Chapter 54 Watermelon Ice Jasmine Wasted Two Days and Two Nights
When Jiang Ji returned with Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, the three of them were dragging a huge pile of firewood.
Jiang Ya, in particular, was dragging a bundle of firewood that was almost as tall as himself.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, he called out to Ye Li to come out and see the firewood he had collected: "Brother Li! Brother Li! I collected a huge pile!"
Ye Li was standing in front of the chopping board smashing cucumbers when she heard the noise and came out of the kitchen.
Seeing the pile of firewood behind Jiang Ya, he was somewhat surprised: "You've gathered so much? Ya-ge'er is really amazing!"
Receiving the praise, Jiang Ya smiled smugly and shook his little fist: "I'm very strong!"
He didn't eat those meals for nothing.
Ye Li laughed when she saw this: "Good, good, good, Dali Yaya, you're amazing! I steamed rice tonight, so eat half a bowl more."
"Great!" Jiang Ya's big eyes lit up immediately when she heard about rice.
He loves to eat rice!
"Go wash your hands quickly, I'll make a cucumber and lettuce salad and we can start eating," Ye Li said with a smile.
Jiang Ya nodded vigorously, dropped the hemp rope in her hand, and hopped towards the well.
Ye Li then called Jiang Ji and Jiang Mai to wash their hands as well.
Afterwards, he returned to the kitchen and placed the smashed cucumbers into a ceramic basin.
There were already shredded lettuce and dried tofu in the earthenware pot—the dried tofu was pressed by him in the morning, thin and firm, no need for braising, just blanch it and then toss it.
In addition, he also stir-fried some mung bean jelly and fried four eggs.
Such a sumptuous meal delighted Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai as soon as they entered the kitchen.
Jiang Ji also sighed, realizing that half of the money he earned was spent on food.
The stir-fried mung bean jelly has a smooth outer layer and a chewy interior. Ye Li hadn't had it in a long time and really missed it, so she mainly focused on this dish.
Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya also ate quite a bit. Knowing that Gong Lisheng would be coming tomorrow, the two decided to thank him properly.
Moreover, Gong Lisheng bought a lot of watermelons yesterday, and when the two of them were eating watermelons, Ye Li also told them to thank Brother Sheng properly.
Ye Li asked curiously, "How are you two planning to thank them?"
Jiang Ya rolled her big eyes a few times, and asked with some uncertainty, "My second brother and I are going to make jasmine tea? We've already learned how."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mai, who was deep in thought, immediately nodded: "That's a great idea!"
Ye Li smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll teach you how to make watermelon ice jasmine tomorrow."
"Watermelon iced jasmine?" Jiang Ya tilted her head, her chubby face full of confusion.
Jiang Mai didn't understand either: "Put jasmine tea leaves on a watermelon?"
Ye Li kept everyone in suspense: "You two will find out tomorrow."
Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai became even more curious upon seeing this.
Just as Jiang Ya finished eating, he got up from the stool and snuggled into Ye Li's arms, tugging at Ye Li's sleeve and begging Ye Li to tell him.
The little guy called out "Brother Li" sweeter and sweeter, and Ye Li couldn't resist his coaxing, so she told him how to make it:
Cut the watermelon into chunks, put them in a bowl, and mash them into juice with a rolling pin. Then pour in jasmine green tea and add some cane sugar.
The method was so simple that Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai listened with great interest and confidence, wishing Gong Lisheng would come right now so they could roll up their sleeves and make watermelon drinks.
Jiang Ji let them be excited for a while, then sent them off to wash up.
He picked up the mugwort himself and went to fumigate the house.
He first smoked the west room.
As soon as he entered the west room, he saw the new robe on the kang (a heated brick bed).
He walked over, picked it up and examined it, and found a patch on the right side of the shirt, which was noticeably bulging.
Reaching out and touching it, I found folded banknotes inside.
However, he was somewhat surprised when he looked at the stitches around the patch.
Ye Li used to dislike him and never made him clothes, hats, shoes, or even a handkerchief.
But Ye Liang patted his heart and assured him that although Ye Li was unwilling to do needlework, he had seriously studied it.
But the patch in front of him had crooked stitches, some long and some short. To make it secure and prevent it from breaking, Ye Li sewed three more layers around the patch.
This craftsmanship, apart from preventing loss, truly has no other advantages.
No wonder Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya's clothes were torn by the firewood; they were all taken to their second aunt to be mended.
His surprise lasted only a moment.
He put down his robe and turned to light the mugwort.
Don't think or think outside the box, just let it go.
After fumigating the west room, he went to fumigate the east room.
When the fumigation was almost finished, Ye Li entered the main room.
He turned his head and saw Ye Li walking towards the west room. He said, "Shall we take a bath together later?"
Ye Li was about to show him the robe with the silver notes sewn on it when she heard this, she turned around and said, "Okay. I'll bring the robe over for you to see first."
“I’ve seen it. You can put it away and keep it safe. It’s the most valuable item in our house,” Jiang Ji said.
Ye Li couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this, saying that this was nothing at all.
But since Jiang Ji had already seen it, he carefully put the robe away and placed it in the wardrobe.
As soon as the cabinet door closed, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya rushed into the main room.
The two little ones came straight to the west room: "Brother Li, Brother Li!"
When Ye Li saw the two of them come in, she went over and asked, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Ya puffed out her cheeks: "Brother Li, what if Brother Sheng comes tomorrow and my second brother and I have gone out to collect firewood? We want to thank him in person."
"this……"
That's hard to say.
Gong Lisheng has no shortage of preserved eggs these days. Business is good at lunchtime, so he can't leave and will definitely come in the afternoon.
But the household can't go a day without firewood.
Although the three brothers gathered a lot of firewood today, tomorrow they will not only stew meat, but also make meat floss.
The most crucial step in making pork floss is stir-frying, which takes up most of an hour and uses a lot of dry wood.
Seeing Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai looking at him with concern, he smiled and reached out to pinch their little cheeks: "It's simple, we'll just buy firewood tomorrow."
Beiyang County has little land and many mountains. The imperial court did not allow officials and landlords to encroach on the mountains and forests. Therefore, everything on the mountains was ownerless, and anyone could go into the mountains to cut firewood.
In this way, firewood is not expensive; a load of firewood weighs 100 jin (50 kg) and costs less than 20 wen (0.2 yuan).
Now that our family is better off, the two little ones don't need to be little bees anymore.
Jiang Mai, for example, is already seven years old.
Jiang Ji is a student; is Jiang Mai willing to take this path?
Jiang Ya can play for another two years, but Jiang Mai really needs to consider this matter.
The two little ones were delighted by Ye Li's words and skipped back to the east room.
Ye Li remembered the matter of studying. After Jiang Ji coaxed them to sleep, the two of them went to the small shed to take a bath together. Ye Li then told Jiang Ji about it.
Jiang Ji simply said, "We'll talk about it when I get back from the prefectural city."
If he passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, he will no longer need to study hard at the private school every day, and he can teach Xiaomai.
Upon hearing this, Ye Li hummed in agreement, agreeing that it was indeed a bit premature to discuss this now.
The two carried the wooden bucket into the shed and then began to take off their clothes.
The small shed was pitch black. Jiang Ji tried to act as if nothing was wrong and said, "The provincial examination is approaching. I'm going back to the private school this time, and I won't be coming back in between."
Upon hearing this, Ye Li paused in his unbuttoning motion, then reached out and hugged Jiang Ji: "That's how it should be."
Look at the mess this has made.
Jiang Ji finally came back, and on his first night back, he made up a story that the two little ones wet the bed.
We were discussing serious matters yesterday and last night.
This person will be returning to the private school tomorrow.
Too rushed!
"When the time comes, Xiaomai, Yage'er, and I will bring you some delicious food."
His tone was filled with deep reluctance.
He was already reluctant to let the person go before they even left.
Jiang Ji was delighted to hear this, hugged him back, cupped his face with his large hands, and then kissed him.
The light was too dim, so I kissed his chin first, which made him laugh.
Before the laughter subsided, Jiang Ji found the right spot, her nimble tongue prying open his lips and gently teasing his tongue inside his mouth.
Jiang Jiwen's gentle kiss only made him more annoyed.
In the past, such kisses could happen anytime, anywhere; whenever the two were alone, they would secretly kiss for a while.
But this time when Jiang Ji came back, it was the first time the two of them had kissed like this.
Every day we spent together was so precious.
He sighed, closed his eyes, and focused on the kiss.
The small shed was already hot, and what the two were doing was something that would easily make one blush and their heart race. After a moment, they simultaneously began to undress each other, but their lips were reluctant to part.
It was too dark to see, so the two moved to the entrance of the shed.
Freed from the constraints of clothing, their burning skin pressed against each other, and the two were stimulated to deepen their kiss.
Ye Li jumped up.
Jiang Ji understood immediately, bent down and picked him up.
This position was a bit physically demanding, but neither of them wanted to go back inside. They couldn't bear to part; they had already wasted two days and two nights!
The two hugged each other tightly. Ye Li urged Jiang Ji to hurry up. After they finished, they quickly rinsed off and hurried back to the house.
Once on the kang (heated brick bed), there are more options.
Good lighting, even dim lighting, acts as a natural filter, concealing all flaws and amplifying only the other person's beauty.
Unfortunately, they both happened to be attracted to each other's aesthetic, so the second time, they only used one position: facing each other.
Regardless of whether Ye Li is on top or on the bottom, the two of them have to look at each other's faces.
At this moment, the previous awkwardness and distance disappeared. Their clear eyes met, and as they looked at each other, they either laughed or couldn't help but kiss.
No words are needed; physical contact speaks louder than anything.
Jiang Ji was in charge of the sprint, and Ye Li was in charge of the kissing. After all that, although they were sweating profusely and panting heavily, they were still somewhat unsatisfied.
Jiang Ji took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off the two of them, then vigorously fanned them with a fan.
His gaze fell on the high stool in front of the table. After a moment, he pointed to the stool and said, "Why don't we go sit on the stool?"
Ye Li leaned on his shoulder, glanced at the stool upon hearing the sound, and, recalling the wonderful experience on the stool, immediately nodded: "Okay."
I was so focused on admiring Jiang Ji's face just now.
But if you move it to a stool, you can see the whole body.
A young and powerful body stood in front of the high stool, muscles well-defined but not exaggerated, lines smooth, firm and fair, truly a beautiful sight.
The more he thought about it, the hotter he felt, and he urged Jiang Ji to carry him over.
He was anxious, and Jiang Ji was anxious too.
Jiang Ji also loved seeing him with his body exposed on the stool. His legs were not only long and straight, but also white. Whether he was draped over his shoulders or his feet were stepping on his heart, it made Jiang Ji feel very happy.
So the two moved to a high stool, touching each other and teasing each other. Although the area of physical contact was small, in addition to physical pleasure, they also got a good look at each other.
After this, Ye Li was truly exhausted.
Jiang Ji was also a little tired.
However, since Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya were both asleep, he simply carried Ye Li on his shoulder, and the two of them went to the small shed completely naked.
Ye Li was greatly surprised. Standing at the entrance of the shed, she cupped his face and examined him closely: "Is this still the same good husband who looked like a chaste and virtuous husband on our wedding night?"
"..."
Jiang Ji grabbed his wrist speechlessly and pulled him into the shed: "Go wash up and go to bed, it's getting late."
"Tsk tsk, I'm so charming."
Ye Li was somewhat smug.
The fact that Jiang Ji became so shameless and unrestrained ultimately comes down to his great charm.
"..."
Jiang Ji remained silent, but he loved seeing Ye Li's smug little face, so he pulled her into his arms and kissed her again until she was weak, before he stopped.
After all that commotion, Ye Li nestled in his arms and, after a moment, yawned.
He quickly rinsed the two of them off, and then carried Ye Li back.
The next morning, Ye Li naturally stayed in bed.
He was not only tired, but his legs also ached. After Jiang Ji led the two little ones to cut pig feed, he went back to the house to sleep.
He didn't get up until Ye Liang knocked on the door.
Ye Liang bought eight pork bones and three catties of pork tenderloin today.
The tenderloin is a large tenderloin, which is not as tender as the small tenderloin. It is lean with little fat, so the price is not expensive.
But if you add a big bone, the price would be over a hundred coins at the original price.
But this time, Ye Liang paid half the price for the meat.
Gong Lisheng bought a watermelon the day before yesterday. He originally planned to buy meat yesterday, but Ye Li just made meat floss today, so he postponed it for a day and bought it today.
If he had bought it yesterday, he would have only needed to buy two catties of pork, which would have cost forty coins in total.
But if you buy today, that number has doubled.
If it were in the past, he definitely wouldn't have been willing to part with it.
Liu Yi would not agree either.
But now, the fact that the eggs are selling like hotcakes is a given, and Jiang Ji is about to go to the prefectural city for the exam, so he needs to study harder. Therefore, he spent the money without hesitation.
Ye Li blanched the large bones and pork tenderloin, then put them together in a large iron pot to cook.
Once the pork tenderloin was cooked, he took it out and shredded it into strips, while the remaining large bones were stewed.
To make the meat on the big bones easier to chew, Ye Liang stewed it for more than an hour.
By the time they ate, it was past mealtime.
However, the fragrant bone broth was enough to soothe their hungry stomachs. Everyone was so full that their bellies were round. After putting down their bowls, even Jiang Ya, who had been clamoring to make watermelon drinks, went back to her room to lie down for a while before regaining her energy.
While Ye Li was cleaning the large bones, she threw the watermelon into the well to soak. Now that she had taken the watermelon out, it was cool and refreshing, as if it had been rolled in ice.
Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya brought out a small stove, heated up some water, and then followed Ye Li's instructions to start making watermelon juice.
Watermelon juice that's freshly squeezed doesn't taste good; it's like foam.
But if you use a rolling pin to pound it yourself, the taste is quite good. Add jasmine green tea and some sugar, and the taste will be even more refreshing.
The two used half a watermelon to make a small bowl of watermelon iced jasmine, but because everyone was still full, they only tasted it before putting the bowl down.
But the taste is undeniably amazing.
The three adults praised Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya's cooking skills repeatedly, making them so happy that they couldn't stay at home and insisted on going out to see if Gong Lisheng had come.
When Gong Lisheng arrived, the sun had already passed its most scorching moment.
Business was good at the shop, so he couldn't leave.
After entering the village, he first went to the Jiang family's house.
As soon as he entered, he was warmly welcomed by the two little ones, and Jiang Mai even brought him watermelon drinks that were no longer cold.
This attitude naturally made him unable to stop smiling. He drank it down in one gulp and praised the two little ones for being so clever.
After chatting with the two little ones, he got down to business.
Ye Li couldn't guarantee anything; what if the villagers changed their minds again?
So, the group went to Jiang Fuzheng's house and asked him to gather the villagers.
After the gong sounded, Gong Lisheng became a little nervous. What if no one came?
But soon, his worries dissipated.
Aunt Lü was at home, listening intently for the sound of the gong. As soon as she heard it, she and her son ran over immediately.
The families who were talking to Ye Li yesterday were also quite fast.
As a result, six families quickly gathered under the big locust tree.
Adding Jiang Fuzheng's family, that makes seven households.
Gong Lisheng was overjoyed! So many! Including Ye Li, Jiang Tong, Jiang Liu, and Jiang Yu, half the households in Yezaopo were willing to sell their preserved eggs to him!
But his joy was short-lived, because more families came, and in a short time, more than ten households gathered!
He was startled, but fortunately, before he could ask, Jiang Fuzheng asked them one by one.
It turned out that the people who arrived later were there to watch the excitement.
Of course, they wouldn't mind selling it to Gong Lisheng if they could.
After all, Jiang Fuzheng was going out to find connections, and the price was about the same.
Upon seeing this, Gong Lisheng hurriedly explained that his family didn't have enough money to eat so many preserved eggs.
The families who arrived later were not disappointed, but they didn't leave either; they continued to watch the spectacle.
So we got down to business.
Gong Lisheng attached great importance to the matter of signing the contract. He had asked Bao Beiyuan to write the contract, and in accordance with the principle that it could only be more and not less, Bao Beiyuan wrote a total of ten copies.
He brought everything.
He handed the contract to Jiang Fuzheng so that Jiang Fuzheng could confirm it.
At this point, Ye Li asked each of the six households about the number of eggs they had.
Upon hearing this question, Gong Lisheng was startled again. What? Four or five thousand per household?
His shop can't handle the demand!
It's not that he didn't have enough money. After all, he had been running a shop for decades and his family had some savings. Besides, making money from eggs was a quick way to earn money.
The problem is that the couple sold a total of 208 servings of preserved eggs yesterday.
Less than three hundred servings!
If we calculate based on 300 portions, then the couple would only need 18,000 eggs per month!
These six households, however, were going to sell him 30,000 eggs!
Adding in Ye Li's house and Jiang Fuzheng's house, even if the couple worked non-stop for twelve hours a day, they still wouldn't be able to sell them all.
Seeing that he was frightened, Ye Li quickly comforted him, "Brother Sheng, four or five thousand is just an ideal number. These past two days, everyone in the village has been buying eggs, but where in the county town can you find so many eggs?"
"This number won't be given to you all in one day, don't worry."
"Besides, you can have your brother come and help. You've been in the county town for a long time, and when it comes to setting up a stall, no one in our village can compare to you."
“Your Gong family can run a shop and a stall at the same time. If the whole family works together, it will be easy to use up these eggs.”
Gong Lisheng: "..."
He stared blankly at Ye Li.
My brain is working at lightning speed.
Yes.
He also has a younger brother.
His wife's family also has members.
If family members were selling preserved eggs together in the county town, then tens of thousands of preserved eggs wouldn't be so scary.
And you can make money, a lot of money!
His heart burned with passion.
That's what we'll do!
He smiled and said, "Then once Uncle Jiang confirms it's correct, the villagers can put their fingerprints on it."
Aunt Lü and the others laughed and began to explain.
Now I have to go to the county town every day to grab eggs, because if I go too late, they're all gone.
They all wanted to buy eggs from the surrounding villages.
So Mr. Gong, don't worry, these preserved eggs will definitely be delivered in batches.
These words reassured Gong Lisheng even more.
It's decided. I'll send a message to his father today, asking his two younger brothers to come to the city tomorrow to discuss their money-making plans!
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