"Grandma!" The voice was already outside before anyone arrived.
The brittle girl's voice is particularly pleasant, just like a silver bell.
Along with the sound came the fragrance, which made the Queen Mother turn her head and glance at Ziling beside her, smiling happily.
Ziling saw the Queen Mother smiling and couldn't help but smile knowingly. The Queen Mother didn't really smile for a long time.
Xining came in with a plate of fried meatballs: "Grandma, this needs to be eaten while it's hot." He handed the plate to the maid next to him who was passing the dishes, and sat happily opposite the Queen Mother.
It was very rude to sit down without asking the Queen Mother to sit down... Ziling looked at the Queen Mother, who was all focused on the meatballs, which the maid was serving respectfully to the table. She also stopped questioning her.
"Lai radish meatballs?" The Queen Mother saw that the meatballs on the plate were fried to a crispy brown, and she knew at a glance that the outer skin must be charred and crispy.
"Exactly." He held his head high as if he was proudly claiming credit.
"Then try it." The Queen Mother raised her chopsticks.
"Wait!" someone shouted outside and rushed in.
"Bold!" Zi Ling gestured and blocked the Queen Mother with her body. She spread her arms slightly, like a hen guarding her young, and looked at the visitor with raised eyebrows and raised eyebrows: "What do you want?"
The visitor is dressed as a cook, in her forties, wearing coarse cloth. He has a slave symbol permed on his forehead and has a slim figure. She hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, don't eat it. There's something wrong with this thing."
The Queen Mother was stunned, glanced at the Fourteenth Princess, put down her chopsticks and asked slowly, her voice full of majesty: "What's the problem?"
Now that we have reached this point, the cook made up her mind: "I saw the princess secretly put something in it..."
If it's not poison, why put it in secretly?
"You're talking nonsense!" Chun'er, who was kneeling next to him, was anxious and wanted to defend his master, but he said nothing.
The Queen Mother didn't make a sound, and neither did Ziling. The room was surprisingly quiet, and a slight "click, click" sound was heard.
The cook plucked up her courage and looked up to see the fourteenth princess eating. She also picked up another one with chopsticks and stuffed it into her mouth. He did not forget to raise his sleeves to cover himself with etiquette, and was so elegant that there was no fault in it. Once chewed, the skin becomes crispy.
Now the cook can't do it anymore. He ate it himself first, so this shouldn't be poisoning.
Xining put down his chopsticks, took out a small bag from his sleeve and handed it to Ziling: "Grandma, this is what Mo'er put in it."
Being a careful person, Ziling took the bag and opened it to see that there were fine white particles inside: "This is it?"
"Mo'er made the fine salt specially." Xining said slowly: "The salt used now is coarse and bitter. Mo'er wanted to make her grandmother eat better, so she made fine salt."
Ziling twisted some of it with her fingers, put it on her tongue and licked it slightly, then nodded: "It is indeed salt."
"Oh?" The Queen Mother became interested, picked up the chopsticks, picked up a meatball and put it in her mouth. After chewing it twice, my eyes suddenly lit up. He picked up another one, then got out of control and ate the whole plate in a row before putting down his chopsticks still unsatisfied.
"Well, it's delicious." The Queen Mother smiled kindly: "Mo'er is interested."
"Mo'er is happy to see that grandma has a good appetite." Xining also specially mentioned: "Everyone is happy, and Aunt Ziling can't close her mouth."
Ziling was smiling when she saw the Queen Mother looking towards her, her grin widened: "The Fourteenth Princess is still filial."
The Queen Mother picked up the corn porridge in front of her and took a sip. The meatballs were greasy, and the porridge could relieve the greasiness in her mouth, making it particularly delicious and refreshing. After taking two sips, he held the bowl in front of his lips but did not drink. He seemed to be frozen, not knowing what he was thinking.
Ziling put away her smile and turned to the kneeling cook with a gloomy expression, "You bold servant, slandered the Fourteenth Princess and almost spoiled the Queen Mother's appetite. Damn it!" The cook kowtowed as if she was picking out garlic: "It's my servant's poor eyesight. The servant didn’t wake up and was dazzled. Please forgive me.”
Then he kowtowed to the Fourteenth Princess: "I beg the Fourteenth Princess to forgive me."
This head banged loudly, and it hurt when I heard it.
"Grandma, this slave is quite loyal. Being able to see me using salt proves that I am careful and dare to report." Surprisingly, the Fourteenth Princess did not blame her.
He also said to Ziling: "Auntie, just because she is loyal, don't blame her."
Ziling looked at the Queen Mother's expression and snorted coldly: "Why don't you thank the Fourteenth Princess? Don't be an eyesore here and get out of here!"
The cook quickly kowtowed in thanks, got up and left. There is already a big bruise on his forehead. If it weren't for the straw mat here, it would have been bruised.
The Queen Mother put down the bowl and said leisurely: "What is loyal or not? If the Ai family dies, they will inevitably go with them."
At this time, there can be anywhere from a few people to hundreds of people buried with them. If the Queen Mother was poisoned to death, everyone in the kitchen would either be beaten to death or buried together in the pit of the tomb.
Xining turned to Ziling and stretched out her hand: "Give it back to me, aunt."
The Queen Mother was curious: "Show the things to the Ai family."
Ziling brought it to the Queen Mother with both hands. After the Queen Mother opened it, she smelled it and dipped it in with her fingers. She twisted it with her index finger and thumb and finally licked it: "It's really thin and white, with no bitter taste. How did you make it?"
Xining stood up and ran to the Queen Mother to whisper.
The Queen Mother listened with a smile. To outsiders, it seemed like she was playing tricks on her grandchildren, and there was a sense of harmony between ancestors and grandchildren.
"Grandma, most people don't talk about Mo'er. Add coarse salt to water and boil it slowly over fire. When the water is almost boiled, filter it through fine linen cloth and fry the remainder over fire. There's nothing else. It's just a waste of time and firewood. It took most of the day yesterday. , that’s why you must not tell outsiders that this is Mo’erguang’s filial piety.”
Another way is to filter it with lime, but she doesn't want to reveal it. Try not to change the course of history, just leave enough foundation for the body owner to settle down and live a life. Otherwise, when the body owner comes back, he has no ability to protect himself, and even if he becomes the empress, Wu Zetian will not be able to live.
The Queen Mother frowned slightly after hearing this, but quickly expanded. Nowadays, frugality is advocated both inside and outside the palace, but we are afraid that officials will impeach extravagance. But this salt is just a little more firewood. It is a granddaughter's filial piety to the Queen Mother, and it has not been promoted inside and outside the palace.
"Mo'er is determined. Don't worry, this method is yours, you little fox." He reached out and scratched her little nose.
"From now on, Mo'er will make delicious food for grandma every day." Xining laughed, as if cooking for the Queen Mother was the happiest thing in the world.
"Well, I know you came here early in the morning. These radish balls are very delicious. You can make such simple ingredients delicious. You have to put your heart into it." The Queen Mother thought for a while, stretched out her hand and patted her gently. Hand: "You should be rewarded! Tell me what you want."
Xining immediately knelt down after hearing this: "Can anything be done?"
The Queen Mother smiled: "Let's talk about it first."
"Then Mo'er said it first, grandma said yes."
The Queen Mother smiled and nodded. At this time, she wanted to see what the child was thinking. If there were demands, there would be weaknesses.
Xining then said: "Since Mo'er's nanny disappeared, Mo'er has not received monthly money. Mo'er wants this month's and previous monthly money, otherwise she won't even have money to buy firewood and salt."
"What?" The Queen Mother looked incredulously: "Do you know who detained it?"
Xining shook his head: "Mo'er doesn't know, but Chun'er is young and is sent back every time he goes there. If it weren't for spring's moonlight and buying a few coarse-grain buns and charcoal fire from time to time, Mo'er wouldn't be able to survive long ago." ( End of chapter)