Chapter 73 Comparison: Jiang Zhenniang saw Yao's daughter-in-law approaching from afar, and...

When Jiang Zhenniang saw Yao's daughter-in-law approaching from afar, memories of the good deeds she had done for her flooded her mind. Just as Jiang Zhenniang's expression darkened, she thought for a moment and then put on a smile again.

If it were anyone else, Jiang Zhenniang would never have given them a kind look, but when she thought about how Yao Lang had found work for her daughter at the Peng family mansion, and now that her daughter was willing to teach the mansion how to find work, and how the two families would inevitably have frequent interactions in the future, she finally greeted them with a big smile and said, "Come in and sit down."

"I just heard from Yao Lang that you, Lady Lü, are pregnant. I haven't had a chance to come and congratulate you yet."

Seeing Jiang Zhenniang's enthusiasm, Yao's wife, Madam Lü, felt rather embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed, and she followed Jiang Zhenniang into the shop, offering a curtsy before softly saying, "After what happened last time, my husband scolded me for many days. I wanted to come and apologize, but I'm as timid as a mouse, and I kept putting it off until today when I finally mustered the courage to come."

"We're all neighbors, don't be so polite."

“Please don’t say that.” Madam Lü shook her head, her expression turning serious, and continued, “I used to be a foolish person, believing whatever others said, but I never imagined that some people who look like humans are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

When Lady Lü recalled the things Yao Lang had analyzed for her, and then remembered the starkly different reactions of Master Song, she felt a chill run down her spine and broke out in a cold sweat. She knew that she had almost caused a great disaster and harmed others.

Lady Lü thought to herself, not to mention what will happen in the future, just considering that she and her husband have been married for several years and she finally got pregnant with this child, not only has she failed to bring him good fortune, but she has also done something bad, which has truly shortened her lifespan.

Lu's actions were partly out of genuine remorse and partly out of consideration for the child in her womb. Her attitude was extremely sincere, and her posture was humble, so Jiang Zhenniang, who had been holding her breath, immediately believed her to some extent.

When Lady Lü recounted the affair of Master Song, Jiang Zhenniang couldn't help but complain, "He's supposed to be a master, yet he's done such a despicable thing."

"Most minor officials and clerks are like this." Seeing Jiang Zhenniang complaining in front of her, Madam Lü felt relieved and began to tell Jiang Zhenniang about the gossip she had heard in the streets and alleys. For example, there was a couple from a poor family who took good girls from wealthy but powerless families as concubines. They would then take away the girls' dowries, leaving the girls to swallow their tears and have nowhere to complain.

For example, the wife of an official in a certain family goes to the residence of the superior every day to fawn over him, acting more like a head maid than the head maid in that household.

For example, if an official's wife is demoted and attends a banquet, she was originally there to be entertained, but now she is the one being made a fool of, which is pitiful and lamentable.

"Why does Madam still have to be like that?" Jiang Zhenniang was astonished. She quickly served a cup of milk tea to Madam Lü and then called a maid to fetch some walnuts, melon seeds and other snacks from inside the house before sitting down opposite Madam Lü.

"What else can we do?" Madam Lü held her teacup, took a small sip, and realized she hadn't been to Jiang's braised meat shop for quite some time and was really missing the taste of the milk tea. She shook her head and sighed, "We ordinary people all hope to become officials, but those who are officials are eagerly hoping to become high-ranking officials."

"Among the wives of officials, there are quite a few who serve with smiles every day. As long as they can get the wives of their superiors to notice them and contribute to their husbands' promotions, they are willing to do anything."

Jiang Zhenniang opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment. When she was in the Marquis's mansion, she saw that the servants and maids schemed and tripped each other up in order to get promoted and to show their faces in front of the young master and his wife. She never thought that the world outside was exactly the same.

Perhaps seeing that Jiang Zhenniang was not in high spirits, Madam Lü stopped mentioning these things after saying a few words and instead talked about other interesting things or novel items that had recently become popular in the capital.

Finally, Madam Lü asked, "I heard from my husband that Madam Su told him not to mention his background when he was out. Is there something Madam Su is taboo about?"

Jiang Zhenniang had never heard her daughter say this before, and only said, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. That girl is probably just overthinking things."

She paused for a moment, then added, "Since Sister Han says so, let's do as she says."

Madam Lü smiled and said, "I understand."

…………

The next day, the Peng family sent a sedan chair to invite him.

Su Zhihan instructed Jiang Zhenniang and two maids to take care of the shop, and then asked Uncle Chai to call Yao Lang from the back. The three of them went to the Peng family mansion together.

Yao Lang changed into clean clothes early, his heart pounding with anxiety, wondering if Su Zhihan would ask him to come along. When he saw Uncle Chai approaching, his face immediately lit up with a smile, and he happily followed him.

Upon arriving at Master Peng's residence, Steward Zheng summoned servants to lead Uncle Chai and Yao Lang to a side room to rest, while he himself escorted Su Zhihan to Granny Pang's place.

Madam Pang then led Su Zhihan towards the main room, saying, "My wife is inside, she has been waiting for you, Chef Su, for a long time."

It turned out that Master Peng also wanted to meet Su Zhihan, but upon hearing that she was a young woman, he simply avoided meeting her and sent only his wife, Madam Qi, to meet her.

Before long, Su Zhihan entered the house. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Madam Qi sitting in the hall. Madam Qi was wearing a beige shirt with a light purple gauze jacket over it. She sat upright and looked to be about forty years old, with a rather imposing presence.

Su Zhihan bowed to her and offered her a blessing.

Madam Qi already knew the cook was quite young, but seeing her in person still surprised her. The cook's face was so youthful, she looked no more than ten years old. She swallowed the words she was about to say and asked, "You are... Cook Su? How old are you now?"

"Yes, I am fifteen years old this year (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning)."

"Fifteen years old in the traditional Chinese age reckoning?" Madam Qi's eyes widened. That meant she was fourteen, the same age as her youngest daughter.

Her initial intention to establish her authority vanished instantly. She only uttered a few dry words before ordering someone to prepare food in the kitchen.

She remained stunned even after Su Zhihan left.

Master Peng lifted the curtain and walked in from outside. Seeing that Madam Qi was holding a teacup but not drinking, he became curious and deliberately tiptoed forward. He slapped Madam Qi on the shoulder with a "smack," startling her so much that she dropped the teacup to the ground.

Qi came to her senses and glared angrily.

Master Peng, however, showed no fear. He sat on the couch with a grin, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, "Who on earth is this person who has startled you like this? Could it be... an ugly woman?"

Qi spat at him: "Stop talking nonsense."

She composed herself before telling Master Peng about Su Zhihan's age, marveling, "Who do you think trained this girl to have such excellent skills?"

Madam Qi no longer believed that Su Zhihan was a cook from an official family. Putting aside her other cooking skills, her soup alone was enough to establish her in an official family. Which family would be willing to let go of such a skilled and young girl?

Master Peng was also taken aback by Su Zhihan's age, and at the same time thought of something else: "...At such a young age, how many dishes can she learn? I'm afraid the soup from that day is already her best dish."

The more he thought about it, the more he realized it made sense, and he immediately lost interest. He simply left Qi Shi to watch over him and went out again with his hands behind his back.

Qi Shi, however, had a different idea. Today was meant for this girl to taste the dishes. If she really had no skills, why would she have come like this?

She had someone bring the account books and carefully examined them. After a while, Granny Pang came in and reported, "The young master didn't take Steward Zheng with him; he went out with two servants from the house."

"Ignore him."

“But my husband said yesterday that he wanted to try the dishes served at the banquet.”

"A feast will take at least two or three hours. By the time that girl finishes cooking, the young master will probably be back." Madam Qi didn't take the matter to heart, preoccupied with looking at the account book and calculating the money. She only instructed Granny Pang to check the kitchen frequently to ensure that no one was neglecting their duties or couldn't find anything.

Mrs. Pang responded and went out.

An hour later, she headed towards the kitchen. As soon as she arrived, she saw a large group of servants gathered outside the kitchen and immediately frowned, saying, "What are you all doing here? Hurry up and go back to where you belong. You have no manners."

The servants, embarrassed, scattered and left, leaving only the cook and his two apprentices who had been serving in the kitchen, silently burying themselves in their work.

"Old Zhou, why don't you go in and help?"

"..." Zhou Zaoren was in his fifties and was an old man in the Peng family. He glanced at Pang Mama but ignored her. He turned his head and instructed his female apprentice to kill the fish, saying that he would make it for his husband and wife at noon.

Seeing his reaction, Pang's mother immediately realized that Zhou Zaoren was holding a grudge against her.

"Old Zhou, why do you have to do this?"

"The young master and his wife invited the kitchen servant to entertain Xu Lang's family," Pang Mama said to the kitchen servant, Zhou. The old people in the mansion had all witnessed the past prosperity and knew how difficult life was for the mansion now.

When the old master was alive, the mansion was always bustling with guests. Back then, the old lady's birthday banquet would last for three days. Now, the banquet used to last for three days, but now it's only for one day, and even then, there aren't enough guests to fill several tables.

In the past, it was always others who flattered the lady, but now that she wants to curry favor with others, she doesn't even have a way to do so.

"Only when things are going well in our household will your life be easier."

"...How could I not know? But yesterday, that cook was one thing, but that girl inside, who looked to be about ten years old, also thought she could outdo me?"

Because of the banquet held in the mansion yesterday to invite the cook, Zhou the cook was still harboring resentment. Today, seeing that the young master and mistress had actually summoned the young cook and asked her to taste the dishes, Zhou finally couldn't suppress his anger and said indignantly, "I also saw the dishes at yesterday's banquet. The official banquet prepared by Lu the cook and the little maid in the house was nothing new. Apart from the nourishing fish soup and the wine-stewed snow pear dish, they were all very common banquet dishes."

"I don't know what tricks he used to gain such favor."

"Look how much chicken, duck, fish, and meat we used yesterday, how many delicacies from land and sea. If my wife were willing to give me that money to prepare the ingredients, I could also make a feast like yesterday."

Zhou Zaoren felt wronged and also had a sense of crisis. Her husband and wife didn't like the dishes she cooked and preferred to have outsiders cook the meals. So, if she was gone, would it be okay to replace her with a new cook?

Madam Pang pressed her temples, intending to explain, but Zhou Zaoren was stubborn and convinced of the truth. No matter how much she explained, he wouldn't listen and insisted on showing off his skills to see who was better than the new maid.

In the end, Pang Mama had no choice but to let him lead his two apprentices to tinker there while she went inside to check on Su Zhihan.

As soon as she entered the kitchen, she smelled a fragrance. The fragrance wasn't strong, but it was exceptionally alluring, making Pang's mother twitch her nose and look over again and again.

Madam Pang quickly came to her senses and looked at the other people and things in the kitchen. There weren't many people in the kitchen. Only Cui Jie'er and Yao Lang were helping to prepare vegetables, Uncle Chai was preparing the ingredients, and Su Zhihan was taking out two small pigeons, cutting them in half, putting them in a soup pot, adjusting the heat, and simmering them slowly over a low flame.

Mrs. Pang only glanced at the soup, which was a dark brown color. She didn't know what kind of spices it was made with, but most of the aroma in the house came from it.

Pang's mother watched for a long time and felt that Su Zhihan's movements were extremely skillful. She was clearly very experienced, unlike what Zhou Zaoren had said about her being a novice.

Madam Pang was secretly amazed. She went back to Madam Qi to report, and also mentioned Zhou Zaoren's words.

"If he's willing to do it, then let him do it." Madam Qi snorted coldly. "If he were really capable, why would I need to hire someone from outside? It's just that he's incompetent. He's over 30 years old, and his skills are still inferior to those of young people."

Zhou Zaoren was unhappy, but how could Qi Shi be happy either? Zhou Zaoren was the cook who made lunch when the old master was alive. In the words of Master Peng, his skills had remained unchanged for decades, and it was all the same old taste.

To put it nicely, this is the old-fashioned flavor; to put it bluntly, it's stagnation and a complete lack of progress.

Qi had been eating the same dishes for decades and was already tired of them. Seeing that he still dared to complain, she was even more displeased: "Besides the same few dishes he always makes, what else can he do? He doesn't know any of the trendy dishes outside, yet he still has the nerve to complain."

If it weren't for the fact that he was a senior member of the household, and that selling or getting rid of him would damage the household's reputation, she would have already found a more capable cook.

After a pause, Madam Qi said, "Ignore him."

She skipped over Zhou Zaoren's question and inquired carefully about the situation in Pang Mama's kitchen. When Pang Mama said that Su Zhihan's cooking was exquisite and the aroma was especially good, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

More than two hours after Su Zhihan went to the kitchen, Cui Jie'er came to the front to report that the feast was ready.