Chapter 89 Fresh Meat Wontons (Part 2): The Crown Prince's wedding seems like a big deal, but it's really over and done with. A whole...

The Crown Prince's wedding sounds like a big deal, but once it's over, it's over.

The exhaustion of the whole day, along with the philosophical thoughts I had last night about whether we are human or not, all vanished when I woke up after a good night's sleep and looked out the window at the newly fallen snow. All my unease and discomfort were buried under the snow, and I couldn't detect anything unusual.

“Grandma, the head of the village came back this morning. He brought some cured rabbit and cured pork ribs. He said he wanted to come to the yard to pay his respects and kowtow to you.”

"Don't give me that. Go and find out what he wants from me this time, and then give me a reply."

"Yes, this servant will go and explain it to him right away."

Don't underestimate hardworking farmers. As long as they can live a slightly better life than before, they are always the most hardworking and willing to endure hardship.

The head of the farm always brings back top-quality chickens, ducks, and geese. Fortunately, Shen Wanqing has more shops and more people this year.

Some of the smoked meats could be sent to the preserved meat shop. In addition, as the people who supplied vegetables and meat to the family gradually changed, the poultry raised on the farm could not only be consumed, but there was always a shortage, so more had to be bought from outside.

But at the same time, Zhuang Tou'er's son, Zhuang Ming, did not make any progress in his work.

Every time he returned from outside the city, he would bring Zhuang Ming with him. Although Zhuang Ming was tall, he was also too burly, and at first glance, one would always think that he was not very smart.

But he really was a shy person. Although he was a minor manager on the estate because of his position as the head of the estate, he didn't act like a manager at all when dealing with the tenants. He was more like a friend or neighbor.

The head of the manor had originally planned to have Zhuang Ming accompany him to the manor more often, so that his personality would change over time.

Unfortunately, old habits die hard. Zhuang Ming has been coming and going in the mansion for almost a year, but he is still taciturn and rarely takes the initiative to talk to people.

The only two people he could get along with were the gardener in charge of the mansion's flowers and plants. The gardener was good at tending to the flowers and plants, while he was good at growing vegetables. The two of them could talk about anything.

Another one is Chef Li in the kitchen. Chef Li is good at cooking meat dishes. At first, the poultry sent by the head of the village were all alive, so Chef Li had to lead the kitchen staff to cook them. When there were too many chickens and ducks to handle, Zhuang Ming often went to help.

Over time, Chef Li found the young man to be sensible and capable. Not only did the two get along well, but Chef Li also taught him a lot of cooking skills.

Later, as the demand from the preserved meat shop gradually increased, Zhuang Ming took the initiative to take on the task of slaughtering chickens, ducks, and geese. Before returning home each time, he would clean all the poultry, smoking what needed to be smoked and slaughtering what needed to be slaughtered on the spot. In short, everything delivered to the mansion had already undergone preliminary processing and pretreatment, which made it easy for people to have peace of mind.

Diligent, attentive to tasks, and able to keep her mouth shut and not gossip, Shen Wanqing had asked Zhuang Ming before the Mid-Autumn Festival if he wanted to come work for her. If he was willing, he could start working at the preserved meat shop.

The business of the preserved meat shop was getting better and better. The manager and his two employees spent most of their energy in the shop, while Fang Liang always took care of the procurement.

This can't go on forever. Besides, the Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and many families are starting to buy New Year's goods. There are many wealthy families in the capital who are used to the braised and stewed meats of the North and are willing to buy some cured and smoked meats to take home. Having Zhuang Ming in the shop won't be a problem.

Upon hearing that the headman of the village had come over again, he guessed that it must be for his son, Zhuang Ming. He knew that he needed manpower right now, and it wouldn't do for the headman to keep acting so awkwardly.

“Grandma, Urgun sent someone to say that Grand Aunt will be arriving in the capital in a few days. He came to ask where you would like to put Grand Aunt’s room.”

"Let's tidy up the back room of the old lady's place. It's not easy for us to come back, so we should definitely stay with her."

Fu Xuan left and Zhen Xuan returned. Zhen Xuan is Yu Lang's eldest aunt. Fu Xuan delayed her marriage by taking advantage of the time when Shuai Yanbao and Erhe died. This Aunt Zhen is the one who arranged the marriage before that and got married immediately after the mourning period ended.

Shen Wanqing had previously asked Yu Lang what kind of person this eldest aunt was, worried that if one Fu Xuan left and another Fu Xuan plus appeared, she really wouldn't be able to handle it. It wasn't that she was particularly capable, she was just simply too lazy to deal with stupid people.

Yu Lang just shook his head and didn't say anything. When pressed, he finally confessed that he had been afraid of his aunt since he was a child. Although Zhen Xuan was not very old, she and Fu Xuan were not on the same path at all.

Yu Lang's "I dare not say more, I'm terrified of her" attitude actually piqued Shen Wanqing's interest. After all, apart from the younger generation like Yu Lang, the rest of the Hesheli family were all rather dim-witted in Shen Wanqing's eyes, and now only this eldest aunt was someone she hadn't really had any serious dealings with.

"The new clothes that were to be made before the winter solstice have all been finished. Xueyan said that a batch of good leather has arrived at the embroidery shop. She asked Grandma if she wanted to go and take a look."

“Our great-aunt has already returned from Shengjing. How could our family lack leather this winter? No way, we don’t have the time.”

The winter solstice is just half a month away. According to custom, a new set of clothes must be made before the winter solstice every year. Whether the masters make them or not is secondary. Anyway, these fur robes and cloaks from last year can be taken out and remade to look almost new. But with so many servants and servants in the house looking forward to making winter clothes for the New Year, this is something that cannot be skipped.

Still feeling melancholic in the middle of the night, Grandma Shen kept telling herself she mustn't lose her true self. At that moment, she genuinely felt she might be too idle, otherwise, how could she have time to lament these things?

Just try to live, living is too hard. Maintaining the status quo is even harder. When you open your eyes, there's always work to do and things to handle. Forget about being human or a servant, just finish the work first.

Shumulu was very shrewd. When she said she would help Shen Wanqing look after the house for a few days, she really meant it. Unless it was a matter of life and death, she would not ask questions or make decisions. She would wait until Shen Wanqing finished her duties as the Crown Princess before dealing with any major issues.

Once the winter month arrives, preparations for the New Year begin. This year is different from usual. Yu Lang has been promoted to First-Class Imperial Guard and is now in charge of external communications for Yuqing Palace. He has gradually gotten to know many officials from the Imperial Household Department and the Six Ministries, with whom he previously had little interaction. These people all need to exchange gifts before the New Year, and it would be inappropriate to leave any of them out.

The Dong'e family in Jingzhou are newly related by marriage, so the New Year's gifts sent to Jingzhou should be sent out as soon as possible. Aunt Zhen is returning from Shengjing to visit relatives; she is the legitimate eldest aunt of the household and cannot be neglected.

Now that the Crown Princess has entered the palace, anyone who wants to see her will have to submit a petition. Even if you submit a report to the palace, it doesn't mean they'll approve it. Besides the Shi family, the strongest and closest connection to the Crown Princess isn't with Shen Wanqing.

As long as this thread keeps flowing, the Hesheli family and the Shen family will be ten times more lively this year than in previous years, and Shen Wanqing, the matriarch of the family, will be incredibly busy.

While having breakfast, Shen Wanqing met with all the household stewards, got things done, and then quickly went about her business. She also had an appointment with Daijia and Zhaojia to discuss their joint caravan business next year, but she was too busy to meet them.

"Grandma, the village head is here."

"You've been standing outside for so long before coming in, have you figured it out by now?"

“Your Majesty is wise. I am truly at my wit’s end. After much thought, I still want to ask Your Majesty for advice. Please tell me how to settle my Zhuang Ming. I will follow your lead.”

"If you ask me, just go along with him. You're always afraid that Zhuang Ming will follow your old path, settle down in the village and never come back, but you've come back now."

Do you think Fang Liang can keep an eye on the preserved meat shop forever? What if Fang Liang stops managing the preserved meat shop? Besides the shopkeeper managing the shop, won't Zhuang Ming have the final say on the supply of goods? Why do you have to come back from the shop and enter the preserved meat shop to be safe?

Shen Wanqing's palate was honed by countless snacks and delicacies enjoyed with wine in later generations, such as peanuts, edamame, duck, smoked fish, and cured meat. If she couldn't cook them herself, surely she could eat them?

This year, the preserved meat shop first introduced braised quail sold individually, and then separated preserved duck legs, goose legs, duck heads, chicken wings, ribs and tenderloin to sell separately. Basically, they broke down what were originally whole products into smaller pieces for sale.

You can buy as much as you want. If you have money, you can pick and choose and carry several bags home, enough to eat throughout the New Year, and maybe even until the spring.

If you're short on money but want to eat meat, just buy two duck legs, chop them into pieces, and steam them with a thick layer of tofu underneath. Once the duck legs are steamed, the tofu underneath will have absorbed the aroma and juices of the cured duck legs, enough for the whole family to have a meal.

The recipe was written by Shen Wanqing herself and posted in the shop by the shopkeeper. There are still many people who are unwilling or unable to eat this kind of goods from the south, so posting the recipe is another form of video tutorial.

At first, everyone followed Shen Wanqing's recipes at home. After they learned how to make them, those who didn't like tofu could replace it with other dishes, and they were still very delicious.

Alternatively, you can steam it first and then stir-fry it. Steaming the cured duck leg makes it less salty, leaving only the unique aroma of the cured meat. Stir-fry it until it's dry and fragrant, and serve it with alcohol. It's best to sprinkle some fresh red chili peppers on top before taking it out of the pan. Taking a sip of alcohol and a bite of meat is truly a delightful experience.

This method was adopted by a family who found it particularly good. They had a family member write down a recipe and send it to the preserved meat shop. The shopkeeper tried making it once and thought it was good, so he simply posted it next to Shen Wanqing's recipe.

Once you start, you start doing it again. Gradually, the menu at the preserved meat shop expanded, and business boomed. Eventually, people started asking, with their hands in their pockets, if the preserved meat shop could just start selling some of its own ready-made dishes.

Some people's cooking just doesn't taste very good. Every time they smell the aroma of other people's cured fish and meat, they feel that their own cooking is even more bland and tasteless.

The shopkeeper wanted to do it but couldn't find the time, so he kept putting it off, saying he'd do it later. Now it's been delayed from before the Lunar New Year to after. The latest statement is that he'll do it after the Spring Festival, and he's definitely going to do it and won't change his mind!

When the news reached the head of the village, he immediately wanted Zhuang Ming to take charge of the affairs of the preserved meat shop. In addition, when Shen Wanqing took the initiative to ask him about Zhuang Ming during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he felt even more confident that the matter could be settled.

Zhuang Ming is skilled and reliable, so entrusting this task to him is definitely the right thing to do. If he can handle it, there's no need to wait until next year. He can set up the pots and get a batch of clay pots and earthenware bowls for the New Year, and make a fortune before the holiday.

The idea was great. The manager of the preserved meat shop, Fang Liang, and Shen Wanqing all thought it was a good idea. As long as they were willing to put in the effort, they could make money. Shen Wanqing always let them do whatever they wanted. They had to motivate them.

To everyone's surprise, Zhuang Ming, who always obeyed the head of the farm, refused to leave his land and crops and move to the backyard of the Beijing preserved meat farm.

As a result, the village headman gave his son a severe beating at home. It is said that the village headman stopped beating his son after Zhuang Ming turned ten.

Firstly, Zhuang Ming is strong and muscular, so hitting him doesn't hurt Zhuang Tou's hand. Secondly, his son is grown up, and he needs to save face for him, as Zhuang Tou is afraid that his son will hold a grudge against him.

This time, she was determined, thinking that beating her son would make him obedient. Who knew that after Zhuang Ming squatted on the ground and took a beating without even trying to dodge, he still shook his head and said he wouldn't go to the preserved meat shop.

The headman was furious and had already scolded his son, but he had no choice but to suppress his temper and ask his son, "If you don't want to go to the city and return to the manor to be the manager, then what do you want to do?"

Zhuang Ming blushed with embarrassment but didn't tell the headman. The very next day, he went to the city and went to find Shen Wanqing, saying that he wanted to set aside a separate area on the estate to raise chickens, ducks and geese specifically to supply the preserved meat shop.

A few tenant farmers on the estate were assigned to raise chickens and ducks. As for how to make preserved meat, he spent half of his time in the kitchen every time he returned home this year, and had already learned most of it.

Now, if he could find another master to teach him how to bring out that fruity and pine wood fragrance, he felt that his products would be no different from those sold in the south.

He didn't learn for nothing; he apprenticed himself to others to learn their skills, and from then on, he would do the same things as his apprentices to show respect on holidays and birthdays. If he didn't want to take on apprentices, he could sell the recipe for the craft, and the price was negotiable.

Once she has the skill, Shen Wanqing's preserved meat shop won't need to source from the south next year, at least not in large quantities. This way, the shop's costs will decrease, the farm's profits will increase, and she won't have to keep going to the city. Wouldn't that be good for everyone?

That day, Shen Wanqing watched Zhuang Ming stammer and blush as he explained his plans to her, and she thought to herself that this man was really interesting.

His father was born to be a steward and servant in the Hesheli family, and the best way he could think of for his son was to do everything he could to send him back to the Hesheli family to continue being a steward.

Zhuang Tou'er wanted to send his son to the preserved meat shop, but he didn't say the rest of his sentence. He was a servant, as was Zhuang Ming, but the manager of the preserved meat shop was someone Shen Wanqing had hired from outside.

In Zhuang Tou'er's heart, he felt that he and Zhuang Ming were family. As long as Zhuang Ming, as a steward born into the family, could enter the preserved meat shop, it wouldn't be long before Shen Wanqing, the mistress, would rely on Zhuang Ming even more.

Unfortunately, Zhuang Ming wasn't willing. He had put so much effort into helping Shen Wanqing set up chicken and duck farms, so he couldn't possibly be just looking for work for himself.

He didn't hide the second half of his sentence from Shen Wanqing. He wanted to take advantage of his youth to help Shen Wanqing get this business going, and if possible, he also wanted to do business selling cave goods.

In Beijing, cave-grown goods become a rare commodity in winter. Chickens, ducks, and geese cannot be stored for meat and must be slaughtered in winter. The time freed up after the shortage of chickens, ducks, and geese is used to obtain cave-grown goods.

If they can succeed in both businesses, and one day Shen Wanqing feels she has earned enough money, Zhuang Ming can redeem her family's indenture. Then, leveraging their past relationship with their master, they can acquire some land and live a stable life together.

The father, Zhuang Tou'er, was shrewd and capable, single-mindedly thinking about how to be a good servant to his master. The son, Zhuang Ming, was taciturn but had his own plans and did not want his descendants to live in the Hesheli family for generations.

How could Shen Wanqing not support this? Zhuang Ming has already been searching all over the capital for a master chef from Sichuan and Hubei who makes good preserved meat.

The reason Zhuang Tou'er came today was less because he was indecisive and more because he wanted Shen Wanqing to give him a definite answer. He was afraid that his silly son would end up doing all that work for nothing.

After all, once you're able to make money, your master will hold onto your indenture even tighter. Do you really think indentures are so easy to redeem? When you sell yourself, you sell yourself and your descendants into slavery for just a few taels of silver. After that, it will be extremely difficult to redeem yourself.

“You are servants of the Hesheli family, and your indentures are with the old lady. I got them from her a few days ago.”

"I know what you're worried about. Zhuang Ming is a slave, which makes it inconvenient for him to handle affairs outside. I'm returning his indenture to him today before the New Year. From now on, he'll be just like Fang Liang and Lao Pan, a manager under me. Is that an acceptable answer?"

Shen Wanqing liked Zhuang Ming's clear vision and steady approach to her future, and she was willing to release him from slavery. But the Zhuang family wasn't enough; he also had to help her with chores. He couldn't just talk a good game but be incompetent in everything.

We'll have to get things done and the cave goods and breeding farms up and running before we can fulfill our promises and deliver on our promises.

"This servant thanks Madam for her kindness. My family will never forget Madam's life-saving grace."

Before leaving Shen Wanqing's place, Zhuang Ming went back home and confessed his thoughts to his family. He wanted to be free, to have his own land and house, and for his family to live a peaceful life without being anyone's servant.

The village headman didn't understand this at all. Everyone said it was good to have a big tree to lean on, and that even a low-ranking official had to be a servant in front of the prime minister. What was wrong with being a servant in the Hesheli family?

If you don't serve your master, how can you live so well, without being bullied or bullied, with even the county magistrates and officials in several counties outside the capital treating you with utmost respect?

After enjoying the good days for a short time, they started to have unrealistic fantasies, really thinking that it was so easy for them to live alone in this world without any support.

But despite being scolded and beaten, Zhuang Ming was determined and refused to change his mind. Every morning, he would be scolded by the village head before going out, and he had to choose a place in advance to raise chickens and ducks, and find someone to build the sheds.

The chefs who make preserved meats need to be found quickly before the Lunar New Year. They also need to discuss with the tenant farmers which households are willing to do the work and who will cultivate the extra fields. With more chickens and ducks, the tenant farmers will have more income at the end of the year. How to divide this money must be planned in advance so that there won't be any disputes at the last minute.

The village headman was full of complaints about his son leaving early and returning late. But now that he had obtained his son's indenture, a myriad of emotions welled up inside him, a truly indescribable mix.

Shen Wanqing had no interest in watching others kowtow and express their gratitude before her. After offering a few words of advice, she quickly told the headman to get on with his business, as the New Year was approaching and he shouldn't waste any more time with her.

It was getting late when she saw the headman off. Shen Wanqing got up to change her clothes and prepare to see Dai Jia. She instructed Ningxiang to prepare mutton hot pot and rice paddy fish hot pot at home. If Yulang came back before her, she should prepare the mutton hot pot for him first.

"Don't worry, Madam. I heard from them that there are many ceremonies to be held in the palace today, and Master will definitely be too busy to handle them all."

"Even if he's too busy, he has to come back. We agreed to give him a few more days off after the Crown Prince's wedding. We can't go back on our word."

It's their business if others are busy, but she and Yulang have been busy enough lately. They said they would take her hunting out of the city, but they haven't kept their promise since last year. Shen Wanqing was furious just thinking about it.

"Grandma, you must miss Grandpa. You didn't have a chance to say more to him last night when you came out of the palace."

“What are you talking about? I’m busy, but he’s even busier. I’m a little better off, so I just go with the flow. But he has to take care of everything. I’ve seen him dart past me and then dart back over me several times, without even glancing at me before he started talking.”

You don't realize it until you talk about it, and then you start to miss it. Shen Wanqing complained as she walked out, but stopped at the entrance of the East Courtyard and turned back to instruct Ningxiang: "Please trouble our Ningxiang to work overtime again and make some more fresh meat wontons to prepare."