After entering the Moon Cave Gate, there is first a row of hibiscus flower hedges. This season has not yet reached the flowering period of hibiscus, but the branches are already very lush.
At a glance from among the sparse branches and leaves, one can only see the shadowy pavilion behind the flower fence. After turning around the row of flower fences and stepping onto the cobblestone path, one can see the half-person-high holly bush on one side of the path. A pavilion on a pond.
Due to Qi's abnormality just now, Sheng Weiqiao inevitably had some doubts about the pond and pavilion here. However, after seeing it, he found that the scenery in the backyard was very good: a green pond, with lotus leaves rising high and low on the surface of the pond. , contrasting with the clear water of the pool, although it has not yet reached the season of blooming lotus flowers, it is full of vitality.
There is a nine-curved wooden bridge winding into the water by the pool, connecting an octagonal pavilion.
The pavilion was divided into two layers: an inner and an outer layer. The inner layer had cornices, red pillars, and crocodile ribbons hanging on it. From the grandma's point of view, the situation in the pavilion was vaguely indistinct, and only two blurry figures could be seen. There are also wind chimes hanging under the eaves, and the crisp sound of the silver bells can be heard from a distance.
The wind and sun are beautiful today, and the ringtone is also very leisurely. It makes people feel relaxed and at ease when listening to it. It contrasts with the scenery in front of them, making it particularly peaceful and pure.
The outer layer is a corridor around the pavilion. It seems to be used for people in the pavilion to enjoy the pond when they are tired of sitting. Therefore, only low railings are built around it, about the height of a three or four-year-old child. There are long lotus leaves at the bottom. The taller one is already higher than the railing.
When Sheng Weiqiao saw it, he thought, "Is it because my sister-in-law told me to be careful just because of this railing?"
But at the moment, she and Princess Gaomi haven't gotten to know each other well enough to meet each other, and they're running around outside to play.
"You are here?" After thinking about it, she had already followed Mrs. Qi onto the Jiuqu Bridge and walked into the pavilion. When she was approaching the entrance of the pavilion, a figure walked over quickly to open the curtain for them. Mrs. Qi hurriedly said: "How dare you Labor aunt?"
Aunt Zhao smiled and said nothing. At this time, Princess Gaomi put down her tea bowl and said in a warm voice: "The newly made Fufang drink in the small kitchen is delicious to me. You guys should come and try it too!"
Mrs. Qi first took Sheng Weiqiao to salute, then smiled and went to sit down: "I knew it would be beneficial to come to my concubine's place!"
"Let's not talk about the benefits. The chef has changed the recipe this time. I don't know if it suits your taste?" Princess Gaomi smiled lightly and motioned for the somewhat reserved Sheng Weiqiao to sit down as well. She poured a cup of Fufang drink to her with her own hands. "If you think it's good, I'll prepare it for you in the future."
Mrs. Qi smiled when she saw this: "Mother, you and your third brother and sister thought of going together! What did your third brother and sister bring us when they came here today? Three boxes of cakes! These are not specially made to accompany your Fufang drink. Of?"
Princess Gaomi was a little surprised. She glanced at Sheng Weiqiao and said, "My family, what else are you bringing here?"
"There is a cook at home who is good at making pastries. There are only two people in the house, my wife and Mi Zhen. They can't eat one another in a day." Sheng Weiqiao said hurriedly, "I happened to be here today, so I thought I would give you some. Give it a try too.”
The princess knew that this little daughter-in-law was married to more than a dozen cooks. It was said that some were good at making pastries, some were good at making bread, and some were good at making seafood... And there were two people prepared for each kind, because Sheng Lanci I'm afraid that if there is only one cook, what if the pastry cook gets sick, tired, or takes leave for something else, and my daughter happens to want to eat pastries
As a mother-in-law, I couldn't help but wonder at this moment: "Are you showing off to me about her dowry or showing off to me about her coquettishness?"
"Brothers and sisters, why don't you just ask someone to put out the share for us? Although the cook here can also make pastries, he only makes them by the way and doesn't know much." When Mrs. Qi saw that her mother-in-law didn't answer immediately, she guessed Guessing that her mother-in-law had preconceived resentment towards Sheng Weiqiao, she was now suspicious of something. Worried about the embarrassment, she turned to Sheng Weiqiao and said with a smile, "I just saw the unique food box that the maid behind you was carrying. I have been thinking about it. It’s here!”
"As long as you don't dislike her, sister-in-law." Sheng Weiqiao also noticed her mother-in-law's abnormality and secretly complained in her heart: What her aunt said was indeed true. This mother-in-law is really difficult to take care of, so it's best to keep her distance.
Their sisters-in-law said a few words, and the people below put the cakes on the table. They saw Crispy Apple, Golden Crispy Bird, Ruyi Roll, Heyi Cake, Jade Bean Cake, Golden Shaomai, Almond Tofu, Walnut Cheese, Huazhan The fragrance of longan is astounding, and they are all served in vessels with matching colors and shapes. They look both exquisite and appetizing.
Although Princess Gaomi was not hungry at the moment, when she saw these pastries, she thought that even though her daughter-in-law did not make them herself, they were still thoughtful. She was winked frequently by Aunt Zhao, and remembered the purpose of meeting Sheng Weiqiao today, so she calmed down. , smiled at the wife here, and said: "What you just said reminds me of He'er when he was a child."
"At that time, He'er was still with me. He was very picky and picky. I changed three or four cooks for him and changed the dishes every day, but he didn't touch the chopsticks very much."
"Later, he forced me to have no choice but to cook by myself."
"It turned out to be to his liking."
"You may not believe it. Although I learned to cook when I was at my parents' house, I could only make a few side dishes to go with wine and make three or two kinds of nourishing soup."
"Although I've done it for your father a few times since I left the cabinet, I've always done it at my parents' home."
"In just three months, in order to coax He'er to eat, I learned to make thirty or forty kinds of pastries, which I can make him eat for more than a month without repeating them..."
When Princess Gaomi said this, she was absent-minded for a moment, and then her smile faded a little, "But He'er's taste seems to have changed a lot now, and he is basically not picky about food anymore."
If Rong Suihe had been growing up by her side and was no longer picky about food, she would be relieved; but fifteen years later, the child who once gave her a headache as a picky eater ate everything, and she could only imagine how many grievances this child had suffered. , are you so talkative about food
"You don't know, mother-in-law, that he actually chose her." Sheng Weiqiao could understand her mother-in-law's mood and comforted her tactfully, "When we first came to Chang'an, wasn't it Aunt Nan who brought us to the palace to see the Queen Mother? One time when the Queen Mother gave a banquet, my younger sister Huiyi, who was young and ignorant, asked the Queen Mother for an extra piece of grilled fish to take back. I originally thought that I would let Mi Zhen, who had not entered the palace, try it too, but it turned out that he didn’t like fish at all. ."
He added, "Moreover, he has been practicing martial arts for many years. If he has been picky about food, his body will not be able to bear it. My grandfather said before that when he was a child, he would not eat this or that. Later, when he hired a martial arts master to teach him martial arts, he squatted on horseback one day When I come down, I just want to eat everything.”
"Is that so?" The princess was slightly startled and sighed, "I thought that he had been at the sea... staying at the seaside for a long time, and maybe he was used to seafood on the table. So when he was in the house before, he always asked the kitchen to serve him every day The dishes he prepares must contain seafood!"
Qi asked curiously: "Mother, does the third brother eat those fish and shrimps every time?"
She thought that if Rong Suihe hadn't eaten, the princess would have realized her son's preferences long ago and wouldn't have made the kitchen worry about preparing fish and shrimps for her little son, so 80% of them were used by Rong Suihe. .
Then you can make your mother-in-law happy: Look, your son still has you in his heart, otherwise why would he be willing to eat dishes he doesn’t like
As a result, Princess Gaomi was silent for a while and shook her head: "He didn't even move."
Mrs. Qi: "..."
Sheng Weiqiao was curious and didn't think much about it, and asked directly: "Why does the mother-in-law have to ask someone to prepare it for him every time?"
I felt a little rash when I asked this question. She was talking to herself, but the princess was not angry, or she was angry so that Sheng Weiqiao didn't see it. She just said calmly: "I thought it was because the chef's cooking did not suit his taste, or maybe Chang'an is far away from the sea. , even the seafood delivered by Kuai Ma is not fresh enough, and he doesn’t like it. But I think every time I serve it to him, I can let him know that I, the mother-in-law, remember his preferences? "
Seeing that the two daughters-in-law were a little embarrassed and didn't know how to answer the question, the princess smiled and said, "I just gave instructions to the kitchen. I'm not in good shape right now, but I can't make him something to eat myself. I misunderstood before." It’s just a misunderstanding, it’s nothing.”
Having said that, the princess finally said, "I'll recuperate for a while. I still remember the recipes for the simple pastries. Maybe I can make them for him. I just don't know, he still likes them now." Don’t like it anymore?”
Sheng Weiqiao said hurriedly: "I definitely like it, I'm just afraid of tiring you!"
Mrs. Qi was worried that her sister-in-law's words would make her mother-in-law think, "I'm not even sure my son will give me this kind of respect, but you opened your mouth just to show that your son is still obsessed with you", so she smiled and joked: " Mother, concubine, and siblings must keep this matter a secret to save face, and must not spread it out!"
Sheng Weiqiao asked curiously: "Why?"
She felt that this was just a common conversation, and there was no taboo involved, right
"Third brothers and sisters, have you forgotten that I have three sons and three daughters?" Mrs. Qi put a hand on her chest, looked frightened, and said, "Except Jian'an who is older and more sensible, the remaining five are simply... Five little ancestors! They are enough to annoy me at ordinary times. If I knew that my mother-in-law had learned thirty or forty kinds of pastries for my third brother, I could make him eat them for more than a month without repeating them... Then I would learn how to do it. In this way, they have to ask my own mother to do the same for them. Wouldn’t it cost my life? I don’t have the ingenuity of my mother and concubine. As my mother and concubine testify, I can only cook some porridge, vegetables and pastries. None of them know it!”
Everyone in the pavilion laughed when she said this. Princess Gaomi, with the idea of getting closer to her daughter-in-law, said to Sheng Weiqiao with a smile: "Did you hear that? Learn from it in the future. This past story is between our mother-in-law and daughter-in-law." It’s enough if you know it all in your heart. Never let the next generation know about it! Otherwise, you sisters-in-law will be the ones who suffer the most!”
Sheng Weiqiao smiled and nodded repeatedly, and gave Mrs. Qi another idea: "Sister-in-law, why don't you change this past story and change it to Mi Zhen making thirty or forty kinds of pastries to honor your mother and concubine, and teach your nephews and nieces to imitate them!"