Zhan Feiyu was still reading hard, so Chef Xiao and Cui Ya finally knew what it meant to study hard in a cold window. It happened that the person who studied so hard was from a girl's family, even though Chef Xiao was a bit poor in the Wen family.
After seeing this, I was shocked and surprised.
"Aunt, miss, aren't you going to sleep?" The candle light was on again in the study, and looking at the dark sky that was not yet bright, Cui Ya rubbed her frozen hands and continued to wash rice.
Miss He is very meticulous in her food. The porridge with purple rice and black rice must be cooked in a purple clay pot over low firewood. There are four kinds of side dishes to accompany the porridge.
This is not counting the horseshoe cake that Aunt Xiao is making. She will continue to knead the dough to make onion cakes later, and the Jianlian red date soup is being cooked on the stove.
Cui Ya used to think that the Wang family, where she worked as an errand, was already extremely rich, but now she saw that her lady's breakfast had so many varieties, and everything was made with slow work and exquisite workmanship. Cui Ya knew that Wang
Home is nothing like that.
"All scholars are like this, and you don't have to envy Xiao Ya. If you work hard and follow the lady, you will have a good future." Chef Xiao said warmly.
The eldest lady was like this in the past when she was in the Wen family, but she was not as focused on studying as the young lady. The eldest lady was not only playing chess, calligraphy and painting, she also learned needlework from the embroiderer, she also knew some medicinal foods, and she would go horse racing outside the city in her spare time.
Every afternoon, I stayed with my wife and learned to take care of the middle-income family. I also had to know a little bit about merchants and be able to read accounts. Otherwise, I would not know whether the shops and farms that were used as dowries after marriage would make a profit or a loss.
Cui Ya nodded in an educated manner, "I know, I will definitely do the job well."
He recited for half an hour without hesitation, and then let He Nuan play as a sparring partner. It was already the end of the hour by the time Zhan Feiyu washed up and had breakfast.
He Nuan cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks, and then whispered: "Today, the eldest lady of the Wen family is going to the Zhe family to visit Zhe Jing."
After Zhe Jing made a big fuss in the eldest lady's courtyard, she was punished by the old lady to go to the ancestral hall to kneel and reflect. Of course, the eldest lady, the second lady, and the servants of the Zhe family all knew that this was just for show.
Sure enough, news came in the evening that Zhe Jing had caught a cold and had developed a fever, so the issue of being punished by kneeling was naturally dropped, and Zhe Jing returned to the courtyard where she lived to recuperate.
"The eldest lady of the Wen family is the most talented woman in the capital. To be able to get close to Zhe Jing is really extraordinary." Zhan Feiyu admires these daughters of the aristocratic family very much. No matter how much he hates each other in his heart, he always smiles when he meets her.
They are as close as close friends, but when they turn around, they want to stab each other.
Mentioning the Wen family, Zhan Feiyu couldn't help but think of Concubine Min in the palace. Wen Ruyi is Concubine Min's niece. If the second prince becomes a big deal in the future, the Wen family will surely rise. The Zhe family has military power, so it will be normal for Wen Ruyi to be friends with the Zhe family.
but.
The fruit in the capital is really deep. Zhan Feiyu stood up and said, "Ah Nuan, prepare a gift. As a courtesy, I should also go and visit Zhe Jing."
"Yes." Although He Nuan was puzzled, he abided by his duty and would not ask any more questions.
…
Originally, Zhe Jing made a big fuss yesterday and the eldest lady took the blame. But now that Zhe Jing fell ill and the doctors came over, it was the eldest lady who was in the wrong. As a sister-in-law, can't you tolerate her sister-in-law?
"Mother Zhao, send the ginseng in the warehouse to Qiongju Courtyard." The eldest lady said calmly. She knew the old lady's method, but as the daughter-in-law, she could only lower her head.
"Madam, that ginseng is for you to replenish your body." Aunt Zhao has been in charge of the eldest lady's warehouse. Although both the Zhe family and the Zhao family are short of medicinal materials, good-quality ginseng is hard to come by.
What's more, Aunt Zhao knew that Zhe Jing's coldness was just an act, so why did Madam need to take advantage of this wild ginseng? She couldn't help but say again: "There is still a fifty-year-old ginseng in the warehouse, why don't you give this one as a gift?"
"That's all, they're just some dead things. Let Manager Hu pay more attention to them in the future." The eldest lady waved her hands indifferently. There was just a ginseng on the left and right. She had a medicinal material shop in her dowry, and she would know all the good medicinal materials.
It was first sent to the house for her to have a look at, and then sent to the shop.
"Yes..." Aunt Zhao agreed. Just as she was about to say something else, she saw Hongying who was guarding the yard come in.
"Madam, there is news from the front yard. Miss Zhan from Yufenglou sent someone to send a message, saying that she wanted to visit the eldest lady." After Hongying saluted, she reported back to the eldest lady the news she had just heard.
The eldest lady was startled. Although she had only met Zhan Feiyu once, the eldest lady could tell that she was different from the daughter of an ordinary family, and her every move showed everyone's style.
The daughters of these aristocratic families in the capital may have been raised in boudoir, but even a talented woman like Wen Ruyi lacks this openness and calmness in her speech and behavior.
The eldest lady couldn't help but think of her brother and her brother's colleagues when they were married. They were really gentlemanly, upright and open-minded. The eldest lady had never seen this kind of temperament in a woman.
It wasn't until she married into the Zhe family that she not only had to take care of the back house, but also handle external affairs on behalf of the Zhe family. Only then did the eldest lady feel that her situation had become bigger, and she was no longer limited to this deep house.
Miss Zhan and her sister-in-law are generally young girls, but even if she didn't speak, the eldest lady could feel the calmness and calmness all over her body from the inside out, and her face would not change even if the mountain was overwhelming.
"Let people get ready and treat them like distinguished guests." The eldest lady got up and walked outside. She continued to speak to Hongying: "Take out the jar of Fangshan Dew Buds."
Hongying was stunned for a moment, this was Fangshan Dewya, and Madam only had two taels. She was reluctant to drink it on weekdays. It seemed that Madam really valued this Miss Zhan.
After receiving Zhan Feiyu's post, Mrs. Zhe knew that her eldest daughter-in-law would come over. Look at the handwriting on the post: Strong in grace, strong in grace. Even if Mrs. Zhe is not good at calligraphy, she can see that
This handwriting is extremely good. Not to mention the little daughter Jing'er, none of the sons who study at home can compare with it.
"Mother." The first lady and the second lady came together.
Seeing that the old lady was looking at the post in a daze, the sisters-in-law couldn't help but wonder, could there be any mystery behind this greeting post?
The old lady smiled and handed the post to the eldest lady who came over, "The Zhao family's family history, please take a look at this post."
The eldest lady couldn't help being stunned again when she took it. They all said that writing a good calligraphy is not easy, it is really a grinding effort.
Daughters from aristocratic families are also enlightened at the age of three or five, and they usually practice small regular script with hairpin flowers. In addition to being really talented in calligraphy, the calligraphy of girls from aristocratic families is generally very beautiful, but it is impossible to reach the level of stunning, as long as they are proficient in it.
Calligraphers should not have a few layers of calluses on their fingers.
"It's actually cursive script?" The second lady came over and was extremely surprised when she came over and asked the eldest lady, "Isn't that girl not even old enough to have a hairpin? She started practicing calligraphy with a pen right from her mother's womb."
The eldest lady closed the post and put it back on the table solemnly, "Before I saw the person, I thought like my mother that she was a girl from a military general's family. After we met, I realized that this girl has an amazing aura, and every move she makes is revealed.
She has a bookish air, and if you look at her name, she must come from a scholarly family."
The families of military commanders generally emphasize martial arts over literature, and even the children in the family only study superficially. Only these scholarly families that have been handed down for hundreds of years pay so much attention to reading, and even the talents and learning of women are not weaker than men.
Hearing what the eldest lady said, both the old lady Zhe and the second lady wanted to see Zhan Feiyu with their own eyes. As for the conflict between her and Zhe Jing, to be honest, there was no one in the capital except the eldest lady of the Wen family.
The girl at home can get along well with Zhe Jing.
Furthermore, Zhan Feiyu is very polite here. Before Cheng Wu took people to the inn, Zhan Feiyu also asked everyone to come back with their tails intact. For this reason, Mrs. Zhe was very polite to Zhan Feiyu.
.
Half an hour later.
Qiongjuyuan.
"Ruyi, you don't know that my sister-in-law is actually trying to fawn over a cheap girl of unknown origin, and I won't be afraid of people laughing at her if word spreads!"
The more Zhe Jing thought about it, the more annoyed she became. She also had a grudge against the eldest lady, her sister-in-law. She curled her lips in disdain and said, "It made me kneel in the ancestral hall, so I brought a ginseng over and sent the beggar away."
Wen Ruyi wore a green short coat with dark flowers, a horse-faced skirt of the same color, deerskin boots, and a white fox fur cloak. She looked elegant without losing her nobility.
"I heard you were talking very energetically. It seems like nothing is wrong." Wen Ruyi joked with a smile. After the maid took off her cloak, she sat down beside Zhejing's bed, patted her hand and persuaded: "
It's normal for you to be angry, after all, what the eldest lady did was really a loss of face for you."
Hearing Wen Ruyi's words, Zhe Jing, who was furious just now, felt relieved instantly.
"But if Madam doesn't come forward, if word gets out, it will not only ruin your reputation, but also affect the Zhe family. It's not worth the loss for you." Wen Ruyi casually glanced at the two standing in the corner with her peripheral vision.
Maid, I thought that what I just said would be told to Mrs. Zhe verbatim.
"My Zhe family has been in the capital for a day, who dares to look down on me?" Zhe Jing said arrogantly. The ancestor of the Zhe family had saved the life of the founder of the country, and it was three times. Zhe Jing was not afraid of anyone in the capital.
Wen Ruyi smiled and pulled the quilt over to cover Zhe Jing, "Lie down now. Don't catch cold in the cold weather. Do you want to build a small kitchen in your yard? I have two cooks there, one is good at pastries and the other is good at Jiangnan cooking.
Food, I will deliver it tomorrow."
Not mentioning this incident, Zhe Jing was still not angry. When she thought of her failure to rob people in Yahang, Zhe Jing's bright-featured face was filled with anger again, "My mother has sent two cooks over, I just can't get angry."
, that bitch doesn’t matter who she is, she dares to rob someone from me!”
Zhe Jing has never been so embarrassed in her whole life, but she has been embarrassed by Zhan Feiyu again and again. But when she thinks of He Sheng and He Nuan's unfathomable martial arts, Zhe Jing gnashes her teeth in hatred. If looks can kill, Zhan Feiyu
Feiyu had long been chopped alive by her.
Her eyes flashed slightly, and Wen Ruyi said a few more words of comfort until Zhe Jing's anger calmed down. A look of guilt appeared on her face as soft as water, "Jing'er, when it comes to this matter, it has something to do with the Wen family..."
"That cook is sold by the Wen family?" Zhe Jing didn't expect such a coincidence, but no matter how domineering she was, she would not take her anger out on Wen Ruyi. Instead, she showed a calculating smile at this moment.
"Ruyi, that cook was sold out by your servants who took advantage of a loophole. She is just a housekeeper. She dared to cross her master and sell her. Who gave her the courage?" Zhe Jing's words were full of disdain.
He looked down upon Wen Ruyi and preached, "You are too kind, that's why you were bullied by your servants. Who in the Zhe family dares to defy the good and the bad?"
Speaking of this, Zhe Jing held her chin up proudly. She was not as good as Ruyi in terms of talent and learning, but when it came to the methods of disciplining people, Ruyi was not as good as herself. This was the majesty of being the mistress of the house.
In the future, when I marry into the Ning family, I will immediately sell out all the maidservants in Brother Chen'an's yard. They are all coquettish and charming girls who want to crawl into bed and become concubines all day long. Bah.
, it doesn’t matter whether they are worthy or not!
Wen Ruyi came over to talk, which made Zhe Jing feel much better. She ordered to the maid on the side: "Go to the kitchen and tell me to prepare a banquet and bring it over at noon. I heard that there are fresh bamboo shoots, so I can make a dish of chicken marrow bamboo shoots."
.”
The capital is located in the north. Although it is at the foot of the emperor, it is not easy to eat fresh bamboo shoots. Winter bamboo shoots can be preserved for half a month with soil. However, it starts to snow in the capital in November, and the weather is freezing.
It takes at least more than a month for the team to transport the winter bamboo shoots. As time goes by, the winter bamboo shoots will lose their delicious flavor.
The Zhe family's basket of winter bamboo shoots was due to Mr. Zhe, who was out of Beijing to suppress bandits, and rescued the caravan on the way. Ninety-nine percent of the caravan's goods were robbed, leaving only a carriage of winter bamboo shoots. The caravan was considered to be "lightly equipped and simple" on the road.
When I arrived in the capital, I picked out a basket of the best winter bamboo shoots and sent them to Zhefu.
"Yes." The maid did not dare to delay, and quickly went to the kitchen after leaving the yard.
In the house, Zhe Jing asked the maid to help her get up, and she and Wen Ruyi sat in the flower hall outside. "Cook Xiao was sold to the dental shop without the consent of the Wen family. The contract of sale will definitely not count."
Zhe Jing felt happy when she thought about the loopholes in this. She was waiting to go to Yufeng Building to find her place. The deed of betrayal would be invalidated. Chef Xiao was still a servant of the Wen family. When the time came, she would take the person away. Look at that bitch.
What can I say?
"I've already gone through the formalities with the Yamen, but I'm afraid it's not easy to operate." Wen Ruyi didn't think Zhe Jing's method would work. It was Tang Maocai's wife who sold the little cook to the dental shop. It was said that the Wen family was not strict in running the family.
Only then did Mrs. Tang take advantage of the loophole.
"I'll send someone to the Yamen later to inquire about who made the deed. As long as he admits that he took Mrs. Tang's money to make the deed, the deed will be invalidated if it is illegal." Zhe Jing didn't think so at all.
Looking at this matter, he is at most an eighth- or ninth-grade official. How dare he disobey the Zhe family's orders?
Before Wen Ruyi could speak, the maid who had gone to the kitchen had already returned. She just glanced at Zhe Jing hesitantly and knelt down on the ground, "Miss, the kitchen said... that a distinguished guest was coming...
…The eldest lady told me that there is a banquet to be held, so I can’t make chicken marrow and bamboo shoots.”
It’s not that there is nothing we can do, but there are only so many winter bamboo shoots left. The eldest lady ordered them here, but Zhe Jing’s place has none. Although Zhe Jing is favored, the servants are not stupid. Zhe Jing will eventually get married, and Zhe Jing will have a family in the future.
The eldest lady is still in charge, so if you offend the eldest lady, you will at most be punished, but if you offend the eldest lady, you may be kicked out of the house.
Zhe Jing's good mood was instantly wiped out, replaced by raging anger, "Sister-in-law, are you deliberately going against me?"
The voice was sharp and harsh. Zhe Jing threw the teacup in her hand angrily. Regardless of the presence of Wen Ruyi, the guest, she kicked away the maid who was kneeling on the ground and walked out the door. She wanted to
Look at what kind of distinguished guests my sister-in-law is receiving. Can’t even the eldest lady of the Wen family catch my sister-in-law’s attention?
"Jing'er!" Wen Ruyi shouted anxiously and wanted to catch up, but was stopped by the personal maid.
"Miss, you are not in good health. It's cold outside. It's better to put on a cloak before going out." How dare the maid let Wen Ruyi go out like this? Miss Zhe has practiced boxing and kicking and is not afraid of the cold, but her young lady is still taking medicinal food for conditioning during this time.
Body, if you catch a cold in winter, it will have a great impact on a woman.
All the maids and wives of Qiongju Courtyard chased out, leaving only the four servants waiting for Wen Ruyi. There were no outsiders, and the anxious expression on Wen Ruyi's face disappeared, "What distinguished guest has come to the Zhe family?"
In addition to the royal princess and princess, how many girls in the capital have a family whose status is more valuable than her own? Wen Ruyi didn't show it on her face, but a coldness flashed across her eyes quickly. Does the eldest lady of the Zhe family look down on the Wen family or not?
Own?
The two maids waiting in the room naturally didn't know, but Granny Tian who walked in from outside the door took a look around, and then whispered: "I just asked, it's Miss Zhan from Yufeng Tower who is here.
.”
"What?" Wen Ruyi was really surprised for a moment, and then she laughed, her eyes twinkling, "This girl is interesting, let's go and have a look."
One is an out-of-town girl of unknown origin, and the other is the eldest lady of the Wen family. The eldest lady of the Zhe family treated Zhan Feiyu so politely, which is obviously the way the Zhe family treats guests, but secretly, it could be that the eldest lady is deliberately trying to put Zhe Jing in a bad way. After all,
Wen Ruyi is her good friend.
Zhe Jing was really mad. She had lost face again and again, but now this man still dared to come to her door to humiliate her. Zhe Jing only regretted that the news came to light too late, otherwise she would definitely have someone beat her out!
Seeing Zhe Jing rushing towards the eldest lady's courtyard with more than a dozen maids, followed closely by Ah Da and Ah Er, the nurse on duty couldn't help but frowned, "Boss, do we want to go there?"
Cheng Wu stood in the corner with an expressionless face. If the situation was normal, Cheng Wu, as the commander of the nursing home, would definitely lead people there.
But Zhejing's behavior is here, and there will be a fight whether it is justified or not. The key point is that Miss Zhan is a distinguished guest of the eldest lady, and she is also kind to Cheng Wu and the others. At this moment, they were caught in a dilemma in the past, and taking action would offend the eldest lady.
Madam, if you don't take action, you will offend the eldest lady.
"Send someone to report to the old lady. You two come with me to see if anyone finds out." Cheng Wu finally decided to go, but he would not show up if he could. Miss Zhan acted in a measured manner and would not let the master know.
The family is in trouble.
Zhan Feiyu came to the Zhe Mansion and first went to see the old lady of the Zhe family. After some pleasantries and conversation, he followed the eldest lady and the second lady and left. After all, the old lady was old, her seniority and status were here, and it was really not convenient to receive her in person.
Zhanfeiyu.
"Sister-in-law, there is no need to cover up for the little sister. The girl also knows that the little sister has a good temper. She is just very competitive and wants to overwhelm everyone she sees." The second lady has a straightforward temperament and naturally has no worries when speaking.
Besides, what he said was correct, and there was no need to cover up Zhe Jing's reputation. Who in the capital didn't know that the eldest daughter of the Zhe family was domineering and arrogant, chasing the eldest son of the Ning family all over the capital.
The eldest lady coughed twice and used the action of drinking tea to cover up the embarrassment and helplessness on her face. Fortunately, this was her own yard, and no matter what she said, it would not spread.
Zhan Feiyu was amused by the resentful look on the part of the second lady. It seemed that the second lady had suffered from the cowardice of her sister-in-law, but it happened that the old lady, the mother-in-law, was suppressing her.
Suddenly, noises accompanied by Zhe Jing's yelling and cursing sounded outside.
The second lady curled her lips in annoyance, "Look, I was right, we are making trouble again. Whose sister-in-law barged into my sister-in-law's yard without any rules?"
Zhe Jing made a big fuss yesterday, injuring several of the servants serving in Madame's courtyard. The most seriously injured was Lu Liu, who was whipped several times on the face and was probably disfigured.
Now Zhe Jing came over in a menacing manner, and the servants in the yard were all frightened. Even though they were wearing many winter clothes, they couldn't bear the whip.
"You made Miss Zhan laugh, I'll go out and have a look." The eldest lady suppressed her anger. Meeting such a sister-in-law was really a sin in her previous life.
Zhan Feiyu also stood up and walked out. When he met Zhe Jing's angry eyes in the yard, Zhan Feiyu knew without thinking that this was directed at him.
"Little sister, it is better to dissolve enemies than to make enemies. Miss Zhan heard that you were ill and came here to visit you." The eldest lady explained patiently, but the smile on her face was a little forced.
Knowing Zhe Jing's temperament, Mrs. Zhan Feiyu temporarily kept all the gifts brought by Zhan Feiyu in her courtyard, preparing to send them to Qiongju Courtyard after she left. This was Zhan Feiyu's courtesy, and the Zhe family must also accept this.
Affection.
"Don't be angry, little sister. Miss Zhan is here to visit mother. Just now, mother asked us to entertain Miss Zhan well, so we must not neglect our distinguished guest." The second lady followed, but moved out Mrs. Zhe.