Chapter 123 Chapter 123 The mind is calculating into the Hou...
After entering the Marquis' Mansion, Zhao Mingsheng hesitated whether to pay his respects to Liang, but then he thought that she might not want to see him, so he gave up.
Zhao Mingsheng walked to his grandmother's courtyard with familiarity, and, led by the head maid, he entered the inner room. As soon as he entered, he heard Madam Li, who was beside his grandmother, earnestly pleading, "Madam, this chicken congee is cooked to perfection today. Please have a bite."
When Old Lady Gu smelled the chicken porridge, she couldn't help but frown slightly. "Take it away. I'm not hungry right now."
"This shredded chicken porridge smells delicious," Zhao Mingsheng said with a smile, holding the cake. "If Grandma doesn't want to eat it, why not give it to me?"
"Why is Sheng girl back?"
Zhao Mingsheng's sudden appearance surprised Old Lady Gu so much that she smiled so much that the wrinkles on her face smoothed out a little.
Zhao Mingsheng sat down next to his grandmother, holding her arm affectionately, and said, "Didn't Grandma ask me to come back more often? Why do I find Grandma not eating properly when I come back? Don't you love the chicken porridge from the kitchen the most?"
Mother Li was also very happy to see Zhao Mingsheng. Before she could put down the bowl in her hand, she hurriedly said, "Oh, that's right. When the old lady woke up from her nap, she said she wanted to have some porridge in the evening. The small kitchen hurriedly prepared it and carefully prepared it all afternoon. Now why doesn't she want to eat it anymore? Fifth Lady, please help her persuade her."
Zhao Mingsheng took the bowl of porridge from Mother Li, and it was just warm enough.
Each grain of rice is stewed until soft but not mushy, maintaining its translucent texture. Marinated chicken breast and sliced white radish are steamed in broth, then evenly shredded and layered atop the porridge. The translucent white rice porridge, paired with the thread-like shredded chicken and garnished with emerald green chopped scallions, looks appetizing and smells of the fresh aroma of chicken broth. This recipe was developed by her while she was living in her grandmother's yard with the kitchen cook.
There's nothing wrong with the chicken porridge, the problem lies with my grandmother.
"Grandma, you've lost your appetite again." Seeing that her grandmother didn't say anything, Zhao Mingsheng knew she was right. "Are you feeling any worse? Let me take your pulse."
"Look, little Sheng has become successful now. She can even take people's pulses." Old Lady Gu joked with Mother Li.
Old Lady Gu had originally been worried. Although she had given Sheng Yatou enough money to last the rest of her life, no one could predict whether she would be able to keep it and not squander it. Now that she saw that Sheng Yatou had a skill and could even create those miraculous pills, Old Lady Gu was very pleased.
After taking her pulse, Zhao Mingsheng's frown relaxed a little. Grandmother wasn't in any serious condition, but she was still a little weak from her last illness, and her appetite was inevitably affected.
Zhao Mingsheng picked up the chicken porridge again and tempted, "This is such a delicious chicken porridge, grandma, are you sure you don't want to try it?"
Old Madam Gu waved her hands repeatedly.
"I wanted to eat when I woke up from my nap, but now my mouth has no taste and I don't want to eat anymore."
As I get older, I become more and more like a child.
Seeing that his grandmother really didn't want to have chicken porridge, Zhao Mingsheng took out the pastries he brought back.
"What about these cakes?"
The moment the oil paper package was unwrapped, the aroma of the chestnut cake immediately filled the entire room, making people feel sweet and happy.
Even though Old Lady Gu's sense of smell had somewhat deteriorated, she was attracted by the aroma and said with some nostalgia, "It must be the chestnut cake from that pastry shop on East Street. I haven't had it for a long time since you left the Marquis' Mansion. Quick, give me one to try."
Seeing that Old Lady Gu wanted to eat, Mother Li beside her quickly ordered people to prepare the meal.
Zhao Mingsheng had previously researched the recipe for chestnut cake with Xiaochu. The chestnuts were shelled, rinsed, and steamed until tender. Then, they were pounded into a puree with a stone pestle. Roasted melon seeds were added, and two tablespoons of honey were drizzled on top. Once the mixture was well-mixed, the filling for the chestnut cake was ready. Then, high-quality glutinous rice was ground into powder, boiled in boiling water, and kneaded into a dough for the outer crust.
The steps are correct, but I just can't make it taste like the ones from the pastry shops outside. So I just buy it and eat it. It doesn't cost much and it's convenient and saves trouble.
Zhao Mingsheng handed it over at the right moment. "Cakes alone are a bit dry and choking. Wouldn't this chicken porridge be perfect with it?"
"Oh, you're waiting for me here? You little smartass." Old Lady Gu scolded with a smile, but she obediently picked up the bowl of chicken porridge in her hand. It was true that the pastries alone were a bit dry, and the chicken porridge was just right.
Without the old lady's instructions, Madam Li quickly sent someone to the small kitchen to make another bowl of shredded chicken porridge. She personally brought it to Zhao Mingsheng and said with a smile, "Fifth Lady, you still have the solution."
Zhao Mingsheng also smiled at her: "Thank you, Mama Li. I've been thinking about this bowl of chicken porridge in the kitchenette for a long time."
"Listen, it turns out you wanted to eat porridge, so you remembered to come back to see me." Old Lady Gu joked.
"How could that be possible!" Zhao Mingsheng quickly coaxed her, "Don't worry, Grandma. I'll definitely come to see you every day after a while."
Zhao Mingsheng was thinking, "It's time to buy a yard in Beijing. I'll have to keep an eye on the large-scale planting of medicinal herbs in the suburbs." The imperial examination would be held in the spring of next year, and in a few days her brother would be preparing to go to Beijing to prepare for the exam.
She shared her thoughts with her grandmother.
Old Madam Gu was somewhat unhappy at first.
"Why buy a yard? Is it possible that such a huge mansion doesn't have enough space for a little girl like you to live? Besides, your previous yard is still there, why would you buy another one?"
Zhao Mingsheng explained, "It's not a big deal for me to live alone, but my brother will be coming to Beijing to take the imperial examination soon, so he needs a place to stay. After all, he's a foreigner, so it's not appropriate for him to live in the Marquis' Mansion."
Old Madam Gu was slightly stunned. Among the younger generations of the Zhao family, except for the eldest son of the first branch who was quite capable and passed the imperial examination two years ago, bringing honor to the family, there were many other younger generations who could not even pass the examination to become a scholar when they were twenty-five or twenty-six. It was shameful to talk about it.
I didn’t expect that Sheng’s brother was so capable and passed the imperial examination at such a young age.
Passing the Juren exam qualifies one for officialdom. Passing the Huishi exam, however, would lead to the Jinshi degree. For most children from humble backgrounds, becoming a county magistrate or chief clerk early in life was their best option. Some, unwilling to stop there, opted to continue on to the Huishi exam, but that was a level many would never reach in their lifetime.
"It's not easy to reach the stage of imperial examination. It's indeed time to come to Beijing in advance to familiarize yourself with the environment." Old Lady Gu nodded.
Regardless of whether you can pass the exam or not, this fighting spirit is still worthy of recognition.
"That's right."
Zhao Mingsheng swallowed the last mouthful of porridge and said, "I'm thinking of buying a courtyard near the Marquis' Mansion and letting my brother come over to get used to it first. This way, if anything goes wrong, it won't be in vain for all the hard work he's put into studying for over a decade. I also want to be closer to Grandma so I can come to you every day to ask for porridge. I hope you won't think I eat too much!"
"Okay, okay." When Old Lady Gu heard that she planned to buy a yard near the Marquis' Mansion, she immediately smiled happily. "Mother Li, take people to ask around tomorrow to see if there is anyone who wants to sell a yard."
"Hey! I heard that Sheng girl is back."
As he was speaking, a somewhat shrill female voice sounded behind him. Zhao Mingsheng turned around and saw his second aunt Li walking in with Zhao Mingjing, smiling.
Old Madam Gu looked at Li who had hurried over and said with a smile, "You have the sharpest ears in this mansion."
This double entendre was both a tease and a warning. There were no impenetrable walls in this mansion, and things like leaking information and reporting messages were common. As long as they weren't over the top, she usually turned a blind eye.
Zhao Mingsheng had just arrived and had just finished a bowl of porridge when the second house got the news. He arrived at such a timely moment that it was inevitable that people would think too much.
Li smiled awkwardly and pushed Zhao Mingjing forward. "Mother, you're really embarrassing your daughter-in-law by saying that. It was Jing who heard that her sister was back and insisted on coming over to see her."
What Li said was half true and half false.
After what happened before, the relationship between the two sisters has eased a lot. When Zhao Mingjing heard from her mother that Zhao Mingsheng had returned, she naturally wanted to see him.
But this does not mean that Li did not have her own little thoughts. Although the old lady did not like her little actions, she was particularly tolerant of her children and grandchildren.
Sure enough, after she said that, Old Lady Gu didn't pursue the matter any further. She just ordered people to clear away the dishes and raised her hand to call Zhao Mingjing to sit next to her.
Li breathed a sigh of relief and found a place to sit down.
Zhao Mingjing greeted her grandmother, then sat down and turned to Zhao Mingsheng, smiling, "I haven't seen my fifth sister for a long time. You look even more beautiful today."
Originally, it was just words of flattery between girls in the boudoir, which Zhao Mingjing came up with casually, but when she looked at it carefully, she was stunned.
The girl's eyebrows and eyes haven't changed much, they are just more delicate. If you say that her appearance has become more beautiful, it would be better to say that her whole temperament has become more lively, a kind of lively beauty that has been cleansed of all dust.
During this trip, Zhao Mingsheng witnessed the sufferings of the world, as well as the warmth of human nature; he witnessed the barren land without any grass, as well as the vast mountains and rivers with wind, grass, rain and dew; he had embraced the stars in the sky and stayed awake, as well as had let the cold stream water wet his shoes and socks.
There is no mansion, nor a confused future. The trip to Yanzhou, both good and bad, has turned into little memories, enriching her experience. The spiritual fulfillment makes her whole temperament even more fascinating.
"Third sister looks pretty good lately, but what good things did you use?"
Zhao Mingsheng, who was familiar with this, immediately complimented her back, but there was no response from Zhao Mingjing. She looked at her suspiciously, only to see Zhao Mingjing staring at her straight, as if she was distracted.
"Third sister?"
Zhao Mingjing suddenly came to her senses and realized that she had just been staring at the fifth sister. Her face flushed. "No, nothing. I just think the fifth sister is getting more and more beautiful."
Zhao Mingsheng smiled and replied, "Third sister too."
Who doesn't know how to flatter each other in business?
Mrs. Li, who was standing by, rolled her eyes and suddenly said, "I just heard that Miss Sheng is planning to buy a house nearby?"
"Yes, my grandmother has arranged for Mother Li to help me find out tomorrow." Zhao Mingsheng smiled and repeated what he had just said.
"Why would you bother with this?" Li said, changing the subject. "It just so happens that I have a small courtyard with two entrances and two exits in my dowry that's vacant. It's not far from the Marquis's residence, just across the street. If you like it, Sheng, I'll give it to you."
Zhao Mingsheng was slightly stunned. In this area, a courtyard with two entrances and two exits would cost at least 1,000 taels.
From her understanding of Li, her second aunt was a person who would not do anything without profit. Now that she was so generous, she was extremely wary.
So she smiled and politely declined: "The yard in this area is not cheap, how can I let Second Aunt spend money."
Despite being rejected once, Li was not discouraged. Her smile grew even brighter. "It's just an unused courtyard. We're all family, so why would we bother to worry about whether it's expensive or not? The courtyard is also quite close to Chongshan Academy, so it would be convenient for your brother to come and stay."
This time Zhao Mingsheng remained silent and did not refuse.
Seeing Zhao Mingsheng's hesitation, Li continued, "As far as I know, the owners of these nearby courtyards have lived there for many years. I'm afraid they won't sell their courtyards easily."
Zhao Mingjing on the side blinked her eyes. Why did her mother become a different person today? Wasn’t her mother usually most concerned about those yellow and white things?
Speaking of the courtyard her mother had just mentioned, Zhao Mingjing had some impression of it. The courtyard's location and layout were indeed quite good, close to the Marquis's residence and not far from the most famous Chongshan Academy in the capital. However...
It's not far from the home of my cousin who lost his wife and loves to eat, drink and have fun. It's just across the street.
Zhao Mingjing sighed in her heart. It seemed that her mother still hadn't given up.
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