Chapter 52 New Things

These days, without roasting machines, making spiced melon seeds by hand is a bit complicated and takes time.

"Well then, Miss Lin, what ingredients do you need? We'll prepare them. When you're making the spiced melon seeds, there won't be anyone in the kitchen."

Upon hearing that it was a family tradition, Aunt Wang immediately abandoned the idea of ​​secretly learning it.

Lin Yuesha understood that many skills were not passed down to outsiders these days. Teaching an apprentice could lead to the master starving. Before completing their apprenticeship, craftsmen lived a miserable life. Some even had to do chores like washing and cleaning for their master's entire family in order to learn the craft.

"No need for that much trouble, because these spiced melon seeds won't cause internal heat. They also contain medicinal herbs. I'll go out to buy them later, and then they can be made in Miss Baozhu's little kitchen."

Who would have thought that the most ordinary sunflower seeds would allow Lin Yuesha to find a loophole? She really wanted to shout in despair.

Although the wisdom of the ancient working people should not be underestimated, and the remedy will be developed soon, before that happens, she can make a fortune!

"Alright."

Aunt Wang was also looking forward to the spiced melon seeds. She loved eating melon seeds and had a large gap in her teeth, which her husband often teased her about.

That's why Aunt Wang keeps a close eye on Xiao Xi, fearing that her daughter will end up like her.

Lin Yuesha had a legitimate reason to go out for a stroll after going out to buy materials.

Just as Xiao Xi was about to make arrangements for the trip, she received news from the front yard that Young Master He had come to visit.

Upon hearing the name Young Master He, Lin Yuesha clearly saw a hint of disgust on Jiang Baozhu's face.

"Miss, Young Master He has arrived. Madam has asked us to go to the front yard to greet him."

Xiao Xi really likes Young Master He. Every time he comes, he brings some delicious food and never comes empty-handed.

Jiang Baozhu hesitated for a moment, but still walked towards the front yard.

When they entered the main room where guests were being received, He Xing was already drinking tea. When he saw Jiang Baozhu enter, he quickly stood up and said familiarly, "Baozhu, it's cold outside. Come and warm yourself up by the charcoal brazier."

Jiang Baozhu didn't answer. She found a stool furthest from He Xing and sat down, remaining silent the entire time.

This had been the case for years, and He Xing was already used to it. He turned his head and saw Lin Yuesha enter the room, his eyes filled with amazement. But he only looked away for a moment before lowering his head to cover it up.

"Xiao Xi, I went to the county to attend a literary gathering a few days ago, and these are cakes I brought for your young lady."

There's a long-established brand in the county that makes cakes that stay soft and fluffy even when they're cold, unlike steamed buns which have a hard, cold texture.

"Young Master He, you're so kind!"

Her young lady didn't like these sweet and greasy foods, something Young Master He hadn't understood all these years. In the end, all these foods ended up in her stomach.

Xiao Xi never brought this up.

"It's nothing, just something I did on the spur of the moment."

He Xing shook his head and chuckled, taking the initiative to start a conversation. Although he didn't mention Lin Yuesha, he couldn't help but glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Baozhu frowned slightly but did not speak.

"By the way, Mr. He, has anything interesting happened lately?"

Xiao Xi couldn't resist and ate a piece of cake, asking curiously.

Jiang Baozhu rarely went out, and Xiao Xi's gossip was limited to word-of-mouth among the servants. She was unaware of what was happening outside and relied entirely on He Xing, who would occasionally come to her door, to provide information.

"There really are some interesting things happening lately."

He Xing thought of the recent bizarre case and didn't know where to begin. A poor woman was molested and strangled to death by all the men in her husband's family—it was inappropriate for a scholar like him to say such a thing.

"The magistrate will be holding court this afternoon, and I hear he will be deciding on a case."

He Xing looked at Jiang Baozhu. He had come several times in a row, but Jiang Baozhu did not respond, which made him feel very troubled.

Jiang Baozhu has reached the age where she should be looking for a husband, and Jiang Huai clearly wants his daughter to find a better match.

The Jiang family made no offer to him, nor did they hint at proposing marriage, which made He Xing very anxious.

It's less about him being attracted to Jiang Baozhu and more about him being attracted to the Jiang family's wealth. Before his father died, he had mentioned to his mother that the Jiang family wasn't what it seemed on the surface.

Jiang Huai has made a fortune over the years by trading goods with the barbarians. He lives in the town and county simply to keep a low profile.

It is said that Jiang Huai once double-crossed the barbarians, stealing several cartloads of gold and silver and hiding them away.

If he marries Jiang Baozhu, Jiang Huai will have no children, his clan is not in the north, and Xu Shi's health was ruined when she fled with Jiang Huai, making her unable to have children. Therefore, if he marries Jiang Baozhu, everything in the Jiang family will be his!

What's the use of a scholar having a high social status, given the traditional social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants? It's all built up with money, and connections also require real money.

I heard that he is close to the Jiang family, and his classmates often hang out with him, but it's only because of the Jiang family's influence.

He Xing dared not go to propose marriage, fearing that Jiang Huai would suspect him of having ulterior motives and arouse his suspicion.

"You've never seen a judge preside over a trial before, have you?"

Jiang Huai seduced Xiao Xi, which showed that this girl loved to join in the fun.

"Miss, we're going out shopping with Sister Lin anyway, why don't we go together?"

There's a case! Xiao Xi was itching to get involved, eager to join the fun. It's understandable that she's gossipy; spending every day with Jiang Baozhu in such a quiet environment inevitably gets stifling after a while.

Jiang Baozhu seemed to be deep in thought before standing up.

"Young Master He, our young lady said she wanted to go together!"

Little Xi was overjoyed, grinning to reveal a set of tiny white teeth.

Hearing that her daughter wanted to go out for a walk, Madam Xu was overjoyed. She had been worried that Baozhu would lose interest in everything. Sure enough, as soon as Lin Yuesha arrived, Baozhu wanted to go out, which showed that it had worked!

Mrs. Xu attributed her daughter's transformation to Lin Yuesha, while He Xing remained smug, unaware that he had done nothing of value.

Hearing that she was going out to buy some ingredients, Madam Xu specially sent a purse to Xiao Xi containing twenty taels of silver.

She casually went out for a stroll and spent twenty taels of silver—ten months' worth of her monthly allowance! Lin Yuesha couldn't help but feel envious.

The group boarded the carriage, and He Xing, with his silver tongue, kept talking about his experiences in the north, as well as some information about the literary society.

Jiang Baozhu didn't know if she was listening or not, but Lin Yuesha and Xiao Xi listened attentively. Although they only heard snippets of information, Lin Yuesha was already certain that this was not a branching point in any dynasty, but rather an era that had been visited by a time-traveling predecessor, only it was very distant.

“In previous years, the barbarians would also hibernate during the winter, just like us, and wouldn’t sell their goods.”

He Xing recounted what he had seen and heard, "As the year draws to a close, there is a noticeable increase in the number of goods being transported in this border town, and some people are even slaughtering cattle to exchange for silver."

"Young Master He, the beef is delicious."

Xiao Xi smacked her lips, recalling a piece of braised beef she had once eaten, and the memory lingered.

In Daqi, cattle are all sold through stalls. The government prohibits the slaughter of cattle, and only the old, weak, sick, and disabled have the opportunity to enter the market. They have long since ended up on the dinner tables of wealthy families, and ordinary people have never tasted beef in their entire lives.