Chapter 38: Burning Tail Banquet
Today's dinner at the Su Mansion was a pre-prepared banquet, usually held when a scholar passed the imperial examination or an official was promoted.
In the legend, the carp needs to have its tail burned off by fire from heaven in order to succeed in leaping over the Dragon Gate. Therefore, burning the tail symbolizes rapid success.
The Burning Tail Banquet consists of 58 dishes in total, including 3 staple foods, 5 soups, 22 dim sum dishes and 28 side dishes.
It can be said to be very luxurious, although there are quite a few people in their family, the Su family has seven adults and three children.
Single-cage golden milk pastry, heart-shaped dried meat, melts in the wind, gold and silver flower cake, crystal dragon and phoenix cake, flower-wrapped Yunmeng meat, five-tone plate, door-passing incense, jade dew balls, and twenty-four-qi wontons...
The Gu siblings were stunned by the jaw-dropping, dazzling feast. Gu Wenmin blushed with embarrassment, as he was just an ordinary scholar.
Why do we have to use the Burning Tail Banquet?
Then Gu Hanyue laughed and said, "Wenmin, you passed the imperial examination, so why can't you enjoy the Burning Tail Feast? Besides, this is just a simplified version of the Burning Tail Feast."
"When you pass the imperial examination, we'll get together again."
Although the Burning Tail banquet was luxurious, it was only her monthly allowance for the year. Her husband could make money, so he didn't need that much.
After that, everyone washed their hands and sat down.
During the banquet, Su Zhenzhen saw that her father, brother and three others were present, so she also spoke to congratulate Gu Wenmin: "Brother Gu, I wish you success in the imperial examinations and a place on the list of successful candidates soon."
Logically speaking, her second sister-in-law's younger brother is older than her, so she can also call him cousin.
But she was a little afraid that Rong Jinchen would be jealous. She was a good girl and wanted to give boys a sense of security.
Gu Wenmin looked at Su Zhenzhen, whose cheeks were rosy, and looked at her stutteringly. He raised his glass and stood up: "Thank you, sister Su. I will definitely work hard."
He didn't dare look directly into Su Zhenzhen's clear and sparkling eyes, as he felt that he would fall into them if he looked too much.
Su Zhenzhen drank the glass of wine very happily, her pretty face slightly flushed, and sat down to eat.
Everyone toasted Gu Wenmin with a glass of wine. He drank so much that his ears turned red, but his face didn't show much.
This is ordinary glutinous rice wine with a very low alcohol content. It is not easy to get drunk unless you can drink one glass at a time.
Su Jun casually asked, "Wen Min, what are your plans before the Spring Examination? If you want to make friends through literature, you can go to the Moshu Pavilion in the capital. If you want to concentrate on studying, I can spend an hour every day explaining the questions to you."
Su Zhenzhen took a bite of the wonton, which was filled with shepherd's purse and pork. It was spring and the wild vegetables were very fresh.
Gu Wenmin's eyes lit up, and he toasted Su Jun, "Brother Su, thank you for your trouble. I toast you a glass."
Su Jun was the top scholar in the imperial examination six years ago, and now he is a fourth-rank official in the Dali Temple, with a bright future.
If it weren't for the fact that his elder sister was the wife of the second young master of the Su family, how could he be qualified to receive guidance from the top scholar?
Su Qiyang smiled, "Wen Min, you guys eat more. The bear paws in this five-tone plate are very fresh and rare (don't eat wild game! It's required by the plot!)" He also picked up the crystal dragon and phoenix cake that Ye Mingyan loved.
The eldest and second brothers Su also naturally picked up food for their wives, while Su Zhenzhen ate the meal with relish alone.
The three little ones of the third generation of the Su family did not eat with the adults. They were young and went to bed early.
In addition, the Burning Tail Banquet is not suitable for children, so the nanny took her to finish the meal and go wash up.
Qiu Shui Pavilion.
Su Yiyi looked at the four dishes and one soup in front of her: stewed pork elbow with ham, steamed egg custard with bacon, boiled chicken, stir-fried wolfberry leaves with oil and salt, white fungus and lotus seed soup, and green rice.
She ate in silence, counting the green-stemmed rice grains in the bowl one by one. Her personal maid Cuiguo couldn't bear to see her so lonely.
But she was just a maid and could not stand up for the second young lady.
"A family dinner. Yes, who am I? I'm just a maid giving birth to a daughter. How can I expect people to remember a concubine's daughter like me?"
"Daddy is so cruel! Am I not his biological daughter? Why did he leave me here alone to fend for myself?"
"I also want my father to love me and my mother to care for me! Is that wrong?"
Cuiguo looked at her second young lady crying, and then looked at her clothes and appearance. Forget it, she decided to sympathize with herself first.
The second young lady receives two taels of silver as her monthly allowance, which is even lower than that received by many young ladies from official families.
There are even some that don't have a monthly allowance.
Moreover, the second young lady also wore silk and satin and had several sets of head ornaments.
When the second young lady gets married, the Duke will give her a dowry of five or six thousand taels of silver.
You must know that as a first-rank university scholar, my master's monthly salary is only two hundred taels, or two thousand four hundred taels a year.
The monthly salary of the second-rank Minister of Revenue is 180 taels.
Of course, this does not include the extra salary and tribute, which is usually ten times, and corrupt officials generally receive thirty times (Su Qiyang only received three times, and he is very honest for his position).
(For example, a seventh-rank county magistrate received an annual salary of 40 taels, while a corrupt official could pocket 1,300 taels, and some even more.)
Furthermore, Cuiguo had to be honest, her young lady had never experienced the beatings in other people's house fights.
There are many people in this world who do not have the love of their parents, and they have to rely on themselves to fight for it.
Isn’t it good for the second young lady to live a life of wealth and glory without worries about food and clothing?
If you pick up sesame seeds and lose the watermelon, you will suffer a huge loss.
Since it's a family dinner, they definitely don't want the second young lady, a concubine's daughter, to be an eyesore.
After all, in the master's heart, he never considered the second young lady his biological mother.
Su Yiyi talked to herself for a while, and then thought of His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin whom she met by chance the day before.
She raised the corners of her lips complacently, revealing a mean smile that made people tremble a little, "Heh."
East Palace.
Rong Jinchen was wearing a dark blue brocade robe with bamboo patterns and was drinking with Crown Prince Rong Jinyou.
Rong Jinyou had a smile on his gentle and handsome face, "How come Achen has time to come and drink with second brother today?" He dismissed the eunuch who wanted to come forward to pour wine.
He poured tribute wine into the two cups.
Rong Jinchen's eyes were deep, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and his voice was filled with loss, "Second brother, I miss Qingqing."
But today he was warned by his future father-in-law that he should not meet Qingqing so frequently.
Rong Jinchen has only been back in the capital for five days, and he's already meeting Su Zhenzhen every day. Even if the current atmosphere is open, how can this be possible?
Rong Jinyou found it amusing and took a sip of the strong, mellow and spicy tribute wine. "Achen, have you been warned by Lord Su?" He heard it all when he accompanied his father to review memorials in the Weiyang Palace. Lord Su took special care of His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan.
I have to finish looking through the Ministry of Revenue’s account books for last year within three days.
How come he still has time to chat and drink with him tonight?
The handsome man frowned slightly, and he stretched out his hand to pinch his eyebrows, "Second brother, I miss you so much."
At this moment, Rong Jinchen was like a younger brother sharing his thoughts with his elder brother, although this was indeed the case.
He didn't know why, but the first time he saw Qingqing, he felt like he had loved her for many years.
She is the other half of his life, the missing rib.
As long as Rong Jinchen thought about having her by his side in the future, he would feel hopeful for the rest of his life.
He continued in a deep voice, "Qingqing told me this morning that her second sister-in-law's younger brother and sister are coming to stay as guests. I don't know what that man looks like or what he's like."
Rong Jinyou: ...
This love-brained man is his cold, noble and aloof younger brother?
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