It was light out by now.
The front yard has long been prepared with tables and chairs, because it is the women's family to hold a birthday banquet, so there is no male and female seating, but the family sits at a table, prepared dozens of low tables.
Just after passing through the front yard where the banquet was held, and before opening the main door wide, a granny suddenly came in a hurry, "Eldest Miss, something has happened, you have to hurry and get an idea."
The birthday banquet was mainly run by Xie Ping, so the subordinates came directly to her to report.
Xie Ping is a little annoyed, this person is really no eyesight, so many elders in, this is not intentionally let her face?
With a sinking breath, she asked, "What happened?"
The granny opened her mouth and said, "Missy, just now when preparing the dishes the kitchen realized that the fish delivered early in the morning were only the size of the palm of a hand, even if the fish were small, they were all dead, what can we do about this?"
"What?" The old lady couldn't believe it, "Who throws a birthday party with dead fish?"
Wouldn't that be bad luck, cursing her to an early death?
Xie Ping hurriedly said, "Take me to see."
The old lady's right eyelid kept jumping, always feeling uneasy: "The hour is still early, and the guests won't come for a while, let's go together to take a look."
Xie Zhongcheng and Xie Jingyu plus Xie Shi'an stayed in the front yard, and the old lady headed for the back kitchen with a group of women.
Upon seeing the small fish floating on the surface of the water with its white belly turned over, the old lady's face sank completely, "Who was responsible for picking up this fish?"
A granny said, "The kitchen purchases are all busy by Steward He."
Xie Ping tightened her handkerchief in a death grip.
Thanks to her trusting He Xu so much and putting most of the things in his hands, she didn't expect this son of a bitch to cause such a big trouble for her!
It's just a matter of smaller fish, but to send dead fish, how much silver is this greed!
"Old Mistress, I... It's me who doesn't know people well." Xie Ping bowed her head and said, "I'll arrange for someone to re-buy fresh big fish to come back."
Yuan sighed, "By the time the fish are bought back, the feast will have started, it's too late."
Aunt Tao spoke, "Then simply don't have the fish dish."
"You can't have a birthday banquet without fish." Yunchu said in a faint voice, "This fish died about half an hour or so, making it heavier in flavor will suppress the lack of freshness."
The old lady looked at Yun Chu, "Are you sure it will work?"
"There is a dish in the Yun Mansion, Hot and Sour Crispy Fish, which is deep fried at high temperatures, plus cornelian aged vinegar to enhance the flavor, so that the general public will not be able to detect it." Yun Chu spoke, "Aunt Yu, you know how to make this dish, I'll leave it to you."
She had a cloudy look on her face, making the originally panicked crowd all seem to have found their backbone, as if the death of the fish wasn't a big deal.
Listening to Rain walked up, "Yes."
Of the four big maids around Madam, she was the one who was good at cooking, and she felt like she finally had a use for it.
She handed the child over to the milkmaid and stepped into the kitchen, and when she went in, she heard Yuan speaking, "Chu'er, we still need you to be in charge of this house, thanks to you, otherwise I really don't know what to do ..."
Auntie Jiang followed, "Your Ladyship has the talent of a housekeeper, so this small matter is naturally not a problem."
Walked in listening to the rain bit her lips, obviously she came to solve the current thorny problem, but everyone only praised the lady, completely forgot about her ...
The old lady had complicated eyes.
Originally, I wanted to perfectly organize a birthday banquet to take back the right of Yun Chou's housekeeper, but the birthday banquet went wrong before it started, and I still have to let Yun Chou to make good ...
Her old man also had to admit that the first daughter raised by the general's house was indeed a bit stronger than others in all aspects.
"Everything that was picked and sent in the morning, check them all." Yun Chu said in a cold voice, "They are all old men who are used to doing this in the kitchen, a little bit of small things to look at and solve by yourself, if you really can't handle it, report it immediately."
"Yes!"
The crowd of granny maids in the kitchen led the way in unison.
Only then did the old lady take the ladies to the front yard to welcome the guests.
The corner of Yun Chou's lips pulled out a mocking smile.
She knew that this birthday banquet would not be too colorful, but she never expected that it could go so wrong.
A tank of fish died before it even started, and there's no telling how many more moths are waiting in the wings.
Only, He Xu really have so much courage to purchase a tank of dead fish back, always feel that this fish is deliberately suffocated ...
Although the rough servants in the mansion have many grievances against Xie Ping, they should not dare to tamper with the birthday banquet.
Yunchu thought, probably the old lady is unlucky ...
The old lady and Yuan, as well as a few younger brothers and sisters are sitting in the flower hall in the front yard to talk, aunts are not allowed to attend such occasions, Yunchu and Xie Jingyu with the eldest son and daughter Xie Shi'an and Xie Ping, stood at the gate to welcome the guests.
The first person to come to the door to congratulate him was Lord Hu, a subordinate of Xie Jingyu, who brought his wife and daughter to wish him a happy birthday.
"Thank you, Your Excellency, thank you, Madam." Lord Hu arched his hand in greeting, "A slightly thin gift, please accept it."
Xie Jingyu returned the salute, "Shian, take Lord Hu inside to take his seat."
Lord Hu looked at Xie Shi'an and lamented, "Two years ago when my humble servant first visited the Xie Mansion, Young Master Xie was only this small, but now he has grown so tall."
Xie Shi An and Lord Hu entered the front yard with pleasantries.
Yun Chou smiled and greeted Mrs. Hu.
Mrs. Hu looked at Yun Chu's pale face and said, "I heard that Mrs. Xie is very sick and still has to run the birthday banquet, it's really hard."
"That's not true." Yunchu opened his mouth and said, "This birthday banquet is organized by my daughter, I also mentioned one or two, all kinds of big things and small things, all her own ideas, there is a Ping sister to help me, in the future I'll be much lighter."
Mrs. Hu looked at Xie Ping in surprise: "Miss Xie is only thirteen or fourteen years old, right, and she can organize such a big birthday banquet all by herself?"
Xie Ping opened her mouth and said, "It's all because mother taught me well."
This means admitting that the birthday feast is all her own.
There happened to be quite a few guests who came, and when they heard that this birthday banquet was run by a thirteen year old girl, they couldn't help but show their admiration.
Xie Ping accepted these praises as they were.
Just then, a granny came anxiously from the back.
With a thump in her heart, she hurriedly said, "The late generation still has some things to take care of, so excuse me for a moment."
She led the woman to the side and frowned, "What's wrong again?"
"Eldest Miss, the pork and mutton picked up by the back kitchen are both missing at least ten pounds." The granny slapped her thighs and said, "It's too late to arrange for someone to buy it this time ..."
Xie Ping gritted her teeth in anger.
He Xu is still her own uncle, how can he specialize in pitting her.
She tugged at her paddle and said, "Then the portion of each bowl will be slightly smaller, today's guests are all official people with family backgrounds, and will not be missing this bite or two of meat."
The granny opened her lips, finally swallowed back the words she wanted to say, and led the order to go back to the back kitchen to continue her busy work.
Xie Ping organized her emotions and walked over to Yun Chu to continue welcoming the guests.
Every lady who came, would console Yun Chou about her condition, although Yun Chou said she was greatly recovered, but her face was pale and her body was weak, at a glance, she knew that she was bracing herself to come out to welcome the guests.
At that moment, the Yun family's carriage arrived.
The last time the Yun family stepped in to bury the Xie family's first son and daughter who died prematurely by the side of the Yun family's ancestral shrine, it was like a blatant slap in the face of the Xie family, and everyone was curious as to what the Yun family's attitude towards the Xie family would be nowadays with Yun Chu being so sick.