Linglong returned to the palace, Haitang asked the little maid to make Lu'an melon slices and brought them up, and saw that Linglong was slowly finishing up a cup of tea, so she said: "The girl in the small kitchen has looked at the gate of the courtyard a few times. ”

Linglong smiled and said, "Go and call Mama Cai." ”

After a while, Mama Cai trotted over from the kitchen, entered the courtyard where the princess lived, and immediately slowed down her pace and stood steadily under the corridor, waiting for the princess to summon her.

The little girl Lishui next to Begonia came out to call her in, she entered the house respectfully, followed Lishui into the east room, and saw that the room was a glass window, hanging dark red and gold velvet curtains, and there were several pots of daffodils raised in the ice cracked basin of the kiln on the windowsill, and the green leaves were covered with white and yellow buds. The new black lacquer furniture in the house, the corner of the wall is a green plant that is more than half a person tall and cannot be named, and in the cold winter wax moon, it is still lush and full of vitality. Facing the big kang are four black lacquered official hat chairs against the wall, on the side of Peng Ya is placed on the high table of Aoxue plum bottle, and on the big kang near the window is also covered with a dark red sprinkled gold velvet mattress.

There were four-color refreshments on the kang table, and the princess wore a half-new silver and red jacket, sitting at the kang table, reading the account book. Only the princess's first-class maid Begonia was served in the house.

Seeing Mama Cai coming in, Linglong pointed to the small pestle under the kang and said with a smile: "Sit down and talk." ”

Mama Cai hurriedly laughed and said, "The old slave doesn't dare." ”

Haitang said: "The princess asks you to sit and you will sit." ”

Mama Cai thanked her and sat down halfway down, but Linglong didn't speak, still looking at the account book.

Mama Cai had been working in a large family for more than ten years, and she was also very good with her cooking skills, but the master's wife Xu Xian entered the door, and she still let her companion take over her errand.

A few months ago, she was sold into the Rui Wangfu, hoping to be the chef in the princess's garden, but the big maids around the princess heard that she was not good at cooking Su cuisine. He sent the food directly from the large kitchen. I heard that the prince is still looking for a female chef who is good at cooking Su cuisine for the princess, she knows that as long as she spends money, what kind of person can't find it? Wait until the chef comes. It is inevitable that she will have to bring her own people to be the second cook, and at that time, she will either have to cook for the rough maid in the garden, or she will become a miscellaneous worker.

Now the opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and whether you can seize it depends on today.

Seeing that the princess did not look at her again. Mama Cai sat with her eyes and nose and nose and heart, not moving at all. After a full cup of tea, the princess closed the account book and said to Haitang: "Take two of the lucky oranges just rewarded in the palace and give her to taste, don't sit here." ”

Mama Cai hurriedly stood up and thanked her, Begonia brought a crystal lotus leaf plate, Mama Cai carefully took two, but did not peel them and eat them, but held them in her hands.

Haitang smiled and said: "Since the princess gave you food, don't be restrained." Peel it open and taste. ”

Mama Cai laughed and said: "My teeth are not good, I don't have this blessing, so I will bring this blessing orange back, give it to the little girls in my house to taste, and let them touch the blessings of the princess." ”

The corners of Linglong's mouth curled slightly, and an unnoticed smile flashed. This Mama Cai is really sensible.

"Can the rock sugar gourd be sent to the East Road?" She asked idly.

Mama Cai immediately came to her senses and hurriedly got up: "Back to the princess, the old slave sent it to Aunt Huadiao, and Aunt Huadiao also rewarded the old slave." ”

said. She took out a silver plum blossom hairpin from her arms, glanced at it exquisitely, and said with a smile: "Since it was rewarded by my aunt, just take it." ”

Mama Cai hurriedly thanked again. said with a smile: "The old slave entrusted the blessing of the princess, not only got a reward, but also opened his eyes, the gardens on the east road are one after another, the scenery is beautiful, the old slave's eyes are not enough." ”

The smile in Linglong's eyes faded. She knew that Mama Cai had something to say.

Haitang observed the words and immediately said: "Mama Cai should tell the princess what she has seen and heard on the East Road today, there is no need to say the superfluous words, the princess knows it." ”

Mama Cai was shocked in vain, and hurriedly said: "The old slave is verbose, the girl doesn't blame the old slave for entering from the weeping flower gate, there is a little father-in-law leading all the way, and the old slave saw that there were red walls and green tiles everywhere, so he asked the little father-in-law a few more words." Xiaogong announced that there are four large gardens on the east road. They are Zhi Garden, Hui Garden, Orchid Garden and Ling Garden. Aunt Huadiao lives in Zhiyuan. The little father-in-law brought the old slave to the gate of Zhiyuan, and a mother-in-law brought the old slave in. Zhiyuan is only a courtyard, but there are three cross-courtyards, and Aunt Huadiao lives in one of them. When I arrived at the gate of the courtyard, there was a celery girl next to Aunt Huadiao who took the old slave in. Aunt Huadiao seemed to be doing carpentry work, and she was very happy to see the old slave coming, so she ate a bunch on the spot and rewarded this hairpin. The old slave didn't dare to stay longer, so he thanked him and withdrew, and as soon as he walked to the corridor, he heard Aunt Huadiao say to another maid: Leave a few strings, and send the rest to Du Kang and whoever else. “

"What do you say? What's who's who? Linglong's voice suddenly raised a few points, and asked sharply.

Mama Cai was startled: "The old slave was in the corridor at the time, through the cotton curtain, Aunt Huadiao's voice was not loud, the old slave didn't hear it clearly, but what she said about Du Kang should be right, the old slave is on the stove, I don't know anything else, every New Year's Festival, Huadiao wine and Du Kang wine are indispensable." ”

"Wine? Du Kang, Huadiao" Linglong's gaze fixed on Mama Cai's face, and she said for a while, "Go on, what else did you see and hear later?" ”

"When the old slave came out, there was no little father-in-law with him, it was the previous mother-in-law who sent me to the waist door, and the old slave said that I knew this way, just go by myself, but the mother-in-law said that this was instructed by the aunts, and I must be sent out. Coming out of Zhiyuan, passing through a black locust road, that is, Lingyuan, when I passed from here before, there was no one at the door, and when I passed by, I saw a little girl hurriedly coming out of it, and when I saw my mother-in-law, I asked: Which aunt is in Zhiyuan at this time? The woman looked at me and said, "Aunt Huadiao is here." The little girl said angrily: Why is this aunt and grandmother here, I want to go over to protect Zhun'er is to scold her head and cover her face. The mother-in-law asked what was wrong, and the little girl said that it was cold these days, and the illness of the girl Liangchen was committed again, but the aunts said that it was the princess's birthday, and they were afraid of colliding with the princess, so they couldn't let the girl stay in the house and wanted to send her out. Miss Mei was not at ease, and was worried that Miss Liangchen's condition would deteriorate after she left the house, so she sent her to ask her aunts for an accurate question."

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(To be continued.) )