Chapter 20 Inside Story: Jiang Zhenniang seemed not to see Wang Pozi, she reached out...
Jiang Zhenniang seemed not to see Wang Pozi. She reached out and handed the food in her hand to the maid at the door: "I understand. Please tell me what happened. This is food made by my daughter. Please try it."
"Is this Han-jie's cooking? Then we won't be polite." The two maids smiled even more brightly and happily accepted the paper bag.
Everyone in the Third Sister's courtyard knows that the new Jiang Niangzi is good-tempered and hardworking, and her daughter is an excellent cook, especially her snacks which are very popular.
Today's food looks a bit peculiar; its fluffy outer layer makes a crisp cracking sound when squeezed slightly.
The two maids, who often strolled around the marketplace, had never seen such food before. They looked around at it, then sniffed the aroma.
It has a slightly oily aroma, but no other flavor.
Jiang Zhenniang looked at it and said with a smile, "You should try it. This is fried pork belly."
The two maids exchanged a glance, recalling the delicious treat they had enjoyed a couple of days ago, and simultaneously took a bite. The moment their teeth touched the fried pork belly, a crisp sound like shattering porcelain resounded in their ears, making their hearts tremble.
In later generations, this would be called the impact of puffed food.
The two maids stared wide-eyed at the food they were holding, their expressions filled with shock: "How can this thing be so, so, so crispy?"
Its unique taste is irresistible.
The two maids seemed to only sigh once before picking up another piece and putting it in their mouths. People in the courtyard noticed and couldn't help but come forward, taking turns to taste it.
"Wow, that's really interesting."
“This thing… could it be pig skin?” One of the servants, who was quite knowledgeable, examined the food in her hand carefully and discovered the original form of the crispy thing: “The three-delicacy soup that is cooked in the kitchen often uses dried skin. I remember that it is made by frying pig skin and then soaking it.”
Most people shook their heads in disbelief at this speculation: "Really? That thing is limp!"
"Yes, it's definitely not the same thing. The hair skin is soaked with soup and is soft and chewy, completely different from this crunchy stuff."
Jiang Zhenniang smiled but did not answer.
Unlike the chattering, harmonious group, Granny Wang, left standing to the side, was nearly driven mad! She stared incredulously at the amused crowd, the earlier murmurs gradually becoming clearer: "...Granny Wang doesn't know yet?"
"Pfft...that's hilarious."
“He doesn’t come to work every day, or he’s just slacking off… Third Sister has been lenient enough.”
"If I were her, I would have been too embarrassed to leave the house."
"I even got into a fight with my wife that day, oh my, what a scene..."
Granny Wang trembled with rage. Pointing her finger at Jiang Zhenniang, she cursed, "You jinx, you widow who brings bad luck to your husbands, how dare you steal my job—!"
Granny Wang's voice was extremely loud, so shrill it was almost ear-piercing. She lunged forward, ready to tear Jiang Zhenniang apart.
Jiang Zhenniang was already on guard and nimbly dodged around it. She didn't mention it, but then said in a deep voice, "Are you crazy, Granny Wang? What kind of place is this? What if you disturb the lady's rest?"
Upon hearing Jiang Zhenniang's words, the surrounding maids and servants immediately became alert and hurriedly stepped forward to stop Wang Pozi.
"Old Wang, you should go back now!"
“What Madam Jiang said is not wrong. What if you disturb your master’s rest by making such a fuss in front of Third Madam’s courtyard? Besides, it was not Madam Jiang’s intention to take your place. It was because you had not been on duty for several days, which caused the cat to escape and cause trouble, that Madam Jiang got angry.”
Seeing that Granny Wang was about to start yelling, the maid in Third Sister's courtyard quickly spoke up, "Putting everything else aside, are you really sick or faking it?"
"I..." Granny Wang was speechless, her face flushed red. Everyone in the servants' quarters knew the reason she had asked for leave, so why did this old woman have to poke at her heart?
Wait a minute? Old Wang remembered what had happened at the beginning, and her eyes widened instantly: "Well, well! You cunning and treacherous woman! That day you accused me of spying because you wanted to get my job and kick me out!"
The old woman standing nearby, who had been earnestly trying to persuade them, was speechless and shook her head repeatedly. Everyone in the courtyard knew that Granny Wang was the most meddlesome. She usually relied on being an old servant in the mansion to point fingers at a group of young maids. If they used a little makeup or chose a few silk flowers, she would criticize them.
"Don't blame Madam Jiang, the problem is that you can't even do your own job properly." It was Mama Xu who hurried out of the courtyard. Seeing Granny Wang glaring at her and yelling endlessly, she directly addressed Granny Wang's problem.
"Aunt Xu!" Granny Wang cried out upon seeing her, tears welling up in her eyes, "I may not have done anything meritorious in the yard, but I've suffered enough—"
"Hard work? Don't you always rush home when you're at work? Or do you just push your chores onto the maids?"
Madam Xu stopped Granny Wang from speaking, thinking that Granny Wang was really confused and had wasted all these years staying in the mansion.
Not to mention that she did a terrible job, she was also extremely unpopular. After the incident, no one pleaded for her or told her about it.
Madam Xu was too lazy to explain the situation to Granny Wang. She just said with a stern face, "Don't make a scene here. Madam said that if you don't want to stay in the manor, you can go home from now on. If you still want to stay, you can go work in the laundry room."
"No, no, no..." Old Wang was unwilling to be kicked out just because she had taken a few days off. She regretted her past laziness and was even more afraid of being forced to work in the laundry room.
Just now, she was looking down on the laundry and kitchen work in front of Wang's wife!
Undeterred, Granny Wang took a step forward and pleaded, "Granny Xu, please let me see the lady. Please, lady, have mercy and don't drive me out of the courtyard..."
"The lady has spoken; how can you expect to see her just because you're making a fuss?" Xu Mama said impatiently when she saw Wang Pozi still trying to cause trouble. Seeing that Wang Pozi still wanted to plead for mercy, she said sternly, "Or do you not want to choose either path? Do you want to be beaten and kicked out of the mansion, or do you want your whole family to go to the countryside?"
Xu's mother emphasized the word "whole family," knowing that Wang Pozi's son was on duty with Sanlang and she dared not implicate him.
Sure enough, when Granny Wang heard what Granny Xu said and saw the two servants following Granny Xu step forward, she immediately shut her mouth and changed her usual arrogant demeanor.
With red eyes, worried that continuing the argument would jeopardize her son's future, she walked back with tears streaming down her face.
“You follow her and keep an eye on her.” Xu Mama looked at Wang Pozi’s departing figure, thought for a moment, and then instructed the maid behind her to follow her: “If she goes to work in the laundry room today, tell the head maid there to let her stay. If she doesn’t go, don’t let her into the mansion again.”
After saying that, Xu Mama turned to look at Jiang Zhenniang: "Are you alright? That old woman Wang is petty; she's scolded everyone in and around the courtyard to some extent."
Jiang Zhenniang was taken aback at first, then chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Aunt Xu, I'm fine."
"Are you really alright?"
“…I used to care about that too.” Seeing that Xu Mama could not hide her worry, Jiang Zhenniang pursed her lips and said, “Later, someone told me that my husband died before me because he was not blessed enough to bear the blessings of me and my daughter.”
"That's true. Look at me now, my daughter and I are living in the Marquis's mansion, and our lives are getting better and better than before."
"Look, I've only been in Third Sister's courtyard for three days, and she's already rewarded me with satin and food. What do I have to worry about?"
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Xu sighed, "You are an open-minded and optimistic person."
Seeing that Jiang Zhenniang didn't seem to care, she greeted everyone and went to the yard to take care of the cats before turning back into the house.
Two maids lifted the thick curtain, and as soon as Mama Xu stepped inside, she felt a wave of heat hit her face.
It was terribly cold outside, but warm as springtime inside.
Xu Mama glanced at the charcoal brazier in the corner, then stepped into the inner room. Soon she saw Third Sister Zhou, who was reclining on the couch reading a book.
Zhou was quite beautiful, with an oval face and glossy black hair that was not tied up but instead braided and fell over her shoulders.
Inside the house, she was only wearing a thin apricot-colored embroidered short-sleeved shirt, without even wearing a narrow-sleeved shirt underneath, revealing a pinkish-white tube top underneath.
A young maid was kneeling beside her, massaging her legs. Another maid was holding a fruit platter, while yet another was peeling a tangerine, removing the white pith, and feeding it to the young lady.
Madam Zhou pushed aside the orange segments brought by the maid and sat up straight: "Mother Xu is back? Come and sit here with me."
Madam Xu smiled and responded, then stepped forward and sat down on the edge of the couch. She took the orange segments that Third Sister handed her, and then carefully reported what had happened outside to Third Sister.
"I think that old woman Wang is ungrateful and has wasted Mother's good intentions," Zhou said, pouting slightly.
Zhou originally intended to kick Wang Pozi out of the mansion. However, Xu Mama, considering that Wang Pozi had worked in the mansion for many years and that her son worked for the Third Young Master, persuaded her to let Wang Pozi stay in the mansion and send her to work in the laundry room.
“To answer your question, my lady, it is already a great blessing that you are willing to listen to my advice and give her a way out. If she cannot grasp this blessing and insists on going to a place of suffering, then that is her fate.”
Speaking of good fortune, Madam Xu recalled Jiang Zhenniang's words. She had mentioned it to Third Sister, which piqued Zhou's curiosity, prompting her to gesture for Madam Xu to come closer: "Did Zhenniang really say that?"
“It’s absolutely true,” Mrs. Xu said with a smile, then added, “Mrs. Jiang said it was someone else who told me, and I didn’t ask for details.”
“I think maybe it was her own idea,” Zhou said with a smile after thinking for a moment.
There was a time when she thought the world was strange, with all the good things being attributed to men and all the bad things being pushed onto women.
For example, before she got married, her brother didn't like studying, so her mother would blame her sister-in-law for spoiling him and leading him astray; but when her brother studied and received praise from his teacher, her mother would say that her brother was naturally intelligent and that's why he was so successful.
After she got married, she found that her mother-in-law was exactly the same, not even changing her words. She and her second sister-in-law were scolded countless times for their husband's studies and ambitions, as if the ones who couldn't memorize the books and fail the exams were not her second brother and husband, but the two sisters-in-law.
"Could she really have such thoughts?" Mrs. Xu hesitated.
“After all, she used to live with girls and had received a good education.” Zhou knew Jiang Zhenniang’s background and thought she was a thoughtful woman: “Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken her daughter to the capital to sell herself after her husband died.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Xu pondered silently, recalling Jiang Zhenniang's earlier words about how her life had gradually improved since coming to the manor. She couldn't help but sigh, "Jiang Niangzi is also pitiful. If the elders hadn't had those thoughts, she would have gone to Hangzhou with her daughter long ago and would be living a very comfortable life." Unlike now, she's content with just a third-class monthly allowance.
“That’s true,” Zhou agreed, but then she remembered something else and covered her mouth with her handkerchief: “Tell me, sister-in-law is really heartless. Zhenniang is the young lady’s wet nurse, how could she be made to work in the laundry room? If it weren’t for you, Xu Mama, running into us and wanting to repay a favor, we wouldn’t know about this.”
Zhou was not unaware that her sister-in-law, Zhao, might not know anything about this matter. However, since she was now in charge of the household, and it was the head of the main house who arranged for Jiang Zhenniang to go to the laundry room, the mistake was naturally hers.
"Should we talk to the old lady about it?"
"Why are you talking about her? The eldest daughter just got married, and the eldest sister-in-law is in a fierce mood." Zhou narrowed her eyes. She had only investigated Jiang Zhenniang to see her character, but she didn't expect to cause such a big scandal.
Zhou had a plan and kept Jiang Zhenniang, but she didn't expect to discard such a good hand so quickly. When the old lady and her sister-in-law have another conflict, this straight flush can turn into a royal flush, like a drop of water falling into a boiling oil pan, which will surely play a decisive role.
As for now? At this moment, she simply felt that Jiang Zhenniang was kind-hearted, and thus promoted her.
Madam Zhou smiled as she thought to herself, and of course she wouldn't mistreat Jiang Zhenniang: "After all, she was frightened. Nongyu, take the key, open the box, and give Zhenniang two ingots of silver to calm her nerves."
"In addition, there's the new silk that arrived yesterday..."
"Oh, and get some fruit and pastries too..."
When Su Zhihan returned home in the evening, she found Jiang Zhenniang sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), happily examining the fabrics.
She took a closer look and saw that it was a piece of light pink silk. Su Zhihan had gone to the fabric shop with Jiang Zhenniang last time, and this piece of silk was worth at least three or four strings of cash on the market.
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