The Marquise: I Earn My Own Worship

"Kang'er, Kang'er, wake up. It's almost dawn. If you delay any longer, you'll be late again."

On a March morning, the sky was as dark as ink. The servants walking outside exhaled smoke-like breath, and the cold air made everyone more awake.

Xiaoqin and Xiaoqi called Kang Ge'er to get up while opening all the windows in the room.

The cool air rushed into the bedroom, dispelling the stuffy atmosphere.

Kang Ge'er was so cold that he shrank into the quilt in bed. Gradually, he felt the quilt getting colder and colder, and he got up sleepily.

Seeing this, Xiaoqin and the maid Xiaoqi smiled at each other, then went forward and quickly made the quilt, thus completely eliminating the remaining warmth on the bed.

"Hey Xiaoqin, could you please not open the window next time? It's so cold that I can't sleep."

After hearing this, Xiaoqin and Xiaoqi helped Duan Chengkang get up while laughing jokingly:

"The old lady's method is the best. In the past, no matter how much I urged my brother to get up, he would never get up. But now, he wakes up on his own in a short while."

Kang Ge'er's face was very unhappy, and his eyes were not even fully open. When he heard this, he retorted: "I didn't wake up of my own accord. I was woken up by this cold weather."

After a while, Kang Ge'er was dressed. His breakfast was very simple, just a bowl of porridge, a small basket of crab roe buns and a stack of spring rolls.

Even though Kang Ge'er is only seven years old, he has a big appetite and finished all the food.

Song Shengfu had issued an order before, requiring the master's personal meals to be light and simple, and re-established the dietary standards for the master and servants in the house.

Duan Chengkang carried his school bag and went to Hemingyuan by himself.

Hemingyuan is the courtyard where Cheng Xi is now. The Lu family specially cleaned out a courtyard of neither too big nor too small for Cheng Xi to live in.

Cheng Xi lived in the backyard and connected the three east rooms in the front yard to make a school.

When Butler Liu brought the craftsmen here, Cheng Xi was truly enlightened. The Duanbo Mansion was truly rich, and the decoration of their private school was even more quiet and elegant than the largest study in their Anping County.

There is a saying: Poor students have many tools.

That was about it. Kang Geer was walking and then he started to jog because he realized it was almost midnight and he was going to be late!

Since Master Cheng came to the house, Kang Ge'er was late a few times, but after being taught a few lessons, he became much more honest.

Every time I went to morning class, I felt that the journey was so long. For the first time, I realized how big my home was. I had to walk through the corridor, pass through two small gardens, go through two hanging flower gates, and finally cross a covered bridge to get there.

Kang Ge'er even wanted to move directly to Fuziyuan to live, it's too far!

His grandmother didn't allow him to ride in a sedan chair, and he had to walk to Hemingyuan. Kang Ge'er swung his little legs and ran into Hemingyuan on time, then lay down on the low table and refused to get up.

Cheng Xi had been waiting by the side, holding a scripture in one hand and a pen in the other, writing something.

I was used to this, and the formal class started after about an incense stick of time.

After listening for a while, Kang Ge'er began to feel sleepy and nodded his head. Suddenly, he remembered that he was sleepy yesterday and the teacher asked him to attend class with a porcelain bowl on his head. He woke up instantly.

Cheng Xi naturally saw this scene as well, and couldn't help but laugh, so he closed the scripture.

Kang Ge'er was startled and quickly sat up straight. These past few days had made him somewhat afraid of the teacher.

After all, every time he complained, his mother would say that she had something to do and left. His grandmother did not help him and even gave many books to the teacher, which scared him so much that he dared not say anything more.

As for my father and fourth uncle, ah, forget it. He is now a lonely man with no one to rely on in this huge mansion.

Cabbage~ the ground is yellow~

Cheng Xi stood up and walked to Duan Chengkang. He put his hand on Kang'er's head and said in a clear voice:

"I'm not studying in the academy today. I saw the peach blossoms just beginning to bloom over at Taozhai, and the scenery is delightful. Please come with me."

After saying that, he turned and walked out.

Kang Ge'er jumped up and followed Cheng Xi, excited and curious. Finally, they were no longer staying in the square room without sunlight.

When Kang Ge'er doesn't study, he is good at everything and keeps talking all the time.

"Master, what are you doing in Taozhai today?"

"But today is a day off?"

"Master, let me tell you that the peaches will bear fruit in early June and they will be very sweet. Let's pick peaches together then."

"Master..."

"Silence."

"Oh~"

Kang Ge'er looked around like a freed bird. The path that he had found boring in the morning now seemed very interesting to him.

There are birds, flowers, bees and butterflies. Duan Chengkang wondered why he had never discovered that the garden was so interesting before.

It turns out that the air is fresher when you don’t have to go to school.

It wasn't long before we arrived at Taozhai. Yesterday, I spoke to the inner courtyard steward, Wang, and today the tea, snacks, vases, and ornaments were all set up here.

Kang Ge'er stood aside and waited for Cheng Xi to sit down before sitting down. Seeing this, the maid beside him came forward and prepared to make tea.

Some maids also came forward to wipe Duan Chengkang's face and burn incense.

Cheng Xi waved his hand to let everyone leave. Kang Ge'er was enjoying himself, but he was confused when he saw the teacher drove everyone out.

Cheng Xi sighed. This kid really grew up in a good family. He really had everything he wanted.

Remembering that Old Madam Duan had told him privately that the child should be self-reliant, he felt that it was a bit difficult.

Seeing Kang Ge'er's confused look, Cheng Xi started to make tea while Kang Ge'er watched from the side.

Cheng Xi held a bamboo clip and roasted the tea cake on camphor charcoal, then wrapped it in gauze and put it into a tea grinder for grinding after cooling. He sieved the ground tea foam and started to brew tea.

When boiling water, pay attention to three boiling points. The first boiling point is like a fish's eye, with a slight sound. At this point, add an appropriate amount of salt. The second boiling point is like a spring gushing out from the edge. First, take a spoonful of water and use a bamboo clip to stir the center of the water. Place the tea foam in the center and continue stirring until white foam forms. This step is called "Yuhua". The third boiling point is ripples. When the foam splashes, pour the water into the boiling point to stop the boiling. The last step is to divide the tea, skim off the foam, and pour 70% of the tea into the teacup."

After Cheng Xi finished the demonstration, he looked at Duan Chengkang and asked, "Did you learn it?"

Kang Ge nodded, then started shaking his head when he realized what was happening. The teacher's posture in making tea was so elegant. He had never seen anyone make tea in front of him, and the teacher before him had never taught him that.

Kang Ge'er was a little confused: "Master, why do we need to learn this? We have maids at home, so we still need to do it ourselves."

Cheng Xi took a sip and moved his sleeves slightly.

"Why don't you learn from others?"

Duan Chengkang: It seems to make some sense.

Kang Ge'er thought that Master Cheng would say a lot of profound truths like other people, but he never expected that it would be just this one sentence.

But it makes sense.

Then the two of them started staring at each other.

"What are you looking at me for?"

Cheng Xi stared at Kang Ge'er with cold eyes

Kang Ge'er shuddered all over. He, he had forgotten all the steps.

Then I started to work in a hurry. What was the first step? It seemed to be to roast the tea. I picked up a piece of tea cake with bamboo clips and started to roast it on the small stove.

If I'm not careful, it will fall off.

Kang Ge'er looked at the empty bamboo clips and the burnt tea cake that fell on the stove, then looked at the teacher's expression.

Okay, a little scary.

I had to start over again. This time it didn't fall, but then all kinds of problems happened. Either I forgot a step or I overboiled the water.

Cheng Xi just watched quietly, and finally Kang Ge'er finally made his first pot of tea.

After he poured out the tea, Cheng Xi fell silent. This was the first time he had seen tea as thick as ink.

Just as I was wondering whether to let my apprentice down by forcing myself to drink a sip or just throwing it away, a voice suddenly rang out...