Chapter 78

Consuming wild tomatoes raw posed a significant challenge.

The Princess, the Prince, and Zhou Yulin gazed at the tomatoes, which they had been cultivating as ornamental plants. The plump, red fruits were quite attractive, but their vibrant color raised suspicions about their potential toxicity.

"If Your Highnesses have no objections, I would be honored to demonstrate," the plump cook offered, plucking a wolf tomatoes and biting into it forcefully.

Juice splattered as the sweet and tangy aroma filled the air.

Devouring the tomatoes in a few bites, the plump cook thought to herself, "In Wei County, indulging in such a luxurious treat would be unthinkable, even for the local nobility. Now, I have the privilege of savoring it to my heart's content."

The slender cook, witnessing this, quickly interjected, "If Your Highnesses still harbor doubts, I am also willing to partake."

The princess touched the bright red fruit and asked, "How did Dingxiang discover that this thing is edible?"

The plump cook replied, "Originally, the eldest young lady didn't know that this could be eaten. It happened that a ripe fruit fell from a pot, and the chickens in the house pecked at it and ate it. The eldest young lady saw that the chickens had no problem after eating it, so she tried one herself. This scared sister Zhenshu so much that she made a pot of mung bean soup and boiled milk to make the eldest young lady vomit. But the eldest young lady had no problems after eating the wolf berries, and she even became addicted to it."

"This child, why is she so daring? Doesn't she know she's carrying a child in her belly?" The princess was really frightened by Song Dingxiang.

Zhou Yulin looked at the potted tomatoes, suddenly reached out, plucked one, took a bite, and his eyes lit up.

"Zhou Yulin, why are you eating recklessly too?!" The princess exclaimed, pounding her chest.

Zhou Yulin took another bite and chewed, saying, "Mother, this does taste good, it's sour and sweet, juicy and tender, very delicious indeed."

"You're getting married in a few days, what if something goes wrong..." The princess's face turned pale.

The plump cook hurriedly said, "The eldest young lady has been fine after eating it, and she even cooked the ripe wolf berries into dishes, and the Song family all ate it, saying it tasted good and nothing happened..."

The princess almost rolled her eyes.

The whole family ate it?!?!

Is it really that delicious?!?!

Zhou Yulin chuckled, "Mother, why don't you try it? Or let Father try it? Did Sister-in-law really make dishes with this? What kind of dishes did she make?"

The slender cook chimed in, "The eldest young lady stir-fried eggs with it, which was sweet and sour, very appetizing. She also stewed beef brisket with it, and fried potatoes, all of which tasted incredibly delicious."

Zhou Yulin said, "There happens to be beef in the mansion, why don't you go ahead and make it for me to taste."

"Zhou Yulin!!!" The princess exclaimed angrily, "You, you're not afraid of something happening?"

Zhou Yulin said, "I trust Sister-in-law, she wouldn't introduce something that would cause harm. Mother, when many new dishes were introduced here in the past, didn't people hesitate to eat them? Especially with corn, it was considered a novelty at first, but when people found out it tasted good and had high yields, now everyone is cultivating it."

The Prince asked, "Is it really delicious?"

Zhou Yulin picked another one and started nibbling, saying, "Indeed, it's delicious."

The Prince couldn't resist and reached out to pick one, making the Princess stomp her foot and say, "At least find a dog to try it first."

Zhou Yulin said, "The chickens in Sister-in-law's house have all eaten it, why do we need to find a dog? But wait, why does Sister-in-law have chickens? Where are they kept?"

The chubby cook let out a sound, her expression conflicted as she said, "Reporting to the Prince, the Princess and Second Young Master, in the General's mansion have planted many vegetables, saying that they are more beautiful than the flowers and cheaper to eat. There is a small garden in the backyard specifically for raising chickens. Several ponds in the courtyard have also been planted with lotus, which bloom beautifully in the summer and can be harvested for eating in the winter..."

Zhou Yulin: "Hahaha."

The Prince: "Hahaha."

The Princess: ???

The thin cook saw that the princess's expression was not good, so she hurriedly added, "Actually, it is quite beautiful. Sunflowers are also planted on both sides of the path, with shiny golden flowers. In a month, we can harvest the sunflower seeds..." She couldn't help but bow her head at this point.

Why talk about sunflower seeds, why not just talk about the sunflowers?

It's all because of the young lady's orders; to make sure they could eat their fill, she couldn't help but blurt it out.

Zhou Yulin laughed uncontrollably, saying, "That's really good, I really want to go see what it looks like. So, do you usually eat vegetables and eggs from your own produce?"

The chubby cook replied, "We also receive fresh vegetables from the village. The young lady picks the most beautiful ones to plant, so the variety is not very large..."

Zhou Yulin laughed like a goose.

The princess sighed and said, "Forget it, just go and cook these things for me to see. I want to see what that girl has come up with this time. How can she be so good at creating things at such a young age?"

The Prince happened to have just finished eating a tomatoes in his hand, so he wiped his hands with the cloth handed to him by the maid and said, "I think it's good for our daughter-in-law to be like this. Food is essential for the people, and if we find something else to eat, it would be a good thing for our governance. However, we can't publicize it now; we have collected the seeds and will plant them. We can tell the emperor after the harvest next year."

It was almost time for dinner. The cooks picked some tomatoes and prepared several dishes to serve.

A dish of tomato fried eggs, a dish of tomato stewed beef brisket, a dish of tomato stewed potatoes, and a dish of sugar-sprinkled tomato salad, and finally a tomato and egg flower soup. Eight dishes and two soups on the table, half of them made with tomatoes.

"Tomatoes?" The Prince was surprised, "How come it's called tomatoes; aren't they wolf berries?"

The chubby cook explained, "The young lady said that 'wolf berries doesn't sound good. These things were sent from the Western Barbarian country, they are red and look like persimmons, so she named them tomatoes. The young lady's mother, Fang shi, said they look like eggplants, so the young lady said they can also be called tomatoes. We servants just call them as our mistress instructs."

The Prince nodded and said, "Indeed, the word 'wolf' is indeed intimidating; changing the name makes it sound more appetizing as well." He then picked up a piece of sugar-sprinkled tomato and tasted it, smiling, "Sweet and sour, Wann'er, you should like this dish."

The Princess sighed deeply as she reluctantly picked up a piece and tasted it. She thought to herself, if any problems arise from eating it, the whole family can just convert to worshipping the Western religion, which wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

Upon tasting the tomato, she couldn't help but make a sound of surprise and even wanted to have another piece.

Zhou Yulin, quick to act, tasted all the dishes and exclaimed, "Delicious, delicious! These wolf berries are truly a wonderful thing. How many pots of them do we have at home? We must take good care of them and save the seeds for planting."

The Princess, irritated, remarked, "If that's the case, don't eat any more of the leftover wolf berries. Save them all for collecting seeds!"

Zhou Yulin smirked and said, "Let's at least keep two pots for ourselves to enjoy a few more times. I can see that there are plenty of seeds inside the wolf berries; we don't need to be stingy... If we could also get the wolf berries from the emperor, that would be even better."

After finishing the somewhat uneasy dinner, the Princess tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She listened to the familiar snoring that had been with her for decades and eventually sat up, carefully observing her husband.

The Prince had a healthy complexion, sleeping soundly without any signs of illness. However, the Princess still worried and kept getting up to check on him throughout the night, finally falling into a fitful sleep as dawn broke.

"Mother, Mother?"

The Princess opened her eyes and saw Zhou Yulin standing in front of her, impatiently asking, "What is it? Why are you calling me so early in the morning?"

Zhou Yulin replied, "It's not early; it's almost noon. Lui Cui saw that you were always worried while sleeping, so she asked me to come. Do you feel unwell?"

The Princess sat up abruptly, exclaiming, "Do you feel unwell?"

Zhou Yulin shook his head and said, "No, I feel fine. It's just that you've never slept in this late before, so I was a bit worried."

The Princess sighed in relief and said, "I was worried all night, watching your father all night and not sleeping well."

Zhou Yulin chuckled and said, "Mother, are you worried that something will happen to father?"

"Of course I'm worried! Eating randomly, I'll have to talk to that girl later." The Princess got up, called for a maid to come and wash up, then asked, still unsettled, "Are you really okay?"

Zhou Yulin reassured her, saying, "I'm really fine. I even had a bowl of wolf berries and egg flower soup this morning and found it very delicious."

The Princess: ...

"Forget it. By the way, besides these wolf berries, didn't they say there were other things?" The Princess's frustration dissipated as she observed her son.

"I have already instructed them to go and purchase it. I just don't know what delicious treats my sister-in-law has concocted," Zhou Yulin replied.

The two cooks busied themselves in the kitchen for most of the day, and by the afternoon, they had finally prepared all the snacks and laid them out on the table in the hall.

"Reporting to Your Highness the Prince and the Princess and the Shizi, this is what our Madam Zhou has taught us to make. These are peanuts, including Tiger Skin Peanuts, Sugar-coated Peanuts, Odd-flavored Peanuts, Spicy Peanuts, and Crispy Peanuts. This one is Odd-flavored broad beans, Spicy broad beans. This one is dried melon seeds, this one is dried apricots, this one is garlic-flavored green beans, and these are Spicy pork jerky and Five Spice pork jerky. There is also Garlic Peanut, Five Spice Sunflower Seeds, and Amber Apricot Kernels, but they need to be soaked as seasoning for a day before they can be made."

"Our Madam Zhou said that these things should not be stored for long. Try to eat them within two to three days after they are made, and if it is raining or humid weather, it is best to finish them within a day. If they get damp, they cannot be eaten."

Hearing ingredients she recognized, the Crown Princess breathed a sigh of relief. She scooped up a peanut with a small silver spoon, chewed it crisply, and smiled, "This is proper food to eat. Always eating wolf berries is not good."

The plump cook added, "Our Madam Zhou said that in the future, whenever she come up with something delicious, she should send it to the Prince and Princess to taste. She also said that although these are common and cheap, they are affordable for everyone, so profit should not be underestimated. The Princess can add all these to her shop. Our Madam Zhou said that since she is far away in Weixian and cannot serve the Prince and Princess, she can only use these small things to please them."

"This child is really thoughtful..." The Prince ate several peanuts, showing a pleased expression, "The taste is quite good, the only thing is that the Tiger Skin ones are a bit hard."

"I actually think the Tiger Skin ones are delicious, crispy and fragrant." Zhou Yulin, being young with good teeth, couldn't stop eating and said, "When I get married, I should prepare more of these. I think these things go well with wine. They will definitely sell well in the shop."

The Princess scolded him with a glance, saying, "You shouldn't overindulge in tasty treats like these. Peanuts and broad beans are not easy to digest. Just have a taste. Since Dingxiang sent these things over, she must want to add joy to your wedding banquet, and you will have plenty to eat then."

Zhou Yulin chuckled and grabbed a handful of melon seeds to snack on slowly.

*

The Shizi's lavish wedding banquet naturally featured extravagant dishes. However, what attracted people the most were the snacks served after the main meal. Not only did the guests enjoy them, but even the Emperor who attended the wedding banquet was delighted.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late, you shouldn't eat too many peanuts, as they are hard to digest," the Eunuch Wang looked worried as he watched the Emperor enjoying them layer by layer.

The Emperor smiled and said, "Rarely do I get to enjoy such interesting and delicious snacks. Eight Uncle, you must appreciate your cooks, they have come up with so many fresh ideas."

The Eighth Prince chuckled, "Your Majesty, these were not made by the cooks in my mansion, but by my eldest daughter-in-law who came up with them when she was at leisure. Because she is pregnant and could not attend, she sent two cooks over to add joy to the wedding banquet."

The Emperor exclaimed, "Your eldest daughter-in-law? The County Princess Song Dingxiang, right? Ah, this woman really has ideas."

The Eighth Prince moved the food box in front of the Emperor aside, determined not to let him eat anymore, and said, "Nowadays, the cooks in my mansion have learned how to make these things and have sent some to your aunt's pastry shop, so you can enjoy them anytime. If you truly like them, I will have the cooks come to the palace to prepare them for you. However, peanuts are hard to digest, so it's best to eat them sparingly."

The Emperor's enjoyment was not yet fulfilled, but he had to wipe his hands and mouth, saying, "There's no need to have the cooks come to the palace. If I want to eat them, I'll send someone to buy from your place. Is my County Princess really... short of money?"

The Eighth Prince quickly interjected, "What do you mean short of money, Your Majesty, you're joking... It's just peanuts and broad beans, how much profit can you make?"

The Emperor chuckled, sighed, and said, "It's a pity."

Regarding what a pity, no one mentioned it, but everyone had a slight understanding.

*

"And what about the gifts from Your Majesty?" Song Dingxiang couldn't help but widen her eyes.

Eunuch Wang smiled and said, "Indeed, not only does Your Majesty enjoy them, but the Empress and the consorts in the palace also like them. Even the Empress Dowager couldn't stop praising them. The Empress Dowager was feeling a bit unwell before, but after eating the dried apricots, she felt better and could eat a few more mouthfuls. Your Majesty is extremely filial, and seeing this, is very pleased, so naturally he rewarded the County Princess."

"I feel really embarrassed, it's just some snacks, I didn't expect them to be loved by Your Majesty, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager." Song Dingxiang's face remained composed, but she was overjoyed inside. "Since Eunuch Wang took the trouble to come all this way, coincidentally, our mansion just harvested some fresh lotus roots. I'll have them stewed in a soup for you and all the guards to disperse the summer heat."

It was nearing the end of August, and even though the lotus roots had not fully grown, the young lotus stems were ready to eat.

Song Dingxiang's favorite delicacy was the lotus roots and stems, and she never got tired of trying different ways to enjoy them.

Eunuch Wang quickly responded, "How could we refuse such kind gestures from the County Princess? If it is her goodwill, we will graciously accept it." He glanced at Song Dingxiang's belly and couldn't help but ask, "Now that the County Princess is heavy with child, you should rest properly, don't overexert yourself."

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "I'm not that fragile." As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, and her face turned pale.

"Madam, Madam?" Zhenshu hurried to support her, calling out, "Quickly, help Madam to the room, where are the midwives and the physician? Get ready!"

Song Dingxiang, struggling through the pain, managed a smile and said, "This mischievous little one, hearing about the Emperor's reward, is probably eager to come out and see."

Song Dingxiang endured a day and night of labor pains and, upon the arrival of her husband Zhou Yinuo, who had rushed back upon receiving the message, his face was pale as he stood at the door, listening to the cries of pain, tears streaming down his face.

Eunuch Wang never expected to encounter the County Princess giving birth on his visit. Seeing Zhou Yinuo in such a distressed state, he quickly reassured, "General Zhou, don't worry, every woman must go through this trial. I can see the County Princess is strong, she should be fine."

Zhou Yinuo gave him a blank look and asked, "Have you ever given birth?"

Eunuch Wang: ???

Zhou Yinuo continued, "You haven't given birth, so how can you know she'll be fine?"

Eunuch Wang thought to himself, even though I haven't given birth, with so many consorts in the palace, I've seen more women giving birth than in your family. Well, let's not dwell on it. After all, it's General Zhou's first child, so it's normal for him to be anxious.

Song Dingxiang ate a large bowl of egg noodles with Fang shi's help, followed by a bowl of ginseng soup, which gave her the strength to shake off the trembling pain in her body.

"Don't be afraid, the first pregnancy is difficult. Look at me, I've had so many and it's been fine," Fang shi wiped her daughter's sweat, feeling anxious as well.

Song Dingxiang pursed her lips and said, "It hurts so much." It was the first time she had given birth in two lifetimes, and the pain was unbearable.

Just as the first ray of sunlight appeared in the sky, the sound of a baby crying pierced through the air.

"It's born, it's born, it's a baby girl!" The midwife cheerfully lifted the red-faced baby out, saying, "Five pounds three ounces!"

Song Dingxiang breathed a sigh of relief, but she still felt the continuous throbbing pain in her stomach, and suddenly her waist jerked as she let out a cry of pain.

Another midwife exclaimed, "There's another one, twins? How did we not detect this earlier? Madam, push, push!!"

Song Dingxiang felt like her body was about to split open from the pain, and she wished she could scratch a hole in the bed with her toes.

Upon hearing the commotion, Zhou Yinuo wanted to rush in, but was stopped by Li shi.

"What's the rush? Be careful not to bring a chill to Dingxiang!" Li shi cautioned him.

"Why can't I see them after they're born? Why is she still screaming in pain?" Zhou Yinuo anxiously asked.

Li shi smiled and said, "She said there's another one..." Before she could finish her sentence, the second child's cries were heard.

"Congratulations to the County Princess, Madam, and Old Madam, it's twins." The midwife was ecstatic. These were twins, no less, and they were the County Princess and the General's twins. There would definitely be generous rewards coming their way!

Two red-faced babies lay side by side on the bed, their tender mouths still moving. Having just been fed water, they were now sleeping soundly.

Song Dingxiang slept for a long time and finally opened her eyes to see the scruffy face in front of her, couldn't help but laugh and say, "Zhou Ge, look at you, not handsome anymore."

Zhou Yinuo's lips parted, ready to utter a heartfelt declaration, but before a single syllable could escape, his eyes filled with tears. His voice, once steady and strong, was now choked with emotion. He grasped Song Dingxiang's hand, pressing it to his lips and kissing it over and over, as if to imprint her touch upon his soul. His heart, overflowing with love and longing, rendered him speechless. He could only express his deepest feelings through the silent eloquence of his tears.

Fang shi heard the commotion in the room, came in and chuckled, "Look at you, a high-ranking General, but scared and trembling by your wife giving birth, now you're even crying."

Zhou Yinuo cried, saying, "I'm scared, I'm happy, I can't help it."

Zhenshu brought a bowl of chicken soup, saying, "Congratulations, County Princess, on the twins. You can't eat yet, so have some chicken soup to restore your strength."

Song Dingxiang raised her other hand to touch her belly, sighed, and said, "It feels soft, empty."

Fang shi said, "Isn't it empty? There are two babies inside, one weighing five pounds three ounces and the other four pounds one ounce. Initially, I thought it was just a big baby, who knew there were two. Can you believe the physician didn't even notice? It almost drove me crazy."

Song Dingxiang was helped up to sit by Zhou Yinuo and smiled, "It's normal for the physician not to see it at first, how can we blame him? I also never expected to have twins, we have quite a few sets of twins in our family."

While watching Song Dingxiang drink the chicken soup, Fang shi remarked, "Exactly, Jin Qiao'er had twins, your Sixth Grandaunt had twins, and even your eldest granduncle's family had twins. It seems that having twins runs in our family."

Song Dingxiang finished her soup, turned to look at the two little bundles by her side, and couldn't help teasing, "They're so ugly, they don't take after me or Zhou Ge at all."

Fang shi frowned, "Ugly? You haven't seen what a truly ugly baby looks like. These babies are far from ugly. I think the girl looks a lot like Zhuozi, while the boy takes after you. Give it a few days, they'll lighten up, and you'll see. By the way, Eunuch Wang said to prepare a wet nurse for us, worried about you getting tired. Your grandmother went to find one early this morning."

"Is Eunuch Wang still here?" Song Dingxiang asked.

Fang shi replied, "He stayed until he heard that you and the baby were safe, then went to rest. He came back later in the afternoon, but you were still resting. He said he wanted to see the babies and report the good news to the prince and princess. You gave birth at a good time, it's almost the end of August, the weather isn't as hot, so you've avoided a lot of suffering."

After chatting for a while, Song Dingxiang and Fang shi felt tired. Zhou Yinuo saw her yawn and quickly said, "You should rest, I'll go freshen up and come back to see you."

Fang shi interjected, "Why do you need to come back and look? Go eat something first. You're all grown up but still so restless, resisting coming in but then crying once you do..."

"Mom!" Zhou Yinuo blushed.

"Alright alright, I'll stop now. You're so bashful..." Fang shi chuckled, grumbling as she walked out.

Eunuch Wang left after the third day washed ceremony, feeling ecstatic all the way. Sharing such good news with the prince and princess would surely bring him plenty of rewards. What good fortune he had, the County Princess was truly his lucky star.

——— Author's Note: Just about 80,000 words left until the conclusion!

Without realizing it, it's already over 400,000 words. I feel so accomplished!!!