The eunuch in charge exaggerated, which made the atmosphere in the side hall of the old prison warehouse relax. The old prison warehouse manager said helplessly: "He is good at pretending."
"Who is pretending! I really want to eat the food from the western kitchen. Our two places are not far away and I can really smell it!"
That's true.
The Imperial Household Department and the Shangbao Department are a few dozen meters south of the West Kitchen, so they need to walk closer to smell it.
But the western kitchen is adjacent to the Guandi Temple to the north, and just over ten meters away is the old prison warehouse.
As long as the wind direction is right, you can definitely smell it!
Su Wan couldn't help laughing either.
But he also knew in his heart that there was only one reason why the old prison warehouse acted this way.
That is to conceal it for the Western Kitchen. Even if they still want to eat at the Armory, they will not go.
There is delicious food right in front of you, you can eat it just by reaching out your hand.
But they endured it for twenty days!
Twenty days!
This incident shows that the relationship between the Old Prison Warehouse and the West Kitchen is many times better than imagined.
Otherwise, how can I protect it like this?
But I don’t usually notice it.
The left and right officials were obviously familiar with the old supervisor of the prison. They smiled and said, "I came here today to talk about this matter."
"They will know sooner or later, so why let you suffer?"
"Starting tomorrow, go to the western dining room for meals. This is the general trend and nothing can stop it."
Anyway, among the five government offices now, not to mention the Guandi Temple, the remaining ones, the Imperial Household Department and the Shangbao Department, are already eating in the west kitchen.
The number of palace servants in the Baochao Division increased from two or three to more than a dozen, and tonight, there were more than thirty.
Nowadays, there are not many of the fifty people in the old prison.
Hearing the left and right stewards talking about the recent situation of the western kitchen, the old chief steward nodded slightly: "Okay, as long as the head of the Imperial Food Department says it's okay, then it's okay."
Speaking of this, Zuo Zhizhang couldn't help but say, "If the commander knew that you didn't call her by her nickname, he would probably blame you."
The old chief steward of the treasury smiled and shook his head: "When she first entered the palace, she was only one or two years older than Su Wan. Now she is already a female official of the sixth rank. How can I call her by her nickname?"
"Those were also sent out by your subordinates, so naturally you should shout." The right-hand man also said seriously.
The eunuch in charge whispered to Su Wan, "Your female official from the Imperial Food Department used to work in the old prison warehouse. Because she had some talent in cooking, our chief steward recommended her to the western kitchen next door."
"At that time, the Western Kitchen provided food for quite a few people and was usually very busy, so you ladies have always been grateful for your help."
This additional information allowed Su Wan to quickly understand the situation, and it also showed that these people treated her as one of their own.
Otherwise, there would be no need to call them over, let alone so many of them.
Su Wan nodded slightly, and followed the eunuch in charge to listen to the butler chatting with the left and right officials.
In fact, the purpose of the last conversation was that from tomorrow onwards, all the palace servants in the old warehouse would go to the west kitchen for meals, and they would no longer have to rely on the military equipment bureau next door.
It can be regarded as a return to the original place.
As for the inner palace?
Now that the Western Kitchen is so grand and the food is so famous, everyone will know about it sooner or later. What is there to be afraid of?
If they were afraid, why would they take the opportunity to improve the food?
Today, while distributing the monthly salaries, I will find out why the old prison officials didn't come, so I can just invite them over.
In addition, there is also the intention of letting Su Wan meet the former chief steward of the treasury.
Although everyone didn't understand, they also knew that they would definitely protect Su Wan's safety and future. Otherwise, who would dare to follow them in the future?
Besides, Su Wan is a really likable kid.
When Su Wan returned to her residence, she was carrying three or four bags of food, all of which were given to her by the old warehouse manager, who said that he was on good terms with the sweets department of the miscellaneous warehouse and had brought them specially for her.
Seeing this, Su Wan understood that this meeting with the manager of the old prison warehouse was not accidental. It was probably a monthly exchange of information between the old prison warehouse and the western kitchen.
Indeed, there were fewer people coming to the West Kitchen to collect their monthly salary, but their excuses were reasonable and no one could say anything.
Su Wan felt okay with these desserts, but Xiaoyue Haruka's eyes lit up.
Who doesn’t like snacks!
Fragrant and soft pastries, one by one!
Su Wan looked at it and subconsciously took out some from each package, dividing it into three portions, one for Wei Jun and Zhuo Hui, and one for Yan Pei?
The sugar-roasted chestnuts were indeed delicious last time, and Yan Pei even helped her pass the message to her aunt.
The last one is naturally reserved for my aunt, as I will be seeing her tomorrow.
Yan Pei did not go to the house in person, but instead instructed his men to go to the Su family and mention the matter. However, he watched from a distance, and only returned to the palace after seeing that the matter was settled.
The third concubine of the Su family doesn't have to work now. This was something Su Wan had specifically instructed before she went to the palace.
The master of the Su family naturally agreed for Su Wan's sake.
But the Su family’s wife was naturally very unhappy and often bullied him.
This time, Su Wan specially sent someone to find Aunt Su San and asked her to meet at Lingtaisi at the city gate on May 11. That was where the palace maids and eunuchs of the West Outer Palace met their families. It was right outside the palace gate, which was very convenient.
The Su family wanted to stop her but didn't dare to, so they could only watch as Third Aunt dressed up specially and brought three packages of clothes and food she had made that month, looking like she was visiting relatives.
The Su family's master naturally didn't care, and the second concubine also pretended not to see it. After all, the third concubine's daughter entered the palace to take the blame for her daughter. It was obvious that the third concubine left, and said casually: "I don't know whether the fourth lady's monthly salary will be given to her concubine."
After saying this, both the master of the Su family and his wife were stunned.
Su Wan’s monthly salary?
How much is the monthly salary of a palace maid?
Although the Su family had a shop that they rented out, they had to support so many people at home, and they all depended on the monthly salary and the shop from the master of the Su family.
Naturally, life is not that good.
Otherwise, Third Aunt would not have been allowed to continue to be a servant.
It is quite normal for such a family to be concerned about their daughter's monthly salary, let alone an unfavored daughter.
The Su family's wife immediately said to the maid beside her: "How can we let the Third Aunt go to the palace gate to see the Fourth Miss alone? Come on, come with us."
The maid understood what he meant and hurried over.
So when Su Wan arrived at Lingtai Division, what she saw was the Su family's maid and the embarrassed Third Aunt.
The maid's hands were empty, but the third concubine was carrying a lot of bags.
Compared with the two of them, the maid looks more like the concubine in the family.
It was still morning, and Lingtaisi had just opened its doors, which showed how early Third Auntie came. She looked at Su Wan and couldn't help but say, "She's grown taller. She looks taller."
The Third Aunt was a timid person by nature. She hadn't seen her daughter for a long time and she burst into tears, but she didn't dare to cry out loud.
Su Wan helped her aunt sit on the stool prepared nearby and comforted her: "It's okay, aunt, I'm fine, why are you crying?"
The Third Aunt sighed: "It's all my fault. I failed to protect you."
Otherwise, she would not have been sent to the palace at such a young age.
Su Wan smiled in her heart. According to the Su family's style, entering the palace would be a good choice. Otherwise, with the skills of the first wife and the second concubine, plus the cowardice of the concubines, she might be married off for money soon.
Then your fate will be in the hands of others.
It would be better to be like this now.
Su Wan gently wiped away her aunt's tears: "Actually, it's not bad in the palace. The ladies-in-waiting are all very kind."
"Look, these are snacks given by the ladies-in-waiting, specially brought for you."
The snacks in the palace were naturally extremely exquisite, and even the Third Aunt was stunned by them, and the maid from the Su family beside her also stared with eyes wide open.
None of the Su family’s chefs had ever seen such beautiful dim sum.
Su Wan looked up at the maid who followed her closely, took a few pieces and gave them to her, saying, "You are not allowed to eat in the Lingtaisi room. Go to the courtyard corridor and have a taste."
The maid of the Su family was a little hesitant. The mistress of the Su family asked her to come over, naturally to look after Su Wan and the third concubine.
But this is a snack from the palace. If you can have a taste of it, you can brag about it for the rest of your life.
After some hesitation, the maid took the snacks and went outside.
Lingtai Division was already very busy at this time.
There was more than just the Third Aunt who came to visit the family. The two of them sat in a corner, which was relatively quiet.
The Su family's maid left at this time, which made the third aunt feel relieved.
It’s not that she discovered the maid’s purpose, but she felt that the people around the mistress were oppressive to her.
Su Wan patted the back of her hand soothingly and asked seriously, "How is your aunt doing at home now?"
"I'm fine. Now I'm not allowed to work. I just feel uncomfortable with nothing." The third concubine said this, and she felt a little uncomfortable. "What about you? Where are you in the palace? Is anyone bullying you? Are the nobles easy to get along with?"
Su Wan shook her head: "I'm in the West Outer Palace. I basically don't see nobles here, so there won't be any problems."
If you see it, spicy dishes such as leek dumplings and maoxuewang will naturally not be made. This is also the comfort of Xiwai Palace.
"No one bullies me. In fact, I'm living quite well." Su Wan exchanged a few pleasantries and took out five cents of silver from her purse and put it in her aunt's hand.
But these five cents were divided into two parts, four cents of which were asked to be kept by the aunt, and the other one cent would be given later in front of the maid of the Su family.
It’s not that Su Wan is stingy, but that my aunt is weak. If I give all the money to her, I’m afraid her life will become more unstable.
The money she gave now was just enough for expenses.
Su Wan reminded: "Aunt, I give you money for you to use. If you don't have enough food and clothes, just go buy some. Don't be frugal on weekdays."
"If anyone asks, just say that the palace has a lot of expenses and has given them all to other people." Su Wan gave instructions for a long time and asked her aunt to answer again before she was done.
However, the Third Aunt stared at Su Wan blankly, tears streaming down her face again. She hugged Su Wan and whispered softly, "You have learned so much in the palace alone. It's really hard for my child."
Su Wan acted carefully, and the Third Aunt thought that she had gradually learned it through suffering in the palace, so she burst into tears again, her eyes full of heartache.
Even though she was not the Third Aunt's biological daughter, Su Wan spoke more gently: "In fact, time flies by very quickly. It will be better if I stay in the palace longer. Besides, when I leave the palace, I will be old enough that no one can do anything to me."
The third aunt didn't quite understand the last sentence, but she knew that her daughter was comforting her. Although she didn't understand, she was obedient and did whatever Su Wan said.
This made Su Wan sigh slightly, but she also felt much more relieved.
When she was young, her family could do whatever they wanted. Even though there were loopholes in these messy ancient rules, there was a price to pay.
But when she comes out of the palace, she can have someone big to rely on, and she won't be so young and vulnerable to bullying.
Besides, it was a foregone conclusion that she would enter the palace when she came here, and no one could do anything about it.
After chatting with her aunt for a few more sentences, Su Wan basically understood her situation.
It is true that she doesn't have to work, but when the Su family's wife is free, she will ask her to serve her. It is also in accordance with the rules for the wife to ask the concubine to serve her.
So no one can refuse this.
The rest of the time I feel quite comfortable in my own small courtyard.
Su Wan saw the maid from the Su family coming over from the corner of her eye. There were only a few servants in the Su family. This maid had a rough face and was cheap when she was bought. Fortunately, she was capable, so she became the confidant of the wife.
Seeing her coming, Su Wan said to her aunt, "Aunt, when you have nothing to do in the future, can you help me make some embroidery and send it to me every three months?"
"It's good to have a family reunion."
The Third Aunt naturally agreed, but Su Wan said to the Su family maid, "This work is done for Zuo Zhizhang of our West Kitchen. Aunt will do embroidery in her own yard when she is free in the future. Please tell my stepmother."
Since he said he would protect the aunt, it must not be empty talk. Su Wan pinched the palm of the third aunt's hand. The third aunt had just been told, so she naturally understood what the task was. It was just to give her an excuse not to go home to the wife.
But she was a timid person, and it was only after Su Wan spoke that she dared to speak.
The Su family maid looked left and right, obviously wanting to refuse, but the sweetness of the pastry was still in her mouth, so she didn't dare to open her mouth.
As she spoke, Su Wan took out a penny of silver that she had prepared in advance and put it in the hands of the Third Aunt: "You can spend this money. I am short of money when I first arrive in the palace. When I leave the palace in the future, I will definitely open a restaurant for you so that you and your father can enjoy it."
The first sentence explains the lack of money, and the second sentence is a pie in the sky.
Anyway, these words will be heard by everyone in the Su family, so they must be said in a nice way.
In fact, the Third Aunt was already a little dizzy, but as long as she looked at her daughter, she would remember everything her daughter told her.
That was to take good care of her body, hide her money well, and go buy things herself if her family treated her poorly. If her wife wanted to tease her, she would make the excuse of doing embroidery for the female official in the west kitchen.
Just remember these points.
It is said that as children grow older, parents will begin to listen to their children's ideas.
Now the two of them have this feeling.
Su Wan didn't say too much to the Su family maid after all. Some things were better left unsaid.
The third aunt also put these things behind her and began to show Su Wan carefully the things she had made, which included summer shoes and socks, commonly used handkerchiefs, and several mosquito repellent sachets.
All of them were made by the Third Aunt who saved money and even cut up her own good clothes.
There are also cakes and pastries made by her own hands. Although they cannot compare with those in the palace, the ingredients are genuine and they are all what Su Wan likes to eat.
Su Wan tried the red bean cake and found it was really good, sweet but not greasy, and even had some of her mother's flavor.
Su Wan lowered her head slightly, smiled and hugged her aunt back, whispering: "I will definitely protect you."
These things were not only done for the original body, but also for her aunt. No matter what, she was also enjoying this love.
The family members only had half an hour to visit, and then a group of people came. It was a privilege for Su Wan to be among the first group.
It's time to say goodbye now.
The next time they met was three months later, and Third Aunt couldn't help but start crying again.
Su Wan looked back and saw Zhuo Hui coming out from behind. She pretended to be surprised and asked, "Su Wan, why are you here?"
When the Third Aunt and the Su family maid saw the tall and mighty guard, they obviously took a half step back. The guard's face looked childish, but he was indeed very tall, so they had to look up at them.
"Just now when I passed by Lingtai Gate, I took a look inside, and it was you." Zhuo Hui said exaggeratedly.
Su Wan couldn't help laughing. This acting was too poor.
If Wei Jun were here, he would definitely perform very well.
But if he becomes Yan Pei, he will probably be not much different from Zhuo Hui? Yan Pei definitely can't act.
Su Wan shook her head. Anyway, for the Su family, the guards were more capable of keeping the situation under control.
These people are used to bullying the weak and fearing the strong. They will definitely be afraid of a guard with a knife.
If I ask someone to send more gifts in the future, it will also show that Third Aunt is protecting me.
During breakfast, Su Wan deliberately found Zhuo Hui to act out this scene. The guard at the gate of Lingtai Division was also familiar with Zhuo Hui, so it was nothing for him to come over and say a few words.
Su Wan said, "What a coincidence, are you going to leave the palace?"
"Yes, I went out of the palace to do an errand." Zhuo Hui looked at the gentle woman next to him, and his tone subconsciously became lighter, "This must be your aunt, I often hear you mention her."
Su Wan nodded: "Yes, she is my aunt."
Then, Su Wan said to the Third Aunt: "Don't worry, I have these friends in the palace, and they won't bully me."
"Last time I asked someone to find you and pass on a message, it was another friend, and that person was also very nice."
That’s right. Just now, Wanwan was greeting other palace servants, so it was obvious that she had friends around.
The third aunt was slightly relieved, as long as the child was doing well.
But the maid from the Su family next to her frowned slightly.
Su Wan is so young, how can she have such a good relationship with the palace guards? Their guards are holding knives! How scary.
Could it be that she has some backing in the palace?
If they really angered her and then bullied the Third Aunt, would they end up well?
The Su family's maid looked at the Third Aunt with a slightly different look at this time, and was obviously more respectful.
After she returns, this respect will surely continue.
Then Su Wan felt a little relieved.
As long as you have reverence in your heart, things will not be so ugly when you do them.
When the visiting time was over, Zhuo Hui took the initiative to say, "I'll take your aunt out of Lingtaisi and hire a carriage for her later."
Su Wan originally wanted to refuse, but after thinking about it, she nodded.
Asking the guards to hire a carriage for my aunt to go back would naturally be a greater deterrent to the Su family.
But the Third Aunt kept looking back every few steps, and even when she was riding in a carriage, she couldn't stop crying, as her heart was filled with only her children.
Su Wan waved slightly, feeling a little touched.
When she entered the palace from Lingtaisi, she happened to meet Yu Shu from the second batch. When Yu Shu came to see her family, she did not show any joy at all.
Su Wan sighed slightly, she was also pitiful.
Although she was not that good, she still had an aunt who was wholeheartedly trying to do good for her.
Looking at the package in my hand, I can tell that it was made with great care by my aunt.
The guards at the city gate checked the package and made sure there was nothing unusual, so they let her go.
But he subconsciously said, "Are you from the west kitchen? I see you are the youngest and the youngest, are you the little palace maid who cooks delicious meals?"
Su Wan was subconsciously shocked.
How come the guards at the palace gate knew about it?
The guard whispered, "Don't worry, we didn't say anything nonsense."
This is almost nonsense or not!
The news did spread far.
However, the closest place to the palace gate is the Baochaosi.
Perhaps Baochaosi's knowledge of the food in the Western Kitchen was deeper than she thought?
The guard at the palace gate recognized Su Wan and gave her time to pack her package, and his actions were not so rude.
Su Wan thanked him slightly, and the guard smiled and said, "It's okay. If I can taste your food later, it will be a success."
Have you tasted the food from the Western Kitchen?
In the eyes of this guard, how delicious their food was.
Su Wan thought about today's meal and said, "There are stuffed fish balls for lunch today. I'll ask someone to send some over later, but there may not be too much."
"Really? That's great!"
"It's okay if it's not too much! Just to try it! Thank you so much!"
The guard said excitedly that he had often heard people from the Baochaosi secretly talking about the meals in the western kitchen.
That is to say, if you have a good relationship with them, you can listen to them.
Anyway, the food in the western kitchen has been praised to be the best in the world, and now that I can try it, I am of course extremely happy.
When Su Wan passed by the door, she knew that the news of the improvement in the food in the western kitchen was no longer a secret. It would probably take everyone a few days to know about it.
This is normal.
The smell of delicious food spreads easily.
Some delicacies can make people happy even if they are just talked about.
The meals in the western kitchen obviously belong to this type.
Su Wan started from Lingtai Gate and walked from south to north. She subconsciously glanced at the Baochaosi next to Lingtai Gate. People were coming and going inside and it was very busy.
Walking a little further north along the palace road, you will see many familiar people. This is the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Treasure Department.
The Imperial Household Department was more than three times larger than the Imperial Household Department and had more people.
Go straight ahead and you will reach the west kitchen.
It was morning time now, and most people were resting or preparing food, so the aroma had not yet wafted into the air. But even so, people from various ministries and palaces who passed by would occasionally look inside, just to smell the aroma in advance!
Now the western kitchen is their spiritual support for the whole day!
Don’t be afraid of working so hard as long as you have food to eat!
However, Su Wan did not enter the west kitchen, but waited at the door.
Sure enough, Zhuo Hui came over quickly, but he was holding something in his hand.
Zhuo Hui approached and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I was scared again. Your aunt will definitely have an easier time at home."
When Su Wan found him, Zhuo Hui agreed immediately.
It's just a small matter.
Besides, Su Wan is so filial to her biological mother, everyone would be happy to help her.
"Thank you so much."
Su Wan wanted to say something, but Zhuo Hui stopped her directly: "Why are you talking about this? You are too polite."
After saying that, Zhuo Hui raised the thing in his hand and said, "Guess what this is?"
What could this be?
"Little calf!"
Su Wan was shocked. Aren't cows not allowed to be slaughtered easily? Even if this is the imperial palace, it's not allowed, right? Only saints have this kind of treatment, not to mention that this is a calf.
Zhuo Hui whispered, "This was born from a cow belonging to a farmer in the suburbs of Beijing. It was just over a month old when it was accidentally trampled to death by an old cow. That's why it was sold."
"Don't worry, it was the chief guard of the Shangbao Palace who took the clear path, but you can't be too high-profile when doing it."
Zhuo Hui just said that he went to the palace to do business, and this was also the matter he was doing.
Although Zhuo Hui is now a member of the Imperial Household Department, he is most familiar with Wei Jun and Su Wan. The chief guard of the Imperial Household Department was not polite and directly asked him to do the job.
Anyway, the two chief stewards of the Imperial Household Department will use it together when the time comes.
A calf weighs about 30 kilograms. He was not a stingy person, so he told the two men from the Imperial Household Department that it would be nice to eat together.
Whenever you come across something delicious in the future, just remember them.
Naturally, Su Wan could also eat it too. Not only could she eat it, but she could also get extra processing fees. The chief steward of the Imperial Guards was very wealthy, so he directly gave her one or two taels of silver as processing fees.
One or two!
Half of her monthly salary!
Besides, if not for the processing fee, just being able to eat such precious ingredients is enough.
Su Wan saw that the calf had just been slaughtered and was indeed very fresh, so she quickly took Zhuo Hui to the kitchen.
Making it in a small kitchen, isn’t that low-key enough?
However, she had previously thought that the sponsor would be like sponsoring a few pigs, but she did not expect that he would send such a precious thing.
This calf isn't cheap either.
For the sake of farming, the Tianxiang Kingdom does not allow the slaughter of cattle used for plowing.
But there are exceptions. If a cow dies accidentally, it can be shared or sold.
As soon as this regulation came out, the number of “accidental” deaths of cattle suddenly increased. After all, the price of beef was high. As long as the cattle were disguised as having died accidentally, they could be sold at a good price.
There are records from Su Wan's time and space that the selling price of an adult cow was between five and seven taels. Cows at that time were not that heavy, but they still weighed two or three hundred catties. A catty of beef was sold for a minimum of one hundred coins, so it could be sold for about twenty-five taels of silver.
The gap is imaginable, and there must be more cows dying "accidentally".
In order to prevent people from taking advantage of loopholes, the government does not allow the owner of the cattle to sell at too high a price. Not only must the cattle be sold at a low price, but the price must also be inspected by the government to confirm that the death was indeed an accident.
After several layers of regulations, it is no longer cost-effective to kill cattle and sell them for money.
The number of cattle dying “accidentally” naturally decreases.
So nowadays it is really difficult to get a cow that has died accidentally and has a government certificate, let alone a calf, everyone will rush to buy it.
Not only do you need money, you also need connections.
Let’s not talk about whether it was an accidental death or not, let’s talk about how the relationship with the government worked.
There is also the actual selling price, which is definitely a lot of twists and turns.
According to Su Wan's estimation, the price required to get this slaughtered calf must be above twenty-five taels.
Who doesn’t know that calf meat is tender and delicious no matter how it is prepared?
It turns out that the chief guard of the Shangbaojian not only has a wealthy family but also has a strong backing, so he was able to get this.
And it was done through legal procedures.
After Su Wan came to Tianxiang Kingdom, she has never eaten beef. Last time when she was making the game "Ants Climbing a Tree", the pork should have been replaced with beef, but beef is too precious here, so it didn't happen.
I only took some of the tripe that others didn't want when I was making maoxuewang, but I didn't eat any real beef.
She wants to eat too!
Now she was suddenly given about 30 kilograms of beef and bones. Suddenly, she felt like she had suddenly become rich! With such good ingredients, she must have suddenly become rich!
What else can I say? A snack at noon will definitely work!
Such fresh beef cannot be wasted.
Ox head with meat sauce, tomato beef brisket rice, pan-fried veal steak, braised beef in soy sauce, fatty beef in sour soup, braised beef tendon with scallions, even the ox tail can be stewed till soft and delicious!
Finally, use the beef bones to make broth and make Lanzhou ramen for everyone to eat! The refreshing Lanzhou ramen, a mouthful of broth and a mouthful of noodles, is paired with thin beef and red peppers.
Su Wan held the more than 30 kilograms of meat and couldn't let it go. She could already imagine how delicious this meal would be!
Without Zhuo Hui's help, she could run twenty miles with the beef in her arms! No! Thirty miles!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
