In fact, it was only a matter of time before Chen Zhi would be the last candidate to be selected as "qualified".
Later, after much searching, they discovered that only this boy met the requirements. Zhaodi's parents were indeed not very satisfied with Chen Zhi. Don't tell them that Chen Zhi was young and promising. The fact is that this young man became an orphan at a young age and was raised by his brother and sister-in-law. Naturally, his family was not as wealthy as that of the old landlord, so the "bride price" he could offer was naturally not enough.
Of course, the old man was not offering a betrothal gift, but even if he only planned to take a concubine for fun, the "betrothal gift" that slipped through his fingers was much more than what Chen Zhicheng had prepared sincerely. Zhaodi's parents, who were greedy for money, were naturally a little unhappy.
But Su Qingluan is still here.
In Su Qingluan's view, anything that can be done with money is not a big deal. Moreover, Su Qingluan also gave Zhaodi's parents a condition that they were completely unable to refuse:
"Well, I have quite a few young men of the right age here, and there are more than one or two who are interested in Zhaodi, but it's rare to find a girl as beautiful as Zhaodi." Su Qingluan acted like a shopkeeper who was looking down on her little girl. "If this goes through, Zhaodi will have been by my side for two years. She's considered an 'old man' here, accompanying me through the most difficult times. As the shopkeeper, I can't just say something."
Then she went on to say that Chen Zhi was a rare talent under her, and since it was a double blessing, she, as the shopkeeper, should pay double the share.
Although Su Qingluan understood that in the eyes of Zhaodi's parents, both the man and the woman would try every means to get the "betrothal money", Su Qingluan was not afraid - the betrothal money was just a bait for her to lure this greedy couple. As long as Zhaodi successfully married Chen Zhi, she would send a transfer letter, and the couple would fly away.
Of course, since the ceremony has not yet been completed, nothing can be said too firmly.
However, with Su Qingluan's many suggestions about the betrothal gifts, Zhaodi's parents' obsession with the rich man's "bride price" has indeed faded a lot.
However, Zhaodi and Chen Zhi knew why Su Qingluan gave this "gift money" to them. In a private setting where no one was around, they couldn't help but feel very guilty.
Chen Zhi declined firmly, saying, "Boss, you've already helped me a lot in secret. I can't ask you for any more money."
Zhaodi also nodded repeatedly: "Yes, boss, we have troubled you enough."
Su Qingluan half-jokingly said, "If you really want to thank me, then go to the branch and work hard. If you make more money, you can earn back the gift money."
Of course, this matter is a later story, but Su Qingluan already knows that for Zhaodi's parents, the "bride price" is ultimately for their son to use, so no matter what, nothing can surpass their precious life.
It is because of this certainty that Su Qingluan is sure that her method can help Zhaodi and Chen Zhi.
But right now, she has another thing to do - prepare food for the Dragon Boat Festival.
The most distinctive food of the Dragon Boat Festival, the most widely spread, and even quite popular in later generations, are rice dumplings and eggs.
Although Su Qingluan had the impression in her previous life that boiled eggs were popular in many places, and there were even "egg cracking competitions" where each person had an egg to compare whose eggs were harder, Su Qingluan herself still liked to eat the rich-flavored tea eggs.
However, she prepared some of both types of eggs. After all, there were many people in the family, so she didn't have to worry about not being able to finish them.
In order to prepare to start making rice dumplings today, Su Qingluan deliberately left Su Ji a little earlier - because the Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon, and there are more raw materials for making rice dumplings, such as horsetail, rice leaves, glutinous rice, etc. at the market these days.
Su Qingluan bought a large handful of dried horsetail and bamboo leaves, and ten kilograms of glutinous rice. As for the remaining fillings, they were always available at home, so there was no need to buy them separately.
Just now, when passing by the tailor shop, Su Qingluan informed Yang and Su Guangfu that she would go home first to prepare the ingredients for making rice dumplings, and asked them to pick up Su Xueyan, and then she went home first.
After returning home, Su Qingluan soaked the dried horseweed and bamboo leaves in water. This allowed the horseweed and bamboo leaves to fully absorb water and become more flexible, so that they would not break easily when wrapping rice dumplings.
In her previous life, Su Qingluan was ill in the last few years and basically had no chance to eat something as soft, sticky and difficult to digest as zongzi. But in fact, when she was healthy, she still seriously learned how to make zongzi from the female elders.
Now think about it, I missed the Dragon Boat Festival when I traveled through time two years ago, and last year I missed the opportunity to make zongzi myself due to some strange coincidences. This time I can finally make zongzi again. I feel very emotional when I think about it.
Thinking of this, Su Qingluan put the newly bought glutinous rice in a large basin.
The rice needs to be soaked for two or three days, and the water needs to be changed constantly during the soaking process to allow the rice to fully absorb water while keeping it from becoming sour, otherwise it will turn into glutinous rice wine.
It was summer, and everything spoiled quickly. Luckily, the kitchen wasn't exposed to direct sunlight, so while it could get hot and stuffy during the day, it was at least well ventilated. Su Qingluan soaked the glutinous rice in freshly drawn well water, and by changing the water frequently, she was sure the rice wouldn't turn sour.
When Yang and Su Guangfu returned, they saw Su Qingluan stirring the rice washing water in basins and asked, "Daya, are you going to use all this water?"
Su Qingluan looked at the rice washing water and said, "This has been used to soak glutinous rice. It can't be used anymore, but it does have other uses."
This rice water can be used to wash your face, leaving it fair and soft; it can also be used to wash dishes, as the rice milk removes the grease from the tableware, leaving it smoother and cleaner; and you can even let this rice water ferment for a while, using it as an initiator for fermented foods...
However, considering food safety issues, Su Qingluan was hesitant to say the last use.
However, with the above two uses, there was no need to worry about wasting the rice washing water, so Su Guangfu and Yang were not too opposed to Su Qingluan repeatedly washing the glutinous rice.
By the afternoon of the third day, just two days before the Dragon Boat Festival, the glutinous rice was completely different from its initial dry, slightly elongated appearance. It now had a slightly rounded, oval shape, and with a gentle pinch and crush, the grains crumbled into a pair of white powders.
Obviously, this is because the rice dumplings have fully absorbed water, which makes them softer and more delicious.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Su Qingluan brought over the horseweed and rice dumplings leaves that had also been soaked.
After two days of soaking, the horseweed and rice leaves are no longer the white and dry ones they were at the beginning. Instead, they have become dark green and yellowish in color. After being soaked in water, they also appear more moist and shiny.
Su Qingluan took a strand of horseweed, bent it casually and tied a knot, then untied it: there was no sign of it being broken in the middle, so it must have been soaked in water for a long time.
It’s time to start wrapping the rice dumplings.
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