Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 805: Bestowed Marriage, Together until we are old (1)

Chapter 805: Chapter 805: Bestowed Marriage, Together until we are old (1)

Xiao Ruiyuan didn’t like to eat sweet pastries, no, it was that he didn’t eat pastries at all! Whether they were sweet, salty, or some other flavor, no matter how delicious, no matter how exquisite, he hadn’t touched them in over twenty years of his life.

Facing those certain gazes, Xiao Ruiyuan stopped Yan Junyu who was about to speak, and he himself couldn’t be bothered to explain. He reached out with his long fingers, as the crowd wished, and picked up a piece of sweet pastry sent by the Sixteenth Prince. He bit off a piece at his lips, but his gaze shifted to Mo Yan.

Mo Yan also happened to look up at Xiao Ruiyuan. She wasn’t very clear about Xiao Ruiyuan’s preferences and couldn’t remember if Xiao Ruiyuan ever had desserts whenever he came to her house. She didn’t know whether he liked sweet pastries or not.

At that moment, seeing that he had eaten, she figured that he must like them; who else could force him? Mo Yan unconsciously touched the jade bracelet on her wrist, and several recipes of distinct flavored sweets came to mind, but she didn’t notice Xiao Ruiyuan frowning and struggling to swallow the pastry.

The sweet fragrance of the pastry was too overpowering; just a small bite turned Xiao Ruiyuan’s stomach, and a sickly sweet sensation lingered uncomfortably in his throat. He poured a cup of tea and with it, under the disapproving looks of Yan Junyu and Chu Heng, he stoically continued to consume three more pastries, leaving a comment that the "flavor is nice."

The pastries at the banquet were often hastily prepared by the Imperial kitchen overnight and were naturally not as finely made as usual. While they looked as exquisite as always on the outside, their taste was not necessarily better than the pastries from the homes of the Ministers.

This was a common understanding among everyone in the hall. Hence, at each annual banquet, the pastries on the table were considered just for show, and hardly anyone truly tasted them. The Ministers didn’t mind, as most of them did not care for sweets; the Ladies, on the other hand, naturally adored them.

However, in such a public setting, to avoid the impression of being gluttonous, the Ladies hardly ever ate the pastries on the table. Also, eating pastries can make one thirsty; drinking too much water then leads to frequent trips to the restroom, which is considered highly impolite!

Thus, at the annual banquet or any other large feasts, the pastries on the table were usually just for decoration. Whatever was served would be taken away untouched at the end, mostly ending up eaten by the staff of the Imperial kitchen.

Now, seeing Xiao Ruiyuan eating with apparent relish, many hungry Ministers and Ladies who hadn’t had the chance to eat something to fill their stomachs suddenly felt hungry, including the Sixteenth Prince.

The Sixteenth Prince swallowed, decisively took a piece of pastry from the plate of the Fifteenth Prince next to him, bit off a mouthful, and washed it down with some warm tea, nodding to himself feeling that it actually tasted quite good.

Young children generally like sweet things.

Once someone started, those who had been holding back their hunger also let go, boldly taking the pastries from the table and beginning to eat, only to find, much to their dismay, that the sweets were cloyingly sweet and stuck in their throats; the texture was not as fine as the ones from their own homes. Soon, the sound of pouring water filled the entire hall.

As a result, everyone became even more convinced of General Xiao’s unique taste!

Curious, Mo Yan herself picked up a pastry and tasted it. Her pastry was flavored with pepper and salt, neither too strong nor too light, just right. Although it wasn’t as good as the ones she made herself, she was never one to waste food. Eating the pastries was also a good way to pass the time, so she nibbled on them and, without realizing it, had finished three pieces.

Xiao Ruiyuan, who had been paying attention to Mo Yan, revealed a nearly invisible smile at the corner of his mouth, suddenly feeling that the pastries weren’t so bad after all, conveniently ignoring the slight discomfort in his throat.