Xu Lanzhou shook his head and said, "I can't read it either. It's better for me to work at home. When my younger brother recovers from his illness, I can let him study. He is smarter than me, so I can help him take the imperial examinations."
The villagers' attitude towards Gu Wangchen irritated Xu Lanzhou, who desperately hoped that his family would also produce a scholar. However, he knew that his talent for studying was limited, and no matter how hard he tried, he would not be able to pass the exam.
Xu Lanyin stopped trying to persuade him. The little money he earned today, plus the money from selling his dowry, was only enough to buy four acres of land. He also had two patients to support at home. He would wait until he had more money.
Several people crowded on Qin's kang and talked and laughed.
Xu Lanyin then inquired indirectly about whether chess and card games existed in this era. She was certain that flying chess, checkers, and military chess, as seen in previous lives, were introduced to China from abroad relatively late, after the modern era. Go certainly existed in this era; her family had a set, but she wondered if chess or mahjong existed in this era.
Qin, a particularly knowledgeable person, gave a brief explanation. By this time, there was already Majiang, a game similar to Mahjong from the previous life. There was also Xiangqi, whose rules were essentially the same as Xiangqi from the previous life.
Disappointed, Xu Lanyin thought about chess again. She wasn't very good at it, only knowing the basic rules.
Checkers is simple to play and suitable for children, but making so many pieces is difficult. In my previous life, the pieces were glass marbles. There's no glass in this world, at least not the original owner. Polishing wood into small beads or figurines is time-consuming and requires specialized tools. I'll ask Xu Dashi or Xu Lanzhou to help out at the carpentry shop when they can.
Military chess is more complex to play than checkers and flying chess, but still relatively simple compared to Go and Chinese chess. Xu Lanyin could quietly make it herself. The board for the chessboard was already there, so all she had to do was have Xu Lanzhou saw some chess pieces.
Chess, on the other hand, is complex and varied. In the past, like Go and Xiangqi, it was considered a "competitive sport," with international tournaments held. While chessboards are easy to make, the pieces still needed to be crafted by carpenters.
Making any kind of chess is simple. Once you know the rules, the "inventor" of chess won't really make much money, so fame and fortune are best. To bring those three kinds of chess to life in the future, you need to find the right opportunity.
However, judging from Qin's description of these things, Xu Lanyin had a new understanding of her - Qin's background was definitely not low, and she didn't know why she married Xu Qingyan, who was engaged in a special profession.
Only when Qin felt sleepy did the three siblings go to rest.
Having earned back most of the six acres of land he had lost, and having successfully "established" a connection with the county magistrate's family, Xu Lanyin slept soundly for the first time since crossing over.
The next day, it began to rain lightly. Xu Lanzhou stayed out of the field, fiddling with a few pieces of wood under the eaves.
Xu Lanting asked his brothers and sisters to make him a set of flying bird chess, which he played secretly at home.
Xu Lanzhou didn't do it and even gave him a lecture, saying that a man cannot stand without trust and that if he promised someone, he must keep it. Besides, they were the sons and daughters of the county magistrate, and he couldn't afford to offend them.
The little boy sat aside with a pout. Apart from the much smaller Xuyuan, he didn't have any good friends to play with.
Xu Lanyin whispered to comfort him, "Don't be angry, little brother. I'm going to make you a delicious snack today. You've never eaten it before."
She first drew a cartoon pig from her past life, a big head and a small body. It looked cute and was easy to make, very different from the dolls of this era. She asked Qin to cut it out for her, and then she made it herself, and later gave it to Miss Min to play with.
Qin looked at the picture and laughed out loud. She had never thought a pig could be so cute. She said, "Mom is feeling much better now. These two things are simple. I'll lean against the headboard and sew them slowly."
This was definitely better; Qin's cooking skills were miles ahead of hers. Xu Lanyin gave her a few more tips, told her not to tire herself out, and then went to make the snacks.
If you want your shop to do good business, you need to have new products.
There are many varieties of traditional dim sum in this era. Even if she makes a few different ones, it is just a change on the original basis. People will learn it by looking at and tasting them.
Western pastries, with their unique craftsmanship, are not easy for others to make. But bread requires high-gluten flour. These days, all-purpose flour is used, so the resulting bread isn't fluffy and doesn't taste good. Currently, we can only make cakes; we'll consider other options once we find the raw materials.
A cow had given birth at the west end of the village, so Xu Lanyin went to buy a large bowl of milk, holding an umbrella. She then went to the main house to buy ten eggs. Gu pretended not to want them, but she still insisted on giving them the money, as if they were brothers. She also made a simple homemade egg beater out of thin bamboo strips.
Replace the lemon juice with a few drops of vinegar. There is no way to solve the problem of flavor, but green foods have their own fragrance.
By the afternoon, she'd baked a large chiffon cake. She wasn't talking about a cake, but rather a large tzaozigao. If anyone asked, she'd just say it was made like a tzaozigao, but in a larger mold.
As soon as Xu Lanyin took out the cake, Xu Lanting sniffed hard and exclaimed, "It smells so good."
Ever since the cake was put into the oven, the little boy has been waiting by the stove.
Xu Lanyin took a knife and cut a piece for each of them. Even Qin and Xu Lanzhou nodded their heads while eating, saying that it was more delicious and softer than the tiaozi cakes sold in the county town, and the color was also better looking.
Qin cut a few more pieces and asked Xu Lanzhou to take them to the main room.
In the following days, apart from making snacks, cooking and washing clothes, she sewed clothes under Qin's guidance.
Qin's health was not good, so she invited Gu to help cut a set of clothes for each of the second wife, including a cotton waistcoat, and asked Xu Lanyin to learn how to sew. Although the original owner's needlework was not very good, and her stitches were rough and shallow, she could still sew.
Once the clothes and waistcoat were made, the cloth was used up.
The second house hasn't had new clothes made for many years, especially the little boy Xu Lanting. Except for when he was one or two years old, he hasn't worn any new clothes since he can remember.
Qin didn't want to do it for herself, but Xu Lanyin insisted on doing it.
She made it for Xu Lanting first, and put it on him as soon as it was finished. The clothes of children from poor families were made too big, and they could still be worn with a cotton jacket inside.
Xu Lanting wore it for a while and then took it off, "I'll wear it during the Chinese New Year."
Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "Wear it when it's done. I'll make you some silk clothes for the New Year."
Xu Lanting obviously didn't believe it, but still insisted on taking off the new clothes.
Qin and Xu Lanzhou were reluctant to wear them, waiting to wear them during the New Year or when visiting friends. Only Xu Lanyin wore them, figuring she'd wear them as long as she wasn't doing heavy labor. She'd been growing up for the past few years, and all she wore were hand-me-downs made from Qin's clothes. Qin was petite, half a head shorter than Xu Lanyin was now, and the clothes were very uncomfortable on her.
Xu Lanzhou's dress was altered from Xu Qingyan's, and Xu Lanting's was altered from Xu Lanzhou's. Both of their dresses were too big, but Xu Lanyin's was skinny, short, and had hems.
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