Chapter 118: Princess Chang'an

Many years later, a wealthy man appeared in this town. He was extremely rich, yet he was also a miser. No one knew why the tycoon was this way, but people noticed that every time he looked at his gold and silver treasures, he would reveal a look of greed.

Until one day, when some disturbances occurred in his home, the tycoon began searching for people with extraordinary talents. A swindler, having inadvertently caught a glimpse of the fact that the tycoon had once murdered his own brother for the sake of fortune, was so terrified that he wanted to leave. Just as the swindler was departing, he was astonished to discover that the ghosts the tycoon spoke of were actually non-existent; it was merely the weight of his own past deeds and the guilt he carried in his heart.

After finishing this story, Lin Miaomiao asked Li Yanhe and the Fourth Prince, Li Deren, with a touch of amusement, "Don't you think it's funny?"

"Clearly a heartless person, yet in the end, he was defeated by his own cruelty. How pathetic—he ended up being buried alongside his brother, clutching those treasures."

As Lin Miaomiao said this, Li Yanhe's expression remained unchanged, but the Fourth Prince, Li Deren, looked at her with a slightly different expression and asked, "Do you know something?"

Lin Miaomiao glanced at the Fourth Prince and replied, "Is there anything I need to know?" She smiled at him, then looked at Li Yanhe and asked, "Do you know what he wants to say?"

Li Yanhe shook his head and remained silent. The Fourth Prince also said nothing, and the three of them fell into silence.

After a while, Lin Miaomiao said to the Fourth Prince, "I apologize, but we must return now. Would you like us to send you back?"

The Fourth Prince nodded, and Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe escorted him to the Fourth Prince's mansion. After they got off the carriage and returned to Li Yanhe’s manor, Lin Miaomiao heard a clear, crisp female voice call out, "Second Brother."

Lin Miaomiao looked up at the sound and saw a beautiful young woman. She looked at Li Yanhe with a puzzled expression.

Li Yanhe smiled at Lin Miaomiao and said, "This is my sixth sister, Princess Changan, Li Anyi."

Lin Miaomiao nodded upon hearing this and remarked, "I didn't know you had a sister."

Li Yanhe smiled and explained, "She was the daughter of Consort Ying. After Consort Ying passed away, my mother took her in because she was young and I was away."

Lin Miaomiao nodded, and then she turned her attention to Princess Changan, Li Anyi. The moment Li Anyi saw Lin Miaomiao, she smiled and said, "You must be my Second Sister-in-law, right?"

Lin Miaomiao smiled at the young girl and replied, "If you like to call me that, you certainly may."

Li Anyi looked at Li Yanhe and said, "Naturally, I must call her Second Sister-in-law. After all, it wasn't easy for Second Brother to find a wife; I certainly can't let her disappear because of me." She then looked at Lin Miaomiao and added happily, "I've long heard that Sister-in-law is a wonderful person, and seeing you today, it is indeed true."

Lin Miaomiao laughed and replied, "I heard your lovely voice earlier and thought you must be a beautiful and adorable young girl. Seeing you now, my intuition was correct."

After the two exchanged pleasantries, Princess Changan looked up at Lin Miaomiao and said, "I went with the Empress Dowager to pray for blessings a few days ago, so I missed you. I had intended to meet you when I had the chance, and upon hearing the news of Second Brother's triumphant return, I thought I should come quickly—I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see you later."

Lin Miaomiao smiled at her without speaking. Seeing this, Li Anyi’s lips curled into a graceful arc as she remarked, "Sister-in-law is truly a gentle person."

Lin Miaomiao shook her head. "Me? This is the first time someone has called me gentle."

Li Anyi continued, "I know you have a dessert shop. I’ve wanted to buy from it, but I never could. I wonder if I might have the chance today."

Lin Miaomiao shook her head with a smile. "Wait, let's stop with the 'Sister-in-law' business—it sounds so formal and makes me feel old." She looked at the twelve or thirteen-year-old girl and suggested, "Why don't you call me 'Sister'? Or you can just call me Miaomiao."

Li Anyi laughed. "Alright, then I’ll call you Miaomiao! If I use your given name, you should use mine as well."

"And what is your given name?" Lin Miaomiao asked.

"Anyi," the princess replied.

Lin Miaomiao was momentarily stunned, feeling that the name had a slightly peculiar nuance, but out of politeness, she remained silent. Li Anyi seemed to sense her thoughts and said with a smile, "It’s nothing, really; my father simply hoped for peace within the palace."

Lin Miaomiao nodded. She had already deduced the meanings behind the names of the various princes, as they followed the same generational naming convention. Seeing that Lin Miaomiao was deep in thought, Li Anyi said, "Sister, there is no need to be reserved. We are family, so don't overthink it."

Lin Miaomiao smiled and shook her head. "I'm not overthinking it, just pondering a few things." She then glanced at Li Yanhe, who immediately understood that she wanted to go to the kitchen to make desserts. He nodded and said, "Go ahead and busy yourself; I will entertain her."

Lin Miaomiao nodded, and Li Anyi asked eagerly, "May I go with you?"

"Of course," Lin Miaomiao replied.

Once in the kitchen, Lin Miaomiao had the staff prepare pig and cow skins and bones, and she began to boil them down to make gelatin. She hadn't actually made gelatin sheets in her modern life, but she remembered reading that they were essentially collagen. She intended to make ice cream, which required both gelatin and heavy cream.

She prepared the cream in the most primitive and clean way and successfully rendered the gelatin. Then, she began to whip the cream using a custom-made hand-cranked whisk she had commissioned from a carpenter. It had taken a long time to communicate the design to the craftsmen, but the final tool worked well; though it required some effort, it was much more convenient than whipping by hand.

Li Yanhe stood by, and seeing her ready to use the whisk, he stepped in to crank it for her. Li Anyi watched in amazement, finding the device truly magical. Lin Miaomiao was too focused on her work to notice the princess's surprise.

Soon, the cream was whipped successfully, and she began to prepare the custard base. Everything proceeded more smoothly than she had anticipated. Once the ice cream mixture was ready, she placed it in a container, covered it with a simple lid she had made, and carried it to the makeshift ice storage room Li Yanhe had set up in the mansion. As she entered, she felt a chill and, after a moment of silence, turned and walked back out.

Once the ice cream was finished, the servants cleaned up the kitchenware and the whisk. Li Anyi, sitting nearby, said to Li Yanhe, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law's culinary skills are amazing! It seems like there is nothing she cannot do."

Li Yanhe smiled proudly. "That’s right! Your Second Sister-in-law can do everything. The snow-skin mooncakes she makes are also incredibly delicious."

When Lin Miaomiao returned and heard them, she laughed and shook her head. "What is so amazing about it? Anyone can do it if they learn properly." She looked at Li Yanhe and then turned to Li Anyi. "If you want to learn, you can come over anytime; I can teach you."

Li Anyi’s eyes lit up. She sat next to Lin Miaomiao and said, "Okay! But this looks like it’s very difficult to make."

Lin Miaomiao gave a warm smile and patted Li Anyi on the shoulder. "I tell you, it’s not difficult at all. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be fine." She added, "Let me tell you, as women, while we don't necessarily have to cook, we should at least know how. When you're in a good mood, showing off your skills once in a while will surprise the men—after all, to capture a man's heart, you must first capture his stomach."

Li Anyi nodded in agreement. "True. But you are truly gifted, Sister; you looked like a work of art while you were working."

Lin Miaomiao laughed. "It’s nothing. If you come by every day, you’ll definitely be able to make the simplest pastries in no time." She checked the time and said, "I think the ice cream is ready. Let’s go take a look."

They went into the ice room, and Lin Miaomiao brought out the bowl. Li Anyi was amazed to see that the liquid had transformed into a firm block. Lin Miaomiao took out a spoon, scooped out a few balls of ice cream into small bowls, topped them with fresh watermelon, and offered it to Li Anyi. "Go ahead, have a taste."