Chapter 21 The Time of Minor Snow "Mother, did you go to the cloth shop?" "I..."
"Mother, did you go to the cloth shop?"
“I didn’t go to the cloth shop.” Jiang Zhenniang shook the silk in her hand and gestured to Su Zhihan: “This was a gift from Third Sister. I think this fabric suits your skin tone.”
Immediately afterwards, Jiang Zhenniang put the fabric back on the table, pulled out a soft measuring tape to measure Su Zhihan's height: "Hmm... Sister Han has grown taller, you'll grow even taller next year."
"How about this, Mom will go to the market tomorrow to buy some fabric and cotton, and make you a padded jacket for the New Year. With the remaining silk, I'll make you a pleated skirt for spring. What do you say?"
"Why make clothes for me? I don't need nice clothes in the kitchen. You should make yourself a couple more, Mother." Su Zhihan shook her head, showing little interest.
The large kitchen is already filled with oily fumes every day, which really ruins clothes, not to mention that recently there has been an extra task: pickling vegetables.
There's a saying: "Pickle vegetables on Minor Snow, pickle meat on Major Snow."
With temperatures plummeting and the weather becoming dry, the perfect season for making pickles has finally arrived.
A large quantity of vegetables and fruits were brought into the main kitchen, and Madam Xu led everyone to prepare various pickled vegetables, salted vegetables, and preserved vegetables for winter.
The smell was so strong it could practically marinate a person, not to mention that getting a piece of clothing soaked in sauce could ruin it. Not only the young, fashion-conscious cooks, but even the more dignified head housekeepers would hide their fine clothes and wear old, fine fabric garments to avoid wasting them.
Furthermore, compared to herself, Jiang Zhenniang, who had already entered Third Sister's courtyard, needed to dress more smartly and respectably to avoid being looked down upon and thus losing face for Third Sister.
Su Zhihan voiced her concerns, but Jiang Zhenniang had a different idea: "The nanny in the sewing room in the courtyard has already taken my measurements and made new clothes for me. I'll be able to get them in a couple of days."
The male servants, maids, and old women in the master's courtyard are different from those in the outer courtyard. They all have their own clothes and accessories, and even their hair ornaments and shoes and socks have corresponding color regulations.
As soon as Jiang Zhenniang entered the courtyard, the sewing room staff took her measurements and hurried off to make her clothes.
As for the clothes that Third Sister gave her, they were all made for her to wear privately. Jiang Zhenniang held up the fabric to Su Zhihan and said firmly, "Whether she wears them or not is another matter, but what others have, our Han-jie should have too."
Her daughter is sensible and never asks her for money to buy hairpins, snacks, new clothes, or new shoes. She keeps working hard to earn money and gives her the best things first.
It wasn't until she went to Third Sister's courtyard and spent two days with the young maids that Jiang Zhenniang discovered they were the same age as Han Jie'er, all dressed exquisitely and delicately, and chatting about their needlework, the latest patterns, and toys.
After receiving the reward, Jiang Zhenniang made up her mind to make a new dress for her daughter.
Upon hearing this, Su Zhihan felt a surge of tenderness in her heart, and her voice softened as well: "Then my mother and I... will each wear one, as if we were matching family outfits."
"Matching outfits for parents and children?"
"Yes, we're dressed exactly the same. It looks great, and everyone can tell we're a family at a glance."
Aren't the clothes in that mansion also like that?
“It’s completely different!” Su Zhihan interrupted Jiang Zhenniang, gesturing with the silk: “Let’s use this silk to make unique clothes for us, mother and daughter. How about we add some lake-blue silk to the cuffs? And embroider some little flowers? Or maybe we can buy a bolt of silk and make a pleated skirt directly…”
After hearing Su Zhihan's description, Jiang Zhenniang quickly gave in and agreed to Su Zhihan's request. She planned to keep the satin to make two skirts and buy two bolts of fine cloth to make tops. She planned to wear them out in the spring to show people their matching outfits.
After resolving the matter, Su Zhihan looked up at the other items that had appeared in the room: "Speaking of which, how did Mother receive so many rewards? Did something happen?"
"We have to thank Granny Wang for this."
"?" Su Zhihan looked doubtful. After Jiang Zhenniang finished explaining the whole story, her doubts not only did not decrease, but increased.
Was it a reward given to Jiang Zhenniang to appease her after she was frightened?
Looking at the items in the room, Su Zhihan couldn't help but mutter, "Isn't this... a bit too much?"
I received a reward on the very first day I started working in the institute, and I received another one today.
Jiang Zhenniang shook her head: "I heard from the people in Third Sister's courtyard that Third Sister is always generous and kind, and often gives rewards."
But this is a bit too much, a bit too much!
As Su Zhihan listened to Jiang Zhenniang recount the rewards she had received that day, besides the bolt of silk she was holding, there was another bolt of fine cloth on the table, which, judging by its pattern, should also be worth a string of cash.
There were also two tangerines, two pomegranates, and half a roast goose.
Those two fragrant oranges, known for their rich aroma, sweet fragrance, and golden color, are often called fragrant oranges by people in the capital. In fact, they come from Pingjiang Prefecture. A pair costs two strings of cash, and even then, they are hard to find. Those without connections can hardly buy them.
Su Zhihan knew the origin of the fragrant oranges because Wu Mama's daughter had also received a reward, which made Wu Mama very proud. She boasted about it for a whole cup of tea in the kitchen before she stopped.
But the tangerine she received was only one, and judging from Wu's mother's description, it seemed to be much smaller than the one in front of her.
There was also a pair of pomegranates. Although pomegranates were slightly cheaper than tangerines, their skin was red and their fruit was round. When the skin was gently peeled off, the seeds inside were plump like rubies. They must be quite extraordinary and their price must be high.
Then there were two more silver ingots.
Su Zhihan's gaze swept over the silver ingots. It wasn't that she didn't care about money, but rather that a strong aroma wafted straight out of the steamer, forcefully entering her nostrils and taking over her thoughts.
Jiang Zhenniang folded the scattered silk and fine cloth on the table and put them into the box, then walked to the stove.
Before Su Zhihan returned, Jiang Zhenniang had put the roast goose in the cage to heat it up. When she lifted the lid, a strong aroma wafted out along with the billowing white steam, making Su Zhihan's scalp tingle and her mouth water.
"This flavor is absolutely amazing." Jiang Zhenniang hadn't tasted anything this good in many years, and she couldn't stop drooling as she smelled it.
She quickly moved the heated roast goose to the table, first twisting off a large goose leg and handing it to Su Zhihan, then twisting off a large piece of goose wing: "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and try it while it's hot."
"I was just thinking... no one in the kitchen mentioned making roast goose today?" Su Zhihan answered subconsciously.
Making roast goose and roast duck requires a large stove, which is expensive and takes up a lot of space. It also produces a lot of smoke and odor, so the Marquis's mansion only has one in the main kitchen.
Since there's no roast goose in the main kitchen, this roast goose must have been bought from a restaurant outside. Although I don't know whose it is, the food that Third Sister uses must be from a big restaurant, and it must cost at least a few hundred coins, right?
Su Zhihan took a bite, and the juice locked beneath the thin outer skin gushed out, almost running down her lips.
She quickly bent down, grabbed a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, and continued chewing. The goose meat was succulent and tender, with the aroma of fruitwood charcoal grilling. Su Zhihan carefully discerned that it vaguely resembled the flavor of lychee wood.
Lychees are currently mainly produced in Fujian, and are also grown in Sichuan and other places, but they are rarely seen around Beijing.
Therefore, to roast goose using lychee wood, the wood had to be transported from afar, and even though it was originally cheap, it became priceless after all that trouble.
If it is indeed roasted with lychee wood, then the price of this roast goose would probably double, no! It could even triple.
While marveling at the food, Su Zhihan couldn't help but take another bite of roast goose. This was the first time she had eaten roast goose since she transmigrated. The rich aroma of the meat burst on her tongue, the slightly softened skin from steaming was oily and juicy, and the meat juices were fragrant, carrying the aroma of fruitwood and the heat, all rushing into her chest and abdomen.
"It's delicious."
"This is so delicious."
Jiang Zhenniang's exclamations were endless. After finishing a whole goose wing, she licked her fingers, not even letting go of the last drop of goose oil.
She couldn't bear to finish it all at once, so she covered it with a lid, intending to use the rest the next day.
Although Jiang Zhenniang thought this, she couldn't take her eyes off the roast goose. She swallowed and sighed to Su Zhihan, "It's really different after entering Third Sister's courtyard. No wonder so many people are scrambling to get into her house. Look at how many rewards we've received in just a few days."
"Han'er, listen to your mother's advice."
"Forget about those businesses outside, just focus on learning the trade in the kitchen." Jiang Zhenniang used to think that doing business was a quick way to make money, but she only realized the difference between life inside the mansion and life outside after entering the Third Mistress's courtyard: "If the Third Mistress's courtyard is short of people in the kitchen, or if the Fourth Miss's courtyard needs to select people, your mother can also do her part and teach you to go in too."
Upon hearing this, Su Zhihan felt a mix of emotions. She knew her mother meant well; the total value of the items displayed in front of them already exceeded the money they had earned from selling dried bean curd and other goods in recent days.
Moreover, Jiang Zhenniang was right; countless people outside were desperate to get into the Marquis's mansion.
If it weren't for the past relationship between Jiang Zhenniang and the Marquis of Zhongyong's family, even if the mother and daughter had voluntarily sold themselves, they wouldn't have been able to get into the manor.
Look at Jiang Zhenniang, she's only just entered the courtyard and she's already received so many rewards. Not to mention the powerful head maid, who, backed by her master's influence, wields considerable power and influence outside, and even ordinary officials have to give her some face.
The lives of first- and second-class maids were far better than those of ordinary people. With just a few years of hard work, they could save enough money to buy a house and settle their families. If they were favored by their masters, they might even become concubines in their husbands' quarters, thus transcending social classes, having children, and securing their future.
Even though Su Zhihan knew the cruel traps hidden behind wealth and knew that being a servant meant entrusting one's life and fortune to the master, relying entirely on the master's kindness and the master's continued wealth, she still couldn't help but be tempted when she saw such a generous reward.
What followed was unease.
She was just a third-class servant who had just entered the courtyard and kept cats and birds. How could she receive so many rewards all at once?
Su Zhihan felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. After thinking it over, she ignored Jiang Zhenniang's suggestion and simply told Jiang Zhenniang to be extra cautious and careful in everything she did.
Although Jiang Zhenniang felt that her daughter was worrying too much, she still obediently agreed. After living a good life, she also tasted the sweetness and did not want to be sent to work in the laundry room like Wang Pozi. She even thought about building relationships and getting Han Jie'er to work in a good place later.
On one side, Jiang Zhenniang was thriving in San Niangzi's courtyard; on the other side, Wang Pozi's life in the laundry room was visibly miserable.
At first, she was so angry that she didn't want to go to the laundry room. She stormed off to the servants' quarters, intending to talk to her son when he got home and ask him for advice.
But as soon as Granny Wang reached the servants' quarters, she stopped abruptly and stood motionless. She remembered her son and daughter-in-law's suggestion from a couple of days ago—that she be allowed to go home and look after her grandson, and that her daughter-in-law be allowed to come into the mansion to work…
If I go back, wouldn't I be slapping myself in the face and fulfilling my wife's wishes? My son might not only not comfort me, but also complain about me.
Granny Wang's palms were damp, and her expression shifted between anger and uncertainty for a long while. Finally, she turned around, lowered her head, hunched her back, and silently headed towards the laundry room.
In the following days, Granny Wang seemed like a different person. She went to the mansion to work early every morning and returned home exhausted in the evening.
Even though Wang's daughter-in-law disliked her mother-in-law, she couldn't help but be secretly suspicious. After thinking it over, she felt that her mother-in-law was probably provoked by the couple and was worried about being sent back home, which was why she seemed like a different person and worked so obediently.
If things had been done this way earlier, she wouldn't have had any other thoughts.
Wang's wife muttered to herself, but thinking that it was a good thing that Granny Wang wasn't at home bothering her, she didn't go up to mock her. Unfortunately, she didn't work in the mansion and didn't have anyone she got along with, so she didn't know for several days that her mother-in-law had been transferred from Third Sister's Courtyard and was now working in the laundry room.
Her husband, Wang Xuerong, knew about the matter long ago, but he was often ridiculed for the fight between his mother and wife that day. Not wanting to cause any more trouble, he simply kept quiet and pretended that he knew nothing about it either.
Old Wang dragged her weary body home. Looking at the candlelight in the Jiang family's house and smelling the enticing fragrance emanating from it, she was filled with regret.
If only I had known... if only I had known...
She swallowed the bitterness in her mouth, and the moment she pushed open her own door, she reverted to her usual flamboyant self.
She had to hold on to her breath so her daughter-in-law wouldn't find out.
She didn't know how long this acting would last, but Granny Wang hoped it would last as long as possible.
Leaving aside how hard Wang Pozi and Wang Xuerong tried to act, just to fool people for as long as they could, Su Zhihan finished her work in the main kitchen and returned home. She took out the earthenware jar, washed it, and put it against the wall to dry.
Seeing that the weather has been nice these past few days, she plans to make some pickled vegetables, dry some salted fish, and make some glutinous rice cakes later when she has some free time, so as to prepare enough food for the winter.
Taking advantage of the rare free time after the main kitchen finished pickling vegetables, she called Yinghong and Cao Daya, and the three of them went to the market to buy the ingredients they needed.
Cao Daya was a glutton; after walking a few steps, she couldn't move her legs once she saw the vendors, and she pulled the two of them towards them: "...Let's eat two fried dumplings before we go?"
Su Zhihan and Yinghong readily agreed, and soon each of them held a fried eggplant sandwich in their hands. The fried eggplant sandwich was similar to a fried eggplant box. It was made by selecting plump and round long eggplants, cutting them into slices, stuffing them with minced meat, and finally coating them with egg wash before frying them in oil until both sides were golden brown and crispy.
The aromas of eggplant, egg, and meat rise and fall, gradually blending together in a layered and satisfying way.
No… Cao Daya is not satisfied yet.
Anyway, Su Zhihan hadn't seen what she planned to buy yet. She was carrying a stack of bags in her hands, and after frying the hamburger, she ate three or four kinds of food. At this moment, she was chewing on a sour hawthorn fruit.
At that moment, Cao Daya, who was walking at the front, let out a gasp.
Su Zhihan and Yinghong, who were following behind, paused, subconsciously glancing around at the surrounding shops. They both breathed a sigh of relief only after confirming there were no food stalls nearby. Then, they looked at Cao Daya: "What's wrong?"
"You didn't realize you forgot something, did you?"
"No way... I'm already stuffed!" Yinghong's little face scrunched up, and for the first time, she resisted eating snacks.
She made up her mind that if Cao Daya wanted to eat something again, she would refuse to eat it—even if Cao Daya said she was treating, she wouldn't eat it!
“No, no.” Cao Daya stamped her foot and pointed to the man sitting at the entrance of the alley not far away: “It’s him—the one who sold me the bad tofu last time, that’s the one.”
Upon hearing this, Su Zhihan glanced in the direction Cao Daya pointed and saw a thin old man squatting there. His hair was gray and his face was full of bitterness. He looked like a poor farmer. In front of him was a basket full of tofu, and he was trying his best to sell it by shouting at the top of his lungs.
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