Side Story 4: The Overlord of the Kitchen

Side Story 4: The Overlord of the Kitchen

Royal College, lunchtime.

This academy, which gathers the children of the city's top elites, has always emphasized "testing their minds and strengthening their bodies."

To prevent students from developing extravagant and dissolute habits, the academy maintained an outrageously high standard of food for many years.

Vegetable and tofu soup (only vegetable leaves, no oil), multigrain steamed buns, and a dish of salty, bitter pickled radishes.

"Is...is this something for humans to eat?"

Inside the kitchen, cries of anguish filled the air.

These young princes and marquises, who were used to living in luxury, looked at the "pig slop" in front of them with long faces and found it hard to swallow.

"I want to eat meat..."

"I want to eat the braised pork knuckle from Zuixianlou..."

"Even an egg would be fine with me!"

Sitting at the end of the long table, Pei Niannian looked at the lone piece of green vegetable in her bowl, her brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.

"Smack!"

She slammed her chopsticks on the table, making a crisp, angry sound.

"That's outrageous!"

Pei Niannian stood up, her little face full of righteous indignation:

“My mother said that children need to grow properly, how can they not eat meat? Is this academy trying to starve us?”

Zhao Teng (the little tyrant who had been beaten to tears last time) sniffed, now completely becoming Pei Niannian's little follower:

"Boss, just bear with it. The Master said this is part of cultivation."

"What a load of crap, it won't fix!"

Pei Niannian snorted coldly, a sly glint flashing in her phoenix eyes, which resembled Pei Yunjing's:

"Would you like to eat meat?"

All the children looked up in unison, their eyes gleaming, and exclaimed in unison, "Yes!"

"good."

Pei Niannian snapped her fingers, a mischievous smile playing on her lips that said, "I have a plan."

"Follow me, and I can get you not only meat, but even the Manchu Han Imperial Feast from the Imperial Kitchen!"

...

Fifteen minutes later, in a secluded corner behind the academy wall.

Pei Niannian, along with a group of "underlings," squatted against the wall, looking up as if waiting for some miracle to happen.

"Boss... will there really be meat?" Zhao Teng asked, swallowing hard.

Shh—listen.

Pei An, who had been standing to the side with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

His ears twitched slightly, and his voice was cold and clear:

"They're here."

"Forty-eight claws landed... and there was the sound of oiled paper rubbing together."

The words had barely left his mouth.

"Meow—"

A lazy, haughty meow came from the top of the high wall.

A large, agile tabby cat, carrying a bulging oil paper package in its mouth, nimbly leaped onto the wall.

Behind it followed one, two, ten...

Twelve stray cats of different colors lined up in a row, each carrying a steaming oil paper package in its mouth!

This "cat transport team" was actually the "Imperial Kitchen Special Task Force" that Pei Niannian bribed with five dried fish.

[Meow! This cat is burning hot!]

[For the dried fish! Let's go!]

[This year's imperial chef is terrible; the chicken legs are too oily and inedible!]

While the cats were internally complaining, they nimbly jumped down and neatly placed the oil paper packets they were holding in their mouths at Pei Niannian's feet.

A rich aroma of fried chicken legs instantly filled the quiet backyard.

"Gulp."

A chorus of swallowing sounds rose from the surrounding area.

Pei Niannian squatted down and opened an oil paper package.

Inside is a big, golden-brown, crispy chicken leg that's still sizzling with oil!

"Wow--!!!"

The children erupted in uncontrollable cheers.

This isn't just a chicken leg; it's a life-saving elixir!

"Want some?"

Pei Niannian picked up a chicken leg and waved it in front of everyone.

"Yes!!!" Everyone nodded vigorously.

"Then who will be in charge of the academy from now on?"

Pei Niannian raised an eyebrow, revealing the fangs of a capitalist.

"Boss! You're the boss!"

"From now on, if you tell us to go east, we will never go west!"

"Long live Sister Pei!"

In the eyes of these starving children, Pei Niannian radiated a holy light, appearing even taller and more majestic than the Master.

"very good."

Pei Niannian nodded in satisfaction and waved her hand:

"Make it tender!"

The cats squatted to the side, watching the group of two-legged cubs wolf down their food, and disdainfully licked their paws.

[Tch, never seen anything like it.]

"An'an, this biggest one is for you."

Pei Niannian picked out the biggest chicken leg and stuffed it into her younger brother's hand.

Pei An took the chicken leg. Although he remained expressionless, he couldn't help but smile slightly after taking the first bite.

"sister."

As he ate, he calmly analyzed the situation:

"The Master has come by following the scent; he's about thirty paces away."

"What are you afraid of?"

Pei Niannian, her mouth greasy from biting, mumbled indistinctly:

"At worst, we can share one with him. I refuse to believe that the Master can resist the temptation of the imperial kitchen's chicken leg."

Sure enough, when the stern Master Sun followed the scent and came over, ready to scold the students for "not following the rules,"

He looked at the golden chicken legs scattered on the ground, smelled the irresistible aroma, and then looked at the warm "bribe" that Pei Niannian handed him.

The Master's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Cough cough..."

Master Sun put his hands behind his back, took the chicken leg, hid it in his sleeve, and looked up at the sky:

"Considering that you are still growing... this will not be allowed to happen again."

"Also, remember to bring me something spicy next time."