Chapter 102 Yu Cai almost slipped and Peng Ximing showed off his arm strength
On New Year's Eve, Jiang Dahe still got up in the early morning as usual.
Originally, the night shifts in the workshop were rotated, but he had gotten used to sleeping in the workshop, so for the past two months he has been on night duty.
The family of four had already prepared twenty catties of tofu puffs yesterday.
What we need to do now is make tofu puffs for tomorrow.
Twenty pounds of tofu puffs only require forty pounds of tofu.
However, since it's Chinese New Year, tofu puffs are quite delicious when stewed with meat, so Ye Li asked him to make more for their own consumption.
So he soaked extra beans last night.
It weighs a total of twenty jin.
As he stepped out of the small house, he habitually looked up at the sky.
It's a bit cold today, and there isn't a single star overhead; it must be another cloudy day.
He first heated water on the stove, and after the water boiled, he washed his face. Just as he finished washing his face, Jiang Liu and Jiang Yu came over with their ox and mule.
The three of them worked together to grind twenty pounds of beans, and quickly finished the task.
Afterwards, Jiang Dahe filtered the soybean residue himself, while Jiang Liu and Jiang Yu went to Ye Li's house to make taro paste.
It was still dark.
Ye Li and the two little ones were still not up.
Today, Liu Yi and Ye Adie are not here, but Jiang Ji doesn't stay in bed. When Jiang Liu and Jiang Yu arrived, he had already steamed two pots of taro.
Today I'm only making 100 jin of taro paste.
The condensed milk I needed was prepared yesterday afternoon.
Therefore, the task is very light.
After the taro was steamed, Jiang Liu and Jiang Yu made taro paste, while Jiang Ji went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
So when Ye Li slowly got up, the taro paste was ready, and breakfast was ready too.
Jiang Ji cooked red date and millet porridge, which was particularly thick.
He also reheated the fried chicken pieces and meatballs from yesterday, adding some vinegar, scallions, and ginger. Neither the chicken pieces nor the meatballs were greasy like when they were fresh out of the fryer, and Ye Li could easily finish half a bowl by herself.
In addition, there is a cold shredded radish salad.
It contains carbohydrates, vegetables, and protein.
After breakfast, Jiang Ji went to the backyard to feed the pigs and chickens, while Ye Li loaded twenty catties of tofu puffs and one hundred catties of taro paste onto the truck.
He'll be delivering the goods today.
While you're at it, go and bring Jiang Shun and Bao Beiyuan back.
Yesterday, the restaurant was operating normally, but we also had to make drinks in the afternoon, so I could only pick people up today.
During the Lunar New Year, he and Jiang Ji certainly couldn't let Bao Beiyuan be all alone in the courtyard to keep vigil.
He had already informed Bao Beiyuan, inviting him to spend the New Year at the Jiang family home.
In fact, Gong Lisheng also wanted Bao Beiyuan to spend the New Year at the Gong family's house, but Bao Beiyuan chose the Jiang family's house. Compared to his older brother Gong, who was a few years older, he had more in common with his classmate Jiang Ji.
Soon, the family of four got ready, boarded an oxcart, and headed to the county town.
It's a bit cold today. Apart from Jiang Ji, who is naturally hot, Ye Li, Jiang Mai, and Jiang Ya are all bundled up like penguins.
Before long, the oxcart swayed and rattled into the city.
Almost every household has prepared all the New Year's goods, and some shops have already closed.
There were fewer pedestrians on the street than usual.
The four arrived at Banxianju, where there was not a single customer except for the waiter.
It was unusually quiet.
Banxianju is also on holiday today, leaving only half of the staff.
At night, only five people are left on duty.
Yu Cai was not there, so Ye Lijiang handed the things to Manager Xing. They saw Peng Ximing, chatted with him for a few minutes, and then the family set off for the dried fruit shop.
I need to buy some more dried fruit today.
After leaving the dried fruit shop, the four of them went to Bao Beiyuan's courtyard.
Bao Beiyuan had finished packing. He was carrying two baskets in his hands. One basket contained daily necessities, while the other, upon closer inspection, contained cured meat and sausages.
These two dishes together weigh more than 20 jin (10 kg), and Ye Li couldn't help but say, "Why did you buy these? We don't lack meat at home."
There is no local custom of drying cured meat and making sausages in Beiyang County.
This stuff is much more expensive than regular pork.
Don't be fooled by the small amount; it would probably cost two taels of silver to buy one.
Bao Beiyuan laughed and said, "Having more snacks to go with the drinks, isn't that great?"
"Yeah, Brother Li, this sausage is so delicious, it's spicy and it's especially satisfying to eat with flatbread."
Jiang Shun, who was also carrying a basket on his back, said with a smile.
Ye Li then looked at his basket and saw a string of sausages inside. She said, "Not bad, you've grown up and know how to contribute to the family."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shun immediately shook the basket on his back and said happily, "There's still some glutinous rice flour down there. I've learned how to make tangyuan (sweet rice balls). I'll make some tangyuan tomorrow and bring some to you and Brother Ji."
You should know that he was the only one in his family who had ever eaten glutinous rice balls.
Now that he's going home for the Chinese New Year, and there's plenty of meat at home, he had a bright idea and decided to make some glutinous rice balls.
Upon hearing this, Ye Li smiled and said, "Then prepare a few more fillings, besides black sesame, also some red bean paste and taro paste."
"Oh, that's a great idea!"
Jiang Shun's eyes lit up immediately.
Glutinous rice is naturally sticky.
The taro paste is also super soft.
The combination of these two ingredients makes the glutinous rice balls taste absolutely divine!
Jiang Ya's mouth was already watering at the thought, and she quickly said, "Brother Shun, how about I make you some glutinous rice balls tomorrow?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the courtyard burst into laughter.
Ye Li rubbed his little head, which was wearing a fox fur hat: "Okay, when you deliver the taro paste tomorrow, you can make a few for yourself."
The little guy was pleased to hear this.
He ran towards Jiang Shun, wanting to help Jiang Shun carry the basket on his back.
Seeing his attentive little face, Ye Li couldn't help but pinch his cheeks.
Little glutton, you were truly born in the wrong era.
After chatting for a few minutes, Bao Beiyuan and Jiang Shun boarded the oxcart.
I'm home now, just in time to make lunch.
However, before they even left the city, light snow began to fall, making it even colder.
Ye Li pulled the scarf around her neck up, covering most of her face.
Actually, it's quite nice that it's snowing at this time of year.
Otherwise, farmers would have to go to the fields to irrigate the wheat on the sixth or seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
This is truly a sign of a bountiful harvest.
After the oxcart entered the village, Jiang Shun carried a basket on his back and went home.
Jiang Ji drove the oxcart home. Ye Li ignored the things on the oxcart and ran into the kitchen. He took off the cover of the stove's vent and prepared to use the stove to cool off the chill.
Bao Beiyuan lived in the west room, and Jiang Ji led him there.
The bedding on the kang (heated brick bed) has already been aired.
However, with the kang (heated brick bed) heated at night, it certainly won't be cold.
After Ye Li's frozen hands warmed up, she rolled up her sleeves and prepared to cook.
All the New Year's goods are ready, so lunch will be easy to prepare.
Besides, we have New Year's Eve dinner tonight, so a simple lunch will suffice.
I had millet porridge in the morning, and now I'll have rice porridge.
The braised pig's head meat was extremely tender. He cut off a piece and mixed it with peanuts as a cold dish.
There were also sausages that Bao Beiyuan brought; they just needed to be steamed, no need for any further seasoning.
Of course, vegetarian dishes are essential to cut through the richness.
He made a cold cabbage salad.
To avoid leftovers, he prepared these three dishes.
But Bao Beiyuan wasn't picky about food. When he got to the dinner table, he praised the braised pig's head meat, saying it wasn't greasy at all.
“I simmered it over low heat for two hours, and then soaked it in the brine overnight. Take a few pieces with you when you go back to the county town.”
Ye Lidao.
Bao Beiyuan wanted to say a few polite words, but then thought that would seem too formal, so he agreed instead.
Seeing this, Ye Li smiled and said, "That's more like it. This year, my family has plenty of pork offal. You can choose whichever part you like."
"Okay, thank you, Brother Li."
Bao Beiyuan felt relieved.
These things aren't valuable, but it takes time and effort to clean them up.
But since it was Brother Li's kind gesture, he accepted it.
After lunch, the snow started falling faster and more heavily.
The ground was completely dyed white.
Jiang Ji delivered the oxcart to Jiang Dahe's house.
Ye Li, on the other hand, was kneading dough to prepare dumplings.
Dumplings are an indispensable part of Chinese New Year.
At Jiang Dahe's house, only Liang Erxiang and Jiang Yu were there, and the two of them were also making dumplings.
Jiang Dahe and Jiang Liu were frying tofu puffs at the workshop.
Jiang Ji led the oxcart into the house and went to take a look at the workshop.
The father and daughter had almost finished frying the tofu puffs.
Jiang Ji didn't linger and turned to go home to make dumplings.
That afternoon, every household was making dumplings.
This year, Yezaopo has become more prosperous. In addition to dumplings, many families are also preparing New Year's Eve dinner.
Anyway, there's no shortage of meat.
Not wanting to eat too many leftovers, Ye Li didn't go through much trouble and only prepared eight dishes:
Cold-served pig's trotters, steamed pork ribs with rice flour, braised pork intestines, and cumin-flavored lamb.
Glutinous rice and pork meatballs, hand-shredded braised chicken, steamed glutinous rice with nuts, and dried bean curd mixed with wood ear mushrooms.
These are all home-style dishes.
And it's very easy to make: the pig's trotters and braised chicken are already braised in advance.
While Jiang Jibao, Bei Yuan, and the two little ones were making dumplings, he made them all by himself.
There weren't many dishes, but for the Jiang family, it was an unprecedented feast.
The food was laid out on the round table in the small living room, making Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, the two little ones, exclaim in delight.
Jiang Ya was so happy that she circled around the table, repeatedly shouting, "Brother Li is so amazing! Brother Li is so amazing!"
The little guy's joy was intense and pure, which made Ye Li feel even better.
He subconsciously glanced at Jiang Ji.
Turning his head, he met Jiang Ji's handsome face with a slight smile and bright, sparkling eyes.
He couldn't help but laugh too.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a cell phone.
This moment cannot be recorded.
But as Bao Beiyuan looked at the food, he couldn't help but think of the New Year's Eve dinner his family used to have.
It is just as abundant.
At that time, he was similar to Jiang Ya, only knowing how to laugh foolishly.
Unfortunately, something unexpected happened this year.
He tried to force back the tears welling up in his eyes.
He couldn't let such a wonderful day spoil the mood.
However, looking at the four faces of Ye Lijiang, Ji Jiang, Mai Jiangya, and others, all filled with happy smiles, he secretly made up his mind.
He knew that all four of them were genuinely kind to him.
But as an outsider, it was ultimately inappropriate for him to be in this situation.
In particular, he harbored a great deal of pain in his heart.
These pains must not be shown in the slightest.
Therefore, he really should start thinking about settling down.
He deserves to have his own home.
While the Jiang family was enjoying their New Year's Eve dinner in harmony, the Wu family in the county town was also having their New Year's Eve dinner.
When Wu Fulang took his sons Yu Cai and Yu Shiting back to Beiyang County, he only stayed at his parents' home for a month before buying another house in the county town to live in.
The house is not small; although it only has three courtyards, it also has a side courtyard.
Tonight, Wu Fulang, Yu Cai, Yu Shiting and their two children should have been enjoying a peaceful and happy New Year's Eve dinner.
But no sooner had they picked up their chopsticks than a servant came to report:
County Magistrate Yu has arrived.
On this fine day, no one wanted to see him. Wu Fulang wanted to drive him away, but how could the servants of the Wu family dare to stop County Magistrate Yu?
So County Magistrate Yu came to the main courtyard on his own.
Seeing Wu Fulang's angry glare, he immediately explained that he had found another family to talk to Yu Cai about it.
Moreover, this time it won't embarrass Yu Cai like last time.
This time, he was looking for a student who had completed his studies at the lowest level.
This young scholar was unmarried, came from an ordinary family, was not particularly tall, and was five years younger than Yu Cai.
But he's a nice person, and he's good-looking with rosy lips and white teeth.
This condition perfectly matches what Wu Fulang said: "educated, from a good family, and a good person."
More importantly, the other party did not mind that Yu Cai had difficulty walking!
He thought it was a good fit, so he came over specifically to share the good news.
Upon hearing this, Wu Fulang was immediately moved.
All things considered, the conditions are indeed not bad.
Although there is a significant age difference, it's not more than eight or ten years; within five years, they are considered the same age!
Being young has its advantages.
Why would anyone choose an older man when they can find a younger one?
Moreover, he was only a student in the preliminary stage, while his family had already become scholars.
In addition, with the escort agency involved, they can completely suppress the other side.
Wu Fulang immediately looked at Yu Cai. They were such a good match, why don't we meet them secretly?
Yu Cai: "..."
Peng Ximing's face flashed through his mind.
These conditions are actually inferior to those of Peng Ximing.
He doesn't care about looks; what he values is whether she can take care of him after marriage.
This young scholar was already short; if he weren't strong either...
Don't lift him up!
Moreover, she was a full five years younger than him.
Five years old!
By the time the young scholar reached his age, he was already a thirty-year-old man.
If she becomes successful in the future, there's a very high chance she'll dump her old husband.
However, seeing his father, brother, and sister-in-law looking at him with concern, he bit his lip and ultimately did not refuse.
Let's meet first.
He nodded, and County Magistrate Yu was overjoyed.
County Magistrate Yu intended to sit down and, under the pretext of discussing the matter of the two meeting, ask the servants of the Wu family to add a bowl and chopsticks for him.
But to everyone's surprise, Wu Fulang's expression changed immediately when he saw him sit down, and he immediately tried to drive him away.
So he left dejectedly.
He left, but Yu Cai was distracted and couldn't eat.
Strictly speaking, this was Yu Cai's first blind date, and the other party was a good match. He should have been happy, excited, expectant, and nervous.
But for a moment, he felt inexplicably irritable.
I don't know what's bothering him.
But I just can't muster much interest.
So, after finishing his New Year's Eve dinner, despite the snow still falling outside, he boarded a carriage, intending to visit Banxianju.
We ate our New Year's Eve dinner early; it's not even 7 PM yet.
The sound of firecrackers could be heard from time to time, and every household was bustling with activity.
Upon seeing this, Wu Fulang wanted to go with him, but he refused.
He led Granny Wang out of the house, and the carriage slowly headed towards Banxianju.
Most of the shops along the street were closed.
But the heavy snow covered the road, revealing a pristine white expanse.
In addition, some pedestrians and children were playing in the snow and setting off firecrackers on the street.
Tonight we're staying up late to celebrate the New Year, so everyone's going to bed late.
The carriage soon arrived in front of Banxianju.
The snow in front of the shop had been swept to both sides of the door, and the shop door was wide open, letting in the candlelight from inside, casting a warm yellow glow at the entrance.
With the help of Granny Wang, Yu Cai slowly got off the carriage. Before he even entered the shop, Peng Ximing appeared at the door.
When Peng Ximing saw him, he was surprised but quickly came forward to greet him: "Shopkeeper, what brings you here at this hour? Be careful, the ground is slippery."
"Just going out for a stroll."
As Yu Cai spoke, she glanced into the shop.
The shop was completely empty.
At least, he didn't see a single person.
Seeing this, Peng Ximing explained, "There were no customers in the shop by 5 PM, so I ate my meal early and stayed in the front. The others are having their New Year's Eve dinner in the backyard right now."
"……Thanks a lot."
Yu Caidao.
With these words, he stepped into the shop.
"Of course, of course, I'm not tired, it's quite relaxing."
Peng Ximing said with a smile.
I'll get five times my regular pay if I'm on duty tonight!
Normally it's 46 coins a day, so five times that would be 230 coins!
He was overjoyed.
Moreover, the meal today was quite plentiful.
The leftover meat from the diners, no longer being snatched up by the manager and cooks, finally fell to the waiters.
Tonight he ate the most sumptuous meal of his life!
Lamb, pork, chicken, fish, and duck—a complete meal in one go!
For most people, having to stay in the shop on New Year's Eve and not be able to reunite with their families is definitely a tough job.
But for him, this was a tremendous stroke of luck.
Of course, he also missed his family.
But yesterday his second brother came and brought him some food. He also said that there were only two hundred or so preserved eggs left to sell. After the New Year, he would go to Yezaopo to buy more.
Thanks to these preserved eggs, the family managed to buy twenty pounds of meat in one go this New Year, truly having a prosperous year.
These words reassured him, allowing him to remain calm in the empty, cold lobby at this moment.
Thank you, Manager Yu.
Thank you, Brother Jiang and his wife!
Seeing that Peng Ximing was genuinely happy, Yu Cai paused for a moment before sitting down at a table near the door.
He asked, "Are the tofu puffs and taro paste sold out?"
"The taro paste was gone by noon. There were still two pounds of tofu puffs left, and since there were no customers in the shop, Chef Wang stewed them just now."
Peng Ximing said.
Yu Cai nodded gently.
Sure enough, taro paste was the most popular.
Tonight, on his family's dinner table, there were two taro paste desserts. Of all the dishes on the table, only the two desserts were completely eaten.
However, we need to control the quantity.
The next batch of 40,000 jin of taro is still nowhere to be seen.
He and Peng Ximing didn't have much to talk about. After finishing their conversation about the shop, he propped himself up on the table and got up to go check out his little courtyard.
However, he got up quickly, and before Wang Mama could come forward to help him, his left foot had already stepped out.
The ground is slippery due to the snow.
Caught off guard, his left foot immediately slid forward, like a split, and his left leg suddenly stretched out.
But he couldn't muster any strength in his right leg.
He cried out in surprise and fell straight to the ground.
Granny Wang was startled and quickly stepped forward to help her.
As a result, she took a step too quickly and her leg slipped.
Just as Granny Wang was getting anxious, the heart-wrenching scene she had anticipated did not appear.
Suddenly, Peng Ximing reached out and grabbed Yu Cai's shoulder, forcefully stopping Yu Cai from falling down.
Seeing that Yu Cai hadn't fallen, Peng Ximing was still in shock.
But this posture is strange.
Moreover, in winter, people wear thick clothes, and Yu Cai's clothes are made of good, smooth material. So, in just a few breaths, his grip on Yu Cai's shoulders loosened.
So he took a deep breath, deliberately loosened his grip a little, only holding onto Yu Cai's clothes on her shoulders, and then lifted her up, raising her legs off the ground.
Yu Cai: "..."
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