Make a pot of green grape jasmine tea. There are still many green grapes left. After glancing at Miss Wu, Wang Yan went to the small kitchen and asked Aunt Sun for some agar and milk.
Make a green grape milk jelly for Miss Five. Grind green grapes and jasmine tea into a paste, filter the juice through a fine gauze, pour it into milk, add agar to the milk, and freeze until set.
Pour the mixture into a bright green porcelain dish, then place halved green grapes on top and garnish with mint leaves in the center.
Because it was a dairy product, which was good for nourishing the body, after the Lady Hou tasted it, she instructed her to send it to the old lady's small kitchen.
The old woman tasted it and thought it was delicious, so Wang Yan brought back another bag of melon seeds.
………………………………
The third young master returned, about ten days before the autumn imperial examination.
He was back. The most excited person was not his aunt, nor the servants who had grown up with him in the courtyard, but Liu Xiang'er, who had been transferred here a few years ago and had become his concubine.
When Liu Xiang'er saw him crying so hard she almost couldn't breathe, she clutched her chest in pain, and it was Hongye who helped her up.
She's been tormented to death by that old hag, Aunt Yang, lately. At first, she was made to embroider handkerchiefs day and night.
Later, still feeling unsatisfied, she would bring a basket of dusty black beans, red beans, and mung beans for her to choose from every day. After she had chosen and washed them, she would cook a pot of porridge and deliver it to Xiuxia Courtyard.
Aunt Yang would always make things difficult for her, making her half-squat to perform the rituals and not going to collect the porridge for a long time.
Moreover, Aunt Yang never drank any of the porridge she served, because she dared not add any medicine to it because of the porridge she served.
He could only swallow this bitter pill and suffer the torment of that old hag every day.
Seeing her crying like this, Gu Ting felt a little sorry for her. "Alright, alright, you don't need to pick the beans today."
After saying this, he placed a red jade hairpin inlaid with gold in her hair. He also rewarded her with two bolts of brocade.
These two bolts of brocade were worth several dozen taels of silver. Liu Xiang'er smiled through her tears and stopped bothering him with her complaints.
Gu Ting was sent out this time, and the journey and the arrangements he made along the way wasted a lot of time.
After returning home, I became increasingly anxious and stayed in my study for over ten days, reading behind closed doors.
The time for the provincial examination had arrived, and Aunt Yang had prepared a basket for him well in advance, containing everything from food and drinks to snacks, clothes, shoes, and socks.
Nine days later, when the prince came out, he was alright, only his face was slightly pale.
The third young master was not so good; he fainted as soon as he left the hospital. It was just that he had been running around and working hard for some time, and his physical condition was not as good as before.
By the time he was able to sit up, the news of the results had already been released.
The heir apparent ranked ninth, but still earned the title of runner-up. The third young master also performed well, placing in the middle.
The old lady was overjoyed that two people from her family had passed the imperial examinations. She gave all the servants an extra two months' wages and provided a banquet for the servants in each courtyard.
When Gu Ting learned that he had passed the imperial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), he was filled with pride and high spirits.
“Aunt, while I was away, did you give the poems I wrote to Miss Xu?”
Speaking of this, Aunt Yang was very troubled. She had really thought of a way, but for some reason she just couldn't get it to be delivered.
The last banquet was an excellent opportunity, so I specially sent two maids, one to guard the door and the other to greet the guests. But after they went up and looked around, the two maids were immediately sent back.
Then she found out where the young ladies often gathered and sent her personal maid out under the pretense of buying something. But you could only see them there; you couldn't actually go up and strike up a conversation.
They really put in a lot of effort. Which young lady from the Earl's mansion wouldn't want to get close to her?
It took several months of figuring out how to send out just this one letter.
Gu Ting sighed helplessly, thinking, "What a useless piece of trash!" His words carried a hint of anger.
"Give it to me, I'll handle it myself."
"Oh, Auntie has kept it very well, I'll bring it to you right away."
…………………………
Now that the heir apparent has passed the exam, the Lady of the Marquis has some free time and has been chanting sutras and praying for blessings.
We've put aside the matter of dealing with some servants for now; now that we have some free time, it's time to wrap things up.
Before Gu Ting could even go out to look for Xu Shaoqing, he heard that a major event had occurred at home.
Steward Wang, who was in charge of the entire inner courtyard, was greedy and extorted money from everyone, even the servants.
When Madam Hou checked the accounts, the old nanny Hua discovered that Steward Wang had used the stolen money to buy two small courtyards outside.
"Madam, I deserve to die, I deserve to die, but my family is innocent, please spare them."
As he spoke, Steward Wang kowtowed repeatedly on the ground, pleading pitifully for mercy.
Granny Hua stepped forward and pressed her down, sighing, "Old Wang, you've gone mad."
If the wife doesn't budge, then none of that family will escape.
They were immediately tied up, and the money they had plundered was recounted one by one. Then, the family was taken away by the matchmaker summoned by Granny Hua the next day.
The family of servants, including the head steward of the inner courtyard, and his entire extended family, were all sold off.
Despite Steward Wang kowtowing on the ground until blood was gushing out, Lady Hou didn't even glance at him.
Covered in dust and dirt, they knelt in the marketplace, being picked over and waited to see if anyone would buy them.
When Aunt Yang heard the news, she was shocked. The two maids she had sent there and Hanqiao had both gone through Steward Wang's connections when they went out to buy things.
The amount of money given was not large, totaling 30 taels, but it was still quite a lot. What if she gave it away?
Gu Ting also sensed something was amiss. These family-born sons, spanning generations, would at most sell one or two; at worst, the rest could be sent to the estate.
How could the whole family have been sold? But if it's aimed at him, he's just a son born out of wedlock to the second wife. Is he worth the Lady of the Marquis making such a fuss over?
They really came for him. You, a son of a concubine, are worthless, but Uncle An's legitimate children are precious and noble!
Granny Wang was a typical example of someone who valued money over life, and she deserved her fate.
As the head steward of the inner courtyard, how could she not see why Aunt Yang sent the maidservant from the Third Young Master's side to fetch the young lady of the Earl's mansion?
But at the time she thought it was just the young master's wild imagination and wishful thinking!
If she knew that these two had secretly given each other sachets, even if she were skinned alive, she wouldn't dare send the Third Young Master's maid to the Earl's daughter for 20 taels of silver.
It is worth noting that the Book of Rites states, "On the Dragon Boat Festival, sachets are used to cleanse the air and spread fragrance; orchids and magnolias are worn as ornaments, their subtle fragrance serving as a metaphor."
For ancient people, sachets were not only personal ornaments but also tokens of love, conveying deep affection between lovers.
The head of her household was a scholar who had been chosen as a page to a marquis for a period of time when he was young.
If it weren't for my poor health and inability to do heavy work, I would be a manager now.
On the Dragon Boat Festival, her grandson took a sachet to give to the neighbor's little girl, but was stopped and beaten by his father.
He also explained in detail Sun Guangxian's poem: "Red ribbon, brocade sachet, to express my feelings before the flowers, I earnestly present them to my beloved."
She was listening nearby and understood the poem perfectly without needing any explanation.
But after hearing this, he went into the mansion again, all for 20 taels of silver.
Actually, I did have some doubts. Sigh, I still felt that 20 taels was not a small amount, so I let the Third Young Master's maid go to pick up Miss Xu.
Until now, the whole family had been sold off. Thinking back to Granny Hua's pitying yet somewhat hateful gaze...
After pondering it for hundreds of rounds, he finally vaguely guessed that the matter originated in the second branch of the Mo family, Mo Yuan Courtyard.
Having disgraced the Marquis's mansion and committed such a despicable act, I am filled with endless regret, but it is too late now.
She was looked after by a matchmaker in the market for a few days. On the morning of the seventh day, the matchmaker's "granddaughter" ran to call her.
"Grandma, people have died. All the older adults are dead."
The matchmaker sighed, slowly walked closer to take a look, and confirmed that he was definitely dead.
"Go and get someone to pull a cart and take them to the mortuary. They must have gotten sick from eating something yesterday."
Seeing the little girl looking at her with a pained expression, the matchmaker chuckled.
"Don't think it's because your mother-in-law is mean or that I didn't feed them well, causing them to get sick. It's their fate!"
"Let me teach you another lesson: Don't think that just because you've sold yourself into servitude and become a slave to everyone that you can get a monthly allowance and eat good food, you're something to be proud of."
Remember your place, what you should do and what you should say, and never make a mistake.
Otherwise, what are you lackeys? If you anger your master, no one will stand up for you lackeys.
The girl blushed and lowered her head, seemingly oblivious to whether she had understood or taken in what the old woman was saying.
The matchmaker glanced at the family again. They hadn't died from eating the wrong thing; they had eaten the "right" thing.
Just a few days ago, the whole family was sold off intact, but today all the adults in the family are dead, leaving only three or four children.
well!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com