Palace Flower as Employment [Red Mansion]

Trade negotiations are always time-consuming and labor-intensive, not to mention that Jia Qi is still involved in political affairs. With his status, captains like Lewis and Granger who only have one small boat are definitely not qualified to negotiate face-to-face with him—— It would be about the same level as the prime ministers and ministers of Britain and France, but Jia Qi was really impressed by the Opium War in another world. After the Opium War, what kind of situation did China fall into? , as long as they are Chinese, they will know, so Jia Qi will never allow Wei to fall to that point.

However, what if Louis and Granger are not qualified to sit opposite Jia Qi in an official capacity?

Jia Qi could only sacrifice his rest time. When it was a public holiday, he would leave the capital the day before when the gate of the capital city was closed, spend the night at the Linjiazhuangzi outside Tianjin, and enter the city early the next morning. In Tianjin City, talk to Louis and Granger in the morning, get up and return to Beijing after noon.

Regarding Jia Qi's actions and decisions, Lin Daiyu will never talk too much.Lin Daiyu has never pointed fingers at other people's affairs, let alone Jia Qi is her husband. Lin Daiyu will not ask her husband to be consistent with herself like Xue Baochai, nor will she use her own three views to judge Jia Qi like Shi Xiangyun On the contrary, she will try her best to cooperate with Jia Qi. Even if Jia Qi's behavior does not conform to her ideas, she will respect Jia Qi's decision. At the very least, when encountering certain things, Lin Daiyu will keep silent instead of Complaining, or "pointing" Jia Qi to ask Jia Qi to do what he wants.

Jia Qi will go to Tianjin every holiday this month?

Lin Daiyu has no objections at all. She will take good care of her son and keep the house tidy, so that Jia Qi can do whatever he wants outside with peace of mind.

Shi Xiangyun not only couldn't understand Lin Daiyu's behavior, but even made fun of Lin Daiyu in front of Jia Mu:

"Sister Lin, isn't it Muxiu today? Why didn't you see brother Qi? Or did he have to see someone important and had to leave sister?"

Lin Daiyu smiled and glanced at Jia Mu above, and then said: "Let Sister Yun worry about it. Brother Qi is the prefect, and he is always busy with official duties on weekdays, but some things can't be done with just two pieces of paper. Yes, since we can't finish it in time, don't we have to move it to the holiday? It's all business when he meets people outside and does something. I'm just a housewife, so how can I deal with his affairs? Tell me what to do, then who am I? I just want him to be good."

Wang Xifeng clapped his hands and laughed: "Listen, listen, it's Sister Lin after all, she is dignified and dignified. If it were me, if our second master stayed outside for two more days, I would be worried here, and if I heard Sister Yun If you say something like this, I will smash the vinegar jar. If our second master didn't let me go, he would tell me in detail if something happened, I'm afraid I couldn't help but reach out for our second master's affairs. "

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Second elder brother has a friendship with sister-in-law since childhood. Naturally, he will not make sister-in-law sad."

Wang Xifeng said: "That's not true. I have a violent temper, and only our second master can tolerate it. Sometimes when I hear that our second master will not come back, I can't help gnashing my teeth, for fear of some shameless little goblin Seduce our second master. I also know that our second master is not such a person, but thinking that our second master is already a doctor of the Ministry of Industry and has enough qualifications, and may be promoted at any time, I can't help but think about it , even our second master couldn't help laughing at me several times."

Zhang Shuya smiled and said: "Not only sister-in-law, but also me. How much do we know about the outside world of men, and sometimes we think it's boring when we think about it. It's so good, what's the trouble for men? But men won't come back , and heard someone talking nonsense, knowing that what they said is groundless, but in my heart, I just can't tell what it feels like."

Jia Lian, Jia Cong, and Jia Qi are real brothers. Naturally, Wang Xifeng, Zhang Shuya and Lin Daiyu are real sisters-in-law. Shi Xiangyun, a cousin and daughter-in-law who separated from the clan, is a sinner. , Zhang Shuya is not feeling well either.

The sisters-in-law of a family, one prospers and one loses.Since Shi Xiangyun dared to trouble Lin Daiyu, don't blame the three sisters-in-law for joining forces to save her face.

Wang Xifeng said: "Is it true that younger brothers and sisters are also like this? I thought I was the only one."

Zhang Shuya said: "Our third master is usually very kind to me, but if he gets busy, he would like to fall asleep as soon as he gets home, he doesn't even care about food, how can he care about our small thoughts? Seeing our grandpa getting so tired, I also felt that my petty thinking was useless. But grandpa said without any explanation that he would not go home today, or that he had a social meeting, so I couldn't help but feel agitated. In this regard, our master is not as good as the fourth brother, at least, the fourth brother and sister never worry about this."

After speaking, Zhang Shuya and Wang Xifeng smiled at Lin Daiyu, who made Lin Daiyu blush.

What Zhang Shuya said obviously meant that Jia Qi was better than the two elder brothers above and would never worry his wife, but in fact he praised Lin Daiyu for her generosity and complete trust in her husband, which made her so relieved.

Not only Wang Xifeng and Lin Daiyu understood Zhang Shuya's subtext, but even Jia Mu understood it.

Jia's mother said: "How many of you young couples are there? I am most assured of Miss Lin. She and Qi Geer have a young relationship and discuss everything. Usually, the young couples are two It was you who let me and I let you. In contrast, Baoyu and Yun girl want me, an old woman, to bother more." Saying that, he let out a long sigh.

Shi Xiangyun was originally jealous of Lin Daiyu and wanted to stab Lin Daiyu a few words, but he didn't expect that the fresh lotus root was stuffed with three handfuls of dog food and was severely abused. Even Jia's mother said the same, not to mention how uncomfortable it was .

Just at this time, Jia Qi sent a girl to bring Western sweets to Jia Mu, which aroused the interest of all the female relatives.

But most women will not refuse sweets.Shi Xiangyun ate chocolate, saw that everyone liked Lin Daiyu, holding Lin Daiyu, even her husband Jia Baoyu was thinking of Lin Daiyu in his heart, thinking of his loneliness and cold nights, thinking of Jia's mother ignoring his difficulties, thinking of his life. Knowing whether he had children, Shi Xiangyun felt that the candy in his mouth was not only bitter, but also bitter in his heart.

Unexpectedly, at this time, Jia Qi brought in another puff pastry.

As soon as Jia Mu saw Jia Qi, she said, "Brother Qi, didn't you just come back? Why don't you take a break?"

Jia Qi smiled and said, "Old lady, this is a dim sum my grandson learned from Westerners. I just want you to try it."

Mother Jia was taken aback: "Is it possible that you did the cooking yourself? You really are, let the cooks do this kind of thing well, why bother to do it yourself."

There is a saying that a gentleman stays away from the kitchen.Which of the serious and respectable men cooks for themselves?Not to mention, is it not easy for a family like the Jia family to train a few cooks?Even raising two cooks who specialize in making dim sum is enough.

Jia Qi laughed and said, "Who made the grandson greedy? Don't worry, the old lady, it was the cook at home, and the grandson was just talking around."

As he spoke, he took out the silver knife and cut open the chocolate-covered layer cake.Shi Xiangyun's eyes were sharp, and he saw the green color inside the layer cake at a glance, and couldn't help exclaiming: "Brother Qi, what is that? Why is it green?"

"Sister Yun really has good eyesight. This is matcha, which is actually made from tea flakes."

Tea flakes are actually broken tea leaves.Take Longjing as an example. Longjing is a kind of flag gun, and the flag gun is named after the shape of the finished tea. Generally speaking, after the tea is roasted, the shape will appear like a flag gun. shape.

However, during the frying process, tea leaves will always be damaged, and tea leaves with less than perfect shapes will appear. At this time, it is necessary to sieve to separate the first-class products with good shapes from the defective products.The first-class products in good shape will be packaged and put on the shelves in the end, and sold to the outside world, but those defective products can only be sold to poor people at the price of a few copper coins per catty.

Of course, just in terms of taste, the tea tasted by the official's family is exactly the same as that of the defective tea.

A few years ago, Jia Qi bought tea mountains in Zhejiang, Fujian and other places, and the tea mountains that Lin Daiyu married as a dowry ensured that most of the tea they ate at home did not need to spend money to buy outside.

However, there are more tea hills, more tea leaves are provided, and there are more tea pieces.

Think about it, the tea leaves from the same tea garden and fried in the same pot, some of which are in good shape can be sold for tens of taels or even hundreds of taels, while others can only be sold for a few copper coins because of their ugly appearance. .Although the tea farmers didn't think so, for Jia Qi, if he could double the sales of those few copper coins per catty of tea chips, it would probably be an income of at least tens of thousands of taels a year.

It is in this situation that matcha powder was born.And this pastry called Western-style layer cake is Jia Qi's throwing stones to ask for directions.

If the female family members of Jia's family also like this kind of dessert, then he can definitely ask the subordinates to open a bakery and pastry shop specializing in selling this kind of dessert, and by the way, also provide this kind of dessert in the cafeteria on his own village.

In this way, the cocoa beans in the hands of the Western businessman can be sold, and he can also export matcha powder by the way.

After Jiamu tasted it, she immediately pointed to the layer of chocolate outside and said, "Which western candy is this made of, right? Just now I wanted to say that this candy is too sweet, and it hurts my teeth after eating it, so I put this in." After the matcha, the taste is much more refreshing. Otherwise, it should be something similar to that egg cake, with cream added. Am I right?"

"It's the old lady after all, she tasted it in one bite."

"It's a pity, you can't eat too much of this thing, it's bad for your teeth if you eat too much."

Although she said so, Jia Mu ate more than half of it by herself, and thanks to Jia Qi's cooking, everyone got a plate, but there was no shortage of food.

Shi Xianglin is very honest.Although nominally she is a guest and sits next to Jia Mu, but when something happens, she will not speak unless she can.

Taking advantage of her young age, Shi Xianglu asked at that time: "Fourth cousin, is this black Western candy hard to come by?"

Jia Qi laughed and said: "It's not rare. This kind of candy is made from the seeds of a cocoa tree that are roasted and ground into powder. And this kind of cocoa tree bears a lot of fruit every year, and there are also many seeds. It's a bit like a cocoa tree. Like fruit trees and pipas, the seeds are much smaller, and they only grow in warm places like Nanyang. Although they were damaged due to improper transportation, there are still several thousand catties piled up in the treasury of Shanghai Prefecture."

"So much? Does no one want it?"

"My cousin also ate the candy that was sent just now, how do you feel?"

Shi Xianglu tilted her head, thought for a while, and said: "It's not that bad, it's just a rarity to eat. Candy is actually bitter. It's fine if you eat it once or twice, but if you eat it every day," Shi Xianglu shook She shook her head, expressing her dislike, and said, "My cousin asked me to make this mille-layer pancake. It tastes refreshing and sweet. If I eat such a big piece, I won't have to eat."

Jia Qi laughed.

"This thing can't be eaten as a meal."

Seeing this, Shi Xianglin couldn't help asking: "Is my cousin planning to open this pastry shop?"

Jia Qi glanced at her slightly, and said, "Why does Second Cousin ask such a question?"

Shi Xianglin pointed to the pastries that Mother Jia was about to eat, and said, "Even the old lady likes to eat it, so it must be popular in Beijing. If you open a shop, it's not an exaggeration to make a lot of money every day. "

"What does the second cousin want to say?"

Shi Xianglin was beating drums in her heart, but thinking of all the things she had heard about Jia Qi, she still plucked up her courage and said, "To tell you the truth, my cousin, now our family is a helper in Lao's house, but after our family is a sinner, it's another The one whose house was ransacked can't even go back to the south. If there is no business, our family may be..."

"So I want to ask me for a prescription, and by the way, I hope I can subsidize a shop for you."

Shi Xianglin was ashamed and embarrassed, his eyes were flushed, but he still nodded and said emphatically:

"Yes."

The house suddenly fell silent.

Jia's mother was very surprised that Jia Qi would point it out in public. What's the difference between hitting her in the face in public?And Jia's mother never thought that Shi Xianglin would admit it!

You know, Shi Xianglin is just a girl's family, and if you want to talk about this kind of thing, it should be Shi Xiangyun's mother, Mrs. He.

When Shi Xianglin said this in public, it was tantamount to showing the current situation of their historians in front of everyone.

From the corner of her eyes, she caught Jia Mu's eyes, and Shi Xianglin felt aggrieved, but she couldn't help it.If nothing else, just talk about her and Jia Qi.Although it was said that Shi Xiangyun started talking nonsense and spreading rumors, who made He and Shi Xianglin believe it?Who made Shi Xianglin have a blind date with Jia Qi in disguise on his father's anniversary without Jia Qi's knowledge?

Shi Xianglin is very clear about Jia Qi's dislike for him.But if you don’t do this, I’m afraid Jia Qi will continue to hate their family and hate yourself. Compared with that situation, Shi Xianglin might as well take this opportunity to tell Jia Qi in a disguised form that he was really deceived by others, and now he has No more wishful thinking.

And this opportunity is also a very good opportunity. If it really comes true, I can get rid of the shadow of seeing Jia Qi at the beginning, and their family can also get a livelihood.

So what if he was laughed at and became a peddler?It's better than living under the fence to eat what you get.

I have to say that Shi Xianglin is a very thoughtful girl.Jia Qi also understood her subtext.

Jia Qi said: "With all due respect, cousin, if you want to open a pastry shop, this is the only way you can do it."

Shi Xianglin blushed.

Jia Qi said: "Forget it, since my cousin has said so, I do have some recipes. Coincidentally, I planned to raise some dim sum ladies who specialize in making pastries, but I just wanted to wrong my cousin to learn from those servants. "

Shi Xianglin was worried about Jia Qi's refusal at first, but he didn't expect Jia Qi to say that. What else is she dissatisfied with?She originally just wanted to find a livelihood for her family.As for whether to lose face or not, how could Shi Xianglin care about it at the moment?

In fact, not only Jia's mother didn't understand, even Shi Xiangyun looked down on this cousin. On the contrary, it was Mrs. He who cried like a tearful person after hearing her daughter's explanation.

He cried and cried, but after two days, she came to learn the skills of these pastries with her daughter.

About half a month later, He and Shi Xianglin opened a pastry shop in Beijing. Shi Xianglin was willing to let go of his figure and put his heart into making pastries. In less than four years, her shop occupied the largest area in the business district of the capital. a seat.

Of course, this is a story.

At least for now, both Jiamu and Shi Xiangyun feel that Shi Xianglin is outrageous. Although Jiamu didn't express it clearly, the gold and silver coins that were given to the younger generations back then were not missing elsewhere, and Shi Xianglin of the He family lost more than half of them here. As for Shi Xiangyun, he often said bad things about Shi Xianglin in private, but Shi Xianglin was busy learning dim sum recipes, came and went in a hurry, and didn't pay attention at all. The two cousins ​​lived in peace just now.

Jia Qi, on the other hand, was very surprised by Shi Xianglin's performance, and even said to Lin Daiyu: "I thought that the second cousin of the Shi family, like Sister Bao and Sister Yun, are people who like to be lively and show off regardless of their status and ability. Unexpectedly, she is One who can endure hardship."

When Lin Daiyu heard about it, she said, "I remember that you never took a second look at these sisters and sisters. Why is it different when you come to her?"

Jia Qi said: "I'm not used to being too disgusted with people who are knowledgeable and interesting. As for those who are not, I don't have the patience either."

Lin Daiyu couldn't help laughing and said: "You, you have such a lonely temperament. It's also fortunate that you are capable, otherwise, you would be an offender."

"So what if you offend people? Some people are offended, and that's all. Besides, the time and place are right for harmony. Unless they take advantage of the right time and place, it will be difficult for them to think about harmony with others based on their temperament."

Jia Qi knows very well what kind of people can be offended and what kind of people cannot be offended.

For a woman like Shi Xiangyun who is naive, mean-spirited, and likes to gossip, so what if she offends her?If Shi Xiangyun is married very well, Jia Qi really can't care about Shi Xiangyun because of her husband's face.

But actually?

Shi Xiangyun himself was blind, and looked down on his uncle and aunt. He was jealous of Jia's mother, Mrs. Jia Zhengwang and his wife, and Jia Baoyu, a piece of rotten wood. I know, he doesn't need to pay attention to Shi Xiangyun anymore.

There is also Xue Baochai, Xue Baochai does not love Jia Baoyu but regards Jia Baoyu as her husband. of.Such an ignorant temperament is enough to be annoying, but in the end, Xue Baochai has an older brother like Xue Pan.

If Xue Baochai didn't have an older brother like Xue Pan, based on her appearance and her first impression, if she didn't stare at Jia Baoyu, she might be able to be hit by a blind cat and a dead mouse by her. It's a good marriage, but it's a pity that she was born with Xue Pan's troublesome elder brother, and she was blinded by Mrs. Wang's lies and Jia Yuanchun's beauty.

As for Shi Xianglin, although this girl also has such and other shortcomings, she is sensible enough and can afford to let it go. Since she is no longer Miss Gonghou, she will live a life as a commoner without showing off at all.Such a girl, even if she knew that she had plotted against him before, it would be very difficult for Jia Qi to be really angry with such a girl.

Here, Jia Qi and Lin Daiyu just said one sentence and it was over, but Jia Baoyu broke out.

When Jia Baoyu heard that Shi Xianglin was going to open a shop, he immediately sighed: "Sister Lin is such a delicate person, she was spoiled and spoiled when she was young, how can she endure that kind of hardship? Isn't it good to be good at home? Anyway, she is indispensable." .”

Shi Xiangyun said angrily: "Do you know that you love her? Don't worry, she has a big heart. She doesn't like the little monthly money given by the mansion!"

Jia Baoyu said, "What are you talking about. Sister Lin is not such a person."

Shi Xiangyun became angry when he heard it.

"Sister Lin, sister Lin, God knows which one you're talking about?! If it's sister Lin, she has a husband and son, so you don't need to worry about it! If it's sister Lin, she's my cousin. She has a mother and brothers. , where do you need to be busy!"

Jia Baoyu choked.

After a while, I heard him say: "Sister Lin doesn't want to depend on this mansion for the rest of her life, it's because she has ambition..."

"So I'm shameless!" Shi Xiangyun became even more angry, "I tell you, I'm the wife you're marrying! As for girl Lin, she still doesn't like you! You probably don't know, do you? Sister Lin just gave birth At that time, everyone said that Sister Lin was not in good health, and she had her eyes on Brother Qi at that time! Thinking that if Brother Qi didn't want her, he would be interested in you?! Save yourself..."

Jia Baoyu originally wanted to talk nicely to Shi Xiangyun, but Shi Xiangyun started making trouble again.

Although this is their small courtyard, and even though Shi Xiangyun is only like this in the bedroom, the sound insulation of this courtyard is not very good, and Shi Xiangyun's words have finally spread.

Naturally, someone pointed at Shi Xianglin, and Shi Xianglin simply said in front of Jia Mu: "...It turns out that our eldest sister (namely Shi Xiangyun) came to tell us in person that my mother thought it was the old lady's. I mean, I want to find a house for my fourth cousin..."