The chirping of birds by the window made Jiang Yuzhu in bed moan and wake up slowly.
The afternoon light was dazzling. The maid Hong Jin scattered a handful of corn on the windowsill and neatly pulled up the blackout curtains.
Hearing footsteps, Hong Jin hurriedly brought a cup of light tea and said, "Madam, you are awake. What dishes do you want for dinner?"
There are several restaurants opposite the inn. The master and servants went there once and found the food too light.
Aunt Lanhua happened to be traveling with them, so Hongjin and the waiter from the inn borrowed the kitchen and prepared to cook for themselves.
Ever since Jiang Yuzhu became pregnant, she has become even more picky about food.
"Hot pot."
In early April of the lunar calendar, the weather in the north is still very cold in the morning and evening, which is the best time to eat hot pot.
Jiang Yuzhu instructed, "Tell Aunt Lanhua that there's no need to prepare anything. Just for the meat, we need to buy some tender lamb and cut it into thin slices that fit the dish. Make a base of sesame paste, add fermented tofu and chives, and a little vinegar to enhance the flavor..."
Jiang Yuzhu remembered that the Ma family ran a sesame oil workshop. The reason why they were well-off was that they relied on their ancestral secret recipe to supply dipping sauces to restaurants.
Just when dealing with the Ma family, Jiang Yuzhu remembered the most distinctive Erba sauce she had eaten before.
If you want the dipping sauce to taste good, add 80% peanut butter.
Hong Jin was also tempted and said with a smile, "Then let's follow the old rules for vegetarian dishes?"
There is a food shortage in the border town. Apart from the cabbage, radishes and potatoes stored during the winter, vegetables are more valuable than meat.
Jiang Yuzhu didn't want to go hungry, and she had more money than she could spend, so she said generously, "I heard from my friend that there's a family nearby who's built a greenhouse and is growing lush green spinach. Let's buy some, and add bean sprouts, firm tofu, vermicelli noodles, black fungus, and a few other seafood dishes. It'll be just enough to fill the table."
By the time the sun set, Aunt Lanhua had already prepared all the ingredients.
Ningxiang borrowed a small stove from the waiter, and bubbles were already bubbling from the bottom of the old chicken soup pot.
Jiang Yuzhu put down a piece of mutton, and in a breath the mutton was cooked and turned white.
She quickly fished out the dipping sauce and exclaimed in surprise, "This is what Erba sauce tastes like!"
Hong Jin nodded with her chopsticks and couldn't help but admire: "Madam, I just mentioned it to Aunt Lanhua, and she already knew how to season it!"
According to Jiang Yuzhu's preference, half a spoonful of sugar is added to the dipping sauce to make the sauce more flavorful.
The weather suddenly changed in the evening, and the cold wind made the branches sway left and right.
Jiang Yuzhu was eating the steaming hot pot in the room, feeling particularly satisfied.
Just after eating a few pieces of meat, the red carp came back in a hurry.
"Madam, this servant and Doctor Yan went to the home of a medicinal herb merchant. He is indeed a dishonest businessman. We must not offend either side."
Judging from that person's ambiguous attitude, we will stay longer than expected.
Hongli went there but didn't get any definite news, so he sighed.
Jiang Yuzhu pinched Hongli's face. Perhaps because she was too familiar with the plot of the book, she was particularly tolerant of Hongli, the noisy and gossipy little maid.
For Jiang Yuzhu, no one is without weaknesses, and Hongli is only loyal to her, and that is enough.
"Come and eat the hot pot. As for the medicinal materials, you can't run away."
It is said that the people should not fight against the officials, so Jiang Yuzhu was not in a hurry at all.
After giving the medicinal material merchants two more days to worry about it, if they still don't get any confirmation, she will go to the prefect to negotiate.
From the north to the south of the Yangtze River, Xie Zhao had taken care of all the checkpoints along the way.
When Xie Zhao was mentioned, Hong Jin twitched her eyelids and subconsciously flattered her: "Madam, the master has devoted all his efforts to everything for you."
And, be willing to take risks.
A senior official of the Great Qi State pretended to be sick and fell down.
If Hong Jin hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it.
Jiang Yuzhu held her chopsticks in mid-air, savoring the food carefully before saying, "That's right."
I've been traveling recently, so the letters Xie Zhao writes won't arrive on time as before.
With Xie Zhao around, everything is just icing on the cake. Even without him, Jiang Yuzhu is still living a good life. This is the state she wants most.
After eating a few slices of tender mutton to fill his stomach, Hongli regained his spirits. Thinking of the rumors he heard on the road, Hongli's eyes sparkled.
"Madam, the Ma family's farce is not over yet!"
Hongli began to babble, speaking very quickly, "The three brothers and sisters went to the government office to check the files and found out that Old Man Ma had a large house with five courtyards on North Street."
When Zhang died, the three brothers and sisters were all panicked.
Especially Ma Laoer, he wanted to take all the money for himself.
When they found the house with five entrances, Ma Laoer took the lead, and Ma Xiaoqin and her husband followed, and they went to the door with sticks.
"Could it be that Old Man Ma has a mistress behind the Ma family's back?"
Several maids stopped eating meat and joined the gossip group.
The development of events from yesterday to today is truly incredible.
Hongli took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, then withdrew his hand and said sternly, "The three Ma siblings rushed to the mansion, but the house was empty."
Old Man Ma was gone, and overnight, all the valuable things in the mansion were sold, even the carved bed.
Such a huge mansion can be described as bare.
"A servant came to take away the bed and other belongings, and they started arguing with Ma Xiaoqin. Ma Xiaoqin said that the things in the house were all the legacy of Old Man Ma, and should be divided equally among the three siblings. Of course, the servant didn't want to give in to her and produced the receipt for the sale of the belongings."
Hongli lamented that he was not at the scene and only heard it from the aunt who was watching.
The old lady was spitting heavily and was very excited, and she couldn't help but exaggerate.
"Ma Xiaoqin asked the neighbors and learned that there was a beautiful woman living in the mansion with a son who was a few years old. She didn't know if it was the son left by Old Man Ma."
"After hearing the news, the beautiful woman started pawning her belongings yesterday. I heard that she took her son and ran away before dawn."
Hongli commented, "She's a smart person too. Otherwise, with the three Ma brothers and sisters being such top-notch people, not only would she not get a single penny, but she would also have to give up all the benefits she had gained."
The aunt watching the scene couldn't find words to describe it, but the expressions of the three Ma siblings kept changing, which was very exciting.
"Hongli, something doesn't sound right to me."
Hong Jin pondered carefully and finally grasped the key point, "Yesterday at the Ma Mansion, Zhang threatened Boss Ma and specifically mentioned North Street..."
Are the North Street that Zhang mentioned and the residence where old man Ma secretly kept a mistress the same place?
Hongli's expression grew serious, and after a moment of hesitation, she said, "This servant also finds Zhang's death very strange."
Jiang Yuzhu is pregnant and doesn't want to meddle in other people's affairs.
There is a tacit understanding between the maids.
Ever since learning that Old Man Ma’s residence was on North Street, Hongli’s doubts grew more and more intense.
"If the North Street that Zhang mentioned is the mansion, does that mean Boss Ma already knows that Old Man Ma has a mistress? Then what leverage does Zhang have on Boss Ma?"
Hongli took out pen, ink, paper and inkstone and wrote down a series of questions.
If it is true as speculated, Zhang's death is not simple.
What was Zhang's purpose in calling the Ma family to the backyard and hanging herself in front of them?
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