[Pride and Prejudice] Rich Lady

Lord Cliff was never a good father, he was a member of parliament, and he was very obsessed with these affairs.This made him neglect the education of his children, and Mr. Baron himself was not as upright as he appeared, and the fact that he was unfaithful to the family also deeply affected the growth of the children.

Fortunately, Laura has a strong and decent godmother. Under her guidance, Laura is smarter and more sober than other girls.But that was not the case with her younger brothers and sisters. Laura almost never mentioned them. She was only close to her eldest brother, Lieutenant Colonel Ron Cliff, who had gone to the Navy.

"As long as I continue to operate, the annuity of the dessert shop is enough for me." Laura said: "This property is already a bit enviable. But they know that I only own half of the house, so they don't take it too seriously. After all, as long as the dessert shop moves out, the house is not worth much."

"Thanks to the kindness of Miss Jane, the confectionery in Chipside seemed to have nothing to do with me, which convinced the Cliffs that I didn't have much. Before I became a widow, I was not going to invest in other industries."

Elizabeth was very sad to hear what her friend said, but Miss Laura looked very calm and calm.

"Well, don't worry about me. Lizzie, believe me, I may be happier than most young ladies. I can already foresee that when I become a widow, I will be more popular than I am now, I don't know how much Sir wants to ask me to bow down and marry me."

In the evening, Elizabeth sat at the desk and tore apart the half-written letter to Jane. This kind of topic was too heavy and realistic to talk to Jane.But Miss Lizzie had a ready and suitable sharer, and she picked up a sheet of paper again, and began to write to dear "Miss William", telling him her anger, injustice, and sorrow.

Mr. William was mature and sensible enough, and Elizabeth hoped that he could give some advice or inspiration.Except for Laura, all her friends and sisters are about to face the same dilemma. Among them, the Bennet sisters are lucky enough to have a tolerant and open-minded father who really loves his daughter, but few other girls can. Have this luck.

The better educated the Taurus Academy is, the more sober the ladies are, and therefore the more miserable they are.It is true that the ladies would rather bear the pain and keep their own independent thoughts and souls, but in the eyes of others, they are especially unbearable.

In fact, Miss Elizabeth really overestimated Mr. William. A gentleman like him has been reduced to the point where he can't even see the lady he admires. How can he be expected to express his opinions on matters between men and women?

Besides, keeping lovers is as common in the upper class of England as owning hounds and fine horses, and it is still a fashionable thing that can be used as a topic of conversation.Just like His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, although his scandals are always published in the newspapers, there are also some people who tout the great achievements of this suave character and praise him as 'powerful'.And His Majesty King George III has always been loyal to marriage, and he is the "weird" in the eyes of the nobles.There was even a saying that a well-meaning person persuaded a certain lord: "You will be looked down upon because you don't have a mistress, and you will lose all your interests in the palace because of this (Note)".

It is normal life for lovers in the upper class.Of course, there are quite a few clean-cut people like Mr. William, but in the whole class, these loyal and responsible people are actually a weak group. It is really an ironic comedy.

However, after Elizabeth wrote the letter to Mr. William, she felt much better.In this regard, she really has to thank this friend—perhaps because of the fact that there is no intersection other than writing letters, Elizabeth has an indescribable sense of security, especially during the months of correspondence between them, Mr. William has never Wanting to tentatively ask about her family background, this made the young lady feel more comfortable.

Elizabeth gradually became more frank and frank with Mr. William. She would write down her worries, distress, achievements and triumphs on paper.Mr. William will never let her down. He occasionally persuades her to explain her, and occasionally makes brilliant suggestions. Sometimes he even laughs mercilessly at her stupid things. More often, Mr. William will put his Share the bits and pieces in your life with your friends.

The natural differences in the thinking of men and women always make their correspondence interesting.

Now writing a letter to Mr. William is no longer a trivial task, and reading Mr. William's reply has become a pleasant and expectant enjoyment.

This is a strange relationship, which has nothing to do with love but is extremely close.Elizabeth once imagined that if one day the two of them met on the streets of London, when they passed each other, there would be an inexplicable sense of familiarity in their hearts-this is the most familiar stranger.

'If only Mr. William hadn't been a young unmarried gentleman! ' Elizabeth stuffed the letter into the envelope, sighing inwardly.When he was married, she could no longer correspond with him.It is a pity that such a good pen pal will inevitably be lost.

"But if he is married and wants to be pen pals with other ladies, then I will really look down on him." Elizabeth said to herself: "It would be great if he was really a woman!"

The lady thought about it, and felt that Mr. William's aura and knowledge were unlikely to be possessed by the lady or a young wife. He was most likely a wise old lady, and he had to be the kind of masculine family leader... Miss Elizabeth laughed out of her own imagination, she wrote the name of "Miss William" on the envelope, and said with a smile to the name: "If God makes these wild dreams come true, then I am willing to marry your son, do Your daughter-in-law, I will definitely be in perfect harmony with you, and I will be with you forever, this is really a sweet dream!"

Putting the letter in the drawer, Elizabeth was already cheerful again.

Probably the young lady really doesn't believe in love. In Elizabeth's eyes, this kind of brilliant emotion is as beautiful and short as a shooting star, and it is a deadly trap for ladies who are bound by the times.But even though Elizabeth was thinking wildly, she was willing to marry her son because she fell in love with someone else's mother. This is really a miracle.

It's just the poor Mr. Darcy who is being tortured by countless affairs. Fortunately, he doesn't know what the lady is thinking, otherwise he may have to reflect on himself in silence.Why can Miss become "his" daughter-in-law, but never consider the right "Mr. William"?

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"I only want two jars of rose sauce, but I need some more applesauce. My crew told me that the sauce hasn't gone bad after a month!" Mr. Anthony is trying to place an order for his partner.

It's a pity that the partner lady is not happy.

Elizabeth put down her pencil, and repeated helplessly: "There is no more jar of rose sauce, and the stuffing is not enough to support the dessert shop for half a month." Do not like to eat.

"I only thought of this kind of flower sauce when I heard people talking about eating flowers in the Ming state." Elizabeth suggested to him: "Mr. Anthony might as well inquire after returning to China. The Ming state has a large land and outstanding people, and Master Lu also said that he had heard of it."

"What about jam? There should be some of this." Anthony immediately continued, "My crew will be happy to buy apples and plums for you."

He must make this deal: "You know, on the sea, fresh fruits and vegetables are too rare. Apart from Daming's pickles, this kind of jam that can be stored for a month is very important to us. Being able to eat fruits on board is beneficial to everyone. All sailing ships are temptations!"

"If preserved properly, Daming's candied fruit can be stored for a longer period of time."

Anthony shook his head: "Your jam is more like fresh fruit. But I need to make sure, can all jams be stored for such a long time?"

"In fact, most jams can be stored for 15 days to three months in a cool place. The lower the temperature, the longer the time. But one thing, these jams are sealed as much as possible. Once the jar is opened, it is best to store it as soon as possible. After eating, it will go bad soon."

Anthony was very happy to hear that it could even be stored for several months: "Don't worry, a jar of jam is not enough for the crew to eat at one time. A boat with a hundred jars, my fleet will set sail before the end of the month. Miss Elizabeth, this Do you take an order?"

Elizabeth was taken aback. She used the traditional water-sealed jars of pickled pickles from the Ming Dynasty, and all of them could be filled with big bellies.The daily sales in dessert shops are only three or four jars in total. You must know that people in the Ming Dynasty do not spread jam on bread like England. They put jam in boiled beans, oatmeal and other places that can blend sweetness.

The jam business was one of Elizabeth's plans, but she didn't expect rose jam to come first. This sweet and sour jam didn't cause much reaction from Londoners.The first big order was actually from the Ming Dynasty, which was a bit unexpected.

"Thousands of jars of jam, even if the order is received, there are not so many containers. You know, you put together the batch of double-layered water-sealed jars."

"Besides, if it is not stored properly, it is very likely that it will all be spoiled halfway through eating." Elizabeth reminded him.

Anthony disagreed: "The master on board has a very good nose. If he finds that it is about to break, he will eat jam for three meals aboard, and he won't let it break and throw it into the sea."

"As for containers, glass jars are the same, but they are not as easy to use as pottery jars." Anthony's goods were exchanged for gold by a large number of people, and it was very easy for him to get a batch of glass jars.At most, just like a cook storing eggs, fix the wooden lattice in the cabin, and then fill the gaps with straw. A hundred jars of jam can’t even take up half of the cabin.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows slightly. As long as it is boiled and sterilized, a glass jar can also be used. If it is not the type of water-sealed jar, you can also drop a few drops of paraffin wax or palm wax to seal the jar.The current two waxes are natural and non-toxic, and preservation in this way is more reliable than water-sealed altars.

Anthony decided to test it out first. For the time being, each ship only needs [-] altars. If this time it can really be stored on the ship for a long time, then he will increase the order next time.

These jams seem to be a lot, but in fact they are not enough for each crew member to share half a jar.And there is a reason why this kind of trivial purchase fell on the captain Anthony, the crew all hoped to use their owner's handsome face in exchange for a few more jars of rose sauce.This kind of flower sauce is really unfriendly to the strong men on the ship, except for dine-in at the dessert shop, they don’t sell anything else. Should the strong men go to other people’s stores to eat it? Inside the gentleman with legs?

It's a pity that as long as she sees the bun under Mr. Anthony's top hat, Elizabeth doesn't smile. It's already a very graceful expression. She doesn't even notice that the face under the bun is handsome or not. Besides, in the eyes of the lady, ten Anthonys are not as good. A gold guinea is lovely.

"I've seen all European jams, almost all fruit is squeezed into a puree, and then eaten with cane sugar, even on the duke's table." Mr. Anthony is full of curiosity about the method of this jam.

Of course, he didn't mind if Elizabeth didn't answer. This kind of craftsmanship that can almost prosper a family should naturally be kept a secret. Anthony has no intention of such a small business. He prefers a big business that can stimulate the entire Ming country.

Elizabeth rang the bell to ask the clerk to invite Jane to the third floor.In this spacious attic, apart from the two partners, there are not only Mr. Anthony's assistant, but also her newly hired maid Lakasha, the half-slave ancestry of the Cliff family.In this era, it is very impolite and unruly for two unmarried men and women to be alone in the same room.Lakasha almost stayed with the lady employer who gave her freedom and new life, and looked at Mr. Anthony and his tall assistant with vigilant eyes from time to time.

"Jane is in charge of the jam, you have to place an order with her."

Even Elizabeth did not expect that the newly purchased Netherfield Manor would be useful immediately.The luxurious manor is surrounded by warehouses, cellars, greenhouses, stables, bee farms, kennels, and even two small mills. The Bennet sisters converted one of the mills into a sauce room, where rose jam and jam come from After processing, it is transported to the city in the early morning or evening.

Handling roses and picking fruit has added many job opportunities to Longborn Farm. This simple operation can be done even by children and the elderly, especially because the fruit trees in the Bennet family are very short.The whole Bennet family was active, except for Mrs. Bennet who needed careful maintenance, Mary and Kitty were in charge of half of the work, and Jane was in charge of the production of flower butter and jam and the total amount of fruits purchased from other farms. And Lydia began to help Jane, she could calculate the order and the quantity accurately.

There are more job opportunities, the farm pay is reasonable, and the reputation of the Bennet family is better in the local area.Not only was there no disrespect for the conduct of affairs by the ladies, but it was agreed that the Bennet girls were exceptionally kind and competent.

Bennet attaches great importance to the skill of making jam. Mr. Bennet personally found reliable workers. At the beginning, the workers were not interested in this method of directly extruding it into puree, but slowly boiling it through several processes. I don't understand it, but after trying it once, I am very cautious: the sticky and crystal clear, sweet and delicious jam is even more delicious than fresh fruit.So cautious that even their relatives knew only that they were employed by the Bennet family as laborers on the two small farms in Netherfield.

Elizabeth didn't care too much. Even if she didn't do this method of making jam herself, it would be slowly developed by pastry chefs in a few years.The boiled jam tastes better because of the addition of sugar and lemon juice; and it can last longer because the fruits are soaked in salt water and the utensils are all boiled to sterilize.Both salt and high concentrations of sugar act as natural preservatives.

Jane was still a little nervous when she saw Mr. Anthony, but when she heard that the large order, the required utensils and fruits could be handed over to this guest, Jane's beautiful eyes lit up, and she felt that this guest Mr. Anthony is a very nice man.

"Actually, besides apples and plums, other fruits are also acceptable. Berries will be more delicious." Jane smiled beautifully: "Mr. Anthony, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, pears, oranges, and the red ones Hawthorn fruit can be made into jam... Maybe Mr. Anthony would like a little more flavor?"

Elizabeth casually reminded: "Berries don't last as long as fruit."

"Do the British also eat hawthorn?" Mr. Anthony was already salivating because of Miss Bennet's rich and vivid adjectives.

Jane used her imaginative conversation to describe how pleasant and rare it is to eat a mouthful of thick, fragrant and crystal clear jam on the blue sea with the salty sea breeze!She succeeded in getting Mr. Anthony to agree to buy more varieties of berries and fruits for them.

'There will be a wider variety of jams for customers to choose from in the dessert shop. '

'The jam business is going to get better and better. '

——The two eldest ladies of the Bennet family thought at the same time.

The author has something to say: Don’t you take such a hardworking fish home?Little angels, don’t forget to bookmark the column~

Fortunately, Mr. Darcy took a step forward, and Lizzie gradually let go of herself in the letters to him, no longer hiding herself.

Yu forcefully comforted: Dear Mr. Darcy, although...but..., Miss is already willing to become a 'daughter-in-law', isn't it a daughter-in-law if rounded up?

When Yu arranged the "pen pal" plot, he imagined carefully what kind of person Elizabeth would fall in love with. It must be someone who can confide and share her worries and thoughts, troubles and joys with her.

Both she and Mr. Darcy need to grow up, but they cannot grow up alone, they have to help each other to reap love.At that time, love and marriage were based on a quick-fix model. If an unmarried lady had a long-term relationship with a young gentleman other than relatives but did not get married, this was not understood and criticized at the time.

Elizabeth needed a love that flowed slowly and slowly, which was not realistic under the social conditions at the time.In fact, the heroine of this article just understands this point of herself, so she has no hope for love and marriage.Hence this setting.

Note: Lord Gilbert North was advised in this way, he was urged to take a mistress, "otherwise he would 'be despised for having no mistress' and 'lose all his interests in court'" - "Britain The Family, Sex and Marriage 1500-1800" (Lawrence Stone, translated by Diao Xiaohua); "Sexual Moral Issues in British High Society in the 18th Century" (Author:

Jiang Defu, Li Lian)

In addition, about jam: in the early 18th century, squeezed jam appeared, that is, fruit was squeezed into puree; in the 19th century, boiled jam appeared; With the introduction of easier-to-preserve jam, the jam industry took shape.