Yun Xiao, who was standing guard at the entrance, immediately stepped forward to bow.
“Your Highness.”
Yun Xiao walked behind Xiao Yi and pushed the wheelchair.
“Your Highness, where would you like to go?”
“To Madam Li’s barbecue stall,” Xiao Yi said after thinking it over, deciding to go see for himself.
Yun Xiao was a bit confused, but he immediately arranged for a carriage.
Duo Duo said goodbye to Su Xian and then ran off to the kitchen.
Lü Dou was already mixing flour.
Duo Duo approached. “Lü Dou, what can I do?”
“Your Highness, perhaps you could go rest. Shi Tou is here to help me,” Lü Dou replied.
Duo Duo shook her head.
“No! I promised I’d help you!”
This was Lü Dou’s first time making pastries to sell, and Duo Duo wanted to give her some confidence.
Lü Dou glanced around quickly.
“Then, Your Highness, could you please help me wash the lotus flowers?”
Duo Duo saw a few very fresh lotus flowers on the kitchen counter.
“Okay!”
She picked up the lotus flowers and walked over to a basin to wash them.
“How do I wash them, Lü Dou?” Duo Duo had filled the basin with water but didn’t know where to start.
“Just tear off the petals one by one, wash them clean with water, and put them in the basket.”
“Later, I’ll marinate them with sugar and salt to make the filling for lotus blossom pastries.”
Duo Duo understood and nodded, then began pulling off the petals.
Shi Tou, meanwhile, helped clean the molds that Lü Dou needed.
Each of the three had their own tasks, busily working away happily.
Duo Duo finally finished washing all the petals, and Lü Dou had also finished mixing the flour.
She put all the petals from the basket into a large bowl.
Duo Duo watched as Lü Dou started marinating the petals, finding it fascinating.
“Is there anything else I can help with?” She was eager to do more.
“Later, you can help me crush these with a pestle, but don’t make them too fine.”
“Okay,” Duo Duo nodded.
Lü Dou finished up and went to prepare other ingredients.
Once the marinating time was up, Duo Duo picked up the stone pestle beside her.
She grabbed a portion of the petals, put them in the mortar, and began pounding.
The crushed petals were scraped into a clean large bowl with a spoon.
Lü Dou came over to help as well.
The marinated petals broke apart easily with just a light press.
The two worked together and quickly finished the filling.
Next came the wrapping, but Duo Duo couldn’t help with that, so she just watched from the side.
Lü Dou was very experienced at making pastries.
And since it was her first time, she hadn’t planned to make too many.
So, soon enough, all the dough portions were ready.
Lü Dou set the shaped pastries aside to proof.
When she turned around, she saw Duo Duo sitting in a chair, her little head nodding drowsily.
She walked over and gently called out,
“Your Highness!”
Duo Duo snapped awake instantly.
“Are they done?” She looked up at Lü Dou.
Lü Dou shook her head. “Your Highness, let me escort you back to your room first.”
“These pastries need to proof a while longer before they can be finished.”
Duo Duo nodded and yawned.
“Alright, I’ll go back to sleep. Don’t stay up too late.”
“Oh, and tomorrow you don’t need to accompany me to the palace. Get some rest after you’re done here.”
Lü Dou still had to get up early tomorrow to finish the pastries, and Duo Duo didn’t want her to be too tired.
Lü Dou walked back with Duo Duo.
“Your Highness, don’t worry. Once I finish these pastries, I’ll rest.”
“The pastries for tomorrow morning won’t take long—I can make them quickly.”
“I’ve calculated it. After I’m done, it will be just about time for you to go to school.”
“Nanny Li isn’t feeling well, so you can’t be without someone to attend to you.”
Today’s events had frightened Lü Dou.
Luckily, she and Duo Duo had been training and could run fast.
They had also been fortunate to encounter Prince Ling’s carriage today.
Today they were lucky and had avoided disaster.
But what about tomorrow, the day after, or the day after that?
No matter what, Lü Dou was determined to stay by Duo Duo’s side.
If they couldn’t escape in the end, at least she could protect Duo Duo!
Lü Dou had already decided to get up early tomorrow, finish her tasks,
and if necessary, make fewer pastries.
Nothing was more important than Duo Duo’s safety!
Seeing the determination in Lü Dou’s eyes, Duo Duo didn’t argue.
“As you wish. I’m going back to sleep. You go back to work—no need to follow.”
Duo Duo wanted Lü Dou to finish up quickly and rest.
Seeing that they were almost at Duo Duo’s courtyard, Lü Dou nodded.
“Alright, Your Highness, take care.”
Duo Duo waved without turning back and entered her own courtyard.
Nanny Li, who had been waiting in the yard for some time, hurried over to bow.
“Your Highness!”
Duo Duo quickly helped Nanny Li up.
“You’re not feeling well—why are you waiting out here?”
Nanny Li looked deeply worried. Last night, she might have kicked off her blanket and caught a chill.
Fearing she would infect the princess, she had asked for the day off.
But in the afternoon, Nanny Li overheard other servants gossiping—saying the princess had encountered bandits and nearly gotten into trouble.
Fortunately, the princess had been clever and escaped with her maid.
As the princess’s personal nanny, unable to protect her, Nanny Li felt deeply guilty.
“Please forgive me, Your Highness. It was all my fault. I should have accompanied you…”
Nanny Li’s face was full of remorse.
Duo Duo waved her hand.
“Nanny, don’t blame yourself. I’m actually glad you weren’t there.”
When Duo Duo entered the palace, Nanny Li had always been vigilant and stayed close.
But the truth was, even if Nanny Li had been there today, what was going to happen would have happened anyway.
Moreover, Nanny Li was older and wouldn’t have been able to run fast.
And Duo Duo couldn’t have abandoned Nanny Li to escape alone with Lü Dou.
If Nanny Li had been there, it might have been even harder for Duo Duo and Lü Dou to get away today.
Nanny Li thought Duo Duo was just trying to comfort her, and her guilt only deepened.
“Your Highness, I’m feeling much better now.”
“Tomorrow, I will accompany you to the palace as usual.”
Duo Duo listened and gestured for Nanny Li to sit down.
Nanny Li moved a small stool over and sat below Duo Duo.
Duo Duo reached out her hand. “Give me your hand.”
“I want to take your pulse myself to believe you’re really better.”
Nanny Li hesitated, then quickly rose.
“I wouldn’t dare trouble Your Highness. The princess has already called a physician to see me.”
Duo Duo insisted, keeping her hand extended.
Nanny Li hesitated, not daring to offer her hand.
Seeing this, Duo Duo withdrew her hand.
“Nanny Li, you should continue resting in the mansion tomorrow.”
“We’ll talk again when you’re fully recovered.”
“Don’t worry—I will still need your help many times in the future.”
Duo Duo tried to reassure Nanny Li.
Nanny Li gritted her teeth and held out her hand.
“Please, Your Highness, take my pulse!”
The determination in her eyes surprised Duo Duo.
Duo Duo glanced at Nanny Li suspiciously, then placed her fingers on Nanny Li’s pulse.
