The daily life of a concubine's daughter

Chapter 404 Leaving Beijing

Before dawn, the gate of the capital city slowly opened.

The Xie family's carriages lined up and drove out of the city gate. There was a pavilion ten miles outside the city. The carriages stopped. Shi Yao got out of the carriage, pointed at the dawn in the sky, and asked with a smile:

"Is that Dongfang Jibai?"

Xie Jibai thought to himself that his wife was really generous and was still in the mood to joke at this time.

While helping Shi Yao out of the car, he looked up to the east.

In an instant, golden light flashed, and the morning sun like a duck egg yolk suddenly jumped out and hung in the sky, dyeing the fish belly white into golden red, just like a transparent red shawl across the morning sun.

Shi Yao held his hand, stepped on the sedan chair and got off the carriage, and together with Xie Jibai, they saluted Jiang Miao and Zhou Ji.

This was her first formal meeting with Zhou Ji.

In the original text, Zhou Ji fell into the water in his second life and was rescued by Shi Minghui. After waking up, he was no longer a fool. He was grateful to Lao Ba, loved Lao Ba and fell in love with Shi Mingzhu. He protected her all his life and never married for her.

In this life, Zhou Ji was no longer stupid after waking up from the water. However, the person who saved him was Xie Jibai, and he became a close friend of Xie Jibai. To express his gratitude, Prince Changning secretly took care of Xie's business.

Therefore, Zhou Ji had no intersection with Shi Mingzhu, nor did he fall in love with Shi Mingzhu.

However, Zhou Ji did not become a learned and elegant young man well versed in etiquette as described in the original text upon waking up. Instead, his IQ returned to normal, and after several months of hard study, he became like a boy of about ten years old.

He is obviously older than Xie Jibai, but he pulls Xie Jibai and calls him brother.

Xie Jibai pulled him aside to coax him, and asked him to pay attention to Shi Mingkui: "...He is my wife's fourth brother, but he and my wife did not grow up together, so they are not close. You don't need to take care of him. Just find out about his news. When you have time, write to me, or tell my father."

Zhou Ji didn't have a lover in this life, so he didn't seriously lose weight. He was chubby, poking the dimple on the back of his hand, and said reluctantly:

"Okay, I'll remember that. Brother Jibai, can't you stay in the capital? Don't you want to study? I can ask my father to recommend you to the Imperial Academy!"

Xie Jibai glanced at Shi Yao who was saying goodbye to Jiang Miao, his eyes filled with a warm smile: "Compared to reading, I love painting more. My wife said that she would accompany me to find a master to learn from. When I finish my apprenticeship, I will come back to the capital and paint a 'family portrait' for you, your father, and your mother."

Family portrait is a word he learned from Shi Yao.

Although Zhou Ji was not familiar with the situation, it was not difficult for him to hear the pride, complacency and boasting in Xie Jibai's words.

He couldn't help but envy and said: "Your wife is a good wife. In the future, I will also marry a good wife who is willing to accompany me to eat all over the world!"

Xie Jibai patted his thick shoulders and said with a smile: "I will."

He thought to himself that there were not many women in the world as open-minded and tolerant as his wife.

Shi Yao approved of his painting and accompanied him to learn painting from a master. She did not compete with the eldest wife for the family property, did not despise him for wasting time and effort, and was willing to travel with him, so as to secure an opportunity for the family to soar to success.

Where can I find such a good lady?

In the pavilion, Shi Yao was talking to Jiang Miao about Shi Mingkui. Just as she was about to shed two bitter tears, Jiang Miao said, "Cousin, don't be too busy pinching your legs. I'll just do it. I'll always keep an eye on my fourth cousin."

Shi Yao's face suddenly turned red, and she changed from pinching to pounding, pounding her thigh and said with a wry smile: "My legs are just sore. Then cousin, if you see my fourth brother, please persuade him not to go down the path of no return."

Jiang Miao nodded: "My fourth cousin has had lofty ambitions since he was young. I don't know what he wants to do when he enters the East Palace, but I will definitely persuade him. The Shi family and the Jiang family have an inseparable blood relationship, so don't worry, cousin."

Shi Yao inexplicably felt some sympathy for Jiang Miao.

In the first life, the entire Shi family was executed. Zhou Shao had just taken the throne and did not implicate Shi's in-laws. That was because he died quickly. If Zhou Xu had not rebelled and usurped the throne, the Jiang family would have been doomed, after all, the Jiang family was the old man's wife's family.

In the second life, the Shi family exterminated all nine clans, and the Jiang family was definitely implicated. They were not beheaded, as they were not among Shi Yunfan's nine clans, but they would certainly lose the trust of the new emperor and be suppressed and demoted.

Having relatives like the Shi family, the Jiang family is really unlucky and can't even sleep well.

Jiang Miao observed his expression and couldn't help laughing: "At worst, I can join the prince's sect. I will look after my fourth cousin."

Shi Yao felt a little relieved. The prince would most likely be the next emperor, and joining the prince would be a good future. Her cousin was a man of great ambition and talent, and would surely be appreciated by the prince.

"Cousin, take care of yourself. Xie San and I will be returning to Jiangnan soon. Even if we send you a thousand miles away, there will always be a farewell. You and Prince Zhou Ji have only sent you here. Go back quickly."

Jiang Miao was also a little reluctant: "Take care of yourself too. With me here, the Xie family won't dare bully you, so don't put yourself in a difficult position. I wish you a safe journey."

Several people said goodbye reluctantly.

Shi Yao and Xie Jibai boarded the carriage and headed south.

They first returned to Yusu, opened the ancestral hall, reported to their ancestors, and formally introduced Shi Yao to the Xie family.

After staying in Yusu for a month, when they were about to continue their journey south to visit masters of painting, Xie Jibai suddenly said, "I've found the black tea you were looking for. Try it and see if it tastes right."

Xie Jibai made a cup for her.

Shi Yao tasted it and said in surprise: "It does taste somewhat similar to the black tea I've had. Who made it? How was it made?"

Xie Jibai also tasted a few mouthfuls and told her in a gentle voice: "It was a member of the Xie clan who grew and sold tea. One time, a tea worker fell asleep due to exhaustion and accidentally slept on the newly picked tea leaves, crushing them.

The tribesman asked him to pay compensation, so the tea worker paid the money and took the crushed tea leaves home. He was reluctant to throw them away, so he fried them and tasted them, and this was the taste.

He likes it himself, and in the past two years he has made some by himself, and sent it to others to taste. He also thought about selling it, but because the taste was weird and the color of the tea soup was also weird, different from the tea we usually drink, no one bought it, so he could only eat it casually at home. "

Shi Yao asked hurriedly: "How does he make black tea?"

Xie Jibai smiled and said, "In fact, the method of roasting is not very different from that of green tea. It's just that green tea is first roasted and then rolled, while black tea is first rolled and then roasted. The order is different, and the taste and color of the tea leaves are surprisingly different."

Shi Yao went to visit the tea worker in person.

The tea worker was so frightened that he dared not keep it to himself and demonstrated it on the spot.

The production of black tea involves five steps: picking, withering, rolling, fermentation, and frying.

Because the tea workers' families were poor, the tea leaves they used were coarse scraps, and the taste of the black tea they made was not satisfactory.

Shi Yao suddenly realized that the so-called fermentation was not like making wine, which required fermentation with koji. It was just putting the rolled tea leaves in a warm place, covering them with cloth, and letting them ferment naturally.

She asked the tea worker's name, remembered it, and asked, "I like this black tea. Would you like to come to my place and develop black tea? If black tea becomes famous in the future and spreads all over the world, you will also be remembered in history."

The tea worker was surprised, but agreed without hesitation.

He didn't dare to dream of leaving his name in history, but following Mr. Xie and Mrs. Xie, his future would certainly be good. He could also continue to study his black tea and provide his family with a good life.

So, Shi Yao and his wife took Ji Yun and the tea workers south, traveling around the mountains and rivers, visiting masters, and studying black tea.

Half a year later, Xie Jibai successfully became an apprentice, and the young couple stayed in Panyu City in Lingnan, one concentrating on studying and the other on making tea.

During this period, Shi Yao never gave up doing good deeds and accumulating virtue.

Before she died, the old lady gave her a large dowry, which was originally intended for Shi Mingzhu. The value of the dowry was five times that of her own, enough for her to squander for a lifetime.