Wu Baozhang couldn’t even manage to smile anymore.
How did Zhou Shaojin know she could make these snacks?
She had Spring Wan go learn how to make rice cakes from her. She’d spoken boastfully beforehand—if she had the servants help grind the rice and extract the liquid, after Chun Wan returned, she would certainly tell Zhou Shaojin. Zhou Shaojin not only pleased Old Madam Guan but had also won Old Madam Guo’s favor. If she muttered a word or two in front of the elders, how would everyone in the Cheng household view her?
But a full ten pounds of rice…
Cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
Wouldn’t this take half her life?
Was Zhou Shaojin doing this unintentionally or deliberately?
She fixed her gaze on Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin looked at her with eyes like autumn waters, smiling sweetly. Her bright, clear pupils were so limpid they seemed able to reflect one’s image—pure as a child’s.
How could such a girl scheme against her?
Wu Baozhang immediately dismissed her suspicions.
But what about those rice cakes made from ten pounds of rice?
Her mind raced frantically.
But Zhou Shaojin felt rather pleased with herself.
You want to act virtuous? Then I’ll help you—let you act to your heart’s content.
Not only would she make Wu Baozhang prepare rice cakes from ten pounds of rice, but she’d also have Chun Wan learn to make snacks with her, forcing her to do it herself. Let’s see if she still brags in front of the elders!
Zhou Shaojin then looked toward Chun Wan.
Chun Wan was utterly puzzled.
She was the senior maid at Second Young Miss’s side, managing Second Young Miss’s clothing, food, and expenses. To leave all of this behind to follow the eldest mistress of Nuo in making rice cakes… The eldest mistress of Nuo’s rice cakes were indeed good, but the outer courtyard kitchen could make them too, and made them even more to the taste of everyone at Jiuru Alley. If Second Young Miss wanted to send rice cakes to Eldest Young Miss, why not order the master chef in the outer courtyard kitchen to make them instead of having her learn… Wasn’t this putting the cart before the horse!
But Chun Wan had always deeply respected Zhou Shaojin. Since Zhou Shaojin had given the order, she still responded with a smile, curtsied to Wu Baozhang, and said: “Eldest Mistress of Nuo, I’m clumsy with my hands. If I do anything wrong, please feel free to scold me.”
Wu Baozhang quickly said: “Miss Chun Wan, you’re being too modest. I only hope these trivial skills of mine can catch your Second Young Miss’s eye.”
Zhou Shaojin had never been articulate in the past, so Zhou Chujin had chosen maids for her who could handle social exchanges.
Hearing this, Chun Wan smiled: “Eldest Mistress of Nuo is too kind! If our Second Young Miss didn’t appreciate the eldest mistress of Nuo’s skills, she wouldn’t have me set aside all the myriad affairs in the household to follow you in making rice cakes. The only concern is whether this is a family recipe of the eldest mistress of Nuo’s household. Fortunately, our Second Young Miss rarely goes out, so she certainly won’t use what the eldest mistress of Nuo teaches to make profit. The eldest mistress of Nuo can teach me with complete peace of mind!”
Wu Baozhang’s nose nearly twisted with anger.
She hadn’t expected that this Chun Wan, who looked so refined and demure, would speak words as sharp as knives.
What family recipe? What about Second Young Miss rarely going out so she certainly won’t use what the eldest mistress of Nuo teaches to make profit?
Her own father was a fourth-rank prefect, not some street vendor.
By saying this, wasn’t she implying her origins were lowly?
And saying she could teach with peace of mind—
If she failed to learn, wouldn’t that mean she was unwilling to teach?
Wu Baozhang looked at Zhou Shaojin again.
Zhou Shaojin stood there with curved brows and eyes, serene as a crescent moon, as if she hadn’t understood the meaning behind Chun Wan’s words at all.
She couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
This Zhou Shaojin was truly an empty-headed beauty!
If not for Zhou Chujin protecting her, she’d probably have been devoured without even bones remaining.
Thinking of this, her heart felt sour.
Although her brother Wu Taicheng treated her well and protected her in everything, he was short-sighted and incompetent, constantly causing trouble that she had to clean up.
This Zhou Shaojin’s father was also just a fourth-rank prefect. She too had lost her birth mother and had a father who remarried, and didn’t even have a brother, yet she lived much better than herself—following her paternal half-sister to live as a dependent at her unrelated maternal grandmother’s home, yet her father always kept them both in his heart, constantly sending things over. Her two cousins treated her like treasure, afraid she might suffer any grievance. Even Cheng Lu was said to have had designs on her… Same people, different fates.
Zhou Shaojin’s luck was just that good.
She couldn’t help but smile at Chun Wan: “It’s just food! If I were petty, I wouldn’t have agreed to tell you in the first place!”
Chun Wan quickly said: “Eldest Mistress of Nuo, please don’t take offense! This servant doesn’t speak well.” After speaking, she bent her knees and curtsied three times.
Wu Baozhang couldn’t very well quibble with her, lest she leave an impression of being narrow-minded before the elders. She exchanged a few pleasantries with Chun Wan, set a time for the rice cake lesson, and took her leave.
Only then did Old Madam Guan laugh: “The autumn tiger is so fierce—making so many rice cakes will likely spoil. If you really like eating them, just tell Nanny Er at Old Madam Guo’s side and have the outer courtyard kitchen make them for you. The eldest mistress of Nuo is your sister-in-law after all!”
The third branch had to speak honeyed words repeatedly and slip silver just to have the outer courtyard kitchen make something. The fourth and fifth branches simply didn’t even try, to avoid being rebuffed. That’s why Old Madam Guan said this.
Zhou Shaojin only feigned surprise and said: “Is ten pounds a lot? Exactly how much is ten pounds?”
In her previous life, when she’d first married into the Lin family, she’d once made a fool of herself because she didn’t know how much a pound of rice was. Later, when she suggested letting Concubine Mu manage the household, Old Madam Lin didn’t insist otherwise—presumably because she felt she wasn’t a suitable housewife, which was why she gave up?
Old Madam Guan was stunned hearing this, then burst into hearty laughter. She pointed at her and said to Mian Grand Madam: “I think you really need to put some effort into teaching her. Otherwise, when she marries, I’m afraid she’ll be manipulated by her household stewards.”
Mian Grand Madam agreed, a trace of bitterness flashing across her expression.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to teach before. First, there were many matters with Gao’s wedding and she was too busy. Second, she’d thought that since Zhou Shaojin would be her daughter-in-law with Miss He from the He family ahead of her, she could slowly teach Zhou Shaojin the small accounts of her own household later… Who knew that plans couldn’t keep up with changes!
Then Old Madam Guan asked how preparations for Cheng Yi’s wedding were going, forgot about this matter, and making rice cakes from ten pounds of rice fell squarely on Wu Baozhang’s shoulders.