Arriving at the familiar small kitchen, the Empress directed Wen Ranchen on handling the fish, preparing the ingredients, putting them in the pot, adding water, each step explained in great detail.
She originally thought that with Wen Ranchen's cleverness, she would have surely learned it by now.
Unexpectedly, when she picked up the chopsticks to taste a bite from the pot, she found it utterly indescribable.
So bitter.
"Did you not remove the fish gall?"
Wen Ranchen was silent; he took the fish out of the pot and indeed had not removed it.
Strange, he clearly remembered that he had removed the gall earlier.
There was no choice, Wen Ranchen could only prepare another fish.
While Wen Ranchen was cleaning the fish, the Empress casually said from not far away, "A man doesn't have to be strong all the time, he can occasionally show his vulnerability to the woman he loves."
Wen Ranchen paused in his descaling, but soon resumed normally.
