Chapter 390: Snob
The next day, Xu Lanyin dressed Xu Lanyue up nicely. The scar on the girl's face was still as thick as ever, but it was much lighter, and her hairstyle partially covered it. Ignoring the scar, she was still a beautiful girl. She had a good personality and was always smiling, making everyone who came into contact with her love her.
Xu Lan, not knowing Aunt Yuan and her circle, was worried the girl would be bullied and ostracized by them. She specifically asked her to give Pu Shiyi two very beautiful and adorable cat dolls, and then had Zhao Wu and her go to Hong Zhen's house first, where Hu would take her to play with the other women and children.
In the evening, Zhao Wu and Xu Lanyue came back. One look at the little girl's happy face and knew that she had a great time.
Xu Lanyue said, "Ms. Pu Shiyi really likes those two cat dolls and asked me to introduce her to Jiajia. Seeing that I like her pea yellow, she gave me two bags. Big sister, try it."
Pu Shiyi came to Ningzhou Prefecture to live with her aunt and father. While seemingly freer and more favored than in the capital, it also delayed her. In wealthy families, the wife was the head of the household, so aunts were definitely not invited to banquets. And since she was young, they certainly wouldn't invite her alone. If she or her aunt wanted her to befriend Min Jia, they had to go through Xu Lanyue, who was close to Min Jia.
Xu Lanyin ate a piece of pea yellow, which was indeed delicious, better than the ones sold in shops, and somewhat similar to the ones made by the imperial kitchen that she had eaten at the Princess Nanyang's mansion before.
Seeing that Xu Lanyin enjoyed the snacks, Xu Lanyue's face lit up with joy. She said, "Ms. Pu Shiyi said that the cook who makes the pea yellow is the best at making snacks in the Pu Mansion. Her father likes the snacks made by that cook, so he brought them here specially." She generously handed both bags of pea yellow to Zhangqi and said, "Give them all to Big Sister, so that my little nephew can gain some weight."
Xu Lanyin appreciated Xu Lanyue's kindness and ate two more pieces, then looked at Zhao Wu.
Zhao Wu also tried a piece and found it unique and delicious, even better than the pea yellow made at Xu's Pastry Shop. He thought to himself that anyone with this skill must be quite old, and that person must have either come from the palace or learned from someone there. Although the people he sent to monitor hadn't seen any servants over fifty in the Pu Mansion, he couldn't miss any details.
He said to Xu Lanyue, "Although Pu Shiyi was born to Concubine Yuan, she is also a daughter of the Pu family. Jiajia doesn't have many friends, so you can help introduce her to some. On the tenth day of August, you will stay in Min Mansion, and have Jiajia send a notice to Pu Shiyi, inviting her to visit Min Mansion."
It would be awkward to invite Miss Pu Shiyi to her own home. Her family was lowly, and if she only invited the daughter and not the concubine, Concubine Yuan would be unhappy. But the Min family was a wealthy one, and with the wife, Li, in charge, she wouldn't be able to refuse to invite the concubine. Besides, Miss Pu Shiyi would be even happier visiting the Min family.
That night, the autumn rain began to fall again and the weather gradually turned cooler.
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Ding Gu arrived in Ningzhou Prefecture. Chai Qingyan owned a large farm in Hebei, and Ding Gu was going to the farm to inspect the harvest and collect the rent. Wang Sanni and her brother wouldn't be returning home, so they asked him to help sell the land...
Xu Qingyan and his wife also brought half a cart of things, mostly supplements for Xu Lanyin and things for the children, as well as gifts for Old Man Xu and his wife and fifty taels of silver. Xu Qingyan was overjoyed to learn that Old Man Xu had returned to the provincial capital and that Xu Lanyin had fulfilled her filial duty, and he praised her profusely.
In a blink of an eye, it was the ninth day of the New Year, and Xu Lanyin went to Minfu to play for a day.
Mrs. Li was unaware of the true identities of the Zhao Wu brothers, nor did she know that her husband had been helping them investigate Wen Yan's murder of Wen Rong and his wife. She was reluctant to see Min Jia interact with Pu Shiyi, believing that concubines who lived with their concubines often had some bad habits. However, seeing that Xu Lanyin seemed enthusiastic about Xu Lanyue's friendship with Pu Shiyi, and Min Hu's dissuasion, believing that Pu Yuanqing was deeply loved by Mrs. Pu and that he should not be offended easily, she tacitly allowed the children to interact.
In the afternoon, Min Jia sent a note to Pu Shiyi, a girl named Pu Manfang.
Xu Lanyin and Zhao Wu said goodbye and went home after dinner at Min Mansion, while Xu Lanyue stayed at Min Mansion.
After returning home, Xu Lanyin personally led a few maids to make some snacks.
The next day, Xu Lanyin and Zhao Wu went to Min Mansion with snacks.
Zhao Wu went to the outer courtyard, and Xu Lanyin went directly to the main courtyard.
Pu Manfang had already arrived and was being taken by Min Jia and Xu Lanyue to visit several beautiful and unique houses with animal dolls. Min Jia was telling her stories about the animals, and Xu Lanyue was supplementing them.
After Xu Lanyin left, Pu Manfang came to pay her respects. But Xu Lanyin could see that this little girl was quite snobbish. She smiled very sincerely to Li, but only five points to herself.
Of course, she would not argue with the child, and sat on the Luohan bed with Li to watch the fun.
There are five "houses" in the hall, and there are residences in the houses. Coupled with Min Jia's vivid and moving narration, it is very interesting.
After touring the house, they chatted while looking at comic books. Several little girls chattered and laughed happily.
Pu Manfang is obviously a snob, always praising Min Jia and ignoring Xu Lanyue. Is this because she's climbed up the social ladder, and now that she's used up, she's dumping her?
The world of children is not simple either.
Xu Lanyue was used to this situation and didn't take it seriously. Pu Manfang ignored her, so she would chat with Min Jia whenever she had a chance. Min Jia, in turn, was very flattering and told her...
Zhangqi brought out his own dim sum to treat them. Xu Lanyue also remembered the task given by her elder sister. She said proudly, "As soon as I tasted it, I knew it was made by my elder sister. It tastes better than the ones sold in dim sum shops."
After hearing this, Min Jia quickly picked up a piece and ate it, nodding in agreement, "Yes, yes, I can tell too. It was made by Aunt Xu herself."
Xu Lanyue began to brag about how capable her elder sister was and how popular the snacks she made were.
The gift from the Pu family to the Min family today included a gift package of snacks. Pu Manfang had someone bring it over and also talked about how incompetent her own cook was. Her expression also showed disdain for Xu Lanyue. In my family, the cook cooks, while in your family, it's your sister.
Through the chat of several young girls, and the seemingly unintentional conversation between the chess master and several servants, I learned that the cook who made the pea yellow was named Yu, and she was over sixty years old. She had stayed in the palace in her early years. Because she was old and lame, she seldom went out.
Pu Yuanqing has loved the snacks she made since he was a child. Even at such an old age, Yu Ma still continues to work, but due to poor health, she only serves Pu Yuanqing...
Because Pu Manfang was too obviously unfriendly towards Xu Lanyue, Min Jia also noticed it and felt unhappy. His enthusiasm for Pu Manfang also faded a bit, and he mainly joked with Xu Lanyin.
Xu Lanyue also disliked Pu Manfang very much. But she knew that her elder sister and brother-in-law asked her to get along well with Pu Manfang, so while joking with Min Jia, she would not neglect Pu Manfang too much.
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