Chapter 21 Is Xu's daughter-in-law a daughter of a high-ranking family?
Peel and cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Put it in a pot of cold water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the millet and then reduce the heat to low.
Sheng'an uses a clay pot, and the millet and pumpkin porridge cooked in a clay pot tastes better than that cooked in a large iron pot.
If you simmer it slowly in an earthenware pot over a low flame, the porridge will taste better than if you cook it in a clay pot over a stove. However, you have to keep an eye on the heat all the time. Sheng An found this troublesome and simply used a clay pot.
Outside the kitchen, the little girl looked through the window and saw Sheng An sitting by the stove leisurely eating sunflower seeds. With a somewhat complicated expression, she approached the head maid and muttered something to herself:
"That young guy inside doesn't look like a chef at all. Could he be here to swindle people?"
You should know that even if the famous chefs that the master had previously hired made dishes that were not to the young master's liking, the master would still offer them a valuable gift and send them off politely.
This woman looks like a poor, stingy person; she's probably up to this.
The head maid had the same suspicion in her heart, but she didn't agree aloud:
"Whether it's our kitchen or not, she has nothing to do with it. Anyway, she offended the master, and she has to bear the consequences herself. It's not our place to worry about her."
The little girl thought it made sense, but she was very indignant: "What if she really gets fooled? Wouldn't that be letting her off easy?"
The head maid glanced at her and said, "Look at you, so short-sighted. If you had their abilities, why don't you try your luck with the master?"
The little girl immediately shut up.
She didn't have the ability to deceive the master without being discovered.
The two chatted idly for a while, when suddenly they smelled a strong, sweet fragrance, which invigorated them.
"This is……"
The head housekeeper glanced into the kitchen, her gaze landing on the casserole pot bubbling on the stove.
The sweet aroma was coming from the clay pot.
This tastes like millet mixed with pumpkin!
However, this sweet aroma was magically amplified countless times, as if every pore of the body was bathed in this unique fragrance, making it irresistible.
Gradually, a crowd gathered at the kitchen doorway, all staring incredulously at the clay pot, unable to believe that millet and pumpkin cooked together could emit such an enticing aroma.
The stewardess murmured, "I thought he was a fraud, but I didn't expect him to have real skills."
The little maid standing to the side swallowed hard, completely agreeing with what the head maid had said.
The aroma grew stronger and stronger, wafting into the neighboring courtyard, attracting several cleaning women to frequently glance towards the kitchen, assuming that the head housekeeper and others were secretly preparing something delicious again.
The faces of the group were full of envy. After their envy subsided, they sighed and bent down to continue sweeping.
Sheng An felt it was about time, so he lifted the lid of the casserole, picked up a spoon, and stirred the pumpkin, which had been cooked until soft, into a puree, mixing it thoroughly with the millet.
After simmering for about ten more minutes, the aroma of millet and pumpkin reached its peak. Sheng Anli deftly picked up the casserole and placed it on the cutting board to cool.
The head maid walked in, swallowing hard, her eyes practically glued to the clay pot: "Madam Sheng, is the porridge ready? I'll take it to the young master!"
The young master has a poor appetite; he's lucky if he drinks a couple of sips. She can just pour the rest of the pot into her stomach.
Sheng An did not refuse: "Prepare two sets of bowls and spoons, I'll go with you."
Although she was confident in her cooking skills, Ding Tianci's anorexia was too severe, and she wasn't entirely sure she could make this millet and pumpkin porridge.
We need to personally understand the diners' feedback so that we can make timely adjustments based on that feedback.
At least a hundred taels of silver should be given as a reward; it should be something that Master Ding feels is worthwhile.
Master Ding had already sent someone to wait outside the kitchen. Hearing that Sheng An had already taken the prepared food to his grandson's yard, he hurriedly put down the account book in his hand and rushed over with Chang Fu.
Inside the room, Ding Tianci leaned back on the bench, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the casserole dish on the round pearwood table, and his throat visibly moved.
Smelling the sweet aroma emanating from the casserole, he, who had long lost interest in food and even felt disgusted by it, surprisingly felt the urge to eat for the second time.
The first time was yesterday's bowl of cold wontons.
"Young Master Ding, this is millet and pumpkin porridge that I cooked myself. I didn't add any seasonings. Please try it first."
Sheng An personally opened the lid, ladled out a bowl of porridge, and handed it to Ding Tianci's personal maid, Jian Ying.
As for the stewardess, she wasn't even qualified to step into the distant gate; she was dismissed by Jianying with a single sentence.
Jianying took the porridge, felt the temperature in her palm, and only after confirming it wasn't too hot did she scoop up a spoonful and carefully bring it to her young master's lips: "Young Master."
Looking at the golden-yellow food in front of him, with its increasingly sweet aroma, Ding Tianci almost couldn't wait to open his mouth.
Just as he touched the spoon, Master Ding's anxious voice came from outside: "Tianci, has Tianci eaten?"
Ding Tianci heard this and his gaze shifted to the doorway.
Upon seeing his grandfather, a rare smile appeared on his lips.
Grandpa Ding strode in and saw his grandson smiling at him. He froze on the spot, at a loss for what to do.
How long has it been? How long has it been since my grandson smiled?
Seeing this, Sheng An couldn't help but speak up: "Master Ding, this pot of porridge is for two people, why don't you eat with Young Master Ding?"
Master Ding snapped out of his daze, wiped his eyes, and nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I'll eat with Tianci!"
When Mr. Ding, who was used to eating delicacies, received a full bowl of porridge from Chang Fusheng, he didn't pay much attention at first.
As the sweet aroma filled his nostrils, he felt as if he were strolling through a fertile autumn field laden with fruit, and his attention naturally shifted to the millet and pumpkin porridge in his hands.
Upon confirming that the enticing aroma was indeed coming from this ordinary bowl of millet and pumpkin porridge, an incredulous look appeared on Old Master Ding's shrewd face.
Sheng An was very satisfied with the grandfather and grandson's reaction; their clear voices were like a gentle breeze brushing past his ears.
"Young Master Ding has a weak spleen and stomach, so he should not consume refined foods. Millet and pumpkin porridge has a soft, sweet taste that is easy to digest, which is very suitable for Young Master Ding's current condition."
Master Ding listened and nodded.
The renowned chef we hired, on the doctor's advice, meticulously prepared porridge for his grandson, using ingredients such as minced meat, minced fish, and minced shrimp.
The porridge cooked in this way was indeed very fragrant, but the grandson couldn't stand the smell and couldn't help but vomit even from a distance.
I've also made light vegetable porridge, but it was too bland and didn't whet my grandson's appetite at all, let alone get him to open his mouth to eat.
Thinking of this, Master Ding's gaze towards the millet and pumpkin porridge completely changed.
Under the expectant yet nervous gaze of Master Ding, Ding Tianci almost hastily ate the porridge that was fed to him.
In an instant, tears streamed down Old Master Ding's face: "Good, good..."
Spoon after spoonful, Ding Tianci ate the porridge faster and faster.
Seeing his grandson eating so heartily, Old Master Ding couldn't stop crying.
If there hadn't been other people in the room, she probably would have already lost control of her emotions and burst into tears.
When there was only a little less than half a bowl of porridge left, Sheng An spoke up in time to stop Jian Ying from continuing to feed him: "That's enough for today. If you feel hungry in the afternoon, another half bowl will be enough."
The Ding family members weren't fools; they instantly understood what Sheng An meant.
Ding Tianci hadn't eaten properly for two years, and his stomach had long since shrunk beyond recognition.
This half-bowl of millet and pumpkin porridge was the limit of his stomach capacity; he would definitely vomit if he ate any more.
"Tianci, how are you feeling?"
Old Master Ding watched his grandson nervously, fearing he might see him vomit at any moment.
This has happened every day for the past two years.
After waiting for almost a quarter of an hour, Ding Tianci did not vomit, and both Master Ding and Sheng An breathed a long sigh of relief.
Even Ding Tianci himself found it unbelievable, and his gaze toward Sheng An grew even brighter.
"Madam Sheng, thank you, thank you so much..."
Mr. Ding was so excited that he could barely speak a complete sentence, and he was extremely grateful to Sheng An.
This small bowl of porridge is what kept his grandson alive!
This little girl in front of him will be his grandson's savior!
Next, Mr. Ding discussed with Sheng An the possibility of her coming to the Ding family every day to prepare three meals for Ding Tianci until he recovers.
He did want to arrange for Sheng An to stay directly, but he had already sent someone to inquire about Sheng An's situation yesterday and knew that she was already married, so it was not appropriate for her to stay at the Ding family's house. That's why he didn't say anything.
With a hundred taels of silver hanging in front of him, Sheng An naturally wouldn't refuse Master Ding's request. They agreed that after finishing their stall each day, Sheng An would come to the mansion to cook for Ding Tianci.
She decides what to do.
When they left, Sheng An rode in a more spacious and luxurious carriage.
A large horse-drawn carriage followed behind, piled high with gifts.
At this moment, Grandma Sheng was standing at the gate of the Xu family's house, her eyes frequently looking towards the alley entrance.
As she waited in vain for her granddaughter to appear, worry gradually filled her wrinkled face.
The old lady didn't know how rich the Ding family was, nor did she know why Mr. Ding had invited his granddaughter over. She only learned from Steward Yang's son that the Ding family was a behemoth that the Sheng and Xu families couldn't afford to offend.
Grandma Sheng never dreamed that her granddaughter would be associated with such a family.
Thinking back to her time in the village, when she heard people say that wealthy families were ruthless and that you could be beaten to death if you said the wrong thing, Grandma Sheng couldn't help but feel afraid.
"No, we have to find Jin Nian and have her go to the Ding family!"
Grandma Sheng became increasingly worried and turned to go inside to ask Xu Chenglin where Xu Jinnian's home was.
Just then, her granddaughter's familiar voice came from afar: "Grandma—"
Grandma Sheng turned around abruptly and saw a large carriage in front of her. Her granddaughter was peeking out and waving at her with a bright smile.
My heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled back down.
Two luxurious carriages drove through the narrow alley, immediately attracting the attention of the neighbors, who all stood at their doorways to watch the spectacle.
When they saw Sheng An get off the carriage, everyone gaped in surprise.
Who exactly is the Xu family's new bride, and how did she end up riding back in such a beautiful carriage?
Could it be that, as the opera goes, she was actually the daughter of a wealthy family who accidentally ended up in the countryside as a village girl, and now her real family has come looking for her?
Oh my god!
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