"It's not that what I made wasn't good, but the old man's health is fragile and he can't eat too much oily food. It's a pity that the third young lady doesn't understand this and won't listen to advice!"
He stood behind Tian Sangui, helping her clean up the leftover vegetable scraps on the counter.
“Miss Tian, I have loved cooking since I was a child, and I thought my cooking skills had improved to the point that no one could compare to me.”
"Only after meeting you today did I realize that there are people more capable than me. If you take me as your apprentice, I will treat you as my master and be very respectful to you. Is that alright?"
He was eager to become a disciple, but Tian Sangui had no intention of taking on any apprentices.
"No, as you said, there are always people more capable than me. You should go find them. I have other things to do. Bye!"
He hadn't taken two steps when someone behind him grabbed him: "Should we stop now, Master?"
"I...I'm a really good person, you'll know you won't lose out if you accept my offer!"
"Let go! My brother is right outside. If you stop me again, I'll have him come in and beat you up!"
Then, he shrank back in fear, withdrew his hand, and reluctantly let Tian Sangui leave.
"Such excellent craftsmanship, wouldn't it be better to pass it down?"
Why are they unwilling to take him in? Is it just because he's old?
Tian Sangui called Tian Er out of the round flower gate, where they happened to meet Xiao Shunzi.
"Miss Tian, you've had a long journey. The young lady has asked me to take you to the front hall. Please follow me!"
The brother and sister exchanged a glance and followed Xiao Shunzi.
Crossing the long corridor and passing through two large flower gates, guests gathered in the front hall, exchanging toasts and drinks.
Men, women, and children sat separately in different areas, with the women separated from the male guests by an openwork sandalwood screen.
Tian Sangui followed Xiao Shunzi into the hall, where dignitaries were treated.
Just like outside, the room was separated by screens, allowing the women to dine in peace.
As Xiao Shunzi turned into a side door, there was a small courtyard behind it.
Inside the room stood the Shen family members, all surrounding the old man as he ate.
"Hey, San Gui, you've arrived! Come and greet my grandparents!"
Shen Li saw Tian Sangui walk in through the door and quickly waved to her, introducing her to the esteemed guest in the seat of honor.
Following Shen Li's address, Tian Sangui half-squatted and greeted her with a smile: "Junior Sangui pays respects to Grandfather and Grandmother Shen. May Grandfather Shen live as long as the Southern Mountain and remain as evergreen as the pine tree!"
"Haha, what a clever girl! Good girl, get up now."
Old Mrs. Shen, being in a high position, reached out to offer a helping hand, and Tian Sangui followed suit, standing beside Shen Li.
"I heard from Lily that you worked hard in the kitchen all afternoon. You must have had a tough time."
As she spoke, she beckoned to the maidservant serving her: "This is a hairpin made of golden camphor wood, with a pearl set in it. Although it's not big, it complements the hair well. Girl, come here!"
Tian Sangui obediently stepped forward, approached the old lady, and half-squatted down.
Old Mrs. Shen leaned forward slightly, holding the hairpin and gesturing it around her head before finally inserting it into her middle bun.
Bright pearls adorn the hair, adding luster and making the hair ornaments look elegant rather than empty.
From afar, she looked like a young lady from a noble family, captivating all who looked at her.
"Great! They're a perfect match. The girl is definitely prettier!"
"Thank you for your praise, Grandmother Shen. You are too kind, San Gui!"
Grandma Shen grew increasingly fond of her, and sat in her armchair, laughing heartily.
Back with Shen Li, she whispered the good news to Tian Sangui.
"My grandfather ate the food you made and his appetite was greatly improved. He ate half a bowl more rice than usual, and he also ate all of the little gold bars you made. He even said he wanted to eat them again tonight!"
After hearing this, the two covered their mouths and laughed in private. Tian Sangui felt much more at ease, finally feeling that he had not let Shen Li down.
Tian Sangui's eyes swept over the dishes prepared by the Third Miss on the square table, but he hadn't touched them at all.
Shen Xing'er managed to cut five finger holes in a fine gold handkerchief.
When she saw her grandmother bestowing upon Tian Sangui a hairpin made of nanmu wood and pearl, her face contorted with rage.
Every dish she prepared was better than any of Tian Sangui's.
But that old man didn't even look at it, and started eating Tian Sangui's food right away, which infuriated her.
"reward!"
As soon as the old lady finished speaking, the maid behind her presented a wooden tray to Tian Sangui.
Shen Li gestured for her to lift it up and take a look.
Once the red cloth is lifted, a pair of small gold ingots appear dazzlingly on the mahogany plate. One glance is enough to make one fall in love with them, which shows how attractive gold is.
"this......"
Seeing Tian Sangui hesitate, Shen Li pushed her from the side: "Hurry up and take it, you can't refuse your grandmother's kindness!"
"Thank you, Grandmother Shen, for the generous gift!"
Afterwards, she put the gold ingot into her bosom. The old lady's eyes never left Tian Sangui. She thought that this little girl was smart, lively, and likable.
"Since you've come all this way, let Li'er accompany you this afternoon so you can take a good stroll around the garden. And tonight, please ask the maid to prepare some more small gold bars for the old man!"
Grandma Shen gave Tian Sangui a playful smile, revealing that she was a lively and humorous woman in her youth.
"Yes, San Gui will do his best!"
"Quickly, take Li'er to the feast. Chun'er, go prepare some of the fruit sent from Nanzhou and send it over for them to try!"
"yes!"
Under Shen Xing'er's jealous gaze, Shen Li took Tian Sangui's arm and stepped out of the courtyard.
Shen Li, a lady from a respectable family, disdained to argue with her, as it would lower her own status.
Tian Sangui didn't take the bet to heart, but Shen Xing'er did.
The two sisters ate and drank in the room. Every time a dish was served, Shen Li would put a little bit into the food box. Tian Sangui didn't understand why she did this, but with his mouth full of chicken legs, he didn't ask.
After the two finished eating, Shen Li took Tian Sangui to the backyard to rest. She instructed Xiao Shunzi to take the food box and arranged for Tian Er to stay temporarily in the front yard room.
It turned out that the food was prepared for her second brother. Tian Sangui had to admire Shen Li's thoughtfulness in taking care of everyone.
Whoever marries her in the future will surely have a harmonious and warm family.
Tian Er had always been hung up on Shen Li, and now he couldn't let her go even more.
Men were not allowed to set foot in the backyard, so Tian Er had to stay in the front hall.
After lunch break, we welcomed our first guest, Shen Xing'er!
She stormed into Shen Li's courtyard with her maids, and the maids and servants couldn't stop her.
The eldest young lady wasn't staying here permanently, but the third young lady was the young mistress of the house. So, after considering the situation, the servants only symbolically stopped the third young lady, not daring to offend her.
What are you doing here?
Shen Li blocked her steps to go inside, but Shen Xing'er was not someone she could stop.
He bypassed her and rushed straight in front of Tian Sangui.
He gritted his teeth, staring at her with a resentful look.
"Is something the matter?"
Despite Tian Sangui's cold tone, Shen Xing'er didn't care. After looking for a while, she finally reached her hand behind her back.
The maidservant, sensing the situation, respectfully placed a red purse in her hand, which Shen Xing'er then presented to Tian Sangui.
"A bet is a bet, you get your five hundred taels, not a penny less!"
After saying that, she slammed the money bag onto the round table with a "thud".
Then she took a step back, about to kneel at Tian Sangui's feet, but how could Tian Sangui let her do that?
He grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her up to stand.
"I'll take the money, but you don't need to kneel. It wasn't a big deal to begin with; you're just being too serious."
It was the first time I'd ever felt a girl with such strength, and I lifted her up in one go. It felt amazing.
Hearing that Tian Sangui didn't hold it against her, her angry eyes immediately turned into starry eyes, filled with admiration for Tian Sangui.
"You're such a nice person!"
Ah, this...
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