Today, the small kitchen in Cining Palace is quite lively and tense. The reason is that two elderly ladies, whose combined age exceeds a century, want to relive their youthful memories by playing at cooking.
The imperial kitchen staff are secretly complaining, thinking, "You have these two noble figures. Isn't it more pleasant for them to sit in the cozy palace, munching sunflower seeds and gossiping? Why do they have to come to the kitchen, causing chaos and confusion? Isn't this just for fun?"
Song Ci and Empress Dowager Wang: "Some days we just don't chat, just keep ourselves busy. Hey, we're just having fun!"
As for this cooking affair, Song Ci wants to show off, while Empress Dowager Wang has genuine interest. Back in their days among the common folk, they often engaged in such activities. It was only after the Great Qing was established, and they entered the deep palace, that they started living in luxury, with no need to lift a finger.
