Mrs. Wu has been diligent and thrifty since she was young. After reaching her seventies, she paid more and more attention to health care under the guidance of famous doctors.
Therefore, even though the meal time and the style and quantity of the dishes are particular, overall they are not very luxurious.
Today's lunch, as usual, consisted of three vegetables, one meat and two snacks. A bowl of fresh soup was enough for her to finish by herself.
And today, including the due share of the eldest lady Du who has to wait for Danyang in Songhe Hall, the Eight Immortals table for dinner is less than one-third.
But when the maid successively presented the lunch that had been prepared for Princess Danyang, the entire Eight Immortals table was occupied in an instant.
During this period, Du Shi accidentally raised his eyes and glanced, and his heart immediately trembled.
Although she quickly lowered her eyes, she sat dignifiedly by Mrs. Wu's hand as if nothing had happened. But the little sweetheart who was stimulated would inevitably feel pain and soreness.
Not to mention anything else. Let’s just talk about the Southern Pork Spring Bamboo Shoots dish, which uses the bacon of the small fragrant pig specially provided when the village head paid the rent last year, and the fresh and tender spring bamboo shoots tips that have just been put on the market.
Spring has just begun, but it's still cold. How much money does it cost for one or two fresh spring bamboo shoots? What's more, it's better to use it at the tip.
Even though it’s just such a small dish, it actually costs a tael of silver for its main ingredients.
This does not include the need for seasoning, which must be a thick soup made from chicken and duck. After a rough calculation of firewood and auxiliary materials, it costs three to four cents of silver!
Not to mention the bowl of milky-white, fragrant, priceless cheese. Although it was two days before the Qing Dynasty, he took the initiative to send someone to deliver things to honor the old lady, and it did not cost the Duke's palace money.
But precisely because of this, Du Shi's heart became increasingly sour and intolerable.
She has only tasted this delicious food twice since she was a child. In the Danyang mother and daughter's place, it was just an ordinary thing. And in order to show her generosity, the old lady even gave Danyang a portion of the bowl of cheese that she couldn't bear to use anymore...
Oh, let alone her eldest daughter, the eldest daughter of the Zhenguo Palace, whom Mrs. Wu has always been proud of, does not receive such treatment. Even the hard-working matron like her doesn't have this "blessing" and face!
In fact, she now has the honor of being on an equal footing with the old lady, having meals together in private instead of having to wait on her mother-in-law, which she earned only after working as a horse for the Duke's Palace for decades.
But look at what that wild girl from Danyang has done?
Not only the chess, calligraphy and painting, but also the behavior of the female celebrity could not compare with her eldest daughter. Not only did she get into trouble and tarnish her own reputation, but she also brought trouble to all the girls in the Duke's mansion!
But such a thing that couldn't be held up by mud could actually sit opposite her?
The more Du Shi thought about it, the more unhappy she felt in her heart. Her anger was hard to calm down, and the old and new grudges in her heart were instantly aroused.
And he became more and more angry that Danyang and Qinghe, the eldest princess, were the only mother and daughter who were born superior to others, and acted recklessly both openly and secretly.
With the help of the meal, Du Shi took two sips of fresh soup to calm down the anger in her heart.
After that, while stretching out her chopsticks to prepare dishes for Mrs. Wu, she couldn't help but speak. It seemed casual but after careful consideration, she said in a joking tone:
"This girl Danyang's temperament has really not changed since she was a child. She is as skinny as a monkey. There are few boys in our family who can compare with her. But fortunately, the old lady's blessings are long and she protects her children and grandchildren. Let this girl The girl is exquisite, pretty, and very clever and lovely."
After Mrs. Du made Mrs. Wu very comfortable, she changed the subject and said:
"It's just that although the princess is quite favored, it is inevitable for her to step aside. Fortunately, she is a girl and was given a title by His Majesty, so she will have nothing to worry about in the future. But now, the younger brother and sister, the eldest princess Qinghe, are rare again. There is good news, if it is a boy..."
At this point, she smiled bitterly and stopped talking for a moment.
"Looks like I'm making the same old mistake again. I can't remember your old teaching of 'eating without talking or sleeping without talking'. What nonsense are you talking about? It's too early to think about whether the baby will be a boy or a girl." A little more."
Du Shi smiled and apologized, then laughed at herself, and then naturally went back to her lunch.
But these words made Mrs. Wu's thoughts go away, and she almost instinctively began to worry about things.
It's just that she has long been accustomed to having people as advisers, and on major family matters, she consults with her eldest daughter-in-law more often, which is more natural.
Therefore, her mind only turned around twice before Madam Wu raised her hand impatiently and waved away all the people in the room.
Only Mrs. Du, her confidants, her personal maid Cui'er, and her current right-hand man, Nanny Qin, were left. But when her eyes glanced at Grandma Feng, Madam Wu hesitated for a rare moment.
Although, it is true that she is not close to the other party in her heart. But right now, because of these trivial matters, it is not worthwhile for the people who have been so painstakingly placed in the Princess Mansion to have second thoughts.
So in the end, Nanny Feng was also left behind.
After the other maids filed out, Mrs. Wu turned to stare at her eldest daughter-in-law and said bluntly:
"What do you want to say? You don't have to worry so much now."
Therefore, she was "one of her own" at the moment, and the old lady was too lazy to put on airs. Especially on such an important matter, her true cold side can no longer be concealed.
Because everything was progressing as expected, Mrs. Du smiled proudly in her heart, but on her face she stood up solemnly in response. After Mrs. Wu's gesture, she sat down again and continued:
"If it's a boy, if the eldest princess is allowed to be so arrogant and pampered and raised, I'm afraid it will be a big disaster for the Duke's Palace. And even if the eldest princess is loved by Emperor Xuande, she can't be directly given to the men of our Duke's Palace. Can you be knighted?"
The Duke's Mansion needs to fill in a man who does not have the support of a royal title and is constantly getting into trouble like Danyang?
As soon as this year came into her mind, Mrs. Wu's brows immediately became knotted.
"In your opinion?"
"this."
Du Shi pondered for a moment, and when Mrs. Wu's anxious eyebrows were about to squeeze together, she spoke in embarrassment:
"In my wife's humble opinion, why don't you take your sister-in-law to the Duke's Mansion to stay for a while, in the name of helping her raise the baby, and then make arrangements after she gives birth to the baby, so that you can adapt to the situation. What do you think?"
When Mrs. Wu heard this, she raised her eyebrows in surprise and asked:
"You want to say that if Qinghe gives birth to a boy, let me bring him to his side?"
Although it wasn't impossible, she was used to living a leisurely life and really didn't want to take on this drudgery.
Mrs. Du had already anticipated Mrs. Wu's thoughts. Upon seeing this, she immediately answered:
"Don't worry too much, this is just a one-off situation. Besides, even if she does give birth to a boy, it will only be raised under your name. The Duke's family has a big business, and it is the time when the branches are flourishing. By the time At that time, my sisters-in-law and I, who couldn’t spare this little time to help educate him and bring him up?”
Mrs. Wu was moved by what she was saying when the door curtain swung and a person strolled over.
Before he even walked around the screen and walked up to a few people, he smiled and said crisply:
"Whose child is Auntie worried about? Are you so kind-hearted and willing to raise her like your own mother?"
