Chapter 192 Aunt Zhao's Identity
It was evening.
The setting sun fell on the rooftops and spilled into the courtyard.
Cheng Wanwan and Cao Yingying came out carrying small bowls, the milky white cubes of cheese emitting a rich milky aroma.
Zhao Sidan asked curiously, "Mom, what's this?"
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "Don't you dislike goat milk? I made some desserts for you to try."
"Only little kids drink milk, I'm not a little kid." Zhao Sidan brought the cheese to his lips with a spoon, the milky aroma became even stronger, with a faint sour taste. "Mom, why does this taste like it's spoiled?"
Wu Huiniang took a sniff and said, "It does have a sour smell, but it's a pleasant sour smell."
Zhao Sanniu had already picked up the bowl, poured the cheese into his mouth, and his eyes widened immediately: "Delicious, so delicious! Soft, sour, sweet, and smooth, how can something be so delicious!"
Zhao Sidan couldn't wait to take a bite. Before he could even swallow the food, he exclaimed, "It's so delicious! Big brother, second brother, sister-in-law, you all have to try it! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
Shen Zheng scoffed: "Look at you, so unsophisticated. It's just a snack made of goat's milk."
When he was a child, his grandmother would sometimes go to restaurants to buy some pastries made with goat's milk. They were just so-so, nothing special.
He casually took a bite, and when the soft, smooth cheese entered his mouth, he was completely stunned.
It tasted like tofu, but was even more tender and smooth. The aroma was rich and mellow, with a milky flavor and a slightly sour taste that blended together to give the mouth a completely different experience. He had never eaten a dessert with this flavor before. It was like opening the door to a new world. One piece of cheese was not enough to satisfy his taste buds. He wanted to eat a few more pieces, but there were none left.
Afu swallowed hard and handed over his portion: "Young Master, please eat."
Shen Zheng snorted: "How can I, Young Master Shen, have any face if I fight with a mere page for food? Hurry up and eat, stop babbling."
Cao Yingying lowered her head and took a small bite, then paused for a moment in surprise.
She didn't have high expectations for goat milk products; her family's cook knew how to make them, and in a royal style.
She had eaten many kinds of goat milk pastries and had long lost her appetite for them, but after just one bite, she knew that this pastry was not simple and that ordinary farm women could not make such a thing.
Goat milk has a goaty smell, which is more acceptable in the north. Northerners have all sorts of ways to eat goat milk, and gradually they have also developed ways to deal with the goaty smell. The goat milk that Aunt Zhao cooked had no fishy or goaty smell at all. She must have been to the north, probably the capital. Because she is knowledgeable, she can make such a dessert.
When Cao Yingying first arrived here, she had a slight, almost imperceptible sense of disdain, but after eating the cheese, all her disdain disappeared, replaced by respect.
Aunt Zhao was very likely a well-bred young lady from a large family who had fallen into the village. The Cao family, on the other hand, prospered later, and in terms of family background, they were certainly not as well-connected as Aunt Zhao.
Cheng Wanwan had no idea that making a simple snack that was common in modern society would lead the little girl to imagine a whole drama.
Zhao Ergou had a new idea: "Mom, the cheese is delicious, we can cooperate with Baiweizhai."
"You, all you ever think about is making money," Cheng Wanwan said with a laugh. "These ewes are for your sister-in-law's unborn child. You can only eat these before the child is born. Once the baby is born, it won't be your turn anymore, and there won't be any left to sell. The business you're currently running is slowly expanding and it's going to be a big business. You should focus on taking care of what you're doing now."
Zhao Ergou took a sip of water.
The braised food business we have now can actually be done without him.
These days, my older brother and San Niu are delivering the goods, and they're doing a great job, so he can easily free himself up.
He still wanted to think about doing something else.
By doing more business, he could save more money, and he couldn't wait to buy a shop that belonged to his family.
Zhao Ergou stroked his chin and began to ponder.
Cheng Wanwan carried the bucket to the front yard. It was evening, the perfect time to water the plants.
The courtyard wall is two meters high, and she secretly placed electrical wires in a groove in the middle, encircling the entire courtyard. The area near the corner of the wall was not paved with blue bricks, firstly to facilitate electrical conductivity, and secondly to make room for planting flowers.
She selected some common and easy-to-grow flower varieties: roses, hollyhocks, dahlias, zinnias, and Chinese roses. These flowers bloom at different times, opening in succession, filling the yard with fragrance from spring to autumn.
After watering the flowers, I went to the backyard to water the vegetables.
Autumn is a good time to plant radishes and Chinese cabbage, which will mature in winter and are the only two green vegetables that can be eaten during the winter.
The backyard door faces forty acres of wasteland behind it. The wasteland is full of weeds, and the soil is mixed with small stones that have accumulated over time. Therefore, it is not easy to clear the wasteland, and villagers generally do not buy wasteland unless they have no other choice.
When the pond is dug in winter, the soil becomes even more difficult to excavate. However, it is not advisable to wait until winter, because there is more rain in autumn. Even a small pit will accumulate rainwater, making it difficult to continue digging deeper.
Winters are dry, so take advantage of the dry season to dig out the lotus pond. When spring rains come, the pond is used to compost and store water for planting, and that's how the project is completed.
Cheng Wanwan planned out the things that needed to be done at home step by step, in an orderly and gradual manner.
She has always been a person who takes things one step at a time. Nothing can be rushed. Take your time. Life is long. What's the rush?
The nights in the new house are very quiet. You can hear the mountain breeze, birdsong, and insect chirping. You can also clearly hear the chickens, ducks, and geese in the backyard, but it doesn't feel noisy. Instead, it makes you feel at ease.
As soon as the sky began to lighten, Zhao Ergou got up.
Many days have passed since the incident at Yihonglou. He took over the delivery business again mainly because he wanted to go to town to see if he could find any new business opportunities.
Xia Hua, who was only twelve years old, was also with them. She was quite young and carried more than a dozen handkerchiefs. She followed obediently behind Zhao Ergou the whole time.
Zhao Ergou went to deliver the goods first. Jixiang Restaurant received thirty or forty catties, and the rest were given to Zuixianlou. Zuixianlou then sent a car to deliver the goods to other Zuixianlou restaurants.
He delivered the goods and paid the money on the same day, earning more than 20 taels of silver and making a net profit of more than 10 taels.
Xia Hua watched from the sidelines, clicking her tongue in amazement. Earning so much in a day? Brother Er Gou is really amazing.
Her eyes were filled with admiration as she looked at Er Gou.
Zhao Ergou puffed out his chest: "Come on, let's go eat first, then we'll go to the embroidery shop."
Xia Hua quickly waved her hand: "No, no need. I ate a pancake at home and I'm not hungry at all."
Zhao Ergou bought two meat buns and stuffed one into Xia Hua's hand.
The meat buns cost three coins each, which was really nothing to Zhao Ergou these days.
When a mother has something delicious, she shares it with her grandparents; when a son has something delicious, he shares it with his younger siblings. It's the same principle.
Xia Hua took a small bite of the bun, smelled a hint of meat, but couldn't bear to eat it; she wanted to take it back for her parents.
Zhao Ergou said, "After we finish our business, we'll buy some more to take back. You should eat them quickly."
Xia Hua smiled.
Yes, she'll exchange the handkerchief for money later; she should have a dozen or so copper coins, enough to buy a few meat buns.
She ate the meat buns in big mouthfuls and followed Zhao Ergou into the embroidery shop.
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