The shop has been working on developing cream these past few days. The unique aroma of the cream has attracted many customers, and everyone is curious about what makes it so sweet. After the cream was made yesterday, Xu Bai immediately baked a cake base, cut it into layers, sandwiched cream in the middle, and then cut it into small pieces. He then shared it with everyone, and even a few customers who came into the shop were lucky enough to taste the cream cake.
When Chen Zhaoci arrived, he entered through the back side door. Once inside, he saw a group of people gathered around the west wing of the control room, all craning their necks to look inside. Chen Zhaoci smelled a pleasant aroma and sniffed it, recalling it from a distant memory. It turned out to be the smell of cream.
Those behind saw Chen Zhaoci and quickly bowed, while those in front, hearing that Madam Xu was coming, quickly made way for her at the doorway.
When Xu Zhi saw Chen Zhaoci arrive, she presented her with a white porcelain plate containing a cake filled with white cream.
Chen Zhaoci actually didn't like eating these sweet and greasy things. She took a bite and put it aside. Xu Zhi saw her mother's expression and knew that something was wrong. She quickly gave instructions on the work area, telling everyone to hurry up and learn how to make cream and cream cakes. Then she took Chen Zhaoci to a room on the north side of the office.
There was no kang (heated brick bed) in this room, but a heated wall had been built. Next to the window, there was a stove with a chimney. Right now, the water in the kettle on the stove was boiling and steaming.
Chen Zhaoci took out the gift list and told Xu Zhi about the gifts that the old lady and several ladies in the mansion had given her. Xu Zhi was surprised and asked, "Mother, what are Grandmother and my aunts and uncles planning? I'm going to open many more branches later. Will they continue to give me gifts?"
Chen Zhaoci said, "Your father and I said the same thing. But this is all out of love and care for you from everyone in the household. They all hope you will do well. We will be returning to the capital after the New Year. You can prepare some return gifts for them."
Xu Zhi agreed, and then Chen Zhaoci began copying down the gifts given to her. As she copied, she clicked her tongue and said to Chen Zhaoci, "Mother, look, my grandmother didn't do anything, but the gifts from my aunts and uncles are quite valuable. How am I, a married aunt, going to repay their kindness in the future?"
Chen Zhaoci said, "You can pay it back slowly. When your older sisters and brothers get married and have children in the future, you can remember to send them congratulatory gifts."
Xu Zhi stuck out her tongue and said to Chen Zhaoci, "Mother, I don't think getting married is any good at all. Putting everything else aside, just look at the social obligations. I have so many brothers and sisters, and I'll have to give them gifts. How many gifts will I have to give out? If we're not married yet, we won't have to give any gifts, right?"
Chen Zhaoci looked at her daughter with a smile. Xu Zhi had truly undergone a complete transformation in the past year, showing great changes. Whether in her actions or her mindset, Chen Zhaoci felt that Xu Zhi had made significant progress.
After Xu Zhi finished copying, she handed the gift book to Chen Zhaoci and put it away. Chen Zhaoci asked her, "When we return to the capital, how many people do you plan to take with you?"
Xu Zhi had already planned that, apart from the people from the Liaodong branch, the rest would be brought back to Beijing. Xu Zhi planned to witness the opening of each new branch, and she would also take these people under her command to many places.
After Xu Zhi explained her plans, Chen Zhaoci said, "I'll write to your aunt right now and ask her to take some time to arrange for someone to clean the house that was part of your dowry. You can't send these people to the Marquis's residence either."
Xu Zhi put her arm around Chen Zhaoci's shoulder and said affectionately, "Mother, you are really my good mother."
Chen Zhaoci chuckled as she enjoyed her daughter's coquettishness, saying, "When has your mother not been your good mother? Alright, alright, you're all grown up now, with so many people under your care. If people see you still acting like a child with your mother, won't they laugh at you?"
Xu Zhi, unusually, did not let go of her hand and said with a smile, "What's wrong with me acting cute with my mother? I like it. No matter how old I get, I'm still my mother's daughter."
With the year-end approaching and many things to do, Chen Zhaoci didn't linger at Xu Zhi's place for long and hurriedly returned home.
Although the government office had closed its doors to calligraphy, there were still many things to do. Xu Rao was a person who liked to do things personally. Even if he wasn't assigned to be on duty, he liked to sit in his office at the government office for a while, either reading or practicing calligraphy. Xu Rao once told Chen Zhaoci that with his current level of skill, if he were in modern times, he would definitely win an award in a national-level calligraphy competition.
In the Marquis's mansion in the capital, the busiest person was Madam Ning, who was in charge of the household affairs. She started getting busy as soon as the twelfth lunar month began. Not only was she busy with the affairs of the backyard, but at the end of the year, various estates had to send things to the Marquis's mansion and give accounts to the mansion. Madam Ning did not care about the account books, but she needed to put the things that were sent into the warehouse and then make some distribution.
By the time everything that had been sent from the estate had been sorted out, it was already past the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. The manor began to prepare for the Little New Year, and they also had to arrange manpower to clean every corner of the manor and take stock of the plates and dishes stored in the storeroom, which would be needed when relatives came to visit after the New Year.
Ning was too busy to handle everything, so she simply grabbed several young ladies from the household and assigned them tasks. The sixth young lady, Xu Gui, was busy embroidering her dowry because she was getting married after spring, so she was spared from being conscripted by Ning.
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