Wang Xing kept what he heard today to himself, pretending not to know, and wouldn't utter a single word.
He values his life, so the family that the Third Young Master would fawn over like this must be no ordinary, insignificant family.
Passing by a vendor selling rice cakes, I bought a few more packs to take back to my younger sisters.
After taking the meat strip, Wang Yan tore it into small strands and ate them one by one.
While eating, I suddenly thought of a delicious food: pork jerky.
The one that's made is sweet and fragrant, and it's not much different from this one.
Select high-quality pork tenderloin, mince it into a fine, smooth paste, add appropriate amounts of white sugar, soy sauce, cooking wine, cumin powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, fennel powder, fish sauce, and salt, and stir in one direction for 25 minutes.
Wrap it up again and put it in the well to freeze for an hour. Then spread it directly in the pot, bake it at a low temperature, brush it with a layer of honey, flip it over, and bake it until it is crisp and fragrant.
Take it out, sprinkle it with white sesame seeds, cut it into thin slices of the same size and width, put it on a plate and send it to the First Madam.
It was fresh, sweet, and caramelized; the First Madam smiled after taking a bite. She then instructed Qingmei...
"Go and tell Madam Sun to make two more apple dafu and pack them with a plate of pork jerky to send to the girls."
Qingmei smiled and teased, "Madam, this is mainly for the Fifth Miss and the Eighth Miss, right? Now Madam Sun will be in for a rough time again."
Thinking of their happy faces and the two women enjoying their food, the lady was overjoyed. "Open the chest, take a purse and a plain silver hairpin, and give them to Aunt Sun."
Qingmei nodded in agreement and was just carrying the plate out when she saw Qingyu rushing in anxiously.
Qingyu bumped into Qingmei, causing her to stumble. Qingyu quickly stopped and helped her up.
"It's my fault, it's my fault, I almost bumped into you. Are you alright?"
"What's wrong?" Qingmei asked.
Qingyu didn't even bother to reply to her. She gave her a wink and then hurriedly went inside to give her an answer.
Qingyu entered the room and went to the lady's side. This time, she was no longer impetuous and gave a proper bow.
The First Madam picked up her teacup and took a leisurely sip. "Tell me, what news did Zhimo bring back from the estate?"
After the New Year, once Zhimo's injuries had healed, Qingping sent her to a manor on the outskirts of the city to look after the old house there.
Zhi Mo was very grateful, at least she no longer had to be humiliated and verbally abused by her mother at home.
Moreover, the wife implied that she should stay for a while, and that she would find her a good match later.
Qingyu took a deep breath and clearly described what Zhimo had brought back.
"Zhimo said that the third young lady of the Anbo family went to the estate for a spring outing."
The First Madam paused for a moment, then remembered that her young master was still at the estate. She frowned, turned to look at Qingyu, and Qingyu continued speaking.
"Zhimo said that the Third Miss hadn't been playing for long, perhaps because she didn't want to be disturbed. So she didn't go forward to greet her."
However, Zhi Mo sent back a sachet, saying it was a way to show his filial piety to his wife for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Madam Gao felt a surge of resentment welling up inside her. She had personally sent the invitation to the Anbo Mansion for the old lady's birthday celebration. She and Jiang Shiyi were close friends.
She was present when the second wife was humiliated by the Lady of the Anbo Mansion, and she was shocked when she learned the reason.
Fortunately, Jiang Shiyi is a person who clearly distinguishes between likes and dislikes, and he wouldn't hold a grudge against her.
To everyone's surprise, the second master actually fathered a son who looked exactly like him. A hopeless case, only interested in climbing the social ladder by relying on others.
We must be careful when this matter gets back; we need to handle it carefully and privately. We can't let even a whisper of it get to the second wife's side.
“Send a message to the Marquis of Amber’s mansion, saying that I have obtained a chess manual and that Lady Job is coming to play a game.”
Looking at the pork jerky on the table, he said, "I remember she loves crispy rice crusts. Pack a few of these together, put them in a box, and send them over."
Qingyu bowed her head and gave a curtsy, then slowly withdrew.
The invitation was for a meeting three days from now, so Aunt Sun started preparing all the novel foods she could a day in advance.
Foods like crispy rice crust, spicy strips, and pork jerky, which can be stored for a long time, should be made the night before.
The green apple daifuku was made with poria cocos. I got up very early to start making it, around 5 a.m., which takes a lot of time.
As it was dessert and the first course to be served, Jiang Shiyi arrived at 10:00 AM.
She had just finished cooking when she arrived, and it was served at the perfect time. Jiang Shiyi took a bite and immediately praised it highly.
She has always loved eating all sorts of snacks to pass the time; even the most sour dried plums, she can eat a whole plate of them.
Gao had put so much effort into preparing these things for her, and she even received a compliment. Even Granny Sun and the maids who arranged the fruits each received a few silver coins.
"You're quite thoughtful. Where's the chess score? Bring it here so I can take a look."
Mr. Gao took out the chess manual, and the two of them played a game together, then strolled around in the garden.
Qingyu, being perceptive, led the maids back a few steps, keeping a safe distance.
"I heard that your Qing'er is quite good at needlework. Why don't you send her over to keep Muzheng and Muqiao company, so they can learn from each other and embroider a few sachets for fun? As her aunt, I'd also like to ask for a few to hang up and scent the house."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiyi immediately stopped in her tracks. Her face turned pale in an instant.
After taking a few breaths and catching her breath, she composed herself and smilingly took Gao's arm.
"That's great! This girl is cooped up at home all day, and she's much older than her sisters, so she doesn't have much to do. It would be good for her to come out and make some close friends."
You just wait, I'll bring it to her tomorrow. It's just after the Dragon Boat Festival, so it'll still be in time.
Have her make a few sachets, fill them with some medicine packets, and hang them in front of your room to diffuse the fragrance.
Madam Gao smiled and nodded in agreement. Madam Jiang then lost interest in strolling through the garden and playing chess. She hurriedly said goodbye and left with her maids.
After returning to the Earl's residence and having dinner, Madam Jiang said she had a headache and went to call for Xu Shaoqing's head maid.
The girl's mother was the nanny in her room. She had gone home to rest these past two days. She was an excellent masseuse, and the girl had learned her massage perfectly.
Xu Shaoqing readily agreed and urged Guixiang to go over and massage her mother's head.
As soon as Guixiang entered the room, she was slapped hard across the face by Granny Wu, followed by a kick, and forced to kneel on the ground.
She felt bewildered, but immediately turned around and knelt down, her hands on the ground. Her face burned, but she dared not touch it, kneeling at the lower end without daring to speak.
"Where did you go on the Dragon Boat Festival, young lady?" Upon hearing Wu Mama's words, Guixiang's mind raced as she recalled the events of that day.
Suddenly, she raised her head and saw that Jiang's face was covered with a layer of ice, and her expression was so hazy that it was impossible to see her emotions.
Gui Xiang's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat. She kowtowed repeatedly and spoke with a trembling voice.
"That day was supposed to be the Dragon Boat Festival. The young lady took a few maids out for a stroll, but halfway there the family's carriage broke down."
Guizi went to a nearby carriage and horse stable, rented their carriage, and went home to change into a horse-drawn carriage.
The young lady wanted to wander around some more, so she asked a few of us to go to Yuchun Restaurant for lunch. The young lady, well, she went with us and drank a few cups of fruit wine.
Feeling tired, everyone lay down on the tatami mats to rest for a while. When they awoke, it was already 6 PM. Takako returned, had prepared a carriage in the backyard, and then went straight home.
Jiang stared intently at her, finally confirming that she wasn't lying. The questions asked of Guizi were similar, and everything matched up perfectly.
The carriage broke down, so we went back to get it replaced. When we went back, the innkeeper told us that the girls were having dinner upstairs. We didn't return until evening.
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