Since receiving the post that the Zhang family was coming to visit the Chen Mansion, the Feng family has been busy with the big and small people in the family for two or three days, not only is the drama and wine very lively, but even the dishes on the table are very attentive - but no matter how attentive they are, due to the limitations of the Chen Mansion's family background, they are also ordinary ingredients of chicken, duck and fish, which are not as brilliant as the delicacies and game sent by the Zhang family.

Fortunately, Xu Zichuan learned that the Chen Mansion wanted to borrow the small drama to treat his in-laws, and the Zhang family had such a background. So on a whim, after discussing with his wife, he instructed the boy in the family to send the most proud chef in his house over to support the scene with Chen's house.

To say that this master in the Xu Mansion, surnamed Shen Mingshun, although he is not the imperial chef in the palace, he is also a famous person with a surname in the Jiangnan area. With good cooking skills, it is even more rare to have exquisite knife work, and the carved flowers are lifelike, just like the real thing.

This Master Shen was originally not surnamed Shen, but because he was enshrined in the Shen family, a well-known salt merchant in the south of the Yangtze River, he won the will of the head of the family, so he gave him the surname Shen. Later, the head of the Shen family, Master Shen San, took a fancy to Xu Zichuan, who was still a poor talent at the time, and not only funded him to study, but also married his pearl to Xu Zichuan. Later, Xu Zichuan entered Beijing to catch the exam, and Shen was not worried that Xu Zichuan would go on the road alone, so he took a maid and two cooks who were accustomed to his craft to accompany him into Beijing.

Later, Xu Zichuan was named on the gold list, and because his ranking in the examination that year was not bad, he was hand-picked by Ji Ji today, and it was logical to stay in Kyoto. The Shen family and everyone in the family stayed. It wasn't until Xu Zichuan wandered around the Hanlin Academy for three years that he worked as an errand in the household department, and by mistake became a colleague with his classmate Chen Qi again-

Speaking of this, Xu Zichuan's father-in-law, Master Shen San, wanted to use some strength to ask his son-in-law to return to Yangzhou on duty. One is that Yangzhou is a place of ointment, and the other is that Shen San is the head snake of the land, asking his son-in-law to return to Yangzhou, not only can the family reunite, but also take care of the family's business and the future of the son-in-law, which is really cheap.

However, Xu Zichuan is a high-minded person and insists on not allowing it. The left sex of the cow is average, and he has to enter the Yushitai that has no oil and water and frequently offends people. Master Shen San was born in a businessman, and what he believed most in his life was to make money with harmony, and the shape of the court was complicated, although Shen San was far away in the south of the Yangtze River, he also knew the danger of the adult princes in the court to seize the heir. and knows that his son-in-law's temperament is the easiest to offend people. Therefore, of course, Master Shen San did not allow his son-in-law to enter this dangerous situation. So he persuaded his daughter one after another, and even forced his daughter to threaten her life. In the end, Weng and his son-in-law compromised for the time being, neither going to Yushitai nor returning to Yangzhou. But he stayed in the household by mistake, and because he refused to flatter the peak, he was not popular, and he is not up to now.

But then again, Xu Zichuan's human nature is also strange. said that he was pure and self-proclaimed, and he was dustless at present, and he did not shy away from secular criticism, and was willing to marry the daughter of a salt merchant as his wife, and even refuted the mediator of the business teacher for this. If it is said that he is envious of wealth and flattery, he is not confined to the Hanlin Courtyard or the household department, he is a stinky stone in a thatched pit, and he does not listen to people's persuasion, nor does he refuse to join in the same stream with others.

Therefore, Chen Jue often said that if he was willing to give in, he would not have reached this step - he is very good at learning, and his father-in-law has such a background, he can make him so disgusted with dogs, not up or down, not embarrassed or embarrassed; In the midst of the splendid anointment, in addition to the daily food and clothing at home, he refuses to use a stitch and a thread at home, and would rather be embarrassed to write the pen fee for writing Fengyue's words as his daily expenses, rather than put down some shelves and open his mouth to manage his family.

But I can't talk about that for now. Let's say that since Xu Zichuan sent the boy in the family to send this Jiangnan chef, because there is such a real Buddha in the Chen Mansion stove room, the natural color and color are compromised, and everything is thoughtful. Because the master of the family was admonished, he knew that the relationship between his uncle and Uncle Chen was irreversible, and he was willing to put down his body and teach some carefully. Although he didn't reveal his secrets, he used to be in the land of Jiangnan in the past, and the salt merchants and tea merchants in the Jiangnan area were the most wealthy, so he naturally saw a lot of knowledge on weekdays. After only a few brief mentions, the cooks of the Chen Mansion felt that they had benefited a lot. The dishes presented at the end are even more eye-catching.

That Qiu and Sister Yan are not crazy people, and the master of the Xu Mansion is exquisite. Therefore, after entering the table, Qiu's good students praised the chefs of Chen's mansion for their good skills, especially the two Jiangnan side dishes that the chef is good at, and said bluntly, "The dishes are so elegant that they are not only delicious, but also beautiful, and we can't bear to put down the chopsticks." ”

Feng Shi smiled and said a few words humbly. He added: "A small family from a poor family, there are no good things." It's just a habitual meal under the New Year's Festival, and only a little effort has been put into knife cooking. It's just a novelty. ”

Qiu Shi smiled and said: "There is a saying called beautiful and delicious. I didn't understand it before, but now I know it. It turns out that there is really a master with good knife skills, and he can make the dishes like a painting. It's not good to be loved, but how can you be willing to stutter. ”

When Feng heard Qiu's praise, he was very proud. But he said a few words more and more humbly, and made wine with dishes, and this meal was also enjoyed by the guests and hosts.

After eating for a while, I rinsed my mouth and cleaned my hands. The people were present and returned to the hall to speak. A little girl has already offered tea and fruit snacks.

Mrs. Chen ate tea once, and asked Qiu Shi with a smile: "I heard that the brother in the house is also here, but I have never seen it." ”

Qiu Shi understood, glanced at Chen, and replied with a smile: "I have long heard that the old lady is a philanthropist. Brother Hua also wanted to come to meet the old lady a long time ago. Just because he is a foreign man, and now he is a ten-year-old young man, it is not easy to enter and leave the inner courtyard at will, so as not to bump into the girls in the house. Therefore, he asked him to follow his father and go to the outer study to greet the old lady and the uncle. ”

Mrs. Chen smiled and said, "Since the two families are connected by marriage, although they have never seen each other before. Now when I see the deed, it is also a good family. There's no need to be so restrained, and let the gentlemen come in and talk? ”

This is even Zhang Yun called for invitation. Seeing this, Qiu was naturally satisfied, thanked him in his mouth, and let Mrs. Chen instruct the maid to go to the outer study to spread the word.

For a while, I saw Chen Qi come in with Zhang Yun's father and son. Because of his advanced age, and the cold and slippery road, the road was not easy to walk, so Chen Jue instructed the boys in the outer study to carry the small bamboo chair over, and the old lady Chen sat on it, and was carried all the way in.

Everyone went all the way to the front of the hall, Chen Jue first helped Mrs. Chen get off the small bamboo chair, and then smiled and let Zhang Yun go back, and then they entered the main hall together.

In addition to Mrs. Chen, all the ladies in the hall also stood up to greet them. Zhang Yun and Zhang Hua's father and son first passed Mrs. Chen--and then instructed Zhang Hua and Mrs. Chen to kowtow--and met with the ladies before they sat down. A little girl offered tea.

Mrs. Chen took Zhang Yun's son Zhang Hua's hand and said with a smile: "Sure enough, he is a complete child." ”

He also asked Zhang Hua face-to-face how old he was, where he was studying, and what books he had read now. Zhang Hua answered one by one. Mrs. Chen pointed to her little grandson Chen Hua and said, "Our little grandson is twelve years old this year, and he is also studying today, and his homework is not bad." Since you are about the same age, you have always come and gone. If there is anything you can't do in your homework, just ask your brother. ”

Zhang Hua responded very obediently and thanked Mrs. Chen again.

Seeing that the adults were gossiping affectionately, I didn't care about the children for a while. Sister Yan of the Zhang family whispered something to her mother Qiu, and said to the eldest sister of the Zhao family with a smile: "I just ate and ate tea again, I want to go out for a walk." Will you stay with me? ”

The eldest sister understood, so she naturally agreed. took advantage of the fact that everyone in the hall didn't care, and took the second sister's hand and came out together.

After changing clothes for a while, the little girls who had already followed brought warm water and mung bean noodles smoked from osmanthus stamens, and the three girls cleaned their hands. The eldest sister used the excuse that she had just eaten and had to move around to refrain from eating, so she asked the girls who were waiting around her to disperse for the time being, or follow from afar.

Sister Yan'er quietly held the eldest sister's hand, because she said, "I haven't bothered you yet." I went to your house for a funeral in the spring, but I didn't go because I was sick. I was still thinking about annoying you later, but I didn't expect that there would be so many things one after another, so that our sisters didn't see each other for more than half a year. I wanted to beg my mother to take you to the Zhuangzi to relax, but my mother said that you and the second sister should be filial piety and should not go out. Tell me not to mess with ideas, it's not good to bring your reputation to you, so I let it go. It's easy to see you again in the next year. How are you now? Are you still used to living here? ”

Back then, the Zhao family and the Zhang family were good friends, and Zhao Chen and Zhang Yun were even more intertwined, so there was a baby kiss between the eldest sister and Zhang Hua. Although Sister Zhang Jiayan is older than the eldest sister, the relationship between the two is good. Xiang Rili also had nothing to say, and the eldest sister held Sister Yan'er's hand and replied, "I'm fine." My grandfather and grandmother and my aunt and uncle treated us well, and my cousin and cousin were also very good, never bullying me and my second sister, and never saying those crooked and bastard things. This winter, the family made winter clothes, and my aunt also specially instructed the needlework to make it for me and my second sister, which was much better than when I was in the Zhao family. ”

When the eldest sister and the second sister were in the Zhao family, because Mrs. Zhao was patriarchal and disgusted with the big house, she often came up with all kinds of excuses to deduct the use of the big house, and she refused to spend money on the two sisters. Fortunately, Chen's pinching tip is strong, and he never refuses to swallow his anger and suffer losses. Every time there is a lot of trouble, you can always get back what the big house deserves. Rao is like this, and Chen's mother and daughter have to listen to the words of Mrs. Zhao and the second room of the Zhao family, and even the aunts in the big room who scolded Huai.

At that time, the second sister was young and didn't remember, but the eldest sister clearly remembered the faces of those people. She has a weak temperament and is obedient, but she also knows what is good and bad. Now that I heard Sister Yan'er asking, I naturally refused to say bad things about the Chen family. On the contrary, he kept making up for his confession.

Seeing that the eldest sister is so sincere, Sister Yan'er, who is burdened with heavy responsibilities, is relieved. Because he smiled, "It's okay now." The two of us have a relationship again. In the future, I will come to see you often. If you have anything you want to eat or play, and you can't tell the Chen family, just tell me. I turned around and asked Brother Hua to beg my father and mother to search for it, and then hand it over to you. ”

Originally, Sister Yan wanted to say that she begged her parents. But somehow, God sent a ghost envoy to pull out Zhang Hualai in his words. Sure enough, when the eldest sister heard this, her face turned crimson, she lowered her head and fiddled with her clothes, and she didn't say a word.

Sister Yan snickered, her eyes swept over the second sister who was silent and snickering, because she said: "Second sister too, if you want to eat or play, and it's not good to talk to others, just sue me." ”

After a pause, Sister Yan thought of something again, and said with a sigh: "Seeing the second sister this time, it is very different from before." ”