The two jars of rotten pickles did not come to the table in the end.

It's better to say otherwise, if something goes wrong with eating, isn't the gain outweighing the loss?

Seeing that the cooks' faces were green, Cao Hao still asked them to throw away the two jars of pickles and replace them with pickled mustard gnocchi in the kitchen.

Cao Hao didn't forget to tell them, don't be ordinary, cut into thin strips, mix sesame oil or something; Wash it with water and cut it into finger-thick strips.

Although some stoves in the kitchen have already been used when it is time to eat, it is rare for Cao Hao to come to the kitchen in person, and everyone is flattering, and they quickly obey the instructions, washing rice and noodles.

Because the two jars of pickles were not bought, Wu En was worried, lowered his head, and stood in front of Cao Hao, not knowing how to ask for sin.

When Cao Hao saw it, he said to her with a smile: "The errand is done well, you can't blame you for this pickle thing...... This pickle is inherently easy to grow. I remember one year, it seemed that because of the rain, there were several jars of pickles in the house. ”

Wu En was still a little ashamed, lowered his head and said: "You should look through it, I have enjoyed a few years of happiness in the mansion, and the slave and maid will also become a waste person who does not know firewood, rice, oil and salt." ”

She is a slave girl in the royal palace of Bahrain County, when Kangxi arrived at the Cao family in the forty-eighth year, she was still a teenage girl, and now in the blink of an eye, she is also seventeen or eight.

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

Cao Hao said: "Listen to Amethyst, you have a good abacus and a good bookkeeping, which is already much better than others." ”

Thinking of his mother entering the palace, Cao Hao asked, "By the way, how did Mrs. Mongol learn?" ”

"It's just those words, my wife was still embarrassed when I went this time, and I wanted to bring the slave and maid over, but it didn't follow the rules." Unn said.

* Rehe Palace, Xiyu, Songhe Qingyue.

The Queen Mother looked at Li Shi sitting on the stool, took her hand, and smiled on her face, looking happier than when she was in the palace.

The old man only spoke a word of Mongolian after a while, and asked the grandmother on an errand in the palace to translate it into Chinese for Li to hear. Still, Lee could feel her loving heart.

Although I don't know why the Queen Mother treats her differently, the Li family compares her heart to her heart, and she is really close to the Queen Mother, and she is as respectful as a parent.

In addition to making embroidered screens for the Queen Mother's birthday, Li also sewed Chinese clothes for the Queen Mother. Although it is not as delicate as the palace, it is also a soft and soft fine cotton material, which is very comfortable to touch.

This time when he entered the palace to ask for peace, the Li family brought a set to pay homage.

When the Queen Mother saw it, she was very happy, and took it and rubbed it, her face was very kind.

After the set of invitations to see the ceremony, the Queen Mother pulled the Li family, and the conversation began to come often.

For example, is she the first time she has been plugged out, she feels cool or not, her son and daughter-in-law are filial and not filial, Yunyun.

Li listened to it and answered carefully, occasionally adding a simple Mongolian language, which made the Queen Mother more and more cheerful.

In the words of the Queen Mother, she began to mention Horqin, as if recalling old things.

Concubine Yi sat on the chair next to her, smiling with a smile on her face, already sitting on pins and needles. I was afraid that the Queen Mother would be happy and say something unacceptable, which would enter her ears and bring disaster to herself.

Taking advantage of the time when the Queen Mother kept her mouth, Concubine Yi smiled and said in Mongolian: "Queen Mother, it's rare for Mrs. Cao to enter the palace, or let's stay as a guest, how about the concubine go to prepare the dinner table for the evening?" You have to be cheeky, and ask the Queen Mother, your old man, to also reward the concubines and concubines for a bite. ”

Although Li didn't know what Concubine Yi was talking about, he was also quite uneasy when he saw her talking and looking at him.

Among the concubines, the status of Concubine Yi is the most respectful. In the mouth of the ladies in the capital, this lady is a powerful person, which makes the Li family a little afraid.

The Queen Mother was trying to talk to Li Shi about Horqin, and after listening to Concubine Yi's proposal, she was exactly what she wanted, and let her go with a smile.

The princess and the noble Xi were originally standing beside Concubine Yi, and when they saw her go out, they also bowed down to the Queen Mother and followed out.

After leaving the Empress Dowager's palace, Concubine Yi turned around and said with a smile to the princess and the nobles: "Mrs. Cao looks very supple, aren't the two sisters relatives of Mrs. Cao, and they want to be close to each other?" ”

I don't know what her intentions are, and the Wang Concubine and the Xi nobleman Chen don't know how to respond for a while.

Concubine Yi knew that the two of them were cautious, frowned and shook her head, turned around and left first.

Xi Guiren hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice: "Niangniang, isn't there something wrong with Concubine Yi and her cousin?" Yifei Niangniang, it seems that it is not as good as being calm. ”

"Who knows. If we don't have anything to do with it, let's ask a few words. Wang Concubine said.

"Yes, my sister does. Looking at the twenty elder brothers, my sister felt hopeful. As long as Yinxi can grow up peacefully, her sister will not be in vain in the palace. Xi Guiren said with a little sigh.

Speaking of which, she was favored in the year she entered the palace, and she couldn't see the emperor for three or five months in the future.

It's just that how many of these harem girls can do whatever they want?

Wang Concubine said in a low voice: "These words, my sister will still rot in her heart in the future." If you want to open up everything, there is an elder brother by your side, who is much stronger than others. ”

The Xi nobles responded and went with the princess.

Concubine Yi praised Haikou in front of the Queen Mother, so she naturally worked hard and set a menu for the dining room.

In addition to half of the Queen Mother's favorites, there are a few dishes with Mongolian flavor and a few dishes with Huaiyang flavor. A few products of milk food, a few products of southern snacks, as well as ** wine and fruit wine, not to mention the decentness, can also feel that it is carefully arranged.

Seeing that there was still a while to leave the meal, Concubine Yi refreshed up, sat in front of the dresser, and reapplied her makeup.

has been in the palace for more than forty years, and she is already over fifty years old, but because of proper maintenance, she still looks like she is in her forties.

Originally, she was still a little complacent, but thinking about the Li family giving birth to a child in her forties, Concubine Yi also gave birth to a little envy.

She sat in front of the mirror for a while, and sent an attendant to the Empress Dowager to inquire about it, and see if the emperor had not passed.

One time later, the chamberlain came back to say that the emperor went to the Queen Mother's palace to ask for peace, but he had not come out yet.

"Sure enough." Concubine Yi said secretly in her heart, and did not immediately get up and go to the Queen Mother's Palace. Although she prides herself on being smart, she never dares to show off in front of Kangxi. She was afraid that she would have a gaffe and attract Kangxi's heart, so she asked someone to investigate again.

After a quarter of an hour, the news came back that Kangxi had already started from the Empress Dowager's Palace and returned to Sizhi Library.

Concubine Yi breathed a sigh of relief, but was faintly disappointed. She hadn't seen Kangxi for a few days...... Concubine Yi's guess in her heart was right, Kangxi did hear that the Li family had entered the palace, so she pretended to be a queen mother to ask for peace and come to have a "chance meeting" with her.

When he really saw Li, Kangxi had nothing to say. Thinking that Cao Hao fainted outside the Sizhishu House a few days ago, he finally felt a little guilty in his heart.

Li lowered his head, where would he have thought that the emperor would think so much in his heart.

As a foreign wife, in front of the queen mother and the concubine, she dared to answer two sentences; When I saw the emperor, in addition to kneeling down to say goodbye, I only had to keep my eyebrows low.

When the Queen Mother saw Kangxi coming, she also mentioned Horqin to him. In addition to missing his hometown, he is also a little sour in his heart. On the Li family's side, she didn't know her life experience at all, and she didn't know that she also had Horqin's blood flowing in her body.

The Queen Mother has not been in good health in the past few years, and she has talked to Kangxi several times to see how to compensate the Li family.

did not lose the face of the court, nor did he wronged the Li family, so that the Queen Mother went underground, and she could also explain to the Queen Mother.

For a while, how good is it so wishful.

As a courtier born in Baoyi, Cao Yin's promotion to Bo is already a great dignity without making military merits; Cao Yan is young, and he is in the prominent position, and it is not easy to give grace at will.

The Queen Mother has lived all her life, except for the first emperor who swallowed her anger when she was in power, and after becoming the Queen Mother, she has always been free.

Seeing that Kangxi had not moved for a long time, she treated the Li family in her own way, that is, she was rewarded when she got the opportunity, all kinds of gemstone jewelry, antique vases, expensive clothes, all kinds of good things.

The same is true today, the Queen Mother has asked people to prepare several sets of head and face jewelry.

When Kangxi got up and drove out, the Queen Mother asked someone to bring a one-foot-high jewelry box, pushed down Li's side, and said with a smile: "These mourning families are also shelved, you can take them to your daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law." ”

After she finished speaking in Mongolian, an old lady translated it into Chinese and told it to Li.

The rewards in the palace have been a little soft in recent years. Every time she shirks it again and again, the Queen Mother still has to give it.

Rao is like this, and Li Shi did not dare to be greedy, so he hurriedly got up and thanked him.

The Queen Mother didn't allow her not to accept it, and muttered a string of words.

After hearing this, the grandmother standing beside her smiled and said to Li: "Mrs. Cao, the Queen Mother asked you to take it." Say that if you don't take it, someone will send it to your house. It's a little bit of the Queen Mother's heart, and the Queen Mother likes your needlework. Say, if you think these jewelry are valuable, you will go to the palace a few more times to ask for peace and do two more sets of needlework, and the queen mother and her old man will be happy. ”

Having said this, Li had no choice but to accept it.

At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside, and I heard an attendant come in to announce that Concubine Yi had arrived.

The Queen Mother nodded and called Chuan, and Concubine Yi walked in with a smile and said in Mongolian: "Queen Mother, the meal and concubines have been prepared, when do you think the meal will be passed?" ”

The Queen Mother glanced at the Li family with a smile, and instructed Concubine Yi to pass the meal...... * Cao Family Courtyard, East Courtyard, and upper room.

Cao Hao and his wife had already received the news and knew that the Li family was left in the palace by the Queen Mother and would not return until after dinner; Cao Yin's side also sent people back to report the news, because he was busy praying for rain and didn't come back to eat, so he asked someone to send a food box over.

Chu Yu looked at the rice and black dumplings on the kang table, as well as half a plate of mustard strips, and asked with a smile: "I went to the kitchen for a long time, just pick up these?" ”

Cao Hao smiled and nodded, with a little smugness on his face, and said, "Today's dinner, everyone in the mansion will eat sweetly." ”

When Fang just came out of the kitchen, several cooks also deliberately asked if they wanted to send this nest head and rice up and down.

Cao Hao has already seen it in the kitchen, and the most inferior is white rice and white noodles. It's rare to do this, so I naturally ordered everyone to deliver it, just as a snack before the main meal.

Seeing that her husband was a little proud, Chu Yu was a little puzzled when it came to eating for dinner.

Cao Hao had already washed his hands, crossed his legs on the kang, took a nest made of wheat bran noodles, looked at it a few times, and brought it to his mouth to take a bite.

Difficult to swallow.

I can't say what it feels, it's like wood dregs, but it's not as soft as wood dregs. It smells like wheat, and when you eat it, it's different.

Cao Hao's face stiffened, but he still chewed and swallowed the mouth in his mouth.

Chu Yu saw her husband's strange expression, and then looked at this "strange" food, and became a little curious, took a dumpling, broke off a mouthful, and sent it to her mouth.

Cao Hao hurriedly stretched out his arm to stop him, and said, "You are still drinking the medicine, let's try it again in a while." ”

Chu Yu stretched out his finger and discussed: "Edon, just take a bite, otherwise Edon and his sons will eat it, and I don't know what it tastes like." ”

Seeing this, Cao Hao nodded, and said, "Then take a bite of wotou, and don't think about rice." This is the whole out for the children to see and smell, eat a bite or two may be fine, if you really eat a bowl and a half bowl, it is not an ordinary stomach can bear it. ”

After listening to her husband, Chu Yu smiled and brought the broken nest to her mouth, took a small bite, chewed carefully, and her face was a little strange.

After eating, she raised her head and said to Cao Hao: "Forehead, is this made of chaff?" It's a little strange to eat in your mouth...... There are also some throats ......"

Cao Hao took chopsticks, took a pickle and sent it to her, and said, "Take a bite and see if it will get better." ”

Chu Yu took a bite of the pickle as he said, and then put the remaining half of the nest into his mouth, chewed it a few times, swallowed it cleanly, and said, "This will be much better than Fang Cai, with a salty and light taste." ”

Cao Hao took the nest head and said, "This is made of flour ground from wheat bran." I bought it from a grocer store. Maybe it's a family with a better family, so they won't eat this; But the poor family may not even be able to eat this, otherwise, how could there be children and daughters. This year's Gyeonggi drought is severe, and in the autumn and winter, I don't know how many families want their wives to be separated. ”

Speaking of this, Cao Hao couldn't help but shake his head, as if he was a little far away.

Obviously, he planned to get some unpalatable food to make his two sons "remember the bittersweet memories", but why did he get involved in the national economy and people's livelihood, he seemed to be too idle.

Chu Yu listened to her husband mention this, she was not moved, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Otherwise, reduce the rent of our family's Zhuangzi?" It wasn't easy for the tenants either. It's okay for other people's families to say, if our tenants reach the point of selling their sons and daughters, then our conscience is not at ease. ”

"It's a good idea to reduce rent. It's just that our family's land has a lot of well fields, unless the drought is too severe, otherwise it's fine. Ming'er, I'll write to Steward He and let him take a look around. If there is a significant reduction in production, it is good to reduce it appropriately. Cao Hao said.

Chu Yu listened, couldn't help but be curious, and said: "Eyu, although I haven't been in charge for a few years, I have also discovered that there are nine droughts in ten years in Gyeonggi, why don't other people's families dig more than two wells, wouldn't it be better?" ”

Cao Hao shook his head and said, "It's not easy to talk about!" If it's shallow, it's not much use at best; Drilling a deep well costs a lot of money. In some places, a village only has a well, just because it can't afford to dig a well. Most of the land in Gyeonggi was sheathed when the Eight Banners entered the customs, and later resold and was mostly concentrated in the hands of wealthy officials and businessmen. They buy land just to eat rent and save money, so how can they be willing to spend money to dig wells. The cost of a well is the cost of a few acres of good land. ”

When Chu Yu heard this, he remembered something and said, "By the way, Eyu, when Uncle Ning was alive in the early years, didn't the Ministry of Works drill a well in Gyeonggi?" ”

"Ministry of Works? But if the public comes forward, what can be trusted? A lot of money was spent, but most of the officials at the top and bottom were greedy for ink, so that people dug shallow wells, and it was impossible to use them for a year. When Cao Hao said this, he was a little depressed.

I seem to know too much, and it's a little boring.

While the husband and wife were talking, Unn and Little Walnut had already gone to the front yard to pick up Tianyou and Hengsheng back.

The little brothers were sweating on their foreheads, and they were already dirty with several pieces on their bodies.

Chu Yu helped to bring water and clean up for Tianyou and Hengsheng.

Xu was naughty for a while, his stomach was a little hungry, and when he saw that the food was on the kang table, the little brothers' eyes lit up. As soon as they wiped their hands, they came to the edge of the kang and asked Chu Yu, "Mother, is it time to eat?" ”

Chu Yu glanced at her husband and saw that he didn't say anything else, so she nodded, and asked someone to hug the two brothers on the kang and put on a bib.

Cao Hao faces south and north, sitting in the center, Chu Yu sits on the east side of the kang table, and Tianyou and Hengsheng sit on the west side of the kang table.

Seeing that in addition to rice on the table, there was only a plate of black dumplings and a plate of pickle strips, and the little brothers did not hold chopsticks and waited for the food to be served honestly.

Cao Hao picked up the chopsticks, pointed to the plate of dumplings and pickles, and said, "Open the meal, let's eat." As he spoke, he took two nests and put one in each bowl for Tianyou and Hengsheng.

Seeing that his father handed him the dumplings, Tianyou and Hengsheng both held small bowls with both hands and took them respectfully, and did not forget to say "Thank you father for food".

However, putting down the bowl, the two brothers didn't know how to speak, and they both turned their heads to look at Chu Yu.

Because her husband took the trouble to teach his sons, Chu Yu didn't talk much, so she smiled and said, "Eat quickly, haven't you been hungry after playing all afternoon?" ”

Seeing that his mother said this, Tianyou and Hengsheng glanced at their father again, and then followed his example, grabbed the black dumplings in the bowl with their hands and put them in their mouths.

After taking a bite, the brothers moved the same way, that is, frowning, stretching out their little hands to their mouths, wanting to spit it out.

However, Cao Hao looked at the past with one look, and neither Tianyou nor Hengsheng dared to spit it out.

"Didn't the Master teach?" Who knows that Chinese food is hard work'? This is food, for filling, not for casual play. When Cao Hao said this, he took a pickle strip and put it in his mouth.

Not to mention, eating this wheat bran nest alone is a sin, and it is much more comfortable to eat it with pickles.

In addition to the coarse cooked noodles in your mouth, it is the taste of pickles, but you can swallow it.

The two little brothers covered their mouths, blushed, and used a lot of determination to swallow what was in their mouths. Looking at the nest in his hand again, he was a little worried.

"Father, son doesn't ......" Tianyou spoke, just wanted to say that he was not hungry, and he didn't eat this meal, and remembered that his father had said that he should not lie to his relatives, otherwise he would be punished, so he changed his mouth and bowed his head and said: "My son really doesn't like to eat this." ”

Although he only insisted on one mouthful, it was rare for him to dare to express his opinion, and Cao Hao felt quite relieved.

Hengsheng heard what his brother said, and also said: "Father, this is too unpalatable, don't eat it, father, my throat hurts, let's eat white dumplings." ”

Cao Hao raised the nest in his hand and said to his sons: "If there is such a black dumpling at home in the future, will you eat it?" ”

When Tianyou and Hengsheng heard this question, they were really embarrassed, and they didn't know how to answer for a long time.

In the end, God blessed him wisely, saw the rice bowl in front of him, picked it up and said, "Father, if you don't eat dumplings, can you eat?" ”

Hengsheng saw that his brother had an idea, and his little head nodded vigorously, looking at Cao Hao with a smile.

Seeing their eccentric appearance, Cao Hao also had the feeling that "my family has a child who has just grown up".

The little ones will be cautious.

Cao Hao nodded with a smile, pointed to their rice bowls, and said, "Eat, eat." ”

I am not afraid of squeezing their little white teeth, because the sand and stones inside have been picked up by the kitchen; I am not afraid that they will eat bad stomachs.

Cao Hao had already tasted this rice, and he didn't stick to a bite.

Tianyou and Hengsheng saw their father speak, no need to eat black dumplings, they both picked up chopsticks and pulled the rice in the bowl.

As soon as they were drawn into their mouths, their faces changed, and they were different from when they ate the nest.

Cao Hao saw his sons like this, and the reaction was similar to his own, and he couldn't laugh in his heart.

He forced a smile, put on a straight face, and said, "What's wrong?" Picky eater? What if there are only these two things in the future? ”

Tianyou put down the chopsticks, didn't speak, and half of the food in his mouth didn't dare to spit it out, nor could he swallow it, looking pitiful.

When Hengsheng saw it, he remembered his brother's appearance, swallowed the rice in his mouth vigorously, pointed to the plate of pickles on the table, and said to Cao Hao: "Father, don't eat dumplings, don't eat, can you eat this?" ”

Cao Hao couldn't help but smile, nodded, and said, "Eat." ”

Hengsheng still remembers to clip one to Cao Hao first, the second one to his brother, and the third one to his mouth.

After chewing two bites, before he could swallow it, Hengsheng's tears had already come out, he looked at Cao Hao, sobbed and said, "Father...... Salty ......"

Chu Yu saw him crying, Tianyou also had red eyes, in the end, he was distressed, and hurriedly brought the empty bowl to Hengsheng's mouth, and said: "Spit it out if it is salty, don't eat it......"

Hengsheng looked at his father and then at his mother, but he still pouted and swallowed, and said in a low voice: "Don't waste ......"

Seeing his younger brother like this, Tianyou also blushed, swallowed half of the rice in his mouth, and tears fell down "bar" and "bar".

Seeing his sons like this, Cao Hao sighed, turned his head to Xicai who was standing at the door and said, "Withdraw, ask someone to set the meal." ”

Xicai watched Tianyou and Heng grow up, and when she saw them so wronged, she was also distressed. After listening to Cao Hao's instructions, he immediately responded, removed the pickles, and put the prepared dinner on the table.

In addition to the staples such as rice, flower rolls, and creamy steamed buns, tonight's menu was extraordinarily hearty. Usually the family eats only five or six dishes, but today there are more than a dozen, including chicken, duck, fish and meat, and three or four plates of green vegetables.

Chu Yu took out a handkerchief, wiped his tears for Tianyou and Hengsheng, and coaxed: "Don't cry, your father just wants you to know that your livelihood is difficult, so that you can be sensible earlier." ”

When the little brothers heard their mother say this, they both said "um" and nodded.

After eating a small half of the nest, and then looking at these in front of him, it was simply delicious in the world, Cao Hao stretched out his chopsticks and said, "Eat." ”

Even if he was delicious, he hadn't forgotten his previous task, and he sandwiched a chopsticks and scallion fried mutton for Tianyou, and two pieces of duck for Hengsheng.

Maybe compared with the previous ones, these two dishes don't look so good, Tianyou and Hengsheng obediently thanked their father and put them in their mouths to eat.

Chu Yu looked at her son and her husband on the side, and she was also very pleased.

Cao Hao took two more chopsticks to stir-fry the small rape and put it in the bowl of Tianyou and Hengsheng.

Tianyou and Hengsheng glanced at their father and ate obediently.

Cao Hao nodded and asked, "Is it unpalatable?" ”

Tianyou hesitated for a moment, and whispered: "There is a smell of vegetables......

Cao Hao said: "The taste of the vegetables is right, you have to grow up, but if you don't eat vegetables, you will become a dwarf." In the future, don't talk about being a general, even being a small soldier, no one wants it. ”

The latter sentence is for Hengsheng.

Hengsheng listened, took the initiative to grab a chopsticks of rape, and ate it in a big gulp.

"Father...... Tianyou put down his chopsticks, looked at Cao Hao, his little face was very solemn, and said, "My son will be a farmer in the future...... Grow delicious food, and don't let people eat black dumplings and flavorful food......"

I have only heard Hengsheng say that he will be a general when he grows up, and Tianyou is the first time he has said what he wants to do.

It is a great ambition, Cao Hao nodded with a smile, and said, "Okay, then you can't be picky eaters in the future, if you are not physically strong, how can you grow food for others?" ”

Tianyou said his "ideal", and he was worried that his father would oppose and reprimand, but he didn't expect him to agree with it, and he was so happy that he couldn't do it. He nodded vigorously and said, "Father, my son knows, in the future, he will no longer be a picky eater......

Hearing what his brother said, Hengsheng also nodded and said, "Don't be picky, you have to grow taller......"

Seeing the teachable appearance of his sons, Cao Hao also added a smile to his face.

Chu Yu got up from his seat, took two steps, sat down behind his sons, and said softly, "In addition to not being picky eaters, you two should also know where this food came from." ”

Tianyou was puzzled when he heard this, turned his head and asked, "Mother, didn't the farmer grow it?" ”

Chu Yu nodded with a smile and said, "It's true that the farmer planted it, but why did it come to our house?" ”

When the little brothers were asked, they both shook their little heads, indicating that they didn't know.

"It was your grandfather and father who worked in the yamen all day long, and earned the silver and rice. What you wear and what you eat in your mouths is what your grandfather and father have earned through hard work, and it is your grandmother who arranged for someone to cut clothes and make meals for you. Chu Yu said softly.

"Later, the son will beat his grandfather's back......" Tianyou whispered.

"That, that, I'll blow medicine for my father......" Hengsheng said.

Cao Hao looked at his wife with a little surprise.

Chu Yu touched the little heads of his two sons and said, "You must keep it in mind, listen to the elders in the future, and be filial to your grandparents and father......s."

* The Imperial Palace, the Yamen of the Six Followers.

Cao Yin watched the little maid take out the black nest head and pickle strips from the food box, and his expression was a little strange......

(To be continued)