Chapter 110 Discussing Marriage and Returning to the City
Thinking of those nice courtyards, Yu Cai immediately called out to Ye Li, who was not far away, "Brother Li, come here, we have something important to discuss."
Ye Li is focused on peeling garlic.
Hearing the sound, I looked over and saw his excited expression. I was curious: "What is it?"
"I've chosen several new houses. You should listen to them."
Yu Cai said with a smile.
Ye Li was indeed interested in this topic. He put down the garlic and walked towards Yu Cai.
He's really not short of money now.
With just taro paste, he could buy a spacious courtyard.
The two batches totaled 60,000 catties of taro, roughly calculated as 60,000 catties of taro paste. Based on the calculation that 300 catties can make 2,000 servings of side dishes, with each side dish earning 1.5 coins, he could earn 600 taels of silver from these 60,000 catties of taro paste!
Of course, he couldn't actually earn any money from it, since he and Yu Cai had already spent quite a bit.
But there are still five hundred taels.
That's enough to buy a house.
Upon approaching, he asked with great interest, "Where are these houses located?"
“My father didn’t want me to be too far away from Dongsan Heng Street.”
Yu Caidao.
"That's great!"
Ye Li became even more interested.
The county school and private academies were both located in the east of the city.
Peng Ximing listened, somewhat bewildered, as the two discussed buying a new house.
The cheapest of these houses costs over four hundred taels, while the most expensive costs over seven hundred taels.
Such an unattainable number was commonplace in the mouths of the two.
Moreover, Brother Jiang and his wife are not in a hurry to move in at all!
So this is the world of the rich...
After Yu Cai and Ye Li finished their discussion, the water in the pot boiled. Ye Li then said, "Brother Cai, let's take a look at the place first. After we've seen it, we'll ask Brother Peng and Jiang Ji to go and take a look."
"Yes!" Yu Cai nodded emphatically.
Just then, Jiang Mai ran into the yard carrying a basket of wild vegetables, shouting, "Brother Li, Brother Li, the wild vegetables are back!"
Wild vegetables are difficult to select and wash. After Jiang Ji, Yu Shiting, and the others filled a basket, they asked Jiang Mai to carry it back first.
Ye Li then looked at Peng Ximing and said with a smile, "Then congratulations, Brother Peng. With good things coming soon, you should get to know each other better. You and Cai Ge go and pick some wild vegetables."
After blanching the chicken pieces, you can stir-fry them.
Upon hearing this, Peng Ximing was about to express his gratitude when Yu Cai preemptively said, "Let him go and choose; I'll start the fire for you."
Cooking is too tiring; we can't let Li Ge do it all by himself.
"No need, no need, you all go ahead and pick more. We're going to make several dishes with wild vegetables today."
Ye Li said with a smile.
At this moment, Jiang Mai, not seeing Ye Li, ran from the courtyard gate to the shed under the guidance of Granny Wang.
Ye Li then said, "Xiaomai, come here and help me start the fire."
“Okay,” Jiang Mai immediately agreed.
In front of Jiang Mai, Yu Cai couldn't refuse again.
Besides, he really wanted to spend more time with Peng Ximing.
Peng Ximing was the same; he had been worried about Manager Yu for the past ten days.
So the two moved to a shed next to the well.
But since the marriage was not yet made public, Granny Wang also sat down.
Looking at Yu Cai's long, slender, and fair fingers, Peng Ximing quickly said, "Just pretend, don't get your hands dirty."
Upon hearing this, Yu Cai felt a surge of sweetness in her heart and said, "If it gets dirty, I can just wash it off. I'm not that delicate."
In the past, when he was making all sorts of delicious food at home, he would occasionally pick the vegetables himself.
"Hmm... I'll ask my brother-in-law for the scissors; you can think of it as pruning the flowers."
Peng Ximing got up and ran to find Ye Li to ask for scissors.
Yu Cai was amused by this remark; it was too exaggerated!
When he looked away, he saw that Granny Wang was also smiling, and he couldn't help but blush.
He's not that delicate!
Peng Ximing quickly took the scissors.
This was a token of his appreciation, and Yu Cai reached out and took the scissors.
With scissors, at least you won't get mud under your fingernails anymore.
They were really as leisurely and carefree as if they were pruning flower branches.
Overjoyed, Yu Cai said, "Take a few days off to go back to the village, take the two hundred taels of silver to buy your family a new set of clothes, and also buy an oxcart."
Peng Ximing quickly shook his head: "No need, we still have some savings at home."
"Didn't you say we should give some small favors? This is it."
Yu Cai said while cutting shepherd's purse leaves.
Seeing that Peng Ximing remained silent, he asked again, "Can your second brother read?"
"...They can read. Xi Liang and Xi Min can both read."
Peng Xiaomei's real name is Peng Ximin.
“Then let him come to Banxianju as a waiter first. If he does well, he can be promoted to manager.”
"As for Ximin, my father owns a cloth shop, she can go there to do odd jobs."
The next sentence surprised Peng Ximing: "Little sister can also go to the city to work?"
"Of course, she's a young woman, and these past years have been really tough for her."
"Since the marriage has been delayed until now, there's no need to rush. Once she goes to the cloth shop, we'll find her a good match in the city."
Yu Cai said it was only natural.
Peng Xiaomei refused to marry, precisely for Peng Ximing and for the Peng family.
How could he mistreat such a good girl?
These words moved Peng Ximing even more than before. He never expected that Manager Yu would not only treat him kindly, but also his family.
This is far from a small favor.
This is clearly an attempt to change Xiliang and Xiaomei's fate...
"As for the betrothal gifts, one hundred taels should be used as betrothal money, and the rest can be used to buy some tea, sacrificial animals, and sweets."
“I have no shortage of clothes and jewelry. My father and County Magistrate Yu have provided them for me every year since I was a child. I will just give you a few sets in advance, so you don’t need to buy any.”
Yu Cai added.
The Peng family was just so-so, and everyone knew that he was the one who provided the betrothal gifts.
Instead of spending money on things he doesn't need—
Indeed, his clothes and jewelry already filled two side rooms, and he even planned to take advantage of the wedding to pick out some he didn't like and melt them down so he could make some new styles.
Moreover, according to his father, Peng Xiucai was good-looking and had already achieved academic success.
With just these two things, the marriage would be a perfect match, and the world wouldn't laugh at him.
Therefore, the betrothal gifts are just a formality.
Yu Cai's words gave Peng Ximing a new understanding of the world of the rich.
At the same time, he secretly hated his own incompetence.
If only he were a successful candidate in the imperial examinations...
But he will never have the chance to study again in his life.
All he could do was take meticulous care of Manager Yu to repay her great kindness.
Suppressing his emotions, he replied, "Okay, whatever you say. Then tomorrow is the holiday..."
Actually, there are already lanterns in the city tonight.
The event was lively for three consecutive days.
Yu Cai understood his meaning and was happy, but since the marriage was not yet settled, they could not enjoy the lanterns together.
After thinking for a moment, Yu Cai said, "You can go to work as usual these two days and return to the village after the holiday."
Staying in a semi-reclusive residence, at least we can still see each other.
Peng Ximing understood his meaning and smiled instantly: "I'll listen to you."
This was the first time Peng Ximing had smiled today. His eyes were clear and gentle. Yu Cai stared at him for a few moments and then smiled as well: "Stop with the formal 'yours,' change your way of addressing me."
Peng Ximing immediately nodded: "I'll listen to you."
These three words were much more intimate than "I'll listen to you," especially since Peng Ximing said them so smoothly and naturally that Yu Cai felt an itch in her ears and heart.
Just then, voices came from outside the courtyard.
The group of people who went out to dig for wild vegetables returned.
With so many people, and it being the season when wild vegetables grow like crazy, even though Jiang Ji only picked the best shepherd's purse and wormwood, it quickly filled all the baskets and baskets they had brought.
So the group returned.
When Yu Shiting entered, he saw Yu Cai and Peng Ximing sitting face to face, picking wild vegetables, and knew that the two had already made their marriage plans clear.
He felt troubled.
Angry.
Sigh, Cai-ge'er supported the Peng family's decision to continue their studies, which means his maternal grandparents' family has no place to use their talents now—
His cousins all worked at the security escort agency and were quite skilled. If the man surnamed Peng was just a scholar, then if he dared to have any tricks up his sleeve, his cousins would beat him senseless.
Unfortunately, Caige wanted the boy surnamed Peng to continue his studies.
Sigh, he'll have to work even harder when he gets back!
Seeing that the group had dug up so many wild vegetables, Yu Cai decided to take some with her, since the official purpose of the day was to dig for wild vegetables.
However, knowing that Ye Li didn't like tidying up, he invited everyone to sit down and pick wild vegetables so that Ye Li could eat them the next day.
A moment later, Ye Liang arrived.
Father Ye and Liu Yi also returned from the workshop.
With the help of these three people, lunch was served much faster.
Ye Li made four dishes with wild vegetables: cold shepherd's purse and preserved egg salad, shepherd's purse and egg pancakes, shepherd's purse and tofu soup, and steamed artemisia capillaris.
The braised pork offal from the Lunar New Year is long gone, so Ye Li bought some pig trotters, pig intestines, pork belly, and ribs yesterday.
He put all the pig's trotters, pig intestines, and pork belly into a pot and braised them.
The spare ribs were saved until today, so they can be made into steamed spare ribs with rice flour.
To take care of the four children, Ye Li also made a dish of steamed glutinous rice with candied fruit.
Paired with the main dish of braised chicken, it's truly a feast!
The weather was nice today, so Jiang Ji and Peng Ximing carried the round table from the small living room out and placed it in the yard.
A group of people sat down around the table.
Since they were close, they weren't so formal. Ye Li called out, and everyone started eating together.
Ye Li was indeed hungry after working so hard all this time.
Jiang Ji knew he loved to gnaw on pig's trotters, so he put a piece of pig's trotter on his plate first.
The pig's trotters were stewed for a long time, and they weren't greasy at all after cooling down. They were slightly spicy and chewy. After he finished eating them, he couldn't help but pick up a piece for himself.
Jiang Ya sat on the other side of Ye Li; he had recently developed a fondness for wild vegetables.
There were steamed pork ribs and steamed artemisia in front of him, so he held the ribs in his left hand, gnawing on them while occasionally picking up a piece of artemisia with his chopsticks. He ate to his heart's content, his mouth still greasy.
Mrs. Yu and Yu Linian were sitting opposite Jiang Ya.
Yu Linian has never liked eating since he was a child. He glanced at the dishes in front of him and finally picked up a small bowl and spoon, scooping out a small bowl of shepherd's purse and tofu soup.
After slowly finishing his drink, Mrs. Yu picked up two wide noodles from the braised chicken dish and placed them on his plate.
It was the first time he had ever eaten this kind of wide noodles. The noodles were covered with brown sauce, and they looked very tempting. He couldn't help but pick up his chopsticks and put the noodles into his mouth.
Then his eyes widened slightly. Delicious!
The wide noodles are soft yet chewy, and they are infused with the rich, slightly spicy sauce, making them as tempting as they look.
After finishing the two noodles, he picked up two pieces of chicken.
The meat was very tender and quite flavorful.
But it's a bit greasy.
So he drank another bowl of shepherd's purse and tofu soup, and then put down his chopsticks.
Mrs. Yu looked a little worried and picked up a piece of spare rib for him: "Try this."
Yu Linian shook his head; he didn't want to eat anymore.
Madam Yu pointed to Jiang Ya across the table and said, "Look how much Ya Ya is eating."
Upon hearing this, Yu Linian looked over.
Jiang Ya is currently eating steamed glutinous rice with candied fruit.
Ye Li served him a small bowl. He held the bowl with one hand and the spoon with the other. After scooping up a full spoonful, he ate the whole spoonful of sticky rice in one gulp.
He chewed and chewed, and the chubby little face moved along with it, which was extremely cute.
Yu Linian looked at it for a while, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
Just then, Madam Yu scooped a spoonful of glutinous rice for him, and he picked up his chopsticks and watched Jiang Ya eat.
After finishing his meal, still feeling a bit unsatisfied, he picked up the piece of pork rib he had just eaten and slowly gnawed on it.
At this moment, Jiang Ya finished eating the glutinous rice.
He pointed to the large plate of chicken in the middle of the table with his little finger: "Brother Li, I want to eat this chicken."
Ye Li then picked up his small bowl and put a few pieces of chicken and a few strands of noodles on it for him.
The noodles were wide and long. He held the chopsticks in his little hands, lifted the noodles high, and then tilted his little head to catch them with his mouth.
Yu Linian found it amusing and couldn't help but laugh.
Madam Yu didn't miss this scene and quickly put a few wide noodles on his plate as well.
And so, looking at Jiang Ya, he ate more food at noon today than he had at the previous two meals combined.
Mrs. Yu was very pleased.
Her youngest son was thinner and weaker than his peers because he didn't eat properly.
Although he was a little boy and a year older than Jiang Ya, when he stood next to Jiang Ya, their height and width were about the same.
I wish Jiang Ya were her child.
well!
After lunch, Yu Cai wanted to see the new workshop, so everyone moved to the back of the Jiang family's house.
The new workshop is almost finished, thanks to the whole village working together.
The overall layout is similar to that of an old workshop.
But each room is much more spacious now.
In addition, a well needs to be dug, the yard needs to be paved with blue bricks, and a few trees need to be planted so that the employees can enjoy the shade.
Two more stoves need to be added to the kitchen.
Two more millstones should be added to the mill shed.
After Baxian Town becomes bustling again, the production of tofu puffs needs to be increased.
Yu Cai looked around and couldn't find any fault with it.
Even if he were to run a workshop, it wouldn't amount to much.
After returning from the workshop, Yu Cai did not linger.
I've already bothered Ye Li for a whole day, I can't stay any longer, after all, Jiang Ji only has three days off.
Moreover, now that the marriage is arranged, he needs to get busy with things like the wedding dress and dowry.
However, he did not hand over the silver notes to Peng Ximing as he had previously agreed.
He planned to pay at the store.
This way, he and Peng Ximing can be alone together again.
So the two carriages returned to the city.
Peng Ximing and Yu Shiting rode in the same car.
Yu Shiting wanted to assess Peng Ximing's abilities and see how likely Peng Ximing was to pass the imperial examination.
He's under a lot of pressure as the older brother-in-law!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
