Chapter 92 The deal was finalized outside the Jiang family's gate. Passersby stood still, sniffing...
Outside the Jiang family's gate, passersby stood still, inhaling the aroma carried on the breeze. It was a unique fragrance, an irresistible blend of meat and spices, so enticing that it made one's mouth water and one's stomach rumble.
"Where is this smell coming from?"
"It smells so good..."
"It smells like barbecue, and a bit like lamb?"
"Barbecue stalls usually only open at night, how come it smells so good at this hour..."
The people were talking about it, and some with a keen sense of smell followed the aroma to Jiang's braised meat shop, only to be puzzled by the "Closed Today" sign.
"Isn't this Jiang's Braised Meat Shop?"
"They sell pork and duck products, but they don't have mutton!"
"I guess it was blown here by the wind?"
"Let's go, let's go look somewhere else."
The people searched everywhere for the barbecue stall whose origins were unknown, while those inside the Jiang family compound held their breath, waiting for the footsteps outside to gradually subside before letting out a sigh of relief and exchanging smiles.
"I thought they were going to come knocking on the door."
"That's terrifying!"
"Han-jie'er's roasted whole lamb is really too fragrant." Yinghong glanced at the golden and oily roasted whole lamb and couldn't help but swallow her saliva again.
Everyone agreed, but Su Zhihan remained calm and composed. She placed the whole roasted lamb on the table, chopped it into small pieces with a large knife, and then handed it to the waiters to put on the table.
After Su Zhihan took her seat, Jiang Zhenniang raised her wine cup and said, "Come on, let's all have a drink together!"
Finally, she reminded the workers to sit down and eat: "You've been busy for as long as the shop has been open. Let's all sit down and have a good meal together today, and then get some rest later!"
The staff readily agreed, and they gathered around a table to eat and drink. The other guests also joined in. At first, Yao Lang and Madam Lü were a little reserved, but they soon relaxed and ate to their hearts' content.
Only Lady Lü, who was pregnant, was unable to drink alcohol.
At first, the group was quite reserved, using chopsticks to pick up the lamb chops and legs, but later they found it too troublesome and simply wrapped them in handkerchiefs, grabbed them, and put them in their mouths.
The mutton is first grilled over an open flame to quickly cook the skin and lock in the juices. Then, it is simmered and roasted after the fire is turned off, allowing the mutton to absorb all the flavors of the spices and fruitwood charcoal. The mutton is firm yet elastic, and every bite bursts with wonderful juices.
The mutton has absolutely no gamey smell; in fact, it tastes slightly sweet. The complex spices give the mutton a rich and varied flavor that makes it truly irresistible.
Everyone ate with great relish, wishing they could lick the last strand of meat clinging to the lamb bones clean. Their lips were glistening with oil and covered in various spices before they finally stopped.
"This tastes amazing!"
"Let me tell you, this mutton has quite a history." Seeing Yao Lang eating with such enthusiasm, Jiang Zhenniang immediately became proud and quickly told everyone the price her daughter had told her and the origin of the mutton, which drew many exclamations from the crowd.
After a few pieces of mutton, everyone was half full, and their movements gradually slowed down as they chatted and talked about many interesting things.
Seeing the group of women at the table, Yao Lang moved over to drink and eat with Uncle Xue and Uncle Chai, chatting about the gossip of the city.
Meanwhile, Lady Lü asked curiously about the affairs of the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence. Yinghong and Cao Daya did not hide anything and told some things selectively.
The content being discussed was something that Lady Lü had never heard of before, and the more she listened, the wider her mouth opened, marveling at it.
No wonder the group remained calm when Madam Jiang mentioned the origin of the mutton; it turned out that this was the kind of mutton they used daily in the Marquis's residence, and there was even better mutton available.
Meanwhile, the more Lady Lü listened, the more confused she became. She clicked her tongue in amazement and said, "Good wife, if that's the case, why did you redeem yourself and leave the manor? What a wonderful place it is!"
"I wish it were still in the main kitchen, then none of this would have happened."
Upon hearing this, Yinghong sighed and then complained about her recent troubles: "Han-jie, you don't know, ever since you left, Chef Xu first put her two nieces into the main kitchen to work."
Cook Xu's niece was a respectable girl who was learning from her. One of them was quite honest and worked diligently every day, and was very polite to the elderly people in the kitchen.
“There’s another one… hey.” Yinghong hesitated. She was an unmarried girl and embarrassed to talk about those things, but Cao Mama didn’t care and said bluntly, “You dress up so fancy every day, you don’t look like you’re here to learn cooking, you look more like you’re here to climb into the master’s bed.”
"Cook Xu also felt that people couldn't be trusted, so within half a month she sent a letter to her brother to come and take her niece home."
Cao's mother continued, "Later, she bought another maid from outside to learn the craft from."
Jiang Zhenniang's eyes flickered; she knew they were talking about Xiao Hong. However, she didn't mention it, instead smilingly asking, "Why did Chef Xu buy a maid?"
“I heard that she’s an orphan and someone is willing to take care of her in her old age,” Cao’s mother explained. “That girl has good cooking skills, but her personality… is rather dull. She can’t say a single word even after ten sentences.”
She didn't get along with Cao Daya, Yinghong, or even Qiuyue, and didn't seem like an easy person to serve.
Madam Cao was full of worries, and she wished that, as Yinghong had said, Han Jie'er had not left the Marquis's mansion: "Besides, although she is said to have no father or mother, she actually has a grandparent."
"Those grandparents did such terrible work, yet they kept saying that my little Hong was promising and had a bright future. It was truly speechless."
"Xiao Hong?" Madam Lü paused, then suddenly remembered something: "Speaking of which, didn't Madam Jiang hire a girl named Xiao Hong when she opened her shop last time? I haven't seen her since."
"Hey, don't even mention it." Jiang Zhenniang said this on the surface, but in her heart she couldn't wait for Lu Shi to bring it up. Her eyebrows shot up, and she complained angrily, "That Xiao Hong is a heartless wretch, utterly shameless."
Hearing that there was gossip inside, Madam Lü and the others immediately perked up. Jiang Zhenniang described it vividly, starting with the stinky tofu that Su Zhihan had made back then, saying that since her family only had Xiao Hong and her grandparents left, they kindly rented them out and even bought a pavilion stall for them to work on.
“At that time, my daughter took pity on their family and promised that if they worked for my family for two years, she would give them all the recipes and such.”
"That old woman Chen said she was grateful, so she taught Xiao Hong to become our Han'er's apprentice! Who would have thought that when she heard we had left the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion, she would turn her back on us and even try to seize the prescription. It was only after we found the broker, produced the contract, and said we would take it to the yamen that she finally gave in and paid compensation."
Jiang Zhenniang spoke with righteous indignation, and Cao Mama was also dumbfounded: "How can there be such a shameless person? That Granny Chen, Granny Chen... Hmm? This person is also surnamed Chen?"
The more Cao's mother heard it, the more familiar it seemed, and her eyes widened in surprise. Yinghong exclaimed, "Madam Jiang, what's that old man's surname?"
"His surname is Hu..."
"This, this, this!" Cao Mama, Yinghong, and Cao Daya were all stunned. They looked at each other, never expecting that the female apprentice Xu had taken in was the heartless fellow that Jiang Zhenniang had described.
Each of them had their own thoughts, while Madam Lü was stunned as she listened, only then realizing that Xiao Hong's family had also entered the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.
She was worried and couldn't help but say, "They might hold a grudge against you and could cause you trouble in the future."
Mrs. Cao laughed and said, "What's there to be afraid of?"
She raised her chin and said to the suspicious-looking Madam Lü, "Madam Jiang and Han'er are keeping a low profile. They wanted to save more money before opening the shop. Let me tell you, her eldest son is a military officer who is serving in the army on the frontier. He is one of the soldiers in our Loyal and Brave Marquis's army."
Madam Lü was taken aback, and even more shocked when she saw the smile on Jiang Zhenniang's face: "So, that's how it is?"
"My eldest son is currently the deputy commander."
“Deputy Commander? That’s usually an official of the sixth to eighth rank.” Madam Lü was taken aback.
Nowadays, Yao Lang frequently visits the homes of officials. To avoid offending them due to a lack of understanding of the officials, he has put in a great deal of effort to remember most of them.
While helping out, Lady Lü also took notes, which is why she was able to call out the name so readily.
"Uncle Xue said that my son is now a seventh-rank official."
"If we return in triumph, we might even be awarded first or second class." Upon hearing this, Madam Lü became even more excited. Yao Lang was quite proud of having made contact with Zhang Guanren and the others, but he never expected that Jiang Zhenniang's unseen eldest son was the real dragon among men.
Upon hearing this, Cao Mama, Cao Daya, and Yinghong all praised her, but Pearl, who knew the inside story, was stunned and subconsciously looked at Su Zhihan, who hadn't spoken yet: "Sister Han, this is..."
Su Zhihan nodded: "It's true."
Pearl was so shocked that she didn't even realize what was happening when Su Zhihan pulled her aside.
Thinking of Jiang Zhenniang's instructions, Su Zhihan finally spoke up, but she also said, "My eldest brother is a warrior, not the refined scholar. He had a good temperament before he joined the army and did a lot for me and my mother, but he has been in the army for several years now, and I don't know if his temperament has changed."
The cruelty of the battlefield is known to all.
Su Zhihan had seen a report in her previous life that about 18 percent of soldiers from a certain country who retired from the battlefield suffered from PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Of these, 30 percent are unable to escape the shadow of their past, and many experience personality changes, such as alcoholism, irritability, anger, and social withdrawal, requiring long-term companionship to recover.
"I need to make this clear to you."
"If you're interested, we can discuss it later, and I'll let you meet with my brother when he gets back."
Pearl's hand trembled slightly at her side. She gave a bitter smile, and the worry in her eyes startled Su Zhihan. She quickly explained, "Pearl, don't worry, my mother only has this idea. If you don't want to, I'll talk to her."
"My mother just thinks that Mr. Zhang is no good."
"She's always liked you. Ever since she heard about my brother, she's been talking about it a lot, and she regrets introducing you to Mr. Zhang..."
Su Zhihan kept talking, but instead of seeing Pearl happy, she saw her tears fall.
Su Zhihan was dumbfounded. She pulled Pearl aside and asked her questions, and then asked Cao Mama. She learned that after Zhang Guanren's parents learned that Pearl had refused the marriage proposal, they went to the Marquis's mansion to inquire about it. Before long, someone reported it to the eldest daughter-in-law.
Although Pearl rejected Zhang Guanren's marriage proposal, she became increasingly embarrassed in the Marquis's mansion.
The eldest daughter-in-law didn't say anything, but judging from the attitude of the maids and servants, and the abrupt end of her monthly allowance, it was clear that Pearl had no chance of being allowed to come into the house to serve.
Upon hearing Jiang Zhenniang's thoughts, Cao's mother's eyes lit up: "Your son? This, this, why didn't you tell me about such a good thing sooner!"
"I'll go back and tell Pearl Girl."
"Her parents secretly shed tears for several days because of this, and even said they wanted to see if Pearl could be found in another family."
“But we’re slaves, what good places can we find… especially since Pearl has lost her master’s favor, and no decent household wants her.”
"I have never met your son."
"But with your character and that of Han-jie, I think it must be a good thing."
After leaving a message, Cao's mother hurriedly returned home. The two sets of parents met several more times and finally finalized the agreement before the New Year.
"Shouldn't you at least inform your brother?"
“I’ll write to your brother later… Besides, with Pearl’s looks and talent, how could your brother not like her? If he doesn’t, he must be blind.” Jiang Zhenniang was so happy that she couldn’t wait to make the decision today.
Su Zhihan: "…………"
Nowadays, many people have arranged marriages without their consent. If the family agrees, that's all that matters. Some better families will let their children meet once, while in less fortunate families, the parents will meet and then it's considered a done deal.
Su Zhihan's attempts to dissuade her were to no avail, and in the end she could only complain, "When it's my turn to get married, please don't do it like this. I want to see it for myself."
What kind do you want?
"He's handsome."
"...What about the others?"
"Willing to marry into the family?"
"...You silly girl, can't you think of someone with real ability?" Jiang Zhenniang had never talked to her daughter about this before, and she never imagined that her daughter's views on choosing a partner would be so, so, so...unique.
"People always have to make choices."
"I think that since he's powerful and rich, how many men could he possibly have that would be willing to marry me?"
"I might as well just pick a handsome and dashing one. If he's willing to take care of the family, I'll support him. If he gets any other ideas, I'll just kick him out."
"What if he doesn't want a divorce?"
"Not to mention that I'm a stove worker and stronger than the average person, besides, I still have my older brother, right? When the time comes, I'll grab a stick and give him a beating, how could he not leave me?"
Su Zhihan was perfectly justified, not to mention that in this era, it was quite easy to make someone die silently.
Su Zhihan was very satisfied, while Jiang Zhenniang was speechless.
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