[Pride and Prejudice] Rich Lady

The doctor came quickly. After some examinations, he said that Elizabeth had a cold, but it was not serious. He only asked her to rest more and prescribed some medicines.

"I'll get some sleep, and I'll be fine tomorrow." Elizabeth smiled and comforted her family.

Ever since she became the second daughter of the Bennet family, she was too tense and couldn't sleep well at night, and often hid out to stay by herself for a while during the day, and it was still a bit cold in Longbourne in autumn.Thinking about it this way, it is reasonable to have this minor illness.It's just that this body is not as strong and healthy as imagined. Teenagers should be very resistant to tossing, Elizabeth thought, in her last life, she will be surrounded by evening self-study and exercise books.

"Lizzie, drink up the ginger beer. I specially made it thicker. Drink it and you'll be fine tomorrow." Mrs. Bennet herself brought a bowl of dark juice on a tray, exuding a strange smell. smell.

Lydia covered her nose, her chubby little face wrinkled.Jane looked at Elizabeth worriedly.

Mrs. Bennet is very proud: "This is the secret recipe of the Gardner family. Your aunt can also make it, but she is far less skilled than me."

I have drank Chinese medicine better, this ginger beer is nothing compared to the traditional Chinese medicine in the flower country.Elizabeth didn't think much of it, and took a sip of it.Christ Jesus, what a smell this is!

The spiciness of ginger juice, the sourness of lemon, the bitterness of beer, and the strong burning sensation of low-quality whiskey after entering the throat, as if a whole bottle of Erguotou was forcefully poured into it, and the throat was hot and painful.

Anyone who has taken traditional Chinese medicine knows that no matter how much you doubt your life when the medicine is bitter, drinking it in one gulp is the correct way to drink it, and drinking it spoonful by spoonful is just asking for blows.Yili Zaibai didn't care about any ladylike behavior any more, she gave the spoon to Sarah, picked up the bowl and drank it down.

"Has she lost her sense of taste?" Lydia grabbed Jane, her eyes widened, and she retched.

After Elizabeth finished drinking, her tongue was numb and she was sweating all over, and she couldn't even raise her strength to speak.

Jane's face was full of admiration, and even the maid Sarah was full of awe. Except for Mrs. Bennet, everyone looked at Elizabeth as if they were admiring a great hero.

Mrs. Bennet was extremely happy, thinking that her second daughter, who was not very popular with her, was now cuter than Baby Lydia.She even took the cloth towel from Sara and wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead for Elizabeth herself.

"The secret recipe of the Gardner family is incomparable! Look at our little Lizzie is already sweating!" Mrs. Bennet said proudly: "I dare say that there is no hostess in the whole of Longbourne who has such a skill, They just make do with ginger beer, lemon and honey. Gardner's ginger beer is not as easy as those simple recipes. We use whiskey instead of honey, use two lemons, and add a whole London brown sugar, and a tablespoon of olive oil..."

Mrs. Bennet's bragging made Elizabeth admiring her fearless act of drinking medicine. This is simply a dark dish among dark dishes.

Mr. Bennet had to interrupt Mrs. Bennet's boasting: "My good wife, your craftsmanship is naturally unmatched in the whole of Longbourne, oh, not only Longbourne, but even Meryton I can. Just tell us these words later, please? I think my little Lizzie needs a rest, a quiet rest!"

So everyone withdrew, and Mrs. Bennet told the maid Sarah to take good care of Elizabeth, and Jane tucked Elizabeth's quilt intimately.

With Sarah's help, Elizabeth rinsed her mouth with water, barely suppressing the terrible taste.Lying quietly in the bed tent, Elizabeth missed candied plums, preserved apricots, candied golden dates, nine-made tangerine peel, etc. Those candied fruits that can be seen everywhere are definitely the greatest comfort after drinking the bitter medicine.

Maybe it's because the whiskey in Mrs. Bennet's special ginger beer has more stamina, or maybe it's because Elizabeth is young and strong, and Elizabeth has a rare and full sleep.Even Mrs. Bennet and Jane visited several times in the night without waking her up.When I woke up the next day, not only did my fever subside, but all the minor symptoms of a cold disappeared as well.

It was still dark outside the curtains, but there was a candle in the room, presumably for the convenience of her family to see her condition.Elizabeth took out her pocket watch from under her pillow, it was only six o'clock.

After a full twelve hours of sleep, Elizabeth felt completely refreshed, but she missed yesterday's dinner and supper, and felt very hungry.After a simple wash, Elizabeth neatly braided her thick long hair into a fluffy long braid, tied a light blue handkerchief into a beautiful bow at the end of her hair, changed into a dark blue muslin dress, and put on a brown dress. The cashmere shawl, to ensure that he would not be cooled by the morning breeze, held the candlestick and opened the door and went downstairs lightly.

At this time, the Bennet family is still immersed in a sweet dreamland, and even Sarah, the most industrious maid, has not gotten up yet.

Elizabeth went straight to the kitchen.The kitchen of Bennet’s house is still very spacious. There are many ingredients and seasonings on the shelves made of walnut. Except for Mrs. Georgia, the female cook, these expensive spices are also what Mrs. Bennet is proud of.Elizabeth opened the jars and looked at them one by one. There were only a few bottles and jars, and the kitchens of the single men's homes in the flower-growing country were much richer than this.

She smacked her lips and had a good night's sleep to soothe her spirit. The aftereffects were fully revealed at this time-the soul of the big foodie country is about to move.It is true that the workmanship of Mrs. Georgia, who is highly respected, is just like that, monotonous to simple.What's more, this era is far from being as rich and exquisite as the English breakfast of later generations. Since she came here, what Elizabeth ate most for breakfast was bread, stewed beans, and boiled tomatoes. The bread was eaten directly, and there were not even many kinds of jams.

At this time, Elizabeth really wanted to have a bowl of beef ramen with fresh and chewy soup in front of her. She ate it warmly, and she didn't know how comfortable it was.Pian Kong has great skills, but she can only think about it. Elizabeth clenched her fists and suppressed her desire: Before there is no reasonable way and explanation, all her ideas of improving the quality of life are empty dreams, and all her abilities are useless.

Taking a long breath, Elizabeth looked through the ingredients: mushrooms, potatoes, peas, soybeans, beetroot, and a few tomatoes that were not particularly red.Tomatoes are in season, and these are the last few the Bennets have in stock.In addition to these, there are a few pieces of ham hanging, sausages, and wheat, oats and the like.I didn't even find a vegetable leaf.

Elizabeth raised her forehead, she really wanted to eat something tasty, not bland bread.Although it is undeniable that Mrs. Georgia is still very good at baking bread, and the bread is soft and fluffy.

It was already daylight outside the lattice window. Elizabeth pulled up her shawl, and found a wooden bucket and a fishing rod that Mr. Bennet didn't want from the stairwell.

The people of Longbourn don't eat fish very often, and occasionally they buy some smoked fish from Meryton's shop for hospitality. Even if they are smoked fish, they are made of sea fish.For example, Mr. Bennet, besides reading, also likes to fish, but he never takes the spoils home.In the traditional British concept, river fish seems to represent thorns and earthy smell, and even the hired workers on the farm are reluctant to eat it.

It was much easier for Elizabeth, for there was no shortage of fish in the rivers of Longbourne.

Passing through the fence behind Bennet's house, and turning around a small bush, there is a river passing by. Perhaps the terrain in the middle is somewhat concave, almost forming a small lake.The river beach is not wide, and the first-born sunlight slantly shines on the pebbles, half sparkling and half dark.

Longbourn had no shortage of streams, and men who fished like Mr. Bennet preferred a big river a mile away, and Elizabeth found the fish in this little lake extraordinarily sweet.I didn't even use the fishing rod. I just put the barrel in the water, and some small fish came over and touched the barrel with their lips curiously.Elizabeth put a little oiled bread crumbs in the bucket, tied the handle of the bucket with a fishing line, and tilted the bucket halfway to a slightly deeper corner where the water and grass were luxuriant. Pull the barrel to make it stand upright.

Rolling up her sleeves, she struggled to pull out the wooden barrel. Elizabeth looked at the two-tailed palm-sized fish that were still bubbling in the barrel, and then looked into the depths of the small lake. Her eyes sparkled: How many big fish are there? !

Taking a closer look, Elizabeth found that she also knew this foreign language, which was the most common carp.Only half a bucket of water is enough, and when the bucket is tilted to pour water, there is a surprise. In addition to the two fish, there are three river prawns at the bottom of the bucket!Elizabeth knew that river prawns migrated, and she liked to make her home on the stone wall by the bank, but how many prawns are here?

"Miss Elizabeth! Where have you been? I couldn't find you in your room just now, but we were frightened!" Grandma Hill, the housekeeper, yelled holding her chest when she saw Elizabeth coming in with a wooden bucket.

Sarah also ran down the stairs quickly, her brown eyes were wet: "If I can't find you again, I'm going to wake Madam up."

"It's all right, Mrs. Hill, Sarah. I'm all right now. I slept too much to go out for a walk. The air in the woods is fresh."

Sarah took the barrel and frowned: "My dear lady, what are you picking up these things for? The ducks at home will catch them by themselves and don't need to be fed." In fact, the husband also brought back the fish he caught before. , But those ducks don't touch them at all, they just like to catch and eat them in the river.

Can the small fish and shrimp here be "picked up"?Elizabeth paused for a moment, even ducks have learned to pick and choose?

"This is not an extra meal for the ducks." Elizabeth had to explain, "Well, this is actually what I want to make something to eat."

"God!" Seeing Mrs. Hill holding her face and screaming, Elizabeth hurriedly said: "I once heard a lady from London talk about a kind of food from other countries in Meryton."

"Mom often suffers from neuralgia recently and eats very little. I want to make it for my mother."

Mrs. Hill stopped talking and looked at Elizabeth connivingly: "My dear lady, you can try it. Don't worry, our Mrs. Georgia is going to start preparing breakfast too." It doesn't matter if you mess up, it's rare for Miss Elizabeth to be so happy .

Under Mrs. Hill's benevolent eyes, Elizabeth handed her the shawl, feeling in Mrs. Hill's eyes, as if she was going to serve the children's muddy meals on the table.

Sarah, on the other hand, was very curious, and kept asking, "Does the lady from London also go to Meryton? Is she beautiful? The girls in the city must be more beautiful, right? As beautiful as the young lady..."

This is a careless girl, and Elizabeth sent her: "Lydia is getting up soon, and she will be happy if you help her choose a bright dress."

Sarah put her head out to look at the clock in the living room, and shouted: "Miss Lydia got up late, but it's time for Miss Mary to get up."

"Have Mary and Kitty gone home?"

"Yes, Miss Elizabeth. The two ladies visited you last night. I don't know if you fell asleep." After speaking, she lifted her petticoat and hurried up the stairs.

Elizabeth looked at the small half of the bucket of river prawns. Fortunately, she picked up a lot, and the two little ones were very edible.

"What's the smell? It smells so good! Has Mrs. Georgia learned a new dish?" cried Lydia, running down the stairs with her disheveled hair and Kitty hand in hand.

A cousin of Mrs. Georgia's was a cook in the town of a gentleman, and had learned a great deal, and Mrs. Georgia was occasionally able to learn a few new tricks from a relation.This is what Mrs. Bennet is most satisfied with.

"My dear Lydia, it is not for a lady to be unkempt," cried Mrs. Bennet.

"Well, dear Mrs. Bennet, isn't it more foolish to dig holes on the farm and nearly break our horses' legs than not to comb their hair? Shouldn't ladies dig holes like moles?" Banner Mr. Te sarcastically said.

It's rare that Mr. Bennet didn't stay in his study and read those tomes, but stayed in the living room with his wife and children.

Lydia looked at it in surprise, except for Lizzie, the whole family sat neatly in the living room, as if they were holding some kind of ceremony. "Where's Lizzie? Is she alright?"

Jane pulled her little sister over, took the comb from Sarah who was chasing after her, and said with a smile: "Lizzie is ready, she is helping Mrs. Georgia prepare breakfast in the kitchen. The scent you smell is made by Lizzie, I heard It was a foreign dish that a lady in London she met told her about it."

Lydia smelled more and more delicious and fragrant aroma, obediently let Jane help her comb her hair.Kitty also sat down beside Mary.The two younger ones didn't ask about the details of the Miss London, such as the lace of their hats or the style of their skirts, as usual, but looked eagerly at the kitchen on the side of the living room.

"My little Lizzie, with consideration for mother's frail nerves, made it for me to taste it. Oh, Mr. Bennet, I dare say there is no sweeter thing in all Longbourn and Meryton than our daughter." That's it!" Mrs. Bennet said loudly, not at all as she was clutching her chest and yelling about neuralgia half an hour ago.

You know, half an hour ago, Mrs. Bennet was very determined to drive Elizabeth out of the kitchen, claiming that the Bennet family could afford a decent cook and they didn't need the ladies to get involved in the kitchen.Fortunately, Elizabeth lifted the lid quickly, and the unexploded aroma of the oatmeal porridge with shrimps and eggs made the aggressive Mrs. Bennet lose her temper.Hearing Mrs. Hill claim that Miss Elizabeth made it specially for her, Mrs. Bennet's temper, which is more unpredictable than the English weather, was quickly smoothed out.After a while, the fragrance of straw mushroom fish porridge and shrimp egg oatmeal porridge became more and more intense, until the whole family was attracted to the living room on the first floor.

Before nine o'clock, the whole family of Bennett had already sat down in the dining room, especially after Elizabeth had changed her clothes and sat down, the chairs seemed to bite people, not to mention the two little ones, even Mary He also frequently looked at the door of the dining room.

Soon, Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Georgia saw the dishes on the table, and the delicious smell was pervasive. Mrs. Bennet swallowed secretly, looked at Mr. Bennet enthusiastically, and silently urged him to start the meal quickly. prayer.

Mr. Bennet, who had only a little curiosity at first, was now filled with amazement. Instead of praying slowly in the past, he quickly led the whole family to thank Jesus for the bountiful food.

"Oh!" Everyone couldn't help sighing as the fish porridge entered.

The dining room of the Bennet family had never been so quiet, even Kitty and Lydia, the smooth porridge clogged the bright yellow beaks of the little birds, and they had no time to talk.

"Honey, serve me another bowl of fish porridge." Mr. Bennet handed the scraped bowl to Mrs. Bennet, asking for porridge for the fourth time.

"Honey, the last bit of fish porridge was scooped by Kitty into her little bowl."

"Shrimp porridge is also available."

"My daughters prefer shrimp porridge. In fact, the shrimp porridge is long gone..." Mrs. Bennet showed helplessness, and quickly licked her lips. Looking at the soft bread, she showed a bitter and bitter expression: After eating the smooth, salty and thick fish and shrimp porridge, the bread slices that I thought were delicious before suddenly became bland and tasteless.

The warm and longing light in Mr. Bennet's eyes was instantly extinguished, and his shoulders collapsed for a moment, as if he felt that this was ungentlemanlike. Mr. Bennet sat up straight, picked up a piece of bread, and praised loudly: "Mrs. The bread is getting softer and more delicious!"

But his praise was not echoed by anyone in the room. There was porridge in everyone's bowl, and they were all taking small sips of porridge.Even Mr. Bennet himself had nothing to do with admiration in his slow movement of the bread.

Mrs. Georgia was not here, in fact, she was hiding in the kitchen and eating some fish porridge that Elizabeth had specially left behind with Mrs. Hill.Even if she heard the praise from the hostess, she probably wouldn't bother to respond.

When leaving the dining room, Jane couldn't help but burped a little, which made her blush.But who in the family is not full and still thinks it is not enough, how can anyone laugh at her.

Kitty and Lydia had surrounded Elizabeth from left to right, eagerly asking, "Dear Lizzie, can we still have this for dinner?" "Lizzie, Lizzie! That lady from London still has something to tell Do you make other dishes?"

Only Elizabeth has regrets: without rice, three points of the deliciousness will be lost after all.Unfortunately, few Europeans grow rice.If this porridge has rice wine and cornstarch, it only needs a little bit to marinate the fish fillets and shrimp meat, it will be more tender and smoother, and the deliciousness will be upgraded to a higher level in an instant.

"My dear Lizzie, your Uncle Gardner will be visiting Longbourn tomorrow, and they will be very pleased when we have these two delicacies for them!"

Elizabeth's attention was instantly attracted, "Uncle Gardner is coming?"

Kitty yelled, "Yes, yes! Aunt Phillips says Uncle Gardner wants to send Mary or I to a boarding school... God, those boarding schools are worse than the devil, I don't want to go! Let Mary go!"

Little Mary moved her mouth with an unhappy expression, obviously unwilling.

boarding school?Like Lowood College where Jane Eyre went?Elizabeth's eyes brightened instantly, and she seemed to see a new possibility, a possibility that could be changed and integrated in a reasonable way.