Ever since Uncle Zhong returned, the second old man has been ordering two bowls of wontons every day.
Grandma Sun simply taught this method to the head kitchen staff.
In return for the favor, Aunt Su sent back a jar of her homemade rice wine.
There were still some jasmine flowers picked and dried this year in the small kitchen. Wang Yan took a look, took a pot, and decided to make a pot of jasmine rice wine.
Scoop out the rice wine from the fermented rice wine. Brew tea with jasmine flowers and white silver needle tea. The tea, infused with flowers, produces a clear, emerald-green brew.
The delivered rice wine and fermented rice wine were placed at the bottom, with one-third of the mixture at the bottom, two ice cubes, a small amount of milk, and finally the brewed tea poured in.
It has a delicate and refreshing taste, with the sweet aroma of jasmine and milk, combined with the slightly bitter tea, creating a very refreshing flavor.
Unfortunately, Wang Yan didn't drink much of the jasmine rice wine she made, as Aunt Sun wouldn't allow her to drink alcohol.
I made her a jasmine and tangerine peel drink and replaced the whole pot of jasmine rice wine with it.
A clean tile is placed on the small stove for brewing tea. Jasmine and dried tangerine peel are broken into pieces and roasted on the tile. A little water is added, and the teacup is placed upside down on the tile.
After 15 minutes, remove the cup, put the dried tangerine peel and jasmine into the pot to steep, then pour it into the cup and it's ready to drink.
The fragrance of jasmine, combined with the sweet aroma of orange peel, is refreshing and invigorating, helping to soothe the mind and relieve depression.
Wang Yan and everyone in the courtyard loved drinking it; the jasmine and tangerine peel drink even surpassed the jasmine rice wine she made.
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Aunt Yang's brother from her maternal family came to visit again, but unsurprisingly, he was blocked at the side gate.
Finally, Hanqiao went to ask Zijuan, who was by the second wife's side, and then Yang's sister-in-law came in alone with two bundles of clothes and a bag of pastries.
The first package contained two sets of clothes, intended for Zheng and Yangmei.
I went to the fabric shop and bought some fabric. I carefully sewed two sets of clothes, one of which was a silver-striped cloak for the second wife, Zheng Jin.
The other set was a complete outfit made of charcoal for their own bayberry tree, consisting of a jacket and a skirt.
She has clothes, shoes, and socks, so she can change when she rests.
The other package contained a silk cloak that Aunt Yang's brother had bought at the tailor shop.
With Hanqiao leading the way, Yang's sister-in-law, Jiang Lanling, followed closely behind.
At first glance, Jiang Lanling appears somewhat mean-spirited; her brows are raised, and her first impression is that she's not someone to be trifled with.
Several wrinkles etched her forehead, her eyes were downcast, and her perpetually stern expression gave her a somewhat fierce look even when she smiled.
However, Hanqiao had a good impression of her aunt's sister-in-law. Although she looked fierce, she spoke gently and politely, and her conduct was quite dignified.
According to Granny Zhou, this sister-in-law used to come often when my aunt was young. No matter how many times she came, she only brought things and never took a penny from me. She would never drink more than one cup of tea.
Later, the aunt saved up the money herself and gave it to her elder brother, who took as much as he could. At the end, she would even ask with a grin, "Is there any more?"
But few people know that Jiang Lanling's naked appearance was developed when she was working in a brothel in her early years.
She was originally from Jiangnan, and spoke with a soft, gentle Wu dialect, hardly the image of a fierce person. If it weren't for Aunt Yang and survival, she wouldn't be the way she is today.
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In Aunt Yang's childhood memories, her father was a man who indulged in all sorts of vices, including eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring.
When she was a child, because she didn't have enough money to gamble with seven qian of silver, her father decided on a whim to sell her to a dance hall.
Most of my childhood memories are of being beaten and scolded. After I finished my training, I often went to places like entertainment districts and brothels with the other dancers to sing and dance.
She was also "lucky" because Gu Xiao, who came to the theater to listen to music, saw her several times and took her home.
Gu Xiao was feeling frustrated at that time, as his background and qualifications were inferior to those of the Marquis, who was still the heir apparent at the time.
He was dissatisfied with his mediocrity but powerless to change it, and became increasingly decadent every day.
Unable to succeed in studying, he simply abandoned it. Lacking any business acumen, he owned only two estates and three shops. He supported himself by collecting rent and begging for money from the old Marquis.
The old Marquis had scolded and beaten him, but he hadn't improved in the slightest. He had become a complete wastrel, indulging in cockfighting, listening to music, playing football with dogs, and raising birds in cages.
"I drink the wine of Dongjing and admire the flowers of Luoyang." But back then, my temperament wasn't as eccentric as it would become later. I spent my days idly, but by not competing with others, I found a carefree and joyful life.
He felt relieved, but the old Marquis was really in a sorry state. If things continued like this, he would become a spoiled brat!
Not wanting him to continue down this path of self-destruction, they searched the entire capital, looking only for families with strict rules and regulations, and eventually settled on the Zheng family.
They specifically sought out official media to write the betrothal letter and invited an official matchmaker to the Zheng family to present the betrothal gifts.
Zheng Jin's mother was a stepmother, and she was happy to marry her second legitimate daughter to Gu Xiao, a man from a good family but with little foundation or future prospects.
Zheng's father accompanied the emperor on an incognito trip at that time, and three months later, when they returned.
The second wife had already swiftly exchanged betrothal gifts with her second daughter, catching everyone off guard.
At this point, it was too late for regrets; they had no choice but to reluctantly accept the marriage.
Three years after Zheng Jin got married, his second wife fell ill and died at home.
It wasn't entirely to vent her anger for the second daughter, but rather because such a foolish woman, driven by jealousy and scheming, was unfit to be a principal wife.
Once her eldest son got married, she was no longer of any use to him.
But Gu Xiaoshi truly became Zheng's son-in-law, and Zheng's father did consider calling him over to teach him carefully, instructing him on the meaning of words and interpreting names and objects.
But the result was that he only mastered six out of seven skills in poetry, prose, and policy essays; he was completely ignorant of everything!
Mr. Zheng fell into deep thought, wondering if he was just stupid and couldn't teach anyone, or if Gu Xiao was deliberately pretending that he couldn't learn anything!
Finally, looking at this scraggly brain, Zheng's father was greatly alarmed, and his disgust for his stepmother who had harmed his daughter reached its peak.
Gu Xiao was at a loss. His biological father only supported his wife and "disciplined" him, while his father-in-law looked down on him. He even vaguely suspected that his scholarly degree was obtained through trickery.
It felt as if someone had slapped him across the face; the grief and indignation in his heart almost burst out of his chest.
So he became increasingly reckless and eventually gave up on him, changing his strategy and only thinking about how to raise his grandson well.
Days passed by one by one, from the beginning of summer to the end of spring, from autumn to winter.
Whether it was the young master of the Marquis's mansion who was filled with resentment due to jealousy, the dashing and unrestrained young man in blue robes, or the humiliated and indignant son-in-law of the Zheng family who was belittled, he was a perfect match for the Marquis's man.
They all succumbed to the ravages of time, ending up in this dark, filthy state, despised by everyone.
Along with the concubines in the family, they had long since lost their own desires and become a tool for Gu Xiao to vent his anger.
But Zheng Jin is not a heartless bad person. He has both methods and a conscience. As long as he is obedient and well-behaved, he can live a peaceful life.
Gradually, the concubines all turned to the light and abandoned their evil ways. The old Marquis also realized that he was in the wrong for asking for the marriage back then, so he handed over the second wife's property and assets to Zheng Jin.
As long as they don't anger the mistress, they have everything they need for food, drink, and clothing, and they don't suffer much.
Only Aunt Yang, relying on giving birth to a son and seeing that she could please the master by acting like Gu Xiao, became increasingly arrogant.
After being disciplined by Zheng Jin several times, he no longer dared to act recklessly and openly provoke Zheng Tou Niangzi. However, his petty and annoying behavior has continued unabated over the years.
People gradually become bad and mindless through long-term behavior, perhaps without even realizing it.
At first, they would feel ashamed of their shameless behavior, just like Gu Xiao felt embarrassed because he had taken advantage of his father-in-law's resources and achieved nothing.
Just like Aunt Yang, who felt sad because she felt she had wasted more than ten years of her sister-in-law's life.
Later, he lost all sense of shame. Now, Gu Xiao will stop at nothing to get Gu Ting to get close to the Marquis's mansion and gain influence.
Gu Xiao was unwilling, or rather, he had never been willing. What he couldn't accomplish, he made Gu Ting do. He wanted Gu Ting to enter the Hanlin Academy, climb the ranks, and make a name for himself.
Aunt Yang would remain indifferent to her sister-in-law's suffering and struggles, deeply mired in her own misery. She only cared about how much profit she could gain.
But she shouldn't have set her sights on Yang Mei. Her sister-in-law treated her the same way she treated Yang Mei back then, just like a daughter.
Such behavior can only be described as ungrateful and treacherous.
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