novelSusiti Chapter 22 Zhu 2 Zhu 5 Zhu 3?
Chapter 22 Zhu 2 Zhu 5 Zhu 3?
Zhu Shuang, Zhu Su, and Zhu Gui exchanged a glance, a hint of reluctance flashing in their eyes, but they dared not disobey Zhu Yuanzhang's order.
After all, on the way, Zhu Yuanzhang had repeatedly instructed them that Zhu Yao was his newly adopted son, and according to seniority, they had to call Zhu Yao their elder brother and treat him with respect.
Zhu Shuang stepped forward first, scratched his head, and said with a perfunctory smile, "Hello, elder brother, I am Zhu Er! My mother is Madam Ma!"
As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang, afraid that he might say something wrong. After all, Zhu Yuanzhang had instructed him not to reveal his real name and to address him only according to his birth order.
Immediately afterward, Zhu Su stepped forward, head bowed, his voice soft and low: "Big brother, I am Zhu Wu, and my mother is also Madam Ma."
Finally, Zhu Gui reluctantly stepped forward, pursed his lips, and called out, "Brother, I am Zhu Shisan, and my mother is Madam Guo."
After the three finished speaking, they all lowered their heads and no one spoke again, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Zhu Yao stood there, speechless, his lips twitching slightly. He looked at his three younger brothers and then at Zhu Yuanzhang, who had a serious expression on his face. He really didn't know what to say.
Zhu Er, Zhu Wu, Zhu Shisan?
This is far too perfunctory. Even if they can't use their real names, they don't have to come up with such a casual title. Moreover, the attitude of these three people is clearly unwilling, without even the slightest bit of respect.
Zhu Yuanzhang noticed his three sons' perfunctory attitude, his brow furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He scolded, "How dare you speak to your eldest brother like that? Behave yourselves!"
The three sons shrank back in fright, quickly straightening their backs, but still kept their heads down, not daring to look up at Zhu Yao, looking both comical and embarrassed.
"Father, my three younger brothers, let's go inside and talk."
As soon as the group entered the Liu residence, Zhu Shuang couldn't help but frown, looking around the courtyard. He complained with a tone full of disdain, "This place is too shabby. There isn't even a decent garden. It's so cramped to live here."
As he spoke, he kicked at the pebbles on the roadside, his face full of reluctance. In his view, such a simple residence was not worthy of their status as princes.
Zhu Su, holding his herbal medicine manual, frowned and whispered in agreement, "Yes, there are too few varieties of flowers and plants here. There aren't even a few precious herbs. It's really not very interesting."
His gaze swept over the plants and trees in the courtyard, his eyes filled with disappointment. He was preoccupied with his own herbs and had no interest in the furnishings of the courtyard whatsoever.
Zhu Gui looked around, his lips curled into a sneer, his tone full of disdain: "It's not just rudimentary, there's not even a place for people to have fun. There's no place for cockfighting or dog racing, and no alchemy furnace. This trip is going to be so boring."
The three of them chattered away, completely disregarding Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yao beside them, their complaints rising and falling, making the Liu family seem worthless.
Zhu Yuanzhang's face flushed red and then turned pale, both angry and embarrassed. He quickly cupped his hands to Zhu Yao and said apologetically, "Yao'er, I'm really sorry. These three unfilial sons have been spoiled by us and speak without thinking. Please don't take it to heart."
Zhu Yao smiled and waved his hand: "Father, it's alright. My brothers are still young, so it's normal for them to be a little mischievous. Besides, they grew up in Jinling City, so it's understandable that they're not used to the environment here."
Just then, Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze fell on Liu Bowen, who was standing to the side. Liu Bowen had a rosy complexion and was full of energy. The fatigue in his eyes had disappeared, and he was completely different from his previous haggard appearance.
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but laugh, his tone tinged with amusement: "Old Liu, looking at your rosy complexion and energetic appearance, it seems you're doing quite well here with my son."
As he spoke, he rubbed his throbbing temples. Thinking of his arduous journey and the troubles in the palace, and then looking at Liu Bowen's leisurely life, he couldn't help but feel a little envious, while he himself was exhausted.
Liu Bowen quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "You flatter me, sir. I owe my success today entirely to Young Master Zhu's meticulous care."
"It's all thanks to your understanding, sir!"
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, his face showing some impatience, clearly not wanting to exchange any more pleasantries with Liu Bowen. He turned to look at Zhu Yao, his eyes instantly becoming urgent: "Yao'er, let's not talk about this anymore. The most important thing for your father to do this time is to eat the hot pot you make."
"After we got back, we ate a lot of delicacies, but nothing tasted as good as your cooking, especially your soft and tender cabbage. I couldn't sleep at night thinking about it."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao smiled and quickly replied, "Dad, don't worry, I'll go and tell the kitchen to prepare it right away. I guarantee you'll get the hot pot you've been craving."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Shuang, Zhu Su, and Zhu Gui all showed disdain. Zhu Shuang scoffed, "Hot pot? What is that? Can it compare to the delicacies of Jinling City? I won't eat this unknown stuff."
Zhu Su shook her head slightly and said softly, "I only like to eat light food, I definitely won't be used to it."
Zhu Gui looked utterly disgusted: "Hot pot? Can you use that to refine pills?"
Zhu Yuanzhang glared at them and scolded, "Enough nonsense! When it's made, you all have to try it. No picky eating!"
Although the three sons were unwilling, they dared not disobey Zhu Yuanzhang's orders. They could only pout and reluctantly follow Zhu Yao to the dining hall.
Before long, the kitchen had prepared the hot pot. The copper pot was placed on the table, the charcoal fire was lit, the soup was bubbling and steaming, and all kinds of ingredients were neatly arranged on the table, and the aroma instantly filled the air.
Zhu Yuanzhang eagerly picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of cabbage, blanched it in the pot, dipped it in the sauce, and popped it into his mouth. A look of satisfaction instantly spread across his face as he exclaimed repeatedly, "This is the taste! This is the taste! Yao'er, your hot pot is absolutely delicious!"
Zhu Shuang watched Zhu Yuanzhang eat with relish and couldn't help but swallow. He finally couldn't suppress his curiosity, picked up a piece of mutton, put it in the pot to blanch for a moment, and then carefully put it in his mouth.
The mutton was tender and flavorful, soaking up the broth. One bite brought a wave of warmth, and Zhu Shuang's eyes lit up instantly. The disdain on her face vanished, and she quickly picked up another piece with her chopsticks, mumbling, "Delicious! So delicious! Even better than roast meat!"
Seeing this, Zhu Su couldn't help but pick up his chopsticks, take a piece of green vegetable, put it in the pot to cook, and it tasted refreshing and not greasy at all. His eyes lit up slightly, and he slowly started eating, even forgetting to look at the herbal medicine chart in his hand.
Zhu Gui was even more exaggerated. At first, he was stubborn, but when he smelled the tempting aroma, he couldn't resist any longer. He picked up a meatball, cooked it, and stuffed it into his mouth. The meatball was bouncy, juicy, and delicious. He instantly fell in love with the taste, exclaiming as he ate, "Delicious! This hot pot is amazing!"
The three princes, who had initially been dismissive, were now wolfing down the hotpot, their faces beaming with satisfaction. Their previous disdain had vanished, and they were constantly praising the deliciousness of the hotpot...