On the third day of May, the three eunuchs guarding the Baochaosi not only went to the western kitchen to eat at noon, but also went there at night.
At noon, the three of them were short of money. If they went to Anqingfang for a meal, they could only eat two large pancakes at most, which would not only not fill them up, but also cost money.
The three gatekeeper eunuchs thought about it and looked worried all morning.
But there was nothing they could do. These gatekeeper eunuchs received little money every month, and their jobs were not lucrative, so they naturally could not compare to other palace servants.
When it’s almost time to get the monthly salary, people always feel very poor.
This month, I only have a dozen cents left.
One of the tall and thin eunuchs couldn't help but suggest: "How about we go to the western dining room to eat? After all, it's free there."
Another eunuch said, "When the sage assigned our Baochao Department to the inner departments, he decided that we should eat in the western dining room. We were very happy at that time, thinking that we would not have to buy our own meals in the future."
"Yes, although there is no meal allowance, meals are free. Who would have thought that after all these years, the food in the western kitchen is so bad that we still have to spend money to buy meals, and the meal allowance is gone."
These are all old things.
The Baochao Division, which was not originally included in the internal divisions, actually received meal allowances.
After being incorporated into the Internal Departments, the meal allowance of the Baochao Department was cancelled, but it still had a canteen.
But everyone knew the situation of the canteen in the West Kitchen. For a while, the Baochaosi had no meal allowance and had to eat out, which made the Baochaosi most resentful of the West Kitchen.
Basically, they never went to the west kitchen to eat, and the steward asked them to go to Anqingfang either openly or secretly. After a long time, everyone got used to it.
But when the monthly salary was about to be paid, no one wanted to go to the Western Kitchen, but they really had no money.
The tall and thin eunuch who suggested going to the West Kitchen whispered, "I heard that the West Kitchen is very different now than before. Haven't you noticed that the palace servants from the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Treasure Department don't go out to eat anymore?"
"That's true. It seems that there is a maid in the west kitchen who can cook. The food she cooks is really amazing."
“Is this true or false?”
"Of course it's true. Haven't you noticed that many restaurants in Anqingfang are not doing so well?"
Finally, the tall and thin eunuch sighed: "No matter whether the food in the western kitchen is really good, it's free there, and we are poor, so we should go there to eat. We can't starve."
Even if the food in the western kitchen is not delicious, at least it can fill my stomach.
These gatekeeper eunuchs really cannot afford to eat out every day.
It was fine in the past, but this month something happened at home and he had to borrow money from the two people around him, so the money they had was really not enough.
And this situation has happened before. When people really have no money, they will come here to eat. But the people who come to the West Kitchen are a minority after all. If people around find out that you go to the West Kitchen to eat, you will be laughed at.
After the three of them took turns, they secretly changed into low-key clothes and decided not to go out to eat this time.
In order to save money, we had our meal in the west kitchen.
I will definitely go to Anqingfang again when I have money in the future.
But when the three of them stood at the door of the west kitchen, they smelled the odor at the door in disbelief, and then looked at the palace servants coming and going.
They were originally afraid that the three of them would be discovered, but they didn't expect that after they walked in, no one cared about them. Everyone only had eyes for the delicious food!
“It smells so good.”
"The food in the western kitchen has really changed."
"But didn't our steward scold the western kitchen this morning, saying that the food they cook is pig food?"
The three eunuchs guarding the Shangbaojian had the same idea in their minds at the same time.
What if this is pig food?
So what do they eat?
Is it worse than pig food?
It smells so good that they are drooling. It is obviously more fragrant than the Li family’s big pig’s trotters in Anqingfang!
The three of them couldn't wait to go into the west kitchen and start getting their meals.
Although the palace servant who was recording looked at them, he was too busy around and didn't take any more attention. There were too many people getting food and he couldn't take care of them at all!
This couldn’t be better!
They also didn't want others to find out that people from the Baochaosi came to the west kitchen to eat.
If this were to happen in the Baochaosi, it would definitely be laughed at, especially by the chief steward who would take the lead in laughing.
It is also because of this that people from the Baochaosi would not come here easily.
It’s not that they don’t have money, they wouldn’t come.
Who would come if it’s not only unpalatable but also ridiculed?
But now, looking at the four dishes and one soup, as well as the beautiful rice and steamed buns.
The three of them swallowed subconsciously, and then started to eat like whirlwind.
They had no idea that Su Wan had noticed them while they were eating, and she had helped them take care of the mess so that they would definitely not be discovered by the people from the Baochao Division.
When the three of them came to the west kitchen, they thought they would just eat here this once, but when they came back from the west kitchen, they immediately changed their minds.
How about we have another meal tonight?
The reason, of course, is that the food in the western kitchen is so delicious and free.
To put it bluntly, even if the Western Kitchen charges money, they still want to come and eat.
The three of them had never eaten such delicious food!
The food they had just eaten was something they had never eaten before, especially the Maoxuewang. How could it taste so good?
The spicy and fresh taste is still lingering in my memory.
When it was dinner time, Su Wan had just made some wontons when she saw three familiar faces.
The three of them still looked a little uneasy.
But when I got a bowl of chicken soup with wontons, all my anxieties disappeared and all I could see was delicious food.
This is the filling that Su Wan made herself, she rolled the wonton skin herself, and she also specially boiled chicken soup as the soup base, and even saved some chicken soup for cooking tomorrow.
The fragrant and soft wontons are so delicious that you can even drink up all the soup inside. Paired with fried scallion pancakes, they are both delicious and filling!
If you buy it in Anqingfang, a serving of chicken wonton soup with scallion pancakes will cost at least twelve cents, right?
Even if you have twelve cents, you can’t buy such a good taste!
The three of them were very satisfied with the meal. They could save money and eat delicious food at the same time. Everyone was happy.
The three of them could be gatekeeper eunuchs, so they must be poor and have no connections.
For them, it seems that they already have an idea of where to eat in the future.
And today, it seemed that no one noticed them eating in the west kitchen, and the palace servants in the west kitchen didn't care about it at all.
Can you come over for dinner later?
It’s delicious and saves money, who wouldn’t want it?
Now I finally understand what the people in the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Treasure Department are thinking.
They just found out about such delicious food!
It’s really a big loss!
After they left, Su Wan walked up to the palace maid who was in charge of recording the meals of the palace servants. That palace maid had come two years earlier than Su Wan. Although she was usually dull, she could write, so she was assigned this task.
As soon as Su Wan came over, the palace maid immediately said, "Those three people from the Treasury Department are here again. Don't worry, I definitely didn't say anything, and I won't tell anyone else."
Su Wan smiled and nodded, it was worth it that she had been giving instructions for so long.
Not only Su Wan, but also the four general managers of the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Treasure Department were instructed by Su Wan not to tell anyone.
This is even more true for Wei Jun and Zhuo Hui. They have such a good relationship with Su Wan that it only takes a word.
The three eunuchs guarding the Baochao Division could never have imagined that it was Su Wan who cleaned up the mess after they had a meal.
But Su Wan understood that with the collusion between the chief steward of the Baochao Division and the Zhang and Wang families in Anqingfang, the chief steward would sooner or later know that the palace servants from the Baochao Division were coming to eat one after another.
What she was doing now was just delaying the time for the steward to find out.
But it is also useful.
As long as there are enough people coming to eat, the Western Kitchen and the Chief of the Imperial Food Department will have something to say.
There is no need to have a head-on conflict with the chief steward of the Baochao Division, the matter will still be resolved perfectly.
But Su Wan naturally told the Right Chief about the arrival of the palace people from the Baochaosi. It was always right to report in advance.
Sure enough, the Right Hand Man made the same choice as her, which was to keep quiet and take it slow.
Now it seems that the relationship between the Zhang and Wang families in Anqingfang and the chief steward of the Baochaosi was not particularly secretive.
From that day on, Su Wan often saw the three eunuchs from the Baochao Division in the west kitchen. In the first few days, they ate voraciously, but after a few days, they began to learn to enjoy delicious food like other palace servants.
The food here is really delicious, and the flavors are varied, so you never get tired of it.
That was inevitable. All the recipes were carefully prepared by Su Wan, ensuring that there was a good combination of meat and vegetables and that everyone could eat well.
May 4th and 5th
One moment it’s four-happiness meatballs and nine-turn large intestine.
There are also West Lake mutton soup, lotus fish fillet and so on.
Three meals a day will definitely make you leave satisfied.
And under Su Wan's secret observation, the number of palace servants from the Baochaosi who came to the west kitchen to eat was increasing.
At first there were only three eunuchs guarding the gate, and gradually three or four more people came.
Now after a quick count, there are actually thirteen or fourteen.
It’s just that they came secretly, and when they occasionally saw each other, they pretended to know nothing.
What? I didn't see you and you didn't see me.
We all had our meals in Anqingfang, not in the West Kitchen!
No one saw anything.
But the people in the Baochaosi palace all felt a little guilty.
God knows, they were all thinking about the same thing before they came to the west kitchen.
That is, eat it only this time!
I won't come next time! I definitely won't come next time, even if you kill me!
But everyone knows what the result is.
But the three eunuchs guarding the gate have now understood that it is impossible not to come. Considering the meals in the west kitchen that change every five days, they will come for at least five days, right?
But after five days, it will definitely be five days again.
The food in the Western Kitchen is so delicious that you never get tired of it. Each dish has a unique flavor. No matter what flavor of food you like, this place can definitely satisfy everyone's needs.
This is absolutely not an exaggeration!
Fortunately, thirteen or fourteen people are too few for the Baochao Division with a staff of one thousand, and the manager would not easily discover them.
The people from the West Kitchen don’t like to talk much either, and till now none of their dozen people have been exposed!
It’s just great!
This made the thirteen or fourteen people even bolder, and they even dared to talk to other officials in the palace about tomorrow's meals and find out what they would eat next.
"Tomorrow is the sixth day of the lunar year, and we can eat preserved egg and lean meat porridge again!"
"And pearl meatballs."
“Everything tastes good.”
"The most important thing is to eat noodles with soybean paste in the evening! I can't forget noodles with soybean paste!"
The eunuch guarding the Baochao Department heard this and came over to ask, "Fried noodles with soybean paste? What is this? It sounds simple."
"Let me tell you, it's definitely not simple. I don't know how the sauce is made, but it's so delicious."
"Not to mention the sauce, the noodles are just amazing."
"Yeah, a bowl of noodle soup at the end, I really like it."
After hearing this from the people around them, the people in the Baochao Division were naturally fascinated by it. The meals were rotated every five days, so they would never get tired of it!
What exactly is this noodles with soybean paste?
How can it be so liked?
I must try it tonight, and it would be best if I could eat a few more bites.
Thinking about the food in the west kitchen, my stomach started growling.
On the sixth day of May, Yan Pei also ate noodles with soybean paste for the first time.
Every time Su Wan’s craftsmanship amazed him, there would always be something more amazing.
This noodles may look simple, but it is actually complex and delicious.
Even though Yan Pei ate a little faster, his movements were still somewhat arrogant, and he looked particularly different.
Only when the empty bowl is put down can one feel that he really likes the noodles with soybean paste tonight.
But after dinner, Yan Pei took out a paper bag from the side and said to Su Wan: "I went out of the palace today and happened to see it."
The paper bag was still warm when Su Wan touched it. The bag had not been opened yet, but she could already smell the fragrance inside.
Sugar-roasted chestnuts?
Su Wan was slightly surprised. It was not the season for chestnuts now. Last time Zhuo Hui wanted to buy some for her, she refused because they were too expensive.
How did Yan Pei buy it?
Logically speaking, Yan Pei's monthly salary is not as good as Zhuo Hui's.
Su Wan smelled the tempting aroma of sugar-roasted chestnuts and said, "Isn't this expensive?"
"It's not that bad." Yan Pei's words were not false. It was just a bag of chestnuts, not expensive.
But these sugar-roasted chestnuts are not from Anqingfang, but are sold in the best chestnut shop in Kyoto. Even saints would order some to be brought into the palace. It is indeed not easy to buy for many people.
But Su Wan doesn't need to know this.
Seeing that Yan Pei didn't care, Su Wan couldn't help but said, "It's not the chestnut season now, so it's really expensive."
"How much is this chestnut? I'll give it to you."
As she spoke, Su Wan was about to touch her purse. She had basically not spent any money since she came to the palace.
At that time, the original third sister gave her thirty cents out of guilt, and then she cooked for the deputy general manager of the Imperial Household Department and received five cents of silver and one cent of reward.
Apart from buying pork trotter rice for my roommates last time, I didn’t spend much money on other days.
It would be better to let her pay for the chestnuts.
Seeing Su Wan was about to pay, Yan Pei said, "You helped me sew clothes and brought me meals. This is my thanks."
After saying this, as if afraid that Su Wan would refuse, Yan Pei deliberately whispered: "Don't you think I can't afford it?"
This is both pitiful and cute.
Let Su Wan stop immediately.
Oh yes!
She also has to consider the boy's self-esteem. If she gives him money directly, wouldn't she be letting him down?
How could there be such a silly boy?
Su Wan hesitated for a moment, only to hear Yan Pei say again: "Don't worry, I won't buy things casually anymore."
This obviously made Su Wan feel more guilty, and she immediately said, "That's not the reason, it's just that cooking is what I'm best at."
"I'll make whatever you want to eat from now on."
“We don’t have to spend any money.”
At an angle that Su Wan couldn't see, Yan Pei's mouth curled up, then he nodded slightly, looked at Su Wan seriously, and there seemed to be a cautious smile in his eyes: "I'll do as you say."
"You're so nice to me."
"You are the best person to me."
???
The last sentence made Su Wan feel really distressed.
This child lacks love too much.
But facing such a young man, Su Wan naturally developed the mentality of an older sister, and said embarrassedly: "We are all friends, of course I will treat you well."
"You taught me how to write. You taught me how to write, and I brought you food. Is that fair?"
Yan Pei didn't nod, nor did he say yes, instead he said: "If you need anything else, I will definitely bring it to you when I leave the palace."
"No need." Su Wan shook her head, but then thought of another thing.
That was the original body's biological mother.
That is the third aunt of the Su family.
It has been almost a month since she entered the palace, and I don’t know how she is doing.
Su Wan thought about it seriously and said, "If it's convenient, can you help me pass a message home?"
"Let my aunt come to see me when the palace allows visits."
Generally speaking, the palace paid monthly salaries on the tenth day of the month, and family members were allowed to visit every three months from the eleventh to the fifteenth day.
The only exceptions are the newly arrived palace maids, who can see their families the next month after entering the palace.
If you miss the meeting in May, the next meeting will be in August.
So I asked Yan Pei to pass on a message.
But Su Wan added: "It's okay if it's inconvenient. I'll ask Wei Jun and Zhuo Hui later."
The reason why she didn't bother them before was mainly because Chongnanfang, where her home was, was quite far from the imperial palace. It would be fine for the people from the imperial palace to go to the nearest Anqingfang, but if they went anywhere further, they might not be able to return in time.
But as soon as Su Wan finished speaking, Yan Pei agreed directly: "Of course."
After saying that, Yan Pei felt that he seemed a little hasty, and said, "It's no trouble."
Wei Jun is nothing, he is just a eunuch.
Zhuo Hui?
Last time, it was Zhuo Hui who wanted to buy sugar-roasted chestnuts for Su Wan?
Yan Pei said: "It's convenient for me to go out recently, and there is no time limit. If you have any message, just tell me and I will definitely deliver it."
Su Wan was surprised. This was the best.
She also didn't want to make things too difficult for others because of her.
Su Wan carefully wrote down her home address and specifically stated that she must find the third aunt of the Su family and told her that she wanted to see her.
In this way, the original biological mother will definitely come.
Although she only had contact with the Third Aunt for one night, Su Wan knew that although she was cowardly, she was very good to her daughter.
I wanted my aunt to come over, firstly to find out about her current situation, and secondly to give her some of her monthly salary when it is paid on the 10th so that she can have more comfort at home.
It also let the Su family know that the third aunt's daughter would support her.
Even for her original body, she would do this.
Since the original body is no longer around, and I am living on in her place, I will naturally help her support her biological mother.
After resolving this matter, Su Wan felt much more relaxed.
Now everything is going smoothly in the West Kitchen. All they have to do is cook according to the menu, and they rotate every five days. The palace servants in the West Kitchen are gradually becoming familiar with what to do every day.
Now that even my aunt's affairs have been settled, I am naturally more content.
But the palace staff of the Baochaosi were all moving, coming to the West Kitchen to eat one after another, but the Old Supervisor's Treasury remained safe and sound.
Logically speaking, they and the West Kitchen should be from the same lineage as the late queen, so they should come and show their support, right?
But it doesn't matter. It will be the tenth day of May, the time when monthly salaries are paid, in a few days. She will then go to the old prison treasury to collect last month's money.
At that time, I would inquire about the situation of the old prison warehouse.
Su Wan was naturally happy when she thought about getting her salary. She had been busy for a month and finally got something in return!
Two taels of silver a month! Can I buy a few tables for my future restaurant?
As Su Wan walked towards her residence, she peeled a sugar-roasted chestnut.
Damn it, I forgot to say anything. I was just happy and took all the chestnuts away by myself. This makes me seem too greedy!
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