The Red Mansion

Chapter 115: Sweet Wedding
But Yuanchun took Baochai's hand and cordially led her to the table. Baochai could not refuse and had to apologize and sit down at the bottom.

As Yuanchun picked up her chopsticks to eat, her smile faded and she fell silent. Jiang Nian also stopped laughing, and Baochai fell silent as well. All three of them observed the etiquette of "not talking while eating."

The group of servants who were surrounding him were also silent.

For a moment, the only sound at the table was the soft sound of chopsticks hitting fine porcelain.

After lunch, Jiang Nian called Yuanchun, He Yun, Meng and Feng into the study.

Yuanchun subconsciously wondered, "Could it be that Master wants to personally ask Housekeeper He and his wife about registering the gift and sending thank-you notes and return gifts?" Then she thought, "Master has already handed this matter over to me. If he asks Housekeeper He and his wife in front of me, wouldn't that be embarrassing for me?"

Indeed, since Jiang Nian had already handed over the registration of gifts and the thank-you gift return to Yuanchun, he should not have asked He Yun and Meng in person in front of Yuanchun. This would have weakened the authority of Yuanchun, the mistress.

In this era, wealthy families are very particular about rules and decorum.

Yuanchun grew up in Rongguo Mansion and worked as a female historian for the Empress Dowager for several years, so she was sensitive to such things.

Fortunately, Jiang Nian was not asking He Yun and Meng about the registration of the gift and the thank-you gift in return, but he had something else to ask.

Jiang Nian took two sips of tea from a celadon tea bowl, then turned to He Yun, Meng, and Feng and asked, "Was today's lunch also prepared by Chef Wang, who we invited from Jiangnan Residence?"

He Yun glanced at Meng Shi when he heard this. Meng Shi understood and quickly nudged Feng Shi.

Feng bent her knees and said with a forced smile, "My Lord, it's Cook Wang who's in charge. Since it's such a great occasion, we've invited her for two days. One day yesterday, one day today, and she'll be back at Jiangnan Residence tomorrow. For lunch today, the ham and bamboo shoot soup, the wolfberry sprouts stir-fried with oil and salt, and the steamed duck with fermented rice wine—aren't they all authentic Jiangnan dishes? Even the pickled goose feet were pickled by Cook Wang herself and brought over."

After hearing Feng's reply, Jiang Nian nodded slightly.

Dong Liang's wife, Yao, was the cook of the Jiang family, while Feng was in charge of the kitchen.

The Jiang family's kitchen was primarily run by the women Feng and Yao. In addition, the two maids, Qi'er and Qin'er, assisted in the kitchen.

Both Feng and Yao are good cooks, but not very good.

For this wedding, Jiang Nian specially asked He Yun to invite a chef from outside, and that was Chef Wang from "Jiangnan Ju".

Jiangnanju is a high-end restaurant located in Jingcheng District, Shenyang, specializing in Jiangnan cuisine.

Jiang Nian gently closed the celadon teacup in his hand, and the teacup and lid made a clear "ding" sound. He pondered for a moment, his eyes flicking to Feng's face, and slowly asked, "What is the origin of this cook Wang?"

Feng Shi hurriedly replied, "My lord, I heard from Madam Wang herself that she was originally a cook in an official's house in Jiangning. When her family was promoted to an official in Beijing, she followed him to Beijing to serve him. Who would have thought that when the master reached the third rank, he met with misfortune and his house was ransacked last year. Madam Wang was sold by the officials and bought by the owner of 'Jiangnan Residence'."

Jiang Nian raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this, secretly amused, thinking, "This is probably what my father in this life did again. He's worthy of being called the 'Emperor of Confiscating Property'!" He also thought, "No wonder the Jiangnan dishes these past two days have been so authentic, exquisite and delicious. It's no wonder that Cook Wang has such a background."

Jiang Nian picked up a walnut-sized gold watch from the desk and continued to ask while playing with it, "Who is the owner of 'Jiangnan Residence'?"

Feng was speechless for a moment and went to see He Yun. He Yun understood and took over the conversation. He bowed to Jiang Nian and replied, "I don't know much about this matter. I only know that he is a Huizhou merchant and his surname is also Wang."

After hearing this, Jiang Nian had a faint smile on his face.

He knew that most of the restaurant owners in Daqing today were from business groups, including Shanxi merchants, Shandong merchants, and Anhui merchants... It is not difficult to imagine that this Hui merchant named Wang must have powerful backers in the capital, otherwise how could he have opened such a high-end restaurant as "Jiangnanju" in the eastern city of Shenyang?

Jiang Nian gently placed the walnut-sized gold watch on the desk and asked He Yun, "Is Madam Wang the head chef at Jiangnan Ju?"

He Yun replied, "That's not true. Jiangnan Ju has another head chef, and Mrs. Wang is just an assistant chef."

Jiang Nian's brows relaxed slightly, and he said, "I see! Since you're not the head chef, it's easier to negotiate. Otherwise, it wouldn't be cheap."

He Yun understood and asked with a smile, "Master, are you going to buy this cook Wang and bring her to our house to serve us?"

Jiang Nian nodded slightly and gave He Yun instructions: "This chef Wang is very skilled and is from Jiangning. The dishes she makes suit my taste and the madam's taste as well."

He glanced at Yuanchun tenderly and continued, "Now that our family is growing, it's time to add a cook to the kitchen. Go this afternoon and see the owner of 'Jiangnan Residence,' Mr. Wang, and talk to him politely to see if you can buy the indenture of Cook Wang. Remember to speak nicely and don't be afraid to spend money. Don't force anything."

He Yun nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand. I will definitely discuss it in a friendly way and will not embarrass you."

After finishing talking about the matter of Cook Wang, Jiang Nian asked He Yun, Meng and Feng to leave.

After He Yun led Meng and Feng to leave, only Jiang Nian and Yuanchun were left in the study.

Yuanchun personally refilled Jiang Nian's tea and said with a sweet smile, "I didn't expect you to be so concerned about kitchen matters."

Jiang Nian smiled gently in response: "Although we have a full-time cook named Yao and a cook named Feng in charge of the kitchen, their cooking skills are still far inferior to that of cook Wang."

He sipped his tea and continued, "The reason I hired Chef Wang, who specializes in Jiangnan cuisine, is, firstly, because I grew up in Jiangning and am used to the food there; secondly..."

As he spoke, he looked up at Yuanchun, his voice becoming especially gentle: "I know Madam also likes Jiangnan cuisine."

When Yuanchun heard this, her slender fingers touched the jade bracelet on her wrist, and a touch of emotion appeared in her eyes: "Thank you for your concern..." Her voice was as soft as willow catkins in March.

She couldn't help but recall that before she left home, the old lady at the mansion had been concerned about her diet after marrying into the Jiang family, worried that she wouldn't get used to it. Oh, it was the old lady who was worrying too much.

Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Yuanchun's lips, as peaceful and pleasant as the sweet osmanthus.

Jiang Nian's words were true. Having grown up in Jiangning, his tastes naturally leaned towards southern cuisine. The Rongguo Mansion's ancestral home was in Jiangning, and their chefs excelled at Jinling cuisine. Yuanchun had been eating there since she was a child, so naturally, she also preferred Jiangnan cuisine.

Because the window was open, a gust of spring breeze blew in from outside, bringing a cool feeling to Jiang Nian's face.

Jiang Nian gently closed the celadon bowl in his hand and placed it gently on the desk, thinking to himself, "With my current status and reputation, plus my luck, I'm just hiring a cook who helps out at a restaurant, not poaching the head chef. I think it should go smoothly. If the owner of 'Jiangnan Residence' is a sensible person, he won't refuse this, but will take the opportunity to make friends with me."

Then, Jiang Niancai asked Yuanchun briefly about the registration of gifts and the return of thank-you gifts, and Yuanchun responded with a smile.

After hearing this, Jiang Nian nodded and said with a smile, "Now that I have a wife, I don't have to worry about housework anymore. Since my wife is so virtuous and thoughtful, please make careful arrangements for my return home tomorrow." Yuanchun was naturally happy to hear this. It was only the second day of her wedding, and she received such praise from her husband.

She pursed her lower lip and smiled, "I will take care of the return visit without your instructions. The old ladies, the master, and the wives at the Rong Mansion will surely be looking forward to you accompanying me back."

According to the "three-day return home" ritual, the third day after the wedding is the return home day, which means that Jiang Nian and Yuanchun will "return home" to the Rongguo Mansion tomorrow.

Seeing Yuanchun's appropriate responses and thorough handling of matters, Jiang Nian couldn't help but think of a word: a virtuous wife.

A virtuous wife is one who helps her husband in life, which means that the wife can help her husband so that he can make progress in his career and other aspects and increase his status in society.

Jiang Nian knew that if his wife was a good helper, she would not only be able to help him manage the household affairs and save him time and effort, but it would also be beneficial to his career, or to be more precise, his imperial career!
Although today is only the second day of the wedding, he already thinks that Yuanchun should be a good wife.

However, he also knew that even though Yuanchun was a good wife, as his family grew with more women and servants, and as his career expanded, household affairs would inevitably become turbulent, and there would be all kinds of struggles for power and profit...

Thinking of this, his brows knitted slightly, but soon relaxed again, and he said softly, "I feel relieved that Madam will take care of it."

Yuanchun noticed that his expression seemed to be profound, but she did not ask any further questions. She only said softly, "Master, you are young and promising, and you are working hard to make progress. These trivial matters at home should be taken care of by me. If I can't even take care of these, how can I be worthy of being your... your..."

Having said this, he suddenly stopped talking in embarrassment.

Jiang Nianxiao asked, "How can you be worthy of doing anything for me?"

Yuanchun said softly, "Pah," "I won't tell you anything. I won't disturb you from studying and making progress."

After saying that, he turned and left the study, not forgetting to close the door gently.

Jiang Nian stayed in the study, spreading out a Jingxian Cao family tribute banner. This Jingxian Cao family tribute banner was the one that Emperor Taishun had gifted him. It was as solid as ice wings, with a cloud-blue color, and its woven pattern could be seen in the light.

Jiang Nianyan dipped his brush in ink and copied the "Lanting Preface". His brushwork was steady, each word flowing like clouds and water, and the ink was thick and thin, which seemed to have a bit of Wang Youjun's style.

After practicing calligraphy for two quarters of an hour, Jiang Nian put down his pen, rubbed his wrist, stood up and walked out of the study.

He had just opened the door of the study when he saw Xi Que walking into the main room. Seeing him suddenly come out of the study, Xi Que lowered its head and stood by the door, stealing glances at him.

Jiang Nian said to Xi Que, "I'm going to take a nap. When I'm taking a nap, no noise is allowed in the main room."

The magpie said, "Oh!" "Got it. I'll leave now."

After saying that, he hurriedly turned around and left the main room.

Jiang Nian looked at Xi Que's back and thought to himself, "I'll change her name to 'Qingwen' in a few days. Although Jia Baoyu has his faults, he's good at naming maids. The names he picked are all very good."

Jiang Nian walked into the bedroom, which was also the bridal chamber for the newlyweds. With Xiangling's help, he lay down in the red silk tent and took a nap as usual.

At this time, Yuanchun was summoning a group of servants in the east ear room and carefully instructing them about returning home tomorrow.

The Jiang family's new three-story house had east and west side rooms on either side of the main house. Jiang Nian gave the east side room to Yuanchun as her daily residence and rest area. Although the east side room was not spacious, it was elegantly decorated.

For example, Mrs. Wang's daily residence and rest in Rongguo Mansion was not in Rongxi Hall, but in the three side rooms to the east of Rongxi Hall.

After Yuanchun had explained to the servants her plans for her return home the next day, she rose and walked gracefully towards the main room. As she reached the bedroom door, she saw Xiangling sitting on an embroidered cushion by the door, her hand resting on her cheek, dozing off.

Yuanchun couldn't help but smile when she saw this, and she stepped forward and gently patted Xiangling on the head.

Xiangling suddenly woke up, looked up and saw Yuanchun, hurriedly stood up and whispered, "Grandma."

Yuanchun covered her lips with a handkerchief and asked quietly, "Is the master taking a break in there?"

Xiangling nodded, then pointed to the clock in the main hall and replied softly, "He's already slept for three-quarters of an hour. According to usual practice, he needs another quarter of an hour before I can wake him up."

Yuanchun nodded slightly and turned to leave. She reached the main hall door, then paused, hesitated for a moment, and turned back. She bit her lower lip, reached out, slowly pushed open the carved bedroom door, and quietly stepped inside.

But the joyous atmosphere in the bridal chamber had not yet faded, and a red gauze curtain was still hanging on the top frame of the bed. Although there was no sunlight or candlelight, the "囍" character embroidered on the big red brocade quilt seemed to be shining brightly, filling the room with spring.

Yuanchun tiptoed to the bed, sat on the edge, and looked down at the sleeping Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian was lying alone in a large red quilt, breathing evenly, a lock of black hair scattered on the pillow, sword-like eyebrows reaching into the temples, and a faint smile seemed to be on his lips.

Yuanchun stared at him, lost in thought. Suddenly, her cheeks felt hot, and she thought to herself, "When we first met last year in Ningchun Hall in Changchun Garden, although I thought he was extraordinary, I never thought I would fall in love with him so much. He just married yesterday, so why is he already..."

Thinking of this, her ears seemed to turn red, and she hurriedly covered her face with a handkerchief, but her eyes seemed to be glued to her husband's face and could not be moved away.

He had sat there in a daze for a quarter of an hour without realizing it, and didn't even notice Xiangling coming in quietly.

Seeing Yuanchun like this, Xiangling chuckled, her laughter startling Yuanchun. Yuanchun turned around hurriedly, and seeing Xiangling, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Xiangling pointed at Jiang Nian and said something silently to Yuanchun.

Yuanchun immediately understood - it was time to wake up the master.

Yuanchun took a deep breath and, with trembling fingers, pushed Jiang Nian's shoulder. After two pushes, the man only mumbled a muffled "hmm" and buried his face deeper into the quilt.

Yuanchun was about to call him again when she saw Jiang Nian stretch out his arms and suddenly hug her...

Yuanchun subconsciously moaned "Master", as if she had forgotten that Xiangling was in the room.

(End of this chapter)