Chapter 124: Offering Congee (Middle) (Pink Tickets 1200)

  Managing the fields and farms of our old home in Henan... That's a trusted house servant!

  Eleventh girl smiled and nodded towards Xiang Yuxi.

  Xiangyong hastily stepped forward and paid her respects to the Eleventh Lady: "Your servant Xiangyong has seen Fourth Mistress!"

  Eleventh Girl didn't expect to meet an outsider at this time, fortunately she had two gold hairpins on her head and pulled one out as a gift for Xiang Yu.

  Thank you so much!

  Old Lady smiled and said: "Alright, alright, Xiangyue is not an outsider either. Everyone doesn't need to be so polite." And then she smiled at Eleventh Sister and said: "Today we have braised duck hot pot to eat."

  Xiangyuan was busy on the side, smiling and adding: "The ducks raised in their own farm were made according to the recipe left by their ancestors."

  It seems to be our hometown specialty!

  "Great! Today we're in luck!"

  Wanxiang sat in the small room off the kitchen where food was stored, drinking Baizhen mother chicken soup. She put down her Qinghua porcelain bowl and said: "So Xiangyi is back!"

  "Really!" said Liu Wu's wife with a flattering smile, "a whole cart of wooden ducks!"

  Wan Xiang snorted disdainfully: "Consider her clever, knowing to use this to curry favor with the Empress Dowager. However, she only has this skill to please the Empress Dowager for a moment."

  "It's true." Liu Wu's wife smiled and said, "How can anyone compare to you? The kitchen in the inner courtyard is completely dependent on you. Without you, it would really be impossible to manage."

  "Alright, alright." Wanxiang's face didn't look good, "Don't tell me these useless things. I'm asking you, do you have the ginseng I want or not?"

  Liu Wu's wife looked embarrassed, her voice also lowered: "You know that. Now each household cooks according to the menu, and seasonings are also issued in fixed quantities, where can we get extra ginseng?"

  Wanxiang's face sank, and the rice bowl in her hand "slapped" onto the table.

  Liu Wu's wife hurriedly held up the bowl: "Late Fragrance sister, be gentle. Gan Laoquan's daughter-in-law is ordering dishes outside!"

  "Hmph!" Wan Xiang's face was filled with indignation, "When I was in charge of the kitchen, she didn't even know where to find herself. She dares to show off in front of me? Watch me slap her to death with two slaps." Her voice dropped a few notches.

  Liu Wu's wife understood in her heart.

  This is a day for the emperor and a day for the minister. The good days of Wanxiang, the accompanying maid of the Houye's wife in those years, who used to walk horizontally in the mansion, have come to an end!

  She couldn't help but mutter: "It's not like you're going to eat this ginseng yourself... Besides, the situation is so tense now... That old woman is just being nice to you because of your position. Why do you have to be the scapegoat!"

  "What did you say?" Wan Xiang vaguely heard something about "wronged" and, somewhat annoyed, said, "If there's something to say, just say it clearly, what are you doing hiding and sneaking around?"

  Liu Wu's wife did not dare to speak under the pressure. Outside, a woman shouted to Wan Xiang: "Sister Chen, are you done with the dishes? Do you want to check?"

  Wanxiang got up, patted her clothes, walked to the door, glanced at Gan Laoquan's daughter-in-law with a sly smile, and said, "I'm going to the toilet, you wait!" Then she left.

  That daughter-in-law was so angry that she stomped her feet - after sending the dishes, they wanted a receipt, and after signing the receipt, they sent the bill to the kitchen manager, only then was this matter considered settled. Late Fragrance had not just once picked up the chopsticks.

  Everyone in the kitchen pretended not to see anything and continued doing what they were originally doing.

  There was a woman who winked at the daughter-in-law.

  The daughter-in-law took advantage of an excuse and went out.

  The woman retorted: "What are you afraid of? Just wait here. What does it have to do with you if no one comes to collect the vegetables?"

  The daughter-in-law's eyes lit up and asked the woman: "What is your name? I'll report to my father-in-law to make good use of you!"

  She went back to her own room on the other side.

  He Chen Xuzheng was having a plate of peanuts and a bottle of old white wine, humming "Si Lang Tan Mu" happily. Seeing Wanxiang return, he was shocked: "You're not in the kitchen picking vegetables, what are you running back for?"

  Wanxiang coldly glanced at Chen Xiu, turned around and entered the inner room, rummaging through boxes and cabinets to find something.

  Chen Xurou has lost his job and is now relying on Wanxiang's monthly allowance to get by. He hurriedly got up and pulled her: "Alright, alright, don't be angry anymore, let's put away the dishes first."

  Wan Xiang shook off Chen Xu's hand and continued searching in the box with a stern face.

  "Wanxiang, don't argue with San Furen's people anymore." He, who was used to being bullied by his wife, softly advised her, "What good can come of this? If you don't go collect the vegetables, everyone will be stuck there. Later on, when each household's dinner is late, won't it still be blamed on you?"

  Wanxiang looked up and glared at her husband: "Isn't she just trying to get rid of me? Am I not giving her the opportunity?"

  "Then why bother!" Chen continued with a smile, "You're at least someone with a good head on your shoulders, no need to stoop to her level."

  Wanxiang listened and her heart was even more furious: "Chen Xiu, stop making excuses here. I'm telling you, as long as the Fourth Mistress doesn't take charge, this task of mine will be finished sooner or later. Rather than having her dump a chamber pot on my head later, it's better to just break up like this."

  "Yes, yes, yes." Chen Xiu accompanied with a smile, "You're absolutely right, everything you said is correct."

  This husband of mine is capable in doing things, but he's just not clever.

  Wanxiang didn't bother with him either and rummaged through a trunk on her own, pulling out a wooden box: "Found it!"

  "What are you going to do?" Chen Xu looked at him with a start.

  "Give it to Huang Pozi." Wanxiang opened the box, inside which were seven or eight sticks of ginseng as long as chopsticks.

  "You're crazy!" Chen Xi snatched the box away, "So it was you in the kitchen, taking the opportunity to help her get ginseng. Now these things are no longer in your hands... We can't just take our family's things out and give them to others, can we?"

  "Bring it here!" Wan Xiang snatched the box back, "Do you know what's going on? You've lost your job now, and I'm being trampled on. If we can't even take care of our old friendship, who will look up to us in the mansion in the future? This one root is enough for their family to use for a year. Who knows, maybe things will turn around by then. Don't you worry about this matter, I have my own plan." As she spoke, she took out a ginseng from the box, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and tucked it into her bosom before walking away.

  Chen Xu gazed at his wife's back and muttered under his breath: "That Huang Bazi is really something... her son is sick and needs ginseng, she buys it herself... others fawn on you just to get something from you, but you actually treat them like sisters..."

  That side of the evening fragrance took ginseng and quickly went to the outer kitchen.

  As soon as I walked under the eaves, I heard Huang Pozi shouting loudly: "I'm busy enough here, let me send someone to help with the porridge? Whose idea is this? I can't spare anyone here!"

  Wanxiang listened with joy and dodged to one side.

  "It's up to you." A woman smiled and said, "I've delivered the message, whether or not you go is entirely up to you." With that, she walked out.

  Wan Xiang watched as the woman put on a dark green velvet jacket, with a red silk flower in her hair, and knew she was Gan Laoquan's niece. Only after she left did he enter the kitchen.

  Huang Pozi's face was splashed, and she was in a huff. Seeing Wanxiang come in, she quickly changed her expression and welcomed her with a smile: "Sister Wanxiang, how did you come?" She hurriedly asked the woman under the stove to brew tea.

  Wan Xiang sighed, took out a ginseng from her bosom and handed it to Huang Pozi: "Good sister, I'm just not capable of this. This is one that's been stored at home, let my nephew eat it first!"

  Huang Pozi's expression changed slightly as she listened, and she said, "What's going on?"

  Wanxiang then told San Furen how strict she was: “...Not to mention ginseng, even ordinary dried Chinese wolfberries couldn't be obtained. It's a pity for Daxiong, after eating ginseng for two years, he just needed one more breath to recover.”

  Huang Pozi's face turned bitter as she listened, and she pulled Wan Xiang's hand: "Good sister, if it weren't for you these past few years, your big nephew would have lost his life long ago. Don't say such things!"

  Wanxiang took out her handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes: "I thought I could take care of Dazhang's illness... but unexpectedly, San Furen appeared halfway through, as long as she is in charge, this matter will not be easy to handle..."

  "What does this have to do with my sister?"

  The two of them were sentimental for half a day.

  Wanxiang got up: "I still have to collect vegetables on my side, I'll come see sister another day when I'm free."

  Outside, someone shouted, "Huang Pozi: 'The person who went to donate porridge hasn't arrived yet? San Ye is about to set off for the porridge shed.'"

  The old woman responded loudly and arranged for someone to go to the rice shed. Late at night, she slowly returned to the kitchen in the inner courtyard.

  "... those few years I spent in mourning at my old home in Henan, it was the two of them who took care of me." Xu Lingyi felt a bit sentimental, "In the blink of an eye, almost ten years have passed!"

  Eleventh Girl followed Xu Lingyi and slowly walked back, the dancing snowflakes were all blocked outside the corridor.

  "How old was Master Hou at that time?"

  Xu Lingyi glanced at Shiyi Niang and smiled: "You're not much older than me?"

  "Are you afraid?"

  Xu Lingyi remained silent for a long time: "I don't remember!"

  The eleventh girl felt his emotions were a bit down and smiled to change the subject: "This year's snow is really big, isn't it!"

  Xu Lingyi stopped in her tracks and gazed out at the snow outside the corridor with a somewhat melancholic expression.

  The eleventh daughter secretly lamented her bitter fate.

  He wants to stay here and reminisce, must he also stand here and freeze to death!

  Deep in thought, two bright red lanterns came into view.

  The eleventh girl took a closer look and found it was Qin Yiniang accompanied by two maids carrying lanterns.

  "Lord Hou, madam." She curtsied to the two of them and greeted them, but her eyes were filled with worry as she looked at Xu Lingyi, "I saw that you hadn't returned yet, so I came out to welcome you back."

  Eleventh Girl looked at Xu Lingyi again, and he had restored his usual calm and composed demeanor.

  "Alright." He said calmly, "Everyone should head back quickly!"

  Qin Ayi softly replied "yes" and followed behind the two into the courtyard.

  Eleventh Girl smiled and parted with Xu Lingyi at the East Corner Gate, returning home.

  The maid in the house was busy helping her take off her cloak and pouring hot tea.

  "Qin's aunt is really bold... she can't wait to welcome the young master!"

  Eleventh Sister held a cup of hot tea and thought of Xu Lingyi standing on the corridor looking at snowflakes with an indifferent expression, she couldn't help but shake her head: "Unlikely!"

  "What?" Amber asked, puzzled.

  "Oh." Eleventh Sister smiled and said, "I mean, Qin Niangniang really understands the Marquis very well." Then a sudden look of remembrance, "Right, I had you go investigate the mansion in Golden Fish Lane, is there any news?"

  "Huangpo hastily said: 'Fortunately, Wan Daxian led Wan Erxian to climb onto the roof in the middle of the night to sweep away the snow. Only one wing of the house collapsed. Everywhere else is fine!'"

  "This Wan Da Xian is indeed a capable person!" 11th Lady couldn't help but nod her head slightly.

  Amber worried: "This place needs repair, that place needs renovation, by the time we open tomorrow for Spring Festival, how much money will we have to spend?!"

  The eleventh girl couldn't help but burst out laughing.