The simpler the child, the more sensitive their nature. Who likes her and who doesn't, one can easily find out.
Old Lady Jiang sighed, "Back then, Imperial Consort Yang was infatuated with lychees, making it known throughout the world. Since then, lychees have been exclusively supplied to the imperial family. It was not until the establishment of Dayu that prestigious families got the chance to have some, with demand increasing daily, making the transporting of lychees a lucrative business."
"The Liao family was originally in the escort business, having some experience traveling south and north. Lady Liao then asked the Jiang family as well as the Tian family to put in a good word and nominated them for this lychee transporting business."
Anyone can transport and sell lychees, but being nominated means supplying the imperial family, which also means prestigious families are willing to trust them.
In short, although the lychees were transported by the Liao family, were gifted by the Jiang and Liao families, they were essentially deserved by the Jiang family.
Only then did Jiang Sheng let down her guard and carefully picked up a large fruit.
The skin was rough and prickly, colored greenish-red. Breaking it open revealed the white, slightly transparent flesh. Taking a bite, a sweet aroma filled the mouth, wrapped in soft and tender texture that lingered on the tongue.
The sweetness was very refreshing, not cloying at all. Especially after being chilled, like sudden ice and snow appearing amidst a heat wave, and the ice and snow was exceptionally sweet.
"Is it tasty?" Tan Yue asked with a smile.
Jiang Sheng nodded, but soon knitted her brows again. Under the concerned gazes of the old and the young, she spat out a half-eaten pit.
Old Lady Jiang laughed.
Tan Yue tried hard not to grin. "I forgot to tell Miss that lychees have pits. You can only eat the thin layer of flesh in the middle."
No wonder it's a bit transparent. No wonder it’s so expensive.
Removing the skin and pit, the edible flesh is just a small portion.
Jiang Sheng felt distressed while peeling a bigger, redder fruit. Carefully removing the pit, she fed the flesh to Old Lady Jiang, "Have some, Grandmother."
Tan Yue’s motions paused for a second before silently putting the fruit down.
"Oh, alright." Old Lady Jiang elegantly accepted it.
The grandmother and granddaughter worked together enthusiastically and soon finished most of the plate of lychees.
Tan Yue adamantly refused to let them eat the rest. "Lychees are delicious but also make people have too much internal heat. Last year the Eldest Young Master craved them and had two plates, resulting in bad canker sores."
Old Lady Jiang deeply agreed. "Then let’s put them away for tonight."
Jiang Sheng could only watch the mouthwatering big fruits being taken away.
After lunch, the grandmother and granddaughter pair laid down to rest.
Old Lady Jiang personally coaxed Jiang Sheng to sleep before summoning Tan Yue, "How many lychees did the Liao family deliver this time? And how many plates did they give to whom?"
As expected, the head maid reported everything she gathered during this time.
Being specially designated, the first batch of lychees delivered by the Liao’s were mostly gifted into the imperial palace, with very few remaining to give to prestigious families. The Liao’s themselves only kept three plates.
One plate to Jiang Chenghua, one plate to Jiang Sheng, and one plate sent to the west wing.
Finally Old Lady Jiang showed the bearing fitting for the matriarch, fairly weighing care and justice. She slightly nodded, signaling approval of her eldest daughter-in-law’s actions.
With the elderly lady showing such great trust and favor, this was already very generous treatment to a personal maid.
Tan Yue expressed her thanks before leaving to attend to Old Lady Jiang’s sleep.
Opening her eyes again, the sky was twilight.
After playing for a while with her grandmother, Jiang Sheng unusually wasn’t hungry. Old Lady Jiang suggested a walk around the gardens to work up an appetite before eating dinner.
Although not very big, the Jiang family gardens were specially tended by gardeners, and blooming beautifully in high season. Even butterflies danced in them.
Old Lady Jiang slowly strolled while Jiang Sheng bounced around. Though one still and one lively, there was harmony.
Walking to a corner of the garden, slight noises could be heard.
Tan Yue was shocked, thinking some wild mandarin ducks would sully Miss’ eyes, and yelled for He Rui to rush in. Only then did they discover it was two young maids stealing food.
“You’re eating so eat properly. Even if it's pastries and snacks, the Jiang family has never punished you. Why are you hiding in the corner?” She used the imposing manner of a head maid and harshly rebuked them.
The young maids nodded meekly, not daring to make a peep.
One was still trying hard to hide something behind her back when He Rui reached out and grabbed it. What was revealed were bright red shells and dark pits.
Tan Yue’s expression changed drastically. “You actually stole Young Miss’ lychees to eat?”
In the past lychees were exclusively for the imperial family. Only now would prestigious families get to sample some tea. Even the head maids at most get to pick out leftover ones to taste, ordinary cleaning maids don’t even have the chance to get close.
Yet now, the shells on the ground prove they ate, and a lot at that.
“Stealing to eat the owner’s things warrants getting caned and sold off.” Tan Yue shouted harshly, “Do you two want to be sold to a witch, or be sent into the Fengjing government offices!”
The Jiang family business is huge, not lacking money, far above what regular households can compare to.
To be sent to Fengjing government offices means losing half a life.
The two maids finally became afraid, presenting the big red fruits in their arms pleading for mercy and kowtowing, “Tan Yue Miss please spare us. We didn’t steal Young Miss’ lychees. These were given to Little Qiao Miss because the Third Young Miss didn’t like them and was afraid they would spoil if left overnight.”
They were just rather close with Little Qiao so they got a few. Not daring to openly eat them, they hid in the depths of the garden to taste them.
The plan was to bury the shells and pits in the soil after eating everything clean and walk away fair and square.
Originally this wasn’t that big of a deal.
The Third Young Miss has a delicate constitution and often gives away food she doesn’t like. She gave them to her so whoever she wanted to handle them was fine.
Tan Yue sighed, just about to turn away when from the corner of her eye the fruits in the maid’s hands shocked her into staring blankly for a few moments.
The lychees she tried at noon left her with a deep impression of greenish-red shells, but the ones the maids held were deep red throughout with shallower grains, seeming about two sizes bigger as well.
If there were grades amongst the fruit, the green-red ones were apparently inferior to the pure large red ones.
Tan Yue dared not think further and hurriedly confiscated all of the lychees before rushing back to Old Lady Jiang to stiffly report the matter.
"Maybe they were just different varieties that can't be readily distinguished apart... " She still wanted to find some excuse.
Lady Jiang said not a word, leading Jiang Sheng by the hand and walking away.
Just at noon she still thought Lady Liao had some bearing as the lady of the household. By nightfall, they encountered this.
She really didn't know if it was Heaven helping them see things clearly, or secretly hinting at something.
But this time Old Lady Jiang did not get angry, didn't even go to Lady Liao to reason things out, only gazed out the window silently for a long time before instructing Tan Yue to spread this news to the young masters in the second courtyard.
The next day.
A sweat-drenched Zheng Ruqian's eyes bulged wide as he roared till the heavens shook, "What? Are you saying the Jiang family differentiates treatment, giving the adopted daughter the best lychees while only giving my sister middle-grade ones?"
The gossipy little maid reporting nervously nodded.
"Good, very good of the Jiang family." Zheng Ruqian fumed with rage until he finally cried towards the sky. "It's just some damned lychees! Jiang San, immediately get me half a sack! I’m sending them to my sister!"
Who doesn't have some lychees!
Do they really think he just idly went to Lingnan!
