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Shen Chuwei looked at the once well-fitting clothes that now seemed a bit loose, feeling that Xiao Jinyan had grown even thinner.

Traveling these days, eating and drinking were not as good as in the palace, making it difficult to put on weight.

Xiao Jinyan withdrew his gaze towards Shen Chuwei, who had changed back into women’s clothing for the convenience of travel, as wearing female attire was too cumbersome, so she had been wearing men’s clothing all along.

Her face was too delicate, soft and tender, making her look beautiful whether in men’s or women’s clothing.

"Let’s go out and find some food."

Shen Chuwei was also so hungry that her stomach was sticking to her back, and she happily nodded, "Sure."

When Xiao Jinyan and Shen Chuwei came out, Qin Xiao and Wu Tan had already changed their clothes; the former was setting up a rack to dry their wet clothes by the fire, while the latter sat cross-legged in front of the Buddha statue, with hands joined in prayer murmuring sutras continuously.

Qin Xiao, seeing his master come out, stood up to fetch the wet clothes, and then hung them up on the rack to dry.

Shen Chuwei glanced at Wu Tan a few times but didn’t disturb him and sat with Xiao Jinyan by the fire to warm up.

Xiao Jinyan opened up the wax paper bag in front of Shen Chuwei, which contained pastries they had bought when passing through a small town, and the taste was still acceptable.

"Have some pastries to fill your stomach a bit."

Shen Chuwei looked at the pastries in front of her, and at this moment, she especially wanted to eat a meal. Pastries could only be a snack; eating them as a main dish didn’t seem as appetizing.

She looked up at Xiao Jinyan, "Let’s cook some rice."

"Cook rice?" Xiao Jinyan seemed to think of something, "You didn’t bring along a pot, did you? And rice too?"

Items like daily necessities were handled by Qin Xiao; Xiao Jinyan had never paid attention to them. In his view, as long as he had silver and clothing when he set out, that was enough.

Shen Chuwei smiled and nodded her head, "Your Concubine brought not only a pot but also potato powder."

Xiao Jinyan asked in confusion, "What is taro powder?"

Shen Chuwei explained, "It’s powder made from washed taro; Fried Dough Balls with meat are very tasty."

Even after Shen Chuwei’s explanation, Xiao Jinyan still didn’t understand; he didn’t even know what taro was.

Seeing Xiao Jinyan’s expression, Shen Chuwei knew he didn’t understand. She was aware that the Crown Prince, who had never dabbled in household chores before, had been curious about it and asked her when they had Fried Dough Balls with meat.

"Your Highness, take a rest. Your Concubine will cook the meal." Shen Chuwei stood up and went to the bundle, taking out a pot for cooking rice and a flat-bottomed pan for frying.

Seeing this, Qin Xiao walked over, "Your Subordinate will wash the rice."

Shen Chuwei didn’t refuse, "Okay."

Qin Xiao took out an appropriate amount of rice from the bag and then stood up and walked out. There was a lake not far from the temple; with an umbrella in hand, washing the rice was not an issue.

Xiao Jinyan, having nothing to do, also came over and saw her busying around. His gaze turned towards the fire. Cooking would definitely require a stove, and with that thought, he stood up and went out again.

Shen Chuwei looked up at Xiao Jinyan, a hint of puzzlement flashing in her eyes. Upon seeing Xiao Jinyan come back, carrying stones of various sizes, she suddenly understood.

Her voice was cheerful, "Your Highness."

"I’m building a couple of stoves." Xiao Jinyan came over with a shallow smile, placing the stones on the ground.

Shen Chuwei thought to herself that smart people could indeed think on their feet. She mentioned cooking, and Xiao Jinyan immediately knew they needed two stoves: one for boiling rice and the other for cooking.

Xiao Jinyan went back and forth several times, bringing in quite a few stones, and then he built two stoves beside the fire.

Qin Xiao returned with washed rice just in time to place the pot on the stove to boil the rice.

Shen Chuwei looked at the potato powder. They couldn’t just eat potato powder for dinner. She looked outside, wondering if it was possible to catch rabbits or wild chickens in the rainy weather.

"I’ll go have a look outside."

Shen Chuwei said as she lifted her skirt hem and ran out.

Xiao Jinyan was building the second stove and saw Shen Chuwei running out. Worried, he abandoned his task to Qin Xiao and followed her out.

Shen Chuwei stepped out of the temple, where the rain had subsided a bit.

She looked around; the rain had been too heavy when they came in, making it impossible to see the surroundings clearly.

Now she noticed the area was surrounded by a small forest, no other buildings in sight, most likely the suburbs.

As usual, she made a trap with a rope and then hid nearby, waiting for rabbits—this method never failed.

Xiao Jinyan stepped outside and saw the petite figure of Shen Chuwei hiding behind a tree. He stared curiously for a while, then, puzzled, walked over to her.

After taking a single step, he saw a rabbit darting their way. In the next second, he saw Shen Chuwei jump out from behind the tree, excited, and realized she was holding a rope. She had been hiding behind the tree to set a trap for the rabbits.