"Mother!" Shi Yumei didn’t take it seriously and laughed, "It’s just a piece of fabric! I have made quite a few clothes this time, and keeping that fabric around is useless, so I just gave it away! Besides, there will be newer fabrics next year!"
"You really!" Mrs. Wang sighed, but she was helpless with this daughter.
Seeing her mother-in-law discussing a matter not fit for outsiders with her daughter, Sang Wan quickly stood up with a smile and excused herself, and Shi Lian took the opportunity to leave as well. The two of them went out together.
Shi Yumei, seeing them leave and fearing her mother would give her a lengthy lecture, hurriedly excused herself as well, making a gesture to Gu Fangzi and taking her along too.
"Mother, I’ll send Cousin back! I’ll come back in the afternoon to chat with you!"
"This child, ah!" Mrs. Wang couldn’t stop her and lamented. She then said to Mrs. Jiang, "What do you think of her? She’s so muddleheaded, with not the slightest discernment! That Cui Bao obviously doesn’t look like a contented person, yet she’s totally charmed by her!"
Mrs. Wang could scold Shi Yumei, but Mrs. Jiang dared not agree, so she just smiled and said: "Perhaps the Mistress is overthinking it, the banana garden is just by our mansion, always kept disciplined and proper, without any unpleasant rumors! Don’t worry, who would dare to bully our young Miss!"
"Hmph! Not daring now!" Mrs. Wang scoffed and said, "I’m not just saying this! You just wait and see! If she dares to cause any trouble in our mansion now, I would sell her tomorrow! How things turn out later is hard to say! Xiangyun satin is such an expensive fabric, is it something a concubine should wear? If she was really proper, she should have declined it, yet she even dared to wear it outside to show off!"
"Our young Miss is the legitimate wife, even if there are seductive vixens, they won’t surpass her! Moreover, who would dare to oppose the Shi family! You really worried too much, Mistress!" Mrs. Jiang hurriedly smiled and soothed.
Mrs. Wang felt somewhat more relieved in her heart and nodded with a smile: "That does make sense! As long as our Shi family is here, no one can touch our family’s young Miss!"
When Sang Wan returned to Ningyuan, Butler Yu from the outer courtyard had someone send a message, saying that they would go to the eldest sister-in-law’s home in Yangliu Town, Sihe Village in two days, and asked the eldest Sister-in-law if there was anything or any letters that needed to be brought back?
Sang Wan smiled and said, "I’ve just returned from home, and there’s nothing to convey for now. Just let the young master arrange it."
The messenger left with the response and it was not mentioned further.
Thinking of the promise to cook a meal for Shi Fengju in the evening, Sang Wan discussed with Mrs. Li, and then instructed someone to prepare the ingredients for cooking in the afternoon.
Mrs. Li was naturally happy to see Sang Wan willing to cook soup for Shi Fengju, and said with a chuckle, "Eldest Sister-in-law, it’s good enough that you have this intention. The kitchen is smoky and stuffy, it’s not a place for you to be! Be careful of the oil splashing and ruining your hands and face!"
"Mrs Li, the young master has done so much for my family, I should at least show some appreciation! Don’t worry, it will be fine!" Sang Wan insisted with a smile.
"Well, you do need to be careful then!" Mrs. Li advised and then laughed, "Eldest Sister-in-law, you really are virtuous! The young master is fortunate to have married you."
"Mrs. Li, please stop praising me!" Sang Wan’s smile was somewhat stiff.
In the afternoon, when the time was about right, Sang Wan indeed changed her clothes and went to the kitchen. Under the guidance of the cook, she prepared six dishes and one soup for Shi Fengju, steamed a bowl of roasted goose, stir-fried hibiscus chicken slices, winter bamboo shoots with Chinese perch, and pan-fried Wuxi pork ribs, along with two light vegetarian dishes, tomato sauce tofu, and sesame oil tofu skin, as well as a big bowl of steaming longan ham duck soup.
The soup had been stewing since noon, with a strong fire to bring out the flavors and a slow simmer the whole afternoon. When served at dinner, the duck was stewed until tender and the broth was richly fragrant. Steaming hot when brought to the table, the thick aroma infiltrated the nostrils. Paired with caramel-colored Wuxi pork ribs, the snow-white petal-like hibiscus chicken slices, and the glossy roasted goose, it was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
"Did you make all these by yourself?" Shi Fengju was a bit incredulous when he came back and saw the food.
"Of course!" Sang Wan smiled and said, "Except for washing and chopping the vegetables, I did everything else myself from cooking to this point, you can ask Mrs. Li if you don’t believe me!"
"Young Master, the Eldest Sister-in-law really made this meal specially for you, we wanted to help but she wouldn’t allow it!" Mrs. Li said with a beaming smile on the side.
"Try it and see how it compares to what you usually eat!" Sang Wan smiled and pulled him to sit down.
"Since you’ve specifically made it, it surely must taste better than the usual fare," Shi Fengju said with a smile, sitting down and then regretfully said, "It’s a pity, though. If we had some good wine, it would’ve been even better!"
"Young Master, here comes the wine!" Mrs. Li said, taking the wine pot from the maid’s hand, and with a smile, "Eldest Sister-in-law had warmed a pot of Plum Blossom Spring for you, but you have to drink less! Drinking too much is bad for your health!"
Mrs. Li smiled as she placed the wine down and then discreetly signaled for the maids to leave, giving the space to the young couple.
Seeing the wine, Shi Fengju felt a tinge of regret, thinking to himself that it’s a pity—if there were no wine, he could have used it as an excuse to have Miss Wan cook for him again next time. However, it was endearing that she thought through everything for him.
Sang Wan poured him a small half bowl of old duck soup, "Have some soup first, it’s good for warming your stomach. I’ve stewed it the whole afternoon—just right for nourishing in autumn and winter."
Shi Fengju took a couple of sips and praised it with a smile, then said, "Don’t just busy yourself for me, you should eat too."
At his words, Sang Wan smiled, poured wine for him, and then finally sat down, "This wine is warmed to just the right temperature, young master, give it a try."
Shi Fengju smiled, picked up the wine glass, hesitated for a moment, and then said with a smile, "It’s rather dull drinking alone, Miss Wan, why don’t you have some too!"
Upon hearing this, Sang Wan’s expression faltered slightly, and she forced a smile, "I—I don’t know how to drink." She had never drunk wine before. The wine of the wedding night was supposed to be her first glass in this life, but she never had that drink.