Chapter 58: Ice Treats

Lu Man flattered, “Being able to be your granddaughter-in-law, Grandmother, I am truly blessed.” The words felt insincere, and saying them made Lu Man’s heart tremble.

Seeing Lu Man with red eyes and sweating profusely, Princess Changting couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She said, “I’ll have some ice blocks sent to Orchid Pavilion for you to rest well after returning. Don’t let the heat affect you.”

The mention of ice blocks lit up Lu Man’s eyes, and she exclaimed, “I remember Mama Wang used to make delicious shaved ice with red beans in the past. However, due to poverty, the Lu family didn’t have ice during the summer, so the red bean shaved ice was only made in winter. If made with fruits now, colorful and delicious, not only would it look good and taste great but also help with cooling down.”

As she spoke, the sound of saliva could almost be heard in her mouth. It was scorching hot, and she longed for air conditioning, fruit shaved ice, ice cream, chilled beer…

A silver thread of drool appeared at the corner of the old Marquis’s mouth again, much to Princess Changting’s delight. She wiped the drool with a handkerchief and teased, “Oh, the old Marquis is tempted again. When Zhanwei’s wife returns, we’ll make a bowl of that fruit shaved ice for him to enjoy the aroma.”

Laughter filled the room once more.

Feeling it was the right moment, Lu Man suggested, “Grandmother, my main concern is Grandfather’s health. If we bring Mama Wang into the mansion, she can better take care of me. She can also make some rare delicacies to show filial piety to both you and Grandfather, satisfying everyone’s cravings.”

Princess Changting chuckled, “You’re always craving, and now you’re bringing me and your grandfather into it.” She nodded, “She is your wet nurse, she should indeed come with you. If you have the intention, we can bring her in.”

Lu Man sighed softly, “According to Lu Ying, my stepmother sent Mama Wang to her dowry estate in Nan County, and she’s become so thin. My stepmother dislikes her so much, I don’t know if she’d be willing to let her go.”

Princess Changting sneered, “Whether she’s willing or not is not up to her.”

Lu Man secretly rejoiced, feeling empowered with support.

Upon returning to Orchid Pavilion, she summoned Lu Ying from the rest area and instructed her to go to the Lu family tomorrow to request the contracts of the servants. Afterward, they were to proceed directly to Nan County to fetch Mama Wang.

Lu Ying was so delighted she nearly jumped for joy.

Lu Man continued, “Also, gather all of Mama Wang’s family’s servant contracts. When you return to the Lu family, go straight to see Old Lady Lu. She is shrewder than Mrs. Xiao Chen, and she will promptly make Mrs. Xiao Chen produce the contracts.”

In hushed tones, Lu Man provided Lu Ying with some scripted words. Her pretext was a cookbook among the medical texts containing several recipes for dairy products… She must inform Mama Wang that she learned these recipes at the He family estate.

Thinking about the time bomb in the backyard, she knew she had to deal with her first to prevent any interference.

Lowering her voice even more, Lu Man whispered to Lu Ying, “Crush those few herbs finely and discreetly sprinkle some in her tea.”

Having grown impatient with Hong Ling, Lu Ying nodded upon hearing this, then stifled a mischievous smile.

As Lu Ying left, several pounds of milk, two tubs of ice, a large jar of honey, a pack of raisins, along with some watermelon, kiwi, a few mangoes, pineapples, and other fruits arrived. The mangoes and pineapples were rare treats, presented as gifts from the Emperor to Princess Changting.

Seeing these items, Lu Man grinned from ear to ear. She placed her hands on the edges of the tubs, relishing the bone-chilling coldness, feeling incredibly comfortable.

Recalling the yogurt and fruit shaved ice that made even the old Marquis drool, as mentioned by Princess Changting, Lu Man couldn’t help but salivate. Realizing she had forgotten about the three children, the Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Master, who couldn’t be offended, she decided to prepare some shaved ice for them before anything else.

Lu Man, accompanied by Lu Ying, Tao, and Xing, first placed the milk in specific bowls in the courtyard to ferment. She planned to make more yogurt daily for both the elderly and the young. Then, they diced the fruits and had the servants crush the ice. Lu Man remembered having a set of light blue porcelain plates and tooth-colored plum-patterned porcelain bowls in her dowry, which she had retrieved and cleaned. Shaved ice with colorful fruits looked more appealing in simple containers. Glassware was ideal for serving fruit shaved ice, but glass was a luxury she didn’t have.

Initially, they placed crushed ice in the plates or bowls, followed by fruit cubes, a sprinkle of ice, and a drizzle of honey. Due to Jiang Jiu’s weak stomach, she couldn’t have ice, so yogurt replaced the crushed ice. The Ninth Master, Zhanyan, and the younger ones, were five, four, and three years old, respectively, so they were given a mix of yogurt and crushed ice to limit their ice intake. The youngest, Dewen, couldn’t have ice, so they juiced the watermelon and added it to yogurt.

They prepared six plates and six bowls, to be sent to Crane Hall and the main, second, and third branch, as well as Qingfeng Courtyard. Lu Man instructed the servants to remind Princess Changting not to indulge too much.

The remaining ice was given to the servants at Orchid Pavilion. Lu Man didn’t use rare fruits, opting for watermelon and kiwi instead. The older servants cherished this treat, with a few even taking a day off to bring the special treat to their grandchildren.

Before long, apart from Crane Hall and Qingfeng Courtyard, the servants from each household returned the empty bowls, surprising Lu Man with their gifts. The First Madam gifted rose braised meat, the Second Madam offered a small bottle of jasmine fragrance, the Third Madam presented a plate of milk grapes from the Western Regions, and the Young Madam Han gave a basket of peaches. The Third Madam and Young Madam’s maids mentioned that the masters wanted to ensure the children weren’t scolded for enjoying the treats. They requested more yogurt-based shaved ice in the future, as the children loved it. Fruit shaved ice was easy to make, but yogurt shaved ice was a bit more challenging.

Lu Man happily agreed, promising to fulfill their requests.

Xiao Huan, the servant from Crane Hall, returned the empty bowl, jokingly saying, “Princess Changting instructed me to allow Third Young Madam to lightly scold herself for daring to joke about her cravings and made me witness it.”

Lu Man playfully tapped her mouth a few times and retorted, “Blame my truthful mouth.”

The maids burst into laughter.

As Xiao Huan left, Lu Ying hurriedly guided her to the backyard, whispering, “I’ve saved a bowl of fruit shaved ice for sister Huan. If you didn’t show up, I’ll bring it to you myself.” Thanks to Lu Ying’s frequent visits to Crane Hall, they had become close friends.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Huan was delighted, knowing how much Lu Man valued such treats.