Jiang Yuwei wiped the dirty water from her face, looked at Granny Li with a frown, and asked:
"Didn't you see me coming in? And you deliberately splashed water on me?"
Granny Li snorted coldly:
"Hmph, I'm working inside, how could I possibly have eyes outside to see you coming in? Besides, what are you doing in someone else's kitchen all day long?"
Just as Jiang Yuwei was about to speak, she saw a water vat at the kitchen door. She went up, took a ladle, filled it with water, took a big gulp, and walked straight up to Granny Li, glaring at her intently.
Seeing this, Granny Li spoke up disdainfully:
"You don't have any water at home? Why did you come all the way to our Xu residence..."
Before Granny Li could finish speaking, Jiang Yuwei aimed directly at Granny Li's wide-open mouth and spat the water she was holding into it! Granny Li managed to catch every single drop of that water.
At this moment, Granny Li couldn't even speak. She started gagging on the ground and kept trying to clear her throat with her fingers. Jiang Yuwei took a step back and drank a big gulp of water. Just as Granny Li looked up to scold her, Jiang Yuwei sprayed another mouthful of water all over her face!
Granny Li clenched her fists in anger and pounded on the stove, but she didn't dare to speak rashly, afraid that Jiang Yuwei would spit in her mouth again. So she picked up the bamboo basket from the table and was about to smash it on Jiang Yuwei. But this time Jiang Yuwei was prepared and easily dodged to the side. The bamboo basket hit Steward Zhang, who was standing behind Jiang Yuwei, on the head.
The sharp thorns sticking out of the bamboo basket hit Manager Zhang on the forehead, drawing blood. Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei quickly dropped the water ladle she was holding and rushed over to help Manager Zhang.
"Oh dear, Manager Zhang, you're bleeding! Are you alright?"
Manager Zhang, leaning on the stove for support, managed to stand still. He waved to Jiang Yuwei, then glared at Granny Li, who was standing there bewildered, and angrily said:
"What kind of behavior is this! I think you don't need to go into this kitchen anymore. Go outside and be a cleaning lady. If you still don't repent and act like a fighting cock all day, then go directly to the farm to farm!"
Upon hearing this, Granny Li immediately begged for mercy:
"No, no, no, I know I was wrong. Besides, I didn't mean it. I'm so old, how can I be a cleaning lady? Manager Zhang, please have mercy on me this time. I'll pay for your head injury!"
Steward Zhang glared at Granny Li and said angrily:
"I don't need you to pay for my medical expenses. Or I can just take this injury to the front yard and have the master and mistress take a look. I can't control you right now. You even dared to hurt someone. If you can't do the cleaning work, then go to the estate to farm. Or I can ask the master and mistress to take charge and find a servant to sell you off, how about that?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Li trembled with fear. At her age, if she were sold off to suffer elsewhere, how many days would she have left to live? It would also damage her son's reputation if word got out. Thinking this, Granny Li secretly glared at Jiang Yuwei.
Seeing that Granny Li was still lingering in the kitchen, Steward Zhang said in a deep voice:
"Do you really want me to find a slave trader to sell you off?"
Seeing this, Granny Li quickly spoke up:
"Alright, alright, I'll do the sweeping and cleaning. Manager Zhang, please don't spread this around. I'll go sweep the yard right now."
As she spoke, Granny Li rushed out of the kitchen, grabbed a large broom from the yard, and began sweeping the yard.
Manager Zhang looked at Jiang Yuwei, who was covered in dirty water, and said apologetically:
"Yuwei, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault for not disciplining the servants properly. I'll have Zhaodi take you to change your clothes first, and then you can make the sour drink, so you don't catch a cold."
Jiang Yuwei looked down at her own dirty clothes and the chive leaves hanging from her head. She felt it wasn't appropriate to stay in the kitchen cooking like this, so she nodded and followed Sun Zhaodi out.
"Sister Yuwei, you were really impressive today! Oh, that time you spat on Granny Li, it almost killed me with laughter. Did you see the look on her face? Hahaha."
Sun Zhaodi laughed all the way. She was happiest that Granny Li couldn't stay in the kitchen to work. She and Granny Li usually didn't get along, but now that Jiang Yuwei had helped her teach Granny Li a lesson, she was naturally happy.
Sun Zhaodi led Jiang Yuwei to the maid's room, rummaged through the chests and cabinets to find a set of clothes worn by maids in the Xu household, handed them to Jiang Yuwei, and then scratched her head sheepishly, saying:
"Sister Yuwei, this is the only outfit I have here. Please make do with it for now."
Jiang Yuwei didn't mind; after all, she had worn patched clothes before, so this maid's uniform was naturally not much different. Jiang Yuwei quickly changed out of the clothes and busied herself in the kitchen making plum juice.
Jiang Yuwei first washed all the ingredients, then poured the prepared osmanthus, dried tangerine peel, hawthorn, licorice, and dried plum into a pot, added spring water, and simmered. She also found some yellow rock sugar in the kitchen and added it to the pot for seasoning.
After boiling for about 15 minutes, Jiang Yuwei filtered the plum juice and then, when no one was looking, soaked it in the spiritual spring water for a while until it was completely cooled before taking it out.
By this time, Steward Zhang had already bandaged his head and was about to come to the kitchen to see if Jiang Yuwei had finished. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he smelled the sweet and sour aroma of plum juice, and couldn't help but swallow. He looked at Jiang Yuwei and smiled:
“Yuwei, I told the Second Young Master about that matter. He said you can rest assured that he will take care of it for you.”
Jiang Yuwei smiled and handed the chilled plum juice to Manager Zhang:
"Then I'll have to trouble Steward Zhang to thank the Second Young Master for me. The plum juice is ready. Please bring it to Madam as soon as possible. It's still a bit chilly, so it's the best time to drink it. It will whet your appetite. Please don't worry, Madam."
Manager Zhang accepted the plum juice with a smile. Jiang Yuwei said goodbye to Manager Zhang and quickly walked towards the gate of the mansion, afraid that Ning Huaizhi was getting impatient waiting outside.
But just as Jiang Yuwei stepped out of the side gate, a tall man called out to her:
"Hey, maid, what are you doing walking so fast? Come here, I have something to tell you."
Jiang Yuwei pretended not to hear and kept her head down as she walked quickly outside. She knew that the man was calling her. There was no one else around, only herself dressed as a maid. He must have mistaken her for a servant of the Xu family. Jiang Yuwei didn't want to explain to him. She just wanted to leave the Xu family as soon as possible to avoid trouble.
Seeing that Jiang Yuwei was just walking with her head down and completely ignoring him, the man became furious and rushed in front of her, blocking her way.
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