Although the sound of beating the watch was heard in the distance, it was already five watches, but it was the end of the month, there was no moonlight in the sky, and it was dark outside.

In the kitchen, the lights were turned on, and the errand mothers and daughters-in-law came over one after another to serve the stove. The kitchen is heavy, and according to the rules, outsiders are not allowed to trespass, but now there are two uninvited guests.

"Oh, uncle, grandma, the house is dirty, carefully rub the clothes." The housekeeper here, surnamed Qiao, is Zhang Yi's aunt, and when she saw Cao Hao and Chu Yu entering the kitchen, she hurriedly stepped forward.

"Mama, today is my wife's birthday, and my uncle and I came to fulfill our filial piety, thinking that I would make a bowl of longevity noodles for my wife by myself, and I have to bother Mama to help her." Chu Yu smiled lightly.

Hearing this, Mama Qiao didn't dare to stop her anymore, and said with a smile: "It's still the uncle and the grandmother are filial, it's rare to have such a heart, and the wife is happy to be happy." ”

Speaking of which, Cao Hao is a person who loves food and is also quite interested in cooking. It's just that in these years, I pay attention to "gentlemen and cook", I was okay when I was young, I was able to go to the kitchen if I had nothing to do, and I was looking for a master chef to study and study recipes; When you get older, when you come to the kitchen again, other people's eyes will be weird.

However, Chu Yu, under the influence of her husband, was not proficient in cooking, but after a few years, she cooked a good dish. On the side of Wutong Garden, there is a small kitchen, and when she is free, she also cooks two dishes, cooks a pot of soup, honors her in-laws, and coaxes the children.

Today, the husband and wife did not prepare in the small kitchen, because there were small boards over there, and there were not enough white cases, so they went to the big kitchen together.

Seeing that everyone else was waiting outside the door and didn't dare to enter the door, Chu Yu said to Mama Qiao: "Just leave a stove for me and my uncle, and the others will also come in and cook, don't delay breakfast in each courtyard." ”

Mama Qiao leaned over and went out to instruct everyone.

In the end, in front of the master, everyone couldn't help tiptoeing, working silently, and no one dared to speak.

On Cao Hao and Chu Yu's side, a little maid was left to burn the fire. Chu Yu made good noodles, Cao Hao took a rolling pin, rolled half of the dough into a long oval, and cut it into several long noodles.

The husband and wife were busy, and they heard someone outside: "Mama Qiao, Sister Amethyst sent me to pass the word, saying that these two days are dry, the young masters have tight throats, and the side dishes should be lighter." The fried dumplings are also stopped twice, and replaced with dough dumplings or water dumplings to save fire. ”

"Go back and tell the Amethyst girl, I wrote it down. Just a few days ago, the pickled mustard cabbage was piled up, and the cucumbers sent from outside were just in the water. If you have a tight throat, don't you know if you cough or not? If you have a cough, it is best to drink winter melon ball soup. Mama Qiao said.

"If you don't cough, your throat is tight. A few days ago, it snowed, and the kang burned hot. Sister Amethyst has already asked someone to set up several basins in the upper room, and these two are already better. The maid replied, "Today's wife's birthday, the Kwai courtyard only transmits breakfast, and dinner is used in the wife's courtyard." If Sister Ming'er Amethyst wants to pass on the ball soup, I will talk to Mama again. ”

The two said a few more words, and the maid left.

Cao Hao and Chu Yu were in the kitchen, looking at each other, their expressions a little unnatural. One of the two had to go to the yamen on an errand, and the other had to take care of the housework, and they had no leisure all day.

As a result, the two sons moved to Aoiyuan, and they were all taken care of by Amethyst.

Cut noodles are good enough to hold two bowls. The rest of the dough the size of a fist can be pondered. Chu Yu looked at the dough twice, kneaded it into long strips, cut it into small dices, pinched it into cat ears, and made people free up a stove.

Caofu's breakfast is mostly porridge with a few kinds of pasta, plus side dishes. Therefore, the other stoves are also prepared quickly.

When they were almost ready, someone from the Lanyuan came to pass the meal, and Cao Hao put the longevity noodles into the pot. The soup is a broth with a slick of oil, and there are a few poached eggs in it, and there are green onions floating in it, so it smells fragrant.

This will be kung fu, and the cat ear soup on the other stove that Chu Yu took care of is also good.

After the bowl was served, the cat's ear soup was sent to the Kwai Courtyard, and the message was specially passed on, which was not only for the two children, but also for an amethyst; The longevity noodles were mentioned, and the husband and wife took them to the Orchid Courtyard.

The sky was already bright, and the chill had not subsided.

Cao Hao and Chu Yu were busy all morning, and their bodies were a lot hot, but they didn't feel cold.

The little maid who used to pass the rice in the Lanyuan didn't enter the kitchen, so I didn't see Cao Hao and his wife. Here in the Orchid Courtyard, I don't know that Cao Hao and his wife are cooking.

Because it is a birthday, the Li family is also dressed festively today, with a magenta small wool cheongsam inside, and a begonia red coat on the outside. In addition to the embroidered silk around the body, the neckline and cuffs are also embroidered with the auspicious pattern of "10,000 characters Changchun".

In addition to the clothes on her body, she also brought a lot of jewelry with her. He wore an agate ring on his hand, a pair of velvet flowers on his head, and a step shake, and two pairs of gold and gem-encrusted hairpins.

The whole body was red, reflecting the whiter and fairer of the Li family.

When Cao Yin saw it, he couldn't help but be stunned, and flattered: "Didn't Mrs. Mo sleep and rejuvenate, how can she look younger than last year?" ”

Although I know that my husband is ridiculing, there is no woman in this world who doesn't care about her appearance. Li's face was disgusted, and his heart was also happy.

Hearing the maid's announcement, saying that her son and daughter-in-law were coming, Li and Cao Yin both felt strange why they came so early. Usually I say hello in the morning, and I come over after breakfast.

Cao Hao and Chu Yu entered the house, first greeted Cao Yin, and then the husband and wife knelt down in front of the Li family.

When Li saw this, he was startled, and hurriedly stood up, wanting to step forward to help his son and daughter-in-law up. But he was held down by Cao Yin, and he heard Cao Yin smile and said: "Madam, since you are a son and daughter-in-law, you want to give you a birthday, so you can bear it." ”

"It's all your own flesh and blood, what are you doing all this? Hurry up. Li still couldn't bear it, and stretched out his hand to tell his son and daughter-in-law to get up.

Cao Hao's side has already kowtowed with Chu Yu.

"I wish my mother happiness is like the long flowing water of the East China Sea, and her longevity is better than the old pine of Nanshan." Cao Hao and Chu Yu said auspicious words in their mouths and kowtowed three times.

After receiving the salute, Li hurriedly stood up, personally helped Chu Yu, and pulled his son up, his expression was full of comfort.

At this time, the maids have already set the table. Hearing that this bowl of longevity noodles was made by his son and daughter-in-law, Li couldn't help but have red circles, and even Cao Yin was a little moved.

Seeing that they were old couples, only holding chopsticks and not eating, Cao Hao and Chu Yu found a reason, came out of the Orchid Courtyard, and returned to Wutong Garden.

Time is like water, and time is like a shuttle.

His parents are gradually aging, and thinking of this, Cao Hao can't help but feel a little gloomy.

"Eh, why don't we pre-backup the gift for my wife?" Chu Yu looked at her husband and said, "In addition to food and clothing, the decorations are also picked every year. However, it is mostly put on hold, and there is not much real use. ”

"A big gift?" Cao Hao was a little curious when he heard this, and said, "What else can there be?" Mrs. doesn't lack anything here, and using those antique ornaments as birthday gifts is really not as good as a bowl of longevity noodles. ”

"Eh, which one is my wife most concerned about now?" Chu Yu leaned over and asked.

"The most concerned? Except for his father, there is only the little guy Changsheng. Isn't there an old saying, 'The old son, the eldest grandson, the lifeblood of the old couple'? Cao Hao replied.

Chu Yu nodded and said, "Yes, the uncle is an old son, and the wife naturally has to be concerned." In addition to the matter of 'catching Zhou' a few days ago, my wife didn't say anything on her face, and I was afraid that she was not at ease. According to my meaning, Daoxiang Village has made a lot of profits in recent years, and even if it buys a dowry for its daughter, it can't make so much. It is better to take out some money and buy some real estate Zhuangzi for the uncle, which can be regarded as saving the queen mother from worrying. ”

"Tianyou and Hengsheng didn't buy any property, so they gave it to Changsheng? Everyone is so spoiled by him, where can he be self-reliant and self-reliant, isn't he going to become a gentleman? Cao Hao listened, disagreed, and shook his head.

"Eh, this is just to reassure my wife. Should be disciplined or disciplined, not to indulge the uncle. Chu Yu said: "I haven't added any public middle school industry over the years, although the income of the Zhuangzi is handed over to the public middle school every year, but that is the amount of the industry." When the uncle grows up, he won't be able to divide the family. ”

Cao Hao originally wanted to say that it was not too late to wait until he grew up and then buy it, but when he thought of the eighth elder brother who died of illness, he inevitably gave birth to the impermanence of the world.

He nodded and said, "You have a point, so do it." It's just that I don't need the silver from Daoxiang Village, and the silver sent from Guangzhou over the years is still a little rich, and it's almost the same. ”

Chu Yu shook his head and said, "E, let me give me a share too." The business in Daoxiang Village is so good, but the money is in my hands, even if my wife doesn't say anything, I can't help it. It's all a family, and it's not good that we have a lot of money here, and my wife doesn't have enough money, right? ”

The husband and wife are not people who value money too much, and they are filial to the needs of the Li family, so they didn't care about anything, according to what Chu Yu said, they took out tens of thousands of taels, and prepared to wait for He Maocai to enter Beijing, and asked him to buy Zhuangzi...... After the discussion, the husband and wife had breakfast.

Cao Hao had to go around the yamen in the morning, and Chu Yu sent a message to send a carriage to the Guogong Mansion, the Sun family to pick up his aunt and grandmother to return to Ning...... * Forbidden City, and the Yamen of the main hall of the Internal Affairs Office.

Cao Hao glanced at the smiling sixteenth elder brother, and waved his hand to send a few scribes and pen slips away.

When there were only the two of them left in the room, Cao Hao carefully looked at the sixteenth elder brother and said, "The sixteenth master looks good, the recipe for this change works?" ”

In the month that the sixteenth elder brother returned to Beijing, he has used two smoking cessation prescriptions, but they are not very useful. This time, the recipe used is the third one.

The sixteenth elder brother waved his hand and said, "Which is so easy?" It's not that the master has great perseverance. I prepared a rope and told Zhao Feng to tie me up. After two addictions to smoking, my appetite has improved a lot recently. ”

"Although it is bitter, it is gratifying that the sixteenth elder brother has such perseverance." Cao Hao praised from the bottom of his heart.

The sixteenth elder brother glanced at Cao Hao and said, "It's not all because of you, a few days ago, I took my master to the front door to see the opium ghost." That person is not human, ghost or ghost, it is really better to be dead. I don't want to be like that, no matter how hard I am, I can only bear it. ”

"How many people are there in this world who are stoic? The harm of opium should not be underestimated. The sixteenth elder brother sighed, and then said: "It's good among the people, but if it reaches the army, it's even more terrible than a red-coated cannon." They have all become big smokers, who can still get on the horse and lift a knife and gun? ”

Cao Hao nodded and said, "Although it can't be said to be the disaster of destroying the country and exterminating the species, it is not far away!" ”

"I went to the household department to check, and at the Guangzhou Customs, the East India Company's goods entering the land this year had a lot of opium. I found an opportunity to talk to Huang Ama to restrict or ban the opium trade. Brother Sixteen said.

"Anyway, the control is right, and there is no need to ban it completely. Apricot grove needs to be used for opium medicine, just in moderation. Cao Hao said.

"Okay, speaking of this, I almost forgot to get down to business." The sixteenth elder brother said, took out a palm-sized brocade box from his arms, handed it to Cao Hao and said, "This is the birthday gift that Eniang prepared for her aunt." I originally wanted to go over to congratulate my aunt on her birthday, but your family didn't have a treat today, and I went rashly in filial piety, and it was also eye-catching, so I bothered you to hand it over. Our share was sent over a few days ago. ”

Cao Hao took it, and asked the sixteenth elder brother to convey his gratitude to the princess...... * Cao Mansion, outside the gate.

The carriage sent to Sun's house arrived first, and because her son had already enrolled in school, Cao Ying took her daughter back here to congratulate her aunt on her birthday.

With the arrival of the mother and daughter, there is also a half-car birthday gift. From the materials of the clothes to the gold and jade ornaments, the gift list is written on two pages. Since the Holy Birthday Festival, the Queen Mother gave Ruyi, and Sun Jue began to ask his wife to prepare a birthday gift.

According to Cao Ying's original intention, it is according to the example of previous years, to send longevity noodles and clothing materials. Sun Jue thought that this etiquette was thin, so he made people change a few antique ornaments, and also melted a few gold utensils at home and honored the golden Buddha.

"Knowing the mother is more than a daughter", Cao Ying knows the nagging surname of her mother Zhaojia. When she returned to her parents' house with this "heavy gift" carefully prepared by her husband, she did not feel proud or happy at all, but she was a little uneasy.

I don't know how many years it will take my mother to talk about this gift.

Originally, one is a biological mother and the other is an aunt, even if it is polite, it should be the former, and it should not be favoring one over the other to this point.

Regarding the rumors about the identity of her aunt Li, Cao Ying listened to her husband twice. She didn't believe it, but it was the queen mother's love, which attracted the villain's tongue.

If it is a real golden branch and jade leaf, how can it be raised in the Baoyi family? Even if you have no choice but to raise it in the Baoyi family, what kind of good son-in-law can't be found, so you have to marry into the Cao family to fill the house?

Let's just say that the late grandmother Sun Taijun asked her daughter-in-law to set the rules, but she didn't distinguish between the long room and the second room. If the aunt is of royal blood, how dare the old man ...... * Fangjia Hutong and Guogong Mansion.

Looking at the birthday gift prepared by his wife, which was just two sets of clothes and two pairs of shoes, Seshtu hesitated for a moment and asked, "Will it be too light, do you want to add some?" ”

Cao Yi shook his head and said, "No, my wife is not an outsider, will she care about those face-saving things?" Although the wife is good at needlework, she wants to make the clothes of the master, and now she has added immortality, and she has to pay homage to the palace during the New Year's holidays. My wife is different from others, she doesn't pick much material when she dresses, but she picks handicraft very well, and she doesn't like to wear clothes that are cut outside. Although my needlework is clumsy, it is a kind of thought, and my wife will like it......"

(To be continued)