41 In the Kitchen
◎The Taoist priest said that the eldest son lacks fire in his destiny◎
Sunny days are not only suitable for sunbathing, but also for cleaning and moving.
Everyone in the Xin Guo Mansion was busy moving the courtyard for Young Master Yan, from Wangshouxuan in the north to Wutongyuan opposite the kitchen.
Looking through the kitchen window, watching the servants stream into the garden, cook Xu wondered, "That's strange! Wutong Garden is small, close to the kitchen and noisy. It doesn't seem to compare to the eldest master's original Wangshouxuan. Why did they move here?"
The kitchen helper nearby shook off the water droplets on her hands and said with a smile, "We moved here specifically because it's close to the kitchen!"
"Huh? What's the logic behind this?" asked the cook.
"Madam invited a Taoist priest from Yuntai Mountain a few days ago. The Taoist priest said that the eldest son's destiny lacks fire, and he should live in a south-facing place to enhance his yang energy. Being close to the kitchen so that he can be exposed to the smoke of the stove is also good for his health."
The kitchen helper raised her chin and gestured for her to look out the window. "Look, see? The things being carried into the house are all purple and red."
She was a house-born child, her mother working in the mistress's household, and she had heard all this from her mother. Ever since the eldest son became seriously ill, the mistress, who had always disbelieved in ghosts and gods, had suddenly changed her ways. She would run to temples and Taoist temples every now and then, donating incense and offerings wherever she could, regardless of the temple, as long as she heard there were miracles.
"Oh, it's true, mahogany wardrobe, red porcelain vase. Actually, I think the name Wutong Garden is also very good. It is said that the phoenix roosts in the Wutong tree, and the phoenix is also of the fire element!" Mrs. Xu watched two servants carrying a mahogany screen into the garden gate, and sighed, "Poor parents in the world." She also has a son and a daughter.
"Humph, you don't believe in it normally, but now you're praying to Buddha, worshipping the Three Pure Ones together. I wonder whose blessing you're asking for! Praying to God only works if you're sincere!"
They both turned around at the same time and saw that the person who spoke was Yu'e, a maid from Chunhui Courtyard. She walked into the kitchen with a carved food box slung over her elbow, apparently coming to get some noodles.
The kitchen helper's mother was the lady's person, so she was naturally also on the lady's side. She was hoping that the eldest son would recover soon. When she heard Yu'e's words, she immediately threw the cabbage she was washing into the water and wanted to argue with Yu'e, but Xu grabbed her and winked at her, signaling her not to be impulsive.
The Madam's premature birth was the result of poisoning by a concubine in the mansion. The eldest son was harmed in the womb, and the Madam's health was damaged as a result, rendering her unable to bear children again. Concubine Chun of Chunhui Courtyard was the most favored, and the second son, Xu'er, was her daughter. If the eldest son died, the title would naturally fall to the second son. So if anyone didn't want the eldest son to recover, it was definitely someone from Chunhui Courtyard.
In the kitchen, the chef packed sesame cakes for Yu'e. She picked up the food box and turned to walk out of the kitchen. After she was far away, the kitchen helper spat at her back.
When the cabbage was thrown, water splashed all over the little girl. Xu took out a piece of dry linen to help her wipe the water, whispering to her comfortingly: "I won't be angry with her now. Madam is in the garden across the street. If we quarrel later, she will hear these words, won't it bring bad luck?"
The little girl gritted her teeth in hatred: "She only dared to talk nonsense because she was sure of this. How could she dare to do that before! If the Madam knew about this, she would definitely tear her mouth apart!"
"Let them be proud for a while. The eldest young master is a lucky man and will definitely get better."
The little girl recalled the elder master's thin, pale face she had seen when she delivered food not long ago. She frowned and sighed softly, "I hope so..."
In Wutong Garden.
The Duke's wife, Chen Lanzheng, was directing the servants to arrange things. She pointed to a set of mahogany corner cabinets and said, "Put this on the west corner of the bed, so Chen Ge'er can drink water." Then she pointed to a pair of porcelain vases with tortoise shell patterns and said, "Put this on the south side. Yes, right in front of the mirror."
The maid brought her a cup of tea and said, "Madam, please take a rest."
"It's okay." Chen Lanzheng took the tea and took a sip, then walked over to make the bed for her son herself, trying each new pillow with her hands. They were not good if they were too soft, and they were not good if they were too hard.
Seeing this, the maid had no choice but to put down her teacup and follow her to help her master. The early spring sunlight came in through the window, shining right in front of the bed. As she adjusted the bedding, she tilted her head slightly and could see the dark circles under her mistress's eyes.
Since receiving the news from Tuzhou, the lady has not slept much for three days. Sometimes, even if she does fall asleep, she will wake up from her dreams.
A few years ago, heavy snow blocked the roads, and when the people from the government office arrived in Tuzhou, it was almost the Spring Festival. It took them several days to find out that Doctor Wan Jilin's wife had died in an accident more than ten years ago. Doctor Wan did not want to stay in Tuzhou and be sad about the sight of her family, so he took his daughter and left Tuzhou and went to Qingzhou along the Beijing Road.
The entourage from the government office rushed to Qingzhou overnight. After some searching, they learned that Doctor Wan had passed away a few years ago.
When the lady heard the news that day, her face turned pale and even her lips were trembling. Fortunately, the servants continued to report that they had heard that Doctor Wan had an only daughter who had studied medicine with her father, and perhaps she also knew Doctor Wan's acupuncture techniques.
Then the lady told them to quickly find out the whereabouts of her daughter and report back as soon as they had any news.
Although she hoped that the daughter of the Wan family could inherit her father's true skills, the lady was still visibly beginning to feel uneasy. She did everything herself, as if she was afraid that she would be idle and think about other things.
Her eyes swept across the room full of crimson, and she couldn't help but silently say in her heart: May you be blessed with infinite blessings, please have mercy on my wife and son!
-
Chu Yufu finished removing the needles from Old Madam Jiang and wrote a prescription for the Marquis' wife before leaving the Marquis's residence. As the carriage returned to the mansion, it passed by Xiangrunzhai on Hefang Street. The sweet aroma of roasted almonds, wrapped in the spring breeze, drifted in through the half-open carriage window.
"What a nice smell!" the master and servant said at the same time.
"Do you want to eat, girl?" Lan Zhu asked with a smile.
Chu Yufu nodded vigorously: "I want almond cakes. If there are any new snacks, you can also buy two to try."
"Okay." Lan Zhu stopped the carriage, jumped off lightly and walked towards Xiangrunzhai.
It was almost noon, which was mealtime, and there were not many people in the dim sum shop. Lan Zhu walked in and ordered half a pound of almond pastries, then pointed at the newly released milk bean paste cakes and red bean pastries, and asked the waiter to pack two pieces of each.
As she walked out of the door with the oil-paper bag, she suddenly remembered Mother Li whom she saw the last time she came here, and subconsciously glanced at the tofu shop next to her. This time, she didn't see Mother Li again, but only saw a woman in her twenties holding a child sitting inside.
She had seen this woman before. She was the owner of a tofu shop.
She squinted her eyes and took a closer look. The more she looked, the more surprised she became. This wasn't the first time she had seen it, but the more she looked, the more she felt that the boss lady's nose and eyes looked so much like Mama Li! Thinking of this, she simply turned around and walked into the tofu shop.
When the proprietress saw someone coming in, she stood up quickly, holding the child in her arms, and called out, "Madam, would you like to buy some tofu?"
Lanzhu looked down at Tofu, then looked at her.
The woman was very thin, her eyes appearing unusually large against her prominent cheekbones. Her pale face had turned gray, and her gray clothes had been washed to a pale hue. Despite her youth, she already had a few strands of silver at her temples. Lan Zhu asked softly, "Who is Li Rongsheng to you?"
Upon hearing this, the proprietress tightened her grip on the child, took a step back warily, and looked at her for a long time without saying a word.
When Lan Zhu saw this, she understood about 80% of what was going on.
"Give me a piece." She pointed at the dried tofu in front of her and muttered.
"Don't be afraid. Back then, she and I had the best relationship in the Chu Mansion. When she was wrapped in a straw mat and carried out of the mansion, I was the one who cried the loudest and was the most heartbroken! I saw her the last time I passed by here. I followed her as soon as I entered the mansion. Aside from the Second Young Lady and Concubine Wan, she was my best friend!"
"She didn't even bother to tell me secretly after she recovered. How could I possibly sell her out? Tell her my name is Lanzhu. Don't hide from me next time you see me. I'm not a bad person!"
After saying this, she pursed her lips and slammed five copper coins onto the table.
The proprietress bit her lip, placed the child on a bamboo chair at her feet, and deftly wrapped the tofu in oil paper and handed it to her. Then, with her eyelids lowered, she pushed back a copper coin and said softly, "Dried tofu, four cents."
Lanzhu put the penny back into her purse and got back into the carriage with the tofu.
Seeing her carrying two paper bags back, Chu Yufu asked curiously, "Why did you buy so many?"
Lan Zhu picked up the small paper bag and said, "This is tofu. I just went to the tofu shop." She glanced in the direction of the driver in front of her, leaned closer and whispered, "I went to the tofu shop to see if I could see Mother Li."
"Did you see it?" Chu Yufu asked.
"No." Lan Zhu shook her head. "But after a closer look, I felt that the lady boss in the workshop looked very similar to Mother Li. They must be relatives. I asked her to tell Mother Li not to hide from me anymore. I definitely won't harm her. It would be nice to talk to her if we meet. I actually miss her a lot."
"Yeah." Chu Yufu nodded and said, "When we meet again in the future, ask her why she doesn't want to come back to work at home. I'm really curious."
Even if she didn't say it, Lan Zhu still wanted to ask, so she nodded and said, "Okay."
The two of them arrived at Zhuyuyuan at the perfect time, just as the food was on the table, steaming hot. There was a dish of pickled lamb's trotters, a dish of five-spice chicken, a dish of spicy radish, and a dish of rich sugar cake. After finishing the meal, there was no room left for a snack.
Yun Sui picked up the two oil-paper bags and said with a smile, "I'll take those snacks for now. You can have them with tea after the girl wakes up from her nap! As for the tofu, I'll go to the kitchen tonight and get some fresh vegetables to make stir-fried vegetables with dried tofu."
In late winter and early spring, apart from the stored cabbage, most vegetables were dried and pickled. The farms in the countryside had greenhouses where potted, off-season leafy vegetables were grown. These were delivered to Beijing every two weeks, but because they were scarce, they were valuable. Most of these greenhouse products went to the grandmother's courtyard and the main courtyard, leaving the Bamboo and Jade Courtyard with very little.
Yinsuo then asked, "Can you give it to the kitchen?"
Yunsui smiled and said, "Yes, why not? Our girl is very popular now!" The second girl is beautiful and kind-hearted, and the servants all like her. In addition, the second girl now has face among the elders, and she can eat more freely. She doesn't even need to open her mouth a second time to ask for a handful of vegetables from the kitchen.
Chu Yufu listened to them talking with a smile, then stood up and walked back and forth in the room to digest her food.
As they walked, they came to the desk. On the desk were two books: one was Grandfather Wan's notes, and the other was a "Military Doctor's Guide" that she had written in part.
【Author’s words】
[Pigeon] I'm here! I'll try not to be a cooter. I'll update tomorrow and the day after tomorrow!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
