After Mrs. Dong returned to Yingshui Garden and had just sat down for a short while, she heard the maid beside her report that Aunt Wu had arrived.
Recently, the interactions between Mrs. Dong and Aunt Wu remained as usual; mostly it was Aunt Wu coming to Mrs. Dong, and whatever Aunt Wu said, Mrs. Dong would respond with a smile, her face lacking any insincerity.
However, this change in Mrs. Dong made Wu Xueqin uneasy, unsure of what had happened to Mrs. Dong.
But when she had prepared so things and hadn’t even sent them to the Marquis, Mrs. Dong had already invited the Marquis to a al. Later, hearing that the Marquis stayed overnight in Mrs. Dong’s courtyard due to intoxication, Wu Xueqin realized things were not as simple as she imagined.
Aunt Wu greeted Mrs. Dong with courtesy and then sat down with a smile, "Just now when I was coming over, I saw Jingfu going out. Madam just sent soone to deliver a ssage to the courtyard, saying we should all co for dinner tonight, so I thought I’d co over to see if I could lend a hand."
Mrs. Dong didn’t believe that Aunt Wu wasn’t aware of the Marquis having dinner there tonight; she had already told the maids, and the ssage had been passed on. Mrs. Dong naturally understood why Aunt Wu ca at this ti.
Smiling, Mrs. Dong said, "It’s great that you have this thought. You know the Marquis will be dining here this evening. Usually, the dishes in the mansion remain the sa without anything new. You’re the most resourceful one, knowing so good foods and also proficient in dicinal diets. Why don’t you go to the kitchen and see if you can make a few special dishes for the Marquis to try?"
Wu Xueqin stood up with a smile, "It’s rare for Madam to be so kind. I will go to the kitchen and see if there’s anything I can help with."
Mrs. Dong nodded, and Wu Xueqin, after another greeting, stepped out.
Wu Xueqin made her way to the kitchen, and upon seeing her, the servants greeted her and then went back to their tasks.
Wu Xueqin felt a slight relief in her heart. In the Marquis Mansion, the only comfort for her, despite being coldly treated by the Marquis, was that none of the servants ever showed any disrespect.
By the ti dinner started, Wu Xueqin had prepared so special dishes; these were foods she found delicious in modern tis.
Deep-fried eggplant boxes and braised pork with dried plums. Looking at these two dishes, a hint of pride flashed in Wu Xueqin’s eyes, as she dared to claim that there was likely nothing of the sort throughout the ancient world.
What’s more, since her reincarnation here, she had never prepared these dishes. When she saw dried plums in the kitchen today, she thought of braised pork with dried plums. Having seen others use dried plums for braising, it was often food only servants ate, and the genteel never gave such ingredients a glance.
So when the two dishes were served, nobody at the table recognized them.
Mrs. Dong smiled, "These two dishes must have been made by Aunt Wu. Why don’t you introduce them? I only recognized the at after looking for a while, but the other ingredient I don’t know."
Gu Yifeng sat at the head of the table, his face tight and saying nothing. As Aunt Wu spoke, his brows didn’t move, rely sipping his wine.
"Excuse my lack of grace, Marquis and Madam. This is actually common food, just not graced your noble palates. I know so about these foods and read about them in books. When I went to the kitchen today, I wanted to make them for Marquis and Madam to try." Wu Xueqin briefly explained the preparation of the two dishes, leaving everyone wide-eyed with fascination.
After all, none of them ever cooked; even if they did, they would only instruct the maids while watching from the side, never actually using their hands like Aunt Wu had.
Wu Xueqin glanced towards the Marquis, and just happened to see the Marquis looking in her direction, her heart leapt with joy, "What little skills I have are nothing but small tricks picked up from reading. Marquis and Madam should try them while they’re hot as a novelty."
Mrs. Dong did not decline, but first used the serving chopsticks to place so food onto the Marquis’s plate, "This also demonstrates Aunt Wu’s earnest effort. Marquis, please give it a taste."
Gu Yifeng did not refuse, took his chopsticks, picked up a bit, and placed it in his mouth, nodding afterward.
Mrs. Dong pursed her lips and smiled, then invited everyone to start eating.
The n and won sat at separate tables; the wives at one, the concubines at another, with Mrs. Dong sitting beside the Marquis.
During dinner, Wu Xueqin would occasionally glance upwards, seeing that the Marquis never looked in their direction, feeling a sense of disappointnt.
After dinner, Gu Yifeng didn’t linger, rely stating he had matters to attend to before leaving, leaving the gathered won to sit in Mrs. Dong’s courtyard.
After the Marquis left, Mrs. Dong smiled and said, "Everyone can disperse as well. The Marquis will soon head to the Northwest and we don’t know when he’ll return, so I thought we would all dine together once."
She then added, "Aunt Wu, please stay."
Aunt Lv stood and left in a huff, but Aunt He stood and saluted before leaving.
Wu Xueqin didn’t know what Madam wanted, but she didn’t have to wait long. After everyone had left, Mrs. Dong smiled and said, "You heard just now, the Marquis will be heading to the Northwest, and it’s uncertain when he’ll return. It wouldn’t be proper for him to go without company. Sister Ning from the East Mansion will be accompanying him, but considering her weak constitution and lack of travel experience, I think you should go too. The Marquis will have soone who understands him well, and I can be reassured in the Capital."
"Is that okay?" Wu Xueqin suppressed her excitent, never expecting such a great fortune.
"Why wouldn’t it be? It’s settled then. You should start packing these two days, leave the explanation to the Marquis to . After you ca to the mansion, the Marquis never visited your courtyard, and that’s already a grievance." Mrs. Dong smiled slightly, "The other two aunts in the house won’t have any objections. Should they complain, they can co to ."
Wu Xueqin thanked her once more before withdrawing.
It was incredibly nice how Madam had changed, making Wu Xueqin feel as if she were dreaming.
Upon returning to her courtyard, Wu Xueqin cald herself and slowly pondered over the situation, realizing that Mrs. Dong indeed had her own intentions.
After all, Lin Youning from the East Mansion would be going too, and Mrs. Dong probably intended for her to share in the Marquis’s affections.
Reconsidering, Wu Xueqin no longer felt grateful towards Mrs. Dong from the heart.
She also thought how deep-thinking won in ancient tis were.
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