Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 900

Chapter 900: Side Story : Li Sihui vs. Li Ji : Distributing Porridge

After dawn, Li Sihui was still half asleep.

When she was having breakfast, she heard Sheyue ask what she wanted to eat and suddenly remembered that Li Ji was coming over for dinner that evening.

Looking at the mutton buns in front of her, Li Sihui suddenly lost her appetite and complained, “Do you not think Li Ji is being a bit too impolite?”

Sheyue smiled but remained silent. Caiyue chimed in, “Your Highness, this is also the Prince’s home. He does not need to be polite when he comes to eat.”

Li Sihui snorted, “Then tell me, what should we prepare today?”

Sheyue then interjected, “The Prince sent someone early this morning to say that there’s no need to prepare anything special for him. Whatever you like to eat, just do as you please. Of course, if you’d like, it would be nice to prepare an extra bowl of mutton soup for him.”

“He certainly knows how to eat. The mutton soup has been simmering since early this morning,” Li Sihui waved her hand. “Then let someone make it. He said it’s all up to me, so let it be.”

Wiping her mouth, Li Sihui finished eating and was about to go out when the steward arrived.

The steward said that there had been many bandits outside the city recently, and some refugees had entered the city. He inquired about setting up soup kitchens. “You should handle this the same way you did before,” Li Sihui said.

“Before, there was no princess in the residence, but things are different now. You’re the young madam of the residence. Setting up a soup kitchen requires a large amount of money and food from the treasury, so we need your advice,” the steward said respectfully.

“What did the Prince say?” Li Sihui asked.

“The Prince said he will listen to you. He’s going to deploy troops and will be suppressing bandits in a few days,” the steward replied.

Li Sihui thought for a moment, then, after ascertaining how many refugees there were and realizing she had nothing else to do, she went to the treasury herself and allocated money to the steward.

“Your Highness, would you like to go see the soup kitchen once it’s built?” the steward asked, following behind Li Sihui.

Li Sihui was about to decline when the steward continued, “The Prince said that you’re now the young madam of the Prince’s Mansion. If you can step forward at this time, it will bring you a good reputation, and the people of Yuzhou will respect you even more.” The steward was an old servant in the Prince’s Mansion. Although the Prince and Princess did not live together, the fact that the Prince was willing to let the Princess step forward at this time showed that the Prince approved of her.

Upon hearing this, Caiyue encouraged, “Your Highness, you should go. Doing good deeds like this will accumulate good fortune.”

“Then… I will go,” Li Sihui thought, accumulating good fortune was not a bad idea.

The soup kitchen did not require complicated construction; it was built that day, and the steward came in the evening to say that soup distribution could begin the next day.

The place where the soup was to be distributed was bustling with people, so Li Sihui had simple clothes prepared. While she was choosing a skirt, Li Ji arrived.

“The peach-pink one is quite nice,” Li Ji said.

Li Sihui blushed instantly and asked without thinking, “Why has Your Highness come?”

“I’ve come for dinner,” Li Ji said, spreading his hands.

Hearing this, Li Sihui remembered her promise to Li Ji to have dinner with her the day before and quickly ordered the meal to be prepared.

After they sat down, Li Ji, remembering his initial intention, asked again, “Has Your Highness decided what to wear?”

“Did you not say peach-pink looks good? Then I will wear that.” Li Sihui felt all the outfits were pretty much the same, and since she could not decide, and Li Ji had said so, she decided not to choose.

Li Ji nodded and said, “Oh,” then, seeing the mutton soup on the table, he proactively ladled a bowl for Li Sihui. “Your Highness, the mutton soup here seems a bit fresher.”

“Is there a difference?” Li Sihui did not understand what flavor Li Ji had eaten before.

“A little.” Li Ji finished his soup and put down his bowl. “The city is setting up soup kitchens, and I will soon be leading troops to suppress bandits. There are too many places in the residence that require money. I plan to come and eat with you from now on; it will reduce expenses considerably and be more convenient. Your Highness does not mind, does she?”

“Well…” Li Sihui did not mind eating together; it was just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks. It was just that she was not so comfortable when Li Ji was around.

Li Ji seemed to sense her hesitation and added, “Your Highness, do not overthink it. It’s just a meal together; let’s avoid waste. We both understand each other; there’s no need for such formality. You can relax a bit.”

Hearing Li Ji’s words, Li Sihui felt it would be petty to remain hesitant, so she nodded and said, “You are right; we should not waste food.”

Li Ji nodded slightly and then remained silent.

After finishing their meal, it was dessert time. Li Sihui enjoyed her meal, but because Li Ji was also present, she could not help but steal glances at him from time to time, worried that he might not like it.

After glancing at him a few more times, she noticed something amiss with Li Ji’s left hand. “Your Highness, is your hand injured?” Being straightforward, she asked casually after noticing.

Li Ji nodded, put down the bowl, and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a bruise on his muscular arm. “I got slapped in the arm while sparring with the guards today. Look, it’s all bruised.”

Li Ji held his arm out to Li Sihui, and the last sentence, “It’s all bruised,” seemed to carry a hint of grievance in Li Sihui’s mind, perhaps just her imagination. It was like a child complaining to their parents after being bullied.

Seeing that Li Ji had not applied any ointment, Li Sihui asked Caiyue to bring some. “Can Your Highness do it yourself?”

Li Ji glanced down and said he could, but when he tried to apply the ointment himself, he kept making mistakes.

Li Sihui could not bear to watch. “Let me do it.”

She quickly finished applying the ointment for Li Ji. “Your Highness’s bruise is not deep. Apply it again tomorrow, and it will probably be healed. Take this ointment back and have Lu Tai apply it for you.”

“Thank you.” Li Ji put the ointment away and went back.

As soon as Li Ji left, Caiyue approached with a beaming smile, “Your Highness, do you not really think the Prince is very good?”

“He is quite good.” Seeing Caiyue’s eyes disappear from her smile, Li Sihui pouted, “Oh dear, why are you so gossipy? Hurry up and prepare the bathwater; I want to take a bath.”

That night, Li Sihui had a rare dream, but she forgot what it was about by dawn.

After tidying up, Li Sihui went to the porridge stall.

There were not many refugees nearby, and when they saw that the Princess came in person, they were all grateful for her kind heart.

Li Sihui was not a pampered girl; since she came, she was not just putting on an act but genuinely helped serve the porridge.

A busy morning passed quickly. Li Sihui drank a bowl of plain porridge from the pot, just as Li Ji, riding by on horseback, saw her.

Lu Tai whispered, “The Princess Consort has no airs at all.”

Li Ji dismounted and walked towards the porridge stall. “Give me a bowl too.”

“Alright.” Li Sihui rolled up her sleeves, revealing her jade-like arms, and served Li Ji porridge. She then asked, “Did Your Highness just happen to be passing by?”

“No.” Li Ji finished his porridge and wiped his mouth. “I heard the Princess Consort was coming to distribute porridge, and I was afraid she would not be used to it, so I came to see.”