Pride and Prejudice the Poor Princess

The next day, Mr. Bingley wrote a letter of greeting and sent it to the Bennett's house early in the morning.This was the first stop of their return visit to their neighbors, and even Mr. King and Sir Lucas were behind, which made Mrs. Bennet very proud.

"My dear, you should have expected this result when you delivered Mary's snacks." Mr. Bennet said casually, flipping through a newspaper.

"Yes, yes, I planned it!" Mrs. Bennet raised her head triumphantly, "I knew they couldn't resist Mary's extraordinary cooking skills. As long as they are willing to come, I will have a way to get Mr. Bingley to take me married her daughter back home. You don’t know, last night he kept chatting with Jane, which shows that he fell in love with Jane!”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but Jane's cheeks were flushed, and she was not ashamed as usual when she was randomly matched by her mother.It was obvious that she too was fascinated by Mr. Bingley.

The customs of marriage and love in the UK are very interesting. Unmarried men and women can make friends freely and make a private decision for life.Mary sat on the chair, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Jane's shy expression, and smiled and bent her big blue eyes.

"Mary, in order to entertain distinguished guests, today's dinner should be as grand as possible. Thanks for your hard work, dear." Mrs. Bennet hugged her daughter and kissed her on the cheek.

"For Jane's lifelong happiness, I will try my best to be a mother!" Mary lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then asked, "There is a piece of pork knuckle in the kitchen. I marinated it three days ago and it is already tasty. There are also a few mandarin fishes. Tonight, how about making a dish of crystal meat, a dish of mandarin fish with squirrel, a dish of fresh mushroom cabbage and a dish of siu mai with vegetable meat?"

"Another chicken in oil, my dear! I haven't had it since last Christmas!" cried Mr. Bennett, his ears pricked up.

"Okay Dad, I'm going to the pasture to pick some chickens." Mary put on her apron, rolled up her sleeves and walked towards the pasture.There are no rich clothes, no groups of servants, but she prefers the current life, which is busy and fulfilling, and accompanied by her family.

Catherine and Lydia were very keen on the game of chasing the chickens, and they followed her laughingly, running towards the pasture while having fun.

Netherfield, seeing that it was almost four o'clock, Bentley decisively sent away several visiting guests.

"Are you going to visit Bennett's house?" the last guest asked curiously.

"Yes, we can hardly resist Mrs. Bennett's warm invitation." Bingley replied without guilt at all.In fact, Mrs. Bennet left in such haste yesterday that she forgot to invite them.

"Yes, Mrs. Bennett is indeed very hospitable." The guest looked at the clock by the wall and said enviously, "You guys went just in time for dinner, and it must be Chef Mary who entertains the guests. How lucky you are! "

"Miss Mary's cooking skills are great!" Horst, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said in a declarative tone.Darcy beside him pursed his lips, thinking of the snacks he had eaten yesterday, he felt a little empty in his stomach.

"Yes! I dare say that Miss Mary's cooking skills are the best in Lumborn!" The guest nodded in approval, put on his hat and left in a hurry.

"I think it's the best in the whole of England!" Hurst murmured, looking at Bingley and asked, "When are we going to leave? Miss Mary must be busy in the kitchen right now for our arrival."

Darcy had already put on his coat and hat, holding a pair of white gloves in his hands, silently expressing his urging.Although Mrs. Horst and Miss Bingley were jealous of Miss Mary who had been mentioned several times, they were still looking forward to today's dinner and changed their clothes early.

"Let's go now, the carriage is ready." Binli boarded the carriage first.

When the group arrived at Bennett's house, they were warmly received by Mrs. Bennett. They took off their hats and gloves, and exchanged greetings with the owner. After looking around the living room, Mr. Horst asked, "Ma'am, where is Miss Mary?"

Darcy and Bingley are also curious about the legendary Miss Mary, but they will not inquire rashly like Horst.

"Ah, she is preparing dinner in the kitchen." Mrs. Bennet poured hot black tea for the guests.

Mr. Horst was very satisfied with Mrs. Bennett's answer, and spoke with her very patiently.

While talking with Mr. Bennett, Bingley secretly followed Jane's every move, appearing a little absent-minded.

Mrs. Horst and Miss Bingley were entangled by Catherine and Lydia, and they were trying their best to suppress the impatience in their hearts, but when they heard the two frequently expressing their yearning for the bustling London, they couldn't help but smile proudly.This makes their expressions look strange.

Darcy is isolated, of course, on purpose.He hates interacting with strangers, which spells trouble.His eyes were quickly attracted by an oil painting hanging in the living room.The brushwork of the oil painting has the delicateness of classicism, but the colors are gorgeous and enthusiastic of romanticism. The red roof, white walls, and green trees, this is the Bennett home, the Bennett home shrouded in golden sunlight, With a dreamlike warmth and nostalgia.

Darcy stood up and stopped in front of the oil painting.

"Do you like the picture, Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth noticed the neglected guest.

"Yes." Darcy's eyes fixed on the inconspicuous 'M' in the lower right corner of the oil painting, and he turned to look at Elizabeth and asked, "This is Miss Mary's work, isn't it?"

"Yes, unique style." Elizabeth smiled proudly.

Darcy turned his head and continued to stare at the painting, becoming more and more curious about Miss Mary.He who had always been indifferent began to outline the young lady's appearance in his mind.

"Is this Mr. Darcy's first visit to Longbourne?" Elizabeth made an effort to find a subject to put her visitor at ease.

Darcy shook his head coldly, not willing to talk further.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and asked again, "Mrs. Long's garden is well maintained. The calendula she planted should be in bloom recently, right?"

Darcy nodded without even giving her a glance out of the corner of his eye.

Elizabeth felt stupid for what she had done.This gentleman doesn't feel uncomfortable at all, on the contrary, he enjoys being alone.Then, let him enjoy it slowly!She gave Darcy a vague look, turned and left.

Darcy didn't notice Elizabeth's embarrassment. In fact, he was relieved that the lady left him and left!After appreciating the painting, he continued to return to his original position and remained silent.

At this moment, the kitchen bell rang, and Mrs. Roni placed the divided dishes in front of each seat and arranged the knives and forks.Mary followed her, wiping her hands with a wet handkerchief.

"It's time to dine, everyone." Handing the handkerchief to Mrs. Roni, she extended her hand to invite everyone to sit down, her gestures were indescribably elegant and noble.

"It's you?!" Mrs. Horst and Miss Bingley shouted in unison.Obviously, they didn't forget Mary's face after half a mile away, as they said, but they remembered it very clearly.Bingley and Mr. Horst also showed surprised expressions.

Darcy couldn't help but widen his eyes the moment the girl appeared.Mary, in Hebrew, represents bitterness.Ordinary, simple, independent, quiet, and a little dull, these are the characteristics shared by girls named Mary.This name obviously doesn't match the impression of a girl.

"Excuse me, do we know each other?" Mary looked puzzled.

"No, we met Miss Mary from a distance when we first came to Longbourne." Mr. Bingley quickly explained, then introduced himself politely, and then introduced his family and friends to Mary.

"Meeting is fate." Mary sighed with a smile and invited the guests to dine again.

Everyone's attention was immediately attracted by the exquisite dishes, and they sat down to pray in a hurry, and then there was the busy sound of knives and forks.

Although he tried his best to restrain himself, Darcy couldn't help looking at Mary who was eating quietly.

The girl's reappearance aroused his curiosity.

Miss Bingley, who has been paying attention to Darcy, noticed his abnormal behavior, and all good moods were ruined.

"Miss Mary, this is the best dinner I've ever had in my life!" Mr. Horst exclaimed.The deliciousness of the dishes was beyond his imagination.

"Excuse me, what is this made of?" He pointed to the translucent crystal meat.

"It's made from a deboned pork knuckle," Mary answered truthfully.

"Pork knuckle? Oh my god!" Miss Bingley exclaimed in surprise before Horst could react, "That's so dirty! Can it be eaten? I can't even imagine it!"

Everyone stopped to eat and frowned.

"I marinated the pork knuckle with salt and spices for three days, soaked it in cold water for eight hours, boiled it in boiling water for two hours, let it cool for the last half hour, and sliced ​​it. It's clean enough for Miss Bingley." Mary was unhappy. , with a gentle smile on his face.

"Of course, they are so clean that they are almost transparent! Only such a complicated process can produce such a wonderful taste!" Mr. Bingley hurriedly made up for his sister's faux pas, and cherished the delicacy on the plate even more.He couldn't imagine that it would take several days and nights to make a dish.

Everyone lowered their heads and continued to eat. After Mary's explanation, they felt that the food in their mouths was even more unique.

Miss Bingley was quiet for a moment, fiddled with the fresh mushrooms and choy sum on the dinner plate, and complained, "The vegetables are boiled in water, which will destroy their taste and nutritional content. I still like the original salad."

"Yes, we are used to the taste of London." Mrs. Horst pushed away the food in front of her and said pretendingly.

"Really? Then I'll make another one for you. Guarantee the original taste." Mary smiled charmingly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"No, let's make do with it, it's too much trouble for you." Mrs. Horst quickly waved her hand and refused.In fact, she couldn't be happier with the dinner.

"It's not troublesome at all. I move very quickly. You only need to wait for 5 minutes." Mary stood up, took away the plate in front of them, and entered the kitchen.Sisters Bingley, who did not expect her swift and resolute character, were dumbfounded on the spot.

The Bennets had been very displeased, and Mrs. Bennet was on the verge of being rude to drive away the guests, but at this moment they all bowed their heads so as not to embarrass the guests by laughing out loud.Assault on Mary's cooking, Miss Bingley and Mrs Horst's tongues must be made of wood!

Bingley was very embarrassed, and Horst was eating by himself. Darcy glanced at Miss Bingley and frowned.

Mary came out soon, holding two plates of medium-rare steaks in her hands. Mrs. Roni followed closely, and placed a bowl of vegetable salad mixed with olive oil in front of the two of them, and looked at them with strange eyes glance.She really couldn't understand that there are people who don't like the delicacies cooked by Miss Mary, but want to eat this kind of rough semi-finished products.

"Please use it, this is salt and pepper." Mary's elegant smile and attentive attitude made it impossible for the guests to feel slighted.

Miss Bingley and Mrs. Horst thanked dryly, and the movement of cutting the steak was extremely stiff.They were chomping on bland steaks while others ate a hearty and delicious meal. It was absolute torture!

Darcy loosened his slightly frowning brows, and took a deep look at Mary.The gentle and harmless first impression the girl left on him was shattered like a bubble.

Miss Bingley and Mrs. Horst remained ashen on the return trip.They judged the Bennets with disparagement, especially Mary, who was despised down to the hair.

"You don't need to criticize Miss Mary, she has nothing to neglect you." Mr. Bingley couldn't listen anymore.

"If you can control your mouth and jealousy, you will also enjoy a wonderful dinner." Mr. Horst became Mary's loyal supporter.He was already planning his next visit to the Bennetts.

Darcy kept his head bowed in silence, and did not defend Mary as his good friend did, which made Miss Bingley feel much better.However, if she looked down at Darcy's expression, she would find that Darcy's eyes were very empty, and his mind was no longer on the carriage.