Chapter 102 I Can Make Tea
"Dongmai, what's an idiot? I've never heard of that word before." Aunt Xin stopped worrying about whether she was right or wrong and asked Dongmai curiously.
Judging from Dongmai's disdainful expression just now, it definitely wasn't a nice word.
It might be an insult.
Seeing everyone looking at him with curiosity, Dongmai suddenly got excited.
See, none of you know, the young lady only told me this!
"You didn't know that?"
You even claimed to have read many books and be proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting!
You don't know that?
"You can tell at a glance he's a half-baked amateur, not as good as my young lady," Dongmai said with a grin.
Shangguan Jin felt a little guilty...
"Did Madam see this in a book?"
"Alas, I haven't read as many books as Madam, so I certainly wouldn't know." Aunt Xin sighed in agreement.
"Listen up! I'll only say this once, remember this! If you ever get into a fight with someone in the future..."
Let's see if that person is an idiot first.
The meaning of "idiot" is that someone is so stupid that they can drive people crazy.
It's the kind of stupidity that you don't even realize, the kind that's so suffocatingly dumb, you know?
Think about it, he's an idiot, why would you argue with him? Doesn't that just mean you're even more of an idiot than him?
If you encounter someone like this in the future, just turn around and leave; don't bother with them.
"You'd be better off going home and embroidering a couple more purses! Don't waste your time," Dongmai lectured Aunt Xin.
Everyone thought it made a lot of sense.
Everyone else is a fool, why are you arguing with him?
The word "idiot" is indeed very apt and fitting.
Stupidity can drive a person crazy...
Beautiful words, but I don't know which book I saw them in, or which author wrote them...
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. From now on, the things you two embroider can be kept for the household's own use."
Just let Butler Shen calculate the amount of money for you.
"After all that effort, we only made a few coins, not even enough to buy a few steamed buns." Shangguan Jin quickly tried to smooth things over.
If they keep discussing it, she'll probably be bombarded with questions about which book she read it in.
One lie leads to countless others, and she doesn't want to be exposed.
Winter wheat nodded.
That's what she thought too. All that effort for just a few coins? It's better not to sell it!
Aunt Xin felt it was a bit of a pity.
Well, at least it could sell for a few coins...
"It's such a pity, I finally managed to embroider something decent."
The embroidered mandarin ducks don't even look like sparrows anymore...
"Look, isn't it still manageable? It's definitely worth more than four coins, right?" Aunt Xin was still a little reluctant.
As he spoke, he took out a handkerchief from his small bag and showed it to Hua Wanli, whom he was meeting for the first time.
Hua Wanli casually took it and looked at it.
I fell silent after reading it.
This mandarin duck doesn't look like a sparrow, but it does resemble a pheasant whose feathers haven't fully unfurled after being rained on...
The embroidery I used to make to appease my mother when I was seven was much better than this!
"Alright! Stop thinking about it. Let's talk about it when your embroidery skills can catch up with your tea-making skills!" Dongmai advised from the side.
Aunt Xin thought for a moment and could only nod.
Why......
"Is this lady very good at brewing tea?" Hua Wanli suddenly asked.
Everyone was taken aback, and even Lian Qianli, who was on the other side of the screen, peeked over.
“Yes, she’s not good at anything else, but she’s an excellent tea brewer,” Dongmai said hastily.
Aunt Xin straightened her back.
"Actually, I'm just not good at embroidery and making pastries."
But I still know a lot.
I am skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but my best skill is brewing tea.
"Back when I was in the palace, even the Empress Dowager praised my tea-making skills, saying that my tea-making technique was the best in the palace," Aunt Xin said, glancing proudly at Dongmai.
Look, I know how to do this, but you don't!
Lian Qianli and Hua Wanli exchanged a glance.
So this concubine is the one everyone's been talking about, the one the Empress Dowager bestowed upon the Shen family!
A little silly...
However, a tea-brewing skill that can be praised by the well-informed Empress Dowager must be really good!
"What? Why are you asking that?"
"The teahouse doesn't have enough tea ladies? This is Concubine Xin from our household." Shangguan Jin said with a smile.
How could Lian Qianli and Hua Wanli not understand Shangguan Jin's meaning!
You want Aunt Xin to be a tea lady? Don't even think about it!
If we do that, who knows what people will say about the Duke of Dingguo's mansion!
"Madam Shen, that's not what we meant."
Actually, at present, although the tea lady is already in place.
However, the tea-brewing skills varied greatly.
To be honest, I was even planning to write to my mother and ask her to send the tea master from the building over.
This round trip will probably take up a lot of time.
So, we thought, if Madam Shen and this Aunt Xin were willing...
Could you perhaps teach those tea ladies and tea gentlemen...?
We are willing to pay the tuition fee.
"We won't let Aunt Xin show her face in public," Lian Qianli hurriedly said.
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jin thought it might not be a bad idea.
Good tea masters are hard to find.
Moreover, the teahouse has its own capital invested in it.
"This... I can't really agree to that. It all depends on what Aunt Xin decides." Shangguan Jin said, looking at Aunt Xin.
Aunt Xin was still in a daze.
What do you mean by that?
Are you suggesting I teach others how to brew tea? And you even offer me a tuition fee? And you want me to ask your opinion?
So, the lady is willing to let me out...
"Um... let me ask, how much are you planning to give as tuition?" Aunt Xin swallowed and couldn't help but ask.
Lian Qianli didn't speak, but looked at Hua Wanli.
Without a second thought, Hua Wanli held up two fingers to Aunt Xin.
When Aunt Xin saw it, she exclaimed, "Oh, it's two taels of silver! That's the same as my monthly allowance!"
But Dongmai said that you have to know how to negotiate prices in any business.
So, Aunt Xin mustered up her courage and held up three fingers to Hua Wanli.
"It can't be any less!" Aunt Xin said.
Hua Wanli thought to herself, "Not bad. Anyone who dares to ask for this price must have real skills."
“No problem, thirty taels it is. I will have my younger brother deliver the money to my aunt every month on time,” Hua Wanli said readily.
Aunt Xin...
She looked at her three fingers still standing upright, feeling dizzy.
My goodness, it's not three taels, it's thirty taels...
This is more than my monthly salary for a whole year!
Wow, I'm actually quite good at making money!
Okay, no need to worry about starving to death in the future...
Oh, my wife is so kind, she specially found such a good opportunity for me. I must be loyal to her from now on...
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