Shen Panyun led her maid through the covered walkway. The maid carried an exquisite food box, which belonged to the manor, but contained fresh food that she had just obtained from Shi Tou in the back gatehouse.
Just a quarter of an hour ago, she was on her way to the front yard to play with her sisters when she encountered Shi Tou in the garden. He was carrying something in his hand, and when she asked, she learned that it was food sent by the family that sold the tiger a couple of days ago. Since that tiger, Shen Jingjie, was very popular in the mansion, she immediately intercepted the food when she heard that it was sent by that family and that they had not specified who it was for.
When she took it back to her room and opened it, she found that she had never seen the food before. So she asked the maid to cut it open and let the servants try it first. The servants said it was delicious and showed no signs of poisoning, so she also took a bite. She wanted to see what other novel things the hunter could come up with.
The moment it touched her tongue, it was soft and creamy, something she had never tasted before. Moreover, it was adorned with delicate and beautiful light green flowers. She was incredibly grateful that she had just encountered Shi Tou. If this thing had fallen into Shen Jingjie's hands and he had used it to curry favor with the old ancestor, wouldn't he have been able to secure his position in the mansion?
Shen Panyun is only thirteen years old and is a granddaughter of the Shen family. She is beautiful at a young age. Although she was born to the principal wife, there are nine young masters and ladies in the family. She is the sixth and is not favored. So she has to use this to please the old ancestor.
The true owner of the Shen family was not surnamed Shen, but Shangguan, named Shangguan Qianrong, who was Shen Baishan's mother. As for the origins of this mother and son, no one knew, not even Shen Panyun. All that was known was that thirty-five years ago, the ancestor sent her father, who was only ten years old at the time, to settle in Fenggu County. As soon as they arrived, they bought a manor in the suburbs of the city. The manor had a hundred acres of fertile land and four or five hills.
At the time, some people mocked them as an orphan and a widow. Unexpectedly, this orphan and widow had only been around for three generations, yet they had seven or eight concubines and nine children, truly a large and prosperous lineage.
Shen Panyun sneered inwardly, but on the surface she remained quiet and obedient. When she arrived at the ancestor's residence, her demeanor became even more docile. Seeing that the ancestor was listening to opera, she quietly went in and obediently stood aside to wait.
Shangguan Qianrong leaned against the soft couch with her eyes closed. In the pavilion in the middle of the lake, an actor was performing. Her temples were already gray, and her hair was neatly combed, but she only wore a sandalwood hairpin. Her hands were adorned with jade bracelets, and she had no other ornaments, yet she exuded an air of nobility.
When the song ended, Shangguan Qianrong opened her eyes and was not surprised to see Shen Panyun. She spoke slowly and deliberately, "Why did you come to this old woman, Yun girl? Didn't you go to the front yard to play with your sisters?"
The past two days have been lively in the courtyard. They got a tiger, and my son is holding a banquet. There's been a constant stream of people coming and going, including some who are looking for marriage partners for their children. She ate a few pieces of tiger meat. Tiger meat in spring is very warming, which is good for dispelling the cold left in the body from winter. But she couldn't eat any more.
Shen Panyun replied obediently, taking out a dessert from the food box, "My granddaughter has just received a new treat and wanted to show respect to her grandmother, so she came here. Please do her a favor and try it."
"You're so good with words." Shangguan Qianrong naturally knew the girl's situation in the manor. She was trying to curry favor with her, but these were just trivial selfish motives, and she didn't mind them.
Seeing that the ancestor hadn't said she wouldn't eat, Shen Panyun used a spoon to serve her a bite. She was eager to know what the ancestor was thinking, but since there was a family rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping, she suppressed her anxiety and waited quietly. After the ancestor finished eating, she scooped up another spoonful.
Shangguan Qianrong was picky and extravagant about food. Normally, he would be honored to be able to eat a couple of sips of sweet soup. This time, he actually ate several sips. Shen Panyun was excited. She was really lucky today. She got this and pleased the old ancestor.
Shangguan Qianrong was amazed by the texture and taste of this thing. After taking five bites, he was served tea and nodded, saying, "Not bad, it's soft, sweet and smooth, and the shape is also exquisite. Which little girl came up with this novel idea? She deserves a reward."
Shen Panyun's face was as rosy as clouds, and her smile was as beautiful as a flower. "It is an honor for the ancestor to like it. I will have someone prepare it right away. When the ancestor wakes up from his afternoon nap, he can eat this dessert, drink tea, and listen to music. It will surely make the ancestor happy."
After leaving the ancestral courtyard, Shen Panyun returned to her own courtyard, found her monthly allowance, and gave it to her personal maid, saying, "Go to Shi Tou and inquire about buying more desserts."
The maid took the silver and went to ask Shi Tou, but Shi Tou didn't know anything. She could only ask the neighbor who received the dessert, but she still couldn't find out anything. She returned empty-handed and was severely punished by Shen Panyun.
So, in just one day, the ladies and young women of wealthy families in Fenggu County were sending people everywhere to inquire about these desserts, and some were even asking at various restaurants and pastry shops. Even Shen Baishan was alarmed and casually asked about them when he went to pay his respects to his elderly mother that evening.
What you can't have is always stirring. Shangguan Qianrong had already finished the half-rolled towel. He didn't get to eat it in the afternoon, and later he found out that he couldn't find the source of the item. He felt it was worth savoring even more. When his son asked about it, he told him about it. "Desserts are rare. I've been craving this. If I find this one someday, you can try it too."
She doted on this son, spoiling him unconditionally.
After learning the reason for the incident, Shen Baishan went to his first wife's courtyard to find Shen Panyun.
Zhao Hanping was embroidering in the room, wearing a dark gold dress with intricate floral patterns. She was no longer as beautiful as she had been in her youth. When she saw Shen Baishan, a feeling of disgust welled up inside her.
Everyone thought she was marrying up to the Shen family. She would rather marry a country bumpkin and eat coarse food than marry Shen Baishan. Shen Baishan was a dissolute man who looked down on her for not being romantic. He started taking concubines one after another just a few days after she entered the family.
She was born into a scholarly family; her grandfather was a scholar and her father was a graduate. She was raised with a dignified demeanor, but Shen Baishan saw it all as pretense. Only those from brothels and entertainment venues were to his liking.
In the past two years, Shen Baishan has stopped going to brothels and theaters, but has become obsessed with widows. His sixth concubine in the mansion is a widow, and the two he keeps outside the mansion are also widows.
Shen Baishan's spirits instantly wilted when he saw his wife's attire. He didn't even bother to sit down. He was truly annoyed that his wife dressed almost the same as his mother every day. "Call out Sixth Girl. I have something to ask her."
Shen Panyun arrived quickly. Her mood had been fluctuating all day. She was anxious because she hadn't been able to find the hunter to buy the dessert. She couldn't even eat dinner. She had finally managed to please her ancestor, but she broke her promise in an instant. She didn't know if she would have another chance to please her in the future. With no one to protect her and her mother, she and her mother would be bullied to death.
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, to the point that she developed blisters on her lips. Now that she knew the reason for her father's visit, she was even more worried, mainly because she knew nothing about it herself. Thinking back now, receiving that dessert this morning felt like a dream.
Shen Baishan didn't get the information he wanted. Looking at his wife, who was acting like a mother hen, he became even more annoyed and left in a huff.
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