Chapter 813: Cooking Doesn’t Get in the Way of Achieving Success

"What are you doing here?"

After sitting down, Tong Huaqiong asked someone to bring hot tea for the Grand Prince.

Chen Sufen personally handed the hot tea to the Grand Prince, looking at him with a face full of affection as he drank a few sips, then carefully unfastened the heavy coat the Grand Prince was wearing, and Man Er handed the Grand Prince a small hand warmer.

The Grand Prince smiled and said, "There are no dumplings in the palace. I want to eat dumplings made by my grandmother and mother, so I asked Grandpa Emperor to let me leave the palace."

The Emperor was ill, and the concubines and the princes each have their own agendas. Family love almost disappeared within the Imperial Family, presumably making tonight’s New Year’s Eve dinner quite unpleasant for the Grand Prince.

Chen Sufen asked, "What would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you."

The Grand Prince said, "I’m fine with dumplings."

Tong Huaqiong said, "Alright, dumplings it is."

With that, everyone continued to make dumplings.

"I’ll join in too," said the Grand Prince, picking up a dumpling wrapper.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Sweetie, you’d better just sit and wait to eat."

The Grand Prince couldn’t make dumplings at all, only creating chaos.

"No, I want to make them," the Grand Prince insisted stubbornly.

Man Er tugged at the Grand Prince’s hand, saying, "That’s not the right way to make them, let me teach you."

The two children leaned their heads together, one teaching and one learning. Man Er would occasionally call the Grand Prince a silly pig, but the Grand Prince didn’t mind at all and just kept smiling.

Gu Dahuan’s heart, which had been in his throat, seemed to relax.

He was worried that Man Er would upset the Grand Prince, and if the Grand Prince got angry, it could cause trouble for her.

After tonight’s events, he realized the Grand Prince was still the same Xiao Long.

Since the Grand Prince left Qinghe Bay, Liu Tiechui and Liu Shan had not seen him.

It was likely that after the Grand Prince’s identity was revealed, before being taken back to Shengjing, he was heavily guarded, entirely out of sight of outsiders.

The father and son were extremely curious about Xiao Long, who had become the Grand Prince, frequently glancing at him while making dumplings.

Rumors circulated in Qinghe Bay that the Old Emperor had brought back the Grand Prince with the intention of passing the throne to him.

Liu Tiechui really wanted to ask if that was true or false, but swallowed his words several times.

The Grand Prince looked up and smiled at Liu Tiechui, saying, "Grandpa Liu, has your chronic leg pain eased? Tomorrow I’ll have the Imperial Physician send you some ointment for it."

Liu Tiechui was caught off guard by the Grand Prince’s concern, causing his heart to beat wildly.

Once he processed it, tears started flowing.

Liu Tiechui said excitedly, "Xiao Long... no, Your Highness the Grand Prince, you still remember my old leg pain, this is truly... truly..."

Unable to finish his sentence, tears streamed down.

This was a blessing accumulated over several lifetimes, to be remembered by the Grand Prince.

Mrs. Zhao was equally moved, wiping away tears.

Tong Huaqiong: "..."

With everyone’s combined efforts, the dumplings were quickly made.

Su Chengmin picked up the bamboo lid and took it to the kitchen.

Gu Dashu and Gu Jingzhe followed to cook the dumplings, while Gu Dahuan tended the fire.

The maids and servants in the kitchen were sent out, and they were happy for the break.

No matter if you were the Grand Prince or the Commander of the Imperial Guard, whoever came to Tong Huaqiong’s house had to work.

Fan Tong felt a bit out of place sitting among everyone, having been taught that a gentleman stays away from the kitchen, hence he had never cooked at home, let alone attempted the complex task of making dumplings.

In the Fan Family, cooking was women’s work, and men cooking was seen as a sign of lack of ambition.

How was it that in the Gu Family, it’s the men who were doing the work?

Liu Tiechui and Liu Shan began cleaning the table, tidying up the dumpling-making area, and sent the dough bowl to the kitchen, while Mr. Su and He Chao followed into the kitchen to wait for the dumplings.

Tong Huaqiong wiped her hands, and everyone sat together drinking tea, cracking seeds, chatting, waiting for the dumplings to be served.

Fan Tong felt quite uneasy sitting among a group of women.

He wanted to stand up and go to the kitchen, but not knowing what to do once there, he remained glued to his chair, feeling like he was sitting on needles.

Mrs. Zhao, speaking quickly, said to Fan Tong, "Just now everyone was making dumplings, even the Grand Prince got hands-on, but Fan Xiucai didn’t make a single one."

Fan Tong replied, "I’ve never made them at home before, can’t make them, afraid of wasting the dough and filling."

Liu Yueer snorted lightly, "Who’s born knowing how? Isn’t it learned over time? Didn’t your family make dumplings together for New Year’s?"

In the Gu Family, even during the previous Tong Dajiao period, men in the Gu Family had to cook.

The Liu Family was the same.

Fan Tong got anxious and said, "My mother and sister-in-law don’t let me cook. Only men without ambitions cook."

Upon saying this, he regretted it and felt like biting his tongue.

Tong Huaqiong and others all turned their heads towards Fan Tong simultaneously.

Gu Honglian looked embarrassed, feeling Fan Tong was slapping her in the face, and was the first to mock, "Oh, please. Saying only men without ambition cook, you don’t cook yet you’ve failed the exams three times. On the other hand, my three nephews cooked from a young age: Dahuan’s cultivated cotton was praised by the Magistrate, Dashu has his own shop, Jingzhe is a scholar—none lacking ambition. Right, only Gu Ruinian lacks ambition, he hasn’t cooked either since young. The only reason for not cooking: laziness."

Fan Tong’s face flushed as Gu Honglian publicly rebuked him.

Facing Tong Huaqiong, he dared not retaliate.

Gu Honglian, getting angrier, showed no signs of letting Fan Tong off. In the Fan Family, her hands were rough from work, while Fan Tong didn’t do any, always saying a true man should not cook, men should accomplish great things.

What’s more, her nephews cooking didn’t hinder their achievements.

A mere impoverished Fan Family, only knowing how to make empty boasts.

Now in Shengjing, leaving the Fan Family, she just didn’t want to do the work, Fan Tong had to work.

"You should learn properly from my nephews, men’s cooking doesn’t hinder their ambitions. Those truly lacking ambition, come home and do nothing."

Gu Honglian said this while urging Fan Tong to go to the kitchen to serve the dumplings.

Fan Tong was forced to go to the kitchen.

No one paid attention to him once there.

Gu Jingzhe finished cooking the dumplings, served a bowl, and Mr. Su took it; Fan Tong wanted to endear himself to Mr. Su, attempting to take the dumplings from Mr. Su.

"Teacher, let me."

"No need, no need."

"Teacher, let your student do it."

Fan Tong took the dumplings from Mr. Su’s hands, turned around, stumbled over the doorstep, and unsteadily, the plate flew from his hands, scattering the dumplings onto the snow-covered ground.

Mr. Su sighed, "I said I’ll do it myself, yet you insisted."

Gu Dashu said coolly, "Dear uncle, used to holding a pen, can’t even hold a bowl steady."

Fan Tong gritted his teeth in anger, feeling mocked by Gu Dashu.

Tong Huaqiong and others heard the commotion, and seeing through the window Fan Tong had spilled the dumplings everywhere.

Gu Honglian increasingly felt Fan Tong had embarrassed her before her family, rushed out, and scolded, "Fan Tong, you’re useless at studying and at working, you can even spill dumplings, truly a waste."

Gu Honglian’s scolding pierced the courtyard, particularly jarring in the night.

Tong Huaqiong thought that previously, Gu Honglian was extremely insecure around Fan Tong, relentlessly praising him. In less than one year of marriage, with the filter shattered, Gu Honglian now scolds Fan Tong at will.

"It’s just one plate of dumplings, you’re just fixated on trivial matters."

Fan Tong, embarrassed by Gu Honglian’s scolding, couldn’t help but retort.

In front of her sister-in-law and nephews, Fan Tong was so useless, yet dared to retaliate against her, Gu Honglian couldn’t stand it.