Chapter 4 Chapter 4 A Lucky Breakfast Seeing this, Zhuo…
Seeing this, Yan Zhuo felt it was inconvenient to disturb the family reunion, so he took Jing Liu and left quietly.
Zhao Mingsheng looked around but didn't see his mother, and couldn't help but express his concern.
"Why don't you see mother?"
When the Meng family was mentioned, the smile on Zhao's father's face faded a little and he sighed slightly.
"Your mother isn't feeling well. She's lying in the house." He slapped his head in frustration and said, "Look, I've been busy talking. Come on, go inside. Come on. Dad will take you to see her."
Knowing that her daughter would be back today, Mrs. Meng finally felt like she had finally gotten her hope after all these years. She leaned against the headboard, facing the door, so that she could see her daughter as soon as possible.
Everything about that day seemed to be vivid in their minds. The couple had taken in the expectant mother with good intentions, but they didn't expect it to lead to tragedy.
As I thought about it, I couldn't help but feel sad and my eyes filled with tears.
In a trance, a figure appeared in her tear-blurred eyes. She wiped away the tears in disbelief and wanted to see it more clearly.
It was a girl in a pink dress, standing prettyly by the door.
She couldn't help but stretch out her hand to grab it, but forgot that her legs were inconvenient and she almost fell off the bed.
As soon as Zhao Mingsheng stepped into the room, he saw a haggard woman leaning weakly against the head of the bed. When she saw her, she was so excited that she almost fell down.
Zhao Mingsheng's heart suddenly tightened, and he hurried forward to support her shaky body.
"Mom! Be careful!"
Hearing this call, the tears that had been brewing in Meng's eyes finally rolled down. She had never thought that she would see her daughter again one day. Her withered fingertips trembled as she touched Zhao Mingsheng's face.
She wanted to touch it but was afraid that it was all just her illusion.
Zhao Mingsheng took the initiative to lean over, perhaps because of the mother-daughter bond, she couldn't help but want to get close to Meng the first time she saw her. She knelt down beside the bed and let Meng touch her.
Meng stroked it for a long time, feeling the warmth from her fingertips, and finally she was sure that she was not dreaming.
"Good boy! You are finally back to your mother!"
Her voice trembled with excitement. She wanted to hug her daughter and cry bitterly, but she was afraid of scaring her.
Father Zhao seemed to have anticipated the scene before him and brought the medicine simmering on the fire to Zhao Mingsheng.
Zhao Mingsheng held the medicine bowl, blew on it to cool it down before bringing a spoonful to his lips.
Meng, who had always been unwilling to cooperate with taking medicine, now drank it obediently.
Along with the medicine bowl, a bowl of longevity noodles was also brought in. Although the noodles were clumping together, Zhao Mingsheng still ate them all, including the soup.
The bitter smell of medicine filled the entire house, but there was also a sense of warmth filling everyone's heart.
After so many years, this family is finally complete.
After being coaxed by her daughter to drink a whole bowl of medicine, Mrs. Meng's excitement was soothed and she fell into a deep sleep soon.
Father Zhao also took the time to tell her what had happened in the family over the years.
Zhao Mingsheng was slightly surprised to hear that Zhao's father was the only doctor in the village. He had heard Zhao Mingzhu say that the Zhao family made a living by farming, but he didn't expect that Zhao's father also knew medical skills.
When she heard that her brother was already a scholar at such a young age, she was even more dumbfounded.
She probably knew something about it. It was difficult for students from poor families to study, and the road to imperial examinations was even more difficult for them. They had to put in ten or even a hundred times more effort than the average students from scholarly families.
Zhao Mingsheng couldn't help but look at Zhao Qingyue with admiration.
Perhaps feeling uncomfortable being stared at by her, Zhao Qingyue Shuer stood up and said he was going back to his room to review his lessons, then left.
Zhao Qingyue's sudden departure made Zhao Mingsheng feel a little depressed, and also made her realize that her brother really didn't seem to like her very much.
Don’t disturb your brother unless necessary.
Zhao Mingsheng warned himself in his heart.
Seeing that Zhao Mingsheng was not in high spirits, Zhao's father thought she was tired, so he changed the subject and urged her to go back to her room to rest.
Zhao Mingsheng returned to her room and, with the dim light of the oil lamp, slowly opened the package that her grandmother had forced upon her when she left the house.
On the top was a hairpin, the same one Zhao Mingsheng was wearing today. However, when she left, she left behind all the jewelry and hairpins, but she didn't expect her grandmother to give them back to her.
There was an antique wooden box under the hairpin, which contained some silver bills.
A total of two thousand taels.
With these banknotes, it would not be a problem to live on the same food and clothing as in the Marquis's mansion for a year or two. If one is a little frugal, it is not impossible to live on the same food and clothing as in this country for a lifetime.
But Zhao Mingsheng had no intention of using the money. She put the box in the deepest part of her closet.
The Hou Mansion seems to be prosperous in recent years, but it is actually in great deficit. This money is probably the old lady's personal savings that she has worked so hard to save, and she will not use it unless it is absolutely necessary.
Zhao Mingsheng had already made up his mind that since he had left the Hou Mansion, he could no longer rely on the money from the Hou Mansion to survive.
Being an ordinary farm girl, she believed that she could support herself with her own hands!
With such thoughts in mind, Zhao Mingsheng fell asleep sweetly. In her dream, there was a vast land with all kinds of vegetables, fruits and melons. She had a big watermelon in her left hand and a bunch of grapes in her right hand, and she was eating them with great pleasure.
On the first night here, Zhao Mingsheng was worried that he would not be able to sleep well due to the sudden change of place, but covered with a quilt that smelled of sunshine, he unexpectedly slept through the night and had a good dream that he hadn't had in a long time.
The village where the Zhao family lives is backed by a big mountain. It is a good place with mountains and water.
Standing in the courtyard and looking into the distance, you can see wisps of mist lingering on the green hills, and the gentle breeze can make you feel the freshness of the mountains and forests from a long distance away.
Yesterday it was dark, and I hadn't had a good look at this courtyard. Now that I see it, I'm delighted.
The not-so-large yard is filled with many flowers and plants, all of which are clearly well-tended. Daily watering is crucial to creating this vibrant and vibrant scene.
The one-meter-high fence was covered with emerald green branches and leaves. Under the fence stood a row of wooden racks with some half-dried medicinal herbs spread on them. The air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance, which was very pleasant.
There was a wooden swing in the corner of the yard, and Zhao Mingsheng couldn't help but sit on it and swing gently twice.
Everything was so free and casual, and the air was filled with the smell of freedom, which made her fall in love with this place from the bottom of her heart.
At this time, the door of Zhao's father's room opened. Seeing Zhao Mingsheng sitting on the swing, he was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted.
"Girl, why are you up so early? Did you not sleep well?"
Zhao Mingsheng shook his head. "I slept well. I'm used to getting up early."
The more he looked at his daughter, the more well-behaved and adorable she seemed. Father Zhao couldn't help but rub the top of her head. "That's good. Are you hungry? Daddy's going to make you breakfast!"
In recent years, Meng's health has been getting worse. She used to be able to do some housework, but she has not been able to do it in the past six months. All the housework and the work of earning money to support the family depend on Zhao's father alone.
Perhaps it was because of yesterday's stimulation that Meng was able to get out of bed with help today.
When the family sat down at the dining table, Zhao Mingsheng realized that what his father meant by making breakfast was nothing more than steaming the snacks bought yesterday and serving them with a plate of pickles and a bowl of porridge.
Zhao Mingsheng sniffed the air, a faint smell of paste wafting through her nose. Following the scent, she fixed her gaze on the bowl of porridge in front of her.
She picked up the spoon and stirred the bowl gently, and sure enough, she found some indescribable black objects.
As a doctor, he is an excellent expert at making medicine, but if he is asked to make porridge, that would be really difficult for him!
Looking at the dim sum on the plate again, the dim sum freshly baked is of course delicious, but after being left to cool overnight, a layer of grease seeps out of the surface, and when it is heated up again, the taste has changed and the shape has become soft and shapeless.
For a moment, it was a bit difficult to choose what to eat.
Zhao Qingyue, who was standing by, was able to eat without changing his expression, as if he was used to it, which made Zhao Mingsheng even more impressed.
After much hesitation, Zhao Mingsheng couldn't help but stop his father, "Mom has a weak stomach, and this pastry is greasy and really not suitable for eating in the morning."
"My cooking skills aren't great, so I can only make do with this this morning." Father Zhao scratched his head with an embarrassed look on his face, and then quickly added, "It will be ready by noon. Auntie Zhou from the village will come to help with the cooking."
When she was in Hou Mansion, Zhao Mingsheng loved to eat and also loved to make some delicious food in the small kitchen, so she was not a young lady who knew nothing about cooking.
So she said, "Please, Dad, light the fire for me. I'll make some more. A day's plan starts in the morning. We should eat well in the morning. How can we just eat these?"
There was fire and knives in the kitchen, and Zhao's father was worried and was thinking about how to refuse.
"Let me do it."
Zhao Qingyue, who had been silent on the side, suddenly spoke.
This surprised Zhao Mingsheng a little. Zhao Qingyue was dressed like a scholar, and it was hard to imagine that he could make a fire.
"Okay, take good care of your sister and be careful not to get burned." Father Zhao finally relaxed and gave him a few words of advice.
The kitchen was quite well-equipped, and Zhao Mingsheng even found an unexpected surprise in a clay jar.
A small jar of goat's milk.
Seeing Zhao Mingsheng holding the jar of goat milk, a crack seemed to appear on Zhao Qingyue's calm face, and he looked as if he was facing a great enemy.
Zhao Mingsheng noticed his change and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this goat milk?"
"No problem..."
The more he hesitated, the more suspicious Zhao Mingsheng became, and it was almost written on his face that something was definitely wrong.
Zhao Qingyue simply laid out his story: "There's a boy named Shi at the east end of the village. His family is poor and his mother is often ill. He and my father agreed to exchange goat milk for medicine. He would deliver it about every two days."
The origin of this goat milk is correct, and Zhao Mingsheng found it quite interesting. Why is that?
Zhao Mingsheng's two bright eyes turned around, and he suddenly thought of something.
"So how do you deal with the goat's milk?"
"Boil it and drink it. My parents don't like to drink this stuff either. In order to avoid wasting it, I have to drink it."
Zhao Mingsheng inexplicably heard a hint of bitterness. Poor kid, there is a unique fishy smell in goat milk. How unpleasant would it taste if he boiled it and drank it directly!
She glanced at Zhao Qingyue with some pity. But fortunately, she was here, and her brother would have delicious goat milk to drink in the future.
She took a handful of almonds that Zhao's father used as medicine, chopped them up, and stewed them with goat milk.
At first, there was a slight fishy smell, but gradually, only the strong milky aroma remained. Zhao Qingyue thought there was something wrong with his nose.
Stewing almonds with goat milk can remove the fishy smell. This little folk remedy was told to her by the old cook in Hou Mansion, and most people don’t know it.
The pot soon boiled, and Zhao Mingsheng filled a small bowl and handed it to Zhao Qingyue, asking him to try it.
Zhao Qingyue was resistant to goat milk, but under Zhao Mingsheng's expectant gaze, he raised the bowl and drank it all.
Unexpectedly, the first sip did not have the fishy smell typical of goat milk, but instead had a more almond aroma.
“It’s delicious.”
After receiving praise from his brother, Zhao Mingsheng smiled shyly, turned around and started working again.
She kept half of the cooked goat milk to drink directly, and planned to make goat milk soup with the other half.
While the goat milk is still hot, beat an egg into it, add a little white sugar and stir it evenly, then steam it for a while.
The goat milk soup just out of the pot is shaking slightly and looks very tempting.
Looking at the delicious-looking egg custard in front of them, the couple had already prepared themselves mentally. It was their daughter's first time cooking, so even if it didn't taste good, they had to give her face and let her eat it all.
I didn't expect that after taking a bite, it was smooth and tender, with a rich milky flavor and a light sweet aftertaste.
Zhao's father, Mrs. Meng, widened their eyes and said in unison, "It's delicious."
"When did your family buy milk?" This thing looks like egg custard, but it's actually milk custard. Father Zhao was suspicious.
Zhao Qingyue explained: "This is the goat milk that Shi Xiaozi sent."
"When did goat's milk become so delicious?"
The couple were both a little bit incredulous. If Zhao Qingyue hadn't seen it made with goat's milk, he wouldn't have believed it either.
Zhao Mingsheng broke yesterday's snacks into pieces and spread them on the goat milk soup, which gave it a different taste.
The soft and crispy pastry, paired with the sweet milk custard and a bowl of hot goat milk, is full of happiness.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
