Chapter 18 Exposes Su Zhihan's Unexpected Coincidence...
Su Zhihan never expected such a coincidence.
Jiang Zhenniang, who had been keeping a straight face, couldn't help but laugh out loud when she saw her daughter's funny expression with her eyes and mouth wide open: "This matter seems like a coincidence, but in reality, it's because Third Sister dislikes Granny Wang."
"Old Wang was originally a bird and cat feeder, and she didn't need to stay in the yard for long each day. But she claimed to be sick and didn't go to the yard for several days in a row."
"Mother Xu then sent someone else to raise the birds and feed the cats. Little did she know that the maid in charge was new to this job and, without careful attention, the cats kept in the room ran out."
"It is said that when the Third Sister and the Third Young Master were engaged, the Third Young Master knew that she liked cats, so he specially sent someone to Linqing Prefecture to buy it for her. It has a very special meaning."
"When Xu's mother learned that the cat had escaped, she immediately sent people in the yard to look for it. She went out to look for it herself, and that's when she fell."
Jiang Zhenniang read what she had heard to her daughter, teaching her to say that Granny Wang deserved it: "Even if it wasn't me, someone else would have taken Granny Wang's job."
She simply happened to be there; when she was doing things and being a good person, fate happened to smile upon her.
Regardless of how Granny Wang would react, Su Zhihan and Jiang Zhenniang both felt very relieved at the moment, and couldn't help but exchange a glance and chuckle.
"If Granny Wang finds out, she'll probably hate Mother," Su Zhihan said with a smile, then reminded her mother.
“She’s just being irresponsible, how can you blame me? Besides, just you wait and see, once Granny Wang loses her job at the manor, she’ll have a hard time later,” Jiang Zhenniang retorted.
Firstly, no matter how you look at it, Wang Pozi is in the wrong. If she really dares to come knocking on the door, she'll drag Wang Pozi to Third Sister's place and have them reason with her.
Secondly, now that Wang Pozi has lost her job, it's uncertain how her relationship with Wang's daughter-in-law will develop.
These days, people talk about filial piety, but how many parents would actually be willing to go to the government to sue their sons? If everyone in the world were filial, then why are there piles of bones at the bottom of cliffs in the mountains?
Having fallen out of favor with her master, Granny Wang found it difficult to enter the ladies' and gentlemen's courtyards from then on. For someone of her age to find suitable work in the mansion was no easy task, especially since Granny Wang's son was working for Sanlang.
Jiang Zhenniang was told that Granny Wang would have a lot of suffering ahead of her.
Jiang Zhenniang sensed her daughter's worry. Though she inwardly grumbled, she outwardly replied obediently, "You're right, we should be careful, it's better to stay away..."
At this point, Jiang Zhenniang remembered something else: "Speaking of which, last time we only replaced the damaged window paper. Tomorrow I will ask the carpenter in the mansion to come and nail our windows more securely. It's almost winter, and the house needs to be warmer."
Speaking of warmth, Jiang Zhenniang couldn't help but mention the cat again: "That cat was so beautiful, so white. Holding it in your arms felt like holding a cloud in the sky. It was completely different from the cats we've seen in the village."
The village is mostly populated by yellow cats, and the occasional white one is always covered in dust and dirt from constantly scurrying around in and out of the stove.
Jiang Zhenniang whispered to her daughter, "Come to Third Sister's courtyard later, and I'll bring you a piece of my daughter's clothes to see."
Su Zhihan was wondering if it was a good idea for her mother to move into the Third Madam's courtyard. The old lady of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion had three sons and one daughter. Apart from her eldest daughter, who had married far away many years ago, the other three brothers had not yet separated from the family.
The eldest son is now the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, Lu Mingnan, and also the head of the main branch of the household. Now the Marquis is fighting on the frontier, and all the affairs of the mansion are managed by the eldest wife, Zhao Shi. Especially after the eldest daughter married into the Rong Prince's Mansion, the status of the head of the main branch has risen sharply.
This is also the person Su Zhihan least wants to contact.
The second son of the old lady, Lu Mingbei, was from the second branch of the family. He entered officialdom through hereditary privilege and is currently a seventh-rank official. Although he is not as good as his elder brothers in either literature or martial arts, and keeps a low profile at home, his wife, Li, is the old lady's niece. The two have a close relationship, are generous, and hold a high position and good reputation in the household.
Previously, the Second Sister's Courtyard that Su Zhihan wanted to go to was the Second Branch of the House.
Jiang Zhenniang was about to go to the third branch of the household, to Lu Mingguan, the youngest son of the old lady. He had entered officialdom through the imperial examination and was currently a sixth-rank official. His wife, Zhou, the third daughter, came from a merchant family. It was said that her father had once saved the old marquis, which led to the marriage.
The opinions about Third Sister are polarized. Some say she is mean-spirited and intolerant, while others say she is kind, generous, and protective of her own. The difference is so great that it makes people suspicious.
But little else is heard about.
Su Zhihan's thoughts raced, but Third Sister had already spoken; it wasn't like she could tell her mother not to go and then her mother would simply not go.
Most importantly—
Su Zhihan looked up at Jiang Zhenniang, whose face was full of joy and who was talking to her incessantly. Her heart softened.
Anyway, there's still a long way to go in saving money!
Just as Su Zhihan was about to tell her mother to be extremely careful, a loud crash suddenly sounded behind her. She stopped speaking and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see that Qiuyue, the kitchen maid next to Wu Mama, had collided with Cao Daya and fallen heavily to the ground.
Beside them, a rather familiar bamboo basket lay fallen. The basket rolled twice on its side on the ground, and the coarse cloth covering it slowly slid off, revealing the bluish-green tofu inside.
Hearing the commotion, a servant who came to help glanced at the tofu and exclaimed, "Oh dear, where did this tofu come from? It's all spoiled and you're still leaving it in the kitchen?"
"Really..."
"Aunt Cao, did you forget to use it?"
"Oh dear, oh dear, what's going on... Huh?" Wu's mother pretended to be concerned about Qiuyue, but actually came closer to check.
She glanced at the bluish-green, spoiled tofu, unable to hide the schadenfreude in her eyes. Feigning surprise, she covered her mouth and said, "Sister Cao, isn't this the basket that Daya just brought back? How come there's this kind of tofu inside?"
In an instant, the room fell silent.
Several gazes fell either on the tofu or on Cao's mother and Cao Daya.
Cao Daya was shy and already felt guilty. Upon hearing this, her cheeks turned bright red, and sweat beaded on her nose. She wanted to speak but didn't know what to say, so she could only look to her mother for help.
Cao Mama's expression was stiff, especially when she caught a glimpse of Xu, the cook, and the servants who had come in from outside, her lips became dry with anxiety.
If Cao Daya were already ten years old, and word got out that she could still buy bad tofu, wouldn't she become the laughingstock of the whole household!
Cao's mother, quick-witted, stammered, "This is what I asked Daya to buy, specifically for making food."
Seeing that Cao's mother was still being stubborn, Wu's mother frowned, pinched her nose, and bent down to pick up the basket. She placed the bamboo basket on the table and showed it to the people around her, and finally looked at Cao's mother with a shocked expression: "Sister Cao, has something happened to your family? Why didn't you tell us?"
"Even if you're poor, you can't eat this tofu."
"What if... what if it causes health problems?"
“It’s really food.” Cao’s mother blushed, but she forced herself to say, “It’s just an occasional treat, not something we eat every day. Why are you making such a fuss?”
"Hey... Qiuyue Sulan, have you ever heard of food made with this kind of spoiled tofu?" Mama Wu asked the kitchen maid beside her curiously.
The cooks and servants all shook their heads, and the bystanders also shook their heads: "How can this be eaten?"
"Isn't fermented bean curd made from spoiled tofu?"
“That’s different. I remember it being moldy.” Someone shook their head and described the appearance of fermented bean curd: “Besides, there was a case before where someone bought fermented bean curd from a vendor and suffered from severe diarrhea after eating it… The government has explicitly prohibited the private production of it.”
Besides, Cao's mother's cooking skills aren't that great.
Everyone chimed in with various guesses, but soon they all returned to their initial thought: "Could it be that Daya bought the wrong tofu..."
"Da Ya is already ten years old?"
"How could he buy the wrong tofu? Is he stupid?" The servant lowered his voice as he spoke, his eyes filled with shock and disdain.
Seeing the situation increasingly tilting to one side, Su Zhihan was so anxious that Cao Mama was sweating profusely. Finally, she couldn't help but step forward and say, "Wu Mama, you have misunderstood Cao Mama. This thing is not only edible, but it also tastes quite good."
"Huh?" Wu's mother was taken aback at first, then laughed in exasperation. According to Su Zhihan's words, wasn't she implying that she was ignorant and didn't know the use of the things in front of her?
Her smile vanished instantly, and she said in a deep voice, "Oh? Does Han-jie mean you've witnessed it?"
Su Zhihan sighed inwardly. She hadn't wanted to provoke Mama Wu, but she and Mama Cao were in the same boat, and she had to prove her family's worth.
Su Zhihan first explained seriously: "Aunt Wu misunderstood me. Actually, this is a common food in the countryside. The village is poor, and when there is nothing to eat in winter, they are reluctant to throw away spoiled tofu. That's how this way of eating it came about."
“Mama Wu and Mama Cao are servants born into the household and grew up in the capital. How could they have ever eaten such lowly food?”
As Su Zhihan finished speaking, she cast a grateful glance at Cao Mama: "It's because Cao Mama cares about me and often asks me about my past that I brought up this item, which made Cao Mama curious."
"This stuff smells bad. We originally wanted to take it back and make it again, but we never expected that Sister Qiuyue would come up with it."
Mrs. Wu was skeptical. She first glanced at Su Zhihan, then looked at Mrs. Cao: "What you're saying... you're not trying to cover for Mrs. Cao, are you?"
"What does Aunt Wu take me for?!"
“Just like Han’er said.” Cao’s mother wiped her sweat with a handkerchief and shamelessly continued, “I just asked Daya to buy some more, but I didn’t expect the smell to be so strong. It gave me quite a fright.”
"It's not really appropriate to tinker with these things in the kitchen."
“I thought I’d have to go home and think about it some more before I taught Daya to cover it with a coarse cloth and put it in the cupboard.”
As Cao's mother spoke, she gradually calmed down and complained in a loud voice: "But Wu's maid is so absent-minded and clumsy. She even knocked my daughter over while walking."
"It's all my fault for not teaching her properly." Wu's mother forced a smile, not wanting to let Cao's mother actually do a bad job on the spot. She glared at Qiuyue and said, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and put the things away."
Qiu Yue's eyes were slightly red, and she lowered her head to respond.
Seeing that Madam Wu was no longer pursuing the matter, Cao Mama finally breathed a sigh of relief. She took Su Zhihan's hand, squeezed it gently, and said in a low voice, "Han'er, there were so many things to do today..."
Su Zhihan blinked, signaling Cao Mama to stop talking. Then she raised her voice and said softly, "Before you use this tofu, rinse it with water, then fry it in lard until golden brown on both sides, and then mix it with the sauce I mentioned..."
After eavesdropping for a while, Mrs. Wu finally dismissed her suspicions. She clicked her tongue, then felt a little guilty and looked up at Mrs. Zhang.
I haven't made any progress over the years, and I rarely receive rewards from my masters... Could it be that I'm just sticking to the old ways and haven't had much exposure to food from outside?
Leaving aside how Wu's mother doubted herself and began to think about learning a thing or two, Jiang Zhenniang finished the farewell dinner prepared for her by the people in the laundry room and officially started working in San Niangzi's courtyard.
Taking care of cats and feeding birds was so much easier than working in the laundry room. If Jiang Zhenniang hadn't just entered San Niangzi's courtyard and preferred to help out earlier rather than leave sooner, she would have felt she didn't need to hire anyone else and would have plenty of time to sell dried tofu outside.
At the same time, Wang's wife gradually realized that something was wrong.
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