The daily life of the prime minister of the Qing Dynasty, thick black

Chapter 73 Boiled Cabbage

Gu Huaixiu and Zhang Tingyu's small days in the mansion were lived with laughter and noisiness.

Regardless of what happened outside the yard, the house has been calm and undisturbed, right?Most likely, Zhang Tingyu and Gu Huaishu quarreled with each other from time to time, causing the maids and servants to back away, for fear of being stirred into the anger of these two masters.

It's just that no matter how loud the quarrel was, we talked and laughed together again within two hours.

What's going on between the second master and the second young mistress, I'm afraid only these two can explain clearly.

Perhaps, neither of these two people understood.

In a blink of an eye, half a month has passed, and Wu's birthday has also arrived.

In April, the spring flowers are gone, and the green trees are beginning to see their shade. Zhang Ying said that there is no need to be too extravagant, so I arranged it a little bit. During the day, the whole family eats the birthday buns made by the kitchen. When the meal is passed on from person to person, the main event begins.

Xiao Chen has behaved a lot recently.Perhaps it was because of Gu Huaishu's not-so-remarked point that made her wake up all of a sudden.When Xiao Chen went back, she changed into the river-blue clothes, and went out with her own money to ask someone to buy two bolts of satin, and sent them to Wu Shi. It finally met Wu Shi's wishes, and life gradually became better. stand up.

Although Zhang Tinglu still treated her indifferently, compared to the arrogance and arrogance when she first entered the mansion, Xiao Chen has restrained a lot.

One is that they dare not, and the other is that they cannot.

But in the end, the old lady's birthday banquet was still organized by her, and the plan was no different from the original one.

Each room will serve a dish to celebrate the old lady's birthday.

Earlier, Gu Huaishu ordered Xiao Shifang to make a dish of boiled cabbage, and this news was also released to Xiao Chen.

It is said that after Mrs. Chen heard about this boiled cabbage, she asked people to make many "boiled cabbage", but she didn't research anything.

When Gu Huaishu heard that she was researching this dish earlier, he almost laughed out loud.

This little Chen is simply a living treasure, but whenever she hears something about her, Gu Huaishu can laugh from morning to night.

After finally waiting until today, Gu Huaixiu and Zhang Tingyu will attend the banquet anyway.

She asked Xiao Shifang to get ready early, just waiting to open the eyes of those people today, not to Wu's face, but to Zhang Ying's face.

The banquet was placed in the flower hall, and the front and rear green screens were hung up.

Outside the window, the Diandimei, which was transplanted from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, has already opened dots of light purple flowers, which are sparse and beautiful when viewed from the window.

Everyone took their seats, and the whole family sat at the same table.

Zhang Ying and Wu are in front, one left and one right, Zhang Tingzan and Zhang Tinglu are on Wu's right, and Zhang Tingyu and Zhang Tingyu are next to Zhang Ying.

Gu Huaishu is the second daughter-in-law of the family, so she sits next to Zhang Tingyu, and on the left is Zhang Tingyu who is afraid of her to death.Originally, Gu Huaixiu didn't feel anything at all. It's been a long time since what happened to Xiao Shifang, and Huanhua is dead. Gu Huaixiu has more things than less things, but Zhang Tingyu is still so afraid of her.

Sitting next to Gu Huaixiu now, Xiao Tingyuan felt as if he was sitting on the tip of the knife, his whole body was stiff and he dared not move.

Zhang Tingzhen was also unlucky to meet such a powerful sister-in-law as Gu Huaishu.Even if he no longer looks like he is greedy for life and afraid of death in the future, he will never forget the fear he got from his second sister-in-law when he was young.

Seeing Zhang Tingyu trembling, Wu subconsciously wanted to call Zhang Tingyu to her side, but since everyone was there, she couldn't be so embarrassing, so she just endured it.

There are only Zhang Ying and Wu Shi at this table, and the four sons and three daughters-in-law below. No one else is qualified to come over for dinner.

Originally, Zhang Ying said that there should be no extravagance, but now there are only these few people sitting here, like an ordinary family banquet.

Mrs. Wu was not very happy, but it was her birthday after all, she couldn't be happier, with only a little smile on her face, she asked Mrs. Chen, "You organized this birthday, now it's time to serve .”

Some dishes were prepared in the kitchen, they were brought up first, and half a table was set up, followed by some decent maids in the mansion and the aunts in each room prepared food, and a small half table was also served.

Later, each room should serve the dishes, Zhang Tingyu didn't have a wife, so he was spared; the rest, whoever prepared it, would serve it first.

The eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Chen, prepared a famous braised iron lion head in Jiangnan. The color is bright, and it must have been thoughtful.

She was a little embarrassed, and now she looked like a weak willow and Fufeng: "The daughter-in-law wanted to prepare more things for her mother-in-law's birthday, but she was not well enough, and she couldn't do it for her mother-in-law. I just look forward to the coming year." Today, the daughter-in-law still has many opportunities to celebrate her mother-in-law's birthday."

When Mrs. Wu saw that dish, she remembered the days when she accompanied Zhang Ying to the exam.

He came out of the poor and humble, and now he is rich and powerful, but he has to be so careful, don't make mistakes, even a birthday banquet will become more and more shabby.

Wu shi was worried on the one hand, but on the other hand was happy. After all, the past is no better than the present, and he has everything he should have.

She asked the servant girl to help Mrs. Chen to sit down, and said: "You have a crooked body, why worry about so many things? If you have this kind of mind, you can do it. Is there anything you want in the house? Now that your cousin is helping you, you Just get sick."

Zhang Ying also said: "Yuzhu, don't worry about it. I think your body has begun to recover recently. After all, the family will still rely on you in the future. Don't be in a hurry for a while."

Zhang Ying and Wu's husband and wife, the words sounded the same, but after careful consideration, they were a little different.

Here, Mrs. Wu directly said that Mrs. Chen, the third young lady, helped Mrs. Wu and asked Mrs. Chen to "just care" about recuperating from her illness; On the one hand, he affirmed the unshakable position of the eldest daughter-in-law in the mansion, but also emphasized the importance of the eldest son in the family.

After all, Zhang Tingzan is still the eldest son in the family, Wu's words are too biased.

Zhang Ying just walked around quietly like this, and He He Lele couldn't see anything in the whole banquet.

Even Mrs. Chen didn't think much about it, but Gu Huaixiu below could hear it.

Zhang Ying is a shrewd man, he can't give up on a bad wife, and he can't be that Chen Shimei, so he can only call Chang'an, and Wang Fushun's family to help the Wu family.For so many years, nothing major has happened so-so.

Wu's side couldn't hear any clues. She glanced away from Zhang Tingyu, deliberately ignoring it. As for the second daughter-in-law, she didn't even look at it. She was much happier when she came to Zhang Tinglu.

"This time, I wonder what the third daughter-in-law has prepared?"

Little Chen stood up shyly here, her cheeks flushed, she glanced at Zhang Tinglu first, and then at Wu Shi.

She prepared it carefully this time. Last time, she wanted to get some secret recipes from Gu Huaxiu's cook, but she only found some boiled cabbage. What kind of delicacy is that?Can't get it on the table at all.

Mrs. Chen brought in a chef from outside, and together they made this rare duck with ginger and eight treasures.

"This is to smear the skin of the whole washed duck with shredded ginger to remove the fishy smell of the duck. At the same time, the chef said that ginger has the effect of promoting blood circulation, warming the stomach and eliminating evil. Eight treasures, red dates, almonds , walnuts, chestnuts, lotus seeds, lilies, longan meat, and raisins are stuffed into the duck belly together, and then steamed and roasted in the cage. In advance, pour the oil that has been fried with shredded ginger. The skin is crispy. Then it is roasted. When it comes out, it will be this rare duck with shredded ginger and eight treasures on the plate."

This way of eating is not new, it just takes a little effort.

Gu Huaishu looked at the stuffed duck that was served, it was oily red in color and cooked just right, it was considered a rare delicacy.

She wanted to move her chopsticks immediately, Zhang Tingyu sat there calmly, bent her elbow, and just poked Gu Huai's sleeve's elbow, making her loosen her fingers that had already touched the chopsticks.

On the surface, Gu Huaixiu was still sitting there in an orderly manner, with a smile on his lips, reserved and elegant.

But if you look under the table, Gu Huaishu stepped hard on Zhang Tingyu's left foot, and then Shi Shiran withdrew it.

Zhang Tingyu suffered from pain, but he dared not cry out, nor could he have an attack, and just sat there stiffly, as if nothing had happened.

This kick, Gu Huaixiu used ruthlessness, he could bear it, Zhang Tingyu is really a ruthless person.

Gu Huaixiu was secretly worried that something would happen when he went back tonight, but he didn't expect that the focus of the dinner had shifted from the eight treasure duck to her in a blink of an eye.

I don't know where Wu got the news, but she took the initiative to say: "I heard that the second daughter-in-law also prepared a good dish for me?"

Gu Huaishu is still in the stage of getting used to the title of "second daughter-in-law", and the one who hears it a little more is "Second Young Mistress". When she first heard Wu's name like that, she didn't realize it.

But someone next to her had already reminded her, Gu Huaishu quickly raised her head: "I also prepared one, I dare not treat it as a good dish..."

"Hmph, of course I can't afford it!" Mrs. Wu cut her off without waiting for her to finish, and sneered, "It's spread in the house that you're going to cook me a dish of boiled cabbage, which can be done!" What good things come out? Although my birthday is not extravagant and extravagant, but I am not so poor that I eat chaff. Second child, look at what kind of daughter-in-law you are!"

It's really unexpected...

Gu Huaishu just froze for a while, then almost laughed until his guts knotted.

Boiling cabbage, the name is quite confusing.

This is a famous dish in later generations, and it is a top dish passed down from Sichuan. People who don't know it may not be able to imagine what kind of dish it is when they hear the combination of "boiled water" and "cabbage".

It's not a white jade soup with shallots and tofu, but a dish with a complicated process that makes people want to hit the wall.

It took Xiao Shifang a lot of work to make this dish.

No one outside had come in to communicate, and Gu Huaixiu didn't expect them to serve the food so quickly before, and now Xiao Shifang is probably still busy in the kitchen, so he will be able to serve it within a while.

Gu Huaishu didn't mind Wu Shi's very biased words, and said calmly: "Mother-in-law, don't be impatient. This dish of daughter-in-law is indeed called boiled cabbage, but each has its own way."

Zhang Ying has seen Gu Huaishu's skills before, and even Kangxi's tongue, which was spoiled by the imperial cooks, can be satisfied by Xiao Shifang, let alone people like them.

The Wu family is prejudiced against the second daughter-in-law.

Zhang Ying took a deep breath in her chest, because it was Wu's birthday today, so it was not easy to show her face, so she half reprimanded: "Is the second daughter-in-law the kind of person who can't figure it out? You are the cook that the emperor praised. Was it for nothing? Wouldn’t it be clear when the second daughter-in-law brought the food?”

Xiao Chen on the side, after the Jiangshuilan satin incident in the warehouse, took the initiative to be afraid of Gu Huaishu, and kept avoiding it, and he didn't feel too tit-for-tat recently.

But everyone can do things that make people worse.

Xiao Chen is no exception, she even took the initiative to say: "A while ago, I also heard about this incident, and asked the cook to try to make this so-called boiled cabbage, but boiled cabbage is too unpalatable. Oh... those who don't know thought it was hello... that what..."

She seemed to think of it temporarily, and felt that it was not good to say that word, so she changed it to another way of saying it.

But isn't it self-evident what she really wants to say?
Wu's face turned green in an instant, she looked at Gu Huaishu, and almost exploded with anger.

Gu Huaixiu What does this mean?
Zhang Ying coughed and easily woke up Mrs. Wu, who was very depressed. If the old man hadn't supported the second daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wu would have dealt with her long ago.

However, Gu Huaixiu was still unhurried and eager to die, she smiled and said: "It's common for the third young lady to be unable to cook. If you know the name of a dish and you can cook it, then there is no way to steal it." Saying? People are different, and cooks are different. The essence is the difference in brains. Third young lady, these things don’t have to be forced, and you don’t want your cook to be better than mine.”

The words were quite rude, and the throwing of this paragraph was like a bunch of thorn balls, piercing Xiao Chen's whole body with holes.

Zhang Tinglu gave Xiao Chen a sideways look, pulled her to sit still, and prevented her from talking, but he himself was very sorry: "Second sister-in-law, don't blame me, Yuyan is a child's heart, if something bumps into second sister-in-law..."

Zhang Ying is sitting here, how can Gu Huaishu say anything serious?
She said calmly, "Third Master's words are serious. I'm not the kind of person who holds grudges and is stingy."

I am a very, very, very, very, very, very, vengeful, and also a very, very, very, very, very stingy person. How can you describe me as just ordinary vengeance and stinginess?
This is Gu Huaixiu's subtext.

It's a pity that most people can't understand it.

Zhang Tinglu couldn't understand either, so he buried his head in silence, which was a tacit consent.

The banquet was quiet, and the timing was just right, a dish of boiled cabbage was finally served from the kitchen.

The bright yellow and green cabbage cores lie in a wide-mouthed deep-bottomed white porcelain plate, surrounded by clear water-like soup, which looks like cabbage soaked in boiling water at first glance.

If you smell it carefully, you can smell the umami in the air.

Gu Huaishu then slowly said: "This dish is called boiled cabbage, but in fact, this boiled water is an extremely rare soup. It uses hen, duck, ham, scallops, elbows and other high-quality ingredients to give it a taste. Come on, the soup must be as clear as clear water before it can be used. Then select the cabbage to remove the outer two layers of old leaves, leaving the core, soak the cabbage below into the soup, and pour the hot soup layer by layer Go up, from raw to cooked, on the one hand, you need to pierce the cabbage with a thin silver needle, so that it is completely cooked and soft..."

Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard the complicated and exquisite procedures.

Such an exquisite and tricky way of eating, really only Gu Huaishu, who has a picky mouth, is blessed to enjoy it, and only a hard-working cook like Xiao Shifang can make it.

After pouring a pot of soup, it is necessary to replace it with a new pot of soup. The soup that has been poured with cabbage cannot be used again. The rules are very strict, lest the core of the cabbage can not absorb the essence of the soup, so that the taste will change.

After such a series of procedures and strict requirements, this dish of boiled cabbage is finally served.

Such a "boiling cabbage", where is boiling water, isn't it soup?
Wu frowned: "It's obviously a cabbage in soup, why bother to give it such a common name, isn't it misunderstood by ordinary people?"

Anyway, no matter what Gu Huaixiu did, she could find faults.

Gu Huaixu said in his heart that this was not his decision, she brought this name with her, it was decided by her ancestors and cannot be changed.

Fortunately, Zhang Ying said at this time: "Boiled cabbage is delicate and ingenious, and it is a rare thing to eat. It is obviously refined in soup, but it is named Boiling cabbage, which is contrary to the way of naming common dishes. Seeing that the soup on the plate is just like boiling water, where is it not boiled cabbage?"

Who would dare to refute what Zhang Ying said?
Whether it was Wu's or Xiao Chen's, they all shut up resentfully.

Zhang Tingyu couldn't hold back any longer. Hearing how complicated Gu Huaishu said, this dish should not be as simple as he imagined.

Gu Huaixiu had already touched the chopsticks, but because the elders couldn't afford them, he couldn't move them himself.

She looked at Zhang Ying and Wu Shi, and waited to see the two of them pick up their chopsticks, then went up and quickly picked up a piece of cabbage and put it in a bowl to eat.

Fresh, so fresh that people bite their tongues.

While eating, Gu Huaixiu lamented that Xiao Shifang's cooking skills have improved a lot.

This dish really lost Wu's temper.

Zhang Ying didn't expect that there are good dishes hidden here in Gu Huaixiu. For a while, she felt a little sympathetic to Lord Kangxi. After eating good food in Xiaoshifang, and then going back to eat in the imperial dining room, the taste is really heaven and earth. No wonder last year Long Live Lord has disheveled face, it's not sick, it's hungry!
Poor elder brother concluded that Kangxi was seriously ill, wouldn't he be wronged?
Thinking about these far-fetched things in her heart, Zhang Ying had already brought a bowl of soup to drink.

When the meal was almost finished, Wu's birthday was over, and when everyone was about to say goodbye, Zhang Tingyu suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He bowed to Zhang Ying and said, "Father, I have something to discuss with my father."

Zhang Ying wondered: "What's the matter?"

Wu Shi never liked Zhang Tingyu, but today he had a really happy meal, and his face was quite happy, but he didn't interrupt.

Few people cared about Zhang Tingyu's words, only Gu Huaishu smelled something unusual.

Zhang Tingyu smiled slightly, as if he was talking about trivial matters.

"The boy wants to bring his sleeves and go back to live in the Tongcheng mansion in the south of the Yangtze River. I hope my father will agree."

Everyone was stunned, is Zhang Tingyu crazy? !
(End of this chapter)