Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Night Rain Cuts Spring Chives My Unparalleled Hero...

The slave trader took one thousand coins from Duan Zhiwei, signed the contract and ran away contentedly, fearing that she would change her mind if he stayed for even a moment.

Duan Zhiwei could only walk back to the restaurant slowly, and he and Pu Tao huddled on the Hu bed to endure Aunt Duan's rage.

"He said he was going to the East Market to buy soy sauce, but he actually bought a person back. Fortunately, he couldn't go to the sky, otherwise he would have bought back Chang'e's Guanghan Palace."

Duan Zhiwei smiled and said, "Most slaves in Chang'an cost 7,000 to 8,000. The restaurant is expanding and is in need of people. One thousand coins is a good deal. Otherwise, hiring a servant for a month would cost 500 coins a month."

Duan Zhiwei tried to persuade Aunt Duan from the perspective of saving money, but she glared at her sternly: "What can't a servant do, such as helping with washing, fetching water, and chopping firewood?" She pointed at the boy who was still tied to the pillar and grinning at everyone: "Where is he?"

The little boy was still struggling violently when he was brought by the slave trader, and was tied to a wooden pillar in the middle of the restaurant.

During this time, Duan Zhiwei also wanted to go up and untie him, but he growled at Duan Zhiwei in a low voice. Duan Zhiwei was afraid that he would bite her hand, so she quickly retracted it.

Ah Pan had also been a refugee, wandering all the way to Chang'an with dishevelled hair and an empty stomach. He seemed to be very empathetic and bravely squatted down to untie the rope for him.

The boy rushed towards her, and amid everyone's exclamations, A Pan hugged him tightly, then touched his head and whispered something to comfort him.

After a struggle, the boy miraculously calmed down in her arms. Ah Pan warmed his body and comforted him, "It's all right now." Then he looked up at Aunt Duan and said, "Auntie, this child is really pitiful. It's really unfair for you to pay that thousand yuan. Why don't you deduct that money from my salary?"

After hearing what she said, Aunt Duan felt too embarrassed to say anything else and just shut up in disappointment.

A Pan boiled a whole bucket of water to give him a bath. Zhen Hui had been in a coma for three days and was full of energy. Thinking that as a man, it would be more convenient for him to help, he rolled up his sleeves and came over. However, he was splashed with water by the little boy in the wooden barrel. He had to leave with regret and went back to the warehouse to change his clothes in shame.

The restaurant didn't have any clothes that could fit the little boy, so Duan Zhiwei went to a clothing store and bought one on the spur of the moment.

When he came back, he had already taken a shower and changed into clean clothes. He looked like a different person. He was too thin, and ordinary clothes didn't fit him well, so A Pan had to roll up his sleeves tighter.

He has fluffy hair, dark skin and scars. Although he has a pair of cute round eyes, there is a wild and sharp edge in his eyes.

On the other hand, Pu Tao, who was the same age, was innocent and naive, with only a clear desire for food in his eyes. After making this comparison, Aunt Duan felt some sympathy for him, wondering what kind of hardships he had experienced.

Thinking of the deep and shallow whip wounds on his body, A Pan took some of his savings and went to the clinic to buy ointment.

Pu Tao circled around him a few times, then turned to Duan Zhiwei and said, "Madam, he looks like a little wolf cub, furry and furry. Why don't we call him Little Wolf?"

Duan Zhiwei was busy bargaining with the waiter who came to deliver the vegetables, and had no intention of caring about a child's name. He just nodded randomly. Pu Tao cheered and pulled him to buy candy.

Chang'an is awakening from spring in February. The spring breeze is already blowing gently through the streets. The ice on the Wei River begins to melt. Fishermen get up early in the morning to break the ice in order to catch the plump black carp under the ice. The sound of ice cracking is heard one after another. With the spring rain, it is time to harvest various seasonal vegetables. They are growing well and the price has dropped a lot compared to the cold winter.

Just like today, the vegetable shop brought in a truckload of water chestnuts, wild rice stems, and leeks. They were lush green with thick leaves and looked fresh.

Duan Zhiwei picked some fresh and tender spring leeks. Leeks are one of the most common vegetables in this dynasty and are also cheap. Duan Zhiwei even planted some in the backyard. Once the spring rain falls like oil, the leeks with the fragrance of the soil can be harvested and made into a variety of delicious foods.

She planned to use the leeks to make some leek boxes and sell them for breakfast.

Crack a few eggs into a bowl and stir them gently with chopsticks. The egg liquid rolls in red, orange and golden yellow, and is beaten into the oil pan, with the edges showing tempting crispy and burnt edges. Use a spatula to crush it and serve it out. Add a few spoonfuls of river shrimp, chopped green leeks and shiny vermicelli, and pour soy sauce, sesame oil, etc. and stir.

The dough is made with fermented dough, which makes it crispier and more layered. Duan Zhiwei saw that the dough had risen fully, so he began to knead it into pieces.

After buying the candies, Pu Tao and Little Wolf stood quietly aside. Duan Zhiwei called them over and taught them step by step how to roll the dough into a pancake crust that was thick in the middle and thin at the edges.

A small piece of dough was placed in the little wolf's hand. He was still wary but his alertness had obviously faded. At this moment, he looked at the soft dough in his hand with curiosity. Duan Zhiwei squatted behind him, put his arms around his hands, and taught him softly to wrap the emerald filling into the dough. He held his fingers and pinched them flexibly, and the delicate twisted lace of the leek dumplings appeared.

Duan Zhiwei keenly discovered that this child was quite talented in cooking. While Pu Tao was still wondering why the filling came out from the edge of the skin, he was already able to make a round and plump chive box by himself.

Duan Zhiwei remembered that when he was learning it, he had to waste a lot of dough before he could shape it to a satisfactory level.

She thought that the thousand copper coins were well worth it.

Heat oil in a wok at the entrance of the restaurant, put the leek dumplings in one by one in an orderly manner. With the sound of "sizzling" and the rich aroma filling the air, the bottom of the leek dumplings begin to turn golden brown. When the dough puffs up to a certain extent, turn it over and continue frying.

The freshly-cooked chive dumplings had their plump green fillings faintly visible inside. Duan Zhiwei took a large bamboo basket, arranged them neatly, and placed them next to the restaurant door.

Whenever she made something with a strong aroma, she would put it outside the door to attract diners. The aroma of the leek dumplings was so fragrant that several old diners stood by and waited while she was frying them.

She took two and gave one to the little wolf and one to Pu Tao.

The edges of this chive dumpling are wrapped tightly and fried until golden and crispy, locking in the fresh and delicious spring flavor inside. When you take a bite, you first taste the crispy outer shell, which makes a "crunch" sound when you chew it, and then crispy pieces fall to the ground.

The skin inside is soft and chewy, with freshly cut leeks wrapped in smooth egg crumbs and soft vermicelli. The spring leeks are spicy and the vermicelli is salty and fragrant. A variety of flavors are released between the lips and tongue, and it seems that you can swallow a whole spring.

This chive box is really popular.

The food was served until dusk and the diners left.

After curfew, Duan Zhiwei was too lazy to cook dinner. Everyone was given two leek dumplings as a dinner. Pu Tao ate so much during the day that his belly was full. He kept waving his hands and said he couldn't eat any more.

A Pan carefully applied medicine to the wounds on the little wolf's body. Now his whole body exuded a strong smell of medicinal oil. Everyone just felt that he was miserable and cast sympathetic glances at him.

He himself didn't know that he had already eaten three leek dumplings during the day, and finished two now, and ate the two that the rambutans couldn't finish, a total of seven. Seeing a plate of sizzling grilled sausages on the table, he stared at it eagerly.

A Pan quickly put the plate of sausages in front of him, and he grabbed them with his hands and started eating.

"That won't do," Zhen Hui said, "Xunzi said that if people are not polite, they won't survive; if things are not polite, they won't succeed; if the country is not polite, it won't be peaceful. This etiquette must be taught from a young age. You need to use chopsticks to eat, how can you just eat with your hands?"

No one in the room could understand what he was talking about except Duan Zhiwei who had been to school, let alone Xiaolang. After being sneered at again, Zhen Hui said aggrievedly: "Look at him. If this happened in the school, the teacher would spank him."

A Pan put the chopsticks in his hand and began to teach him how to use them.

The little wolf was reluctant, but he did as he was told.

There happened to be a few empty rooms at the back of the newly bought shop, which had not been tidied up yet. Duan Zhiwei took A Pan and Pu Tao to pick the largest room, cleaned it quickly, and then made the bed for the little wolf.

He stood there in confusion, seemingly not knowing what to do, and then simply fell down where he was.

Several people looked at each other, and finally A Pan carried him to the bed and covered him with a quilt.

Pu Tao worriedly said, "What if he sneaks out in the middle of the night?"

Everything else is fine, but if you break the curfew and are caught by Wu Hou, you will be beaten in the street.

Ah Pan hesitated for a moment and said, "Then I'll stay here with you tonight."

The little wolf fell asleep as they were talking. Duan Zhiwei thought this was the best method, nodded and went back to his room.

Having been exposed to cooking fumes during the day, she felt a greasy smell on her head. Duan Zhiwei asked her aunt to boil water for her so that she could take a good bath.

Everything is different after making money. Originally, she could only use bean-sized ignition wicks in her room, but now she uses sheep horn lamps. The sheep horns are boiled into translucent slices as covers, and the effect is surprisingly good, illuminating the room brightly.

She sat in a wooden tub filled with warm water, feeling the steam constantly hitting her face, stretched comfortably, and then picked up the soap and began to scrub.

Ordinary people use soap beans which cost a few cents each. They are the fruit of the soapberry tree. Mash the soap beans into balls, add water and rub them to create bubbles, which can cleanse the body.

The pancreas in Duan Zhiwei's hand was given to her by Yuan Shenji. It was a precious item given by the palace to officials for use during their rest and rest. It was said to have been invented by the King of Medicine Sun Simiao.

Compared with the soap nuts used by ordinary people, this soap contains added bean powder and various precious spices, and can also be used as frostbite ointment.

After applying it, the face and hands feel smooth. Duan Zhiwei never gets cracks on his hands when he works on weekdays after using this.

After washing, she felt much lighter, and her body exuded a light fragrance of agarwood. Duan Zhiwei wrung out her hair, and it was almost time to go to bed, but the spring rain suddenly came unexpectedly. The gentle "rustling" sound of the rain was like spring silkworms chewing mulberry leaves, and it sounded like a warm pipa piece in the quiet night.

This spring rain is nice and can help you sleep, she thought as she lay down peacefully in the soft quilt.

The next moment she suddenly jumped up, she thought of the newly planted spring chives in the yard, as well as the drying sorrel and yeast dough.

Duan Zhiwei opened an oil-paper umbrella and walked quickly into the courtyard. He held up a lamp and took a close look at the newly planted spring chives. After being moistened by the spring rain, they were as shiny and smooth as green silk. The chives were crowded together and growing upwards with all their might, and they looked to be growing well.

She breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to find a piece of cloth to cover the sorrel and yeast. These were the most important ingredients for baking bread and they could not be ruined.

However, it was not very convenient for her to hold the umbrella in one hand and the lamp in the other. If she put down the umbrella, her freshly washed hair would get wet in the rain. If she put down the lamp, there was no moon tonight and she would have to work in the dark.

She wasn't very willing.

A big hand reached out from behind and caught her lamp. Duan Zhiwei was startled, thinking she had met a thief. The hand quickly pulled her into its arms.

Duan Zhiwei fell into a broad chest.

It was Yuan Shenji. His chin was almost touching the top of her head. Then, a familiar, deep voice sounded beside her ear, and his warm breath almost touched her earlobe: "It's me."

Duan Zhiwei quickly turned her head and suddenly bumped into those smiling dark eyes. The blush burned from her cheeks to her ears.

She instructed Yuan Shenji to cover the soursop and yeast with a piece of cloth. The rain was getting heavier, and it was inconvenient for two people to stand in the rain with one umbrella...

She had no choice but to invite Yuan Shenji into her room.

Then he picked up the small stove and wanted to boil a pot of ginger soup for his raid on the rainy night: "It seems that the court has released the captain."

"It was released this afternoon, and the results of the Spring Examination will be announced tomorrow morning." Yuan Shenji stared at her, as if he couldn't get enough of her: "There's a new child in the restaurant?"

Duan Zhiwei pretended to be angry and stuffed the bowl of ginger soup into his arms: "It seems that the captain was very busy this afternoon. When he saw me passing by the restaurant, he didn't even have time to say hello to me before leaving."

The latter pulled her over and sat her on his lap, holding her in his strong arms and sniffing the amber fragrance on her body: "I was going to come in, but then I changed my mind."

He missed her so much that he rode his horse to Xuan Yang Fang as soon as he left the yard. He wondered what new dishes she had prepared, and the restaurant was so busy that a circle of diners gathered in front of it. He was sitting on his horse and could barely see her standing behind a little boy, gently hugging him and teaching him what kind of dough to make.

He felt a little envious.

So Yuan Shenji changed his mind, went back to his mansion, took a thorough bath and changed into a clean black robe, hoping to go back later to get a gentle hug. However, he encountered some documents to deal with and was delayed for a while. It was curfew again. Although he felt sorry, he could only wait until tomorrow.

It’s just that rainy nights make it easier for people to curl up their emotions. He strolled around his own garden twice and a branch of apricot blossom caught his clothes.

This reminded him of the night of the Lantern Festival, when the East Market was crowded with people. In order not to be separated by the crowd, she reached out her hand like the apricot blossoms and hooked the corner of his clothes.

So Yuan Shenji felt that he couldn't wait until daytime, and with the natural advantage of the Jinwu Guard, he rode his horse and violated the curfew, rushing over to give her a hug on this rainy night.

He took out a branch of apricot blossoms soaked in spring rain from his bosom and pinned it on her head. Then he said, "The first branch of apricot blossoms bloomed in Yuan's mansion this spring. I think it will suit you very well."

Duan Zhiwei gently stroked the apricot flower on her head. Her face was burning hot. She asked him softly, "Does it look good?"

Her face was coated with a gentle hue in the candlelight, her long hair was held up by beautiful apricot blossoms, and a few strands of hair fell on her fair neck.

Yuan Shenji felt that she was like the apricot blossom fairy in the depths of the fairy mountain, innocent and naive, with eyes like clear springs.

But his heart was originally a dry land, like a walking corpse rampant in the world, so the Green Emperor sent the Apricot Blossom Fairy to the world to rescue him. This fairy holds the vitality of spring and uses her divine power to moisten the dry land in his heart.

Yuan Shenji's eyes became more and more passionate. He stroked her face with his rough fingertips, nodded and said, "My wife is very beautiful." Then he tightened her waist, held the back of her head and kissed her.

The rain outside the window was getting heavier, dripping on the green roof tiles and then flowing down the gutters. The Longtou Canal in Zhuque Street was getting heavier due to the spring rain. After being washed by the spring rain, Mount Zhongnan was full of bright and fragrant green again. It seemed that the whole Chang'an was full of vitality in a vigorous manner.