Chapter 177: Have You Learned Your Lesson?
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Sure.”
Master Feng asked his butler to bring the brocade box.
He came by carriage, so he asked Heng Yi to get in.
Heng Yi refused, but after looking at the carriage for a moment, he still went in.
Once inside, Heng Yi knew that it was a good carriage even at first glance. It was wide, big, and comfortable to sit in. The carriage was also very stable with two horses pulling it. The ride was smooth, not a single b.u.mp on the road could be felt. It was better than the one he had at home.
He was a little tempted to buy one for his family.
Master Feng saw Heng Yi observing the carriage, so he asked him, “What do you think of this carriage?”
“Very good. I wonder where Master Feng bought it. Do you have any recommendations?”
Master Feng laughed.
“You can’t buy this carriage outside. This is my mother’s special seat.”
He didn’t offer to give his carriage to Heng Yi.
This was his mother’s carriage, and he couldn’t give it away so casually. Even if he wanted to, he had to give her a brand new one to show his sincerity.
When they arrived at Heng Manor, Master Feng was surprised by its grandeur.
Whether it was the construction, materials, or layout, they all belonged to prestigious families in the capital.
As he was escorted to the hall in the front courtyard, he was even more stunned by the structure.
Even the roof beams were carved with auspicious clouds, and some places were painted and painted with gold.
He heard that Heng Yi bought a house, but he didn’t think it would be this good.
After he sat down, a servant girl immediately served tea.
“Master Feng, please have some tea,” Heng Yi said.
In truth, Heng Yi still didn’t know much about the etiquette of receiving guests. So, he waited for Master Feng to bring the teacup before he brought one for himself.
Master Feng couldn’t help but sigh in his heart.
If possible, he should find someone to teach Heng Yi the etiquette and hospitality that a master should learn.
It wasn’t that Heng Yi didn’t do a good job. Fie knew Heng Yi’s background. Now that he became part of the upper cla.s.s, the road to becoming one would be long and difficult. Fie really needed someone to teach him.
Once he learned these things, his future would be less murky to walk on.
Especially when he met those old and inflexible people.
Heng Yi had a manservant, Bai Cha, from the Duke’s Public House. But at the end of the day, he was still a servant. What the master could learn, the servant could only catch a glimpse of it.
It was still far from the essence.
When Han Qiao learned that Master Feng wanted to see her, she simply tidied up, appearing more solemn, yet elegant, exuding an imposing manner.
She had thought a lot on the way to the hall, but she decided not to come out too strong when she saw Master Feng.
Master Feng bowed to her, and Han Qiao immediately returned the greeting.
“Madam Heng, there’s no need to be so polite.”
“Master Feng, please take a seat.”
Compared to Heng Yi, Han Qiao didn’t know much about Great Yong etiquette, but she was more natural and relaxed than Heng Yi was. She sat on the main seat beside Heng Yi, neither arrogant nor impatient.
After exchanging a few words with Master Feng, Master Feng still didn’t ask about the matter of the princess’ dowry changing from a beast to a human.
Then, Master Feng asked Butler Feng to present the brocade box.
“I can’t do it,” Han Qiao said.
There were some things that everyone knew but could not be said out loud.
Master Feng didn’t insist, “Since Madam Heng already has a plan, then so be it. Farewell.”
“Take care, Master Feng.”
He didn’t have to worry about hunting tigers in the mountains anymore. He also brought the brocade box back intact.
After Master Feng left, Han Qiao turned to Heng Yi, “Master Feng is one of those people with deep thought. He came to our house and didn’t seem to say anything, but also seemed to have said a lot.”
Heng Yi blinked.
He carefully thought about Master Feng’s every move since he entered the manor but still didn’t quite understand.
“He tried to give us a fake brocade box. He came to test me to see if 1 was greedy or if there was someone else behind you. Or perhaps he wanted to confirm if he could use it as a way to control you.”
Could such a small action hide so many things?
But truthfully, Heng Yi really didn’t think too much of anything.
Perhaps he should learn to read the intent behind people’s actions from Bai Cha.
Han Qiao wanted to discuss more with Heng Yi so that he could understand Master Feng better, but Duan Yue and Shulan had already returned with an armful of radishes. Aunt Zhao came over and asked, “Madam, what should we do with those radishes?”
“I’ll be right there.”
The radishes in this season were crispy and sweet. When the kitchen knife touched them lightly, they would make a satisfying crunching sound.
“First, cut off the baby radishes, wash them clean, and let them dry.”
“This is the radish. You have to cut off the old ones, the tail, and the small pits. Clean up the whole radish, wash it, and put it in the basket.”
“Let’s make dried radish first today.”
“Cut the radishes into strips and put them in the drying mat.”
The cooks, maids, and servants followed Han Qiao’s instructions as she made the first batch. The children also learned how to wash the baby radishes and big radishes, and how to dry them.
Han Qiao would arrange for them to work.
Although they were still children, children had to work and could not eat for free.
“Madam, do you want to dry these radish slices?” Aunt Zhao asked.
“No need. You can mix it with spices when it’s ripe.”
Just for the sake of the dried radish, Han Qiao had asked Dong Lai to buy spices and chilies. He had to buy as many spicy and fragrant dried chilies as he could.
In this era, there wasn’t any pollution, and there weren’t so many greenhouse goods or things that had been transplanted. They were all freshly produced. After being exposed to the sun enough, things would smell especially good after being stir-fried.
When they started to fry the spices, the entire kitchen became extremely fragrant.
“Just the smell alone is enough. 1 wonder what it will taste like when it’s mixed with dried radish.”
The people who came to sell bamboo shoots could not help but gasp.
They asked Butler Hu, “What delicious food are they making?”
“This is not something you should ask. Flurry up and take the money home. Dig more bamboo shoots and sell them tomorrow,” Butler Hu replied.
He liked to handle the accounts and register, while Aunt Flu and Hu Jiancheng inspected the bamboo shoots.
Some of them were too small to be accepted and had to be weeded out.
The Hu family had some complaints when they came to do this job. But they kept them to themselves.
However, other than Master, Madam, and He Cheng who could only walk, there was no one else in the residence who was idle.
The Master and the Madam even came over to help with the work.
No matter how wronged they felt, they could only swallow their words down.
Today’s bamboo shoots were much more than yesterday’s. There were big and small bamboo shoots, and they were basically all kept. Only two or three bamboo shoots in a basket could not be used. Before they came to buy bamboo shoots, they had carefully selected them.
Everyone in Heng Manor was very busy.
The opposite could be said in the Zhao Manor.
As soon as Zhao Huan entered her house, she smashed two vases to the floor. When she was about to smash the third one, she couldn’t bear to do so.
She slowly put it back on the shelf.
Then she sat on the chair in a daze.
Meanwhile, Sun Yiming and Zhen Niang were arguing.
“I already said that 1 won’t go, but you insisted on dragging me along. Now, I’ve lost all my dignity. From now on, the entire Puyi County will know what kind of person I, Sun Yiming, am.”
Sun Yiming’s face was slightly bruised, but it wasn’t serious.
There were even more bruises on his body.
But he was more annoyed by the fact that a child beat him up.
“Ha, are you regretting it now? Did 1 pull you or drag you there? Sun Yiming, if you want some dignity, you better think again. I paid for what you eat, and I paid for what you spend.. What right do you have to be picky and point fingers at me?”