Chapter 32: The buns are so delicious "Sister, if you open a restaurant in the future and sell...

Zhao Chunfang, knowing she was in the wrong, began to retreat, her eyes flickering, but the tall, burly servant had already blocked her retreat, leaving her with nowhere to escape. The short, stocky servant stepped forward, snatched the tinderbox from her hand, and said with a smile, "Let's settle your account today."

The next day, just as the sun was rising, a villager carrying a load passed by the fields and faintly heard a low whimpering sound.

He suddenly stopped, looked around, and walked into the field. He was shocked to see a person buried in the soft soil.

She was like a radish stuck in the ground, with only her head exposed, her hair disheveled, her face covered in dirt, looking both funny and pitiful.

He looked closely and saw that it was Zhao Chunfang from the village.

Her eyes were hollow, she mumbled to herself, and she looked dazed, as if possessed by a demon. The villagers dropped their hoes and ran to call the men working in the nearby fields, who hurriedly dug her out. Zhao Chunfang collapsed to the ground, her eyes staring straight ahead, her expression filled with fear and bewilderment, as she muttered, "Ghost... There's a ghost... The ghost is coming..."

The surrounding villagers looked at each other in confusion. Someone whispered, "What's going on? Why is she buried here?"

"This is the place where a dead body was dug out before..." An elderly villager replied in a low voice with some fear.

The people around were talking about this, and gradually, a chill spread through the crowd. Zhao Chunfang was clearly not in her right mind. She hadn't spoken a complete sentence since being rescued, just mumbling the word "ghost" over and over again, her face full of fear, her appearance making those around her shudder.

"I'm afraid it's the 'Field of the Dead' that's haunting it. Zhao Chunfang has been possessed by an evil spirit."

*

Liu Yeshu went out in the morning to buy some meat at the market. When she arrived at the village entrance, she saw several village aunties gathered together, chatting animatedly.

"Have you heard? Zhao Chunfang was dug out of the ground this morning! After he came out, he was completely possessed by evil spirits and was unconscious. It's really weird!"

Liu Yeshu paused slightly and was about to continue walking forward when she heard someone calling out to her, "Hey, Miss Liu, have you heard? Something happened to Zhao Chunfang last night!"

Liu Yeshu stopped, her eyes wide. "How is that possible? Yesterday afternoon, she was in the drying yard, slandering my fields as unclean and refusing to let the grain merchants buy our wheat. She said things like... 'dead man's fields' and so on. She seemed quite spirited."

When the aunts heard this, their expressions varied.

"After we sold all the wheat yesterday, my father and I went home early. Aunt Wang, you remember when we came back."

Aunt Wang was named, recalled it, and nodded: "That's right."

"As the saying goes, a gentleman shouldn't talk about strange things. Aunt Zhao has been spreading rumors about ghosts and gods a few days ago. Could it be that these words have backfired on her?"

As she peeled garlic, the old lady pursed her lips and said, "Zhao Chunfang often says there's something haunted in your fields." Then she asked, "Did anyone go to the government to identify the body they dug up?"

Liu Yeshu shook her head: "We didn't care about this. My father said that it's better not to get involved in unlucky things." After saying that, she picked up the basket and prepared to leave.

"Going to the market again? I heard your family's crops were incredibly good this year! You must have made a lot of money from selling the wheat, right?"

Liu Yeshu looked calm as usual. She turned around and smiled, "Selling wheat is just like that. Everyone has a good harvest this year, and my family is nothing special. As for the money, we just get by as usual. There's no way we can make a lot of money."

Seeing that the aunties wanted to ask more questions, Liu Yeshu turned around without leaving a trace: "I have something else to do, so I'll go to the market to buy some things first, and then we can talk later." She said goodbye politely, carrying the basket and continued walking towards the market.

She didn't look back, but she could feel the whispering eyes following her back.

Several people who had agreed to visit Zhao Chunfang in the afternoon, after hearing what Liu Yeshu said, made excuses that they had something to do in the afternoon, peeled the remaining garlic in their hands, and then went home.

*

After returning from the market, Liu Yeshu was thinking about steaming some buns.

I went to the kitchen, poured a large bowl of wheat flour into the basin, added water, and kneaded it little by little with my hands. The dough gradually became smooth, soft and elastic.

Seeing the smoke rising from the kitchen, Liu Yeling walked in and called out, "Sister, let me help you!"

"Okay, you're strong, come help me knead the dough. I need to knead it for a while longer so it becomes chewy."

After kneading the dough until it was smooth and pliable, she gently pinched a piece, placed it in her palm to feel its elasticity, and nodded to Liu Di with satisfaction. She took a damp cloth, covered the basin, and let the dough rise quietly, waiting for it to slowly become fluffy.

While the dough was rising, Liu Yeshu began preparing the filling for the buns. She carefully minced the meat she'd bought from the market, chopping it into fine, even pieces. The aroma of the meat emanated from the sound of the knife's chopping. Next, she took the scallions and ginger she'd picked from her own garden, chopped them into small pieces, and carefully mixed them into the filling.

Then, a little soy sauce, salt and seasonings were added to the meat filling. When the aroma of the seasonings blended with the aroma of the meat, the whole kitchen was filled with an enticing aroma.

"Ling'er, come and help me mix the stuffing. The stuffing needs to be a little moister so the buns are juicier and more delicious."

When the dough is almost fermented, Liu Yeshu takes out the dough, rolls it into long strips, cuts it into small pieces of even size with a knife, rolls the small pieces into balls, and rolls them into thin round dough sheets.

She took a piece of dough, placed it in her palm, scooped a spoonful of meat filling and placed it in the center. Her fingers wrapped the dough around the filling, pinching and twisting it. In a blink of an eye, the folds of the bun took shape like blooming petals.

The buns were neatly placed on the steamer, and water was boiled over high heat. After about a quarter of an hour, Liu Yeshu opened the lid of the pot, and steam and fragrance came to her face. The buns had become plump, white, and each one was round and full.

Liu Yeling was almost drooling as she watched from the side. She took a bite and hissed at the burning filling. She chewed it and tasted the fragrance, then swallowed it, mumbling something.

"Eat slowly. I didn't hear what you said just now."

"Sister, if you open a restaurant in the future, can you give me all the leftover buns?"

After hearing this, Liu Yeshu laughed so hard that tears almost came out.

After eating the buns, she washed her hands, picked up the broom and dustpan, and walked to the backyard.

In the backyard, chickens were grazing in the dirt in groups of two or three, making cheerful clucking sounds. The chicken coop was piled high with debris and some feces on the ground, making it look a bit messy.

She walked into the chicken coop and thought as she swept the floor that with the increase in the number of chickens, the original backyard was indeed a bit crowded. If she didn't quickly make more space for the chickens to move around, it might affect their growth.

She stood up and looked around.

There was a knock on the door outside the courtyard. Liu Yeshu opened the door and found that it was Old Man Wang knocking on the door next door.

"Is Brother Liu at home? I came to see you. Do you need help with this year's autumn harvest?" Old man Wang had a loud voice, and the wrinkles on his face looked particularly friendly because of his smile.

Hearing the noise, Father Liu came out of the house and greeted him with a smile: "I haven't figured out the details of the autumn harvest yet, but I will remember your kindness!"

"Uncle Wang, you came at the right time. I just steamed a pot of buns. Please come in and have something hot first." Liu Yeshu said with a smile. She put down the broom in her hand, walked quickly to the kitchen, and brought out a plate of white and plump buns.

Hearing this, Old Man Wang rubbed his hands, a glint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. He strode into the yard and sat down at Liu's invitation, his eyes already drawn to the plate of fragrant buns.

Liu Yeshu placed the buns in front of Old Man Wang and said, "Uncle Wang, please try them. They are made from our own wheat flour and are still hot from the pot."

Old man Wang smiled and said, "Then I won't be polite." As he said that, he picked up a bun, blew it carefully, and took a bite.

As soon as he took a bite, Old Man Wang's eyes lit up. The bun's crust was soft, and upon biting into it, it carried the distinct aroma of wheat. The meat filling inside was incredibly juicy and delicious. It was laced with tender green onions and finely chopped ginger, and the seasoning was just right. The meat was fragrant and juicy, and each bite was filled with a rich, rich aroma.

Old Man Wang couldn't help nodding as he chewed. "Oh, these buns are really well made! The skin is so soft and the filling is so fragrant. Even in East Market, there aren't many places that can make buns this good!"

While praising, he ate one bun in no time and then picked up the second one.

"Especially the dough, how come it is steamed so soft and fragrant?" Old man Wang wiped his mouth.

Liu Yeshu smiled and said, "It must be because the wheat flour we make is so fine, the steamed buns are so chewy."

He took a big bite, his mouth full of delicious gravy, but he couldn't help but sigh, "It's a pity that not every household can make such good buns like this. By the way, Shu'er, how is it working at the General's Mansion now? A place like the General's Mansion is much more impressive than our village, right?"

Liu Yeshu smiled and said gently, "Uncle Wang, everything is actually fine at the General's Mansion, thanks to your help in building bridges before. In the final analysis, I still have to thank you."

As Old Man Wang ate his buns, his smile grew wider. He took a small bite, chewed it carefully for a few moments, and then said slowly, "I've been busy with the autumn harvest these days, running around in the fields every day. Anyway, these buns are quite good. They're easy to carry, and once steamed, I can eat several at once, saving me the trouble of cooking every day."

Liu Yeshu's heart moved slightly, and she agreed: "Yes, Uncle Wang, buns are easy to carry and very filling, which saves a lot of trouble."

Father Liu was originally listening with a smile, but when he heard Old Man Wang mention "selling buns", his expression changed slightly. Thinking of the Liu family's current status, criminal slaves cannot do business, and the last lesson still makes him scared.

Father Liu was silent for a moment, not responding. The harvest was good, and the family wasn't short of money, so there was really no need to think about anything else. He glanced at Liu Yeshu from the corner of his eye, feeling a hint of worry, afraid she might harbor inappropriate thoughts.