Chapter 22, Delivering Meals
"Mom, is Dad very busy recently? I haven't seen him much." Daohua asked.
Madam Li put down the account book in her hand and said solemnly, "The court has sent Prince Rui down to provide disaster relief. Your father must be very busy."
Daohua wondered: "But the disaster in Linyi County is not serious, right?" If anyone should be busy, they should be busy in those areas that have been severely affected.
Madam Li sighed. "It's precisely because the situation isn't serious that your father is so busy, trying to accommodate those homeless refugees. I heard from Steward Sun that the refugees assigned to Linyi County have been arriving one after another these days. Your father has been so busy these past two days that he eats and drinks at the county government office up front, and only goes back to sleep at night."
Daohua was a little surprised: "So it seems that Dad is very hardworking and cares about the people."
Upon hearing this, Madam Li's face lit up with a hint of pride: "The Yan family is a family of farmers and scholars. Your father understands the hardships and difficulties of the people below the most. Since taking office, he has never failed to care about the people's affairs."
"Linyi County was the third county your father took office in. In the first two counties, when your father left, many people came to see him off. Every time, Mom would receive several carts of fruits and vegetables."
Hearing this, Daohua was genuinely surprised: "Dad loves the people so much, how come when my grandmother and I arrived, we encountered yamen runners who beat people?"
Madam Li's smile faded a bit. "Where wouldn't there be a few bad apples? Your father has already punished those yamen runners. If they cause harm to the people again, they will be beaten with thirty sticks and then kicked out of the county government office."
Daohua now feels much better about her father.
"Mom, if Dad is so good, why didn't he get promoted?" Daohua asked the question in her heart.
Madam Li sighed, "It's hard to say what goes on in the officialdom. Although your father is a good official, he has no one to support him from above, and our family doesn't have enough money to bribe them, so he has been serving as county magistrate for term after term."
"This time, your father is so busy because he wants to make some achievements and see if he can get promoted. Even if he can't be promoted, he hopes that this assessment can assign him to a better county."
Daohua: "Dad is going to take the test?"
Madam Li nodded. "All officials take a minor exam once a year and a major exam every three years. Those with outstanding achievements can be promoted. Linyi County is not rich, and although your father is diligent, he has not achieved any achievements."
"During this assessment, your father said that unless someone higher up helps you speak up, or unless you have outstanding political achievements, your chances of promotion are slim."
Daohua held her chin with both hands and said, "Is our family really not related at all?"
Madam Li lowered her eyes and said, "There is some connection. Your fourth uncle is already a fourth-rank official in the capital. I heard that he has some connections with the prefect of Zhongzhou. However, our family has not had any contact with them for some years."
Daohua straightened up and asked in surprise, "Why?" Fourth uncle, this relationship can definitely be considered very close.
Madam Li's expression darkened. "Your fourth uncle's family probably thinks your father's generation will only be stuck in the job of county magistrate, and there's no value in continuing a close relationship with him. Your aunt has rarely contacted our family in recent years."
Rice Flower nodded.
She knew this, as she had heard her grandmother say it many times, and each time she looked melancholy.
"Can't we take the initiative to contact our aunt?"
Hearing this, Madam Li touched Daohua's head and sighed, "Silly child, you don't know that when a woman gets married, if her parents are not supportive, her life in her husband's family will be very difficult."
"Your uncle's family is clearly looking down on our family. If we continue to disturb your aunt, her life will become even more difficult."
"Three years ago, your aunt wrote to your father, saying that your uncle had taken a concubine. Her words were very sad. Unfortunately, our family couldn't support her."
"We failed to help your aunt when she needed us. How can we have the face to go to her now?"
Daohua didn't know how to respond. After a long while, she asked, "Grandma, don't you know about this?"
Madam Li shook her head: "Your father didn't dare tell the old lady, for fear that she would get anxious and do something bad."
Afterwards, both mother and daughter were silent.
Suddenly, Daohua asked with a smile, "Mom, can I go to the front yard of the county government office to take a look?" She really wanted to see how the ancients worked, and by the way, use the food grown in the space to nourish her father and keep in touch with him.
Mrs. Li was puzzled: "That's your father's office. What are you doing there?"
Daohua: "Didn't you say that Dad has been eating in the front yard these days? I'll bring him some food."
Mrs. Li thought about it and felt that this would strengthen the relationship between father and daughter, so she agreed, but she also reminded him, "You can go to deliver the food, but you are not allowed to interfere with other people's work, understand?"
Daohua nodded immediately: "Mom, my daughter knows how to do things in moderation, so don't worry."
Madam Li smiled and turned to look at Ping Tong: "Keep an eye on the young lady and don't let her run around."
Ping Tong smiled and agreed: "Don't worry, Madam, I will take good care of the young lady."
Soon, the rice flowers became busy.
County government kitchen.
When the maids and servants saw Daohua coming, they all stood up and saluted.
"Why are you here, young lady?" asked the kitchen manager, Mrs. Ren, with a flattering smile.
"I want to send some food to Dad. Let me see what I can cook." Daohua walked around the kitchen and took a close look at what ingredients were available.
Mrs. Ren's expression froze: "Young lady wants to cook for herself?"
Daohua nodded. Seeing that Mrs. Ren seemed a little embarrassed, she smiled and said, "Mother Ren, I won't mess up the kitchen. I'm just here to make some soup."
She knew her own cooking skills, and she dared to say that she would send food simply because the ingredients in the space tasted better than those outside.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Ren finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then began to praise Daohua for her filial piety with the other maids.
At this time, Ping Tong came over with a small bag of white flour: "Girl, this is the white flour you wanted."
Daohua nodded and motioned her to put it aside.
This white flour was produced in the space. When she was still in Yanjia Village, she put the white flour in with other grains and asked her third uncle to send it over together.
When she arrived, she took the flour to her room.
Ping Tong asked with a smile, "What are you going to do, young lady?"
Daohua picked and chose the ingredients, chose some green onions and a few eggs, and that was it: "Dumpling soup!"
Ping Tong: “.” I really shouldn’t have such expectations.
Seeing her speechless look, Daohua immediately said, "What's with that expression? The dumpling soup I made is delicious. Didn't everyone say it was tasty last time?"
Pingtong nodded on the surface, but said in her heart.
That's just polite talk because people don't want to offend you.
Of course, this was because she had never drunk it before, so she thought so.
Daohua ignored other people's opinions and started to ask the maid to boil water. Then, under the stunned gaze of others, she poured the egg liquid into the white flour, stirred it slightly, and poured it directly into the boiling water as soon as the water boiled.
Ren Pozi, Ping Tong and others:
This is the first time I have seen such a crude way of making soup.
Daohua means, there is space, you can be willful!
(End of this chapter)
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