The fragrant roasted lamb leg was served, and Pei Yuezhi sprinkled some of the barbecue seasoning she had made earlier on top, attracting everyone's attention.
The sizzling, oily exterior, combined with the barbecue seasoning, makes it look incredibly appetizing.
Pei Yuezhi picked up a piece and put it in her father's bowl: "Try it, this is my secret recipe roasted lamb leg. It's first braised and then roasted, so it's especially flavorful. Also, the meat is cooked until it's quite tender, unlike the dry-roasted kind which can be a bit tough."
“Okay, I’ll try it. It smells delicious, and it must taste good too.” Pei’s father picked up his chopsticks and started picking up the roasted lamb leg.
However, even though this lamb leg is from the lower leg, it's still difficult to pick up with chopsticks.
Pei Yuezhi thought her father would be embarrassed to use his hands, but to her surprise, he put down his chopsticks and picked up the roasted lamb leg with his hands.
Although they ate with their hands, their manners were very refined and elegant.
"The lamb leg is a bit big, it's hard to pick up with chopsticks, sorry," said Mr. Pei, taking a bite.
Everyone looked at him with some anticipation.
"Uncle, how is it? Is it good?" Liu Yuanyuan asked him quickly after seeing him swallow.
After eating it, Pei's father's eyes lit up: "Yuezhi, how did you prepare this mutton? It doesn't have any gamey smell at all, but it still has the original special aroma of mutton. The outside is roasted to a crispy brown, and the meat inside is not dry at all."
Hearing him say that, everyone couldn't wait to get their lamb legs.
"I used some spices to braise it, which greatly preserved the aroma of the meat while removing some of its off-flavors. The time was a bit short, otherwise marinating it overnight would have been very flavorful," Pei Yuezhi explained.
Everyone held a leg of lamb and ate heartily. Pei's father, who usually ate slowly and deliberately, seemed to really like lamb and ate a lot today as well.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the four children went to clean up the mess. Liu Yuanyuan said she was sleepy and wanted to go to Pei Yuezhi's room to sleep.
Pei Yuezhi, along with her father and Pei Yunzhi, went over to chat.
"Yunzhi, is the Qiao family's matter very difficult to resolve?" Pei Yuezhi asked with concern.
Pei Yunzhi nodded, but then shook his head and said, "His second uncle has been removed from office. The elders in his family all feel that his second uncle is not a suitable head of the family."
"It's not just about Luo Wei. The investigation revealed many errors in the accounts, and a lot of money went into his own pocket. After all, their business concerns the entire Qiao family, and he has violated the common interests of the Qiao family."
"Therefore, his elders unanimously believed that he was not up to the task. In addition, Zixun discovered all of this, and Zixun also resolved the problems caused by Luo Wei. His family decided to let him temporarily take charge of the family."
After hearing this, Pei Yuezhi felt that the wealthy families in ancient times were really full of intrigue and backstabbing. Even good people would be forced to use all sorts of tricks.
But this is also true in modern times. There's an old saying: relatives are relatives, and money is money. If relatives get angry, it comes down to money.
As the saying goes, you can't see into someone's heart. If someone isn't someone you truly know, even if they're a relative, you should be extra cautious.
Fortunately, I have people around me with whom I can confide, which makes me stronger than 99% of the world's population!
"Father, elder sister, there is one more thing I want to say."
Pei Yuezhi was pondering this when she heard Pei Yunzhi suddenly speak.
Pei's father asked with some confusion, "What's wrong, Yunzhi? Is something the matter?"
“It’s like this.” Pei Yun paused for a moment, “I was working for Zixun, and he was supposed to pay me. Although I said I didn’t need it, he said it was the rule, so I accepted the money.”
"What's the big deal? This is normal. Is Yunzhi a little embarrassed?" Pei Yuezhi asked.
Pei Yunzhi nodded in agreement, but then added, "Although I feel a little embarrassed, he's right. If we were to hire someone else, we might have to pay more, and he doesn't trust me. So I'm not that embarrassed."
“But…” Pei Yunzhi stammered. His father told him to speak freely, as he was being too hesitant.
“Zi Xun gave me five taels of wages. Now my father has recovered, and my sister’s business is booming.”
"I...I want to go to college."
Pei Yunzhi hesitated for a moment before finally expressing his thoughts.
Pei Yuezhi was overjoyed to hear him say he wanted to go to school. She had always wanted him to go to school, but he always felt that the family's conditions were not good and was unwilling to go, saying that he didn't want to study anymore.
Seeing that his family was doing better and better, he finally revealed his true thoughts.
I knew he hadn't given up on his studies.
“That’s great news. Our family is very supportive of your studies. Don’t worry, your older sister is here. Just go and study.” Pei Yuezhi said with great agreement.
When Pei's father heard this, he was a little stunned, but then he realized what he meant and said, "Yunzhi, are you really sure? I told you, you are definitely a good student. You must not give up easily."
"That's wonderful! Life at home is getting better and better, and Yunzhi has finally come to his senses. It's all thanks to Yuezhi, my good child!" Father Pei was a little excited, holding one child in each hand, overjoyed.
Pei Yunzhi said somewhat shyly, "Sister, I need to work for a while longer. Right now, I've just made up my mind to continue my studies."
"Saving enough money first is the most important thing."
“Yes, but you don’t need to worry too much about the money. Your older sister has plenty of money.” Pei Yuezhi nodded.
Pei's father also agreed: "Although the academy in our town teaches quite well, if you want to pass the imperial examinations and really learn something, you still have to go to the capital to take the exams."
"But if we were to go to the capital, the cost would be beyond our means."
If Pei Yunzhi wanted to study in the capital, he would have to go there; his shop's ultimate goal was also to go there.
But land there is incredibly valuable, making it extremely difficult to open a shop.
"Father, do you know how much it would cost if Yunzhi wanted to go to the capital?" Pei Yuezhi was still curious about how much it would cost.
Pei's father lowered his head, thought for a moment, and then said, "The tuition for the academy in the capital is one hundred taels a year. If you add up the other miscellaneous expenses, food, clothing and accommodation, even if you save money, it will still cost at least one hundred and fifty taels a year."
Upon hearing this number, Pei Yunzhi also let out a soft sigh.
Many people save their entire lives and still can't afford to study in Beijing, let alone his family, which was already poor.
Both father and son were somewhat downcast, while Pei Yuezhi breathed a sigh of relief.
She had thought that going to school in the capital would cost a lot of money, but thankfully it was only this much, which she could afford.
The store earns more than that in a month, but we can't let them know that.
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