Chapter 91 Free meals at Rongyue Courtyard
“If you ask me, Madam should keep a closer eye on Huan’er. I don’t expect him to be a help to Baoyu in the future, but he can’t be a hindrance to Baoyu. Having a brother like that, even if he’s born out of wedlock, is still embarrassing,” Wang Xifeng advised.
"Hmph, he doesn't deserve it!" Madam Wang said disdainfully. "It's enough that Aunt Zhao is in charge."
Wang Xifeng rolled her eyes inwardly. With your son Jia Baoyu's character, how is he any better than Jia Huan? He's only seemed to have become a little more sensible these days.
“Madam, in that case, I will send Zijuan back first.”
"Yes, Zijuan, go back and tell Granny Yuan to restrain Miss Lin a bit. A young lady should be quiet and virtuous. Being too aggressive is not dignified." Madam Wang only dared to tell Zijuan to say this here. She really couldn't say it in front of Daiyu or Yuan Hongqu.
Zijuan responded.
Wang Xifeng didn't say anything after hearing what Madam Wang said. Was Madam Wang having some wild ideas?
Who can control what Daiyu is like?
Teacher Yuan allowed her to grow freely. As long as she had a sense of right and wrong and didn't make any mistakes in major principles, Daiyu could do whatever she wanted in other areas.
Wang Xifeng also decided to raise her eldest daughter in the same way from now on.
When the two arrived at Rongyue Courtyard, it was already completely dark.
Nowadays, the days are short and the nights are long; it's only been a short time since dinner.
Zijuan relayed Madam Wang's exact words to Yuan Hongqu without missing a single one.
Before Yuan Hongqu could say anything, Wang Xifeng spoke first:
“Sister Yuan, you don’t need to care what Madam says. After all, Daiyu isn’t a girl from the Jia family. Even her own father hasn’t said anything! In my opinion, Daiyu’s personality is the best. At least she won’t suffer any grievances or be bullied and just endure it all by herself, making herself sick.”
"You think you know so much, yet you're standing up for Daiyu?" Yuan Hongqu scolded her. They could only say these things in private, but saying them in front of so many people might cause trouble if they reached Madam Wang's ears.
Yuan Hongqu now regretted telling Wang Xifeng too much about the world of Dream of the Red Chamber.
She spoke with her own subjective feelings in mind.
Because she was in the world of Dream of the Red Chamber at that moment, and had developed a very deep affection for Daiyu, she always sided with Daiyu in everything.
She would be unhappy if anyone said anything bad about Daiyu.
In the version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" that she told Wang Xifeng, the only main character was Daiyu, and the central figure was Daiyu.
Wang Xifeng already had a good impression of Daiyu, and after listening to Yuan Hongqu's explanation of "Dream of the Red Chamber," her positive feelings towards Daiyu were amplified to the maximum.
So when she was with Madam Wang, she held back and didn't refute her. But when she got to Rongyue Courtyard, she didn't care about anything anymore. After listening to Zijuan's retelling, she immediately started to rattle off her own opinions.
Even Yuan Hongqu couldn't stop her.
She waved for Xiangtao to take Zijuan to eat, and then said...
"You probably haven't had dinner yet, have you?"
"I've come at an inopportune time; I've missed your dinner time." Only then did Wang Xifeng realize that she had originally planned to come to Rongyue Courtyard for dinner tonight. Yuan Hongqu hadn't mentioned it, but now that dinner was on the table, she realized she was a little hungry, and her face showed a hint of grievance.
"You went to the estate today, and I was wondering what new things you'd bring back. I was saving room for dinner at your house, sigh..."
Nowadays, on ordinary days, Wang Xifeng no longer needs to serve meals to the old lady and the mistress.
This was also thanks to Jia Lian's several tantrums, which finally got the old lady to exempt Wang Xifeng from the trivial matters of serving meals and just let her manage the household properly.
Wang Xifeng rushed around all night, hoping to have dinner at Rongyue Courtyard, but she still missed it.
"How old are you? You've only missed one meal, and you're already so upset. Thank you for protecting Daiyu today. What would you like to eat? I'll cook it for you." Yuan Hongqu found it amusing that Wang Xifeng looked so aggrieved, like a doormat.
Upon hearing Yuan Hongqu's words, Wang Xifeng's previously somewhat dejected face immediately brightened.
Given the rare opportunity, she originally planned to order a few elaborate dishes, but seeing how late it was, she realized that preparing those dishes would probably take a long time.
Wang Xifeng thought for a moment before speaking.
"Sister Yuan, I love everything you make, as long as it's simple."
Yuan Hongqu thought for a moment, "Have some snacks first. I brought back a basket of fresh shrimp today, so I'll make you a shrimp hot pot. It'll be very quick."
Wang Xifeng nodded and sat down at the table. On it were several pastries that Xiangtao had just brought over, as well as a pot of milk tea, which tasted just right.
She only tasted a few of everything before waiting for the dishes prepared by her older sister, Yuan.
Before long, Yuan Hongqu came over carrying a large tray.
Yuan Hongqu put down the tray, first placing a towel on it, then took down a copper stove about the size of a soup bowl and placed it in front of Wang Xifeng.
The charcoal fire inside the bronze stove was burning brightly, and a small pot sat on top of it, fitting perfectly with the stove.
Before the pot lid was even opened, Wang Xifeng smelled an extremely domineering spicy aroma that went straight to her head.
She had never smelled anything like this since she came here!
Yuan Hongqu opened the pot lid, and a fresh, fragrant, spicy aroma wafted out, making Wang Xifeng's mouth water.
The pot was still bubbling and steaming, with bright red prawns on top. The prawns were crispy after being deep-fried, and then simmered in clear broth for a short while to remove the greasiness, making them very delicious.
The shrimp hot pot had a rich flavor, while the other copper pot next to it looked rather bland.
Wang Xifeng ate several shrimp in a row, and felt extremely comfortable after eating the spicy and numbing flavor.
Yuan Hongqu took a bowl and ladled the soup from the copper pot next to her to Wang Xifeng.
"This is white jade fish soup. After eating such oily and spicy food, it's good to eat something lighter."
Wang Xifeng couldn't stop eating. Underneath the shrimp pot were all kinds of mushrooms, which tasted exceptionally delicious, and at the very bottom was a layer of tender cabbage hearts.
The cabbage has a mild flavor, but it absorbs the taste of fresh shrimp and the umami of mushrooms. In the end, you'll find that the cabbage is the most flavorful part.
This hot and steaming shrimp stew is so delicious and perfect with rice.
Before she knew it, she had finished two bowls of rice. It was impossible for Wang Xifeng to eat so much, given her appetite. Firstly, she was hungry today, and secondly, the shrimp hot pot was just what she wanted.
After listening to Yuan Hongqu's recommendation, she picked up the soup bowl. The milky white fish soup looked ordinary.
Not wanting to offend Yuan Hongqu's kindness, she took a sip even though she was already full.
"Sister Yuan, isn't this fish soup? Where's the fish?"
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