This time we went to the Quliushang Manor, which is about three days' journey from the capital.
Wang Yan stayed at an inn for two days along the way. As soon as Aunt Sun settled in and put down her luggage, she rolled up her sleeves and went to borrow the inn's kitchen.
We've already finished the mint cakes and other pastries we brought on the trip, so we'll make more this time.
Moreover, based on her experience last year, Aunt Sun felt that the journey had been tiring.
Once they arrive at the estate, the masters will probably not be able to eat much.
Prepare some refreshing, easy-to-eat, and filling snacks.
Wang Yanfu went to help out, preparing one jade lung-filled cake and another Longjing tea cake.
To make the lung-cleansing medicine, first extract the true powder (mung bean powder). Then, grind several ingredients, including peeled roasted pine nuts, peeled walnut kernels, and white sesame seeds, into large particles.
Boil water in a pot, add the ground pine nuts and other ingredients, along with mung bean starch and water. Once the water boils, stir until it forms a dough.
Pour the contents into a mold, chill in well water for 15 minutes, then remove and slice. This is for today's meal.
The Longjing tea cakes that we'll be having on the way tomorrow and once we arrive will be made with much more substantial ingredients.
Brew a pot of Longjing tea, pour in glutinous rice flour and rice flour, add two spoonfuls of white sugar and mix well, then steam for half an hour.
Grind steamed mung beans with milk, then put them in a pot with corn oil and stir-fry over low heat. Add two spoonfuls of Longjing tea powder and three spoonfuls of honey. Stir-fry until it becomes a bean paste.
Then, a ball of red bean paste is wrapped around a piece of freshly torn glutinous rice dough, placed in a mold, and pressed to shape.
The aroma of tea is irresistible, with a slight bitterness mixed with a hint of sweetness. The fragrance of rice and tea blend together, creating a smooth, sweet, and refreshing taste that is both delicate and elegant.
After finishing, Wang Yan was covered in sweat and too tired to eat.
Back in the two-person room with Fuling, I asked for a bucket of water, washed up, and then went outside to sit on the stone benches outside the inn to enjoy the breeze.
After a while, Fuling finished washing and brought out two bowls of sweet bean water and two sauerkraut steamed buns.
It was already evening, and the sky had darkened. The two sat on the stone stools and finished their meal, then took the empty bowls to the inn's kitchen.
Back in my inn room, I woke up to a rustling sound outside; it was time to leave.
After a quick wash, they returned to the small carriage where the six of them were traveling together. Today was the last day of their journey, and they would arrive at Qu Liushang by evening.
At 5:15 PM, they arrived at Quliushang, where the servants had all made preparations.
So when we arrived, hot water and fragrant soup were already prepared.
Even the kitchen staff had prepared the food well in advance, which saved Aunt Sun a lot of trouble.
After washing up, Gao Shi barely touched the food sent from Lady Hou's courtyard, and divided it all up.
The past few days of travel had left Mr. Gao feeling exhausted, so he rested early today.
Wang Yan and the others didn't feel that way; after washing up, they dried their hair with towels.
Since it was in a separate courtyard, the Lady Hou was resting at this time.
Therefore, Sister Qingqian became much more lenient with them.
Wang Yan and the others can come out to eat with their hair down, without having to wait until they dry their hair and comb it with hairpins before being allowed to come out.
An old woman was also assigned to the kitchen here, and she stays here year-round to keep watch.
They accepted all the dishes that Granny Shi brought: Jade Well Rice, Plum Ginger, Spicy Cucumber, Steamed Pork with Lotus Leaf, Braised Bamboo Shoots, Salted Vegetable Braised Pork, Quail in Fermented Rice Wine, and Cypress Leaf Soup.
It's easy to see that the food was prepared with great care.
The lady had no appetite, but Wang Yan and the others wolfed down their food, eating with great relish.
The next day, Xiaodeng, a maid from the manor, led the entire family from the first and second branches of the household to familiarize themselves with the surrounding environment.
Qu Liushang's manor is built against the mountain and covers a large area, almost twice the size of the Marquis's mansion.
This is quite large. According to Fuling, the estate they went to for summer retreat last year was only half the size of the Marquis's mansion.
The layout of the winding stream pavilion is well-organized, with pavilions, towers, green trees, waterside pavilions, lakes, and artificial hills.
The overall structure is simple and elegant, which is somewhat different from the gold-painted and colorful decorations of the Marquis's Mansion.
The floor is paved with large bluestone bricks, the walls are spacious and bright, and the overall color scheme is blue bricks and gray tiles.
Walking through it, one feels quite refreshed. The people living right next to the estate are not ordinary villagers.
They were also estates of roughly the same size, built by various powerful and wealthy families.
The villagers live in a village 15 miles away and rarely venture into this area.
However, they rely on the same mountain, and sometimes they can run into each other in the forest.
Later, when Wang Yan and her friends went up the mountain to dig for bamboo shoots and wild vegetables, they even encountered people who came to help them.
………………………………………………
In the Marquis's residence, in Mo Yuan's courtyard, Lin Mu had been given three strokes of the cane by the Third Young Master, and his wounds had become infected. This was to punish him for his clumsy speech in "transmitting the wrong message."
After he was beaten, the Third Young Master went to the old lady Hou's courtyard in a panic to apologize.
The old lady's attendant, Granny Lu, came out to speak, but did not allow the third young master to enter the main room.
Lin Mu stayed in the courtyard for two days, but there was nothing he could do and no one to take care of him. The Third Young Master generously allowed him to go home to recuperate.
Yang waited anxiously for two days, and when she found that the old lady Hou had not found an excuse to punish her, she became even bolder.
Find Gu Ting, "Tomorrow, find an excuse to go out and visit your uncle!"
Tell him that his aunt, that crazy woman, can't be allowed to live. Tell him to find a way to get rid of her.
Gu Ting was taken aback by her blunt and undisguised words, and hesitated for a moment. Jiang Lanling had always been very kind to her.
"My aunt may have misunderstood for a moment, and my uncle may not agree either. Wouldn't it hurt feelings to say such things so bluntly?"
“Keeping her around would only cause trouble. You have no idea how terrified I was when she tried to bite the bayberries last time.”
Fortunately, she was sensible this time, but what about next time? What if she revealed that you wanted to buy an official position and that your father and uncle were colluding to lend money at interest rates?
It's a small matter if we don't get the money; the old lady will absolutely not let the old Marquis keep our family in the manor anymore. How much less help will you get then?
If your wife is capable, that's fine, but marrying her won't bring you any benefits, not even much money.
If we don't plan for ourselves, how will our branch of the family survive in this capital city?
The second wife's assets are all in Zheng Jin's hands. The concubines are usually well treated, but who can be like Yang Shi?
Aunt Yang had 10,000 taels of silver in savings, not to mention her other private savings such as jewelry and fabrics.
Zheng Jin had long suspected that his second maternal grandfather could only squeeze a limited amount of money out of him, not even enough for his own drinking and entertainment.
Where did all this money come from? Not only could it be used to reward Lady Yang, but it could also support his own extravagant spending outside?
The second wife had always known about Gu Tingtong's connections, but she was still not convinced.
In addition, where did the ceramics factory that Jiang Lanling mentioned get its money?
From the smallest details, Zheng Jin immediately sensed that something was wrong.
That's why she was able to leisurely enjoy a cup of tea amidst such a chaotic and troublesome situation; she was truly happy at that moment.
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