It was probably a little after five in the morning, and the sky was just beginning to lighten. Tian Sangui saw that the workers were all getting into the swing of things, and she took advantage of this moment to sneak out of the gate.
With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he walked along asking for directions to the market, and soon arrived at the market gate following the directions of passersby.
Supported by four thick wooden pillars, the roof is covered with upturned eaves made of blue tiles. The three large characters "market entrance" are hung in the middle. One of the characters is missing a horizontal stroke, which must have been removed by wind and rain over time.
Tian Sangui looked around for a while, then looked away and went inside.
On both sides of the road were individual stalls made of wood, and in the middle was a wide road, so even wealthy families could come out in horse-drawn carriages to shop without feeling crowded.
The market wasn't very big; according to Yoda Mitsuki's measurements, it was about three thousand steps, the kind of market you could see all the way to the end of if the weather was good.
After a brief inquiry, she began looking for a more appealing stall. Since it was still early, there were only a few stalls in the market, presumably run by people who lived far away like her and had come early.
Finally, I settled on a small stall, about a hundred steps away from the market entrance.
She then looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, she used her mind to magically conjure a basket of plump, round, and fresh tomatoes onto the wooden platform.
Upon seeing this, Tian Sangui couldn't help but laugh and say, "It really is quite convenient!"
Next, she waited for the buyer to come to her door. She found a dilapidated wooden house, moved in, and sat there.
As dawn broke, the first rays of morning light spilled onto the market streets, and the once quiet market gradually came alive.
Just as Tian Sangui was hesitating whether to call out to her, a blue carriage stopped in front of her stall. Tian Sangui watched as a well-dressed old woman stepped out of the carriage. She walked straight to Tian Sangui's stall and, seeing the beautiful red fruit in the basket, couldn't help but ask Tian Sangui a question.
"Little girl, what are you selling? It looks delicious."
When she saw a customer coming in, she immediately stood up and greeted them with a smile.
"Madam has excellent taste. This fruit is called a tomato, a new variety that we've grown. It can be used in cooking and also eaten as fruit. If you don't mind, you can try one first. If you like it, then you can buy more!"
After saying that, he took a fruit out of the basket and handed it to the woman with a warm smile.
I thought she would be disgusted, after all, tomatoes look fresh and clean, but rich people wouldn't easily eat things that haven't been rinsed, right?
As a result, the woman saw that her attitude was pleasing and the fruit was clean, so she figured it must have been washed at home, otherwise why would she let her eat it?
So she didn't pick and choose, took it and took a bite. The sweet and sour taste hit her taste buds, making her want to eat a few more bites. But the second bite didn't have the sourness of the first bite, only a sweet and refreshing taste. Compared with the fruits she had eaten before, it had a unique flavor.
Before she knew it, she had finished the fruit in her hand. She thought that it tasted delicious raw, and it would be even more delicious if it were cooked into a dish. Maybe the young lady would like it?
Having made up her mind, the woman pointed to Tian Sangui's basket and said, "Move all of these onto the cart, but how do you plan to cook the vegetables you mentioned?"
This was the first time she had ever seen this fruit. If she didn't ask clearly what to do with it, she really wouldn't know where to start. She couldn't just give it to her young lady raw, could she? If her young lady got sick from eating it, she couldn't bear the blame from her mother.
Upon hearing this, Tian Sangui was overjoyed. He hadn't expected to encounter such a big customer on his very first day of setting up his stall, which would save him a lot of trouble.
"Madam, please remember, tomatoes can be stir-fried with eggs, or made into egg drop soup to mix with rice; both are delicious ways to eat them..."
She explained in great detail, and the woman's head was spinning from listening. So she simply took her to the mansion and let her try it herself to see for herself.
Tian Sangui thought it over and agreed that this was a good idea, so that they wouldn't blame her, the vegetable seller, if the food didn't taste good.
Tian Sangui, carrying her basket, boarded the woman's carriage and accompanied her to purchase the remaining ingredients before heading home.
Tian Sangui looked at the ingredients the woman had bought. Apart from her tomatoes, the vegetables were green onions, winter okra, shepherd's purse, lotus root, and tofu. The meat dishes were grass carp, pork, two hens, two geese, and a basket of free-range eggs. That was all.
Tian Sangui thought to herself that the limited variety of vegetables and meats here offered her a lot of room for future development, so she came up with a bold idea: to recreate her farmhouse restaurant in ancient times and once again live a life of immense wealth...
That's all for later. Right now, the immediate priority is to use the extra money from the activities to fill our stomachs.
As Tian Sangui was daydreaming about his future, the woman's carriage arrived at his doorstep.
A small door was opened from the inside, and two servants came out to greet the woman.
"You guys carry the vegetables from the truck to the kitchen, little girl, come with me."
Tian Sangui got off the carriage and was instructed by the woman to follow him into the mansion.
The mansion is very large, and the scenery is exquisitely and beautifully maintained. The houses are arranged in a well-organized manner, and it looks like a well-mannered and wealthy family. I wonder why the gate is so small. Is it to save space and plant more flowers and trees?
Tian Sangui was unaware that they had entered through the back door of the Shen family's residence; the front door was reserved for the owner and distinguished guests.
At the entrance to a long corridor, the woman stopped and turned to Tian Sangui behind her, saying, "Wait for me here, I'll be out in a bit."
"Ah, yes!" Tian Sangui replied.
Seeing that she was well-behaved, the woman felt relieved and entered the garden gate, leaving her alone in the long corridor. Fortunately, there was a row of benches under the railing, so she sat down facing the door.
Below was a small, emerald-green pond. Tian Sangui watched intently as three large koi carp tilted their heads back to feed. He found it amusing and couldn't help but feel a longing to join them.
Just then, a complaint from below interrupted his thoughts. Through the sparse bamboo leaves, Tian Sangui saw a woman in a beautiful silk dress sitting in the courtyard. In front of her was a dressing table and a bronze mirror, and behind her stood a young maid in green who was combing her hair.
With her back to Tian Sangui, she looked at the hairstyle her maid had styled for her in the bronze mirror. It was messy and not pretty at all, a world apart from the one in her paintings.
She complained to the maid in a bad mood, "I'm afraid even my mother wouldn't dare to see my hair like this. How am I supposed to go out today? Is this the hairstyle I saw in the painting?"
Seeing that her mistress was angry, the maidservant quickly knelt on the ground and begged for mercy: "Miss, the hairstyle you showed me was a new one. I had never seen it before, so I was a bit clumsy. Please give me another chance. I promise I will make you satisfied this time."
"Fine, if you still can't comb your hair properly, I'll tell Mother to replace you. What's the use of someone who can't even comb their hair properly?"
Miss Shen's voice was soft and gentle, and even though she spoke sternly, she didn't seem very authoritative.
Just as she was engrossed in watching the spectacle, the woman who had gone in earlier came out and saw her looking at something so intently that she didn't even notice her approaching Tian Sangui.
The woman had no choice but to pat her on the shoulder twice. Only then did Tian Sangui turn around and see that it was her. He then got up and followed her.
......
The kitchen was at the end of the corridor, in a large courtyard surrounded by back rooms. Several servants, who looked like young boys, were busy in the courtyard. Some of them carried sacks of flour in pairs, while others gathered around the well in groups of three to wash the ingredients.
Several people were chopping vegetables inside, preparing lunch.
"Come over here!"
Seeing that Tian Sangui was walking slowly, the woman waved to him to catch up.
At this moment, an empty stove was already prepared for her, just waiting for her to show off her skills.
"Tomatoes, eggs, green onions, and here are some other ingredients. Just take whatever you need. Shall we get started?"
The woman showed Tian Sangui the location of some ingredients and seasonings on the stove, so that she wouldn't make a mistake later due to being unfamiliar with the environment and getting flustered.
When the woman called to begin, Tian Sangui stopped dawdling, rolled up the sleeves of his floral jacket, and went outside to the well to wash his hands.
Back at the stove, I picked up the washed tomatoes, deftly grabbed the cleaver, and with a few "thumps!", the whole tomato was now reduced to seven or eight small triangular pieces lying on the heavy cutting board.
Next, she took out a black-glazed oil-spotted bowl, casually cracked two local eggs on the rim of the bowl, and quickly stirred them in the bowl with a pair of bamboo chopsticks to combine the egg whites and yolks into an orange-yellow liquid, which she then set aside for later use.
Next, heat the oil in a wok, and the servant will tend the fire for her from the other side, while Tian Sangui only needs to operate the stove.
Place your hand in the oil pan to check the temperature. Once it's at the right level, pour the egg mixture from the bowl into the pan and stir-fry. After a few stirs, transfer the egg mixture to the bowl and set aside. Then, add more oil and pour the chopped tomatoes into the pan, stir-frying until they release their juices.
The aroma filled the entire courtyard, attracting many servants to come and watch.
Next, add salt, sauce, a small spoonful of vinegar, and then pour in the scrambled eggs. Stir-fry them together to allow the eggs to fully absorb the tomato sauce. Then, plate them and sprinkle with the prepared chopped green onions.
A delicious and visually appealing plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes is ready.
"Madam, how does it taste?"
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