В коридоре висит полумесяц, похожий на луну

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It was past noon, and Gu Zao, having climbed the mountain path, was already quite hungry. Seeing the table full of dishes, she picked up her chopsticks and reached for the food, but only to savor the taste. Meanwhile, Yang Hao across from her was already devouring his food. When Gu Zao looked at him, he merely smiled, but his hands didn't slow down at all.

Gu Zao ate a little of everything. After going around the dishes, she couldn't help but secretly praise the vegetarian food at Chanlin Temple. The vegetarian bird's nest was indeed excellent, especially the vegetarian bird's nest, which was served with white fungus shreds, Tianmu bamboo shoot shreds, and tender tofu shaped into five or six pigeon eggs. It was also served with Baoshan seaweed. The taste was incredibly smooth and sweet. Gu Zao was a little dazed as she thought about how the dish was made.

Yang Hao noticed that she had stopped eating and her gaze was unfocused. He was puzzled, but then he saw her eyes suddenly flash, she nodded, and a smile appeared on her face, as beautiful as a spring flower blooming. He immediately stopped what he was doing and was left staring blankly.

Seeing that he was giving her that look again, Gu Zao rolled her eyes at him, ignored him, and started eating on her own. She had only tasted the food before, and now she was just trying to fill her stomach.

Yang Hao noticed that although her eating manners were not as refined as those of the women in his household, he found them incredibly adorable. He smiled slightly and picked up his chopsticks again. Before long, the two of them had devoured all the dishes on the table.

After finishing the vegetarian meal, Yang Hao went to the main hall to offer incense money, which was actually payment for the meal. Gu Zao, having achieved his goal for the day, was also thinking about his noodle stall that evening. He only walked around the temple briefly before saying he was going down the mountain to return to the city. Seeing that Yang Hao had followed him out, he stopped and said to him seriously, "Didn't you say you came here on business, Second Master? Please feel free to come. I'll have Liu Shun take me back."

Yang Hao simply gave a light "oh" and casually said, "I was thinking I had something to do this morning, but I can't remember it right now. Let's go back together."

Gu Zao was stunned. Seeing that he was looking at her again, she was too lazy to argue with him and turned to walk towards the temple gate.

The road down the mountain was much easier. When they reached the foot of the mountain, Liu Shun and the driver were still waiting there. She got into the car and drove back to the city in silence. Yang Hao even personally escorted her to the alley entrance of Ranyuan Bridge.

Gu Zao got out of the car and, seeing that he still had no intention of leaving, smiled slightly and said, "My home is humble and small, so I dare not trouble you, Second Master. Thank you very much for today, Second Master. Please go back as soon as possible."

Knowing that this was the end of the day, Yang Hao nodded slightly and was about to ride away when a woman came out of the alley. Wasn't she the mother of Gu Erjie, who had caused a scene on the Bian River that day?

Gu Zao entered the Grand Commandant's mansion

Fang stumbled out, her teeth aching from eating too many candied apricots that Gu Zao had bought for her third sister and Liu Zao as snacks the day before. Unable to bear the pain any longer, she decided to go to the Taoist priest Yu at the Wong Tai Sin Temple at the street corner for tooth medicine. Suddenly, she looked up and saw Gu Zao returning. She cried out in pain and was about to call her to come with her when she caught sight of Yang Hao sitting on a horse behind Gu Zao. She stared at him blankly, feeling he looked familiar, and pointed at him, opening her mouth but unable to utter a word.

Fearing that Fang would spout nonsense again, Gu Zao quickly turned around and stood in front of her, asking in a low voice, "Mother, why did you come out?"

At this moment, Fang Shi even forgot about her toothache and just stretched her neck to look at Yang Hao. Suddenly, she shouted, "Isn't he the one on the big pleasure boat that day?" It turned out that although she had worked in the Grand Commandant's mansion for more than a month, she had only spent her days in the kitchen and had not gone anywhere else, so she did not recognize Yang Hao.

Gu Zao turned around, gesturing for Yang Hao to leave quickly. He glanced at Fang Shi, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded to Gu Zao before riding away. The carriage followed, rumbling away into the distance.

Fang stared blankly at the backs of the carriage and horse until they disappeared from sight, then looked at Gu Zao suspiciously and asked, "How did you end up with that person?"

Gu Zao hesitated for a moment, wondering how to speak to the Fang family, when the woman herself said "oh," and suddenly her face lit up with joy. She didn't say anything, but just looked Gu Zao up and down and smiled.

Gu Zao's hair stood on end, and she hurriedly said, "Mother, don't think nonsense. Didn't I tell you that I was going to cook at someone's house? That person just happens to be from that family. Today I'm going to Chanlin Temple outside the city to sample vegetarian food, and meeting that person is just on the way."

Madam Fang waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Second sister, are you stupid? Do you think a man would just drop you off at his doorstep for no reason? Although your mother isn't popular now, she was young and naive once. The way that man looked at you just now, I could tell he was interested in you. You'd better take advantage of the fact that you still have some beauty and stop pretending. Even if you went to a family like that and became their concubine, it would be a blessing from your past life."

Seeing that she was talking animatedly and with great enthusiasm, Gu Zao sighed helplessly and changed the subject: "Mother, you must have something to do. Hurry up while it's still light, or it will be dark."

Fang then remembered her teeth and felt a sharp, thread-like pain again. She covered her cheek, glared at Gu Zao, and scolded, "It's all because of those candied fruits you bought! Why did you buy them for no reason? Not only did they waste money, but I only ate two, and now my teeth hurt so much I feel like I want to have them pulled out."

When Gu Zao heard her say she had a toothache, she knew it was a terrible pain, so she quickly helped her to the Taoist priest Yu at the Wong Tai Sin Temple. Yu scraped and rubbed the affected area, then inserted a white, unidentifiable medicine. It seemed to work somewhat, but the price of fifty coins was not cheap. Fang's toothache subsided, but her heart ached, and she walked back muttering to herself.

When Gu Zao returned home, she found that the large bag of candied fruit she had bought was almost empty. Liu Zao pouted and pointed at Fang Shi, who was slightly embarrassed and muttered in a low voice, "It tastes so sweet, you can't stop eating it."

Gu Zao chuckled to herself. Seeing that it was getting late, she called her whole family to pack up their belongings and headed to the Zhouqiao Night Market. A few days passed like this. With only two days left until the birthday of the old lady of the Grand Commandant's mansion, another carriage arrived at the alley entrance. It was Huixin who had come to the door again, saying that she wanted to pick up Gu Zao early and have her stay there that night to make thorough preparations.

Fang recognized Huixin. She only glanced at her once before pulling Gu Zao into the back room, closing the door, and poking her face with her finger: "You little hussy, you were clearly going to the Grand Commandant's mansion to cook, how come you kept it from me for so long? The person who escorted you back that day was also from the Grand Commandant's mansion, but who was he?"

Afraid that Huixin outside would overhear, Gu Zao quickly covered her mouth, saying, "My goodness, just shut up! That kind of person, so high and mighty, is he someone you can even dream of? Shut up! I'll talk to you properly when I get back."

Fang was still somewhat unwilling, but in her eyes, Huixin was a noblewoman of a much higher rank, and she was afraid that Huixin would get annoyed waiting, so she had no choice but to follow Gu Zao out.

After working with Gu Zao for so many days, Third Sister and Liu Zao had gotten the hang of things. Gu Zao called them over again and gave them detailed instructions on everything, big or small. Then they packed their things and went out with Hui Xin.

Third Sister, Liu Zao, and Fang Shi all saw her off to the alley entrance. Although it was only a few days, and Gu Zao had said she would come back when she had some free time, Third Sister and Liu Zao were still reluctant to part with her. Only Fang Shi seemed to wish that she would stay there forever and never come back.

Gu Zao and Hui Xin got into the car and chatted along the way. Gu Zao had already understood the reason why she was asked to enter the mansion two days earlier. It was just that she was afraid the dishes would not be suitable and wanted to be on the safe side by going through the process in advance.

Upon entering the Grand Commandant's mansion, even though it was still two days before the old lady's twentieth birthday, the outer walls had already been painted white, and lanterns and decorations were everywhere, making it look very festive.

Because the guest of honor was the current Empress Dowager, Gu Zao dared not be negligent. After being settled into a side room next to the old lady's north room, she instructed Huixin not to let anyone disturb her, as she wanted to organize some of the scattered dishes she had thought of over the past few days and list them in a complete menu. Huixin understood her meaning and naturally agreed. Sure enough, no one came to bother her, and she even personally delivered lunch to her.

Although the room was small, its furnishings were quite elegant. A faint fragrance of incense burned in the bronze incense burner with its animal-shaped mouth, which smelled pleasant. Gu Zao sat down at the table and pondered for a long time, revising and revising until he finally settled on the dishes he planned to prepare. However, looking at his crooked and messy characters written with Huizhou ink on the fine Xuan paper with a Huzhou brush, he felt somewhat ashamed. Just then, Huixin knocked on the door and brought over a plate of orange slices and ginkgo cake, so Gu Zao stopped her and asked if she could write.

Huixin glanced at Gu Zao's piece of paper, covered her mouth and smiled slightly. Without saying anything, she went to get a brush, dipped it in ink, and copied it from the original. When she encountered any unfamiliar characters, Gu Zao told her one by one. Soon she had copied a vegetarian banquet menu. After it dried, Gu Zao saw that her handwriting was quite elegant and rounded, and sighed that she was not as good as her. For the first time, she had the idea that she should practice her handwriting more when she had time.

The two of them took the list and went to the old lady's warm pavilion together. As usual, it was lively inside, and there was an extra screen compared to usual. Several stewards stood outside, including Steward Lu, whom they had met before. He said that Steward Lu was related to the "Four Departments and Six Bureaus" of the mansion and had been specially summoned to listen.

It turns out that when wealthy families held lavish banquets, they had a system of four departments and six bureaus. The Department of Setting Up the Tent was in charge of all the furnishings; the Department of Tea and Wine was in charge of tea, hot wine, seating arrangements, and welcoming guests; the Department of Cooking was in charge of cooking; and the Department of Tableware was in charge of serving cups, bowls, and plates. The Department of Fruits, the Department of Honey and Delicacies, and the Department of Vegetables were responsible for supplying these three types of food; while the Department of Oil and Candles, the Department of Incense and Medicine, and the Department of Arrangements were responsible for lighting candles, spices, and cleaning. The division of labor was incredibly detailed, down to the smallest detail.

Huixin took the list in her hand and smiled at the old lady sitting there, saying, "This vegetarian banquet is called the Purple Qi Comes from the East Banquet, which includes four desserts, four dried fruits, four sweets, and twelve dishes."

As soon as Huixin finished speaking, the old lady urged her to read out the specific names of the dishes. Huixin glanced at the long list and read them out one by one:

"Four desserts: Sterculia foetida fruit cake, radish cake, pine nut cake, and yam cake; four side dishes: lotus seed rolls, vegetarian chicken, persimmon, and vegetarian roast goose; four sugars: rose sugar, pine pollen sugar, snow pear sugar, and osmanthus sugar; twelve dishes: vegetarian bird's nest, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Buddhist Brocade Pouch, Eight Treasures Hidden Pearls, Compassionate Salvation, Ruyi Skewers, Purple Qi Comes from the East, Delicate White Jade, Green Robe Lettuce Rolls, Nanshan Longevity Noodles, Ginkgo Offering to Buddha, plus an auspicious standing sculpture."

Hui thought of something, and the old lady nodded. After listening, she looked at Gu Zao and smiled, "The 'Purple Qi Comes from the East Banquet' sounds auspicious. I heard that some of the dishes have the same name. I wonder what they are?"

Gu Zaoying replied, "It is He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) that has been peeled, soaked in water, and then simmered with dried green plums. It has the effect of darkening hair and beautifying the complexion."

The old lady nodded, and was about to ask another question when Madam Jiang couldn't help but interject, "What is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? I've never heard of it before."

Gu Zao smiled and said, "This dish is originally a meat dish. It requires eighteen ingredients: sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, dried scallops, fish lips, fish maw, razor clams, ham, pork belly, lamb shank, pig's trotters, tendons, chicken breast, duck breast, chicken gizzards, duck gizzards, shiitake mushrooms, and winter bamboo shoots. These ingredients are then pan-fried, stir-fried, cooked, and deep-fried to create various dishes. They are then layered in a large wine jar, with an appropriate amount of broth and aged wine added to fully blend the ingredients. The jar is then sealed tightly with lotus leaves and heated over a fire. Even the method of heating is very particular; heavy, smokeless white charcoal is used. It is first brought to a boil over a high flame, then simmered over a low flame for five or six hours. Only then is it truly complete. The name comes from the saying, 'When the jar is opened, the aroma of meat wafts to the neighbors; even Buddha would abandon his meditation and jump over the wall to come.'"

As Gu Zao spoke, everyone in the room, including those standing outside the screen, swallowed hard. Madam Luo said, "The name sounds quite charming, but since it's vegetarian, how can it be prepared?"

Gu Zao said, "It's just a dish made by layering together roasted gluten, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, taro vermicelli, radishes, thick mushroom paste, vegetarian chicken, winter melon, and other ingredients, along with taro from Lipu and various mixed vegetables. It's then topped with broth and seasonings and steamed in a steamer. Although it's vegetarian, once it's done, it's incredibly fragrant and just as delicious as meat dishes."

Luo shook her head and sighed, "That's quite a taste; no wonder it has such a unique name."

Gu Zao glanced at the old lady, thought for a moment, and said, "Since your family summoned me two days early, you must be eager to prepare this vegetarian banquet for the Empress Dowager. Since I'm already here and have nothing else to do, I'll prepare the entire banquet tomorrow and invite the old lady and madam to taste it. If there's anything you don't like, please let me know so I can think of ways to improve it."

The old lady and Madam Luo were waiting for her to say those words. Seeing that she had said them herself without any prompting, they were overjoyed and loudly called out that those outside the screen must obey Gu Zao's orders. Gu Zao smiled slightly, said a few more words with her, and then took her leave. She called Steward Lu to come with her, gave him all the necessary materials to prepare, and then returned to the room she had just come from.

Vegetarian Buddha Jumps Over the Wall

Winter days are short; it was only dusk when it was already dark. Gu Zao didn't want to join the commotion at the old lady's warm pavilion again, and besides, she was afraid of running into that uncle and nephew again. She said she needed to think about tomorrow's menu, so she went to the small kitchen, chopped half a pot of kelp, and started making soup. She told the people inside to watch the fire and wait for the soup to reduce, then locked herself in the side room by herself.

A brazier was already lit inside, burning fine white charcoal, and incense was also burning, making Gu Zao somewhat drowsy. He thought about the dishes for tomorrow, then about how Fang's third sister and the others were probably doing business at the night market. Since he had nothing else to do, he wondered if he should go and help them out, and come back early the next morning. Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard Zhenxin's voice outside: "Second Master, what brings you here? The Old Madam is in the warm chamber."

Zhenxin was sent here temporarily to serve Gu Zao. Gu Zao gave her a long vacation, and she was so happy that she had just gone out for a long walk before returning. As soon as she stepped onto the steps of the veranda, she suddenly saw a dark figure standing in the courtyard. She was startled, but after taking a closer look by the lanterns hanging on the veranda, she realized that it was the second master of the mansion. She quickly greeted him with a smile.

Gu Zao was inside the room when he heard Zhen Xin's voice. He lifted the lampshade and blew out the fire with a puff, then took off his shoes and crawled into the brocade curtains.

Yang Hao had received a report earlier that day from the servant who had inquired about Gu Zao's whereabouts: Gu Erjie had returned to the manor and had even been kept overnight in the north wing by the old lady. Unable to resist, he went to his mother's house again to deliver a large red coral ornament. After fulfilling his filial duty, his feet seemed to lead him towards the wing. Reaching the corridor, he saw the lights were on inside, but hesitated, unsure what to do, and simply stood there staring. Startled by Zhenxin's sudden appearance, he gave a somewhat guilty "hmm," then looked at the doors and windows again—they were completely dark. Feeling a pang of disappointment, he ignored Zhenxin and turned to leave.

When Zhenxin saw that her second master had only given a faint "hmm" and left, she was a little puzzled but didn't take it to heart. She pushed open the door and went in. It was pitch black except for the dim light from the brazier in the inner room. She assumed that Gu had already fallen asleep and didn't dare to disturb her. She quietly climbed up to her own bed in the outer room and soon fell fast asleep.

Gu Zao lay on the thick, soft satin bed, the sweet, delicate fragrance emanating from the sachet hanging in the brocade curtains filling her nostrils. She could hear Zhen Xin's snoring and teeth grinding outside, but she couldn't fall asleep. The words Fang Shi had spoken during the day vaguely flashed through her mind. She wondered how long that person had been standing outside her room without her noticing, and a sense of unease crept into her heart. After tossing and turning for a long time, she suddenly shuddered, her mind instantly clearing. She cursed herself for being so foolish, realizing that all the wisdom she had gained over the past decades had gone to waste. Only then did she feel a little more at peace, and finally, she turned over and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Gu Zao got up early, washed up, and went to the small kitchen in the north room of the old lady's house. Although it was called a small kitchen, it was actually quite spacious, and everything needed for cooking was readily available. Upon closer inspection, she found that all the items she had listed yesterday were already there, nothing was missing, and even the three or four maids and servants who were originally in the kitchen had been instructed and were waiting there early. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that the Grand Commandant's mansion was indeed efficient with many people.

The first thing Gu Zao did upon arriving was to lift the lid of the pot she had ordered to cook the night before. She saw that the half-pot of kelp had turned yellowish-brown and shriveled up considerably. After scooping out the kelp, she noticed a thin layer of brown crystals at the bottom of the pot. She picked up a bit with her chopsticks, tasted it, and nodded in approval.

It turns out that the seasonings at this time—oil, salt, soy sauce, fermented black beans, ginger, pepper, and tea—were all readily available, almost identical to those of later generations, except for MSG. Gu Zao, however, was making a traditional MSG. She had heard her master mention this method casually before; he said the invention of MSG was accidental. A Japanese professor discovered brown crystals left after the broth evaporated in seaweed soup his wife had accidentally overcooked. These crystals had an indescribable but pleasant taste. Research revealed that their main component was glutamic acid, leading to the birth of MSG.

Gu Zao had heard of it before, but only considered it an anecdote. Now, however, he thought that since it was a vegetarian feast, it wouldn't be bad if he could come up with some traditional MSG recipes to enhance the flavor. So he tried to recreate it. Seeing that the brown crystals did indeed taste umami, he immediately took a bowl, scraped off about half a bowl of the bottom layer from the pot, and set it aside for later use.

The wives and servants didn't know what she was doing, but they were all good at reading the room. They knew that even Sixth Sister-in-law had been humiliated by this young lady, so they didn't ask any more questions. They just did the preparatory work according to Gu Zao's instructions, while Gu Zao herself started making the roasted gluten.

This roasted gluten is actually the main ingredient in her Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish today. It is said to have been created by Emperor Wu of Liang in the Southern Dynasties, but it is not available now. Gu Zao naturally dared not be negligent. She went through the steps she had done before in her mind again, and after thinking it through, she began to knead the gluten.

She poured about five pounds of flour into a basin, added salt and water to soften it, then added more water and kneaded the dough repeatedly by hand until it became moist. She then set it aside to rest. While waiting, she took some shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and wood ear mushrooms, blanched them in boiling water, then transferred them to cold water. After they cooled, she drained them and set them aside. The dough rested for about 15 minutes, then poured it into a large basin, added cold water, and repeatedly kneaded it. When the water became cloudy, she poured it out and added fresh water, continuing to knead until the water ran clear. Only then was the gluten considered made. Finally, she looked at the lump of gluten in her hand; only about a pound remained.

This was indeed hard work. By the time the last piece of gluten was done, Gu Zao's arms were already a little sore. After shaking them slightly, he had the fire lit, poured vegetable oil into the pot, and added the gluten pieces. When they were golden brown, he took them out and drained the oil. He then heated sesame oil in the same pot, added scallions and ginger slices, and stir-fried them until fragrant. He then added cooking wine, soy sauce, chicken broth, salt, and sugar. After the broth turned golden brown, he added the fried gluten, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and wood ear mushrooms to the broth. He simmered the gluten over low heat until it softened, then reduced the sauce over high heat. He removed the scallions and ginger, sprinkled some of the brown crystals on top, and tasted it himself. It was indeed sweet, salty, and fragrant, and very delicious.

Once the roasted gluten had cooled completely, the bean sprout and mushroom broth that had been simmering in another pot was ready. Gu Zao then deep-fried the taro, cut into bite-sized pieces, until it was hard on the outside and soft on the inside. He took it out, then took a wide-mouthed jar that had been prepared beforehand, laid the bottom with the fried taro, then a layer of roasted gluten, and then layered bamboo shoots, vermicelli, radish, vegetarian chicken, winter melon, mixed mushrooms, thick mushrooms, pine mushrooms, and goose mushrooms. He poured vegetarian broth into the jar, added two spoonfuls of vinegar and sugar, covered it, and put it on a high flame to steam. Only then did he take it out separately and place it on a small coal stove with white charcoal burning to steam it slowly, waiting for it to absorb the flavors.

After preparing the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup, Gu Zao peeled and pitted the Bodhi fruit, chopped it finely, mixed it with glutinous rice flour and powdered sugar, added two spoonfuls of vegetable oil, and poured it into a small steamer to steam—this was the Bodhi fruit cake. The radish cake, on the other hand, was made by pounding fragrant rice and glutinous rice into powder, peeling and shredding the radish, stir-frying it briefly in vegetable oil, adding pepper, chopped green onions, and a little salt. When the radish shreds were half-cooked, they were removed, mixed with rice flour, and shaped into balls to be fried until crispy. The pine nut and yam cake was also ready. Only then did they begin preparing the hot dishes. The four or five people in the small kitchen worked like spinning tops from morning until nearly evening, finally preparing this entire vegetarian feast.

Huixin had come to check on things several times before, and seeing that everything was finally ready, she had someone pack the food into food boxes and send them over to the old lady's warm room.

Gu Zao had been busy all day, and now that she had some free time, she felt a bit sore in her back and waist. Having inhaled the smoky smells of cooking oil all day, her stomach was already full, and seeing that all the food had been delivered, she couldn't eat any more rice, so she slowly went to her room. She washed her face with soap, which made her feel a little better. Knowing that she would be called over soon, she sat down to wait. Sure enough, less than half an hour later, Zhen Xin came excitedly to call her.

"Sister Gu, the old lady had some of your vegetables sent to the master and second master. They both said they were delicious. The old lady was so happy that she called you over. Is she going to reward you?"

Gu Zao glanced at Zhen Xin, who had a look of envy on her face, smiled slightly, and then went over. Inside, she saw the entire family of women, except for Jiang Shi, who sat with the old lady at the lower end of the table, while Luo San Niang and the others were standing.

After Gu Zao greeted the old lady, she beckoned to come closer. Gu Zao went over, and the old lady pointed to the plate of fruit carvings on the table. On the left was a fairy riding a cloud, made of dough, and on the right was a colorful phoenix carved from fruits and vegetables. In the middle were layers of fruits carved into various flower shapes, and on top of that was a peach. She smiled and said, "This is quite fresh. Is it Magu offering longevity?"

Gu Zao glanced at the plate and said, "It is precisely the meaning of 'a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix' and 'Magu offering longevity'."

Madam Jiang smiled and said, "This plate is not only exquisite and beautiful, but it even features the Empress Dowager and you, the Old Madam. It's truly wonderful, but it's a pity that we can't eat it."

Gu Zao smiled slightly and said, "It's just a disc for looking at."

The old lady rolled her eyes at Jiang, then smiled and said, "You glutton, isn't this whole table of food enough for you? Why are you still eyeing this?"

Everyone in the room laughed. Madam Jiang pretended to slap herself before looking at Gu Zao and smiling, "The dishes on your table are indeed excellent. I sent some to the master and the second master earlier, and they both praised them. That Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish is especially delicious. They said they had never tasted such a flavorful vegetarian dish before. Let's decide on this banquet for the Empress Dowager's birthday the day after tomorrow."

Seeing that both the old lady and Madam Luo seemed satisfied, Gu Zao felt relieved and wanted to take her leave. However, Madam Luo wouldn't let her go and called her back to ask about the recipes for other dishes. Gu Zao patiently answered each question. Finally, when the old lady showed signs of fatigue and dismissed them, Gu Zao managed to slip away. It was already late afternoon. Back in her room, she found that Zhenxin had prepared a wooden tub of hot water for her bath. After thanking her, she took off her clothes and slipped into the hot water, enjoying a comfortable bath that completely relieved her fatigue.

After taking a bath, drying her hair, and getting ready, she saw Zhenxin sitting to one side, already exhausted and nodding her head like a chicken pecking at rice. She told her to go to the outer room to sleep, and then went to bed herself. She had only been lying down for a short while when she suddenly felt hungry. Not wanting to wake Zhenxin again, she remembered there were some uncooked longevity noodles left in the small kitchen, which wasn't far away. So she got up, put on her clothes, grabbed a candle, and walked past the soundly sleeping Zhenxin, opening the door to the small kitchen.

Second Master's Ambiguous Relationship

The small kitchen was located at the far end of the courtyard, around the corner. It should have been late 9 PM by now. The people in the courtyard, following the old lady's habit, had gone to bed early. It was dark outside, with only a few lanterns hanging on the veranda casting a dim light, swaying gently in the night breeze.

Gu Zao wore soft-soled embroidered shoes and carried a lamp, silently walking along the corridor towards the small kitchen. Just as she turned the corner and was about to enter the kitchen, she suddenly felt a breeze behind her. Before she could react, she was tightly embraced from behind by a pair of strong arms, and immediately smelled a faint scent of alcohol.

Gu Zao felt a chill run down her spine, and the lantern in her hand fell to the ground with a thud. The lanterns hanging at the corner of the corridor were gone; the lantern had fallen to the ground and gone out instantly, plunging the surroundings into complete darkness.

The person behind her was clearly a tall man. Gu Zao could feel his face pressed against her neck, the fur tickling her. The hand that was holding her waist began to move upwards restlessly. In a flash, she vaguely knew who this person was.

Every courtyard in the Grand Commandant's mansion is locked at night, with servants on night watch nearby. So late, besides that person, who else would so brazenly barge into the old lady's north courtyard?

Enraged, Gu Zao raised her right foot and stomped hard on the man's instep, wishing she were wearing her old high heels. The man behind her didn't cry out in pain; instead, he let out a low laugh. Gu Zao became even more furious, her malice growing. Taking advantage of the man's momentary distraction, she twisted herself out of his arms, gritted her teeth, and raised her right knee to strike the man's groin.

The man let out a muffled groan, seemingly in some pain, and finally released his grip on Gu Zao, taking a small step back.

"Second Master, it's so late, why aren't you resting? Why are you still in the mood to wander around here?"

Gu Zao lowered her voice slightly, looked at the shadowy figure, and said coldly.

That man was none other than Yang Hao, the second master of this mansion.

These past few days, the old lady had been summoning him daily, insisting that he drink bowl after bowl of nourishing soup, saying that she was worried his health was weakened from long hours of hard work and that he should take good care of himself while at home. Although he didn't take it seriously, he thought it was his mother's good intention, so he reluctantly drank it all, unaware that there was a legal issue involved.

It turned out that Xiu Xin's complaints, made in secret, had reached the old lady's ears within a few days. Although she didn't believe it at first, she found out it was Xiu Xin who had spread the rumors, so she summoned her and gave her a severe scolding. However, a knot remained in her heart. Thinking that her own grandson already had a large number of women in his household, and this youngest son, born in middle age, was almost thirty but still hadn't mentioned marriage, could it be that he really had a hidden illness? She then secretly summoned the servant who served him outside to inquire. He said that the second master rarely had any romantic affairs outside. What she had initially only believed to some extent suddenly became seven or eight parts true. Feeling sorry for her son, she couldn't help but have someone brew that highly nourishing soup, and only felt at ease after watching him drink it every day.

Yang Hao was already a robust man, and he had been forced to drink so much nourishing soup every day that he almost had a nosebleed. Tonight, he had a few drinks with his elder brother, and after returning to his room, he tossed and turned in his room for half a day. When he closed his eyes, he kept thinking about how Gu Erjie had passed by him panting and looking so charming that day. He couldn't fall asleep at all, so he got up and went to the old lady's north room to ask the doorman to open the door.

The gatekeeper, half-asleep, recognized his master's voice and let him in without asking any questions. He went straight to Gu Zao's room, standing there in the courtyard, lost in thought, hoping his second sister would also come out to meet him. After waiting for a long time, there was no movement at all; the doors and windows were pitch black. He sighed helplessly and was about to go back when he suddenly saw what seemed like a faint light coming on inside. A moment later, the door creaked open a crack, and a figure holding a lamp emerged—the very person he was thinking of. Overjoyed, he followed without hesitation. After turning the corner of the corridor, he couldn't resist and, taking advantage of the darkness, pulled her into his arms.