Tomorrow, Zhou Chenyu will have to get up early to accompany Chen Tongsheng to the Tang residence to see the steward. The mother and daughter chatted for a few minutes about Baoyu before returning to their room to sleep.
Zhou Chenyu took off her outer garment, changed into cool pajamas, and lay on the bed. The chirping of crickets and grasshoppers echoed through the cracks in the wall. She thought about what she had to do the next morning. It was truly an unexpected surprise. "Isn't this what they call 'after all the mountains and rivers seem to have no end, a new village appears amidst the willows and flowers'? Heaven never closes all doors!"
Tang Mansion?
They must be a wealthy and powerful family, right?
Zhou Chenyu blinked her bright, watery eyes, her two fingers seemingly casually touching the edge of her lips as she muttered, "Since we can't get on Yang Xi's good side, building connections with some wealthy families seems like a good option. Who knows, they might actually come in handy when dealing with Qian Rushan?"
The bright, cool moonlight seeped into the room. Zhou Chenyu smiled and happily turned over, lying face down on the bed. Her long, beautiful black hair cascaded down her back like silk, and her two fair legs were raised in the air, swinging leisurely.
She said, "Although I am the only person in Qingshui Town who knows how to make mung bean and taro ball sweet soup, a banquet in a wealthy family doesn't necessarily have to be made with mung bean and taro ball sweet soup; there should be many alternative options. How can I make my sweet soup stand out?"
Zhou Chenyu pondered, his arms resting on the pillow with his chin on it, when suddenly an idea struck him. "I've got it! I'm not just good at making mung bean and taro ball sweet soup! If they ask me to make sweet soup, they'll definitely prepare all the ingredients, so I can make several different kinds for them to try. Wouldn't that be a competitive advantage for me?!"
Zhou Chenyu became excited, thinking about the many kinds of refreshing sweet soups she used to drink in the sweltering summer. Considering the limited resources of this era, she carefully selected three more sweet soups and memorized them, "How about white fungus soup, papaya and snow fungus sweet soup, and mung bean and lotus seed soup! Okay, it's settled!"
Having made her decision, Zhou Chenyu briefly went through the process of making the three kinds of sweet soup in her mind, as well as the corresponding ingredients that needed to be prepared. While thinking about it, she fell asleep.
The next day, after breakfast, Zhou Chenyu immediately went out and rushed to the entrance of Chenjia Village to meet Chen Tongsheng.
Seeing her waiting under the big tree, Chen Tongsheng hurriedly ran over, "Why are you here so early?"
Zhou Chenyu greeted her with a smile, "You found this job for me, how could I possibly make you wait for me again? I have that much sense to consider."
Chen Tongsheng was at his wits' end with her. "You, I think you can't stay idle. Your foot has only just gotten a little better, and you're already busy again. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have told you."
"No way! My injury is nothing, it's the lack of money that's really tough." Zhou Chenyu walked alongside him. It wasn't market day, so there were few pedestrians on the road into town. She asked, "Brother Chen, where is the Tang family's residence we're going to later? Is it a wealthy family's house?"
Afraid that Chen Tongsheng would see through her ulterior motives, Zhou Chenyu pretended to chat casually.
Chen Tongsheng was completely unaware. "If the Tang family isn't considered a wealthy family, then no one in Qingshui Town can compare."
"Oh, really?" Zhou Chenyu smiled. "Tell me about their situation quickly so I can be prepared and avoid any mistakes."
From Chen Tongsheng, Zhou Chenyu learned a bit about Master Tang. This old man made his fortune selling cloth. He not only owned the largest cloth shop in Qingshui Town, but also had branches in surrounding towns. He was one of the wealthiest people in the area.
Although Mr. Tang was a wealthy man with considerable assets, he had suffered a lot in his early years because he started from scratch. Therefore, after becoming rich, he not only did not forget his roots, but also often did good deeds for the poor. The people privately called him a great philanthropist and a living bodhisattva.
Zhou Chenyu and Chen Tongsheng talked all the way, and before they knew it, they arrived at the side gate of the Tang residence. The gatekeeper recognized Chen Tongsheng and immediately smiled: "Brother Tongsheng, you're here again."
“Yes.” Chen Tongsheng exchanged a few pleasantries with the servant, then pointed to Zhou Chenyu. “Manager Feng mentioned to me earlier that he was looking for a girl who sells sweet soup at the market, but he hadn’t heard anything about her. As luck would have it, that girl is my sworn sister, Chenyu, so I brought her here today to meet Manager Feng.”
Zhou Chenyu clasped his hands in front of him, revealing an innocent smile. "Hello, big brother. My name is Zhou Chenyu. I used to sell sweet soup when it was hot."
The servant's eyes lit up when he saw Zhou Chenyu's smile. "Really?"
Chen Tongsheng stepped forward and asked, "Is Steward Feng at home?"
Knowing that this was the person the head steward was looking for, the servant dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately put away his smile, opened the door, and said, "The head steward is busy inside. I will take you two to see him now. Please come with me."
"Thank you for your trouble."
The servant led the way, with Zhou Chenyu and Chen Tongsheng following behind. The moment they stepped through the side gate and saw the magnificent and luxurious mountain and water villa, Zhou Chenyu felt for the first time like a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden, "This house is really big."
Seeing her surprised expression, Chen Tongsheng smiled and said, "This is a side gate of the mansion. The place we are about to go is the servants' quarters, where the family's servants live."
"A...a servant's room?" Zhou Chenyu's mouth dropped open slightly. Even the servants' quarters were so nice—much better than the house she lived in in Zhoujia Village. She felt a little resentful. "There are so many rich people in the world, why can't there be one more like me?"
Seeing her blank and surprised expression, Chen Tongsheng patiently explained, "This house is divided into a front courtyard, an inner courtyard, and a main courtyard. The front courtyard has a main hall, two side halls, a pavilion, and a pond, mainly used for entertaining guests. In addition to a main hall, the inner courtyard has side halls and wing rooms on the left and right, and behind it is the inner courtyard garden, with a side pavilion next to it. Beyond the inner courtyard garden is the main courtyard. The main courtyard is no different from the inner courtyard, except that it also has a study and wing rooms."
After Chen Tongsheng said that, Zhou Chenyu felt that the house was even bigger. She walked on the corridor of the house and couldn't help but look around. Wasn't this the big house she had been longing for?
When will she be able to live in a house like this?
Chen Tongsheng pointed to the opposite side of the corridor, separated by a wall, and said, "This is the main hall. When we come to the manor to do business, we must not cross this road without the steward's permission."
We must not cross this line?
Zhou Chenyu was pulled back from her daydream, a warning in her mind: "Why can't we cross this road? Is it because we're afraid we'll disturb the young master, young lady, and madam living inside?"
Chen Tongsheng nodded, "That's right, you have to be careful. If you offend the young master and his ladies, you probably won't be able to work here again."
Zhou Chenyu replied seriously, "Understood!"
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