Chapter 109 (Lotus Root Cake (Part 1)...)

Yan Qiushu came out of the Xiao Mansion, and she felt relieved.

From what Xiao Huaiqi revealed, the battle for the throne will probably officially begin after Xiao Huaiting leaves Kyoto. It looks like the old emperor won't be able to hold on for much longer. It is estimated that the dynasty will be truly changed by next spring at the latest.

Yan Qiushu was so excited that even her body, which was almost broken apart by the shaking of the carriage, felt much better.

Maybe it rained heavily a few days ago, the path leading to the village from the pipeline was a bit muddy, with potholes every now and then. The carriage did not have much shock absorption function, so she was shaken all over the place when she sat in it.

Shui Yu followed her and suffered the same pain.

When they were almost at the village, they quickly stopped the car, jumped out and vomited.

After recovering from her shock, Yan Qiushu and Shui Yu weakly supported each other and looked at the driver: "Uncle, can you find two people to help fill this piece of land later? The extra work will be fifty cents per person."

"Chengcheng, I'll take the carriage back to the farm right away. Don't worry, we will get it done as soon as possible." The coachman immediately smiled. Seeing that they were going to walk slowly here, he didn't wait and drove the carriage back to find people.

Find something to do and get the money sooner.

Fifty cents per person is enough to pay for two days of hard work at the dock!

Yan Qiushu stood there for a while, and in the fresh air of the suburbs, the discomfort in her heart finally disappeared. She and Shui Yu chatted while walking.

The newly planted peppers have grown a lot. I estimate that in another month, we will have enough peppers to pick.

It is also time to start preparing the greenhouse, otherwise when the weather gets cold, potatoes and peppers will be out of production and it will be difficult to eat fresh vegetables.

Suddenly, Shui Yu looked at the wheel tracks on the ground and wondered, "Why are there so many wheel tracks? Are there guests at our manor again?"

Yan Qiushu also looked over, showing some surprise. This road was the only one that passed by on the way to their farm. After the rain in the past few days, no one else went out of the farm. Including the two of them coming and going, there were only two traces. But these messy traces definitely meant more than two times.

Another guest?

Yan Qiushu was slightly delighted. Although she didn't have to worry about the income, it would be a good thing if there were more customers. She lifted her skirt a little and said cheerfully, "Let's go back first. Judging from the carriage tracks, there must be a lot of people coming. I'm worried that Sister Zhao and the others will be too busy to handle it."

Shui Yu also nodded quickly.

The two quickened their pace and when they reached the gate of the manor, they heard a noisy commotion inside. It was mostly women's voices, mixed with men's voices, and the helpless but forcing voice of Zhao Shuhong.

Yan Qiushu's expression changed slightly and she walked in completely.

I saw several familiar-looking people standing in the yard. Steward Gu and Zhao Shuhong were smiling apologetically at one of the women, who had a bad look on her face. "Everything here is clean. We always wash it with hot water. You can use it with confidence."

"You expect me to use such a low-quality thing without any worries? What's the big deal about washing it with hot water? Can't you just give me a new one?!" The woman who spoke happened to be someone Yan Qiushu knew. She was Zhou Zejing's sister Zhou Lanyi. After she said this, she threw a teapot on the stone table in the yard to the ground in disgust.

The ground in the yard was mostly paved with stone slabs. When the stone was hit, the ceramic teapot broke with a "bang" and scattered all over the ground, and the hot tea spilled out.

Yan Qiuyuan, who was standing next to her, screamed and took two steps back. Looking at the hem of her skirt stained with light brown tea, she glared at Zhou Lanyi angrily and seemed very unhappy as well, but she endured it and turned away.

This time, she happened to see Yan Qiushu. She subconsciously smiled and said, "The country gentleman is back. I thought I wouldn't be able to see him this time, but I didn't expect to see him now."

Yan Qiushu glanced at everyone one by one. Zhou Lanyi sneered at her. The frail young man who looked like a scholar next to her also looked over and smiled faintly. Next to her were Zhou Zejing and Yan Qiuyuan.

Two men and two women, no wonder there are so many traces of carriages.

She looked at Zhao Shuhong again. Her face looked very bad and her smile was forced. She had been trying to cheer herself up and say nice things to Zhou Lanyi, but when she saw Yan Qiushu, she smiled a little aggrievedly.

"Greetings to the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, and the County Lady." Yan Qiushu saluted expressionlessly.

Zhou Zejing, Yan Qiuyuan, and another scholar also urged her to nod, but Zhou Lanyi was the only one who stood there with her arms folded across her chest, motionless.

Yan Qiushu didn't say much, but took two steps forward and said to Zhao Shuhong, "Sister Zhao, what happened? I just went out for a while and I'm in this state?"

She frowned slightly, as if she was blaming the mess in the yard. Zhao Shuhong lowered her eyes with some guilt.

Zhou Lanyi smiled with satisfaction. Before Zhao Shuhong could say anything, she said sarcastically, "What else could it be? You are such an unreasonable servant. You used such a cheap thing to fool this county lady. Do you think you should be punished?"

Yan Qiushu ignored her and continued looking at Zhao Shuhong.

Zhao Shuhong's face showed a hint of comfort, but her tone was helpless. "Several guests came, saying they heard we could entertain guests here, so I greeted them and had tea served. I was about to introduce the place to them, but this lady thought our tea set was too low-quality and didn't want to use someone else's used one. I already replaced it with a new one, but she still dislikes it. How about we send someone to buy something better?"

Yan Qiushu understood, pursed her lips and smiled, patted her comfortingly, and said: "It's okay, no need to buy it, our farm is like this."

Zhou Lanyi's face fell and she looked at her with a frown.

Yan Qiushu turned sideways to face her and said calmly, "County Lady, I'm not feeling well today, so I won't be entertaining guests. You can sit here. Otherwise, everyone else has the day off."

Zhao Shuhong was stunned, then anxiously tugged at her sleeve and shook her head: "Ah Shu!"

Isn't this publicly offending people?

Yan Qiushu also shook her head at her, pressed her hand, and said in a clear and decisive voice, showing her determination: "Gu Guanshi, the manor is resting today, you should go and rest too, no need to entertain."

Zhou Lanyi's face darkened. "What do you mean? We're guests. We came all the way here, and you're just ignoring us like this?!"

After she finished speaking, a scholar next to her said unhappily, "If you just casually say you won't entertain us, then wouldn't our trip be in vain?"

After he finished speaking, Zhou Lanyi's expression immediately softened, with a bit of girlish shyness.

Yan Qiushu smiled and asked, "We need reservations here. Do you have one?"

Zhou Lanyi hesitated and didn't say anything.

Yan Qiushu said sternly, "Since you haven't made a reservation, you're not really a guest. Furthermore, we inform every guest of the conditions of this manor before they arrive. If you want utensils worthy of your status, please find another place. Our temple is too small to accommodate a large Buddha!"

Zhou Lanyi and the scholar were completely choked, unable to find any words to refute for a moment, and subconsciously looked at the other two.

Yan Qiuyuan rolled her eyes secretly, then looked at her husband pretending to be at a loss, not intending to speak.

She had seen Yan Qiushu's cunningness last time and didn't want to be shut up. Moreover, this time they came here on purpose without making an appointment in advance. They just heard that there were no guests at the manor recently, so they came here directly.

Zhou Zejing smiled calmly and said gently, "My sister just assumed this. Please don't be offended, my lord. I came here because I admire your reputation. I didn't expect to offend you. But it's getting late. If I go back, it will delay me. I quite like the scenery of this farm. I wonder if you can stay?"

As he spoke, he presented a silver note.

The minimum denomination of a silver note was fifty taels. Yan Qiushu smiled and said, "Do you think I'm short of silver?"

Zhou Lanyi scolded him, "Don't push your luck! I'm just a small county lord, why are you so arrogant?"

"Lan Yi!" Zhou Zejing shouted in displeasure. Lan Yi pouted in anger, but remained silent. He then added another picture and said with a smile, "It's my fault, my dear. Please don't blame me, my wife is pregnant. The jolting carriage ride here has made her uncomfortable. I'm afraid she'll be even more uncomfortable if we go back. I hope you'll take her in for one night."

Yan Qiushu glanced at him warily. He was smiling and nothing could be seen. She looked at Yan Qiuyuan again. He smiled at her. Upon closer inspection, she saw that he was really holding his stomach with his hand.

She was not so resolute, but rather a little worried. But if she really had to kick him out, if anything happened to Yan Qiuyuan, she would probably be blamed. If she stayed here... she was actually afraid of something happening.

At this moment, Xiao Huaiya's voice suddenly appeared: "A Shu, since they want to stay so much, let them stay for one night. I just saw someone filling the road, and they should be able to leave tomorrow."

She came over, wearing a light yellow long dress, looking cute and tender, but still wearing a veil. A pair of eyes on the veil blinked twice, reassuring her.

Seeing this, Yan Qiushu also took the banknote and said, "Okay, Manager Gu, please go and arrange for these guests."

Steward Gu immediately nodded with a smile: "Okay, please come this way, sir."

Zhou Lanyi pointed at Zhao Shuhong and said in a sweet voice, "I want her to entertain me."

Zhou Zejing smiled and said, "My dear, do you think..."

Zhao Shuhong pursed her lips tightly, with some resistance in her eyes, but she still planned to move forward.

Yan Qiushu reached out and pulled her: "No, Sister Zhao has other things to do. We are all self-service here. You can do whatever you want. If you damage anything, you can compensate according to the price. Please do as you please."

As she spoke she stood there and looked at them.

Zhou Zejing's smile faded slightly. Seeing that Zhou Lanyi was still struggling, he said in a deep voice, "Okay, let's go."

Seeing this, Han Ronglun also said, "Yes, let's go."

Zhou Lanyi's complexion improved, but Zhou Zejing frowned and walked in front with big strides, as if he didn't want to walk with him.

The three of them arrived at Yan Qiushu's yard. Thinking of the faces of those people when they were greeted by Gu Guanshi, Yan Qiushu felt that this group of people did not seem to be here simply for vacation. None of them looked happy, so she asked, "Can you tell what they are going to do?"

Xiao Huaiya looked at her and guessed, "I guess it's coming for you."

"Me?" Yan Qiushu frowned. What use could she have?

Xiao Huaiya nodded and spread her hands helplessly: "Although I don't know why, but they can suddenly come here without saying hello and take advantage of the fact that I'm pregnant. They are definitely determined to stay. Why not go along with them and see what they are going to do. Besides, if something really happens, we don't have to be afraid."

Yan Qiushu was about to nod at that time, so she didn't say anything else. She looked at Zhao Shuhong and said, "Sister Zhao, you don't have to be so aggrieved in the future. If a customer is not satisfied, just ask her to leave. This is the treatment we get here. We don't rely on this to make a living anyway. The money we earn from the vegetables and fruits sold on the farm alone is enough."

Zhao Shuhong smiled bitterly. She certainly knew that this farm was still profitable. Most of the products were directly supplied to the food street. The food street had huge consumption, so the money given was naturally not small, so there was no need to worry about not making enough money.

But she felt that she lived here to entertain guests, so how could she really do as she pleased?

"Sister Zhao?" Yan Qiushu shook her and said with a smile, "If you act like this, I won't dare ask you to greet them again. Otherwise, I'll feel bad if I wrong you."

Zhao Shuhong was amused, and her heart warmed. She smiled and said, "It's just that the guests today are special. It won't be like this in the future."

The more aristocratic one is, the more they care about face and will not deliberately make things difficult for someone like her.

Yan Qiushu thought she was saying that Zhou Zejing and his group were special, so she didn't take it seriously. But Xiao Huaiya said, "Do you know that scholar? I saw him secretly looking at you."

Yan Qiushu quickly looked over, as if she remembered something, but she wasn't sure: "Really?"

Zhao Shuhong sighed, "Well, that man is my ex-husband's younger brother. He was probably surprised to see me here, so he looked at me a few more times. Maybe that's why the county lady misunderstood him. I think that's probably why she deliberately made things difficult for me."

Yan Qiushu frowned and wanted to chase them away again, but she had already received the money and they hadn't done anything yet. She couldn't find an excuse to chase them away, so she said, "Then don't go out next time. Let's ignore them and send them away tomorrow."

Zhao Shuhong smiled and said, "That's not necessary. I've already divorced his brother, so naturally I have nothing to do with him."

Yan Qiushu asked suspiciously, "He came here with these two today. Could it be that Zhou Lanyi has taken a fancy to him? Why is her taste so poor?"

Zhao Shuhong laughed: "What's wrong with him? I heard that he ranked quite high in the palace examination. He's good-looking and not too old. If he were to be a son-in-law, he would actually be quite good."

Xiao Huaiya also nodded: "Yes, it's not bad. Although not as good as my brothers, for an ordinary family to have such a child, it must be a great honor. You can't compare with my brother!"

"He watched you being misunderstood without saying a word. He has been supported by your family for many years. Even if you divorced, he really benefited from it and should have said good things about you. He just watched it coldly. His character is definitely not good. What's good about him?" Yan Qiushu said with disdain. Seeing that Xiao Huaiya seemed to have just realized this point, she found it a little funny.

That's right. Although this girl has fought in the battlefield and killed enemies, she is the youngest girl in the Xiao family and has been spoiled to be a bit innocent. Before, when she was in the Xiao family, no one could mess with her. Now that she is out...

Yan Qiushu felt alert and reminded him, "You too, when judging a person, you can't just look at their appearance. You also have to look at what they say and do. Don't be naive and believe everything others say. If nothing unexpected happens, he may be hooking up with Zhou Lanyi. I see that the Prince of Jin looks down on him and probably doesn't want him to be his sister's son-in-law. Be careful that he doesn't try to hook up with you..."

Zhao Shuhong continued, "Oh, right? Manager Yao from the neighboring farm sent over a lot of fresh lotus roots. He said they're very tender and crispy. Should we cook them later?"

"A lot?" Yan Qiushu's eyes lit up. Seeing her nod, she looked at Xiao Huaiya: "Didn't you ask me to teach you a simple dish? There's a particularly simple dish here called lotus root dumplings. Do you want to make it?"

"Okay!" Xiao Huaiya nodded decisively: "Hurry up, let's go and learn. When I get back on Dongdong's birthday, I'll make it for my mother!"

Yan Qiushu smiled and didn't take them to the kitchen outside. Instead, she asked someone to bring the lotus roots to the small courtyard.

The lotus root was still covered in mud, but after washing, the exposed lotus root was already pink and tender. When she was washing it, her fingernail accidentally touched it and she could clearly feel the crispness and abundant juice of the lotus root.

This lotus root is really fresh!

Yan Qiushu sighed and finished cleaning. When she cut the lotus root, she removed the nodes. She cut a slice and broke it into several pieces for them to taste. Xiao Huaiya took it hesitantly and asked, "Can it be eaten raw?"

"Of course, it's delicious." Zhao Shuhong was the first to put it in her mouth: "I tasted it right after it was delivered. It's sweet and delicious!"

Xiao Huaiya took a bite and found it sweet. It was like biting into a fruit. Although it was not as sweet, it was very juicy. "Wow, it's really good!"

"But don't eat too much, it's hard to digest. Just try it." Yan Qiushu said with a smile, picked up the knife and said to Xiao Huaiya: "When you cut it, cut it twice, but don't cut all the way through with the first cut, leave a little space."

Xiao Huaiya stared at her hands closely, watching those slender hands, one hand pressing the lotus root, the other holding the knife, stopping when there was only one-third left, and the second time directly to the bottom.

After a few times, slices of lotus root about one centimeter wide fell on the chopping board. After cutting two sections of lotus root, Yan Qiushu did not continue. Instead, she took another piece of lotus root and opened it a little in the middle: "This place will be stuffed with meat later."

Xiao Huaiya nodded, not quite understanding, until Yan Qiushu used chopsticks to stuff the meat filling prepared with water into the pot. Then she suddenly understood, her eyes widening: "How can it be like this? It won't break?"

"Don't use force, it won't break." Yan Qiushu said with a smile, letting her hold the knife: "You try it."

Xiao Huaiya had held a knife and a sword before, but she had only killed people and had never processed food. Before, she mostly helped with menial tasks like lighting fires or fetching water. She was never needed to cut vegetables because her knife skills were not very good.

But this time, Yan Qiushu directly handed the knife to her with an encouraging look. Xiao Huaiya suddenly felt great pressure. She carefully adjusted her posture and slowly cut with the knife.

Sometimes shallow, sometimes deep.

After a "dong" sound, the lotus root slices fell smoothly. She asked in surprise, "Did I cut it correctly?"

Yan Qiushu picked it up and took a look. After confirming it, she stuffed the meat into it with chopsticks. After stuffing it in, she closed the lotus root slices. The tender meat inside was squeezed into the lotus root hole. She smiled and said, "What do you think?"

Xiao Huaiya smiled with satisfaction: "It feels very simple!"

She was in high spirits and continued cutting, and her movements became more and more skillful.

Yan Qiushu was stuffing the meat on the side. When the movements became faster and faster, she changed her job and started mixing the flour batter, leaving the task of stuffing the meat to Xiao Huaiya.

Cooking is actually not difficult, but it is a little difficult to make it taste very good. However, for most people, practice makes perfect, and making it delicious is enough.

Xiao Huaiya was the same. After being assigned a new task by Yan Qiushu, he was extremely serious and stuffed them one by one into the flour paste and stirred them.

Zhao Shuhong was lighting a fire. She cleaned the pot and put some oil in it. When the oil was slightly hot, Yan Qiushu put the lotus root clips rolled in the flour paste into the pot.

A "sizzling..." sound was heard, and the lotus root clip fell into the bottom of the oil pan and quickly floated up. Pieces of lotus root clip were thrown down, and the flour paste was also brought down and was also fried until golden brown.