Translator: Fan Translation Studio

  As the egg white were done, Ye Xiaoxian then started to knead cake dough and slowly add lemon juice and apple mince in it.

  It was a shame that they had no oven in this era so Ye Xiaoxian had to make a steamed cake like a rice cooker cake in the modern times.

  When the cake was done, Ye Xiaoxian spread the fresh cream on it and decorated it with strawberry-like raspberries.

  Then a beautiful, appetizing and romantic steamed lemon and herb flavoured cake was done.

  Once the cake was done, Ye Xiaoxian made the apple juice and cooked another two savoury dishes.

  One was lemon zest sweet ribs and the other was sweet and sour scrambled eggs. Both of them were appetizing and went well with rice.

  Ye Xiaoxian did not know which dish would gain Miss Liu’s appetite but she felt that she had done her best.

  In the yard, there were rockery stones and a small pool with several lotus flowers in full bloom.

  Ye Xiaoxian once again thought, ‘When I make more money in the future, I must buy a house with such a courtyard and plant lotus flowers in it. I’d like to plant a grape tree as well, and in summer I’ll relax under its shade and enjoy the coolness……’


  After daydreaming for a while, Ye Xiaoxian saw Nanny Wong come out.

  Nanny Wong was trotting to them and her face was beaming. “Housekeeper Liu, Housekeeper Liu. Milady……Milady has eaten a lot.”


  “Milady has eaten more than half of each dish and she only stopped eating when she was too full. Ah, this young lady is really capable. It’s been a while since I saw Milady have such a good appetite.”


  Nanny Wong was so excited that her eyes shore with tears.

  Housekeeper Liu was the same too. He wiped his tears and realized that he was a bit too emotional so he explained to Ye Xiaoxian, “I’ve been looking after Milady since she was a kid and she was like my own daughter. She is finally willing to eat food and I, I……am rest assured now.”


  Ye Xiaoxian only smiled faintly.

  In her previous life, she had been preparing food for two patients with anorexia and the condition of those two were even more grave than Miss Liu’s. They were cured by her food therapy in the end so Ye Xiaoxian had the confidence which is also the reason that she came here with Housekeeper Liu.

  “How is Miss now?” asked Housekeeper Liu.

  “Miss said she was so full that she needed to lie down for a while.” Nanny Wong laughed with tear in her eyes.

  “Then you, you look after Milady and I’ll take Mrs. Xiao to see master!”
……

  Ye Xiaoxian was brought to Lord Liu in the blink of an eye.

  Lord Liu lived in the east wing of this big house. He was in his fifties, bearing a scholarship temperament and looked like he had been reading a lot. Hearing that his daughter started to eat food, he looked very emotional as well and then asked Ye Xiaoxian politely to sit down.

  “Young lady, who taught you all these cooking skills?” asked Lord Liu.

  “I didn’t learn it from others’ but taught myself,” replied Ye Xiaoxian.

  “You’re so gifted. What are you making for a living?” asked Lord Liu again.

  Ye Xiaoxian replied honestly, “We’re doing some small business in the east street of the town. We sell cold jelly and flatbread. When I make more money, I’ll rent a store in the town and sell snacks.”


  “Any chance that you are available to cook dishes for my daughter tomorrow? Lord Liu is waiting with bated breath and added again, “You may not know that I’ve had seven sons before my youngest daughter was born. She was really the apple of my eye and I cherished her so much.”


  Ye Xiaoxian smiled. “I have to mind my family business and I live in Daliang Village which is very far from here.”


  In fact she was just simply explaining her difficulties to Lord Liu but he thought that Ye Xiaoxian was demanding for a price.

  But Lord Liu only had one dearest daughter so he said right away, “Right, when you come to cook food for my daughter, I’ll pay your five coins per day if she eats any. If she doesn’t eat anything you cook, I’ll still pay your too hundred coins. What do you think?”


  ‘Five hundred coins per day?’
……

  If Miss Liu ate her food everyday, she would be paid fifteen taels of silver a month. With that amount of money, she was able to renovate their house in the village.

  Ye Xiaoxian consented without hesitation.