The more innocent a child is, the more sensitive they are by nature.
It's always easy to tell who likes her and who doesn't.
Madam Jiang sighed, "Back then, Yang Guifei was so fond of lychees that it became known throughout the land, and from then on, they were exclusively supplied to the royal family. It wasn't until the establishment of the Great Yu that aristocratic families had the opportunity to enjoy them, and the demand increased day by day, making the job of transporting lychees a lucrative one."
"The Liao family originally came from the business of escorting goods, and had some experience traveling all over the country. So the Liao family asked the Jiang family to plead with the imperial family and get them the job of transporting lychees."
Anyone can transport and sell lychees, but being appointed by imperial decree means supplying the royal family, which in turn makes the powerful families of Fengjing willing to trust them.
In conclusion, although the lychees were transported by the Liao family and delivered by the Jiang family, they were essentially rightfully the property of the Jiang family.
Jiang Sheng then lowered her guard and carefully picked up a large fruit.
The outer skin is rough and prickly, and the color is a mix of green and red. When you break it open, you can see the white and slightly translucent flesh. When you bite into it, you can taste a sweet aroma and feel its soft and tender texture as it swirls on your tongue.
This sweetness is refreshing and not cloying at all. Especially after being chilled, it's like ice and snow suddenly appearing in a heatwave, and this ice and snow is especially sweet.
"Is it delicious, young lady?" Tan Yue asked with a smile.
Jiang Sheng nodded, but quickly frowned again, and under the concerned gazes of the old man and the young man, spat out half a kernel.
Madam Jiang chuckled.
Tan Yue couldn't help but chuckle, "I forgot to tell you, miss, that these lychees have seeds, so you can only eat the thin flesh in the middle."
No wonder it's a bit transparent, no wonder it's so expensive.
After removing the outer skin and pit, the meat is barely any big.
With a pang of heartache, Jiang Sheng peeled open the redder and larger fruit, carefully removed the pit, and brought the flesh to Old Madam Jiang's lips, saying, "Grandmother, eat."
Tan Yue paused in her peeling motion and quietly put her hand down.
"Okay, alright." Old Madam Jiang gracefully accepted it.
The grandfather and grandson worked together and soon ate most of the lychees on the plate.
Tan Yue refused to let anyone eat the rest, saying, "Lychees are delicious, but they cause internal heat. Last year, the eldest young master ate two plates of them and developed huge mouth ulcers."
Madam Jiang agreed wholeheartedly, "Then let's keep it and use it tonight."
Jiang Sheng could only watch helplessly as the delicious fruit left.
After lunch, the grandfather and grandson both lay down to rest.
After Old Madam Jiang personally coaxed Jiang Sheng to sleep, she called Tan Yue over and asked, "How many lychees did the Liao family send over this time? Who received them and how many?"
The head maidservant lived up to expectations and reported everything she had found out in that short time.
Because it was a special supply designated by the emperor, most of the first batch of lychees brought by the Liao family were sent to the palace, and only a small portion was left for aristocratic families. The Liao family thus received three plates.
One plate was given to Jiang Chenghuan, one to Jiang Sheng, and the other was sent to the West Courtyard.
Jiang Liao finally revealed the qualities of a matriarch, balancing benevolence and fairness.
Madam Jiang nodded slightly, expressing her satisfaction with her eldest daughter-in-law's actions. "There aren't many lychees this time, so go and take a few to try. Leave the rest for Nannan."
This already shows a great deal of trust and affection towards the personal maid.
Tan Yue thanked her gratefully and left after helping Old Madam Jiang to sleep.
When I opened my eyes again, it was almost dark.
The grandmother and granddaughter played for a while, and since Jiang Sheng wasn't hungry, the old lady suggested they go for a walk in the garden to digest their food, and then have dinner when they got hungry again.
The Jiang family's garden wasn't very large, but the flowers were tended by professional gardeners, and during the blooming season, it was quite beautiful and exquisite, with even butterflies fluttering among them.
Old Madam Jiang strolled forward, while Jiang Sheng skipped and hopped; their stillness and movement created a remarkably harmonious scene.
As I walked into the garden, I heard a faint noise coming from a corner.
Tan Yue was startled, thinking that some illicit couple was trying to seduce the young lady. She called He Rui to rush in, only to find that it was just two maids stealing food.
"Eat your meal! Even if you have some pastries, the Jiang family will never punish you. What are you doing hiding in this corner?" She adopted the demeanor of a personal maid and scolded her sternly.
The maids nodded obsequiously, not daring to utter a sound.
One of them was still trying to hide behind its back, but He Rui reached out and flipped it over, revealing a bright red shell and a dark kernel.
Tan Yue's expression changed drastically. "You actually stole and ate lychees?"
It used to be exclusively for the royal family, but now only aristocratic families can enjoy this tea. At most, a personal maid can pick up a couple of leftovers to taste, while ordinary cleaning maids don't even have the chance to come into contact with it.
But now, the shells on the ground prove that they ate them, and quite a lot of them.
"Stealing our master's food is a crime punishable by beatings and being sold off!" Tan Yue shouted sternly. "Do you two want to be sold to a matchmaker, or sent to Fengtian Prefecture?"
The Jiang family business is large, with little work and plenty of money, something that small, insignificant families can't compare to.
Sending someone to Fengtian Prefecture meant risking half their life.
The two maids finally became frightened and presented the large, red fruit in their arms, kowtowing and begging for mercy, "Miss Tan Yue, please forgive us. We did not steal the lychees from our mistress. These were given to Miss Xiao Qiao by the Third Miss because she did not want to eat them and was afraid they would spoil overnight."
They were only close to Xiaoqiao and got a few, but they didn't dare to eat them openly, so they simply hid deep in the garden to enjoy them.
Once you've eaten everything, bury the shell and pit in the soil, then you can clap your hands and leave.
This wasn't a big deal to begin with.
The third young lady is delicate and often gives away things she doesn't like to the servants. If the lychees are given to her, she can dispose of them however she wants.
Tan Yue sighed and was about to turn around when she caught a glimpse of the fruit in the maid's hand and paused for a moment.
She had tasted two lychees at noon, and their green and red appearance left a deep impression on her. However, the one the maidservant was holding was deep red all over, with lighter texture, and it was also much larger.
If fruits are graded, those with alternating green and red markings are obviously of lower quality than the larger, pure red ones.
Tan Yue dared not think any further, hurriedly collected all the lychees, returned to Old Madam Jiang, and reluctantly reported the matter.
"Maybe it's because the varieties are different, and I can't tell the difference between the second plate." She was trying to find some excuse.
Without saying a word, Madam Jiang took Jiang Sheng's hand and turned to leave.
I only realized at noon that Mrs. Liao was acting like a proper matriarch, and then this happened that evening.
I really don't know if it's divine intervention or some kind of hint.
This time, however, Madam Jiang did not get angry, nor did she go to argue with Liao. Instead, she sat by the window for a long time before having Tan Yue tell the boys in the second courtyard about the news.
The next day.
Sweating profusely, Zheng Ruqian's eyes widened, and his voice boomed, "What? You're saying the Jiang family is treating people differently, sending top-grade lychees to their adopted daughter but mid-grade lychees to my sister?"
The talkative maid, responsible for informing on others, nodded tremblingly.
"Fine, fine, fine, well done to the Jiang family!" Zheng Ruqian roared angrily. "It's just a bunch of broken lychees! Jiang San, fill half a sack and send it to my sister right now!"
Who hasn't ordered lychees yet!
Do you really think he went to Lingnan for nothing?
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