Hidden golden branches

"It's not pity." Chen Rong didn't want to tell Yue Wanshu in too much detail, so he interrupted: "You came to tell me this today?"

"I've seen you come back and haven't been out for a long time. I want to come and see what you are doing? Also, last time you went boating and wanted to hear a play, but you didn't hear it. Recently, a theater troupe from the south of the Yangtze River came to the capital. The female actors in it His name is Xiao Jiuru, and it is said that he has a soft appearance. I wonder if you want to go and take a look, there are some novels in there that are quite new."

"Okay, okay, we'll go tomorrow." Chen Rong had long been irritable because of the maid Ping'er's affairs and because her mother wanted her to stay at home and learn housekeeping skills. This is something new to hear. Listen and see, where can you sit still?

Yue Wanshu said cheerfully: "Okay, let's meet in Yuyin Garden tomorrow."

"Okay!" Chen Rong responded happily.

Zhui'er brought in the warm honey milk and a plate of cherries on a carved mahogany tray, and placed them on the pear wood high table next to the wide pear wood chairs where Chen Rong and Yue Wanshu were sitting: "Miss Yue, please."

"Well, okay." Yue Wanshu nodded to Zhuo'er, first picked up the cup of honey and fresh milk and took a sip, "Well, it tastes good." Then she put down the small cup of honey and fresh milk in her hand, and picked up the bright-colored milk with her little hand. The dripping cherry said in surprise: "Hey, is there such a treasure in this season?"

"Hehe, it was given to me by the imperial concubine's aunt. It was brought here by merchants from the distant Toungoo country. It is said that the climate there is different from ours."

Ling'er held a red lacquer plate with branches in her hand. Inside the lacquer plate were small sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice balls served in two small red-glazed bowls. They were still placed on the yellow pear wood high table next to the two of them.

Zhui'er took out a warm cotton towel and let the two of them wipe their hands, then put away the used cotton towel and left.

Seeing the steaming sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice balls, Yue Wanshu raised her lips happily: "Rong Rong, I love eating these little glutinous rice balls made in the kitchen in your yard the most. They are sweet but not greasy, soft and refreshing, with the fragrance of osmanthus and sesame. Coexist." After saying that, he scooped one out with a golden jade spoon produced in Ruzhou, put it in his mouth, took a bite and ate it. His mouth was filled with the fragrance of osmanthus and sesame. As soon as I swallowed a mouthful of glutinous rice balls, I didn't forget to praise: "Oh, it's delicious."

"If it's delicious, just eat more." After Chen Rong finished speaking, he also ate with her.

Wen Niang, the cook in Chen Rong's small kitchen, was originally from Northern Jiangsu. She followed her husband-in-law to the capital and came to the Chen family to work as a helper.

She was not sold into slavery, but she signed a living contract. She could leave when it expired, or she could renew the contract.

Wen Niang’s favorite sweet is this sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice dumpling.

The heart in the glutinous rice balls is made with suet, osmanthus, black sesame, peach cake, brown sugar and crushed orange peel according to the proportion. Then put glutinous rice flour in a clean dustpan, put the prepared heart in it and beat it. Take out the glutinous rice flour rolled in the heart, sprinkle it with water and put it in a dustpan to beat

Just bump it over and over again until it takes shape.

If you want bigger glutinous rice balls, roll them more times.

Instead, just like what Chen Rong and the others were eating right now, they were made into small glutinous rice balls that could be swallowed in just two small bites.

After Yue Wanshu had eaten and drank, she rubbed her belly and said goodbye. Chen Rong sent her outside the courtyard gate, turned around the flower stand of Four Seasons Begonia, and passed the hand-drawn veranda in front of her to reach the front yard.

Yue Wanshu was about to say goodbye to Chen Rong when she looked up and saw Chen An approaching from a distance, handsome, tall and graceful.

Chen An said warmly: "Rong'er is seeing off guests!"

It was an extremely pleasant sound, like a palace string among the strings of a piano, the sound was deep and steady, and the sound was like the silk strings specially provided by Yunhui, cold and proud.

"Second brother!" Chen Rong happily rushed to Chen An.

Yue Wanshu also called out softly: "Brother Chen." Her eyes were dark, just like the pool of water on her right, pure and clear.

"Miss Yue." Chen An also looked at her from a distance, with a smile on his lips and his eyes fixed on her.

There was a smile on her lips. She had black hair and fair skin, bright eyes and white teeth, but her smile was even more moving, like a fresh peach blossom.

On the day that Yue Wanshu got married half a month ago, quite a few people came to propose marriage, but Yue Wanshu didn't agree to any of them, which made her mother Ji very angry.

Chen Rong watched the expressions of the two people with cold eyes, and his heart skipped a beat.

Chen Rong knew that Yue Wanshu, like himself, was a child who was loved by his parents, but Yue Wanshu's parents loved their children to a certain extent. Unlike her parents, especially her father Chen Youyu, he would compromise as long as she messed around. Just like getting engaged to Sun Yi would be impossible if it were left to Yue Wanshu's father.

Yue Yun knew very well that although Sun Yi's family was a noble family, his father was also a minister. But the Sun family has long been out of favor by the emperor, and Sun Qingwu, the Minister of War, who is unworthy of his responsibilities, will be kicked out by the emperor sooner or later.

Besides, except for Sun Yi, the seventh-grade nomad, the other two sons of the Sun family are too mediocre.

Sun Yi is a military attache, and if he wants to be promoted, he must fight on the battlefield. You can only be promoted if you come back.

Therefore, it is only a matter of time before the Sun family loses.

Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for Yue Yun to agree to marry his daughter to Sun Yi if this matter is left to him.

Yue Yun couldn't even agree to Sun Yi, let alone agree to marry his daughter to Chen An, who was a concubine.

Chen Rong couldn't help but feel sorry for his second brother. Oh, what an evil difference.

The brother and sister saw off Yue Wanshu, and Chen Rong said to Chen Zhao, "Second brother, go to my place to eat glutinous rice balls."

The eldest brother doesn't like sweets, but the second brother likes sweets as much as she does.

"Okay, second brother is in a good mood today." Chen An said with a smile when he heard this.

Chen Rong also smiled and said: "Second brother, you are taking advantage of Ashu!"

"Really? Then the second brother also wants to thank Miss Yue." Chen An said with a smile.

"Yes!" Chen Rong was not afraid of his second brother being angry.

The brother and sister entered the Nuan Pavilion chatting and laughing. Ling'er, who had been following Chen Rong, cleverly went to the kitchen and asked Wen Niang to quickly cook another glutinous rice dumpling.

After sitting down, Chen An said seriously: "Rong Rong, I plan to go on a trip tomorrow."

"What?" Chen Rong looked into Chen Zhao's eyes and said in surprise.

Then he asked: "When was this decided? Do dad and eldest brother know?"

Chen Zhao saw Chen Rong's nervous look and said with a smile: "It was decided a few months ago, and both my father and eldest brother knew about it. It's just that my eldest brother was not at home at that time, so he didn't feel comfortable leaving."

How many months earlier?

The second brother must be worried about her, and with Sun Yi breaking off the engagement, the second brother couldn't bear to leave.

Chen Rong burst into tears immediately, and said in a choked voice, "Second brother, please don't go out on a trip, okay? Rong Rong can't bear to have you leave."

Chen Rong remembered that when her eldest brother went to Tongzhou to provide disaster relief, she was not reluctant at all. She just asked him to pay attention to safety and come back early from doing business.

But when my second brother asked me to travel, I felt like there was a big stone in my heart, making me feel uncomfortable.

Although I can't see my second brother every day, knowing that my second brother is here naturally makes me feel at ease.

Yue Wanshu: No way, Sun Yi took a concubine, do you still pity Zhang Xiuxi?

Chen Rong: Why should I pity her? I just have mixed feelings.

My second brother is going to travel far away, which makes me feel even more uncomfortable.