The cherry orchard is on the sunny hillside, not too far from here.
Everyone came out of the pig house, got on the chariot, got on the horse, and then went to the cherry orchard to pick cherries.
Niguzhu and Tana were holding hands, looking at the fruit-laden branches, and were already discussing how to pick more cherries to give to their sisters. They enjoyed picking green apricots the day before yesterday.
It was only when the weather got hot that everyone returned to the house.
Now at the foot of the mountain, the mountain breeze is blowing, and it is much cooler than the West Garden.
However, the cherry tree is taller than the apricot tree. Even if it is pruned to limit the height, it is still eight or nine feet high. As an adult, you can pick part of the lower cherries by standing on tiptoe.
Children need help from adults. The cherry is as small as a thumb cap.
The cherries on the tree have just ripened, so we still need to pick and choose.
Ni Guzhu sat on Xiaosong's shoulder and after picking a few, his neck felt sore.
She went down to the ground, came to the Queen Mother and said, "Mother Uku, let me help you carry the basket."
The Queen Mother was looking up at the cherry tree. She did not pick them one by one, but selected branches with more fruits and pruned them. This way, the cherries could retain more water and taste sweeter.
This is what she prepared for Jiugege
Jiu Gege was already slender, but her morning sickness has become less severe these days. The Queen Mother felt sorry for her granddaughter and wished she could have three meals a day.
Because these cherries are not yet ripe, they are slightly sour, so they are just right for pregnant women. Especially if they are steamed and eaten, they will not hurt your stomach.
Seeing Ni Guzhu about to carry the basket, the Queen Mother looked at Aunt Bai.
Aunt Bai followed behind, carrying a bamboo basket one and a half feet square. After being signaled by the Queen Mother, she gave it to Ni Guzhu. There were two small cherry branches inside.
Shushu is here, staying with Concubine Yi.
From the beginning of the banquet, Concubine Yi didn't speak much.
Shu Shu could feel that Concubine Yi was deliberately downplaying her today and trying to avoid her. Not only was it to avoid overshadowing the Queen Mother and steal the limelight from the Queen Mother, but more importantly, Kangxi was there.
Shu Shu's eyes swept over the fifth elder brother, the ninth elder brother and the eighteenth elder brother. The three established princes were still too eye-catching. Fortunately, the Guo Luoluo family had fallen silent, otherwise the fifth elder brother and the ninth elder brother would not have lived together.
So comfortable.
Yifei is picking cherries. She only picks one or two cherries on each cherry branch.
The cherries she picked were water-red in color and larger than the others. Shu Shu was standing next to her, helping Yifei press the buds.
Concubine Yi wanted to urge her to go to the Queen Mother, but when she saw that the fifth elder brother and the Guarjia family brought Tana to the Queen Mother, she changed her tone and said: "This Zhuangzi has organized well. The emperor rewarded me with several rewards in the early years."
Zhuangzi is in Tongzhou. You and Lao Wu's family will go there together and start a good business."
Shu Shu didn't say anything to refuse. She thought for a while and said: "Then according to the management of Zhuangzi here, the empress will reward people who are promising." Concubine Yi shook her head and said: "What should I do with so much silver? Give it to Ni Guzhu."
Save it to add wealth later."
When Shu Shu saw this, he said: "Then let Da Gege kowtow to you later."
Yi Fei looked at Ni Guzhu and Tana holding hands. Although they were sisters, they were like little sisters, and her eyes became more and more happy.
She hopes that her two sons will love each other, but she also knows that even if they are brothers, they are two families when they start a family. Whether they are close or not depends on the relationship between the two families.
In the past, the Dong E family was kind and respectful to the Five Fortunes and Jin Dynasties; now, knowing that they are close and distant, they help the fifth elder brother to promote the Guarjia family.
Concubine Yi thought about what Kangxi had said before, that the ninth elder brother "imitated the cat and painted the tiger". She lived a successful life because she married the right Fujin. She couldn't help but look at the eighteenth elder brother, and only hoped for the eighteenth elder.
Brother is also blessed with a wife, so he doesn't have to live like the fifth elder brother. However, Yi Fei is also glad in her heart. You must know that the Aixinjueluo family is full of love. Fortunately, the fifth elder brother and the ninth elder brother are not among them.
The fifth elder brother seems to have a good temper, but also has a soft heart.
But if he can be soft-hearted to Liu Gege, if he can be soft-hearted to Talash, then he can be soft-hearted to Gualjia. Brother Ninth Brother is a docile donkey who needs to be coaxed, but cannot be coaxed.
At this moment, Brother Jiu is coaxing people.
He put Hongxuan in Kangxi's arms and said: "Khan Ama, please give your grandson a good hug. If you don't hug him, he will reach the age when cats hate dogs."
Kangxi held Hongxuan in his arms, looked at his little brother's obedient appearance, and said to his ninth brother, "How can you say such a thing about your nephew? Do you think everyone like you has been a bastard since they were young?"
Brother Jiu smiled and said: "Khan Ama, if you really want to talk about it, my son was still young at the time and didn't know right from wrong. What could be wrong? Who told you to let it go? As long as Khan Ama took some time to keep an eye on his son.
With my son’s intelligence, he has already become a talented person!”
Seeing his arrogance, Kangxi glanced at him and said, "I still beat him less. As long as I am a strict father and give you twenty pieces a day, I can't grow crooked." Brother Jiu didn't like to hear this.
He said: "Khan Ama, it's true. Is it possible for my son to be naughty? If he really wants to beat his son, then he can beat him one by one. He will be more honest than he is now."
"Who is dishonest?" Kangxi asked. Brother Ninth: "..."
There are not many honest people.
But you just have to be aware of it. If you don’t offend yourself, what are you doing with your tongue?
He changed his words and said: "Look how good Hongxuan is, and his body is strong. He is one and a half years younger than his brother and sister. He is about to catch up with Fengsheng in terms of weight." Kangxi looked at Hongxuan with his eyes.
It fell on his curly hair.
To be honest, there are some in the clan who have brown-black hair and light eyes, but they are not as obvious as Hongxuan. For Hongxuan, this is not a bad thing.
Hongxuan was hugged honestly, and when he saw Kangxi looking at him, he also looked at Kangxi.
Brother Jiu thought for a while and said: "On weekdays, the younger brothers are often together. Next year Fengsheng and Akdan will study, but Hongxuan will be left behind. How about Hongxuan also enter the study next year?"
"Nonsense!"
Kangxi frowned and said: "Feng Sheng and the others have a big birthday, so they entered school a year in advance. Hongxuan's birthday is in the winter moon, and it is early to start school at the age of five. It is better to start school at the age of six..." Brother Jiu thought about it.
Hongxuan looked well-behaved, but at this age, he would not be relieved until he knew he was old enough to complain and was sent to the palace. The eighteenth elder brother and Fengsheng were both picked cherries by the guards.
When I arrived at Akdan, I picked a few and then went to the ground and refused to pick any more.
When the cherries were almost picked, Kangxi and Yifei left first.
The emperor was traveling and stationed temporarily, and all the bodyguards and ministers who accompanied him were also uneasy. In addition, Kangxi was busy with government affairs, and he had to meet with several ministers on duty in the afternoon.
Shu Shu and Guarjia accompanied the Queen Mother back to the yurt. The fifth elder brother and the ninth elder brother took the children and sent Kangxi and Yifei outside Zhuangzi. The queen mother washed her hands, ate the sour and sweet cherries, and said with a smile
: "Just in time for digestion."
Shu Shu said: "You have eaten all the snacks at noon, and you haven't even eaten a few bites of real food."
The Queen Mother smiled and said: "Who said your snacks are so delicious that they can't be served in the pastry shop?"
Shu Shu said: "On top of the soft candies, forget about the other items. When eating cakes outside, just stick to the oily candies. The most popular ones are the Mi San Dao ones, followed by the Tao Su..." The Queen Mother said: "Then that's it.
If you eat at home, you don’t have to leave good food out all the time.
"Um.."
Shu Shu nodded and said: "Now the labor-intensive pastry is eaten by the house itself, not in the shop."
The Queen Mother looked at Guarjia again and said: "Also keep an eye on the dining room. Don't always feed the fifth elder brother meat. There should also be a plate of vegetables for every meal." Guarjia nodded and said: "Well, the dining room is prepared.
As for the dishes, the Dongzi dishes from home are also served."
The Queen Mother expressed concern: "I remember that the fifth elder brother didn't like to eat leafy vegetables. He liked to eat eggplant, dried lentils and gourd sticks. Do you still eat these things now?"
Guarjia nodded and said: "For food, I have to eat eggplant every other day, either eggplant or eggplant with minced meat. There are new lentils, but Mr. Wu still prefers dry lentils, which are used to stew pork ribs or stew braised pork ribs."
Meat; gourd strips are stewed in mutton soup. Mr. Wu said that the mutton soup is more fragrant."
Shu Shu listened, also speechless.
This is a vegetarian dish, which is no different from eating meat.
The Queen Mother said: "Chinese cabbage, spinach and radishes are definitely not edible. Eating these in the palace will hurt you."
Guarjia said: "I only eat steamed stuffed buns stuffed with cabbage, saying they don't smell fishy. I eat white radish, not carrot..."
At this point, she glanced at Shu Shu and said, "I ate radish beef offal and radish shredded cake at Jiuye's house. It didn't taste like radish. Fifth Master liked it, asked for the recipe, and asked people to make it several times.
Da Gege also likes to eat."
The Queen Mother's eyebrows arched as she listened, and said: "That shredded radish cake is indeed delicious, and it's perfect to eat in winter... Just as she was talking, the fifth and ninth elder brothers brought the children back.
There were only two fewer people than at noon, but the atmosphere in the yurt was completely different. Da Gege sat next to Guarjia.
Ni Guzhu sat directly next to the Queen Mother. Hongxuan sat on Brother Jiu's lap.
The eighteenth elder brother and Akdan followed Shu Shu to the left and right. Feng Sheng called the fifth elder brother over.
"What did the Imperial Grandmother say? Why is it for winter food? If you want to eat it, send someone to prepare it. You don't have to observe the seasonal rules. The "not eating at odd times" are all rules imposed by nerds. You don't need to observe...
Brother Ninth said.
The Queen Mother smiled and said: "'Eat radish in winter and ginger in summer.' As for the big white radish, radish is a regular dish in the palace twelve months a year. You guys definitely don't like to eat radish."
After hearing this, Brother Jiu couldn't help but bared his teeth and said: "As the imperial grandmother said, she didn't like the taste and took back the radish. My grandson won't eat a bite. He would rather eat mustard pimples with porridge."
The Queen Mother said: "Thanks to you, now when the palace is in recession, we no longer have to eat only carrots and cabbage. There are vegetables to fill the holes. It is much better than when you were young." Everyone looked at the eighteenth elder brother.
The eighteenth elder brother lived in Yikun Palace and never made any mistakes.
When the palace is moved out next year, the proportion of the elder brother's office will also increase a lot compared to before.
The ninth elder brother was still a little dissatisfied and said: "Let's go back and discuss with the twelfth elder brother and try to add eggs next year. If you don't like meat, you can use eggs in exchange..."