Another asked, “Master, can we put the vegetables in directly?”

Wei Lan nodded with a smile and said, “Yes, anything you want to eat can go in.”

The chefs added vegetables, tasted them, and unanimously agreed the hotpot would be a hit.

One chef thought and said, “Master, the rest isn’t hard to prepare, but we don’t know how to make the broth, and our tavern doesn’t have these copper pots.”

Wei Lan said, “Don’t worry. I ordered fifty new copper pots, and they’ll be delivered to the tavern soon. As for the broth, it’s these blocks of fat.”

Pointing to a bucket of fat blocks, she continued, “This is crucial, so I’ll have people prepare it and send it to the tavern to prevent others from learning the recipe.”

The chefs said, “Yes,” feeling a bit regretful but understanding Wei Lan’s concern was valid.

Soon, the Lu Family Tavern began preparations. In the morning, Wei Lan had her kitchen maids make the seasoning. After it solidified, Wei Lan sent servants to deliver the hotpot base and copper pots in the afternoon.

The Lu Family Tavern hung up a sign for the new dish, specifically noting it was recommended by Wei Lan, author of ‘Rebirth of the Abandoned Consort of the Marquis’s Mansion’. The sign attracted many eyes shortly after being displayed.

Soon, people asked about the dish, and the manager replied uniformly that it would be sold starting in the afternoon.

In the afternoon, wealthy customers ordered the hotpot. When the copper pot was brought out, it drew the attention of many in the first-floor hall. Charcoal was added, and the staff patiently explained how to eat it.

The lead young master, hearing it was so troublesome, grew impatient and said, “So much hassle? I wouldn’t have ordered it if I knew.”

The staff smiled and said, “Young Master, try it, and you’ll see it’s delicious.”

Meanwhile, many in the hall eyed the table, finding the copper pot’s appearance too strange to ignore.

The young men, seeing the pot boiling, tried putting meat in. Soon, the meat was cooked.

The male Qianyuan asked uncertainty, “Do we eat it with this sesame sauce?”

The staff said, “Yes.”

The male Qianyuan skeptically dipped the mutton in sesame sauce and ate it. After one bite, his expression changed, and he said, “Hmm, delicious!”

His companions watched him and asked, “Really? You’re not tricking us, are you?”

He said, “It’s really delicious. Try it quick.”

Saying that, he grabbed a big chopstick of meat and ate heartily.

His tablemates started eating too, unable to stop. The meat and vegetables in the pot were swept clean.

One said, “Hmm, delicious, really delicious. I’ve never eaten anything like this.”

Another said, “Exactly, the tofu cooked in it tastes amazing.”

Another said, “The vegetables are great too; the bean sprouts and cabbage are delicious.”

Hearing their endless praise, other tables grew restless and asked the staff to serve the dish.

Wei Lan priced the hotpot at five taels of silver per set, including two plates of beef, two plates of mutton, one plate of tofu, five side dishes, and one plate of handmade noodles. Additional meat or dishes cost extra.

This price wasn’t cheap—five taels of silver equaled five thousand in modern currency—but Wei Lan believed the novelty would attract buyers. She also had the sign state only thirty pots per meal, creating hunger marketing.

Thanks to the earlier table’s praise, many wealthy people ordered hotpots, and ten were sold in no time. Some wanted to try but balked at the price.

By evening, Panyang City had no curfew, so the streets grew livelier with bright lights. Wei Lan’s hotpots sold twenty-three pots, and everyone who ordered loved it.

Lu Shihua and her friends went shopping. Having read Wei Lan’s novels, they found others’ boring, so they often shopped together, visiting the Lu Family Bookshop to ask when Wei Lan’s new novel would come out.

Leaving the bookshop, the manager said they hadn’t received Wei Lan’s notice yet. The girls, feeling listless, decided to eat something simple and chat.

Passing the Lu Family Tavern, Lu Shihua’s friend grabbed her and said, “Look, what’s written up there?”

Lu Shihua looked where her friend pointed and saw the tavern’s sign announcing a new dish recommended by Wei Lan. The girls got excited immediately.

One said, “Let’s eat here today.”

Another said, “Yeah, a dish recommended by Wei Lan should be good.”

Lu Shihua nodded and said, “Okay, let’s eat this hotpot.”

The five girls went in, followed by guards and maids. The staff greeted them and asked, “What would the ladies like to eat?”

Lu Shihua asked, “Are there private rooms facing the street upstairs?”

The staff smiled apologetically and said, “Sorry, the private rooms are all full. How about the second-floor hall? It’s less crowded and has street-facing seats.”

Lu Shihua said, “Alright.”

Following the staff to the second floor, Lu Shihua saw five or six tables with copper pots, and people were eating heartily.

Having shopped all evening, she was hungry. Seeing others eat so eagerly, she grew impatient.

Soon, the copper pot was brought up.

The staff said, “Ladies, your hotpot is here.” He placed the pot down, added burning charcoal to the pot’s charcoal compartment, and then served the dishes.

One of Lu Shihua’s friends asked, “How did your chef come up with such a strange way of eating?”

The staff smiled and said, “This is a new dish our master developed and taught the chefs.”

Hearing this, the girls perked up.

Lu Shihua quickly asked, “You mean Wei Lan created this dish?”

The staff, serving dishes, smiled and said, “Yes.”

One girl said, “Then it must be delicious.”

Another said, “Yeah, Sister Wei Lan has such good taste; her dish must be great.”

Another said, “I think so too.”

Being Wei Lan’s loyal fans, they’d praise it even if it wasn’t good.

Soon, the broth in the copper pot boiled. Since it was their first time, the staff taught them how to eat.

The staff said, “Ladies, the pot is boiling; you can add the meat now.”

The girls skeptically added a plate of meat. Lu Shihua, seeing it was ready, said, “It should be cooked; we can eat now.”

She picked up a piece with chopsticks, thinking if Wei Lan said it was good, it must be. Dipping it in sesame sauce, she ate it, and the flavor burst in her mouth, widening her eyes.

Her friends asked, “How is it? Is it good?”

Another said, “Yeah, is it good?”

Lu Shihua nodded excitedly and said, “It’s delicious! Try it quick.”

The girls tried it and all loved it.

Seeing they knew how to eat, the staff left.

They added various dishes, finding them delicious when cooked.

One said, “No wonder it’s Wei Lan; it’s really delicious.”

Another said, “Yeah, Sister Wei Lan is amazing; there’s nothing she can’t do.”

Another said, “Exactly, I want to come back tomorrow.”

Lu Shihua said, “The sign said only thirty pots per meal. If we want to eat next time, we’d better come early, or it’ll sell out.”

Through word-of-mouth, all thirty pots sold out easily that night.

The manager found it surprising; the hotpot wasn’t cheap, but people bought it. He thought Wei Lan had some talent, having resolved a scammer issue last time and now inventing such a delicious dish, no wonder the young lady favored her.

Lu Shihua and her friends ate lots of meat and vegetables, then added noodles, which were delicious, soaked in spicy, fragrant broth and dipped in sesame sauce.

Stuffed, they strolled a bit before returning home.

Those who ate hotpot that night raved to friends, so the next morning, people booked hotpots. The manager, fearing chaos, issued number tags, as only thirty pots were available per meal.

Some went at noon but were told bookings were full, so they reserved for the afternoon. The hotpot’s popularity exceeded expectations, becoming a trendy item among Panyang City’s youth.

Especially among wealthy young masters and ladies, not having tried hotpot meant being looked down upon by peers.

Due to the increased workload, Wei Lan had the housekeeper hire two more kitchen maids to make hotpot base, signing contracts with the Lu Mansion for loyalty to keep the recipe secret.

Lu Shihua, eating at home, found food bland and craved hotpot, planning to eat it again with her friends.

Lu Feng rarely stayed home for meals, and Lu Jingxian, on break from the academy, returned too.

At lunch, Lu Feng recalled the hotpot and said, “Have you heard of hotpot? It’s a new dish at the Lu Family Tavern. They say you need to queue early to get it.”

Lu Shihua, eyes lighting up, said, “I’ve heard and eaten it. It’s amazing, as expected from Wei Lan.”

Lu Jingxian asked curiously, “Is it really that good?” Her classmates had praised it too.

Lu Shihua said, “Really, Sister, trust me. Sister Wei Lan is amazing, writing novels and creating such tasty food. There’s nothing she can’t do.”

Lu Feng coughed lightly and said, “You, Wei Lan is married. No matter how great she is, it has nothing to do with you.”

Lu Shihua deflated instantly, thinking why she didn’t have Lu Zijin’s luck to have a Qianyuan like Wei Lan as a spouse.

She muttered softly, “Even if married, they might divorce. Who knows?”

Lu Feng sighed and said, “What are you saying? You should settle down. We need to arrange your marriage this year.”

Lu Shihua muttered, “I don’t want to get married,” ate a few bites, and ran off.

Meanwhile, Wei Lan learned her hotpot was a hit in the city. She happily lounged on a soft couch, imagining rewards from her wife that night.

The hotpot boosted other tavern dishes’ sales, and the revenue soared. Her wife surely knew.

In the afternoon, Xiao Nanyan sent someone saying she wanted to host a banquet with hotpot, but the tavern had sold out, so she asked Wei Lan for a favor.

Wei Lan smiled and sent a servant with extra base to solve Xiao Nanyan’s problem.

Lu Zijin had fewer tasks that day and went to Wei Lan’s place in the afternoon. Entering the bedroom, she saw her little Qianyuan napping on a soft couch in the sun.

Lu Zijin’s eyes softened. Wei Lan was quite leisurely. She walked over and tapped Wei Lan’s nose lightly.

Wei Lan mumbled and turned over. Lu Zijin chuckled, shook her head, and pinched Wei Lan’s ear tip.

As expected, Wei Lan woke up soon, bleary-eyed, and looked at Lu Zijin, saying, “Madam? Why are you here?”

Lu Zijin touched Wei Lan’s cheek and said, “Hmm, I came to see what my little dog is doing.”

Wei Lan sat up, reached for Lu Zijin, and hugged her tightly, asking, “Madam, not busy today?”

Lu Zijin said, “Hmm, the grain acquisition is mostly done. To be safe, I bought double last year’s amount.” She explained while playing with Wei Lan’s ear tip.

Wei Lan praised sweetly, “Madam is amazing.”

Lu Zijin leaned down, kissed Wei Lan’s lips, and said, “Little dog, such a sweet talker.”

Hearing this, Wei Lan hugged and nuzzled Lu Zijin, saying, “I love Madam the most.”

Lu Zijin tapped Wei Lan’s nose lightly, teasing like a dog, and asked, “Love me? Then do you want to move to Jingchen Courtyard to live with me, hmm?”

Wei Lan’s eyes lit up, and she asked, “Can I?”

Lu Zijin smiled softly and said, “Of course.”

Before, she found the married Qianyuan noisy and thought she wouldn’t like Wei Lan, so she put her in a distant courtyard. Now, her obedient, cute little dog made her miss Wei Lan when apart for a day.

Since they had consummated, it was better to have Wei Lan live with her. Fuqu Pavilion could be left for Wei Qing.

Wei Lan said excitedly, “I want to go!” After thinking, she added, “What about my studio? And Little Sister?”

Lu Zijin said, “My courtyard has plenty of spare rooms. Move your studio there. As for Fuqu Pavilion, leave it for Wei Qing.”

Wei Lan nodded, thinking it made sense. The studio could move, and Wei Qing, who disliked crowds and felt uneasy around Lu Zijin, would be more comfortable alone.

Wei Lan said, “Okay, I’ll tell Wei Qing. I’ll move today.” She hugged Lu Zijin’s waist, kissed her lips, and felt satisfied.

Seeing Wei Lan’s eagerness, Lu Zijin laughed and said, “Am I inviting a wolf into my house? A lustful dog?”

Wei Lan hugged Lu Zijin, acting spoiled, and said, “Not at all, I’m very obedient.” She loved acting spoiled with her wife, who always indulged her.

Lu Zijin kissed Wei Lan’s lips, bit them lightly, and said, “Good, then have people move your things now.”

She opened the door and arranged for servants to bring a cart.

Wei Lan had lived there a while, so she had many things, but a carriage would move them quickly.

The maids packed and found three brocade boxes in the wardrobe and dressing table, bringing them to Wei Lan.

A maid asked, “Master, these three boxes are to be taken too, right?”

Wei Lan’s eyelids twitched, and she quickly said, “Yes, pack them with the clothes.”

Those were her private savings; she had to take them!

Lu Zijin looked curiously and said, “Wait, let me see what’s inside.”

Smiling at Wei Lan, she added, “Master doesn’t mind, right?”

Wei Lan gave an awkward laugh and deflected, saying, “Madam, there’s nothing in there. Let them pack quickly.”

Hearing this, Lu Zijin grew more curious and said, “What? Is Master hiding something from me?”

Wei Lan shook her head quickly and said, “No, no.”

Lu Zijin said, “Then I’ll look.” She picked up a box, opened it, and saw silver notes inside.

Holding the notes, she raised an eyebrow, smiled at Wei Lan, and asked, “What’s this?”

Wei Lan smiled sweetly and said, “My pocket money.”

Lu Zijin said, “Oh? So Master didn’t turn in all the silver notes and kept some.”

She took out the other boxes, checked them, and found less than ten thousand taels total.

Wei Lan rubbed her hands, thinking of excuses, and said, “Well, I need some money for food when I go out, and sometimes I want to surprise you. I can’t ask you for money, so I kept a little.”

Lu Zijin held the thousands of taels, looked at Wei Lan with a half-smile, and said, “A little?”

Wei Lan wanted to cry, thinking how her wife’s sudden move caught her off guard, exposing her again!