novelSusiti Chapter 121 Women will only slow down my sword-drawing speed!
Chapter 121 Women will only slow down my sword-drawing speed!
Chapter 121 Women will only slow down my sword-drawing speed!
"Where's the meat? Where's the meat?"
Li Shimin's mouth was already watering from the red oil broth, and he kept tapping the rim of his bowl with his chopsticks.
Su Mu took out a large plate of thinly sliced mutton from the icebox.
This is called "standing upright on the plate without falling over." When the plate is held upright, the slices of meat stick firmly to the bottom and don't fall off, indicating that the meat is dry and fresh.
"This is called hot pot mutton. Hold the meat with your chopsticks, don't let go, and dip it up and down in the red broth until it changes color and is cooked."
Su Mu gave an example.
The chopsticks held a piece of meat, which was shaken in the bubbling red oil.
One, two, three — up and down.
The originally bright red slices of meat instantly curled up, covered with red oil and crushed Sichuan peppercorns.
Li Shimin followed suit, picking up a large piece of meat with his chopsticks, dipping it vigorously in the red broth, not even bothering to count how many times it was dipped in and out, and stuffing it into his mouth as soon as it changed color.
"Whoosh!"
The moment it entered his mouth, Li Shimin's eyes widened.
Hot! Spicy! Numbing!
The heat rushed straight to my head from the tip of my tongue, the richness of the butter tightly wrapped around the tender mutton, and with one bite, the juices burst forth.
Before I could even react, the numbing sensation of the Sichuan peppercorns kicked in, and my lips were practically dancing.
"happy!"
Li Shimin slapped his thigh, sweat instantly beading on his forehead. "This thing is awesome!"
Fang Xuanling was initially hesitant, as the red oil looked frightening.
Seeing how heartily His Majesty ate, he also tentatively picked up a piece and carefully dipped it in the broth.
The moment he entered the room, the refined and cultured Mr. Fang's face turned bright red.
"Water—water—"
He grabbed the teacup next to him in a flurry and gulped it down.
"This is so spicy it's killing me! It's torture!"
He kept shouting that he was being tortured, but his chopsticks didn't stop. He picked up another piece of tripe and put it into the hot pot.
That's the magic of hot pot.
The spicier it is, the more I want to eat it, and the more I eat, the more I can't stop.
"You silly goose!"
Xiao Sizi sat on a specially made high stool, with a bowl of mutton meatballs cooked in mushroom broth in front of her.
She blew on it, took a small bite, and looked at the two sweaty adults with a look of disgust.
"They clearly had the non-spicy one, but they insisted on eating the red one. Now their lips are swollen like sausages!"
Su Mu added some sesame paste to the little girl's plate: "They're just asking for trouble, let's ignore them. Here, this shrimp paste is ready, it's bouncy and chewy."
Fang Qingjun then came over carrying washed spinach and chrysanthemum greens.
She wasn't dressed in fancy clothes today, but in a light green, narrow-sleeved ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with a plain white ribbon tied around her waist, making her waist appear extremely slender.
Perhaps because she had been busy washing vegetables, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and a few fine beads of sweat clung to her forehead.
"The food is here."
She placed the shopping basket on the table and naturally sat down in the empty seat next to Su Mu.
"Hard."
Su Mu handed her a pair of chopsticks and prepared a dipping sauce for her. "This red soup is spicy. Can you handle spicy food?"
I want to give it a try.
Fang Qingjun glanced at the bubbling red oil in the pot, then at Su Mu, her eyes flickering. "If Father dares to eat it, I, as his daughter, can't fall behind."
Fang Xuanling was so spicy that he tore open his collar, completely losing his composure as a prime minister.
After a few cups of Shaoxing wine, coupled with the stimulation of the chili peppers, I felt a little lightheaded.
He watched his daughter sitting next to Su Mu, the two of them passing things to each other with perfect coordination, and his old scheme resurfaced.
This Su Mu is not only incredibly skilled, but also honest and kind, and most importantly, His Majesty values him highly.
Although I am now a menial servant, among all the civil and military officials in the court, who would let His Majesty sweat and eat hot pot here without any precautions?
This is a stock with great potential!
Fueled by alcohol, Fang Xuanling put down his chopsticks and stared at Su Mu with a flushed face.
"Brother Su."
Su Mu was focused on dealing with a piece of duck blood in the pot, without even looking up: "What advice does Lord Fang have? Should we add more chili?"
'
"No more, no more, or my voice will be ruined."
Fang Xuanling waved his hand, leaned forward, and lowered his voice, but it was still clearly audible in the quiet courtyard.
"I simply wish to ask, how old are you, young Master Su? Is there anything you still care about at home? Or rather, are you married?"
The moment the question was asked, the atmosphere at the table froze.
Li Shimin, who was holding a piece of wide rice noodle, paused upon hearing this, a mischievous smile of anticipation creeping onto his lips.
Is this old fox finally unable to resist trying to sell his daughter again?
Fang Qingjun, who was blanching vegetables, accidentally dropped a bright green spinach into the hot oil, where it wilted instantly.
She lowered her head, her ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, but she kept her ears perked up and even her breathing was soft.
Su Mu didn't react much.
He scooped the perfectly cooked duck blood into his bowl, gently blew on it, as if it were the most important thing in the world.
"Twenty-three."
Su Mu replied casually, "I'm all alone, with nothing to worry about."
Fang Xuanling's eyes lit up, and he slammed his hand on the table: "Twenty-three is a good age! It's the perfect time to make achievements, start a family, and build a life together! With such great talent as Young Master Su, haven't you ever thought about finding someone who understands and cares for you, a beautiful woman to keep you company? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Fang Qingjun's knuckles were turning white as she gripped the chopsticks.
Su Mu finally raised his head.
He glanced at Fang Xuanling, whose face was full of anticipation, then at Li Shimin, who was suppressing a laugh, and finally his gaze fell on the thin-bladed knife in his hand, which he used to cut meat.
The blade gleamed coldly, reflecting the firelight in the stove.
"Mr. Fang, are you trying to set me up with a spouse?"
Su Mu toyed with the knife in his hand, his tone indifferent, "Forget it."
Why?
Fang Xuanling grew anxious, "Could it be that Young Master Su already has someone he likes?"
No, not at all.
Su Mu stuck the knife into the cutting board, making a soft thud.
"I'm used to being lazy. What young lady could stand the smoke and fire in the imperial kitchen? Besides—"
He paused, looked at Fang Xuanling with a serious expression, and said something that surprised everyone present.
"Women will only slow down my speed in drawing my sword."
puff--!
Li Shimin spat out the mouthful of tea he had just taken a sip of.
"Hahahaha! Good! What a great way to slow down the draw of your sword! Su Mu, you little brat—you're really something!"
Fang Xuanling's expression froze, as if someone had stuffed a mouthful of raw bitter melon into his mouth.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. What kind of reason was that? Was this what they called—being clueless about romance?
Fang Qingjun suddenly raised her head, and in that instant, shame, indignation, disappointment, and a hint of disbelief intertwined on her face.
She bit her lower lip hard, her eyes slightly red, grabbed the teacup in front of her and took a swig. It turned out to be the strong liquor that Su Mu had specially poured for her.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
A violent cough broke the awkward silence.
Su Mu then noticed the commotion beside him.
He turned his head, looked at Fang Qingjun who was choking and had tears welling up in her eyes, then looked at his knife, as if he had realized something.
Did we just kill the conversation?
Although this is a tired internet meme from later generations, in the Tang Dynasty, saying this to a prime minister's daughter who was still unmarried did indeed have a connotation of being destined to be single.
"that----"
Su Mu scratched his head, trying to make amends.