Chapter 283 - Potato Feas (2/2)
When a tantalizing fragrance drifted out of the kitchen, the imperial bodyguards couldn’t stay calm anymore. They kept rubbing the corn in their hands, but their heads all looked towards the direction of the kitchen. Their eyes were all fixed in that direction, and they swallowed their saliva from time to time.
Looking at his hopeless subordinates, Wu Deshun shook his head with a smile and freed a hand to rub his own tummy. So fragrant ah! It was so appetizing that the ‘gluttonous bug’ in his stomach was rebelling!
As if there was someone dragging its tail, time slowly passed by. After waiting and yearning, it was finally time for lunch. The Yu Family took out stools and wooden boards and set up a simple dining table under the shed built for rubbing kernels. They also borrowed some chairs and stools from their neighbors. With a dozen or so imperial bodyguards and over ten members of the Yu Family together, the scene was quite spectacular, as if they were holding an all-day banquet.
The imperial bodyguards sat in rows, and they all looked eagerly towards the kitchen. It was time to serve the dishes!
It was indeed a potato feast! Braised potatoes, pan-fried potato bites, cumin baked potatoes, sliced potatoes sautéed with green pepper and tomato, sautéed spareribs with potatoes, braised pork with potatoes, sliced pork stir-fried with potatoes, sour and spicy shredded potatoes, sliced potatoes pot, shredded potatoes stir-fried with eggs… There were also French fries, potato chips, and mashed potatoes, which were the children’s favorites, as well as their homemade ketchup. Even the staple food were made of potatoes, such as pan-fried potato pancake, shredded potato egg pancakes, and the delicious-smelling crispy potato pancakes——such a sumptuous potato feast ah!
They were all homemade dishes, but after all, potato was a new type of food and it was also very tasty. The guards relaxed their cheeks and ate until their mouths were covered with grease. They couldn’t stop eating!
Her grandfather and oldest aunt’s family, who sat at the same table as the young royal prince, didn’t even know what to do with their arms and legs, let alone eat. Thus, Yu Xiaocao considerately set up a table for them in the West Courtyard and brought the dishes over.
The Yu Family members were already used to eating at the same table as the royal prince. Although the royal prince didn’t really smile a lot, he was quite a good person. He didn’t put on airs, and he also didn’t require them to follow formalities.
“Young Royal Prince, you should try my second sister’s French fries. Dipping them in the ketchup, there is a sweet and sour taste. It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It’s very delicious!” Little Shitou held the French fries that his second sister specially placed in front of him and suggested Royal Prince Yang to try it.
Zhu Junyang readily picked one up and dripped it into the ketchup. He put it into his mouth and carefully tasted it, and then slowly nodded to Little Shitou, who was looking at him expectantly, saying, “Mhm, delicious!”
Suddenly, as if he had found an ally, Little Shitou beamed with delight and said, “If it’s tasty, then you should eat more! With my second sister’s cooking skills, she can make something different out of anything!”
Zhu Junyang took a bite of the ‘pan-fried potato bites’. The freshly fried potatoes were crispy on the outside and glutinous on the inside, and retained the purest flavors of potatoes. It had a delicious smell, and with a bite, the tangy taste melted within one’s mouth. It was indeed a simple and good taste that people couldn’t easily give up on.
“Little Shitou, you can’t just eat French fries and potato chips. These can only be considered snacks. If you want to grow as tall as the imperial bodyguard older brothers, you need to eat more proper meals!” Seeing that her younger brother was eating the French fries with relish, Yu Xiaocao couldn’t help but remind him.
Little Shitou obediently nodded and said, “I’ll eat one more… Second Sister, when school starts, can you fry some French fries and potato chips for me to bring back? Little Fatty, Brother Jinye, and Situ definitely haven’t eaten them before. I want to let them try it!”
Yu Xiaocao looked at the young royal prince and said to Little Shitou, “Of course! But, you have to explain to your friends the potatoes that our family eats were the ones that got damaged when being harvested. The potatoes can’t be used as seeds!”
Zhu Junyang looked at her and said, “No need to be so careful! With around a thousand catties of potatoes, this prince can still make the decision to give you some! In principle, these potatoes and corn are grown by your family, and thus belong to your family. When I gave the seeds to you, I made it clear that the imperial court will buy them according to the price you set after they are grown. Have you guys decided on the price?”
The Yu Family were very genuine and honest people. Zhu Junyang wasn’t concerned that they would set a high price at all. ‘Mhm! These potatoes taste quite good and the cooking methods are also very simple. If they are popularized, the common people can learn them too!’
Zhu Junyang kept eating, but he also didn’t forget to say to Yu Xiaocao, “You should organize the cooking methods for potatoes, and it will be best if you write it down in a book. This prince will take it back when I go back to the capital next time!”
Yu Xiaocao grumbled, “Young Royal Prince, you want to take my recipes with just a few words? You’re not going to give me some benefits in return? Back then, when the emperor emeritus traveled incognito, he had spent three hundred taels to buy my recipes for pig head meat and braised food! My family is also continuously receiving money for the roasted chicken and roasted duck recipes that I sold to Zhenxiu Restaurant… Aiya, Mother, why did you hit me?”
Madam Liu looked at the young royal prince’s expression and pretended to hit her younger daughter again as she said, “This child, is money the only thing you think about? The royal prince and the emperor got these high-yielding potatoes and corn so that the common people can fill their stomachs. You, on the other hand, had only done a small favor but still wants some benefit. Aren’t you ashamed!”