It is estimated that it will snow again in a few days. The moonlight is largely obscured by clouds tonight, making it the perfect night for murder under dark and windy conditions.
The men in the corner who were almost frozen to death still confirmed this point.
Someone whispered, "You want to kill us?"
"Ah——" The servant of the Yu family who was holding an axe was so frightened by the sudden sound that he jumped back and almost dropped the axe.
Yu Maocai was so frightened that he rolled his eyes and could not run away. "Ghost... ghost!"
Another servant was almost crushed by his boss's fat body.
It was hard to tell whether it was due to the heavy pressure or fear, but he trembled and muttered, "Is the wood a spirit?"
Is the Zhang family so evil?!
A man from Dengzhou Prefecture sneered, "Damn it..."
"No, what does it mean that wood has become a spirit?" Someone cleverly interrupted the man, came out from the corner wrapped in a quilt, and stared sinisterly at Yu Maocai and the other two.
"You want to chop wood? What wood?"
The servant holding the axe was even more frightened when he saw the pitch-black thing coming out. "Chop, chop the wood on the tent! Please spare me, sir! I didn't mean to wake you up."
The servants, who had been freezing for most of the night, still remembered their master's instructions to keep a low profile and not make a fuss that would draw attention to themselves. Since it was the middle of the night, they just planned to beat the man up and scare him away.
Who knew these bastards weren't here to cut in line?
"Fuck!" Someone cursed viciously.
Then they can't let it go. Cutting in line is shameful, but if they want to ruin the Zhang family's business, they might as well cut in line.
If they fail to sell the spicy skewers, they won’t be able to complete their mission. Wouldn’t they have been freezing in vain for most of the night?
Someone threw a blanket over him and shouted, "Brothers, just hold on tight and beat him to death!"
It happened so quickly that before Yu Maocai could even roll his eyes, everything went dark before his eyes and he was knocked to the ground by a big bag.
Of course, the two servants beside him were beaten and fell to the ground just as quickly as he was. They started to cry out in pain after every punch hit their flesh.
In fact, the other people couldn't bear it even without the previous man's call. They were all freezing like idiots. It was just right for them to use these three bastards to stretch their muscles and warm up.
"Good man, no, good ghost, spare my life... um!" The man who beat him was afraid of being heard by the guards, so he covered his mouth before he could finish his words.
The three men could no longer shout. All that could be heard was the crackling sound of fists, mixed with some suspicious groans that were not appropriate for children.
Someone tried to destroy the tent in the middle of the night and was beaten half to death, while someone else approached another tent with a recipe in the dark.
However, compared to the simple tent of the Zhang family, this one can be considered luxurious.
A felt blanket made of camel and horse hair, with colorful patterns woven on it, hangs down from the edge of the tent, tightly covering the double-layer oilcloth tent inside. The innermost layer of the tent is soft and thick fur.
The inside and outside of the house are tied horizontally with ropes made of animal tendons, and with an ivory-white pointed top, you can tell from a distance that the Northern Mongolians living inside are wealthy.
Such a family naturally has servants, so Qiao Ruichen was discovered as soon as he approached.
"Who?" Meng Nu, wearing a leather coat, asked vigilantly with a dagger in his hand.
Qiao Ruichen pressed the fox fur hat on his head, covering most of his elegant and handsome facial features, leaving only his well-shaped thin lips exposed.
"Go in and tell Mr. Wuliangha that an old friend is visiting and has brought him his favorite food."
Meng Nu paused, asked another person to watch, and went in to report.
After a while, he came out with a respectful look on his face and knelt at the door of the tent, "Excuse me, dear guest, I have offended you. Please come in."
Qiao Ruichen knew that the status of slaves among the Northern Mongols was very low, so he just slightly turned his body to avoid them and walked into the tent slowly.
As soon as he entered the door, a tall, strong and powerful northern Mongolian man came towards him with a hearty laugh and outstretched arms.
"My respected brother Muren, I haven't seen you in a long time and I miss you so much. My brother Agula asked me to say hello to you, saying that you have added a new dish to our Beimeng."
This northern Mongolian man is Bayin, the largest free trader in Xining Town.
His elder brother Agula married the princess of the Northern Mongolian royal family and was considered the royal merchant of Northern Mongolia. Earlier, when Qiao Ruichen was still a guard, he went out of the capital to work for the saint, and the two met by chance.
The princess's father had a good relationship with General Dingbei, so Bayin lived a more carefree life in Xining Town than many others.
However, Qiao Ruichen had vaguely learned from Agula a long time ago that the business of the Wuliangha family was previously managed by him and Bayin's Abu (father).
As a result, one year the Xiban people took advantage of the cold weather to break into Xining and burn, kill and loot. Abu and Eji (mother) of the two were brutally killed, and a batch of valuable goods that the Wulingha had just collected disappeared.
The Wuliangha family gave a lot of gold and silver to the Dingbei Army every year. Regardless of whether General Dingbei did nothing or there was a conspiracy, the two brothers did not believe that their parents died in an accident. They had been investigating the truth of the matter and were very wary of General Dingbei.
But on the surface, both of them are on good terms with General Dingbei, and are connections that Qiao Ruichen can win over and use.
The two men greeted each other by pounding their shoulders with their fists. Bayin couldn't wait to ask, "I wonder what good things Brother Muren has brought this time?"
Qiao Ruichen didn't keep the secret and took out the wrapped milk tofu from his arms and handed it over.
"Brother Bayin, try this. It's also made with milk. It can be kept longer than milk cubes, at least for a year. Soak it in hot water and it's very filling and can keep you healthy."
Bayin's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he couldn't wait to take the milk tofu and stuff it into his mouth.
Hmm... the frozen milk tofu is a bit rough on the teeth. After biting it with a little force, the rich milk flavor is absorbed on the tip of the tongue, bringing a very chewy and lightly sweet and sour taste. It is not sweet without the milk cubes, but it is also very delicious.
Bayin suddenly increased the importance of Qiao Ruichen in his mind.
He knew that the name Muren must be fake. He and his brother had never asked much about it before. They just took what they needed.
It seems that this brother Muren has many rare things that the Northern Mongolians need!
You know, as a nomadic people, the Northern Mongolians fear the most the lack of food and fodder in winter, and many people starve to death in winter.
But when the weather is hot and the grass is lush, every household in northern Mongolia has no shortage of goat milk, and there is also plenty of cow milk. Most of the milk that cannot be eaten or sold is thrown away.
If this milk tofu could be preserved for that long... life would be much easier for people in northern Mongolia.
Bayin's expression became more serious. "Brother Muren, is this milk tofu difficult to make?"
Qiao Ruichen smiled, "It's not difficult to make. At least every household in Northern Meng can learn it. It just requires an initiator. The milk tofu recipe and initiator are both secret recipes that took a lot of manpower and resources to come up with."
Bayin stood up, walked to Qiao Ruichen, and seriously hit his left shoulder with his fist to show respect.
"Brother Muren, from now on you will be the honored guest of my Wuliangha family. As long as what you want to do does not harm Northern Mongolia, the Wuliangha family will satisfy all your needs, brother Muren."
Qiao Ruichen smiled, stood up, and pounded his shoulders. "Don't worry, what I'm about to do will not only be harmless to Northern Mongolia, but will also bring a better life to the people of Northern Mongolia. I swear in the name of my most cherished family."
Bayin looked at Qiao Ruichen steadily. Wuliangha also valued his relatives, and these words touched his heart.
He laughed heartily again. "The first time I met Brother Muren, I felt that we would become friends. Come, let's have a few drinks and talk slowly."
As the night deepened, the sky gradually turned a deep dark blue, and then the color became lighter and lighter, gradually turning into gray-blue.
Smoke has begun to rise from the chimneys of those who got up early, and another busy day is about to begin.
Most of the people in the bedrooms of the Qiao and Zhang families also lit candles and prepared to clean up and go to the kitchen.
Aunt Geng had just finished packing and was about to go out quietly when she suddenly heard Miao Wan's gasping breath. She was startled and quickly climbed onto the kang to see what was going on.
Miao Wan is seven months pregnant. Because she eats well and sleeps well, her belly, which had not grown in the past, is now starting to grow like air.
The family didn't dare let her sleep alone, so they arranged for Uncle Geng and his father to sleep together, and Aunt Geng to sleep in the same room with Miao Wan.
Miao Wan usually sleeps well, and Aunt Geng doesn't have much to do except occasionally getting up at night to take care of her.
Who would have thought that it would be so early in the morning, before it was fully light. Miao Wan would usually be asleep at this time, but today she suddenly started crying.
Aunt Geng leaned over with a candlestick in her hand and found Miao Wan covering her mouth with her hands and frowning, her eyes were swollen from crying, and tears were dripping down her face.
Aunt Geng's face turned pale with anxiety. "Awan, what's wrong with you? Wait, I'll ask Old Geng to call a doctor."
"I'm fine..." Miao Wan grabbed Aunt Geng and stopped her in a muffled voice, choking and shaking her head.
"I'm not feeling unwell anywhere, I'm just... just emotionally aroused. Just leave me alone for a while."
Having said that, seeing that Miao Wan was still crying, Aunt Geng was afraid that something was wrong with her body, so she quickly called someone in.
Geng was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Upon hearing this, she didn't care about the pot and ran into the east room.
Seeing Miao Wan's face flushed red from crying and her eyes swollen like blisters, she was even more panicked than Aunt Geng and hurriedly asked Uncle Geng to call a doctor.
Her voice was so loud that the whole family was in an uproar. The pregnant woman was crying so hard early in the morning that no one dared to take it lightly.
The men were reluctant to come in and see, but Qiao Rui came running in.
Hearing her sobbing voice asking if she was okay, Miao Wan couldn't control her emotions and sobbed into Geng's arms, "Don't call a doctor, I can't afford to lose face, sob... I just dreamed that someone made me grilled fish. The fish was already grilled, but just as I picked up the chopsticks, the baby kicked me awake, and I didn't even get to eat a single bite, sob..."
Geng: “…”
Qiao Shengwen, who was standing at the door with a cane: "..."
After hearing this, Qiao Rui's urge to cry disappeared, and her eyes were a little confused. "But sister-in-law, can you taste it in your dreams?"
Miao Wan paused and cried even louder, "Wow, wow, wow, I'll know only after I taste it!"
Everyone: “…”
In fact, it was not just because of this. Miao Wan had a dream, as if her soul had traveled back to the modern era.
She saw that she was still alive, just much quieter than before. However, she was also trying hard to learn how to raise pigs, and she always had a gentle smile on her face.
The village chief father took better care of her than before. Knowing that she had lost her appetite because of the smell in the pigpen, the village chief father specially bought fish and made grilled fish for her.
This was Miao Wan’s favorite food in the past. She likes spicy flavors, otherwise the spicy skewers could not be made so authentically.
She hadn't expected it at first, but she felt a little sour, thinking that she must have swapped places with her original self.
But it’s better this way, at least the baby’s mother is living a good life.
Who knew that after the grilled fish was ready, it was suddenly sucked into her body. Miao Wan was ecstatic and wanted to eat the fish.
Seeing how happy she was, the village chief's face was also full of wrinkles when he smiled. He used a serving chopstick to pick up the most delicious fish belly meat and the most flavorful crispy fish skin and put them into her bowl.
She had just picked it up... woooo, woooo, when she was kicked awake by the stinky brat.
Her father, the village chief, made grilled fish for her at the pig farm she ran!
Ever since crossing over, I have felt a subtle uneasiness that I might be changed back at any time, I am worried about the pig farm, and I miss the villagers who raised me. I don’t know why, but it suddenly turned into grievance and sadness and surged up.
The baby in her belly seemed to know that it had made a mistake and lay quietly without moving. She suddenly couldn't control herself anymore and the more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt.
She didn't want to say it at first because it was too embarrassing to cry in her dream because she couldn't eat fish.
But when she saw that her mother-in-law, sister-in-law and Aunt Geng were anxious and worried, she felt that her grievances had a place to vent. She got so excited that she threw herself into her mother-in-law's arms and cried.
After she calmed down after crying, she looked at her mother-in-law and Aunt Geng who were both laughing and crying, and her sister-in-law with a confused look in her eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief and slowly lay down.
Very good, is it still too late to change planets overnight?
Seeing Miao Wan burying her head under the pillow in self-deception, Geng couldn't help but laugh.
She patted Miao Wan's head and said, "It's okay. You're pregnant. It's easy to be like this when you're pregnant. Wait until Uncle Geng and the others come back from Wa City and have them go to the lake by the woods in the west. It's frozen solid over there. If you dig it open, there should be fish."
There was no need to wait for Uncle Geng and the others to come back. In the morning, Qiao Rui, the little loudspeaker, remembered that her sister-in-law wanted to eat fish, and both families knew about it. Miao Wan cried in her bed in the morning because she didn't get to eat a bite of grilled fish in her dream.
The children understood, as they had such moments as well, and suddenly felt closer to their aunt again.
The adults all laughed their asses off. Miao Wan usually looked capable and well-behaved, and it was hard to imagine that she could be so childish.
Yu laughed so hard that tears came out. "It's hard to believe that Awan dreamed of fish. If she had dreamed of watermelon, we wouldn't have been able to find it."
Zhang Dazhuang muttered secretly, "Yes, when you were pregnant with Goudan, you insisted on eating honeydew melon in the middle of the night in the twelfth lunar month. You were so angry that you bit me hard. The teeth marks are still on my kidney now."
Everyone in the Zhang family was so amused that they burst into laughter. Even Mrs. Zhang couldn't breathe from laughing. How could she, the mature and steady eldest daughter-in-law, be so unstable at times?
Yu was furious. "What are you talking about? Hurry up and grab your shovel and hammer and go to the lake to catch some fish for Awan!"
Miao Wan has already given up. Shamelessness is a fixed result, and hesitation about whether to accept or not is a necessary process.
Until lunch, she stayed quietly in her room, accepting the torture of fate, hoping that everyone would forget her.
Zhang Sanzhuang and the others went out with Zhang Dazhuang. Because Qiao Ruichen had instructed them to prepare a lot more ingredients than usual.
They also go out an hour earlier than usual. In case there is too much food to sell, they will stay in the tile market in the afternoon to continue selling.
Zhang Sanzhuang whispered to his second brother, "I think Awan's husband is good at talking. If he comes out early, I think he should be able to sell out."
"So, can we earn more than twenty strings of cash today?" Zhang Erzhuang suppressed his excitement and asked his brother in a low voice, "It would be great if that were true."
"Don't worry, let's set up the stall early today. If there aren't many people, I'll go out and shout a few times." Zhang Sanzhuang had already thought it through. After all, he shouted a lot when he was helping to wait tables in the restaurant, so he didn't have any psychological pressure.
If I sell so much every day, I might even get my voice hoarse!
Facts have proved that Awan and her man are equally reliable, and Zhang Sanzhuang has no chance to show off his singing.
As they pushed the cart into Wa City, they were startled by a group of people queuing in front of a tent.
"What are you doing..." Zhang Sanzhuang was a little unsure. Although it was still quite early, it was past breakfast time and still early for lunch.
The man standing third was rubbing his hands in cold. "We're here to eat spicy skewers. Brother, please open the shop quickly. It's too cold. I want something hot to drink."
"That's right, hurry up, let's come and line up before dawn." This person who was in the middle position had no chance of being in the top three.
But I was freezing all the way and waited in line for a while, so I was freezing all over. Since I was here, it would be a shame if I didn't eat something hot to warm myself up before going back.
Zhang Sanzhuang hurriedly pushed the stall cart into the house with his second brother and Uncle Geng, lit the fire, and boiled the base soup and barley tea first.
To eat spicy skewers, you have to wait until the spicy soup is fully absorbed. Zhang Sanzhuang was really worried that these guests would get frozen. Some of them even had purple lips, so he quickly stuffed the boiled barley tea into their hands.
"This is freshly roasted barley tea. After drinking the tea, the barley underneath is delicious. If it's not enough, I'll give the guests more. This tea is my treat."
Zhang Sanzhuang was really touched by the spirit of the customers who lined up early in the morning. He didn't feel bad about giving the butcher a pot of barley tea in return for their support of the butcher's spicy skewers.
They all came here to line up as instructed, and seeing Zhang Sanzhuang being so polite, they knew they should return the favor.
Because he ran faster, the man from Dengzhou, who was in the first place, spoke first. "By the way, we came early. Before daybreak, someone tried to chop the wood from your tent with an axe, but we caught him and beat him up."
Zhang Sanzhuang's eyes widened. Chopping wood? Didn't he pay the wardens?
"Yes, he was quite fat and ran away very fast after being beaten. He looked familiar, but I couldn't tell who he was." said another man who also beat someone up.
Firstly, it was too dark, and secondly, when I went to see it, the face no longer looked like a face and I couldn’t recognize it even if I looked clearly.
But Zhang Sanzhuang knew clearly. Judging from the description, who else could it be except Yu Maocai?
He gave the janitor a small sum of money. Yu Maocai was richer than him, so it wouldn't be easy for the janitor to turn a blind eye.
He sneered in his heart, and then went to the restaurant to watch the fun.
But he immediately frowned again. If Yu Maocai continued to be so wicked, would they have to carry the wood away every day?
But it is not realistic to disassemble and assemble every day.
Zhang Sanzhuang couldn't think of a solution, so he could only wait until he got home to discuss it with Qiao Shengwen and Miao Wan. For now, he just expressed his gratitude profusely and showed his full gratitude.
"Thank you all, our customers. If you weren't here, our stall would probably be in trouble today. So, today, please have as much spicy skewers as you want. It's my treat."
"No need. Just settle it as it should be. Don't ask for anything." The Dengzhou man waved his hand righteously, looking like a master. "It's just a matter of convenience."
Zhang Sanzhuang was even more moved by this pretense. He insisted, "How can that be? A drop of water should be repaid with a spring of water. Although Zhang has nothing and is very poor, at least he can afford a bowl of spicy skewers. Please don't be polite to me, my dear guests."
Everyone: "..." What are you saying? Do you want to report it or not?
The third man in line warmed up and didn't beat around the bush. "I'm not being polite to you. This isn't our money. We need to save up a thousand coins in ten days to buy soap and other things. If you don't let us pay, the master will blame us when we get back."
Zhang Sanzhuang: "...Okay, we'll be eating soon. Everyone, have some tea first. I'll go help put the ingredients in."
When he turned around, his expression was calm with a hint of habit. Anyway, he couldn't give away anything he wanted to give. People had to cry and shout for money, and there was really nothing he could do.
Then he... had no choice but to continue going to the restaurant to show his filial piety.
After noting down the names and copper coins of the families who wanted to buy soap, Zhang Sanzhuang divided the soap and soap he had brought earlier, each worth 150 yuan, into three portions and placed them under the lunch box. He then let the first three people in line pay and take them away.
He looked at the time and saw that it was almost time for the restaurant to serve customers. He picked up a food box containing four servings of spicy skewers and slowly walked towards the restaurant.
When he arrived at the door of the restaurant, he saw a customer walking in, so Zhang Sanzhuang trotted forward and shouted.
"You are three distinguished guests, right? Tiaojie Restaurant makes especially authentic steamed buns in the winter. They're made with plump old hens that have been marinated in advance. They're the most nourishing food in winter. Please come in. I happened to have brought some spicy skewers with me today, so I'll give you a bowl to try."
As the waiter just arrived at the door, Zhang Sanzhuang snatched the cotton towel from his shoulder, and he only had time to roll his eyes.
The owner thought that Zhang Sanzhuang had brought business to the restaurant from somewhere else, but he didn't know that he was not so kind-hearted and was not so poor that he had nothing to do.
He always rushed to the door to grab the job of waiter. Occasionally, when there were no customers, he would stroll around outside. Anyway, there was a small stove in the food box to keep it warm, so he didn't have to worry about the spicy skewers getting cold.
However, except when he was doing something bad, he was not generous in his daily life. Zhang Sanzhuang gave the waiter some copper coins and did his work for him so that the waiter would not be too busy to tell his boss.
After delivering the spicy skewers, Zhang Sanzhuang made sure that other customers could smell the spicy aroma as soon as they entered the door. With a fierce look in his eyes and a smile on his face, he rushed to the kitchen.
In the past, Yu Maocai would use the excuse that the kitchen was a restricted area and stop him from going there. He didn't want to anger his father-in-law, so he came specifically to anger Yu Maocai.
But today Yu Maocai was nowhere to be seen, and even the two servants who usually stood by to scare people were nowhere to be seen.
Zhang Sanzhuang sneered in his heart, "He's been beaten like a pig, so he doesn't dare to come out, right? Pah!"
Don't give this bastard with pus on his feet and sores on his head a chance, otherwise he and his two brothers will definitely put him in a sack, and it would be best if we beat him until he can never stand up again.
With some torture going on in his mind, Zhang Sanzhuang made his way to the kitchen without any obstruction. He had been here for more than four years and was familiar with all the apprentices. He greeted them and stood at the door.
"Father-in-law, Master Chang, I'm here to bring you food." He said with a smile.
As soon as Chang Ze heard Zhang Sanzhuang's movement, his butt started to twitch in pain subconsciously.
This isn't just a gift of food; it's obvious that this bastard wants to see him off to the grave!
The author has something to say:
Tokisawa: Thank you for the invitation. I don't want my epitaph to read 'died from a pain in the butt'.
The next update will be at 0:00 tomorrow. I will update on time every day according to the forecast time in the next few days. After the clip is removed, it will be restored to the fixed update at 12:00 every day~
The author found some strange knowledge: hemorrhoids are generally not fatal, but if they are severe, they may cause rectal rupture and heavy bleeding, which can be seriously life-threatening.
The author was so frightened that she turned around and drank a large cup of yogurt to calm down. My dears, remember to eat healthy.
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