Chapter 104 Rainy Day

  Xiao Su departed from Beijing the next day. Madame Wen repeatedly instructed him and also wrote a letter for him to take with him.

  Li Aunt's status in the kitchen has risen again, and it seems even more stable than before. This feeling is very strong. After Qin Shi and Hu Shi arrived at the small kitchen, the people in the kitchen saw Chao Sheng again, but they didn't greet him warmly or offer tea. However, after Xiao Su came back this time, when Chao Sheng went to the kitchen again, those people looked even more enthusiastic than before, rushing to talk and flattering him, calling him "young master" this and that.

  That's just how human relationships can be.

  I've had experiences in the palace before, just not with such great ups and downs.

  Chao Sheng had no doubt that if one day Li Gu and she lost power, these people would definitely come to trample on them again.

  When the bayberries were ripe, Aunt Li handed over a purchase list to the buyer, which listed the materials needed for making bayberry wine. Before the buyer could speak, the person arranged by Madam Wen had already taken the list and looked at it with a smile, saying: "These are all easy to get, don't worry, auntie, I'll have them ready today."

  Auntie Li said indifferently: "Then I'll trouble you."

  "Auntie is being polite."

  Yangmei wine was readily available in the palace, but Li Auntie said that theirs wasn't good and she wanted to brew it herself. However, living in the East Palace made it inconvenient to do so. To know the right timing for simmering the liquid, how much sugar to add, and the fermentation time all required attention to detail, as slight differences would result in variations in flavor. Yangmei wine was refreshing and thirst-quenching, and its flavor was even better when chilled with ice in the summer. Not only the Fourth Prince, but everyone in the Autumn Palace, from top to bottom, loved this drink.

  Chao Sheng helped Li Aunt with the preparation, buying lychees that needed to have their stems and leaves removed, then rinsing them with well water. The lychees soaked in water looked bright red and particularly enticing.

  Auntie Li put a dumpling in Chaochao's mouth: "How does it taste?"

  "Mmm, sweet."

  Aunt Li also tasted one: "This is not bad, there's a kind of Sichuan coral plum that's even better, the fruit is red and shiny like a gemstone. Using that to brew wine would be perfect, but this one isn't bad either."

  Chao Sheng said sincerely: "Auntie understands a lot."

  Auntie Li smiled and said: "Get to work quickly."

  It's not enough for just the two of them, so everyone in the small kitchen rolled up their sleeves and got to work. The cleaned yangmei were drained of water, crushed and juiced, then filtered through a fine cloth. Cao Sheng's hands were both stained with the deep purple color of the yangmei juice, and even after washing with alum water, the color still lingered in the crevices of her fingernails, making them look not dirty but rather as if they had been painted with a layer of purple, which made her hands appear even whiter.

  The heavens have been kind, and the weather has been fine for all these busy days. But once the wine was sealed and left to mature, Beijing fell into a spell of continuous rain.

  In Chao Sheng's impression, the summer in Beijing was always hot and rainy. At first, she was in Yanxia Palace, which was a low-lying area in the palace. As soon as it rained, it became sultry and humid, with everything feeling sticky everywhere. If clothes were not stored properly, they would easily become moldy. Yiqiu Palace was much better.

  But this year's rain has a different meaning for the people of the Fourth Prince's Mansion.

  The capital city is flooded, and so is the south. If the river overflows again...

  Of course, Shunhe has been flooded for years, and there have been seven or eight floods in the past decade. But this time, the fourth prince was there.

  Floods are merciless, regardless of whether you're a commoner or a noble. If something good or bad happens to him, who will the people of this prefecture turn to?

  All right, even if the person is safe and sound, but since he was ordered to inspect the river works, as a result, the flood disaster is severe, then this errand can also be considered ruined. When he returns, will there be good things waiting for him?

  It will surely make the emperor unbearable?

  Mr. Wen appears to be gentle on the surface, but Man'er and Chao Sheng said that in the main house, two maids have been scolded in the past two days, one for messing up the decorations while dusting, and the other for serving tea that was not at the right temperature.

  Actually, Wen's heart is not as calm as her surface, right?

  For so many days, there has been no news from the south, and some people in the mansion have begun to feel anxious. Although they dare not say anything openly, they must have discussed it privately without hesitation.

  The tide rose later than usual this morning, and she didn't sleep well last night due to the loud wind and rain. She thought she was late, but when she went to fetch water, she found that everyone else had also just gotten up around the same time.

  The rain kept falling ceaselessly, and the water droplets flowing down from the eaves formed a line, as if hanging a bead curtain.

  "Is it born?"

  Man'er quietly called out to her from the side. Chao Sheng put down the wooden bucket, and the two of them walked to the corner of the house. This place was sheltered from the rain by the eaves, and they wouldn't be seen by others, making it a good spot for conversation.

  Man Er sized her up: "You seem to have lost some weight?"

  "Endure the summer..."

  Man'er looked outside for a moment before turning back and saying: "Yesterday I heard Qin He mention your name when she was serving in the house."

  "What did you say about me?"

  Man'er shook her head: "I don't know... I only heard one sentence through the window, and didn't hear anything after that - anyway, it didn't sound like they were praising you. You... be more careful yourself."

  Man'er came to tell her this and also took a risk, Chao Sheng urged her to hurry back.

  After returning, she discussed with Aunt Li. Aunt Li thought for a moment: "For the time being, there should be no problem. Since the prince has assigned you to take care of the study, Madame Wen can't easily touch you. You just need to be careful about your own belongings and doors. She and the prince are newlyweds, they're in good terms now, and they also have to consider their reputation, so they won't openly and groundlessly attack you. If they want to find fault with you, it shouldn't be at this time."

  Chao Sheng nodded her head, she also thought so, but not as thoroughly as Li Gu.

  And hearing Auntie Li say so is also a temporary reassurance.

  Auntie Li carefully looked at her face: "You stayed up late last night?"

  "No, Auntie, you don't know? I'm not working at night. It's just that the thunder is too loud and I couldn't sleep soundly."

  Auntie Li didn't say anything else.

  But she remembered that about this time last year, it was also raining heavily and thundering - Chao Sheng didn't sleep badly.

  Aunt Li sighed in her heart.

  The girl has grown up and has her own worries.

  Sometimes she thinks that if Chao Sheng were born a little less outstanding, like herself, ordinary and plain, life might be much smoother.

  Sometimes beauty is a gift from heaven, and sometimes... it's a source of disaster.

  These days, there were no social engagements at the mansion. Firstly, the fourth prince was not at home, and secondly, the weather had been bad for several days. During this time, the wife of the second prince came once, and the sister-in-law from Madame Wen's natal family came once. Madame Wen put on a good show to entertain her guests, treating them differently according to their closeness. When the wife of the second prince came, everything was arranged in an elegant manner, with all the formalities observed, and even the dishes prepared by the small kitchen were luxurious. However, when Madame Wen's sister-in-law came, only Qin He remained to attend to her, and this guest did not stay for a meal either, saying that she had urgent matters at home and took her leave hastily.

  Everyone in the mansion says that the fourth prince's consort probably wants to ask her father and brother about news from the south. Otherwise, she would not know anything and just sit at home anxiously.

  Sometimes, whether it's good news or bad news, it's better than being completely in the dark and knowing nothing.

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  The big orange went on an autumn outing today, the little friends held onto the hem of the person in front of them, led by the teacher to get on the bus, a group of dizzy and confused, stumbling and staggering, just like a flock of little ducks.