Not only was the old lady satisfied with the meal, but even Ning Shi, who had originally intended to just make a show of it, ate with great gusto, sweating profusely.

On a hot summer day, a bowl of cold noodles with cucumber strips, blanched mung bean sprouts, and a spoonful of sesame sauce is perfect. If you like it spicy, add a small spoonful of Xu Zhi's homemade chili oil, which is a recipe passed down by Xu Di. It's fragrant and spicy. Finally, add a little vinegar and a small handful of cilantro stems.

With so many toppings, the cold noodles were fragrant and spicy, and the vinegar was an appetizer. After eating one bowl, you wanted another. Ning ate two big bowls.

Looking at the two bowls placed in front of her, and secretly touching her already protruding belly, Ning wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief and said, "Oh my, I'm truly impressed by the cooking skills of our Ninth Miss and Seventh Young Master. It's so delicious!"

Xu Zhi said shyly, "Auntie, you flatter me."

Ning said, "No, no, I'm telling you both from the bottom of my heart. I didn't expect your cooking to be so delicious. Ninth Miss, could you teach the cooks in the manor how to make it? That way, we can eat it whenever we want."

Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Auntie, I already taught the cook in Grandma's small kitchen how to make it. If you want to eat it, just come and find Grandma."

Upon hearing this, Ning smiled and said, "Grandmother, please don't complain that I'm always bothering you in the future."

The old lady chuckled and said, "Our young master's wife is always so busy that we never see her again. It's such an honor for this old woman that she can come here so often. Alright, you can come whenever you want to eat."

Xu Zhi said with a smile, "However, after washing the gluten, it's best to let the sediment sit overnight. Just change the water frequently. This will make the cold noodles taste even better."

The old lady was quite old, so Xu Zhi didn't dare let her eat too much. After she ate a small bowl, she said, "Grandma, we also know how to make many kinds of noodles. Let me organize them one by one and show them to you. We'll make whatever you want to eat."

The old lady listened with great interest and asked, "What, are you going to compile a list of all the delicious food we've eaten along the way?"

Xu Zhi smiled and said, "I do have that plan. I just feel that along the way, there are different customs and traditions every three miles and ten miles. Many foods are also prepared differently. I'll make a booklet about where each food is from and how it's made. When I have nothing to do, I can take it out and look at it. It's quite an interesting thing to do."

The old lady chuckled and said, "Is our Ninth Miss preparing to publish a book and write her biography?"

Xu Zhi quickly said, "No, no, I don't have that ability. I just write it down for myself, just like my own diary. Grandmother, it's not convenient for outsiders to see my writings, so I'll show them to you. I'll think about it carefully and write down the local customs and culture of those places. Then you'll feel like you've been there."

Upon hearing this, Xu Bai said, "Grandmother, let my sister add a few small paintings of famous local buildings to make it even more vivid."

Upon hearing this, the old lady said to Ning Shi, "See? Now you know why I feel so sorry for these two children. With this kind of affection, who else would I care for if not them?"

Ning smiled and said, "That's right, that's right. Not only do you love them, but I also feel extremely sorry for my third brother's three children."

The old lady smiled and nodded, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "What happened when Gao'er came back last time?"

Seeing that the old lady was asking the question in front of the children of the third branch and Granny Lu, Ning looked somewhat embarrassed. The old lady sighed and said, "You shouldn't be so stubborn. We're all family, all your own sisters. What's there to be embarrassed about? You must remember that from now on, they are people who will look out for each other. If there are any difficulties, if your own brothers and sisters don't stand up for you, who else will?"

Upon hearing this, Ning's eyes reddened. She wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and said, "Grandmother, Gao'er's mother-in-law is truly hateful. Ever since Gao'er entered their household and served her husband and parents-in-law, their grand mansion has become increasingly wealthy, and their fortunes have declined day by day. Gao'er's mother-in-law has her eyes on Gao'er's dowry and has been subtly instructing Gao'er to give it to the household for their own use."

Hearing this, Xu Zhi glanced at the old lady. The old lady was listening attentively with a stern face, so Xu Zhi felt relieved and continued listening. Xu Zhi had heard her mother mention that the old lady had a weak heart and was most averse to hearing things that would upset her. This time when she came back, Xu Zhi brought back several medicine bottles, each containing either ointments made by her mother or pills made by herself.

Ning continued, "Before Gao'er got married, I repeatedly told her that she could not take over the household management at will. She had to keep a close eye on her dowry. Even if she was forced to take over the household management, she had to make sure the accounts were clear. Any unclear accounts had to be settled on the spot. She should never think of covering herself up with a big quilt and filling the huge pit in the Qingping Marquis's mansion with her own things."

The old lady said, "You've given us the right instructions. That's how we should instruct our children. The dowry we give them when they get married isn't for them to support their husband's family after they get married. We give them that dowry so that they can live a good life on their own."

Ning said, "That's how I told Gao'er. When Gao'er's mother-in-law saw that Gao'er was pretending to be deaf and dumb, she started stuffing people into Gao'er's room. Our Gao'er miscarried his first child because he was angry at his mother-in-law's behavior."

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