Chapter 21
At dawn, the kitchen of the Tusi Mansion was bustling with activity. Several cooks bustled around the stove, while the housekeeper, Yuye Sao, was frying a pot of dried mushrooms, harvested from the sun last year. She'd soaked the mushrooms in water, shredded them into thin strips, squeezed them dry, and poured them into a wok of oil, already sautéed with garlic and chilies. With a sizzling sound, a cloud of white smoke rose from the wok, and the fresh aroma of pickled beef drifted through the kitchen, drawing sharp sniffs from everyone.
After removing the porridge from the pot and placing it on a plate, the maids who were delivering the meal were sent to the rooms of the masters along with the porridge. It was already very hot in April, and Sister Yuye, who was in the kitchen full of fire and smoke, was already covered in sweat after cooking this dish. She picked up the teapot on the table and guzzled it from the spout. After drinking, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and said to the cook who was preparing the dishes, "I'm going to cook Miss Lan's dish. Go to the storehouse and get some dried chilies. Choose the non-spicy kind. Miss Lan can't handle spicy food."
As she was speaking, Man'e, the Third Madam's personal maid, walked in. Sister Yuye hurried to greet her, saying cordially, "Miss Man'e, why are you here? I've already sent breakfast to the Third Madam. Is it not to her taste?"
Man'e laughed and said, "Sister Yuye, you're joking. You're an elder in the mansion, and you don't know the taste of the master here. How could it not suit Third Madam's taste? Before Madam left, she asked Third Madam to manage the household. We've had guests in the mansion for so many days, and Third Madam hasn't asked about it. So she asked me to give her some advice."
Sister Yuye pointed to the dishes waiting to be cooked on the stove and said, "Don't worry, Third Madam, we will serve you well. The meals are prepared specially for Miss Lan."
Man'e frowned when she heard this. "Alone? None of the young masters and young ladies in this mansion cook alone. Is this guest of hers already being picky?"
Sister Yuye's attentive expression froze. What did she mean? Didn't the Third Miss ask her to prepare it according to Miss Lan's taste?
Man'e snorted coldly, "The new rice isn't harvested until after the Dragon Boat Festival, and the mansion is in the lean period. The masters all know to be frugal and not order extra dishes. She's actually more difficult to serve than the real master."
Man'e described the Tusi Mansion as being like a group of tenant farmers on the verge of starvation, and Sister Yuye didn't dare to say a word.
Man'e was immediately dissatisfied when she saw that Sister Yuye did not express her opinion. She emphasized her tone and said, "Sister-in-law, you have to understand that guests are guests after all and will leave sooner or later, but the Third Madam will always be the Third Madam of the mansion."
Yuye's hot sweat turned to cold sweat. She wondered what Miss Lan had done to the Third Madam. Since ancient times, when gods fight, the little devils suffer. She couldn't afford to offend the Third Madam, and neither could she. But Man'e had a point. Miss Lan was a guest, and sooner or later she would have to return home. Even if she had been slightly neglected and complained to Master Lan, Master Lan couldn't reach the inner chambers of the Tusi Mansion. The Third Madam was a constant presence in the mansion, and coupled with her renowned reputation for being a fierce and aggressive woman, offending her would be a life-or-death experience.
She gritted her teeth and said with determination: "Third Madam is right. I know what to do now."
Seeing that Sister Yuye was understanding, Man'e was very satisfied. She took out two half-opened candies and stuffed them into Sister Yuye's hands to comfort her, saying, "Even if Yin Tai came back, she wouldn't be able to find fault with this matter. She eats whatever the young masters and young ladies eat. If this is considered neglect, then there is no such thing as consideration in this world."
How could Sister Yuye dare to accept Third Madam's money? She quickly refused. Man'e held her hand and said, "Third Madam said that if you work hard, you will be rewarded." Then she walked away with a sway at her waist. After giving instructions for the kitchen, she still had instructions for other places!
The cook who had gone to the storehouse to get dried chilies came back and saw the dish was already out of the pot. He asked the maid to take it to Miss Lan. She held up the chilies and asked foolishly, "Didn't you want this kind of chilies?"
Sister Yuye sighed: "I won't be able to use it in the future."
Ye Nan placed the breakfast brought from the kitchen on the table. The aroma of dried mushrooms made Yueming's mouth water. She picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, but before she could taste the expected deliciousness, her mouth felt like it was on fire. She quickly spit it out and shouted to Ye Nan, "Water, water!"
Ye Nan poured her a cup of tea, surprisingly hot. The hot tea and chili peppers burned Yueming's mouth, making it numb and nearly bringing tears to her eyes. If it weren't for her upbringing, Yueming would have wanted to spit the tea in her mouth all over Ye Nan's face. "How can you be so polite to someone like that?" If this happened in another family, Ye Nan would have definitely gotten a beating. She spat the hot tea back into the cup and stuck out her tongue to blow on it.
Seeing her like this, Ye Nan became anxious and kept asking in Dai: "What's wrong?"
Yueming didn't understand and didn't bother to pay attention. She fanned her tongue with her hand, wondering why the kitchen had sent her such a spicy dish today. Usually, there was chili in the food, but it only served to enhance the flavor and the spiciness wasn't noticeable. This one was simply inedible.
Yueming thought it was probably a mistake made by the kitchen, or perhaps the maid had mentioned it wrongly. After the spicy taste wore off, Yueming lost her appetite and made do with a few mouthfuls of porridge, figuring it wasn't a big deal, so she kept quiet. She could just eat a couple of snacks later to fill her stomach.
What Yueming didn't expect was that she hadn't eaten a good meal since then. Not only that, there was no hot water for soaking her feet and taking a bath every night.
She had a vague feeling that it was the Third Madam who was causing trouble, but what could she do? As a guest, she couldn't justify arguing with the Third Madam.
The only solution now is to spend money to ward off disaster. He gave Ye Nan a silver dollar and pointed to the food on the table.
Ye Nan had noticed that the young lady hadn't been able to eat recently, so he must have given her money to change the dishes. She nodded in understanding, took the money, and went to the kitchen.
When Ye Nan saw Yuyesao and explained his purpose, Yuyesao looked at the silver dollar in Ye Nan's hand and felt troubled. This silver dollar is much better than a half-open one, but it is a prickly money!
After hesitating for a long time, she finally saw that Third Madam's prestige was stronger, so she gritted her teeth and refused. Seeing Ye Nan's disappointed and frightened face, she couldn't bear it. She put the sweet potatoes they had eaten on a plate, added some coarse sugar residue on the side, and asked Ye Nan to take it to Yueming.
Watching Ye Nan's departing figure, she murmured, "What a sin! After all, you are a lady from a wealthy family, yet you have been reduced to eating the same meals as us slaves."
Yueming looked at Ye Nan, who was kneeling on the ground, afraid to get up. Then she glanced at the silver coins on the table and the various sized sweet potatoes on the plate. She knew that money was useless. She silently reached out and took one, peeled it, dipped it in some coarse sugar, and popped it into her mouth. It didn't look good, but it tasted good, soft and chewy, though the coarse sugar was a little harsh on her tongue.
What was there to complain about? Lan Yingde had told her that the caravans sometimes missed the deadline, and they'd even boil and eat the coarse corn grits used to feed the pigs, which made their throats sore. Compared to Lan Yingde, who had to sleep in the open and not know if he'd even have a hot meal, she was already doing well.
She comforted herself in her heart, but she had never suffered any hardship since she was a child, and her father almost always granted her every request. Now she was suddenly treated coldly, and the gap between them still made Yueming feel uncomfortable.
Tears fell without warning, and she wiped them away with her hand before peeling the next sweet potato. The second one was a bit dry, and Yueming choked after a few bites, a sharp pain in her chest. Unable to hold it back any longer, she threw the sweet potato aside and fell on the table, crying silently.
Yueming no longer expected anyone in the mansion to lend a hand. Although Feng Er Butler had received many favors from his father, if this incident hadn't been caused by the Third Madam, he would have naturally only flattered Yueming. But he was just a servant, and he didn't have the energy or the will to go against his master. Why would he make things difficult for her and undo the favor Lan Yingde had done him?
As for Yuyan, she hadn't come to see Yueming since the Third Madam's outburst. Her attitude was clear, and Yueming didn't want to be bothered. They were family, and it was natural for mother and daughter to be of one mind. Why bother to cause trouble?
Now she was in this mansion, unable to communicate, unable to make ends meet, and with only a useless maidservant by her side, she was truly isolated and helpless. She finally understood Lan Yingde's hesitation to speak when he left. She had been overthinking things. Her family was simple, and those who socialized with others would not do something as shameless as the Third Madam, who had done something so frivolous as to harass their guests.
She could skip a bath, she could skip a foot soak; it was so hot, she could just wipe it with cold water. But she couldn't skip a meal! After a few days of living on just plain rice and a few snacks, Yueming's face, which had a touch of baby fat when she came, had become as thin as a sour papaya. She rarely left the house, spending her days painting and reading in her room, silently counting the days, hoping Lan Yingde would return soon.
As soon as Lan Yingde came back, she didn't care what the Tusi family wanted to sell, she would definitely ask Lan Yingde to take her back to Kunming. She couldn't stay in Yunxiang for a single day.
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