The woman gazed intently at the tomato and egg stir-fry before her, its broth delicious and the eggs fresh; just the aroma alone made her feel refreshed and ready to eat.

At the urging of the servants, she picked up a piece of egg with bamboo chopsticks. It was more tender than she had expected, and then she put it in her mouth to taste.

The unique taste was indescribable to her; even her discerning palate found it absolutely delicious. The lady and young lady must love it even more, so the reward was practically guaranteed.

"Hmm, the cooking skills are comparable to those of a master chef!"

"Great!" the woman exclaimed, drawing cheers and applause from behind her.

You should know that their housekeeper, Fang, is notoriously picky about food. For her to praise a dish, it must be absolutely delicious.

Tian Sangui was a little embarrassed by everyone's praise. In her opinion, it was just a simple dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, which she usually liked to eat with rice. She never expected to be praised to the skies here, so it was hard not to feel embarrassed.

That's because tomatoes aren't a common vegetable here, so of course it's delicious the first time you try it.

Butler Fang remembered that Tian Sangui had said this dish could also be used to make soup, so she asked her to make it.

Tian Sangui gained everyone's approval and was full of confidence when making soup. After a few tries, a delicious tomato and egg soup was served in a bowl. The woman did not taste it, but she knew in her heart that the dish was definitely not bad, judging from her skillful technique and the aroma that wafted out.

He ordered her to carry two dishes behind him, and Tian Sangui did not ask why, he just did as he was told.

After entering the long corridor, they arrived at the garden gate where she would stop. This time, however, she was not told to wait outside. Instead, she was followed into the inner garden.

After bypassing the artificial hill that blocked the wind from entering, and making three turns along the gravel path, they finally arrived at the main house. Tian Sangui looked up curiously and quickly glanced at the house in front of him.

The tall brick and tile house stands in the middle, flanked by shorter side houses. A symmetrical triangular pavilion is built at the corner of the courtyard wall, with old vines climbing on it and blooming with unknown red flowers, creating a breathtaking scene.

Before she could finish looking around, she heard Butler Fang call her in.

Tian Sangui carried the tray and stepped into the room. As soon as she entered, she smelled a pleasant fragrance of pear blossoms and couldn't help but linger. Butler Fang beckoned to her, signaling her to come forward.

On the large armchair sat a man who wore a black headband with gold trim, his white hair neatly tied back, and an emerald green dress. He was about sixty-seven years old and held a dragon-headed cane.

Beside the blue porcelain vase with floral patterns sat a woman in her forties, wearing a long crimson brocade dress over a bright red long coat. The collar and cuffs of the coat were embroidered with pure white, glossy fox fur. She wore a cloud-patterned hairpin on her left shoulder, with a three-quarter-sized ruby ​​hanging from the end. With every glance and smile, the ruby ​​on her shoulder shimmered with a red light, highlighting her dignified and graceful demeanor, as if she were the rightful owner of the house.

"Come quickly and greet the Old Madam and Madam Shen!"

After hearing the introduction from Butler Fang, Tian Sangui realized what important people were in front of him. He quickly put down the tray he was holding on the round table, and then respectfully knelt down and kowtowed.

She should have realized the old lady's extraordinary status the moment she saw the dragon-headed cane. Who would dare to openly use such a cane if it hadn't been bestowed by the Emperor?

This time, she finally got to see the old matriarch alive.

Butler Fang told Tian Sangui to bow, but to her surprise, the girl actually knelt down and kowtowed to them, which startled her. Then she realized that the girl was from the countryside and must not know any manners, which was why she was so impetuous.

However, her appearance did not annoy the two people seated at the head of the table; instead, it made them cover their mouths and laugh.

This little girl is funny. I asked her to bow, but I didn't ask her to kneel.

Tian Sangui had no idea what they were laughing at. She just kept her head buried in the carpet and stayed put as long as they told her not to. She knew that if the people above were unhappy, they could decide her life or death. How could she dare to disobey?

Madam Shen covered her red lips and gestured to the maid beside her with her eyes.

A maid in a green dress walked over with graceful steps, and she knelt down to help her up.

She then used a handkerchief to wipe the dust off Tian Sangui's body, before giving her a wry smile and moving behind Madam Shen like a butterfly fairy.

Tian Sangui sighed, "As expected of a great family, even the maids are so beautiful and well-mannered."

"Don't just stand there! Quickly, let the matriarch and madam try the dishes you made!"

Butler Fang reminded her again that the girl was just spacing out and had forgotten why she was called here. Sigh, she's such a worry.

When the steward mentioned it, she remembered her dishes, so she picked them up again and placed them in front of the two honored guests. Her personal maidservants then served the dishes to their mistresses.

"What kind of dish is this? It smells sweet."

Madam Shen asked curiously. She saw that the two plates of red sauce looked tempting and smelled sweet, and unconsciously began to swallow.

"Reporting to Madam, this is a stir-fry of tomatoes and eggs. They are newly grown by this girl's family. They are large and round, and can be eaten raw in addition to being stir-fried. I have tasted them, and they are sweeter and more juicy than the fruits and vegetables available now."

"Mmm~ This flavor is sweet and sour, fragrant and appetizing, just my wife's favorite! Hahaha, we'll have this for lunch!"

After taking a bite, the old lady beamed and praised how delicious it was. Her kind face was stretched with joy, showing that the taste suited her perfectly.

"It's really good. The vegetables you grow are especially delicious. This is the first time I've ever tasted such delicious vegetables."

Madam Shen picked up a little bit and put it in her mouth. Then, she elegantly pinched a silk handkerchief and placed it on the corner of her mouth to cover the food juice that had accidentally gotten on her lips. Her movements were just like Lin Daiyu's, but her personality was more cheerful.

Tian Sangui was delighted to have gained the approval of the ladies, thinking that the ten coins would soon be in his pocket.

"There probably aren't many dishes like this, right? I think Lily would like them more, so why don't you send over some more?"

While Madam Shen was overjoyed, she couldn't help but think of her daughter, her doting gaze overflowing, which made onlookers quite envious.

"Reporting to Madam, the maid brought a basketful, which should weigh about twenty catties. That should be enough for Miss to eat for a few days. If Miss wants more, I will send someone to the young lady's house to buy some more."

Butler Fang was worried that Miss Chen might get tired of eating the same thing for several days in a row, and it wouldn't be worth buying too much if it went bad.

Upon hearing that they were going to her house to pick up tomatoes, Tian Sangui realized that this would expose their secret, so he quickly interjected.

"Well, the roads in our village are difficult to travel, and it's quite far from the town. Anyway, I often come to town to sell vegetables. If you need them, I can personally deliver them to your door, saving you the trouble of making the trip."

Upon hearing this, Madam Shen smiled and exchanged a glance with the Old Madam. They both recognized Tian Sangui's cleverness and intelligence, and they held the girl from the countryside in higher regard.

"Alright, someone come and give the reward!" The old lady straightened herself and then ordered someone to show the reward.

Butler Fang had been waiting for this moment, his eyes fixed intently on the smiling old lady, as if trying to give her a hint.

Being stared at with such fervent eyes, even someone without eyes in the back of their head would know who it is.

Seeing the eagerness of Steward Fang, the old lady couldn't help but laugh. She then leaned back slightly and whispered to Steward Fang.

You enjoy it too!

Upon hearing this, Butler Fang's eyes flashed with joy, and he immediately bowed to the Old Madam, silently expressing his gratitude.

The maid in green took off the money pouch embroidered with lotus flowers from her waist and walked up to Tian Sangui. She took out one tael of silver and placed it in Tian Sangui's hand. Then she turned around and gave the rest of the money pouch to Steward Fang.

Butler Fang held it in her hand and weighed it, immediately knowing how many digits were inside. Her once wrinkle-free face was now etched with many crow's feet.

After politely thanking the two distinguished guests, Tian Sangui was led by Steward Fang to the back gate, where a servant was waiting for a long time with her basket in his hand.

When Butler Fang saw Tian Sangui, his face lit up with a smile, and he became much more polite to her.

She took out a string of copper coins from her inner sleeve and handed it to Tian Sangui, saying with a smile, "Here, here, this hundred coins is for your food. Next time you have good dishes, remember to let me know, so I can share the reward with you!"

Having said that, he couldn't stop smiling and put the copper coin into Tian Sangui's hand.

"Yes, I will definitely come. However, the host has already given me a tip to pay for the vegetables, which is more than enough. I cannot accept your 100 coins."

Tian Sangui pushed away Steward Fang's hand and stuffed the copper coins back into her hands. She had originally thought that selling them for fifty coins would be a huge price, since her father only earned a thousand coins a month.

Besides, the master had already rewarded her with one tael of silver, so how could she dare to accept another hundred coins from Steward Fang? One cannot be so heartless.

But Butler Fang said nonchalantly, "Ah~ a reward is a reward, and the cost of the food is the cost of the food. Besides, you've taught us two dishes. In any case, it's worth a hundred coins. If you refuse again, I'll take it as you thinking it's too little, and I definitely won't dare to invite you to my house in the future."

Seeing that Steward Fang was angry, Tian Sangui knew he couldn't afford to lose everything over a hundred coins for the sake of future development.

He smiled and apologized, taking the string of copper coins with him. His simple and honest appearance amused Steward Fang.

She liked this young girl very much, and as she watched her departing figure, she reminded her, "Don't forget to bring any good dishes here. I'm Butler Fang!"

Tian Sangui, carrying a basket on his back, turned around, waved, and shouted, "Alright, Butler Fang, I've got it! See you later!"

After a pleasant transaction, Tian Sangui was overjoyed and quickened his pace as he hurried to the construction site.