Wang Yan has been going to the main kitchen a lot these past few days, because Uncle Lu asked her to "test the dishes".
They specifically asked Qingqian, and Qingqian naturally agreed.
The old lady's birthday is in half a month, and the list of maids to be released from each courtyard has already been prepared. Wang Yan was on the list without any problems.
Therefore, she would spend half an hour every afternoon in the main kitchen tasting the dishes.
She went to get food with Zhixue and Zhiju, stayed there for a while, and then Wang Pangzi brought it to her at the hanging flower gate before coming back.
Fatty Wang has been deboning ducks and keeping the skin these past two days; he's deboned about thirty or forty of them.
Watching from the side, Wang Yan suddenly realized that, apart from not knowing how to cook, Fatty Wang was actually quite skilled at everything else.
He can carve a fruit into a flower in no time, and he can also dismantle a duck with ease, finishing one in half an hour.
After disassembling, stuff the duck head into the gourd-shaped beak, and soak the duck skin in ginger water and scallion water to remove the fishy smell.
He just doesn't know how to cook. The eight-treasure filling needs to be stir-fried. The eight ingredients need to be blanched and cooked, then salt, sesame oil, and pepper are added and stir-fried in a pan.
After stuffing the duck with filling, tie it in the middle with rope to form a gourd shape, then blanch it again to make the duck skin firm.
Press the gourd down with hot oil until the surface is golden brown and crispy, then steam it again for an hour.
Strain the broth from steaming and stir-fry it in a pot. Add a little cornstarch slurry to thicken it until it becomes thick. Pour the thickened sauce over the Eight Treasure Gourd Duck, and the dish is complete.
The outer crust is crispy and chewy, the filling is rich and loose, the taste is savory and mellow with a hint of sweetness and a smooth texture.
Wang Yan has been having a really great time tasting dishes these past two days. She couldn't make it to the old lady's birthday banquet, but she didn't miss out on any of the delicious food.
Chunye specially used her vacation time to work a day for her.
So Wang Yan was sitting in the main kitchen eating the entire banquet, even before the old lady.
Lexian dried fruit, eight plates hanging down, sour and salty snacks, embroidered eight-fruit stack, lotus seeds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, ginkgo, carved bamboo shoots, red pepper flowers, carved oranges, grapes and other candied dried fruits, sliced fresh fruits are also included, to whet your appetite first.
This year's menu remains the same: fifteen cups of wine to accompany the dishes, including jade prawns, lychee-flavored pork kidneys, quail crystal sashimi, sprouted pork belly, fresh shrimp and pork hock sashimi, and ginger and vinegar raw snails.
It must be said that the Third Young Master's position at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices had some advantages; his family possessed only the finest wines.
This is much better than the wine Wang Yan tasted for the first time two years ago. All the wines in the jars and pots are top-quality.
But speaking of which, the Third Young Master is probably still out there right now, isn't he? He's always complaining about this bad luck and that bad luck. Now it's his turn to be the one being complained about.
He definitely won't be able to attend the old lady's birthday banquet. Is he probably on his way to the country estate right now? Or has he returned but is stuck outside and can't get in?
I heard the second wife has spoken; the third young master isn't allowed into the mansion, and he'll have to stay outside for a while after the birthday banquet before he can return. Serves him right!
Zheng Jin was finally furious and kicked him out of the house. All he wanted was to crash the birthday banquet and meet more celebrities, right? They wouldn't let him!
Two jars of Huangfeng wine were still delivered, but this was a gift from the Emperor. Other wines had also been prepared well in advance.
Depending on the pairing with the dishes, the wines also range in flavor from light to rich. Examples include Yinguang Wine, Xuepei Wine, Qionghua Lu, Sitangchun, and Fenghechun.
Cool drinks, thirst-quenching water, and boiled water were all prepared on the side, but Wang Yan didn't want to drink these beverages or teas.
She wanted to try all kinds of alcoholic beverages, since she was afraid she wouldn't be able to buy them if she went abroad.
Wang Pangzi then served her drinks according to the order of the banquet's specifications, but only a sip each time.
So Wang Yan didn't get drunk from the beginning to the end of the meal, probably because she ate too much food and the alcohol didn't have a chance to work its magic.
I'll go back and rest for another night. Tomorrow, I'll go with the maids and servants who are to be released to kneel and express our gratitude outside Ronghua Garden.
Chunye and Chunxi held her tightly, reluctant to part, while Fuling and the others looked at her with teary eyes.
Wang Yan laughed heartlessly, "What are you all doing? Staring at me like that. It's not like I left the capital the moment I stepped out of the manor."
We're still making a living in the capital, right over on Ma Xing Street. My family is planning to start a small business. Come visit me during your holidays, and I'll treat you to a good meal.
Let me do the math... um, at most another month, and we'll be able to see each other again. Hahaha!
Chunye came up and punched her twice. "You heartless little hussy, we're all here feeling sad and depressed, and you're laughing nonstop the moment you open your mouth."
Wang Yan quickly raised her hands and begged for mercy, "Good sisters, please spare me. I won't hit you anymore, I won't hit you anymore."
After saying that, he took out the Eight Treasure Duck and various other dishes that he had taken from the main kitchen and shared them with everyone as a late-night snack.
The next day, after getting up and dressing neatly, she waved to everyone in the courtyard and Qingqian led her to express her gratitude.
There were quite a few people coming to the old lady's courtyard gate, about a dozen in total.
You should know that when Fatty Wang came to express his gratitude before, he was the only one who kowtowed all by himself.
Wang Yan looked around and realized that she was the only one as young as herself. Moreover, most of the people there were girls.
They probably got old and were afraid of being arbitrarily assigned a partner by their master, so they asked for a favor so they could go out and find someone to match them up.
As for boys, the spots were basically taken by the various stewards. If a family had a promising son or grandson, they would ask for a favor to be released so that he could study and participate in the imperial examinations.
Basically, those are the two main scenarios. The rest are simply people who don't want to leave their residence at all; they just don't have the inclination.
Even the old woman who guards the gate is unwilling to come out. She is so old, and her master will not easily scold or beat her. She can receive various benefits in the inner courtyard and lives a very comfortable life.
Regardless, quite a lot of people came today. Everyone else also glanced at Wang Yan curiously, wondering why he was going out when he looked only twelve or thirteen.
Wang Yan smiled, and when the time came, the head steward came out to offer his blessings.
Then they followed suit, bowing and kowtowing, sometimes to heaven, sometimes to earth, sometimes to people, doing it all.
After all the procedures were completed, Manager Rong ordered a servant to bring over a plate with a stack of red embroidered "longevity" purses on it.
Each person was given one, which should amount to 200 copper coins.
After receiving this, the masters of each courtyard gave a purse to the maids who were about to leave the mansion. Qingqian also handed one to Wang Yan, which contained gold and silver coins.
Wang Yan blinked her eyes, looking at Qingqian with surprise. She had noticed that most of the gifts given to her were copper coins.
Did the master secretly provide any further subsidies? Wang Yan didn't know. But what Qingqian sent made Wang Yan very happy.
Since this was the first time she had been rewarded with so much money right away, judging from the shape of the purse, it must contain silver or gold coins.
Lady Hou is such a good person!
………………………………………………………………
After kneeling in gratitude, she carefully took her release deed. Fatty Wang had taken a day off early that morning to take her to the government office to have her enslaved status removed.
Wang Yan's original plan was to jump and run forward as soon as she left the Marquis's residence to show her excitement.
Seriously, I've thought about it so many times, and I get so excited just thinking about it.
But when that day actually came, the reality was that she carried a huge basket on her back and followed Wang Pangzi step by step.
The money and the deed were valuable, so Fatty Wang handled them carefully. Therefore, he couldn't be distracted by helping her carry the basket.
What's in the basket? Uncle Lu Qi packed all sorts of vegetables, dried fruits, and even a small jar each of rose dew and chrysanthemum dew.
After the slave status was cleared, Fatty Wang finally breathed a sigh of relief and took the basket from Wang Yan.
Wang Yan had already moved all the way, and now she couldn't jump anymore, so she might as well just walk home obediently.
Aunt Wang at home didn't know when she would return, because the exact date was determined by Manager Rong who had to find the necessary approvals.
However, it must be this month, either before or after the birthday banquet.
A batch will definitely be released before the birthday banquet, but I wonder if Wang Yan will be lucky enough to be sent out in advance?
However, since the beginning of the month, Aunt Wang has cleaned and tidied up the house.
The quilts are taken out to air every day, and then laid out in the room to make them soft and cozy. The room is clean and spotless, and the tables and cabinets are all ready.
I also went to Lan Yi Fang and bought a few feet of cloth to make two new outfits for Wang Yan. Now that we're out of the manor, we won't have to wear those drab work clothes that the servants wear anymore. Even though the materials are quite nice.
The small house we bought at the time only had two rooms; the larger side room was given to Wang Ying and Wang Yan.
However, this time the two didn't have to stay in the same room. Fatty Wang had someone divide the room in half and expand the outer wall.
Now the two of them each have their own room, which is about five or six square meters.
The house looks spacious, but the yard is a bit small.
Moreover, if her brother Wang Xing comes home again after she returns, he will have nowhere to stay.
After arriving home, Wang Yan looked around the small courtyard and decided to count the money she had saved over the past two years after dinner. She was thinking about buying a house again.
Aunt Wang had originally planned to go all out and take Wang Yan to Fanlou for a big celebratory meal.
Now look what's happened! The vegetables she carries in her basket are enough to feed her family for three days straight. Why bother going out? She can just eat them at home.
Wang Ying was overjoyed and went to buy her sister a cup of papaya juice (a lactic acid bacteria beverage made from fermented rice), perilla juice (herbal and fruit tea), orange peel juice, mung bean snow-infused juice, and grape juice (concentrated fruit juice diluted with water).
Why buy so much? Because I want to see my sister happy, and I know Wang Yan likes all kinds of flavorful drinks.
The family finished their meal in a happy atmosphere, and then Wang Yan overheard Aunt Wang and Fatty Wang discussing where to rent a shop.
It turns out that these past few days, Aunt Wang had looked at all the food stalls in the vicinity.
Two locations were chosen: the banks of the Wei River and Maxing Street.
Both places have their advantages and disadvantages. There are many small boats coming and going on the Wei River, and how many people are on each boat? The passenger flow during the day is huge.
The Ma Xing Street Night Market is thriving; residents of this neighborhood come here to enjoy the night market every evening.
So now Aunt Wang is caught in a dilemma, and she has no choice but to make a decision.
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