Du's mother became Sima Run's imperial chef, and after she developed her own mansion, she bought a personal servant for the old lady Sima, and then came to the city with the old lady to take care of the newly purchased Zhuangzi of the Sima family.

After the accident in Sima's family, Mrs. Sima hurriedly sold Zhuangzi and sent away all the servants around her.

Mother Du suddenly disappeared at that time, and in order to preserve the last bloodline of the Sima family, Mrs. Sima didn't care to look for her, so she took Sima Mingze and hurriedly fled from Panhengguo.

"Mother Du, where did you go then?" Sima Mingze asked.

"The slave learned that all the people in the house had been beheaded, and it was inconvenient for you and the old lady to show up, so they discussed privately with a few old slaves, and rushed back to the imperial city overnight, collected their bodies into coffins, and put them in the ground! The old lady is a kind person, and she treats our subordinates kindly, and never scolds us loudly, let alone punish! They ended up like this, we are slaves, and our hearts are also..."Du's mother said as she spoke, her eyes red, "I never thought about it, it was still a step too late, and when the minions arrived, there were only some stumps left in the barren hill, which were eaten by wild dogs..."

She choked up and couldn't continue.

Sima Mingze and Old Madam Sima were already in tears, and even Xiaoguo and Jiang Shang were red-eyed.

After a long time, she suddenly knelt on the ground and cried: "Old lady, young master atonement!" The minions couldn't tell whose remains it was, thinking that it was a family, so they were buried together together! ”

"Well done! It's hard to think about it! Old Madam Sima wiped away her tears and boasted.

"Only then, why did you come here again?" Xiaoguo saw that the apprentice couldn't cry silently, and asked for him.

"After we did this, we hurried back to Zhuangzi, but we learned that Zhuangzi had changed masters, and the old lady took the young master and did not know where to go. Several of them had families to support, so they had no choice but to find another job in the master's house. Boss Sun and I, the gatekeeper, had nothing to worry about, so we decided to die and finally die! He had inconvenient legs and feet, so he stayed at the grave of the old lady and was responsible for guarding the tomb; The slave went around for home, and he was also whimsical, thinking that maybe he could meet the old lady and the young master! ”

When she said this, she glanced at Mrs. Sima and Sima Mingze, with a hint of satisfaction on her face.

Xiaoguo said movingly: "Could it be that you have been wandering around for so many years?" ”

Du's mother said: "Yes, over the years, I have traveled a lot!" When I came to a place, I found some odd jobs to eat, and when I was free, I asked around. I came here two months ago, and I was going to leave in the next few days. That day I walked down the street as usual, and I never thought that I saw the young master on the street, and he looked exactly like the old master, and I didn't dare to recognize him rashly, so I only secretly followed him here. I walked around here for a few days, and it wasn't until two days ago, when I saw the old lady who opened the door, that I was sure that I didn't recognize the wrong person! ”

Mother Du grinned and said lightly.

Xiaoguo knew that although she said it easily, she must have suffered a lot in the past ten years.

Old Madam Sima took her hand and said with tears: "For so many years, you have suffered!" ”

"I can see the old lady and the young master again, and the slave will die without regrets!" Du's mother cried with her.

"Say no more! Where are the old ladies and young masters here? You're not a minion either! Before the fight, I regarded you as half a daughter, and in the future, we will be relatives, not master and servant! Zeming is your junior, if there is anything to do, just tell him to do it! Zeming, quickly pour tea for your Aunt Du! ”

"Never! The old lady's kindness, the slave has it in mind, but how can there be no distinction between respect and inferiority? Don't break your minions! Du's mother hurriedly knelt on the ground and stopped.

Sima Mingze helped her up, poured a cup of tea, and raised his hands respectfully in front of her: "Mother Du, please drink tea!" ”

Mother Du hurriedly blocked back: "Young master, don't be like this, it's time to torture the slave!" ”

Xiaoguo persuaded on the side: "Mother-in-law is right! What you have done, Mother Du, has already surpassed the affection of the master and servant, you are already relatives who depend on each other, what kind of master and servant! If you continue to refuse, Zeming will be embarrassed to entrust your mother-in-law to your care again! ”

Xiaoguo briefly explained the reason for the matter.

"Mother Du, if you don't drink your nephew's cup of tea, your nephew can only try to pay you for your salary, so I will go in my heart!" Sima Mingze said.

Mother Du sighed: "So, slave, I will overstep!" ”

"Aunt Du, please drink tea!" Sima Mingze held the teacup in both hands and bowed.

With trembling hands, she took the tea and drank it all: "Good nephew! ”

Everyone present smiled at each other.

Xiaoguo clapped his hands and smiled: "That's good!" We're going to celebrate tonight, a family reunion! After waiting for the future, choose a good place to settle down, and let Zeming come again and pick up his mother-in-law and Du's mother to go over together! ”

A few days later, Sima Mingze said goodbye to his mother-in-law and Du's mother, set off with Xiaoguo, and embarked on a new journey in life.

Before Xiaoguo went on the road, he left enough silver taels for Mrs. Sima in He's Qianzhuang.

After Sima Mingze found out, in addition to secretly swearing that he would study cooking more diligently and repay the master's kindness in the future, he could only be deeply grateful!

The carriage had left the city gates.

Sima Mingze and Jiang Shang sat on the wheel, chatting about the surrounding human geography, customs and customs.

Xiaoguo lay on the soft seat in the car, studying the map in his hand.

"Zeming, are you sure that the competition will be held in Zhu Danguo in three months?" Suddenly, she got up, pulled the curtain and asked.

"Master, I heard from the customers in the store, and that's exactly what they said!" Sima Mingze said.

"The headquarters of the highest restaurant is located in Zhu Danguo, presumably yes!" Jiang Shangdao.

"When we go to Caiyun Country this time, we will inevitably pass through Zhu Danguo, if it is really held in three months, it will be more than enough time!" Xiaoguo showed the map to Sima Mingze.

Sima Mingze took the map, his eyes were clouded, as if he was reading a book from heaven, and he couldn't help frowning.

"Zeming, it turns out that you can't read?" Seeing this, Xiaoguo smiled.

Sima Mingze's face turned red, and he said embarrassedly: "When I was a child, my father also invited a teacher for me, but I felt that chewing words was very boring, so it was better to go into the kitchen and turn over the iron spoon to be happy!" After my dad left, I wanted to learn and no one taught me! ”

Xiaoguo patted him on the shoulder and comforted: "Everyone has their own ambitions!" Your master and I, who also don't know a few big characters, are not the same happy and happy! ”

Sima Mingze was surprised: "Master, you are also illiterate? ”

He secretly glanced at the map with his spare eyes, then at the master, and wondered in his heart: Master is illiterate, how can he understand the map?

Xiaoguo smiled, patted him on the head with a map, and said, "You kid must be crowding out Master, isn't it?" Your master and I, although I can't read a few words, but it is not a problem to read a map illustration! Yo! Don't you believe it? Then Master has to show you a hand! See, this represents the lake, this is the ocean. We're here now, and we'll be in the desert in no time! ”

Wait, desert?

Xiaoguo looked up at Jiang Shang: "Father-in-law, is it possible for us to cross the desert?" ”

Jiang Shang said: "I was planning to discuss this matter with you!" After the next town, there are two roads to choose from. One is to get around the desert and travel through these towns, which takes at least a month! Second, it only takes about three days to cross this desert and reach the towns we must pass! ”

Xiao Guo was surprised: "Father-in-law, can you pass through the desert in three days?" ”

Jiang Shang stroked his beard and nodded: "I have walked this route a few times before, as long as I bring enough water, it will not be a problem to cross it in three days!" ”

Xiaoguo slapped his thigh and said, "Okay, then choose to go through the desert!" Looks like we're going to have to get ready for the next town! ”

Jiang Shang drove the carriage under a big tree: "Let's eat something here and take a rest!" ”

Xiaoguo poked his head out of the carriage, and his eyes were still a piece of sand and gravel, and these big trees with strange branches and leaves were particularly abrupt.

"What kind of tree is this, which can grow so vigorously in such a dry and barren place?" Xiaoguo was amazed.

"Master, the people here call them Tutuer, which means messengers of the desert!" Sima Mingze took out the iron pot from the carriage, set up the pot to make a fire, and said to Xiaoguo.

It seems that the addition of Sima Xiaoxiao has greatly reduced the workload of Xiaoguo and Jiang Shang.

Xiaoguo sat on a boulder under the tree, watched him busy, nibbled on the mountain chestnuts he felt out of his pocket, and nodded: "This name is very suitable for their growth environment!" ”

"Master, when stir-frying, the lantern fruit should be stir-fried to bring out the fragrance, and then put other ingredients?" Sima Mingze stir-fried the beans and asked.

"Not necessarily, most dried fruits are fried in an oil pan first, and fresh fruits have to be treated according to the situation! For example, when you use it to fry meat, you first fry the meat for eight or nine medium cooks, and then add the lantern fruit! Xiaoguo said.

"I see! Master, I see, is the timing of the order of putting the lantern fruit related to the time it takes to cook another ingredient? Sima Mingze suddenly realized.

"Teachable! Yes, most of the time, so to speak! Xiaoguo praised, "However, it can't be generalized, sometimes, it has something to do with the pursuit of taste and the depth of flavor!" ”

Sima Mingze nodded thoughtfully, and sighed: "The science of cooking is really unfathomable!" It seems that Ming Ze will not be able to reach the level of the master in his life! ”

Xiaoguo smiled: "It's not so profound, you have excellent talent, as long as you are willing to practice hard, it is not difficult to become a first-class chef!" ”

Sima Mingze nodded and said, "Mother-in-law often says that diligence can make up for clumsiness. Ming Ze can only practice diligently to make up for the dullness of his nature! ”

Jiang Shang looked at the master and apprentice with a smile and a satisfied expression, he poured the boiling hot water into the teapot and said with a smile: "Children, come, have a cup of tea and moisten your throat!" ”

Xiaoguo hurriedly said: "Father-in-law, you sit, I'll come!" ”

The three of them had lunch, and the noon sun was too hot for them to hurry, and the next town was only two hours away.