Chapter Twenty-Four Waiting for Dinner

  "Miss, what's wrong?" Zhen Shi Niang asked as soon as she entered the door. Ji Kuai had already noticed a purplish bruise on her chin, "Was it General who did this?"

  "It doesn't hurt at all." Zhen Shiniang pushed away her hand and smiled indifferently.

  It's really Shen Zhongjie who is playing tricks. Xi Que's face was filled with resentment, "It's really true that good people are bullied, he never dared to move against the young lady before!"

  In the past, when the young lady of the Zhuangyuan House was being fierce, Shen Zhongge would always avoid her and her servants. It was she who would think of ways to pester him every day and bully him. Now, isn't it great that the young lady has become gentle and quiet? But instead, he's the one bullying her now.

  Zhen Shiniang didn't know that the magpie was this kind of bird, she just thought that when Shen Zhongjie liked the original owner of this body, he naturally doted on her and wouldn't bear to hit her. She let out a soft sigh and said, "The feeling is gone, no matter how beautiful a woman is, she will become like a withered grass." Remembering the rabbit meat in the courtyard, she smiled lightly and said, "Neighbor Zhang just sent over half a rabbit, and Wen Ge and Wu Ge are excited again for some reason." She picked up the kitchen knife and headed out, saying, "I'll go cut a piece of pork shoulder, stir-fry it quickly to taste the freshness. Tonight we'll make rabbit meat pies, it's been almost a month since we've smelled meat. Everyone will satisfy their cravings." She also instructed Qiuju, who looked confused and didn't know what was happening, "Go to the backyard and find a large basin to soak the rabbit meat in."

  The raccoon dog meat should be soaked in clean water for one to two hours, until the bloody foam is gone, then marinated with salt brine, and the dried meat will taste good.

  "Miss......" Jiya grabbed her with one hand.

  Zhen Shiniang turned her head.

  Her lips moved slightly, and finally, Xi Que said, "...... I'll go cut it."

  Seeing that she was no longer entangled in the matter of being bullied by Shen Zhongge, Zhen Shiniang nodded and said, "Just right, there are still some chive fillings left. I'll mix some dough to make a couple more pancakes." After sending Zhang Zhi a few filled pancakes, Zhen Shiniang was worried that breakfast wouldn't be enough to eat.

  Since she and Zhang Zhi's conversation were both overheard by Shen Zhongjie, he must have also seen her sending him a pastry. If breakfast was indeed not enough to eat, it's hard to say that he wouldn't take the opportunity to make a few sarcastic remarks at her expense.

  Even after five years, she still remembers his sharp tongue vividly.

  Although she wanted to starve him to death, having lived for two lifetimes, Zhen Shiniang still understood the principle that a small arm cannot twist a big leg. When someone's power is stronger than yours, you have to yield; there's no shame in that.

  They were as different as cloud and mud, she and he clashed head-on, with no way out but death.

  The usual breakfast was salted vegetables, green porridge and dry food. Today, because Shen Zhongge's master and servant were present, Zhen Shiniang added a coral lotus slice and a stir-fried rabbit meat. The dishes were quickly prepared, and first served to Qiuju to send to Jian Wu and Jianwen in the backyard. Zhen Shiniang went into the house to invite Rongsheng to call Shen Zhongge to eat.

  Rong Sheng went out and made a big circle, came back and asked Zhen Shi Niang, "...... General went out early didn't tell Madame where he was going?"

  "Nothing..." Zhen Shi Niang's mood suddenly improved, and she thought to herself, "He'd better just leave."

  "Breakfast hasn't been eaten yet, where is General going?" Rong Sheng looked at Zhen Shimu and muttered.

  The old lady's culinary skills are so good, her husband, the general, would never leave without eating breakfast.

  Just then, Er Ya from Yu Liang's house came to ask Qiu Ju to go pick mushrooms.

  It's the season for collecting mountain goods, and usually in autumn, Chrysanthemum is up early to chop firewood first, and after breakfast, she goes to pick mushrooms and gather mountain vegetables. When Er Ya comes looking for her, she looks towards Zhen Shi Niang.

  "You go ahead and eat first, I'll wait for General." Zhen Shiniang thought for a moment.

  Everyone had been busy since morning, especially Qiuju, who had gone to collect firewood and hadn't stopped even after returning. She must have been starving, with her stomach stuck to her back, and there was still a pile of work waiting for her after lunch. As a result, everyone was waiting for the laziest person to come back and eat.

  What an evil old society!

  In her heart, Zhen Shining scolded again, turned her head and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for everyone.

  "Let Autumn Chrysanthemum rest for a day." Ji Yu pulled Xun Shi Niang, "Miss, wait a little longer." Rong Sheng was still here, and since Shen Zhong Jie didn't say to leave, he would definitely come back to eat.

  Coming from a noble family, Ji Xi knew the strictness of this hierarchical system all too well. If the master hadn't eaten, the servant couldn't eat first even if they were starving to death.

  She worried that Shen Zhongjie would return unhappy, and the one who suffered was still Zhen Shiniang.

  "This year's mountain vegetables were scarce to begin with..." Looking at the fine weather outside, Qiu Ju felt a bit reluctant, and before she could finish speaking, she caught Xī Què's eye and hastily changed her words, "I'll go chop firewood again this afternoon." She shouted through the window to Er Ya waiting by the gate, "I haven't eaten yet, you go ahead, I'm not going today!" After Er Ya left, Qiu Ju turned back to see that everyone in the room had a strange expression, and she blurted out, "...the sun's out, I'll go dry the vegetables." With that, she quickly ran out.

  At night, dew is heavy and afraid of rain. In the daytime, half-dry dishes are sunned, and at night, they need to be moved back into the house. The next day, after the sun comes out, move them out again to continue sunning.

  "I'll go peel the lotus pods that Zhang Changhe has just pounded." Under the insistence of Xi Que, Zhen Shiniang did not hire more people after all. The lotus pods were pounded by Li Changhe, and everyone worked together to peel them, including Jian Wu and Jian Wen, who didn't idle around either. The two little guys could keep up with one and a half adults in a day of playing and peeling.

  Seeing the two not eating, Zhen Shining sighed and looked at Rong Sheng, "Rong Sheng, sit for a while first, I'll go chop those radishes. If it's any later, they won't dry before sunset."

  Everyone got busy in the blink of an eye, and Rong Sheng also felt uneasy, following out with a sullen face. Seeing Qiuju carrying a basket of mushrooms climbing up the ladder, he suddenly jumped, "You quickly come down, how can a girl climb so high?"

  "I climb every day." Qiu Ju didn't even turn her head, skillfully laying out the half-dry mushrooms on the roof tiles, before lightly jumping down the ladder.

  "Do you sun-dry vegetables every day?" Rong Sheng asked curiously.

  "It won't rain if it doesn't shine." Qiu Ju turned around to pick up other dried vegetables.

  "I'll help you!" Labor is glorious, in this household of only three women, Rong Sheng felt for the first time that not working and just eating was a very shameful thing, so he rushed to climb up the ladder, turned his head to let Qiuju pass him dishes, and continued to ask, "Why do you dry so many vegetables?"

  "It's winter food." Qiu Ju looked at Rong Sheng in confusion, "Don't you eat this in the winter?" Suddenly realizing, "Of course not, how could the General's mansion have this?" Her tone was slightly sour. Seeing Rong Sheng pile up the dried vegetables, she quickly reminded him, "You can't do it like that, you need to spread them out evenly like I do, or they won't dry thoroughly!" If you don't take advantage of good weather to dry them, and then encounter a rainy day, you'll have to waste firewood burning fires to dry them, and who knows, they might even get moldy.

  Standing high and looking far, the vegetable rack is finally set up. Turning back, I found that there were still empty spaces on the east side of the yard, so I asked, "With so many racks, why did you put the vegetables on the roof?" What a waste of effort.

  This task seems simple, but the ladder under his feet is loose and shaky. Rong Sheng worries that it can't support his hundred or so pounds of body weight and he'll end up being smashed into a meat pie.

  Just this little bit of effort and he was covered in sweat, more tiring than practicing a set of punches and kicks.

  "Those racks will also be used to dry vegetables later, the young lady is cutting them now, and a whole morning can fill up that rack. Remembering there was also venison, Qiuju said, "Today we not only need to dry radish strips, but also dry meat."

  Thinking of having meat dishes later, Qiuju's face was filled with joy.

  The leader came to the scene for re-examination today, the customer wants to invite us to dinner, I will send a draft first and then catch bugs at night.

  If I return early, I will update another chapter; if it's too late, I'll update tomorrow morning.