Chapter 27 The newly appointed Su Zhihan, taking advantage of a break while deep-frying stinky tofu…
While the stinky tofu was being fried, Su Zhihan also prepared two kinds of sauces. One was sweet, and the other was spicy—although there were no chili peppers available at the moment, there were several kinds of pungent spices, enough to create a similar flavor.
Su Zhihan placed the two bowls of sauce aside, then used a strainer to scoop out the tofu that had been fried in the oil until the outer skin was golden and crispy and the inside was fluffy and puffed up. She drained the excess hot oil and then poured it into a plate.
By now, the stench in the large kitchen had completely dissipated, leaving only the rich aroma of frying.
Su Zhihan didn't plate it; she simply carried it in her hands and presented it to Madam Xu, then smiled and said, "Madam Xu, I've finished cooking."
After the words were spoken, Madam Xu remained silent for a long time, staring at the golden and crispy tofu and smelling its rich aroma.
Su Zhihan seemed to realize what was happening and put the porcelain plate back on the table. She took a pair of wooden chopsticks, picked up a piece of stinky tofu, dipped it in sweet sauce, and put it in her mouth.
Everyone in the large kitchen instinctively held their breath, staring blankly at Su Zhihan's actions.
Su Zhihan opened her mouth, and her snow-white teeth gently landed on the fried tofu.
With a crisp, pleasant crackling sound, the crispy outer layer of the fried tofu is torn open, revealing the hollow inside. An indescribable, wonderful aroma wafts out and spreads in all directions.
In an instant, the sound of swallowing saliva echoed in the large kitchen.
Meanwhile, Su Zhihan was also savoring the stinky tofu. Because the brine was made with accelerated fermentation and the soaking time was adjusted, she was initially worried that the stinky tofu would taste different.
However, Su Zhihan's worries were clearly unnecessary. She squinted her eyes, enjoying the wonderful taste brought by the aroma of oil and beans, and casually picked up a second piece and put it in her mouth.
Seeing how happily she was eating, Cao Daya couldn't resist. She swallowed hard, blushing, and asked Su Zhihan, "Sister Han, may I try a piece?"
"Yes, that's fine."
"Then I'll give it a try." With permission granted, Cao Daya quickly picked up a pair of chopsticks and eagerly put a piece of fried stinky tofu into her mouth.
With just a little force from your teeth, the crispy outer layer will break apart between your teeth, allowing your teeth and tongue to immediately come into contact with the soft and tender inside, experiencing a double bombardment of heat and aroma.
The fried tofu cubes have a unique texture, being both crispy and tender. With each chew, an indescribable, pungent aroma fills the mouth.
This flavor is so wonderful, so unique, and so unforgettable!
Bystanders watched Su Zhihan and Cao Daya's reactions with great interest. While the former would occasionally frown and mutter a few words, the latter was completely captivated by the fried tofu in front of her, stuffing one piece after another into her mouth, oblivious to the fact that it was spoiled tofu.
"...It seems really delicious."
"That Cao Daya, she can eat so much."
"Shall we... go up and try it?"
"I think I'll try again; they've almost eaten everyone!"
As Cao Daya devoured her food, the rest of the people in the kitchen gradually became restless. After observing for a while, Madam Xu pondered for a moment, staring at the unheard-of food for a long time before finally stepping forward.
"Madam Xu, you can't eat this!" Seeing this, Madam Wu, who was standing next to her, quickly tried to dissuade her.
Even though Cao Daya ate with great relish, and even though the kitchen was filled with a unique aroma that was hard to describe, it did nothing to dispel Wu's mother's doubts.
The rotten tofu she made that day made her scalp tingle the moment she put it in her mouth, and she still feels a chill when she thinks about it now.
Mother Wu glanced at the plate of fried tofu. Even though Han Jie'er and Cao Daya were eating so happily, she didn't believe that it was edible!
She tried to dissuade her again, saying, "Madam Xu, if you ask me, there must be something fishy going on... You absolutely mustn't eat this."
"Wordy."
"Madam Xu!?" Madam Wu froze on the spot as she watched Madam Xu utter those two words, walk past her to the table, pick up her chopsticks, and taste the food.
A strong sense of unease washed over her, making Wu's mother flustered. Unwilling to give up, she followed behind Xu's wife and hurried forward, picking up the chopsticks to try them out herself.
Seeing Madam Xu and Mama Wu step forward to try it, the once-silent kitchen suddenly came alive. Everyone, including Mama Zhang, followed suit and sampled it as well.
For a moment, the sound of clicking cameras was incessant.
Madam Xu took only a small bite, then held the fried stinky tofu in her hand with her wooden chopsticks and examined it closely, her eyes filled with shock.
This was the first time she had ever seen such a strange food! She couldn't help but recall the tofu she had just seen. It was hard to imagine that tofu with its strange liquid and indescribable smell could be transformed into this wonderfully flavorful food after being deep-fried.
Madam Xu's mind raced. She glanced at Su Zhihan, then lowered her eyes and took another bite of the fried stinky tofu.
The atmosphere in the large kitchen was strangely quiet; no one spoke, only the sounds of crunching and chewing filled the air.
Cao Daya ate one piece after another. When she finished what was in her mouth and reached out with her chopsticks to pick up another piece, her chopsticks touched another pair of chopsticks, making a slight clanging sound.
"Huh?" Cao Daya looked up and met the eyes of the owner of the other pair of chopsticks. She paused, then murmured unconsciously, "Wu, Mom, Mom... uh."
As soon as she said it, Cao Daya realized something was wrong. She glanced nervously at Wu Mama, feeling guilty, and silently put her chopsticks away.
However, Cao Daya soon noticed that Wu's mother was so distracted that she didn't notice her little actions at all.
Cao Daya breathed a sigh of relief, and then slowly came to her senses.
etc?
Has Sister Han made a bad tofu dish? That means...
Remembering what Madam Xu had said that day, Cao Daya couldn't help but swallow again. She turned sharply to look at Su Zhihan, both surprised and delighted: "Sister Han, you did it! You didn't lie!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the rest of the people in the kitchen came to their senses. Countless strange gazes swayed back and forth between Su Zhihan and Wu Mama, finally settling on Madam Xu.
Madam Xu took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped her mouth. She calmly glanced at Su Zhihan and said, "Is this a prescription from your family?"
"Yes," Su Zhihan answered readily, perhaps worried that Madam Xu might also try it secretly. Then she added, "Although it's called spoiled tofu, it's not simply ruined by simmering. It depends on the shape of the tofu; you need to use some brine..."
In fact, the recipe Su Zhihan used this time was an improvement on the recipe for Changsha stinky tofu from later generations. She removed the black brine and only used brine made from fermented soy milk, shrimp, mushrooms and various spices to make stinky tofu that was milky white and light in color and resembled spoiled tofu.
If we're talking about stinky tofu that's simply fermented, then it should be called hairy tofu. However, hairy tofu, which is naturally fermented for the first time, usually requires a suitable temperature and then takes five to seven days to mature.
Most importantly, without a strain of bacteria, it is not guaranteed that good bacteria will grow; if it encounters toxic or harmful bacteria, it will truly harm both oneself and others.
Madam Xu sensed the worry in Su Zhihan's words and her opinion of Su Zhihan changed slightly.
Just as she was instructing everyone in the kitchen not to easily try other people's recipes like Mother Wu had done, Mother Wu also came to her senses, her face turning pale, then red, then purple: "You, you, you did it on purpose."
"What do you mean, 'on purpose'?" Seeing the situation turn around, Cao's mother was overjoyed. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Wu's mother: "Did Han'er let you learn this on purpose?"
Then, Cao Mama looked at Xu Niangzi and asked, "Xu Niangzi, will Han Jie'er receive a third-class monthly allowance from now on?"
Mrs. Wu's face looked even worse than before.
Madam Xu nodded. Since Su Zhihan was true to her word, she wouldn't stop her. She turned to Su Zhihan and said, "I will report your name. Starting tomorrow, you will receive a third-class monthly wage, and you will be responsible for the food of the third-class servants and maids."
Su Zhihan replied happily, "Yes."
Wu's mother was struck dumb, her mouth dry. She stopped Xu's wife, who was turning to leave, and asked, "Then, Xu's wife, what will I, I, do in the future?"
Are they trying to kick me out?
Just thinking about it made Wu's mother blush and break out in a cold sweat; she felt both terrified and distressed.
You must understand that the status of a mother who is in power is completely different from that of a mother who is not in power, or even one who is retired at home.
A powerful mother has a lot of influence in front of her master. Not only does she receive more rewards during festivals, but her children also have a bright future. Meanwhile, the servants and maids below her have to fawn over her.
While not quite the former, Wu Mama still had some influence. She maintained good relationships with the maids and servants in the three ladies' courtyards through her work, which was how she had previously sent her daughters to work in the courtyards.
In addition, people in the manor would pay him a lot of money and say a lot of flattering words to ask him to cook for them.
But if she were to be unemployed at home, she would truly be at the bottom of the social ladder. Before, she could earn a living by cooking for others, but if she went to other people's homes to cook, she might even have to pay out of her own pocket.
Not to mention the rewards from the manor during festivals, those had nothing to do with her anymore, and within a few years, her master had completely forgotten about her.
In the past, Wu's mother had often seen mothers who were once prominent figures, but after returning home, they had to beg for help from servants who were originally inferior to them.
Madam Xu seemed to have forgotten about Mama Wu, and only remembered this matter after being reminded.
She thought about it and found herself in a dilemma. There were fixed positions in the main kitchen, and although Mama Wu's skills were better than Mama Cao's, she was still considered inferior in the main kitchen. Otherwise, she wouldn't be a cook who prepared food for third-class maids and servants.
If you move Aunt Wu to another place, and then make a mistake with the dishes, you'll be blamed for it.
Madam Xu thought for a moment, then glanced at Su Zhihan. In the past three months, Su Zhihan's cheeks had become a little fuller and she had grown a little taller, but with her fluffy yellow hair, she still looked like a little girl who hadn't fully grown up.
Letting her take charge has caused problems, as the other servants and maids have objections.
Having made up her mind, Madam Xu said, "From now on, you will continue to cook the meals for a third-class maid."
"……Why?"
"Help Han-jie with some work."
Not only did Mrs. Wu remain silent, but the entire kitchen was quiet; no one spoke.
Even though everyone knew that Wu Mama had suffered a crushing defeat after tasting the fried stinky tofu, they never expected that Madam Xu would directly teach Wu Mama to be Han Jie'er's assistant.
A moment later, a buzzing sound filled the kitchen.
Madam Wu's lips trembled. She was utterly unwilling to accept that she had been reduced from a head cook to a servant girl doing odd jobs for a third-class maid. She said anxiously, "Madam Xu, I may not have done anything special, but I have worked hard... How could this be, how could this be..."
“You didn’t raise any objections three days ago, so doesn’t that mean you agreed?” Madam Xu glanced at Mama Wu and said, “Besides, I didn’t reduce your monthly allowance to a minimum.”
As for Wu's mother's attempt to steal the knowledge and then turning around and accusing others, a fine of three months' wages or a demotion would be a normal punishment.
Madam Xu felt she had already given Mama Wu a lot of face. The implication in her words made Mama Wu dare not say anything more, for fear of angering Madam Xu and being relegated to menial tasks like washing vegetables and dishes, which would be a complete disgrace.
But, however...
She's going to help Han-jie with her work from now on? Be Han-jie's assistant? Isn't that just humiliating her?
Mrs. Wu looked ashen-faced as she gazed at Su Zhihan, who was surrounded by Mrs. Cao and the others, and she felt utterly dejected.
After finishing her work, Su Zhihan headed home. Along the way, many servants and old women who had heard the news congratulated her, making it take her almost half an hour to get home.
Back home, Jiang Zhenniang also returned from San Niangzi's courtyard. Having also received the news, she was overjoyed and hugged her daughter, showering her with compliments.
Originally, Jiang Zhenniang had planned to have her daughter work in the small kitchen of the Third Sister's courtyard or in the Fourth Sister's courtyard. She never expected that her daughter would be so capable, rising three ranks without relying on herself and becoming the head cook.
Although she was only preparing food for third-class maids and servants, Han-jie was only a few years old, and her future was bright!
Jiang Zhenniang praised her daughter repeatedly, and then taught Su Zhihan all the management experience she knew, as well as what her mother had told her in previous years.
Su Zhihan nestled in Jiang Zhenniang's arms, carefully noting down Jiang Zhenniang's words, and occasionally chiming in with a few words of agreement.
Finally, Jiang Zhenniang mentioned Wu Mama: "Now that this has happened, Wu Mama will definitely be dissatisfied with you and may try to trip you up."
"I know." Su Zhihan had thought of this issue when she heard Madam Xu ask Wu Mama to work for her from now on. She nodded seriously, already having an idea: "Let's respect her first and then see how Wu Mama performs."
Seeing that her daughter was prepared, Jiang Zhenniang didn't say anything more. She told her daughter to do her job well, and then casually started talking about the gossip she had heard.
While the mother and daughter were talking together, Wu's mother was also wiping away tears as she returned home.
Her daughter, Xiuhe, came out of the house and happened to see this scene. She quickly put down her work and went to help Wu Mama: "Mother, what's wrong? Who would dare to wrong you?"
Mrs. Wu only wiped away her tears and didn't say anything.
Xiuhe saw this and was anxious. She first helped Wu Mama into the house to sit down and rest, and then turned around to pour a cup of tea and handed it to Wu Mama: "My mother, who wronged you? Tell me and I will get revenge for you."
“My son…” Mother Wu hugged her sensible daughter and wiped away her tears. After a long while, she complained, “From now on, your mother will no longer be the head cook. I will have to work as an assistant to a young girl!”
"How could this be!" Xiuhe was shocked. She lost her grip on the cup and it fell straight to the ground.
Although Wu Mama is just a cook who prepares food for third-class maids and servants, she has daily contact with the servants in various courtyards and can inquire about trivial matters.
It was through some information obtained from the people in the eldest daughter-in-law's courtyard that Xiuhe got the opportunity to show her face. In addition, with the help of Wu Mama, she was able to smoothly enter Chang Ge'er's courtyard.
You should know that Chang Ge'er is the eldest son of the First Madam and the younger brother of the eldest sister who married into the Rong Prince's Mansion. He is currently the most sought-after person in the mansion.
Her face showed worry, and she stammered, "Mother... who is this little yellow-haired girl you mentioned? Could it be Yinghong?"
“That silly girl Yinghong can do…” Mother Wu wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. She looked down on Yinghong and retorted at first, then paused in surprise.
"What are you saying about Yinghong?" Forgetting her own business, Wu's mother gripped her handkerchief tightly. She looked up to scrutinize her daughter's expression, and seeing Xiuhe's gaze wander, she immediately panicked: "Could it be, could it be that you've offended Pearl?"
“What girl? She’s just a maid, like me,” Xiuhe retorted instinctively.
"My good daughter... how could you be so foolish!" Wu's mother forgot about her own affairs and covered her chest with both hands in distress, then grabbed her daughter's hand tightly: "That Pearl is a promising person. She originally gave you some face because Yinghong worked in the kitchen. How could you, how could you offend her so foolishly?"
There are more than ten maids in Chang Ge'er's room. Pearl, who is the maid of the eldest daughter-in-law, is naturally one of the most favored.
Although she was still receiving a second-class allowance, everyone in the courtyard said that Pearl and the others had a bright future.
Xiuhe found it strange and told Wu Mama when she returned. Wu Mama later had someone inquire about it and learned that Pearl and the others were all chosen by the eldest daughter-in-law to be her concubines. They were currently learning from Wu Mama and it was said that once Chang-ge'er passed the imperial examination, they would be allowed to serve her.
"I'll go with you to apologize."
"I'm not going!" Xiuhe's face flushed red as she shook off Wu Mama's hand.
"You silly girl! From now on, Pearl..."
"I'm not stupid!" Xiuhe interrupted Wu Mama, saying aggrievedly, "Pearl isn't even as pretty as me, but she can be a concubine, so why can't I?"
"No way! I don't want to be married off to just anyone by my master, and end up with a bunch of servants!"
"I've already made up my mind. I want to become Chang-ge'er's concubine, so that the child in my belly can also become a master!"
Mrs. Wu never expected her daughter to have such ambitions. She slumped onto the kang (a heated brick bed), speechless for a long time: "My child, this path is not easy to walk..."
The old Marquis was once famous throughout the capital, and his daughter was not the only one who had her eye on him. After the two married, the number of concubines in his household was countless.
But now, only the old lady and her bloodline remain in the mansion; everyone else has long since vanished without a trace.
Wu Mama was an old woman in the household. Over the years, she had seen some people die on their own, some be sold, some be given away to others, and some die mysteriously.
She could be a maidservant, a concubine, or a wet nurse...
It looks so luxurious, respectable, and enviable, but how many people can actually enjoy such good fortune?
Wu's mother could no longer care about her own affairs and earnestly persuaded her daughter to change her mind.
But once Xiuhe entered Changge'er's courtyard, she was already dazzled by the wealth and luxury, and there was no way she could stop her with a few words.
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