Chapter 11 tell the truth

While Mao Xiang was busy in the middle and back cabins in order to appease his mother and scold his wife, in the front cabin where he stayed, Dong Xiaowan, his concubine, was quietly busy with boiling water, washing dishes and Make tea. Dong Xiaowan married into Maofu at the end of last year.Like a wandering swallow finally finding a warm nest, Dong Xiaowan's heart has been filled with unprecedented peace, satisfaction and happiness for more than a year.She felt that the god who ruled fate was too kind to her. Not only did she get a good husband who was the envy of many women, but she also arranged such a noble and generous family for her.Needless to say, the master and wife, their kindness often moved Xiaowan to the point of crying; even those servants and maids treated her very kindly.But the most rare thing is Grandma Su, not only did she not feel jealous at all, but also welcomed her sincerely from the very beginning, and loved her sincerely, just like a respectable and amiable big sister.All of this made Dong Xiaowan seem to have entered a paradise illuminated by the auspicious light, and felt even more that the past years of love and dust were simply a terrible nightmare.Indeed, although it was only a short period of more than ten months, how comfortable and comfortable she lived with her beloved husband-tasting tea, admiring the moon, making incense, arranging flowers, compiling books, writing paintings, cooking She has almost experienced and enjoyed all kinds of wonderful realms that she has dreamed of or never dreamed of before.Sometimes, she could hardly help asking herself, could all this be true?Ah, is it true?Naturally, she would then answer inwardly with tears in her eyes: If it is an illusion, then please ask God to let me continue this dream and never wake up again.

However, perhaps because all this was too happy and perfect, as a result, new tribulations came again.What frightened her the most was: Ever since the day she planned to flee with her family, Dong Xiaowan discovered that her husband's attitude towards her had begun to change a bit.Although he still came back to spend time with her every night, his irritability, indifference, and irritability became more and more obvious in his speech and behavior.Dong Xiaowan also knew that the main reason why Maoxiang was like this was that there was a big disturbance outside, which made him very nervous and busy.However, she was still apprehensive, for fear that she might make a mistake somewhere, or that she might not serve her well, which would cause her husband's resentment and even alienation.So these days, she has been trying every means to cater to her husband's preferences, trying to make her husband by her side so that she can live a more comfortable and comfortable life.Today, seeing that Maoxiang was busy again and again, until it was dark, she still couldn't rest, so she thought that she should "cook tea and wait", so that her husband could taste a few cups after he came back, and eliminate the pain. Get tired.

Now, a jar of good sweet spring specially brought from home has been brought into the cabin, two pointed Xuande teacups, a small purple sand teapot, and some fruits for ordering tea are placed on a tray—— Hazelnuts, chickpeas and red dates are also washed with tea and placed on the kang table.However, Dong Xiaowan hesitated.Until the water in the copper pot was hissing lightly on the red clay stove, she still couldn't make up her mind to make tea. It's no wonder she was a little timid.Because as a rich man who enjoys the most, Mao Xiang has always been extremely picky about the way of tasting tea.Not only must the selection of materials be exquisite, the tea set must be extremely elegant and clean, but also there are strict procedures and methods for washing tea, waiting for soup, cooking and so on. When others do it for him, he always feels that the tea brewed by other people seldom satisfies him, so Dong Xiaowan has been in the house for more than a year, and she can help or replace her husband in many other things, but she has been making tea. There is no opportunity to participate.Tonight, she did it on her own behind her husband's back, whether she could get approval and love, but she was not sure at all.In case of messing up, it doesn't matter if I suffer a few words of ridicule, but if it spoils the husband's interest, it will go against my original intention.

"Mother, why don't you do it? The water is about to boil!" A soft voice urged in my ear, it was the maid Ziyi. Dong Xiaowan looked back, and found that the girl was looking at her with concern with bright eyes flashing.This Ziyi was originally a maid in charge of grandma Su's house, and she was very clever.A year ago, because Dong Xiaowan had just arrived and needed someone who was familiar with the details to assist her, Mao Xiang asked Su Shi to ask for her by name.It was rare for Ziyi to serve her new master as wholeheartedly after she came here.So seeing her suddenly at this moment, Dong Xiaowan came up with an idea.

"Zi Yi, you have served by Xianggong's side for many years, you must know his tea-making rules?" She asked. "Well, the servant girl doesn't dare to say that she knows." Ziyi replied cautiously, "It's just that in the past when Grandpa and grandma tasted tea in the room, most of them ordered the maidservant to wait on them. For a while, grandma wanted to learn how to brew tea too. Tea, so I begged my grandfather to teach her. At that time, my grandfather was very interested, and I said it several times seriously. Later, my grandma didn’t learn it well, and my grandfather never said anything about it.”

"Do you still remember what Xianggong said at the time?" "This... even though the servant girl is also listening, I only complain that I am stupid, and I am afraid that I may not remember everything." "Well, then you don't need to say it, as long as you listen to what I said, it's the same as what Mr. Xiang said that day, right?" Zi Yi nodded, then asked hesitantly: "Mother, this is..." "Hey, just listen carefully!" Dong Xiaowan interrupted excitedly, then tilted his head, thinking, and said: "This cooking method is different from ancient to modern, such as tea cakes that were popular in the Song Dynasty." , It is no longer fashionable now, so there is no need to talk about it. Nowadays, when cooking tea, the choice of tea must be expensive, and the water must be obtained from sweet springs. This cooking method is the most challenging. One is to wait for the soup, and the other is to wash the tea. Let’s talk about waiting for the soup first. The water for making tea must first be fried with a live fire, and then boiled slowly with a slow fire. The so-called live fire is the charcoal fire that sees flames. Boiling water until there are bubbles is called "first boiling", seeing the surrounding water bubbles continuously turning is called "second boiling", and turning it over is called "third boiling". The water at the 'first boil' is still too tender, and the water in the 'third boil' is too old, so they are not suitable for use, and it is always better to use around the 'second boil'."

Having said that, Dong Xiaowan stopped and looked at the maid.Seeing that Ziyi nodded without any objection, she continued: "The method of washing tea is also very important. The tea must be served after the boiling water is slightly warm. If it is too boiling, the taste of the tea will be damaged. When washing, use bamboo chopsticks. Add tea, put it in a vat, wash it repeatedly to remove dust and yellow leaves and old stalks. After washing, wring it out with your hands, put it in the vat and cover it, wait for a while, then open it, you can see that the leaves have turned green and the aroma is radiant , That is, soak it with boiling water. However, there are winter and summer. It is hot in summer, so the leaves must be poured first, and the leaves must be poured in winter; , it will immediately damage the taste of the tea, so it is the most important test, and you must not be careless!"

After finishing speaking in such a breath, Dong Xiaowan asked in turn: "What I said just now, is there something wrong with what you Xiang Chang Ting taught grandma?" Zi Yi didn't answer immediately, she tapped her cheek with a finger, as if she was still checking carefully in her heart.Finally, she raised her head and said with a smile: "Mother, I'm really sorry for you! I haven't seen Master tell Mother or ask Master, why Mother just said it, and I heard Master say it to me a few years ago with my maidservant." Yes, it looks like it’s not bad by a single cent!”

"Well, if you think about it carefully, is there anything you missed?" Dong Xiaowan asked worriedly. Zi Yi shook her head: "If there is anything else, the master also told grandma a lot about the origin, name and roasting method of tea. According to the servant girl, those things may not have much to do with making tea." Dong Xiaowan said "Yes", "Then, let's try brewing a pot and see if it works?" After speaking, she followed the procedures and essentials just mentioned and started to work.Soon, a pot of tea was brewed.At this moment, Ziyi had washed the teacup, wiped it dry with a cloth, picked up two hazelnuts, and put them in.

"Now, let's taste it, how does this brew taste? Is it different from the one brewed on the same day?" Dong Xiaowan said while picking up the sand pot and pouring tea into the cup. "Ah, mother means, let the maidservant taste it?" Ziyi, who was startled, blinked and asked. "That's right. You used to follow your husband and grandma for many years, so you naturally know their taste better than I do. Even this brewed tea, you have seen and tasted more than me-don't give in, try it!" Dong Xiaowan Urge said. "This can't be done! How can the servant girl ask the mother to make tea for the servant girl? Besides, how can the maidservant taste the taste of the master?" Zi Yi was very confused, and still dared not reach out for the teacup.

"Hey, there are no outsiders here. You and I are just sisters. Why bother to distinguish between superiority and inferiority! Besides, although you can't taste my husband's taste, I just want you to taste this tea. Is there a difference? Well, hurry up, Mr. Wang will be back soon!" Seeing that Dong Xiaowan's attitude is very sincere, Zi Yi dare not give in anymore.She held up the cup of tea in trepidation, brought it to her mouth, and took a sip. "How?" Dong Xiaowan couldn't help becoming nervous because the maid hadn't spoken for a while. "The servant girl feels, it seems, it seems a little different." "Ah?" Dong Xiaowan's eyes suddenly widened. "Ah, the maid feels that this tea is fragrant and smooth in the mouth, and it tastes better than the one brewed by the master..." "What, better? How could this be?" "The servant girl doesn't know, the servant girl just feels this way. Well, really!" Dong Xiaowan stopped talking.What the maid said made her doubtful, but then she thought of it: what Ziyi drank on weekdays was mostly leftover residual tea and cold tea from the master, and the taste was naturally worse than the tea she had carefully brewed just now. No wonder she felt that way. "So, I let her try it for nothing just now, but it's not true!" She smiled wryly to herself.However, it didn't show on his face, he just waved his hand and said: "Forget it, whether it's good or bad, let's keep this pot of tea for ourselves to drink. Quickly boil the water again, and wait for the husband to come back, and then we'll talk about it, I'm afraid it will be too late!" As she said that, she picked up another teapot and started working again. "Mother," when the water in the copper pot rang softly on the tea stove again, Ziyi, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly turned around and said in a trembling voice, "You treat me so well. , but, but, the servant girl is sorry to my mother..." Dong Xiaowan couldn't help being startled: "What did you say?" She asked suspiciously, and stopped washing the teacup. "Yes, yes!" Ziyi nodded her head vigorously, "The servant girl said a lot of bad things about my mother to grandma..." In order to stop her sobs, she bit her lips hard, lowered her head, but immediately raised it again, painfully Looking at Dong Xiaowan with tears in his eyes. "Speak ill of me to grandma, you? Why?" Dong Xiaowan asked in astonishment. "This, this is——this is what grandma ordered the servant girl to do. She, she is afraid that mother will lead, and spoil grandpa!" Ziyi stammered, and then quickly shook her hand, "However, grandma also had a good intention. , she just listened to the servant girl, but she never said anything bad about her mother! In short, the servant girl will not speak ill of her mother, and she will never say it again!" Because of guilt, and because she didn't know that after saying this, she would What are the consequences, she finally couldn't help covering her face, and sobbed loudly. Dong Xiaowan was stunned as if she had been hit in the head.In fact, until just now, she was still feeling extremely happy for herself to have such a good husband, such a noble and kind family, especially to meet such a virtuous and amiable grandma.And since I entered the house for more than a year, I have always abided by the boudoir style, respecting superiors and inferiors, and being cautious in every move, lest I make a move that is not commensurate with the status of this noble family, let alone dare to have the slightest evil thoughts to spoil my husband. .However, it seems that people still don't believe it. Don't look at the face, they are affectionate and friendly, like a family without distinction, but secretly they still regard themselves as a lowly, untrustworthy brothel girl!Dong Xiaowan felt as if waking up from a heavenly dream, the scene illuminated by the auspicious light was blurred, and what was lingering in front of her eyes was a fog-like daze. "橐, 橐, 橐", a rhythmic sound came from the stern of the ship, and the ship shook slightly. "What is that? It's the sound of footsteps, it's Xianggong—ah, Xianggong is back!" Dong Xiaowan woke up suddenly.At the same time, Zi Yi, who was kneeling on the deck, sobbing and crying, came into her eyes.Dong Xiaowan suddenly panicked, quickly pulled up the maid, and ordered in a low voice: "Don't let my husband see it, you know? Go, wipe your face!" She pushed the girl into the corner, then turned around, blocking the light. Soon, Mao Xiang opened the curtain and walked in.He didn't notice what happened in the cabin, and he didn't even look at the concubines and maids, only the tea set on the kang table caught his attention slightly. "Hmph, when is it, do you still have the time to fiddle with this?" He frowned, and reprimanded angrily, "Hurry up, take it all away!" After waving his hand, he sat down on the kang, without even taking off his straight jacket, leaned back on the pillow quilt, and closed his eyes exhausted.