Regardless of the purpose, the Old Madam had made up her mind. As long as it wasn't excessive, she would agree, considering it compensation for the hardships she had endured in the countryside these past few years.
If Qi Zhenzhen knew what the Old Madam was thinking, she would surely retort. She felt her days in the countryside were carefree and incredibly comfortable.
Her strained words were only meant to urge the Old Madam to take care of her health. At her age, indulging in rich foods daily without restraint would inevitably lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and a clouded mind. Especially since she spent most of her days indoors with almost no physical activity. Qi Zhenzhen had privately asked Nanny Fang and learned that the Old Madam often experienced dizziness.
This was no small matter. Left unchecked, it would surely develop into a stroke.
At that point, the inner workings of the Marquis's household would be entirely under the thumb of the Marchioness.
This was not the outcome Qi Zhenzhen desired, which was why she wanted to improve the Old Madam's dietary habits. However, after hearing about some past events from Nanny Fang, she felt that changing things would be very difficult.
Therefore, she decided to use a strong approach.
"Grandmother, the countryside isn't entirely as I described earlier. It's not that every family can't afford meat, nor is it that only wealthy families can eat meat. Even ordinary families have meat at every meal," Qi Zhenzhen continued.
The Old Madam became even more curious. Qi Zhenzhen had just described the living conditions of most families in the countryside, and she was lamenting how pitiable it was. They only had meat a few times a year, and a large family had to share it, with each person getting only a piece or two, just enough to taste the flavor?
"Tell me then, what kind of family can afford to eat meat every meal?" the Old Madam asked.
"A butcher's family," Qi Zhenzhen replied. "Butchers slaughter pigs and sell meat. The meat sells, but few people buy the offal. It would be a waste to throw it away, so eventually, after cooking, it's served on the table. That counts as eating meat. But there's too much, and a family can't finish it all. Besides, eating it every day would get tiresome. The butcher's father was frugal and didn't want to waste it, so he ate his fill every day. Outsiders all said the butcher was a filial son, providing meat for his father like this. The butcher, hearing the outsiders' words, also thought he was a very filial son, but later, the butcher deeply regretted it and slapped himself several times on the face."
"Why was that?"
"The butcher's father had a stroke. Only his eyeballs could move. He couldn't speak or move, and it was very difficult to feed him a mouthful of food. The butcher found a doctor who said his father had always been healthy, able to eat and drink, and he didn't understand why this had happened. The doctor took the butcher's father's pulse, then inquired about his daily diet, and finally said that the problem lay with the greasy offal he ate three meals a day. The butcher's father was getting old, didn't do much work, and with such gluttony, his stomach couldn't handle it, nor could other organs tolerate the greasiness. The meridians that were supposed to be flowing became blocked, and that's how he ended up like this."
The Old Madam's face turned slightly pale.
Qi Zhenzhen ignored it, cleared her throat, and continued, "The butcher regretted it and devoted himself to taking care of his father. But how easy is it to care for someone who has had a stroke? Setting aside eating and drinking, the issue of relieving himself was enough to deal with. He had incontinence, and often, just as the butcher finished cleaning up, he would soil himself again. No matter how filial or patient he was, it all ran out. Later, the butcher's father also felt sorry for his son and went on a hunger strike, refusing to eat or drink. The butcher was also exhausted. Since his father wouldn't eat, he didn't try to persuade him, and so..."
The Old Madam clutched her chest. "Is eating so much meat and fish every meal really that serious?"
Nanny Fang seized the opportunity to speak. "Whether it's that serious, this old servant doesn't know, but this old servant knows that the imperial physician always advises you to eat lightly when checking your pulse, yet you always insist on your own way."
"Zhenzhen, is what you're saying true?" the Old Madam asked, still unwilling to believe.
Qi Zhenzhen nodded. "It's true. If Grandmother doesn't believe me, she can send someone to inquire."
"But if I don't eat chicken, duck, or fish, I feel uneasy. I..." The Old Madam sighed deeply.
Qi Zhenzhen knew the reason for this. Nanny Fang had revealed it to her—
When the Old Madam was still the Marchioness of Changping, the then Marquis of Changping had taken a concubine outside the household without her knowledge. What kind of woman was she? She was someone the Old Madam found particularly detestable at first sight. She was frail and delicate, like a small white flower swaying in the wind, speaking in a sweet, childish tone. The Old Madam tried her best to prevent the Marquis of Changping from bringing that woman into the mansion, but ultimately, she failed. Not only did that woman enter the mansion, but she also became a secondary wife, and everyone in the household had to address her as Second Madam.
Soon, that woman became pregnant.
The Old Madam was filled with resentment, wishing death upon that woman and her child.
Later, the child in that woman's womb was indeed lost. The Old Madam didn't know the reason, but the culprit was blamed on her. No matter how she defended herself, it was useless. The Marquis of Changping was furious and locked the Old Madam in the woodshed, feeding her only coarse grain cakes every day, and sometimes even moldy ones. After that woman recovered, she ordered people to bring a food box to the woodshed.
Chicken, duck, fish, soft steamed buns, and fragrant congee.
These things were not for the Old Madam to eat, but for the dog that woman had brought, to eat in front of her until it couldn't eat anymore.
That woman flaunted her status in front of the Old Madam, humiliating her in various ways.
The Old Madam endured such days for a full six months. After that, she had to have chicken, duck, and fish at every meal. If she missed even one meal, she would feel a sense of panic, as if she were back in the woodshed.
This incident had caused irreversible harm to the Old Madam, not just physically, but more so psychologically. It had accompanied the Old Madam ever since, influencing her.
Therefore, she had to eat heartily at every meal, as if only by doing so could she escape those nightmarish memories.
"Grandmother, why don't I cook for you at noon today?" Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile. "I certainly won't make any rich dishes for you. For your health, I will definitely make vegetarian dishes. You can see if you have an appetite then, alright?"
The Old Madam had heard from Nanny Fang that Qi Zhenzhen's cooking skills were not bad, so she nodded. "Then you try."
Nanny Fang led Qi Zhenzhen to the small kitchen of Chaohui Hall, with a worried expression on her face. "Second Miss, can you really make vegetarian dishes that the Old Madam will like? In all these years, I've tried every method without success. Even the vegetarian dishes made by imperial chefs from the palace haven't managed to change the Old Madam's three meals a day. The imperial physician said that if this continues, the Old Madam will surely suffer from a phlegm-induced coma!"
"How will we know if we don't try? Nanny, you know, I want the Old Madam to live a long and healthy life even more. With her here, our lives as mother and daughters won't be so difficult," Qi Zhenzhen said.