The General's Delicious Wife Chapter 047: A Young Lady's Romance
Old Madam Xiao stormed off angrily, and Madam Sheng took Xue Qin back to the main room.
"What are you doing today, how can you help that little wrench speak up?"
"Mother, it's not that you don't know what kind of person Old Madam Xiao is. Most of the broken information in the village had been spewed through her mouth."
Madam Sheng rolled her eyes, "Don't humor with me. You crawled out from my stomach. Would I not know what kind of tricks you have?"
Xue Qin got exasperated, she got up and checked outside to see if the coast was clear. Seeing that there was no one around, she closed the door and whispered, "Mother, Sister-in-law will be going to the Cui's house and prepare the birthday banquet in a few days, I want to ask her to take me there as a kitchen help... ..."
"How can this work!" Before she finished speaking, Madam Sheng interrupted, "You have been pampered since you were a child, how would you do those rough jobs? Besides, the skin on your hands is so delicate. If you start doing the menial chore, how are you going to embroider your dowry?"
Xue Qin kept thinking about Cui Shu Qing in her heart, how could she hear anything else, she pulled Madam Sheng's hand and asked her to keep her voice down, then she explained, "Mother, I'll just tell you straight, I have taken a fancy towards the Cui's eldest grandson, and I want to take this opportunity to enter the Cui's family and find a way to connect to him."
Madam Sheng naturally also wished for her daughter to marry well, but after thinking about it for a while, she still felt that it was a little inappropriate. "Even though you have one of the best looks and character in the village, but the Cui's eldest grandson is a scholar studying in the town, and I heard that he plans to go to the city in the future, would they agree to finding a match from the village?"
"Mother, don't worry about it, I know it in my heart." Xue Qin had been dreaming in her own fantasy for too long, how could she hear what Madam Sheng said.
She thought that since she was born with good looks, that day Cui Shu Qing's tone towards her was so gentle and he even smiled at her, for sure he would feel positivity towards her.
"If this marriage can be settled, in the future Mother will immediately become the mother-in-law of a talent scholar, why should we continue to suffer Brother-in-law's spite."
The last two sentences cut deeply into Madam Sheng's heart, accurately and ruthlessly, causing her to swallow back the objections that had reached her lips.
"My good daughter, if our family can really connect to the Cui family in marriage, this mother will go all in, and at that time I will definitely prepare a handsome dowry for you."
This pair of mother and daughter were chatting non-stop in the room, taking their time trying to figure things out, the more they said, the happier they became, as if Cui Shu Qing was already within their palms.
Madam Sheng was used to being in charged around the house, and she did not even bother to try using any tactics to please Xia Yue Chu into agreeing with the change. Before dinner, she went directly to the east wing and instructed Xia Yue Chu, "When you are going to the Cui's house this time, bring Xiao Qin along as a helping hand!"
"Mother, the kitchen is filled with chores for washing and scrubbing, setting up firewood and tending a fire. How can Xiao Qin handle it with her being so delicate?""
"She's a big girl who hasn't gone out much, and I may have coddled her a little, but that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to do it. You are her sister-in-law; you should be taking her out and teaching her." Madam Sheng said unquestionably, "Besides, the family needs to start growing vegetables, and there is a lot of work to be done, the second daughter-in-law cannot leave."
Xia Yue Chu did not want to agree, but she knew in her heart that if she insisted on taking Madam Sun, Madam Sun would definitely be the one to suffer and be scolded in the end. Although Xue Qin was a little lazy usually, she did not seem unruly and capricious. As long as she keeps an eye on her, there shouldn't be any trouble, so she nodded and agreed.
"Since Mother has put it like this, that's okay too, but I have to say the ugly things beforehand (Meaning: set the rules down), after we entered the Cui's family house, Xiao Qin will have to listen to me, and you can't mess around on your own. Mother knows it too, the last time Zheng Chun Ni from the east side of the village was driven home because she broke something there. At that time, nasty rumors were spreading all around the village. Xiao Qin has yet to set her marriage prospect and her reputation is the most important thing, she cannot mess around, otherwise I will not bear the responsibility over it."
Xue Qin was standing outside the portiere, hearing that Xia Yue Chu agreed to bring her along, was so elated that she got in and concurred in her most innocent voice. "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will obediently listen to your instructions. "
Madam Sheng rolled her eyes, but for the future of her daughter, she held back from saying anything more.
On the fourth day of the fourth month, Xia Yue Chu was going to the Cui's house to prep some of the ingredients, so she took Xue Qin with her.
This was the first time Xue Qin has entered through the door to the Cui's house, and her eyes were almost not enough for her to use.
The yard of their house was covered with neat bluestone slabs, and they built in several square flower ponds. Although there are no flowers yet, the luscious greenery was also pleasing to the eyes.
Looking at the Cui's family's big houses built with red-brick and green-tiles, their kitchen was even bigger than their family's central room.
Xue Qin's eyes were glowing red, her heart was full of envy, and she became more determined to marry Cui Shu Qing.
Then by that time, such good yard and house, would they not all become hers.
How would Xia Yue Chu know about those unrealistic thoughts in Xue Qin's heart? Although she noticed her looking around and taking a measure at random, she was still following behind her all these times and she did not speak mindlessly, so Xia Yue Chu was satisfied on the bare minimal level.
There would be a total of five tables for the birthday banquet this time, plus a free flow buffet outside, so the people hired by the family was twice as much as the last time. The person in charged was naturally still Elder Sister Shan.
"Elder Sister Shan." Seeing an acquaintance, Xia Yue Chu broke into a grin instantly, "Previously, I heard from Young Sire Cui saying that sister is also coming, and I have been looking forward ever since!"
Elder Sister Shan was also full of smiles when she saw Xia Yue Chu, after a round of pleasantries, she then turned to the kitchen helpers under herself and introduced Xia Yue Chu as the main chef.
Although everyone had heard that the chef was young, no one expected her to be such a young bride. There was an outbreak of murmurs all of a sudden.
Elder Sister Shan cleared her throat and declared sharply. "I brought all of you here from the city, your every move can be associated back to my face. I have also told you before coming here, that there was someone who remain unamenable the previous time and she was thrown out, if anyone dares to disobey or stir up trouble today, then don't blame me for being rude!"
Silence befell the kitchen quickly, but Xia Yue Chu could tell, that most people were succumbed to Elder Sister Shan's authority, and they are not sincerity convinced.
But it did not bother her, being convinced or unconvinced was not something that could be complied to by simply being told to do so.
Because the next day, not only did they have to entertain the family and friends, they also needed to set up a buffet lane outside, so there were much to be done right now. Most of the work were rough chore such as killing chickens and slaughtering ducks. Xia Yue Chu was only required to delegate it out and the kitchen assistants would naturally get it done for her.
She checked the menu with Elder Sister Shan to go through all the things needed to be prepared by today. They needed the soup stock to be on standby, the fillings for the longevity peaches could also be made in advance.
Although the vegetables cannot be rinsed in advance, picking the clean ones now could still efficiently save some time tomorrow.
Firstly, Xia Yue Chu started cooking the chicken soup and the pork bone soup, she designated a person to watch over the flame, it must constantly be maintained over low heat while the soup continued to bubble, water cannot be added in the midst, and the pot must be stirred once in every half an hour.
Next, she led a few people in making a few large basins of stuffings and kept it aside for the birthday peaches tomorrow.
Once the fillings were ready, the baby pigeons were defeathered and cleaned just in time and passed to her.
Xia Yue Chu marinated the baby pigeons using the seasonings she concocted and set it aside in a cool place.
Before she left, based on her observations throughout this afternoon, she divided the kitchen assistants into several groups. To wash the vegetables, to make pastries, to cut the ingredients... everybody had an assignation.
The different division of labor was not only a matter of face, but it also affected the final salary.
Those who were assigned for pastry making and cutting ingredients were naturally happy, however someone from the group who were only responsible over washing the ingredients was not contented, stiffening her neck and questioned, "Where am I lesser compared to them, why should I be demoted to wash vegetables?""
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Translator Notes:
Translated by YellowBean.