For breakfast, there were Heyi cakes, Fengtang cakes, jujube cakes, five-spice pigeons, spicy cucumber strips, and winter bamboo shoots with shrimp seeds. They were served with red bean porridge and Huiren rice porridge. The cakes were all sweet, and the side dishes were salty and spicy. It was obvious that they had prepared a few more dishes because they didn't know the tastes of Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao.
This was much richer than the noodles or porridge that the Zheng family had every morning.
Xue Shao had not eaten much the day before, and he felt really hungry. He drank two bowls of porridge with the sweet cakes before he put down his bowl and chopsticks.
Zheng Xiu also ate a lot of side dishes, and couldn't help but praise: "Our chef's cooking skills are not bad. This morning's is better than yesterday's." Especially the salty and sweet things to go with the porridge, which is very thoughtful.
Minghui smiled and said: "The breakfast was made by Baishu. With the praise from the madam, I'm afraid this girl will be happy all day today."
Zheng Xiu looked at Baishu, and Baishu said shyly: "I saw that the madam and the second young master didn't eat much food yesterday. I thought maybe the chef's cooking skills were not to your taste, so I dared to try to make it myself."
Zheng Xiu nodded and said: "It's done very well." Then she thought of something and asked: "The food in our Haoye Hall should follow the big kitchen in the mansion, right?"
Minghui and others nodded.
"How many people are there in the main kitchen?"
Ming Hui said, "There are two chefs, four cooks, and a few cooking maids."
Zheng Xiu nodded and said nothing, but she had already made a plan in her mind. She and Xue Shaochu came from Jiangbei, and Bai Shu could imagine that they might not be used to the food in the capital. Those chefs who have been running the business in the Duke's Mansion for many years may not be unaware of this. Yesterday's food was not at all thoughtful.
"Bai Shu will be in charge of the small kitchen in the future." Zheng Xiu said, "See what you need to buy and write a list for me."
Bai Shu's face lit up. Being able to handle the master's food is a great trust, and he quickly knelt down to thank her.
Zheng Xiu didn't think of this, but just thought that her cooking skills were outstanding.
After breakfast, Zheng Xiu took Xue Shao to the small Buddhist hall.
Bihe Garden was still deserted. Except for a few maids and old women sweeping the door, no one else could be seen.
Aunt Du was guarding outside the small Buddhist hall. When she saw her coming, she said, "Second Madam and Second Young Master, please go in. The old lady is already doing morning prayers."
Zheng Xiu thought she had gotten up early, but she didn't expect that the old lady seemed to have gotten up much earlier than her.
In the small Buddhist hall, the old lady's chanting and the sound of wooden fish lingered.
After they went in, they bowed and called people.
The old lady paused the gavel in her hand, smiled faintly and said, "You are here." Then she pointed to a cushion beside her, "Sit down, second son, and do morning prayers with me. Shao, go to the yard to play."
Xue Shao came to see his grandmother, and he didn't have the patience to worship Buddha. He responded and trotted out of the temple. The courtyard of Bihe Garden is large and spacious, with rockery and flowers and trees. It is a place for children to explore.
Zheng Xiu sat cross-legged on the cushion beside the old lady, and the old lady handed her a copy of the Heart Sutra of Guanyin and a string of red sandalwood Buddhist beads.
Zheng Xiu was originally a person without any faith, but after her death, she was able to travel through time to this imaginary dynasty and was reborn. She was also in awe of ghosts and gods. She flipped the sutra with one hand and held the Buddhist beads with the other, and slowly recited to the slow and rhythmic sound
of the wooden fish. The old lady's morning class started at the middle of the Mao hour (about 6 o'clock) and ended at the middle of the Si hour (about 10 o'clock). Zheng Xiu went at the beginning of the Chen hour (about 7 o'clock) and read the "Avalokitesvara Heart Sutra" for three hours with her legs crossed.
The old lady's wooden fish sound did not stop, so she did not dare to ask for a rest.
Fortunately, at the middle of the Si hour, she put down the gavel and whispered to Zheng Xiu: "Okay, the morning class is over. I'm afraid you are not used to it, go back first."
Zheng Xiu got up from the cushion, but because her feet were numb, she almost couldn't stand up.
She smiled apologetically at the old lady, "Then I'll go back and have lunch before coming back."
The old lady nodded, her face calm, "It won't matter if you come back later, it's up to you."
Zheng Xiu nodded, went out to call Xue Shao who was fooling around in the yard, and said goodbye to the old lady again at the door, and then they went back to Haoye Hall together.
Bai Zhu went to supervise the cook to make lunch, because Zheng Xiu had handed the small kitchen to her, and everyone tacitly agreed that she would be in charge of these matters in the future.
After Zheng Xiu came back from the small Buddhist hall, she had lunch with Xue Shao.
After lunch, Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao took a nap together. Before going to bed, she did not forget to tell Minghui and Fenge to keep watch on the door. If something like Xue Mian did happen again, who touched the head of her bed without informing her, she would really punish them. Minghui
and Fenge agreed quickly.
After the lunch break, Zheng Xiu slept for half an hour. Thinking that the small Buddhist temple was boring, she got up quietly without waking up Xue Shao and went there alone.
The old lady did not have the habit of taking a nap. After a simple meal, she would practice in the afternoon.
After Zheng Xiu came, the old lady asked her to copy the "Heart Sutra of Avalokitesvara" on the table and chair beside her.
Zheng Xiu's handwriting can only be considered presentable, not even beautiful. If it were not for the foundation of the original owner, her level of writing from the interest class she attended in elementary school would not be embarrassing enough.
The old lady picked up some Buddhist rice for a while, then went to watch her copying the sutras. She didn't think her handwriting was ugly, but rather she admired her calmness and the seriousness of her writing, word by word. Little did she know that Zheng Xiu knew her own level, so she wrote particularly seriously.
After reading for a while, the old lady suddenly said, "Has Azhi sent any letter back?"
Zheng Xiu stopped writing and was about to stand up to reply, but the old lady gently pressed her shoulder and said, "Don't get up, just sit down and reply."
Zheng Xiu then said softly, "I haven't received any letter from Azhi. Is mother-in-law worried about him?"
The old lady chuckled, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, and I can only pray for him day and night here." The old lady paused and continued, "You should also be careful, all the letters from outside are first sent to Changfeng Garden." This means that Xue Zhi may not have no news, and it is very likely that Princess Guihe has intercepted it.
"No way..." Zheng Xiu said. Even if Princess Guihe disliked me, she would not do such a thing. How could someone of her noble status use such means.
The old lady snorted and laughed, "How can this be impossible? You have not seen enough of that person's methods."
Zheng Xiu waited calmly to hear what she said next, but the old lady stopped talking and did not continue.
Zheng Xiu did not ask any more questions and calmed down to copy the scriptures again.
In Changfeng Garden, Princess Guihe heard the maid report that Zheng Xiu had gone to the small Buddhist temple once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and had not come out yet.
A hint of mockery flashed in her narrow eyes, "That old pious woman has changed her mind and suddenly became kind to the younger generation."
The old nanny hurriedly said, "Princess, be careful with your words." They had been at odds with each other for a long time, and the whole capital knew about their quarrels. However, this dynasty is based on filial piety, and the old lady is the elder after all. Princess Guihe said such words without sending the servants away. It would be bad if it got out.
Princess Guihe sneered again, "This Zheng looks smart, but she is actually stupid." So what if the old lady is the oldest in the family? She has been out of touch with the world for many years. Do you really think that you can do anything by clinging to her thigh? What a foolish thought.
As she was talking, Qiu Rui came in and reported, "The maids and servants in the palace have been sent out. They can be sent to Haoye Hall. Princess, what do you think..."
Princess Guihe said indifferently, "Doesn't Zheng like to stay with the old lady? I'm afraid she will also learn from the old lady to live a simple and clear-minded life. Don't send her there for
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