Value peace

Chapter 117

For six days in a row, Gu Xiyan cooked six different soups.

Wang Momo looked at Gu Xiyan with a different look.

But no matter how she insinuated, she didn't find out any useful news.

Gu Xiyan was very anxious, but at the same time she admired Mrs. Wei's hard work.

Huaiyuan seems to be isolated from the world, no one comes to visit, and no one visits others. Everyone tries to stay in this small courtyard to find things for themselves, and they seem to have a relationship with each other. It seems that there is something between them, and they don't communicate much, let alone standing in a corner and chatting.

Liu Meier's business was embroidery, and Mrs. Wei sat cross-legged on the big kang with her eyes closed and meditated most of the time. She didn't move, and she sat for most of the day. Even an eminent monk may not have her perseverance.

Gu Xiyan looked at it and felt sore in her heart.She has been a widow for 15 years. Could it be that the long days to come will be passed away like this!

Thinking about it, even Gu Xiyan felt cold.

Just when she was about to find another way to break the deadlock, a guest suddenly came to Huaiyuan.

When this guest came, Gu Xiyan was learning embroidery from Liu Meier on the big kang in Liu Meier's room. Qin Niang came in and called Liu Meier to greet her: "Mrs. Zhou from Suanmiao Hutong is here."

Liu Mei'er didn't know whether it was because Huaiyuan's life was too deserted or because she liked this lady very much, a happy smile appeared on her face, she hurriedly pulled Gu Xiyan and said, "Let's go, let's go and greet Mrs. Zhou."

But Qin Niang stopped Gu Xiyan: "Miss Liu, Madam only let you be passed on."

Both Liu Meier and Gu Xiyan were stunned, especially Gu Xiyan, it was really uncomfortable to be rejected so bluntly.Liu Meier glanced at Gu Xiyan in embarrassment, the corners of her eyes fluttered slightly, and she wanted to say something, but Gu Xiyan stopped her in time: "Go quickly, lest the two ladies wait in a hurry."

Liu Meier also knew that this was not the time to argue about these things, so she gave Gu Xiyan an apologetic look: "Sister Gu, embroider for a while, I will be back soon."

Gu Xiyan urged her to go quickly, and Liu Meier hurried out of the room, but Qin Niang, who followed her to the door, turned her head and smiled at Gu Xiyan, and said softly: "The girl is dressed too luxuriously, don't take it too seriously. I went to see Mrs. Zhou, and I was afraid that Mrs. Zhou would not have something suitable as a gift..."

Gu Xiyan's heart trembled, but she smiled lightly on her face: "Madam is still considerate!"

After they left, Gu Xiyan opened the curtain beside the kang and stared straight at the yard.After a while, she saw two maids walking out of Mrs. Wei's room hugging a strange middle-aged woman.

She is of medium build, wearing a chestnut-colored leather cloak, her jet-black hair tied up in a high bun, and golden ornaments that dazzle people's eyes.Like all middle-aged women, her skin is already loose, and there are obvious eye bags and eye lines under her eyes, but her beauty cannot be concealed.Her skin is still well-maintained and her skin is as fair as Baishuang Saixue, her lips are red and bright, her complexion is very good, her spirit is shining brightly, she does not look like a person who has been imprisoned for more than ten years at all!

It was Bao Niang who sent her out.

Walking in front of the wall shadow, she stopped and said something to Bao Niang, and her face was facing Gu Xiyan.

Gu Xiyan could see clearly that her attitude towards Bao Niang was cautious and modest.

Bao Niang sent her out of the shadow wall and returned alone. After a while, Liu Mei'er came out of Mrs. Wei's room.

Gu Xiyan hurriedly put down the curtain in her hand, then picked up the embroidery needle to embroider a few stitches, and when Liu Meier returned to the room, she pretended to be embroidering, put down the embroidery frame in her hand, and said with a smile: "How? See It's Mrs. Zhou!"

Liu Meier nodded, and answered irrelevantly: "Sister Gu, do you want to go to Chengzhou with me?"

Could it be that Mrs. Wei said something to her?
Gu Xiyan was startled.

Liu Meier's face was full of embarrassment: "My aunt treats you like this. I... said a few words, and she lost her temper. If I call you to discipline later, you, just because I said something wrong, don't worry about it." To hold back is..."

Gu Xiyan's heart suddenly became soft.

She took Liu Mei'er's hand and said softly: "Mei'er, let's be good friends!"

Liu Meier showed surprise: "Sister Gu, what's wrong with you? Don't we always get along well?"

Gu Xiyan laughed, and suddenly hugged Liu Meier: "Well, we will always get along well like this in the future, okay?"

Liu Meier nodded happily, and snatched out an emerald jade plaque from the high cabinet behind her, and handed it to Gu Xiyan: "You gave me a pair of pearl earrings, and I'll give you a jade plaque, that's considered Our token..."

Gu Xiyan accepted the jade plaque generously, and Liu Meier was even happier.

"After the new year, I begged my aunt to go, and you and I will go back to Chengzhou."

Gu Xiyan didn't want to spoil her interest, and said with a smile: "We'll talk about it at that time. Now that you are like this, it will only make Madam more unhappy."

Liu Mei'er more or less knew about Mrs. Wei's temper, and immediately stopped speaking like a deflated ball.

The atmosphere between the two became a little unnatural.

Gu Xiyan didn't want this kind of atmosphere to affect the atmosphere between them, she said with a smile: "I saw a woman of medium build but beautiful appearance accompanied by Bao Niang, is she Mrs. Zhou?"

Liu Mei'er's expression became a little more natural, and she said with a smile: "Yes. That's Mrs. Zhou!"

"There seems to be very few guests in Huaiyuan!"

Liu Meier nodded: "Well, my aunt doesn't want to move around, so we sisters often take turns to stay with my aunt for a while."

"What is Mrs. Zhou doing here?"

"It's almost Chinese New Year, let's say hello to my aunt!"

"It's rare to come here once, so I don't sit around too much, and leave after dinner."

"It seems that I still have to go to Xianjiyuan..."

The two were chatting, and there was another movement outside the door.

Gu Xiyan hurriedly raised the curtains and looked around.

A neatly dressed and shrewd woman walked in side by side with Bao Niang.

Gu Xiyan asked Liu Meier to come and see: "Who is that?"

Liu Mei'er looked at it carefully for a long time, and said uncertainly: "You look so familiar!"

The two of them stuck to the glass window and watched the outside of the house, and the two of them entered Mrs. Wei's room before turning around.

Gu Xiyan said embarrassingly: "This garden is deserted and deserted, but whenever you see a figure, you have to watch it for a long time as if you were watching the excitement..."

Liu Meier nodded in agreement.She leaned on her elbow and sighed: "So I want to go back to Chengzhou! New Year's Eve here is not fun at all. Before the lanterns are lit on New Year's Eve, everyone has to go to the Xianji Courtyard. The members of the Qi family worship ancestors, and we can only stay in Yu Nian Pavilion Waiting outside, we have to wait until ten o'clock in the evening before the New Year's Eve dinner begins. We can only eat with those slightly dignified mothers, and we have to entertain those mothers. After the end, we can't run around, and we have to watch the year ...the next morning I have to go to the Xianji Courtyard to greet Mrs. Xu, and I can't sleep in... Alas!" Yu Duo complained.

Gu Xiyan smiled and said: "How many years have you lived in the Qi Mansion? Look at what you said, how wronged you are!"

Liu Meier also laughed: "The one from the year before last spent a year here, and then she didn't want to come here anymore."

While chatting with Liu Meier, Gu Xiyan paid attention to the movement in the yard, and later felt that this was a bit difficult, so she simply ordered Duan Yingluo: "Go and see, what is that woman doing in Huaiyuan?"

Duan Yingluo replied to go, Qiugui looked at the side eagerly, Gu Xiyan turned her eyes and called Duan Yingluo: "You and Qiugui go together." Qiugui is only a teenager in her teens. Girl, spending time with Liu Mei'er every day like she's in jail must be boring and there's nothing she can do about it.

Of course Liu Mei'er knew what it was like, she nodded, "Go and see it with Miss Duan!"

After the two girls gave orders, Duan Yingluo and Qiu Gui went out talking and laughing in low voices.

After a while, the two turned around.

Qiu Gui said: "It turned out that it was Madam Zhong from Shangzhengju who said she came to borrow Madam Wang from Madam for this year's festival."

Liu Meier suddenly realized: "Oh, don't tell me it looks so familiar to me, so it's Nanny Zhong from Shangzhengju."

Gu Xiyan said, "Who is this Nanny Zhong? Why did you borrow Madam Wang?"

Qiu Gui said with a smile: "This Grandma Zhong is the chef of Shangzhengju, and they are in charge of the annual feasts of the Qi Mansion every year. Grandma Wang cooks very well. Go help."

Gu Xiyan's heart moved.

That is to say, when the time comes, chefs who cook well in the Qi mansion will gather in the big kitchen of Shangzhengju. If she can go with Mother Wang...

According to the usual practice, Gu Xiyan and Liu Meier accompanied Mrs. Wei to have dinner. After dinner, Mrs. Wei went for a walk. Gu Xiyan found an excuse to go to the small kitchen in the backyard to look for Wang Momo. She was flipping through something like an account book under the oil lamp, and the orange light shone on her wrinkled face, making her appear peaceful and quiet.

For a moment, Gu Xiyan felt as if she suddenly saw a different Wang Momo.

Wang Momo might have sensed someone coming in, she raised her head, saw Gu Xiyan, and said with a smile, "Miss Gu, it's so late, why are you here?" She said as she got up to give Gu Xiyan Make tea.

Gu Xiyan stopped her: "I just want to say a few words to Nanny, don't be so polite!" After finishing speaking, she said that she wanted to follow her to Shangzhengju's kitchen.

Nanny Wang refused without hesitation.

"Miss Gu, the Duke of Yan's mansion is no different than other rich and noble families. It has a history of almost 400 years. Some rules are set by the ancestors. Even the Duke of the country cannot violate them. Girl, you are Madam Your niece and niece are honorable, you just tell me about this matter, don't mention it to others."

Gu Xiyan still didn't give up: "Nurse, I'll dress up as a little girl and follow you, isn't it okay?"

Wang Momo smiled and said, "Where does the girl go, she just wants to learn a few dishes. Miss, have you ever thought that I was borrowed to Juzhengshang, what should I do with the small kitchen in Huaiyuan?"

Gu Xiyan's heart moved, and she said: "Could it be that Shangzhengju will send someone to temporarily manage the small kitchen in Huaiyuan?"

Wang Momo nodded with a smile, and said: "Mrs. Wei has a light taste, but heavy and greasy. Speaking of which, the only one who cooks in this style is the only one in the entire Yan State Duke's mansion besides me is Liu Momo who is still in residence. I If you go to Shangzhengju to help, Shangzhengju will definitely send Madam Liu to serve his wife. Madam Liu has been in charge of the meals of Chengxi Courtyard in the small kitchen of the outer courtyard, and is good at making medicinal meals. You can take this opportunity to meet with her She communicates!"

In Chengxi Courtyard, Shanchang made medicinal meals...could it have something to do with the dead Qi Han?
But what I want to investigate is the Dexin Courtyard, not to explore the history of blood and tears in the backyard of Duke Yan's Qi Mansion...

Although disappointed, Gu Xiyan dared not show it.

(End of this chapter)