novelhk Chapter 763: A drama of vying for favor is taking place in the backyard!
Chapter 763: A drama of vying for favor is taking place in the backyard!
Gao Yao, covered in fatigue and dust from his work, stepped into the backyard with heavy steps. As soon as he entered the door, a rich aroma of burnt oil, mellow sauce and sweet fresh ingredients hit him in the face, instantly diluting the tiredness between his brows.
What caught my eye was the sumptuous dishes already placed on the stone table in the center of the courtyard. The steam rose in the twilight, reflecting the attractive luster of the plates and bowls. Several well-dressed women stood by, respectful in their postures, but their eyes were quietly moving. In the occasional glances between them, there might be some subtle competition or scrutiny hidden - this backyard has never been a calm pond.
But at this moment, whether they were usually sharp-tongued or secretly competitive, they all tacitly restrained their sharpness. They wore just the right, gentle and decent smiles on their faces, just like a picture of a harmonious family dinner.
They knew it too well. Gao Yao attached great importance to this "reunion dinner". It was an important ceremony for him to put aside all his identities and calculations outside and return to the harbor of "home". At this moment, any discordant notes would be foolish and self-destructive.
The consequences of angering him are self-evident. Perhaps just a cold look from him or a casual "you don't need to come to the table anymore" is enough to banish a person to the cold palace and completely lose their foothold in front of him. This silent tacit understanding is the iron rule that must be followed if you live under his wings.
Gao Yao's eyes swept across the dazzling array of dishes, and the tense lines of his shoulders and neck visibly relaxed. He let out a long, heartfelt breath, and his face showed the first genuine smile since he stepped into the backyard: "Oh..." He sighed, with undisguised satisfaction and relaxation in his voice, "It's better to go home! It's really a torture to run around outside and eat all those things!"
This sigh was not an empty statement. His mansion was no longer the same as when he first arrived. Not only did it recruit skilled chefs, but it also underwent a tremendous change in terms of material.
The peanuts grown in large quantities not only provide a delicious and crispy snack, but are also squeezed into clear peanut oil. This golden oil, combined with the snow-white lard, becomes the two "magic tools" in the kitchen, giving frying, stir-frying and cooking an incomparable mellow taste and attractive color.
Salt is no longer a coarse, bitter, inferior product. Carefully refined fine salt and homemade thick soy sauce and other seasonings are all available, bringing out the deliciousness of the ingredients to the extreme. More importantly, the cooking concepts that Gao Yao brought that transcend the times - frying, stir-frying, sautéing, deep-frying... these techniques that are almost magical at the moment have been mastered by the chefs in his house, and the delicious dishes with good color, aroma and taste are proof of this.
Although, thanks to his promotion, specialized restaurants have appeared in Nanjun and even wider areas, and new cooking methods such as stir-frying have begun to be tasted and sought after by a few people, this cannot change the basic reality when marching or going out to do business.
Hard wheat cakes and chewy but bland dried meat are still the mainstays on the road. They are easy to carry and store, and are a guarantee of survival in harsh environments. Even Gao Yao cannot completely overturn this in a short period of time. All he can do is teach the soldiers to identify edible wild vegetables in the wild, try to supplement some vitamins, and avoid the occurrence of scurvy - this is the most basic nutritional guarantee he can get for his soldiers at the moment.
After a warm and lively family dinner, the servants removed the cups and plates carefully. Gao Yao did not rest immediately, but stood up and walked towards the courtyard where the children lived. This was his fixed ritual every time he came back from an outing.
The women in the backyard were very thoughtful and had long been accustomed to this scene. They exchanged knowing glances with each other, quietly tidied up their children's clothes, and whispered a few words of advice. In their opinion, Gao Yao's move was full of meaning: this was a "test"! The father was examining the academic progress of each child, examining their views on the current situation and the future, and perhaps even silently measuring their qualifications and potential.
Every question and answer, every look, may affect the status and future of the children and even themselves in the backyard. There is an invisible tension in the air, the mothers' hearts are in their throats, and the children also try to straighten their backs and try to show their best side.
Gao Yao did not have too many complicated thoughts in his mind. On the one hand, he simply missed his children; on the other hand, he really did not want to see his children become strangers to him as a father one day in the future. If that happened, wouldn't he not even be able to recognize his own children? This would undoubtedly make him feel extremely ashamed.
Now, without realizing it, Gao Yao already has eleven children, five of whom are daughters and six are sons. The oldest child, Gao Lin, is already eight years old! After Gao Yao spent some time with the children and slowly left his room, he vaguely saw a number of women quietly waiting for him at the door.
This scene finally made Gao Yao realize that these women were obviously competing for favor! This made Gao Yao feel a little helpless. After all, competing for favor was very common in an environment with many wives and concubines, and Gao Yao naturally could not punish someone for such a thing.
All of this seemed so blatant, and almost everyone stood up without hesitation, which made Gao Yao very confused and even a little surprised. Gao Yao could barely understand the appearance of Lu Zhi and Yu Shu, after all, they had a special relationship with him. Although the appearance of Lu Su was a bit unexpected, it was also understandable.
However, Xiaoyue actually stood up, which really confused Gao Yao. You know, Xiaoyue has always been the kind of person who doesn't take the initiative easily. She always stays quietly aside. Unless Gao Yao takes the initiative to find her, she will never take the initiative to come to him easily. It's not that she doesn't want to, but because she has no qualifications at all.
Not to mention the other women, such as Natasha and Ayi, who had a relatively low status in Gao Yao's mansion and usually waited passively to be chosen. These women had almost never taken the initiative, but now they all stood up so actively, which was really abnormal.
Gao Yao couldn't help but feel suspicious, thinking that there must be something wrong. After all, the behavior of these women was very different from their previous style, which made it difficult for him not to suspect whether there was some conspiracy or purpose hidden in it.
"Hmm?" Gao Yao looked around and saw the scene in front of him. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind. He found that among the people present, only Concubine Qi was missing.