Chapter 9 He Wants More Than Just This
When Xie Jinglan rushed back to the Marquis' Mansion, Wen Ning had already left Tingsong Courtyard.
"Master, Miss Wen insisted on leaving, and I failed to stop her. Please punish me, Master."
Xie Jinglan left without giving any instructions, so Qingfeng didn't dare to force him to stay. It was not his fault.
"Well, she's been frightened quite a bit these past two days. Let her be. She can't escape the Marquis' Mansion anyway."
Qing Feng was stunned, thinking he had misheard.
When had his master, his grandfather, ever said such kind and compassionate words?
Qing Feng had just seen Nanny Li calling in a doctor, so he asked, "You've broken two of Tang Zhu's ribs. Should we let him go?"
When Tang Zhu was mentioned, Xie Jinglan didn't even raise his eyelids, but his eyes were cold.
"Order the steward to thoroughly check the kitchen accounts, make sure they are complete, and then act according to the palace regulations!"
"Yes." Qing Feng had long been fed up with Tang Zhu's behavior, and he felt happy when he heard that his master was going to punish him severely this time.
The old lady, remembering their past kindness, arranged a good purchasing job for Tang Zhu in the mansion. If he had not been so unscrupulous, he would have lived a life of luxury.
Xie Jinglan was not completely unaware of Tang Zhu's behavior in the Marquis' Mansion over the years, but the old lady indulged him many times out of consideration for their old friendship.
Xie Jinglan could only turn a blind eye out of consideration for his grandmother.
But this time, Xie Jinglan was determined not to tolerate it anymore.
Qingfeng led Xie Jinglan all the way to the study, where celadon bowls and plates were neatly arranged on the ebony round table.
"Why is lunch delivered so early today?" Xie Jinglan asked in confusion.
"There's a new cook in the kitchen, and I want the master to taste it and see if it suits his taste."
These meals were actually prepared by Wen Ning in the small kitchen of Tingsongyuan. Although the small kitchen was not used on weekdays, some vegetables were prepared every day to meet emergencies.
Wen Ning used these limited ingredients to prepare lunch for the Marquis.
Although Xie Jinglan still had no appetite today, he sat down as usual.
Stir-fried wild celery, stewed bamboo shoots with pickled mustard greens, stir-fried shiitake mushrooms, fragrant lotus roots, and in the celadon lotus petal bowl in the middle, there are steaming fresh mushroom noodles.
Xie Jinglan took the handkerchief and washed his hands. Qingfeng had already filled a bowl of mushroom noodles and placed it in front of him.
The slender fingers that were used to holding swords and bows gathered up the small plain jade spoon, and after the white steam dissipated, they gently put the rice into their mouths.
The mushroom soup made with matsutake, chicken mushroom and morel is clear, delicious and fragrant.
The snow-white dough is dotted with finely chopped pea tips. The pea tips cooked in the soup are crispy and refreshing. The noodles are smooth and a little chewy. This bite is mixed with the aroma of the mushroom soup and instantly fills the whole mouth.
Xie Jinglan's eyebrows twitched.
It seems to suit your appetite.
He couldn't help but try a few other dishes. The taste was not as greasy as the ones made in the kitchen in the past. Instead, it had a fresh flavor and the characteristics of the ingredients themselves.
The ingredients are so simple, but the taste and cooking time are just right, which is really rare.
Xie Jinglan was a little doubtful for a moment. It wasn't that his body was damaged before, but that he hadn't eaten human food for too long!
Qingfeng was overjoyed to see that his master not only ate two bowls of noodles, but also finished most of the dishes.
"Master, how is it?" he asked impatiently, with a look of excitement on his face.
Xie Jinglan glanced at him and said calmly, "You can stay."
What I mean is that this cook can be kept.
"Master, do you want to stay in the kitchen or in Tingsong Courtyard?" Qing Feng said with a wicked smile.
Just as Xie Jinglan was about to lecture him, he blurted out, "This meal was made by Miss Wen..."
Was it done by Miss Wen?
Wen Ning did it!
Xie Jinglan didn't expect Wen Ning's craftsmanship to be so good.
But after a moment's thought, he said coldly, "She's still injured, how can you let her cook?"
"This is Miss Wen's own wish. She said she wanted to thank the Marquis for saving her life this morning."
Qing Feng said this without blushing or getting nervous. Only he knew that before this intention, he had hinted in various ways.
Xie Jinglan's eyebrows darkened, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his eyes. "Hmph, you think you can get rid of me with just a meal? Don't even think about it!"
He wants more than that!
As soon as Xie Jinglan finished his lunch, Nanny Zhou, who was by the old lady's side, came to invite the Marquis, saying that she had something to discuss.
Xie Jinglan knew without thinking that it must be that Nanny Li who went to cry in front of his grandmother again.
Sure enough, before anyone even entered Yifu Hall, they heard Madam Li crying in a trembling voice, "This old slave's life is more bitter than coptis chinensis! The year his father passed away, the eldest was three years old and the youngest was still in swaddling clothes. Over these years, this old slave has truly endured with blood and tears!"
Who would have thought that the son and daughter I raised with so much difficulty would both fall for that little bitch? "Old Madam, you saw what was in the booklet we found on her bed! It's so shameless!"
Xie Wan, who was sitting next to them, was furious when she heard this. It was nothing for her to hand over the booklet for her brother's sake.
After hearing what Li Ma said, she felt like someone was pointing at her nose and scolding her, as if she had done something unorthodox.
However, she found it difficult to say it out loud. Instead, the maid in front of her, named Wen Ning, would rather take all the responsibility for the matter and never mention the origin of the book. This behavior made Xie Wan feel a little more favorable towards her.
The old lady was a soft-hearted woman, so she could not bear Li Ma's sobbing. She immediately comforted her, "Tang Zhu has already broken two ribs, so consider this as punishment.
But if he really likes a girl, he shouldn't use force. He needs to come to me first so that I can make the decision for him. He is so careless, and the Marquis will definitely not tolerate his presumptuous behavior if he passes by.
As for Tangli, I have already promised her to be the Marquis's concubine, so I will naturally not give this position to anyone else until the Marquis marries her. You can rest assured."
After hearing this, Nanny Li hurriedly thanked the old lady and pretended to cry while pressing the sides of her nose with a handkerchief.
When Xie Jinglan walked into the room, Nanny Li was so frightened that she immediately fell silent and bowed to the Marquis together with the servants.
Only then did Xie Jinglan realize that Nanny Li had brought Wen Ning here as well.
She remained silent, lowered her head and knelt on the ground, revealing a section of her snow-white neck.
Although it had only been a few hours since they last met, Xie Jinglan felt as if a much longer time had passed.
The old lady quickly ordered someone to serve tea to Xie Jinglan. After all, he was her own grandson. The old lady's mouth corners unconsciously raised when she saw Xie Jinglan.
"Have you been eating well lately? You've had no appetite these days, and I, as your grandmother, only found out after hearing what the servants said. You're deliberately trying to make me feel bad, aren't you?"
"Grandma, please don't listen to the servants' gossip. My grandson has had a good appetite these past two days, and I want to thank Madam Li for choosing a good cook for me."
"Kitchen...cook?" Nanny Li was confused by what Xie Jinglan said.
"It's this Wen Ning who cooks delicious dishes. I even want to cook a special meal for myself."
Upon hearing this, Wen Ning looked up at Xie Jinglan, not knowing what he was up to.
She shook her head guiltily. She just cooked a few dishes in her small kitchen. How could she be called a “good cook”?
The old lady scolded him, "You are a great marquis, you should have set up a special kitchen long ago. But... you should carefully consider the selection of the cook."
Just now, Nanny Li said all sorts of bad things about Wen Ning, so the old lady was naturally worried.
After hearing what the Marquis said, Nanny Li was furious.
I didn't expect that this little bitch Wen Ning would secretly show off her cooking skills in front of the Marquis. This bitch has quite a few tricks up her sleeve!
Nanny Li glared at Wen Ning fiercely, then turned her eyes and said to the old lady, "Old lady, my family's Tangli craftsmanship is also quite good. If it comes to taking care of the Marquis, our family is still the most reliable."
The old lady naturally understood the meaning behind these words and asked Xie Jinglan with a smile, "But the teaching nanny didn't teach Tangli well. I heard from Tangli that you two... didn't sleep together yesterday? Or did someone else enter Songyuan and disturb your mood?"
Wen Ning certainly knew what the old lady meant. This was how Nanny Li had slandered her just now.
Xie Jinglan deliberately looked embarrassed, as if there was something difficult to say. Seeing this, the old lady immediately dismissed the servants, and only the three of them, the grandfather and the grandson, were left in the room.
Xie Jinglan's gaze followed Wen Ning out the door until the slender figure disappeared from his sight. Then he came to his senses and said, "It's my grandson's fault. My grandson... I can't muster up the interest. I even bought a booklet for this reason."
As he spoke, he pretended to be surprised and picked up the booklet on the table. "This is it. I accidentally lost it the other day, so I was confused that night. I didn't expect that a servant would pick it up and give it to you, grandmother."
After Xie Jinglan finished speaking, he winked at Xie Wan.
Xie Wan never expected that his brother, the always serious Marquis Anyuan, would actually act.
The old lady was heartbroken after hearing this. She had never thought that not only would her grandson not be able to have children, but that he would also...
The old lady couldn't help but ask cautiously, "So...what's going on now?"
"My grandson thinks that if his appetite improves, his body will also improve."
The old lady finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's very good, that's very good. It seems that the girl named Wen Ning has indeed been wronged. In my opinion, she should have more caring people around to serve her. How about this arrangement: Tang Li will serve on odd days, and Wen Ning will serve on even days. Does your grandson think this idea is appropriate?"
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