62 A Spring Flower Feast
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Zhenzhu smiled and said, "Don't be offended, Madam Jiang. Princess Fu'an is a guest at the Liang Mansion."
"The eldest daughter of the Liang family is the cousin of Prince Xie. She has long admired Madam Jiang's reputation, but was afraid you might be too embarrassed to come, so she invited you to be her guest in the name of Princess Fu'an."
Jiang Qinglan was stunned. Liang Chan? Xie Linchuan's cousin? She had never heard of her. But she had heard of Princess Fu'an.
Princess Fu'an initially fell in love with Xie Linchuan, but she fought with Princess Baoqing, leading to her being rejected by the emperor and marrying off quietly to Suzhou. She soon became a widow, and after returning to Lin'an, she seems to have had an affair with Lu Fei.
She closed her eyes and smiled bitterly. Xie Linchuan and Lu Fei, both of them were related to her. Was Princess Fu'an trying to make things difficult for her?
But she was already standing in front of the door, and Pearl was staring at her with a fierce look in her eyes, so she would definitely not let her go.
Forget it, let’s just deal with it as it comes.
With Zhenzhu leading the way, she lifted her skirt and entered the Liang Mansion.
He danced gracefully along the path, amidst flowers and willows, and when he had finally rounded the screen wall and reached the winding corridor, he met a girl head-on.
She was wearing a lilac cloud satin short shirt, an indigo plain Wu silk long skirt, a cloud-moon crown on her head, and green gauze covering her shoulders. She was dignified, beautiful, elegant and lovely.
Zhenzhu bowed and said, "Your Highness, this is Madam Jiang."
It turns out that this is Princess Fu'an.
Jiang Qinglan was already extremely cautious and behaved very respectfully. He bent his knees and was about to kneel, but Princess Fu'an held his arm firmly.
She said gently, "Even your aunt doesn't let you kneel, so how dare I accept your courtesy?" Her smile was gentle and moving, like pear blossoms blooming in the spring breeze.
Her aunt is naturally Princess Anguo.
Jiang Qinglan was a little confused. Wasn't Princess Fu'an arrogant and had a fight with Princess Baoqing? Why was she so easy to talk to?
Then she laughed and said, "Today, the Liang family's young lady held a flower banquet, and she mentioned you suddenly and said she wanted to meet you. I didn't send a visiting card, but came to your house to invite you directly. It's my fault, please don't be offended."
As he spoke, he took out a jade hairpin with a butterfly pattern and inserted it into her hair himself.
"This is a meeting gift."
Jiang Qinglan thought to himself: Is he treating her like Xie Linchuan's fiancée and engaging in inner-house socializing? He could only cross his arms and salute, smiling, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Princess Fu'an nodded and said, "They are over in the bamboo forest. You go ahead. I'll go put on some makeup and come right back."
As soon as Jiang Qinglan left, the smile on Princess Fu'an's face immediately disappeared.
She was no longer the innocent and spoiled girl she once was. Having been rejected by the government and experiencing a failed and short-lived marriage, her character had changed drastically.
She smiled faintly and thought to herself: Those stupid women in Qingyouyuan are in for a good show now!
She didn't say until she saw Jiang Qinglan's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, "Let's go."
On this side, Jiang Qinglan followed Zhenzhu to Qingyouyuan.
Under the tall green pines and among the dense green bamboos, a huge curtain was spread on the ground, on which were placed various flowers, food and drinks, in clusters of flowers and colorful.
There were young girls and women around, sitting or standing, gathered in groups of three or four.
She was startled and when she turned around, the pearls beside her were gone. Instead, a maid with double buns handed her a basket of fiery red flowers.
"What are you standing there for? Go over there and blow up this Panzhihua!"
Fried flowers? Did he treat her as a servant in the kitchen?
She looked down at her outfit. Hmm, a green shirt and white skirt, with no gold or jade accessories. She looked a bit like the maids in their house.
On second thought, this was fine. She'd rather play Explosion of Flowers than engage in witty banter with them. No one recognized her, so she could just hide away and have some free time.
Jiang Qinglan took the flower and saw that there were eggs, pepper, flour and other ingredients on the chopping board next to him, so he rolled up his sleeves and started working.
I was just beating the eggs into the batter when I heard someone on the other side of the curtain introduce something: "As for the jasmine flower salad, everyone knows it. Do you know what this dish is?"
Everyone looked carefully, and Jiang Qinglan also stretched his neck to take a look.
There were a dozen dark red crystal jelly blocks in a long white porcelain plate shaped like a fish, with a small red flower on top. I couldn't see clearly what they were because I was far away.
Someone tasted a piece and said, "Wow, it has such a strong fish flavor, and a bit sour and spicy. What's in it?"
A maid stepped out and said clearly:
"This dish of frozen fish stuffed with azalea flowers is made by mixing thick fish soup together. Once the soup cools and solidifies, the azalea flowers are stuffed into it."
"The sour and spicy flavor is typical of the Dali Kingdom. The sour part is the sour papaya, and the spicy part is the cornel powder. It tastes delicious, soft, and the sour and spicy flavors are appetizing. The appearance is also very elegant."
Everyone just nodded in approval, and someone else introduced other dishes such as pomegranate flower fried ham, broom fried eggs, and brown bud flower white fish soup.
A young girl, looking at the bright sunlight, was puzzled: "It's early summer now, why are they still holding a spring flower banquet?"
The young lady of the host family is surnamed Liang, with a single character named Chan. She is also the niece of Liang Jia, the Princess of Dongping, and the cousin of Xie Linchuan.
At this time, she was wearing a goose yellow jacket with lotus pattern, with a dazzling pearl hairpin on her head. She was only waving a peony round fan, smiling without saying a word.
I also heard someone say, "Oh, the palm leaves in this white fish soup are a specialty of Dali. How can they be found in Lin'an? My brother was once exiled to Juzhou, which is close to there, and he ate them there."
She exclaimed softly, "Could it be that these flowers were sent from Dali?"
What a glorious family this is!
There was praise and surprise at the same time, and Miss Liang was praised to the utmost.
Jiang Qinglan could only laugh after hearing this.
The second-generation official flaunts his wealth by inviting the families of his father's subordinates to flatter him. The Panzhihua on hand is already coated with batter and is ready to be fried in the oil pan.
But when it was put into the pot, there were a few crackling sounds and a few droplets of oil splashed out.
Jiang Qinglan frowned.
The oil splashed, it must be because she washed the Panzhihua without wiping it away. She was busy in the kitchen, and this kind of thing happened frequently, so she didn't think much of it and just picked up the pot lid to block it.
Some people don't think so.
"You lowly slave, how do you do anything?!" At some point, a woman stood beside her, her eyebrows raised, "I have such a good skirt, but you ruined it!"
There were a few oil spots on her three-pleated skirt, which was sprinkled with gold marigold and peach pink.
Her personal maid, named Xinzhu, saw that Jiang Qinglan was still in a daze and did not kneel down to beg for mercy, so she rolled up her sleeves and was about to teach her a lesson.
"Oh!" The pretty young girl, waving a peony fan, said crisply, "Miss Liu, please be careful and keep a close eye on your maid. The one next to her is no ordinary person."
The person who spoke was Liang Chan.
Her voice was so high-pitched that even though the place was filled with the noise and bustle of many beautiful girls, they all shut up and looked towards Panzhihua.
Miss Liu looked Jiang Qinglan up and down. Seeing that she was dressed simply, she didn't care at all: "Who is this? I've never seen her before."
"Oh!" Liang Chan gently waved her fan, feigning surprise, "So you all didn't know."
"This is my cousin, the Crown Prince's beloved, the famous Lady Jiang. The Purple Palace's marriage proposal and the Dragon Boat Festival competition on the Qiantang River were all for her!"
In an instant, countless gazes shot over like sharp swords, and Jiang Qinglan felt as if he had been pierced like a sieve.
Jiang Qinglan could only smile and saluted: "I am Jiang Qinglan, a commoner, and I am honored to meet you ladies."
She had heard clearly just now that all the people at the flower banquet were girls from the boudoir, and none of them had an imperial decree, so she did not have to kneel.
Liang Chan came over with a smile and helped her up: "Madam Jiang, please don't be polite."
When he looked behind him, his expression changed immediately, and his eyebrows were raised, "Who is so blind as to dare to ask Madam Jiang to make flowers?!"
A girl with twin buns fell to her knees with a thud. She was the one who had just stuffed the bamboo dustpan into Jiang Qinglan's hands: "I... I am blind and don't recognize a great man..." She was already sweating profusely and her legs were shaking.
Miss Liu and her servant also looked pale.
Liang Chan ignored Miss Liu and just glared at the maid, sternly saying, "You're blind! Someone, slap me in the face!"
Two old women with round waists and thick arms rolled up their sleeves and were about to come up.
Jiang Qinglan has always been merciful and forgiving, so she quickly said with a smile, "It's okay, this is what I do."
"Oh?" Liang Chan's eyes lit up. She turned around and looked at her, fanning herself gracefully. "I actually forgot that Madam Jiang was originally a cook."
When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.
The people present were all young ladies from secluded areas who usually stayed indoors. They had only heard that the woman that Xie Shizi admired was a commoner, but they had no idea that she was actually a cook!
You know, even being a maid or working in the kitchen is the lowest class.
Kitchen work is tiring and dirty; either I am butchering fish or killing chickens, or chopping meat and cutting melons, which makes my hands bloody.
At that moment, some people looked disdainful.
She is not particularly beautiful, and she is just a lowly cook. What kind of magic potion did she use to lure Prince Xie?
I also thought: Even though Prince Xie proposed in the Purple Palace and presented a bride price during the Dragon Boat Festival, why is it that after so much time, I still haven’t heard about the engagement?
Could it be that Master Xie was just looking for something new? Once he saw her true nature as a vixen, he abandoned her like a worn-out shoe.
As expected, people from small families are not presentable.
For a moment, the way they looked at Jiang Qinglan also changed.
Jiang Qinglan knew what they were thinking and thought: You look down on the identity of a cook, but I look down on you too. Everyone eats all day and does nothing.
But there was still a faint smile on her face.
A slender girl with a plump chest came out and said enthusiastically, "Madam Jiang!"
Jiang Qinglan was a little face-blind: "Who are you?"
The girl smiled and said, "I am Qian Junjun! We cooked vegetarian meals together in the Xiangji Kitchen during the Jianlong Temple Fair."
It turned out that Qian Junjun had been hanging around in Prince Dongping's mansion since she failed to seduce Xie Linchuan.
She was a bit arrogant and always quarreled with the maids or cursed at the old women. Finally, she was kicked out by the housekeeper.
By chance, he met Liang Chan again.
Jiang Qinglan remembered and smiled, "It turned out to be Madam Qian."
Qian Junjun immediately said loudly:
"Mrs. Jiang's cooking skills are excellent. During those few days at Jianlong Temple, not only the male pilgrims, but even the head monks in the temple were full of praise and kindness for Mrs. Jiang."
"The rest of us are in no way comparable!"
Jiang Qinglan frowned when he heard this. What she said...
Everyone started to whisper, thinking: "She is indeed a demon! Even the monk has been deceived by her!"
Jiang Qinglan had originally decided to become a Ninja Turtle, but upon hearing this he had no choice but to refute:
"Mrs. Qian, you are so kind."
"Jianlong Temple is a thousand-year-old temple. The masters have been kind and compassionate. I am grateful for their kindness and will never forget it. Therefore, I will keep the masters' teachings in mind every day and live a sincere and honest life."
"I wonder how the wife's stew is going?"
This was a satire on her using his name to enter the Prince of Dongping's Palace.
Qian Junjun's face immediately turned red.
Liang Chan didn't know what was going on. Seeing Jiang Qinglan force the other person to retreat with just a few words, she came up with another plan and said with a smile:
"Since we're old friends, I won't be polite. I wonder if I have the honor to try Madam Jiang's cooking?"
For Jiang Qinglan, playing witty tricks with this group of boring ladies was worse than making a scene. So she smiled and said, "Miss Liang, I must give her face."
Ignoring everyone's whispers, he took the Panzhihua and methodically heated the oil, coated it with batter, and fried the flowers.
Who would have known that the lower the Panzhihua flowers were in the basket, the more water they would be dipped in, and when they were put into the frying pan, they would start to fry with crackling sounds.
The ladies and maids around the chopping board all moved away.
Jiang Qinglan thought to himself: I originally thought that Princess Fu'an was going to make things difficult for me, but now it seems that the real culprit is Xie Linchuan's cousin.
Today, she couldn't get through it without being humiliated and letting out her anger. So she gritted her teeth and calmly continued to bomb Panzhihua.
It was early summer, and the sleeves of Tianshui's blue silk shirt were narrow and thin. When oil droplets splashed on them, it hurt a little even through the clothes.
Not to mention those that splashed directly on the back of the hands, which quickly left red marks on the fair hands.
There were splashes of oil everywhere around the wok.
Liang Chan's shills were already among the crowd, laughing secretly:
"Mrs. Qian said that Mrs. Jiang's cooking skills are superb. I think she is far from that. She can't even fry Panzhihua. Even my concubine's sister wouldn't cook so filthy."
Everyone remembered what Qian Junjun said. This Madam Jiang's cooking skills were mediocre, but she could attract the attention of men. If she didn't have some seductive power, then what else could it be?
Immediately, someone whispered about the incident during the Lantern Festival when a lame Taoist priest pointed out that Jiang Qinglan was a monster in the street.
Everyone became more and more certain that it was a vixen!
Liang Chan listened to all these words, waving her round fan, with a half-smile on her face:
"Mrs. Jiang, although you are someone my cousin loves and respects, the facts are the facts. Your cooking skills are mediocre, and you also soiled Miss Liu's skirt. How are you going to compensate me?"
Jiang Qinglan said respectfully, "Miss Liang is right. I will compensate Miss Liu for her skirt at the original price."
Miss Liu was just the daughter of a sixth-rank official. Although she was domineering towards her servants, she felt complicated when she heard that this person was the famous Jiang Qinglan.
Although she was jealous and resentful of her, she was also afraid of getting into trouble, so she waved her hand with a pale face: "No need."
Liang Chan refused to comply with her wishes. "Madam Jiang, Miss Liu is magnanimous and will not argue with you, but I believe that there is no order without rules. Why don't you kneel down and kowtow to her three times?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the noisy crowd suddenly quieted down.
Although they also hated her, they relied on their status in the dark to speak privately and only said a few harsh words at most.
Miss Liu was pushed to the forefront today. If she accepted this gift from her, and if Prince Xie changed his mind, wouldn't Miss Liu be killed without a burial place?
Jiang Qinglan also frowned. Putting aside other relationships, she was a good citizen and there was really no need for her to kneel before Miss Liu.
Seeing this, Liang Chan finally revealed her true colors and snorted coldly:
"I heard you've injured your waist and legs, and you can't bend or kneel. Are your knees made of gold? I'd like to see how a common woman like you can be so respectable!"
He winked at the two maids beside him, who had thick waists and round arms, and rolled up their sleeves and were about to move forward, as if they were going to force her down.
How could they wait for them to take action? Jiang Qinglan's expression changed immediately, and he knelt down with a thud, looking submissive.
"Miss Liang, you're joking. I'm of low status, so how could I not kneel down? The rumor must be wrong."
After saying that, he kowtowed to Miss Liu three times respectfully. He didn't even bother to wipe off the dust and weeds on his forehead, which made him look dirty.
Miss Liu's face turned pale and she stepped back repeatedly.
Liang Chan was also a little stunned.
She was conceited and self-centered. In the past, Princess Baoqing was infatuated with Xie Linchuan, but she did not dare to compete with him.
Now that she heard that Xie Linchuan loved a merchant woman, her mouth twisted with anger, but the Xinghua Restaurant seemed to be on guard, and she could do nothing about it.
Today, when Princess Fu'an mentioned it, she became interested and wanted to humiliate this man severely.
Jiang Qinglan bowed again to the stunned Liang Chan: "My skills are not good enough and I have disturbed Miss Liang's pleasure. Please forgive me this time, Miss Liang."
A wise man never suffers a loss in front of him. What's wrong with kneeling down? It's better than getting beaten!
Liang Chan laughed: "I thought he was very strong-willed, but it turns out he is just a lowly person." She shook her head and said helplessly and sadly, "Cousin, you are wrong..."
"Meow meow——" A little kitten suddenly jumped out from nowhere. It was a small, delicate and adorable little cat with a white body.
It took light steps, swayed beside Jiang Qinglan, barked twice, and then rubbed against Liang Chan's legs.
Liang Chan frowned and kicked the cat away.
Seeing Jiang Qinglan still kneeling, looking so submissive and pitiful, just like a kitten, she became even more angry.
She narrowed her eyes, looked down at him, and sneered, "You are not particularly beautiful, so how did you seduce my cousin?"
This question expressed what everyone was thinking. Everyone present held their breath, their eyes fixed, as if waiting for the next words.
Jiang Qinglan's expression changed slightly, and he put away his superficial smile. He then slowly stood up, raised his eyes, and looked at Liang Chan quietly:
"I am a clean person and never bow down to men. Miss Liang, please be careful with your words."
She stood straight, like the snow on the mountains and the bright moon in the sky, giving people a feeling of being awe-inspiring and inviolable.
Liang Chan was stunned for a moment, and a chill suddenly spread throughout her body.
Then, she snorted coldly, "So, this is the aloof and cold attitude you're supposed to have? A daughter of a criminal, a divorced woman, a lowly cook, why is she pretending to be pure and innocent? Come on, slap her in the face!"
The tall and strong old woman had been standing by since early morning and immediately rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward.
At this moment, a powerful voice sounded:
"Hey, it's so lively here, why didn't anyone invite me?"
An old lady with silver hair and luxurious clothes came to the edge of the banquet, surrounded by people.
Someone had already brought in an armchair, and Old Madam Xie sat down lazily on it, looking relaxed and unhurried.
Someone brought the little white cat and placed it on her lap.
Princess Fu'an also sat on a brocade stool with a smile on her face.
Seeing the two nobles coming, all the women changed color, some knelt down, some paid their respects.
The fragmented light leaking through the cracks in the green pines and bamboos was a bit strong, so Old Madam Xie squinted her eyes and said to Liang Chan, "Did you kick the snowball?"
Liang Chan's face changed drastically. She fell to her knees with a plop and said pitifully, "Grandfather, I...I didn't know it was your cat."
Madam Xie was surprisingly easy to talk to. She smiled and said, "Ignorance is not a crime. Get up."
Liang Chan felt relaxed and thought to herself: Every time she went to Prince Dongping's Mansion, her father would repeatedly remind her to be careful with her words and actions.
She said, why should we be so cautious when we go to my aunt's house. But my father said, the one who makes the decision in the palace is Old Madam Xie.
But every time she went there, Mrs. Xie avoided seeing guests. Now that she saw her, she was obviously different from the legend, with a very kind face.
I was just daydreaming when I heard Mrs. Xie say:
"You made Madam Jiang kneel down? Do you know..."
"Grandpa has misunderstood," Liang Chan said quickly, "We were just joking..."
Before she could finish her words, someone suddenly pulled her shoulders back with great force and slapped her in the face, causing a burning pain.
A woman with a face full of flesh and a burly figure like a mountain stood before her.
Madam Xie stroked Xuetuan's head and said calmly, "Who the hell are you? How dare you interrupt me?"
Liang Chan took two steps back, covering her face with her hands, her eyes full of disbelief.
It was just a gentle breeze and drizzle, but in the blink of an eye it turned into a thunderous storm?
Then, tears welled up in her eyes and she murmured, "You dare to hit me? My father..."
Rong Mama, with a cold expression, went up and slapped her again. This time, Liang Chan's right cheek also swelled up, and both sides became symmetrical, like a fat red bun.
"What kind of person is your father? When I was in Chang'an, he was still wearing a snotty nose and asked me for candy."
She paused and counted up again.
"Your grandfather is quite a man. Otherwise, the late emperor wouldn't have allowed your family to marry into the Dongping Palace."
She shook her head. "It's a pity that he died too young."
Liang Chan had never suffered such humiliation before. She was so angry that her mind went blank and her whole body was shaking.
Her cheeks were swollen and there was a bloody taste in her mouth. Even if she wanted to speak, she couldn't. She just stared with a pair of angry eyes.
The cat Xuetuan meowed, stretched his arms on Mrs. Xie's lap, then curled up into a ball and closed his eyes.
Madam Xie glanced at Xie Chan and said, "Why? Are you not convinced?" She tickled Xuetuan's belly and said casually, "Madam Rong, go dig out her eyeballs!"
Rong Mama was the most loyal person, with strong hands and big strength, so she rolled up her sleeves and went up.
After hearing this, everyone was horrified.
All those present were young ladies, and their knowledge of Old Madam Xie came entirely from the storybooks found in teahouses and taverns.
How about throwing beans to create soldiers, gathering water to form a sea, commanding heavenly soldiers and generals, and fighting the enemy for three days and three nights...
If those were true, it would not be difficult for her to dig out one of the eyes.
When Liang Chan heard this, her face turned pale, her knees went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing.
Princess Fu'an stood up and saluted Mrs. Xie:
"Grandfather, this matter is caused by me. Since it has become like this, please give me some face and forgive Miss Liang this time. Madam Jiang is kind-hearted and will not want to see such a thing happen."
Jiang Qinglan didn't know Madam Xie, but he had heard of her legend.
Upon seeing him, he was already impressed by his demeanor, thinking: No wonder Xie Linchuan has such an eagle-like demeanor. How could such a grandmother have a cowardly grandson?
But they didn't know each other, why did she come to save him?
Before she could think about it, she heard Princess Fu'an mention her and said, "Your Highness is right. I beg the old ancestor to revoke your order."
Mrs. Xie handed the snowball to someone else and stood up.
Jiang Qinglan's heart started pounding when he felt her coming towards him.
In a daze, he felt Madam Xie scrutinize him carefully. Finally, she smiled and winked at him.
Her expression was extremely mischievous, completely different from the ruthless and decisive person just now.
What does this mean? Jiang Qinglan was puzzled.
Madam Xie had already walked past her, her eyes swept across the crowd sharply, and she said in a cold voice:
"Jiang Yuan devoted himself to public service and sacrificed his life for his country, yet his daughter was humiliated by a bunch of you foolish women who just sit there doing nothing. I had no idea that such absurd and unethical things existed in the world?!"
"Not to mention you, even Sanlang, I warned him repeatedly not to scare or bully her. And you, on the other hand, brought him here to humiliate him."
"Spread the word to all the girls in Lin'an City. If anyone dares to embarrass Madam Jiang again, I, Song Lanye, will be in trouble!"
As the saying goes: When one bird flies into the forest, all the other birds fall silent. After Mrs. Xie finished speaking, a dead silence fell all around. Only the breeze rustled the pines and bamboos.
All the women Liang Chan had invited knelt down, shivering with sweat. Some of the more timid ones even rolled their eyes and fainted.
Princess Fu'an stood there with a smile on her face, a little embarrassed.
Old Madam Xie glanced at her casually, then took Jiang Qinglan away, accompanied by Xia Yin and others.
…
Sitting in the Xie family's luxurious carriage, Jiang Qinglan felt mixed emotions, both moved and puzzled.
What merit had she taken to deserve the world-renowned Madam Xie's personal rescue? Was it for Jiang Yuan, as she claimed? Or was it for Xie Linchuan? Was she... worth it?
Just as he opened his mouth to ask, the carriage stopped.
Xia Yin reported: Liang Chan's father, Liang Shen, had heard what had just happened and had hurried over from the palace. At this moment, he was kneeling outside to apologize.
Madam Xie waved her hand: "Tell him to come back tomorrow, I'm busy now!"
When the carriage started moving again, she grabbed Jiang Qinglan's hand and looked him over carefully from head to toe. Then, she said with a smile, "Okay, okay!"
Jiang Qinglan was already frightened, and being looked at so carefully by Madam Xie made him even more uncomfortable.
She thought to herself: What's good about that? Is it that being the Xie family's granddaughter-in-law is good? She should be grateful and repay the kindness?
Madam Xie swallowed her saliva and counted on her fingers:
"Candied cherry skewers, braised skewers, lemonade, mouth-watering chicken, matcha taro milk, white pepper pork belly stewed with old chicken, grilled lamb chops, rice braised with matsutake and ham, and vermicelli stewed with pickled cabbage and pork belly. They're all delicious!"
“It’s so delicious that I won’t want to sleep for three days and three nights!”
"And those shepherd's purse wontons! I told you to wait until I've had them for a few more days, but Sanlang is so stubborn he won't listen! If you close that restaurant, I won't be able to eat them anymore!"
Old Madam Xie clapped her hands and then spread them out, an expression of deep sorrow on her face.
Jiang Qinglan was stunned.
What...does this mean?
Old Madam Xie came over, looking a little pitiful: "Good child, in consideration of my help today, if you have anything delicious in the future, please think of me!"
Well, it turns out that “repaying kindness” means this!
Jiang Qinglan's frightened heart immediately calmed down and he said with a smile:
"Don't worry, Grandfather. We still have shepherd's purse wontons frozen in our ice cellar. I'll have someone send them to you when I get back!"
"Next spring, when fresh shepherd's purse is on the market, I'll come to the palace and have it wrapped and cooked right away. That's when it tastes the best!"
Mrs. Xie said yes repeatedly, and like a child, she opened the curtain and showed off to the people outside the carriage: "Do you have shepherd's purse wontons to eat?"
Xia Yin had no choice but to say, "No."
Madam Xie laughed heartily: "I have!"
The summer shade is disheveled in the wind.
After lowering the carriage curtain, Old Lady Xie chatted again, discussing which shop had the best fried white sausage and which had the most refreshing scallion and eggplant. She also pestered Jiang Qinglan to tell her how to make hot and sour bean paste fish.
When the noise outside the carriage died down, it seemed they were about to arrive at the Prince of Dongping's mansion. Old Madam Xie changed the subject again:
"I still have to mention this matter. Sanlang has been on business in Jiangning Prefecture these past two days. Otherwise, he would have definitely knocked Liang Chan's teeth out to vent his anger on you! As for the matter between you two..."
Jiang Qinglan's heart skipped a beat. Was she still going to be a lobbyist after all these twists and turns? But then she heard Madam Xie say again:
"Sanlang is a good boy, but he's a little impatient. If you're willing to agree to your relationship, then agree. If you're not willing, that's fine too. You have such self-respect and self-love. If he doesn't understand, then he's not worthy of you."
Jiang Qinglan was stunned and tears almost came out.
Everyone would say that her relationship with Xie Linchuan was ungrateful and ignorant.
Even Wang Huiniang repeatedly advised her not to be so stubborn. Unexpectedly, the one who truly understood her was this old man whom she had never met.
She even wanted to call her grandma, the grandma who had always been kind to her in her previous life.
Who knew that Mrs. Xie had another sentence:
"You don't need to be afraid of him. He's just an empty firecracker. He makes a big noise and sounds scary, but he's empty inside. The children I teach won't do anything stupid."
Jiang Qinglan's mind immediately became distracted.
A man as proud and arrogant as him was compared to an empty firecracker - a straw bag and a silver-plated spear head - by his grandmother. I wonder how angry he would be.
Jiang Qinglan's eyelashes were filled with tears, but he burst into laughter.
【Author’s words】
For the dishes mentioned in the Flower Banquet in this chapter, please refer to the online article "Yunnan Food Culture - Flower Banquet".
I've noticed that everyone is dissatisfied with the male lead and the second male lead, so I'd like to say a few more words. I tend to write realistic stories, and the characters' behavior is closely related to their own interests and positions.
The male protagonist has been raised as a star since childhood. His strengths are that he is tall, rich, handsome, persistent, and later on has a strong sense of justice for his family, country and the world. His weaknesses are arrogance and a quick temper.
He has a complex feeling towards the heroine, which progresses gradually from loving and wanting to conquer the daughter of an old friend to appreciating and respecting her in the later stages.
Most importantly, they discovered that they had the same goals as they got along.
The male protagonist has always wanted to change the policy of emphasizing culture over military power, while the female protagonist fears a recurrence of the Jingkang Shame. It is in this two-way pursuit that mutual respect and affection arise.
The second male lead must have made a mistake, especially to the original body, this mistake is unforgivable. But the second male lead is a pure ancient person, and for the ancients, the interests of the family are more important than anything else.
In the early stage, the heroine's attitude towards the second male lead's choice was that of an outsider who understood but did not agree with it.
Later, because she found herself in the middle of a plot, with the second male lead on the Third Prince's side and the male lead constantly angering her, it was logical for her to suddenly think of siding with the second male lead, given her deep fear of the Jingkang Shame. The original character deserves sympathy, but when life and death are at stake, her own fate is more important.
However, the second male lead is still the second male lead after all.
As the plot progresses, the male protagonist can dominate the changes in the situation and fulfill the female protagonist's wish, but the second male protagonist cannot. Therefore, the female protagonist and the male protagonist are a couple, and the second male protagonist's original body died from the beginning of the story, and it was destined to end in tragedy.
The subsequent story is more of a court drama. Faced with the great issues of family and country, the hero, the heroine, and the second male lead all made the right choices.
Reading is for relaxation. If you feel uncomfortable after reading this article, it must be because I didn’t write it well enough. I’m sorry.
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