Chapter 105 Ye Li's Method - Peng Ximing Feels Heartache
In fact, Yu Cai has been well taken care of all these years.
When they went out, they had the strong and capable Granny Wang to serve them, and at home, they also had maids and servants to attend to them.
However, he also has some inconveniences, such as getting in and out of the bathtub while showering.
The bathtub was really unfriendly to him; every time he got in and out of it, it was like getting on and off a carriage. He not only had to stand on a stool, but someone also had to stand next to him to help him.
Even though Wang Mama and others had followed him for many years, he would still feel shy crawling in and out naked.
That night, Peng Ximing brought it up, and this need was immediately put into practice.
It came down to specific individuals.
Peng Xiucai's hands are huge!
Peng Xiucai was also very strong.
If they really get married, then he can be carried in and out of the bath.
This is so convenient!
Moreover, besides being strong, Peng Xiucai was also considerate.
Afraid that he might slip again, I silently stayed by his side.
You are so knowledgeable and understanding.
He doesn't expect the other person to be ambitious or successful; he's content as long as they can get along like this.
Isn't this what his father meant by "a moment of pleasure"?
So, after struggling with the decision on New Year's Eve, he made up his mind on New Year's Day: he would become Peng Xiucai!
So he sent people to Banxianju to distribute red envelopes—in order to ensure that Peng Ximing received a red envelope, everyone on duty that day received one.
Moreover, he changed his mind and refused to follow his family's arrangements to meet the young scholar.
However, it's unclear what Scholar Peng thinks.
Although Scholar Peng wanted to marry a wealthy young man, he had difficulty walking...
Yu Cai suddenly dropped a bombshell, startling Ye Li.
Is she in love with someone else?
Who is it?!
He immediately grabbed Yu Cai's hand: "Brother Cai, who have you fallen for? When did this happen?!"
Ye Li's reaction was exactly what Yu Cai had expected.
However, the thought of the scene on the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, when Ye Li tried his best to persuade him to consider Peng Ximing but he remained unmoved, made him blush with embarrassment.
In particular, he said something like, "There are plenty of good people in the world, and he can't just like every single one he meets."
How stubborn they were back then.
At this moment, I am so ashamed to speak.
But what could he do when Peng Xiucai truly suited his tastes?
Let them laugh at us.
He was being honest now because he wanted Ye Li to give him some advice.
This was the first time in his life he had ever liked someone, and for the past three days he had experienced alternating feelings of sweetness and trepidation.
The experience was truly agonizing.
So, looking embarrassed, he said, "I'll tell you, but please don't laugh at me."
"It was none other than... Scholar Peng."
"……who?"
Ye Li, who was about to swear on her heart that she wouldn't laugh, froze.
“Peng Ximing.”
The remaining text is repeated.
Her delicate cheeks were already flushed.
But Ye Li was already deeply shocked.
Peng Ximing?
"...No, he hugged you?!"
Yu Cai's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly shook her head: "No!"
"Why did your attitude change so quickly? And why did you keep emphasizing whether I could carry you?"
Ye Li was puzzled.
Yu Cai: "..."
He pursed his lips and explained, "It was on New Year's Eve, he..."
As he explained, Ye Li understood. Before he could finish speaking, Ye Li laughed: "It was a hero saving a damsel in distress!"
"……No."
Yu Cai blushed and shook her head in denial.
"It really sounds like a scene from a novel! Cai-ge, you're right, you're right, you should find someone who can carry you!"
Ye Li smiled and gave Yu Cai a thumbs up.
That's very honest.
Not at all awkward.
For a local guy to be so decisive is really commendable.
But Yu Cai blushed deeply: "It's not even close to happening yet."
“I’m afraid he’ll refuse, and then he definitely won’t stay at the semi-recluse’s place.”
"The Peng family has only been living a good life for a few days. If I do this, wouldn't I be committing a sin?"
"It's alright, I'm here. Considering he's a good person, would I really let the Peng family go back to what they were before?"
"Hmm... how about this, I'll sound him out."
Ye Li quickly came up with an idea.
He shared his idea with Yu Cai, who was pleasantly surprised: "Good brother Li, you always have so many ideas."
Ye Li said smugly, "Heh, just performing as usual."
Yu Cai laughed upon hearing this: "If it really works out, I'll give you the credit. You'll definitely receive a generous thank-you gift for the matchmaking."
"And there's a thank-you gift for the matchmaker?"
Ye Li laughed as well: "Then I'll be waiting. I think there's a 99% chance that Scholar Peng will agree."
If Peng Ximing agrees, the Peng family will not need to spend three years resolving the marriage arrangements for Peng Erdi and Peng Xiaomei.
Pengjiahui took a single step out of its predicament and entered a well-off life where it had no worries about food and clothing.
It's no exaggeration to say that you can save ten years of travel time.
Given Peng Ximing's guilt towards his own family, how could he refuse this opportunity?
Moreover, apart from her leg problems, Yu Cai truly had no flaws.
She is not only good-looking and kind-hearted, but also compassionate.
Peng Ximing must have been incredibly lucky to find such a wealthy young man.
Unless Peng Ximing has lost his mind, he would definitely agree.
Yu Cai was delighted with Ye Li's solution.
However, he remained uneasy until he saw Peng Ximing nod.
So he changed the subject and started talking to Ye Li about egg tarts: "Taro cakes are delicious, but you'll get tired of them if you eat too much. These egg tarts are just in time. Are they complicated to make?"
The word "tart" in egg tart is a transliteration of the English word, so yesterday, after Ye Li made egg tarts, she renamed them "egg tower"—it's layered, like a tower.
Ye Li told him how to make egg tarts: "It's not particularly complicated to make, but it takes a lot of time. Even if a chef can make them, he can't make too many in a day."
Yu Cai: "If it can be done, that's good. Things are valued for their rarity, and this will whet the appetite of our distinguished guests."
If you can't eat to your heart's content, that's why you keep complaining.
Ye Li understood this principle, so he smiled and said, "Then the price will be higher, seven or eight coins each."
“Too low.” Yu Cai shook her head: “The dough is made with oil and condensed milk, and the egg tart filling is made with goat milk, eggs, and sugar, not to mention the precious taro paste.”
"In my opinion, let's round it up to ten coins each."
"...Then ten coins."
Ye Li nodded.
He was an ordinary person for two lifetimes and really didn't understand the world of the rich.
So whatever Yu Cai says goes.
“You taught me this recipe for free, so I can’t keep taking advantage of you. Here’s what I’ll do: for every one I sell, I’ll give you two coins,” Yu Cai added.
"No need, this..."
Before Ye Li could finish speaking, Yu Cai interrupted her: "Anyway, you can't sell many in a day, so you won't get much money."
Thinking about the complicated process of making egg tarts, Ye Li nodded.
With the limited space at Banxianju, there's really not much that can be done.
Just as the matter was settled, a maid came to report that lunch was ready and asked the two of them to go to the main room.
Today's lunch was quite lavish, with the large round table piled high with food, including chicken, duck, fish, lamb, beef, abalone, bird's nest, and mountain delicacies. It was truly an eye-opener for Ye Li.
The Wu family brought out all their best treasures at once, purely because he was Yu Cai's good friend.
So he ate his fill.
The more impolite he was, the happier the Wu family became.
What Yu Shiting brought out was not ordinary alcohol, but wine.
Everyone at the table, adults and children alike, can drink it.
Ye Li would never buy such fruit wine, but now that he'd come across it, he decided to try a glass.
It's icy cold and sweet, and very refreshing.
After lunch, Yu Cai was reluctant to let Ye Li leave, but he also wanted to see Peng Ximing, since they hadn't seen each other for three days.
So he took a carriage and went to Banxianju with Ye Li and Jiang Ji.
Business was a bit better today, even though I was only semi-active.
When they arrived, there were several tables of diners on the first floor.
The staff had all started work, and there were few customers, so everyone was quite relaxed, standing in twos and threes in the corners, waiting for customers to call them.
Peng Ximing was also standing in the corner, with a cloth for wiping tables draped over his shoulder.
Ye Li helped Yu Cai into the store. While taking in the situation in the lobby on the first floor, Yu Cai quietly found Peng Ximing among the staff.
Just then, Peng Ximing also looked over. When their eyes met, Peng Ximing's heart tightened, but he simply nodded slightly as before.
But to everyone's surprise, Peng Ximing stepped forward and walked towards him.
His body stiffened instantly.
Ye Li was supporting him when she noticed his unusual behavior and followed his gaze.
Upon seeing Peng Ximing, Ye Li greeted him with a smile: "Brother Peng, Jiang Ji and I are free tomorrow. Why don't you buy two catties of meat and go to Yezaopo? We can have a get-together at home."
He was referring to Peng Ximing's previous promise to treat him and Jiang Ji to dinner.
This matter was originally scheduled to take place after Jiang Ji started his vacation.
But he and Jiang Ji didn't want Peng Ximing to spend the money, so they kept putting it off.
However, now that they want to test Peng Ximing's opinion, this becomes a perfectly legitimate reason.
Upon hearing this, Peng Ximing subconsciously shook his head: "How can that be? Let's find a restaurant in the city, order a few dishes, and save you the trouble of cooking in the kitchen."
With more money in hand, he upgraded his original plan of shredded pork noodles to stir-fried dishes.
Ye Li smiled and said, "No ordinary restaurant chef can cook as well as me. Besides, for the same amount of money, you can definitely eat more at home and feel fuller."
"Also, not many restaurants will be open tomorrow."
"It's settled then. Come to Wild Jujube Slope tomorrow."
After saying that, he secretly squeezed Yu Cai's arm tightly.
Yu Cai immediately said, "Brother Li is right. Scholar Peng, you've been working hard at the shop these past few days during the New Year. You should take a good rest tomorrow."
"The wages will still be paid."
"This... thank you very much, shopkeeper."
Peng Ximing hesitated for a moment, then agreed.
However, he looked at Yu Cai with concern and asked, "Are you feeling better from your cold?"
This greeting almost made Yu Caiyue speak.
Oh dear, Scholar Peng is concerned about him.
Struggling to suppress his laughter and prevent his lips from curling up too high, he put on his usual gentle smile: "After taking the medicine for a few days, I'm almost fully recovered."
"Thank you for your concern, Scholar Peng."
"Of course, of course. You are so kind and benevolent, you should be free from all illnesses and enjoy good health."
Peng Ximing said sincerely.
However, his blessing immediately dampened Yu Cai's earlier excitement by half.
Sigh, Scholar Peng is treating himself like a bodhisattva.
But this goodwill is better than nothing.
Thinking about Ye Li's actions tomorrow, he couldn't help but look forward to it.
Jiang Ji and Ye Li did not stay at Banxianju for long. After sitting for a while, the couple went home with Yu Cai.
When I got home, before I even entered the door, I saw Jiang Ya standing at the entrance, her little hand still clutching the windmill that Bao Beiyuan had bought last year.
The little guy has sharp eyes and quickly spotted them as well.
So he happily ran towards them.
Once on the oxcart, the little guy threw himself into Ye Li's arms, calling out, "Brother Li, I missed you and Big Brother so much! Why were you gone for so long? It's getting dark."
Having not seen Li Ge and his elder brother for most of the day, he couldn't wait at home, so he went to the door to wait.
Ye Li was amused by him and pinched his little cheek: "Because we went to pack some delicious food for you and Xiaomai."
"Delicious? What is it?"
Jiang Ya looked at the basket on Ye Li's back.
"Three kinds of snacks, a package of beef, and a jar of wine!"
Ye Li said with a smile.
"Wow!"
The little guy's eyes lit up instantly.
beef?
wine?
He's never eaten it before!
Brother Li really kept his word; he brought so much delicious food!
Jiang Ya was overjoyed. After looking at the basket with shining eyes, she hugged Ye Li's neck and twisted and turned in Ye Li's arms.
Her little mouth kept saying, "Brother Li is so good, Brother Li is so good," which made Ye Li and Jiang Ji laugh.
Wine and beef are highly prized, even by Jiangmai and Baobeiyuan.
Beef is rarely seen on the dinner tables of ordinary families.
As for wine, that's even more precious.
Given the Bao family's past wealth, Bao Beiyuan had hardly ever drunk alcohol in his entire life.
Ye Li brought back a full two jin (1 kg) of fruit, enough for everyone to have a small bowl.
After tasting it, the remaining leaves were put away, as they would be used to entertain guests tomorrow.
Yu Cai's feelings towards Peng Ximing had shifted from sympathy to heartache.
Before anything was even settled, they already wanted to give Peng Ximing some good food.
The fourth day of the Lunar New Year.
After having breakfast, Ye Li didn't rest and immediately started making egg tarts.
This was brought to entertain Peng Ximing.
Moreover, to prevent Bao Beiyuan and his two little ones from getting in the way, he asked the three of them to go to the workshop to help with the work, and then have lunch at Jiang Dahe's house.
Peng Ximing arrived at 9:00 AM, carrying two jin of dried longan.
The butcher shops were all closed, so he couldn't buy any meat. After wandering around for a while, he finally went into a dried fruit shop and bought some longans.
When he stayed at the Jiang family's house last time, he noticed that the Jiang family loved to eat dried fruit.
However, dried longan cost 180 coins per catty, and he bought two catties, which made Ye Li feel a little embarrassed.
The Peng family's circumstances were clearly not good.
After exchanging a few polite words with Peng Ximing, he served tea and egg tarts, and asked Jiang Ji to chat with Peng Ximing while he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to go into the kitchen to cook.
Peng Ximing couldn't bear to leave Ye Li to work alone in the kitchen.
Moreover, Peng Ximing was used to doing these kinds of jobs, so he quickly said, "I'll help too, I know a little bit about everything."
Ye Li declined a few times, but seeing his insistence, she said, "There's not enough firewood in the kitchen. Go and gather some dry firewood; it's under the shed behind the new house."
Peng Ximing agreed and picked up the basket to gather firewood.
The firewood was chopped into small pieces more than a foot long, and he quickly filled a basket.
He got up, picked up the basket, and headed towards the kitchen.
As he walked past the new house, before even getting close to the kitchen, he heard Ye Li say from afar, "Alas! I'm so worried. In such a large county as Beiyang, we can't find a single husband who can match Cai Ge. Tell me, what's going on?"
"..."
Peng Ximing stopped in his tracks instinctively.
Even their breathing slowed down.
Manager Yu, are you looking to arrange a marriage?
Ye Li continued, "He clearly didn't have high standards, yet that martial arts graduate dared to look down on him. It's infuriating! He's hiding his true colors; he must be ugly!"
"?"
Peng Ximing's brows furrowed instantly, forming several horizontal lines.
What's going on?
A martial arts graduate looks down on Manager Yu?
Before he could even process what Jiang Ji had said, Jiang Ji's voice rang out: "Calm down. These things are all about mutual affection. If the other person doesn't want to, it's not illegal, is it?"
"Brother Ke Cai's requirements are really low! Someone who can take care of him, is educated, and is a good person—that's all!"
"In the end, I couldn't find one that suited my needs. Heaven is unfair!"
Ye Li's voice grew even more indignant as she spoke: "He suffered an undeserved calamity back then, enduring such a terrible torment for no reason, yet he remained gentle and kind. What a wonderful person he was!"
"Anyone with a conscience would feel sorry for Cai Ge, so how could they despise him for his disability?"
Peng Ximing: "..."
He stood there, stunned.
My mind was somewhat overwhelmed by the information contained in those few sentences.
Yes, anyone with a conscience would feel sorry for Manager Yu's plight, so how could they despise him?
That's outrageous!
Such a person is not worthy of being betrothed to Manager Yu!
Unexpectedly, the son of a county magistrate was looked down upon by a mere military officer over such a trivial matter. What did Manager Yu do wrong? Heaven is indeed unfair!
Even though Manager Yu has already lowered the standards so much, down to the bare minimum, he still can't find one that suits his taste.
It's true, it's true...
The image of Yu Cai's always gentle face appeared in his mind. Why should such a beautiful person suffer such humiliation and disgrace?
On what grounds?!
He gritted his teeth and clenched his left hand, which wasn't carrying the basket, into a fist.
If that martial arts graduate were in front of him, even knowing he couldn't win, he would still rush up to seek justice for Manager Yu!
Who knows how many tears Manager Yu secretly shed...
A strong pang of heartache welled up in his heart, making him both angry and distressed.
It was his incompetence that prevented him from protecting his benefactor!
But at that moment, Ye Li said again, "Sigh! Never mind, there's no use saying these things now."
"In short, you and I will keep an eye out and see if there's anything suitable."
“Especially you, you know many scholars at the county school, so it’s easy for you to find someone who meets Brother Cai’s requirements.”
Before Peng Ximing could react, Jiang Jichang grunted and hesitated before asking, "What do you think, Brother Peng?"
Upon hearing these six words, Peng Ximing's heart began to pound violently.
Brother Peng, Brother Peng...
Brother Jiang actually intends to match him up with Manager Yu?
...
Yu Cai's face flashed through my mind again.
Gentle, delicate, and fair-skinned.
Like the bright moon in the night sky, so beautiful that he only dared to admire it from afar.
But Brother Jiang actually wants to talk to himself about someone like that?
His breathing became rapid.
His heart was pounding faster, each beat like a drumbeat, leaving him frozen in place, unable to move.
He didn't know how much time had passed before his heartbeat finally subsided.
The feverish brain also cooled down slightly.
His unfocused eyes instinctively looked towards the kitchen.
Jiang Ji stood at the door, looking at him with a puzzled expression: "Brother Peng, what are you standing there for? Come here quickly, Ye Li is about to cook."
"..."
He wanted to ask Jiang Ji if what he had just said was true.
But when he opened his lips, he couldn't make a sound—he was too excited just now.
He quickly coughed a few times to clear his voice.
Just then, a gust of wind blew by, chilling him to the bone, and he couldn't help but shiver, his mind instantly clearing.
He actually actually thought of Manager Yu.
...
But Manager Yu couldn't find one that suited his taste.
If you seek help from other people, there is a possibility of being hurt again.
But he won't!
He would never harm Manager Yu; he swore on his life that he would protect Manager Yu for the rest of his life.
Can anyone else do this?
Moreover, do other people have experience in caring for people with mobility impairments?
No!
Manager Yu has already been humiliated, and he really doesn't feel comfortable handing him over to anyone else!
With that in mind, he no longer hesitated and immediately asked, "Brother Jiang, are you really going to arrange a marriage between me and Manager Yu?"
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