Undercurrents are surging.
Around the time of the Awakening of Insects, it rained drizzly for five days in Jinzhou. When the sky finally cleared, Wang Pan'er went to the market and bought a lot of herb seeds.
Wang Pan'er didn't know anything about farming, but the servants' main task had been to tend to the precious flowers and plants in the estate, so planting medicinal herbs should be a piece of cake for them. She handed the seeds to the steward and distributed the work.
Thinking of the hardships of working the land, Wang Pan'er walked towards the kitchen, intending to instruct the nanny to prepare enough vegetables and meat for the next few days, and not to neglect the meals.
Before even pushing open the door to the kitchen, one could hear the maids complaining inside.
"The new owner is so stingy. Why doesn't he have the money to buy such a big estate? He's still farming. He's so miserly."
"That's right, you have no idea. Around the New Year, they promised us a holiday starting on the 28th of the lunar calendar, but on New Year's Eve they brought a group of men to the estate to eat and drink, and made us work and serve those big men."
"Why didn't the old master take us with him when he moved? Why leave us here to suffer?"
"Oh, what bad luck."
The two maids chattered on and on, as if Wang Pan'er had wronged them immensely.
Wang Pan'er suddenly pushed the door open.
The two maids were startled and fell silent in embarrassment.
When the old woman saw her master arrive with a displeased expression, she sensed something was wrong. The master had probably overheard the two men's reckless remarks.
She quickly put on a smile and reached out to pull Wang Pan'er: "Master, the maids are ignorant. This old servant will teach them a lesson. Master, please forgive their mistakes."
After saying that, his expression changed, and he scolded the two maids: "You two should have been poisoned to make your mouths mute for gossiping about the master. The master is kind-hearted and didn't say he would punish you, but I can't let you off the hook. You'll lose three months' wages. You'll have to learn a lesson."
Wang Pan'er looked at the three of them as if a stage had been set up, her brows furrowed: "My small business is indeed not as wealthy as the former master's, and I can't possibly support idle servants for nothing. If you feel wronged, just say so, and I'll call the matchmaker to find you a new place to go."
"Master, how can this be!" The two maids didn't understand what choosing a place to go meant, but the matron knew perfectly well. Seeing the master's displeasure, she took a feather duster and lashed each of them hard. "You lazy good-for-nothings, get back to work! The master supports us, so we should be grateful. When have we ever been shortchanged? After a few days of leisure, you really think you're young ladies!"
The kitchen was filled with smoke and fumes.
When running the medicinal cuisine restaurant, she was full of energy and undaunted by many hardships. But once she had some free time, Wang Pan'er's bad habits of being afraid of noise, disturbances, and trouble resurfaced.
She was so annoyed by the old woman's loud voice that her veins throbbed, and she interrupted her, "Alright, that's enough. Everyone has worked hard these past few days, so make sure there's enough food prepared here."
The nanny nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes!"
After saying that, she immediately turned and left. The old woman's lecturing voice could still be heard from inside the kitchen. It was so annoying. She had to find an opportunity to properly teach them some rules.
But now, Wang Pan'er is focused on her field of herb seeds. The first thing she does every morning is to go to the field to check on their germination.
They waited for half a month, until the spring equinox, but the seeds still hadn't sprouted.
She was puzzled and summoned the steward: "Why haven't we seen any rice seedlings yet?"
The steward shook his head: "This old servant has never planted herbs before. Perhaps it was flooded, or perhaps the soil is not suitable for the growth of seeds?"
Wang Pan'er refused to believe it and purchased another batch of seeds.
This time, she confirmed with the shopkeeper several times that the seeds were fine. After learning about her barren situation, the shopkeeper kindly took out a pen and ink and wrote down the preferences and cultivation methods for each plant on a piece of paper.
In order to find out the problem, she bought more than ten flower pots, intending to plant the seeds separately.
After sowing the seeds, Wang Pan'er resumed her daily routine of watching over the flowerpots on the windowsill.
Before the herbs could sprout, Xianying arrived at the door, carrying a bright-eyed, beautiful young woman.
She was dressed in rags, but her appearance was exceptionally beautiful; she was the only one who could rival Mu Chuan in beauty.
The usually sharp-tongued Xianying began to stammer, scratching the back of her head with extreme embarrassment, and explained to Wang Pan'er, "This is someone we met in the cherry blossom forest in the suburbs. It was probably a group of men, some of whom looked rather fierce. When we found her, we scared her to tears. I reckon only you and I have friendly faces, so she wasn't afraid of us. But you have a cold face, so you just clung to me. Nobody would feel comfortable leaving a little mute girl in the deep mountains. You said it wasn't proper for us to have a girl with us, so you were thinking of sending her to the estate to be raised for a while."
How could such a beautiful little girl appear in the mountains? Her features haven't fully developed yet, but her stunning beauty is already evident.
Aren't you afraid it's a trap?
"It's a remote mountain village, far from any village or shop! What problems could there be? If there were any problems, the young master would have already questioned me first!"
Too.
Wang Pan'er glanced at Xianying several times.
Among Mu Chuan's group, apart from himself, Xian Ying had the most youthful spirit, which explains why the girl would stick to them first.
If she encountered a large group of men deep in the mountains, she would be scared too.
"I was the one who saved her. Just put the girl's food, clothing and other expenses on my tab at the manor. Miss Wang doesn't need to feel any burden!"
Wang Pan'er couldn't be bothered to remember these things: "It doesn't matter how much a little girl can eat or use."
This can be considered an agreement.
Xianying breathed a sigh of relief, put the girl down, knelt down on one knee, and asked, "Are you afraid of this older sister?"
The little mute girl timidly hid behind Xianying, secretly glancing at Wang Pan'er.
Wang Pan'er raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and the little mute girl shook her head slightly and hid in Xianying's arms again.
She seemed oblivious to the proper boundaries between men and women. Xianying was startled by her sudden movement, falling over backwards: "Hey! Hey! Hey! A young lady like you shouldn't get so close to men! If you're not afraid of this older sister, you can stay with her for a while. I'll come to see you when I have time."
The little mute girl was shy and uneasy, not entirely unafraid of Wang Pan'er, but knowing that Xianying didn't want to take her with him, she could only let Wang Pan'er hold her hand and look pitifully at Xianying who was about to leave.
Wang Pan'er gently patted her head and patted her back soothingly: "There are many older sisters in the village. You can do whatever you want."
Sensing the kindness, the little mute girl rubbed her hand against hers and nodded.
"Wait a minute." Wang Pan'er called out to Xianying, who was about to leave. "You just said you found the person in the cherry blossom grove. So there is a cherry blossom grove. I'd like to go and admire the flowers when I have time. Could you tell me the exact location?"
The natural scenery in ancient times must have been quite beautiful. While we're at it, we can pick some cherry blossoms to make cherry blossom glass desserts and cherry blossom drinks. The delicate and vibrant colors of cherry blossoms are sure to attract many food lovers.
Xianying replied, "We have set up a thatched shed in the cherry blossom grove as a tea stall. If Miss Wang would like to come, I will go back and tell the young master so that he can come and pick you up."
"Alright, there's no time like the present, let's do it tomorrow."
Xianying clasped his hands in a fist salute, instructed the little mute girl to listen to her sister, and told her to have Wang Pan'er ask someone to contact him if anything happened. Then he quickly left.
The little mute girl followed Xianying's figure all the way to the gate of the manor. Only when the last glimpse of her clothes disappeared did she reluctantly turn back to look for Wang Pan'er.
The next morning, while Wang Pan'er was still rinsing her mouth, the steward came to report that a carriage was parked at the door, waiting for the young lady to go out.
Without any hesitation or delay, Mu Chuan really gets things done quickly and efficiently.
Wang Pan'er quickly dressed and ran to the kitchen.
She picked up some snacks and pastries, preparing to go to Mu Chuan's tea stall for a picnic and to enjoy the flowers.
After searching around, they found some leftover milk. It was cold outside and stored in a sealed earthenware jar. Wang Pan'er took a closer sniff and found that it hadn't spoiled at all.
This milk was originally intended for Wang Xiaoyao's growth, and every other day, a worker would come and deliver two cans.
Wang Pan'er put the milk into the food box, then took a small bowl, filled it halfway with sugar, and set off immediately.
The cherry blossom grove is nestled in a dense forest, with branches intertwined. A gentle breeze sends pink and white petals fluttering through the air, creating a dreamlike scene.
When the carriage arrived at the teahouse, the sun was already high in the sky, around 9:00 AM.
The teahouse was situated beside the official road, which extended into the sea of flowers, forming a natural archway. She immediately spotted the beautiful woman sitting in the teahouse, a gentle breeze ruffling her hair and carrying petals that landed on her hem.
Even the wind and flowers seem to favor him.
Wang Pan'er jumped off the carriage, clutching the food box, and ran excitedly toward the teahouse.
Upon seeing the visitor, Mu Chuan slightly curled the corners of his lips and poured a cup of hot tea from the small stove: "Pre-Qingming Longjing tea. I only managed to get a little bit while I was away this year. Would you like to try some?"
Wang Pan'er wasn't really into tea; she couldn't really tell the difference between good and bad. Tea had to be paired with milk, a big slurp of it – that's what truly cleansed the soul!
She laid out the snacks from the food box one by one: "I'll get you something fresh to eat today?"
Upon hearing that something funny was going to happen, Mu Chuan's eyes lit up, he raised an eyebrow, and became very enthusiastic: "What are you planning to do now?"
"milk tea!"
Wang Pan'er removed the teapot from the stove and replaced it with a ceramic pot. She asked Mu Chuan for some more tea leaves, stirred the sugar and tea leaves together until they were slightly caramelized, added water and milk in equal proportions, and brought it to a boil.
Food is the most important thing for people, and those who do manual labor are generally unable to resist the temptation of delicious food. The aroma of milk tea wafted through the air, attracting the attention of the attendants and the coachmen and bodyguards who stopped nearby, who even couldn't help but strike up a conversation with Wang Pan'er.
Milk and pre-Qingming Longjing tea were both rare items, and the attendants could shamelessly ask for a cup, while the rest could only watch enviously as Mu Chuan enjoyed them.
The two felt quite uncomfortable being surrounded by onlookers, and only after Wang Pan'er shared the recipe did they step back.
Only then could Mu Chuan pick up the teacup with ease and sip it slowly: "The name of milk tea is crude, but it is as smooth as silk, with a rich milky aroma and a refreshing aftertaste of Longjing tea. As expected of Boss Wang, his skills are superb."
"Why don't you try taking a bigger bite?"
Mu Chuan looked puzzled, but under Wang Pan'er's expectant gaze, he downed the entire glass in one gulp. His pupils instantly contracted: "It's a completely different feeling, so refreshing!"
Wang Pan'er, having found a kindred spirit, pushed aside the pastries, peanuts, chestnuts, and other snacks laid out: "Come on, let's try some of these?"
Mu Chuan followed her example, imitating her, and was carefree and happy.
The attendants who had benefited gathered together and whispered amongst themselves.
"I knew you liked Miss Wang."
"Who wouldn't like that? I'd be willing to be Miss Wang's poison-testing servant, without any pay!"
"Go wash up and go to sleep. You can have anything in your dreams."
Xianying glanced at her companion with a nonchalant air, her face full of disdain for his lack of ambition: "I'd be willing to give my son to Miss Wang in exchange for a chance to sit at the table!"
The others unanimously raised their thumbs up; "You're the best, truly brilliant, we are all humbled."
The food is delicious, the scenery is beautiful, and the people are beautiful too.
Wang Pan'er proudly propped her head up, watching Mu Chuan's fingers fly as he peeled the chestnuts that had been roasted in the coals until they cracked open.
Mu Chuan, who should have been enjoying himself, suddenly put down the chestnuts, his face turning gloomy.
Wang Pan'er was startled: "What's wrong?"
Mu Chuan gestured for silence, calming Wang Pan'er down, and coldly swept his gaze toward the official road.
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