It happened that there was a tight shortage of people in the kitchen, and Aunt Li who was in charge of the kitchen was the first to come over to pick out people. She picked out seven or eight people who looked decent, neatly dressed, smart, honest and easy to deal with. . After Lu Xiaoshu fought for her, she and Qinglan were also chosen.
Aunt Li threatened them with threats and lures, saying that the kitchen is not only full of oil and water, but also has meat to eat, rice and noodles. I'm so happy, there is another reward from the house, although it's not much to share on their heads layer by layer, but there will definitely be three or four coins.
Those who come to help are ordinary poor families. I heard that not only can they get wages, but they can also get three or four extra dollars or even more, and there are all kinds of fish, meat, rice, and white noodles in the kitchen. Everyone is very happy and thank you at the door.
As soon as the subject changed, Aunt Li reprimanded with a straight face, saying that the kitchen is an important place, which cannot be compared with other places, and the food made is to be eaten by the guests. This time the birthday banquet was attended by important guests, relatives and friends, and they were very particular about it on weekdays, especially when it came to the most delicate food. In case the food is not clean and makes the guest's stomach hurt after eating it, everyone in the kitchen will be punished! At that time, let alone rewards, you may not even get wages! If the situation is serious, maybe you have to send it to the government...
Those words frightened everyone until their faces turned pale, and they stood there stiffly, not knowing where to put their hands and feet.
Aunt Li was very satisfied with the effect of beating a sweet jujube with a big stick, so she slowed down her tone and calmed down. There was only one core content: be obedient, work honestly, and no sneaking, cheating, or cutting corners are allowed!
Everyone was startled by her several words, how could they dare to think otherwise? Hearing the words, it seemed as if he had a backbone, he couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief, and quickly nodded in agreement.
Lu Xiaoshu and Qinglan followed the crowd and echoed indiscriminately. Lu Xiaoshu kept memorizing the topography and buildings of the Jiang Mansion all the way, and didn't care about it, but Qing Lan curled her lips in disdain, thinking to herself: If my parents and elder brother find out one day that I was still working as a poor girl in other people's kitchens Son, I don't know what to think...
Aunt Li smiled with satisfaction and nodded. In order to show that what she said was true, she immediately asked the two women to take everyone to wash their hands and faces, combed their hair again, and changed into clothes for working in the kitchen. He took them to the Tongbang where they lived for a look, and then arranged for them to have dinner.
Sure enough, there were steaming hot noodles on the dining table. The snow-white noodles were sprinkled with minced meat and various seasonings. The meat was rich and fragrant, and they rushed straight to their faces. Everyone couldn't help swallowing their saliva, and they got an order. Then he went up and ate voraciously.
"It's time to work after eating! I will assign your work later, follow the arrangement of the person who leads you, have you heard?" A man wearing a red beige, with a flat bun and a silver hairpin asked the mother-in-law.
Everyone quickly replied "I heard it". After Xilihulu finished eating the noodles, he felt much more refreshed, so he came down to the yard led by his mother-in-law and lined up in two rows according to the order of height, obeying the arrangement.
There are already three or four daughters-in-law waiting to pick someone to use.
The man was quickly picked away by several daughters-in-law, including those who carried water, those who washed dishes, those who washed vegetables, those who picked vegetables, those who did chores, etc. Lu Xiaoshu and Qinglan did not know what kind of luck they had, and they were picked. Into the kitchen to help do chores in front of the stove.
Qinglan didn't know what to do here, so she looked at Lu Xiaoshu, but Lu Xiaoshu was a little disappointed, what's the use of being stuck in this kitchen? She would rather go out and do a job where she can walk around, and at least she can find something.
But soon Lu Xiaoshu discovered that helping out in the kitchen is also good, because this group of gossip girls kept talking while they were working, and they were all gossip about the mansion. Although some of the words were more cryptic, Lu Xiaoshu could still hear them and listened with gusto.
The two aunts fought again in the old man's yard, the second master was reprimanded by the old lady again, the second lady of the big house and the third lady of the second room had a quarrel...
As they were talking, someone mentioned Housekeeper Liao, and Lu Xiaoshu and Qinglan immediately pricked up their ears to listen.
"It's strange that the second master was not very unhappy when he was reprimanded by the old lady yesterday. It turns out that housekeeper Liao bought him a painting from outside. It is said that it is an excellent and rare painting. The second master was very happy , and rewarded Housekeeper Liao with a lot of things..."
"If you say that the old lady is a bit biased, the second master was abducted by human traffickers. It was not his fault. After seven or eight years since he came back, hasn't he always been filial to the old lady and respected the elder? He is kind, and never competes for the limelight among his brothers, but the old lady just doesn't like him! Oh, what a crime!"
"Sister-in-law Shi, please don't say a few words, it will be troublesome if people hear it! The old lady's better days are ahead, if you make the old man unhappy, we will all suffer!" Another person said hastily.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and then talked about other topics, nothing more than how lively and grand the birthday banquet was. Everyone loves to talk about this topic, and there seems to be a sense of pride when talking about it, and even the eyes are a little brighter.
Lu Xiaoshu and Qinglan exchanged glances calmly, both of them knew that the picture scroll that the second master got must be the one they sold.
Lu Xiaoshu glanced lightly at the sister-in-law who mentioned this matter, and after thinking about it, he would talk to her and ask her to find out where this Second Master Jiang lived, and she had to find that painting no matter what. If you get the chance back, even if you can't get it back, you have to destroy it.
Lu Xiaoshu could tell that Mrs. Shi was very gossip and she was quite familiar with the affairs of the house, so she wanted to please her.
She was already sweet and lovely, she smiled and was good at complimenting others, her hands and feet were quick and diligent, but in just two days, Sister-in-law Shi made her so happy.
One wanted to ask, and the other was eager to be listened to. The two hit it off. From her, Lu Xiaoshu quickly inquired about Master Jiang Er's residence, and by the way, he also inquired about Mr. Liao's affairs. That guy is so hateful, how can she give up if she doesn't give him some trouble
Lu Xiaoshu originally planned to spend two nights in the mansion to quietly familiarize himself with the terrain, so that he could do it without any mistakes. He didn't expect that something happened at noon this day, which almost caused her accident.
At noon, a girl with an oval face came over and ordered the kitchen to cook a cup of bird's nest for her third lady, using the best blood bird's nest.
The people in the kitchen didn't dare to be negligent, so the daughter-in-law who was in charge of stewing the tonic quickly asked someone to light up the small stove and stewed the bird's nest, and asked Qinglan to take care of it.
After these two or three days of training as a servant girl, Qing Lan has gotten used to it a lot, she is not as awkward and disgusted as she was when she first came here, so she agreed with a smile, moved a small stool and sat by the stove to watch.
Unexpectedly, when the stewed bird's nest was ready, Liu Er, who was next to the second lady, came to the kitchen and said that she wanted some snacks for her own lady and went back for a while. Who knew that she saw the stewed bird's nest at a glance, and laughed "Yo" Going forward to take a look, he said with a smile, "Who asked for this bird's nest! Are there any more?"
Seeing this, Qinglan quickly blocked her hand, and said with a smile, "Sister, don't move, this is what Miss San wants, and someone will come to take it later! There is only this cup, there is nothing extra!"
Liu'er is the eldest girl next to the second young lady. The mothers-in-law and daughter-in-law in the kitchen on weekdays, even Aunt Li is polite to her. Hearing Qinglan's harsh words in front of everyone, she felt a little unhappy. Then he sneered, and said in an indifferent way: "Yo, it's just to take a look, and I'm afraid I'll eat it! Even if it's in front of the third lady, it's okay if I want to take a look! Who are you? Why have I never Have you met? Did you fall in love with Miss San who just brought her into the kitchen?"
How could Qinglan be such a master who served others well? Looking at Liu'er's dress and manner, although she knew that she must be a favored maid by the master's side, generally such a person must have more status in the mansion than ordinary maids. In theory, she should swallow her anger and disagree with her to save herself from suffering.
In fact, Qinglan did the same thing, so she didn't say anything, but her face was not looking good.
Liu'er became angry when she saw it, and she couldn't help but lower her face and raised her voice: "What? You are quite angry, and I can't blame you! Just say a few words about you and give me embarrassment? Or have you become dumb?"
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were originally doing their own things and didn't bother to care about it. They felt that Liu Er would just walk away after a few words of preaching. When they heard Liu Er's voice raised, they noticed it, and hurriedly came over to persuade Liu Er with smiles , while pushing Qinglan to apologize to Liuer.
Liu'er felt that she had gained face, and her expression eased a bit, she snorted at Qinglan and waited for her to apologize.
Qinglan felt aggrieved, and glanced at the room just as Lu Xiaoshu was not there, it was like she had no backbone, she panicked for a moment and didn't know what to do - make amends? Of course she refused!
"What a big air!" Seeing that she was still hesitating, Liu'er became annoyed and sneered.
Qinglan never knew that maidservants and servants had such hateful faces, and she felt disgusted and contemptuous in her heart. This expression fell into Qinglan's eyes unabashedly, and she retorted as if she didn't think it was enough: "I don't dare to be that, but I still don't like it." I don’t know who is so arrogant! I don’t even take a mirror to look at myself, but I’m just a slave, what a show of strength and airs I have in front of me!”
"You!" Liu'er was so angry that she trembled all over and her face turned pale. She stepped forward and pushed Qinglan hard, spat on her face and scolded, "What are you? How dare you say that about me! You should take a look in the mirror It's you, you are also assigned to work in our Jiang family? A lowly thing who is only assigned to plan food in the ground, I don't know who is blind and recruited you!"
"What did you say!" Qinglan was furious.
"It's you, how about it!" Liu Er slapped her.
Qing Lan narrowly escaped, but even if she was quick to dodge, her face was still swept by her palm, she couldn't help being furious, and said sharply: "You dare to do it! I've never seen you so shameless!"
"How dare you scold me!" Liu'er yelled angrily, "If you don't kneel down and kowtow to Auntie today to make amends, Auntie will never end with you!" Why is Qinglan afraid of her? Constantly arguing with her.