Chapter 32 Jiang Ji is back! Soy milk rice mochi
Jiang Ji carried ten roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers), left the village, entered the county town, turned into a quiet alley with few people and cars, and strode quickly, finally arriving at the lecture hall just before the bell rang.
He placed the small burlap bundle containing the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) on the corner of the table and took out the books he needed for the day.
He was already a student of the Imperial Academy, but among the dozens of students in the private school, only three had passed the county and prefectural examinations like him.
Six of them passed the county-level examination.
They couldn't make a total of ten people together.
The three examinations for the young scholars all tested the Four Books and Five Classics. Regardless of whether they passed the three examinations or not, the teachers taught the same content every day. Therefore, apart from the children who had just started their studies, the rest of the students were divided into two classes and studied together.
Jiang Ji glanced at the empty desk and clean stool beside him, then composed himself and opened the book in his hand.
Time always flies when you're focused on something.
At noon, the bell rang precisely to signal the end of get out of class, and the elderly teacher slowly walked out of the lecture hall, textbooks tucked under his arm.
Jiang Ji closed the book, stretched, grabbed the small burlap bundle, rushed out of the lecture hall, and headed straight for his dormitory in the backyard.
At this time, those who don't stay at the private school go home.
Those living in the private school went straight to the kitchen.
Therefore, only one person remained in the dormitory: Bao Beiyuan.
Bao Beiyuan didn't have a bed in the private school, but since everyone was a classmate, when he suddenly encountered a major change, the few people in the same dormitory squeezed together and made room for him on the kang (a heated brick bed).
When Jiang Ji returned home yesterday evening, he was asleep.
Jiang Ji is back now.
He was still asleep.
Jiang Ji walked a few steps to the kang (a heated brick bed), put down the small package in his hand, and then nudged him, calling out, "Bao Beiyuan, Beiyuan, Bao Beiyuan!"
Bao Beiyuan was groggily woken up. He opened his heavy, dry eyelids and said weakly, "Stop shaking me, it's making me dizzy."
"I think you're dizzy from hunger. Wake up and let's go to the kitchen for a meal."
Jiang Ji pushed him again before stopping.
“I’m not going, I haven’t handed over the grain.” Bao Beiyuan turned over, his back to Jiang Ji.
"I brought some meat pies from home. Let's get two bowls of soup and eat them with the pies. No one will say anything. Get up."
As Jiang Ji spoke, he held the small package containing the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) up to his nose and shook it.
Although the pancakes were cold, Ye Li's cooking skills were excellent, and you could still smell the faint aroma of meat when you got close.
The aroma immediately whetted Bao Beiyuan's appetite.
He ate two vegetable dumplings that Jiang Ji took from the kitchen yesterday at noon, and hasn't had a drop of water since then.
When you're immersed in grief, you don't feel hungry.
At that moment, the aroma tantalized him, and he suddenly felt incredibly hungry.
He turned back, looked at the small package in Jiang Ji's hand, and asked, "Are these all meat pies?"
“Yes.” Jiang Ji shook the small package again: “It smells especially good.”
"You slaughtered a pig at home?" Bao Beiyuan asked in surprise.
Big spender!
Even when he returned to the private school after the New Year, Jiang Ji had never been this extravagant.
"I suppose so. Get up, let's go to the kitchen," Jiang Ji urged again.
This time, Bao Beiyuan didn't dawdle.
Now that he felt hungry, his intestines, which hadn't eaten in a while, felt like they were tied in knots. He was so hungry that he wanted to eat a whole cow in one go!
The two closed the door and went to the kitchen.
The kitchen was also in the backyard, a large three-room building with tables and chairs, and the conditions were passable.
Jiang Ji didn't want any staple food, only two bowls of clear corn porridge. So the cook didn't say anything and readily gave him two bowls of porridge.
The two found a corner spot and sat down.
Jiang Ji placed the small package in front of Bao Beiyuan: "Eat it."
Bao Beiyuan didn't stand on ceremony. He had been living and eating at Jiang Ji's house before, and since he ran a noodle shop, he would often bring Jiang Ji some food. Now, it was Jiang Ji's turn to be helping him out. It was really...
He forced back the tears welling up in his eyes, grabbed a bulging roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), and took a third of it in one bite.
The flatbread was no longer crispy from being covered up, but it gained a chewy texture. Combined with the flavorful stewed meat, it was far more delicious than he had expected.
It tastes even better than the meat his dad cooks!
When did Aunt Liang's cooking skills become so good?
He looked at Jiang Ji with curiosity.
At the end of last month, Jiang Ji returned home a day early, but his father passed away that day. So when the two met again, he was being kicked out of the house by his own brother.
At that time, he was emaciated and heartbroken, and he didn't even bother to notice the changes in his friend.
Next came negotiations with Bao Beixing and moving to the private school. Then Jiang Ji made an excuse to go home, but he just slept soundly.
Therefore, it was only now that he had the leisure to pay attention to these details.
He chewed on his biscuit, his eyes scanning Jiang Ji several times before he exclaimed, "Your complexion and mood are really good."
"Have you reconciled with your husband?"
His memory of his friend's newlywed status was still from before the last school holiday.
Jiang Ji was drinking soup from his bowl. He had been reading for half an hour and was a little thirsty.
Hearing this, he lifted his eyelids and glanced at Bao Beiyuan: "Slept well last night. And didn't make a sound before."
Bao Beiyuan didn't believe it: "You're kidding me. You went home in the middle of last month, and when you came back, you were irritable and depressed. I felt like you could jump up and beat me up at any time."
Jiang Ji was speechless: "...You're overthinking it."
He slowly put down the soup bowl, picked up a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), and began to eat it heartily.
It doesn't taste as good as when it's hot, but it's still delicious.
"I didn't think too much about it." Bao Beiyuan swallowed the pancake in his mouth and reached for another one.
However, seeing the meat filling the meat pie, he raised his arm and nudged Jiang Ji: "Did your husband make this meat pie?"
"Is it delicious?" Jiang Ji asked instead of answering.
"It's delicious. Congratulations on marrying a good husband," Bao Beiyuan said sincerely.
Jiang Ji nodded in agreement.
His husband is truly a perfect match.
"And you? Have you thought about your plans for the future?"
When he returned home yesterday, he only said he had something to do and didn't mention tofu puffs at all, for fear of making Bao Beiyuan feel hopeful and then disappointed.
"Me..." Bao Beiyuan could only utter these two words before he felt choked up.
He picked up the bowl, took a few sips of soup, then sniffed, saying in a nonchalant tone, "I'll go out and look for a place to live in a couple of days."
"You survived when you were thirteen. I'm sixteen now, how could I be worse than you?"
"I can also copy books and carry heavy loads."
“It’s different.” Jiang Ji frowned: “I have a home on Yezao Slope, so I don’t have to worry about food and lodging. I can just focus on saving money for tuition.”
“Now, once you step out of the private school, you'll have to buy your own water.”
"It's alright." Bao Beiyuan forced a smile: "I'll sell all those books and get twenty or thirty taels of silver, it won't be difficult."
He possessed a complete set of the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as numerous related commentaries.
Dozens of calligraphy brushes, more than ten inkstones and ink sticks, plus unused paper.
It's true, he can easily exchange twenty or thirty taels of silver.
Thinking of the money that was about to be deposited into his account, he laughed and said, "I have money, more money than you. If you haven't saved enough for your travel expenses, I'll lend it to you."
“You still call me stupid? How am I stupid? These things cost nearly a hundred taels of silver each when I bought them. Over the years, I’ve only spent money.”
Jiang Ji looked at the tears welling up in his eyes and sighed, "Didn't your brother spend any money? When he got married, the dowry alone cost thirty taels."
“He keeps complaining about how much work he’s done these past few years, but after your mother passed away, your father passed on his noodle-making skills to him. How can he learn if he doesn’t work? How can he keep the noodle shop running without practicing?”
“Your courtyard, plus the restaurant in front, could sell for several hundred taels of silver. That’s all what your parents earned back then.”
"You're quite something, only needing ten taels."
The Bao family originally came from out of town. When Mr. and Mrs. Bao came to Beiyang County to make a living, they started by selling noodles at a stall. After saving some money, they sold their farmland in their hometown and bought a small shop in Beiyang County.
Because of his excellent craftsmanship, a few years later he changed his small shop into a large courtyard with a front shop and a back yard.
The year after the large courtyard was purchased, Bao's mother passed away due to illness.
Since Bao's father alone could not satisfy the customers' needs, he passed on his skills to Bao Beixing.
Therefore, no matter what, the Bao family's assets should be divided equally between Bao Beixing and Bao Beiyuan.
This is the wealth their parents saved up!
However, seeing the tears streaming down Bao Beiyuan's face, Jiang Ji decided not to continue.
But thinking about the future, he remained silent for a while before saying, "How about we go back to the noodle shop and get your portion back?"
Upon hearing this, Bao Beiyuan immediately raised his sleeve to wipe away his tears, choking back sobs as he said, "No, no... it's my fault. If I had succeeded in my studies and hadn't been so playful before..."
He raised his sleeve again and wiped away the tears that flowed like a burst dam.
It's too late to say anything now.
He made things difficult for his father, which led to repeated arguments.
He won't go back; he's too ashamed to go back.
"Alright, alright, stop crying, eat up, it's all over now. If Uncle Bao is watching from heaven, he certainly wouldn't want to see you like this."
Jiang Ji had no choice but to shut up.
Alas, the young master is unaware of the hardships of the world.
Headache.
Wild Jujube Slope.
Ye Li, Jiang Mai, Jiang Ya, and Ye Liang had already eaten lunch.
The two little ones had eaten until their bellies were round and full, so they went back inside for a nap. In the afternoon, they still had to go collect firewood.
Ye Li rolled up her sleeves and prepared to fry tofu puffs.
Ye Liang didn't light a fire for him; instead, he took a bucket of water and went to the field to water the corn.
After the start of summer, the weather gets hot, and if it doesn't rain, farmers have to irrigate their fields every few days.
With the wheat harvest approaching, the fields cannot be left unattended.
Ye Daji and Ye Wen were too busy to come over, so he had to do the work himself.
Therefore, he had prepared three coins for his journey back to the village today.
Actually, he was reluctant to spend the money.
But Yi Ge'er felt sorry for him and insisted on letting him spend the money, even scaring him by saying that if he got sick from overwork, those few doses of medicine would cost hundreds of coins!
He had no choice but to agree.
However, it will be better when autumn comes.
The young man Ye Wenxiang visited last time has been accepted by the family, and the two families are currently discussing the wedding date.
Ye Wen is getting old, so the sooner the wedding date is set, the better.
Once Ye Wen gets married, then we'll have more people available to help with the work.
After watering the one acre of land, he carried the buckets back to the Jiang family home.
Ye Li had already fried the large skewers of tofu puffs and the fried dough balls, and packed them into two baskets.
Without taking a break, he drank a bowl of cold water, then carried one on his back and another in his hand, and hurried toward the county town.
The next day, after selling half of the tofu puffs, he took the copper coins Ye Li had given him the day before and went into town to buy things.
Ye Li asked him to buy half a catty of black tea.
He couldn't tell the difference either; he only knew that green was green tea and red was black tea.
Ye Li told him to just look for red.
But this thing is so expensive!
Even if it's of average quality, half a pound will cost over a hundred coins.
Ye Li also asked him to buy some cornstarch, as sweet potato cornstarch was the cheapest, costing thirteen coins per pound.
He bought a pound.
Besides cornstarch, there is also glutinous rice, maltose, and wood ear fungus.
Glutinous rice is three coins more expensive than regular rice, costing ten coins per pound.
Maltose is even more expensive, costing forty coins per pound.
Dried wood ear mushrooms aren't cheap either; a pound costs twenty coins.
By the time he filled his basket, he had no more two hundred coins.
Carrying these things and tucking in two flatbreads, he ate as he walked, and instead of returning to the village, he went straight to Wild Jujube Slope.
When they arrived at the Jiang family's house, Ye Li had already prepared lunch.
Ye Li used the broth from the previous day's stew to make a large pot of stew.
Besides meat, it also contains tofu, green beans, and tender green shepherd's purse.
This stew may not look very appealing, but the taste is absolutely amazing.
When Ye Li mentioned that he wanted to buy some sweet potato noodles to stew in, he quickly waved his hand.
Sweet potato noodles are as expensive as sugar, costing tens of dollars per kilogram!
Who would be so wealthy as to eat this as a meal?
Besides, there's already meat in the stew, so there's no need for sweet potato noodles.
He ate three large bowls of stew with the corn and soybean cakes steamed by Ye Li, then picked up a bucket and went back to the fields.
He only irrigated one mu of land yesterday, and there is still one mu left to irrigate.
Ye Li stayed at home, busy frying tofu puffs, large skewers, and noodle cakes.
After a flurry of activity, and having seen Ye Liang off, he didn't rest. He ladled out the soybean oil from the pot and added two jin of washed dried soybeans.
He plans to fry soybeans to make soybean flour.
There are many beverage vendors in Beiyang County. To survive in this industry, besides having affordable products that sell in large quantities, you also need to have your own brand.
The signboard he's planning to make is a certain brand of soy milk rice mochi.
The reason for choosing this one is that it's flashy and difficult for others to decipher.
Secondly, the raw materials are easy to find.
Soybeans, soybean flour, is made by roasting soybeans and grinding them into powder.
For milk, goat milk can be used.
Goat milk is not only more readily available than cow milk, but it is also cheaper.
The young man had no breast milk, so every household that married him raised sheep.
Goat milk isn't only sold in county towns.
Fresh goat milk can also be bought in the village.
As a result, the price of goat milk naturally cannot rise.
Moreover, perhaps because of this, the people here have a high acceptance of goat milk and do not find its muttony smell unpleasant.
Actually, it's okay if you find the smell unpleasant; jasmine tea can remove the odor.
Just add a little jasmine tea while boiling.
Rice, white glutinous rice, can be bought in this town, and the price isn't outrageous.
As for black glutinous rice, there is no such food here, which saves on costs.
Mochi can be made using starch, which is sweet potato starch.
As for the tea, any kind of black tea will do.
Therefore, the ingredients for soy milk rice mochi are easy to find. After processing these ingredients, a cup of soy milk rice mochi is ready.
However, without the milk foam, the taste is definitely not as rich and creamy as the authentic version.
But that's okay, the youth version of soy milk rice mochi is enough to satisfy the tastes of the ancients.
Thinking of the taste from her memory, Ye Li didn't feel tired at all. After frying the soybeans, she took them directly to the mill to grind them into soybean flour.
He poured the soybean powder into a ceramic jar, then rinsed the glutinous rice, preparing to grind some glutinous rice powder the next day.
Glutinous rice flour and sweet potato starch are mixed in a certain proportion and cooked together with goat milk to make rice mochi.
The next morning, after making tofu, Ye Li went to Jiang Fuzheng's house to buy two catties of goat milk.
Jiang Fuzheng's family currently has no children who drink goat milk, but they have many sheep, so they don't lack goat milk all year round.
After buying the goat milk, Ye Li took the glutinous rice that had been washed and dried the day before into the mill. It took him quite a while to grind the glutinous rice into fine glutinous rice flour.
Next, we can make rice mochi.
Rice mochi sticks to the pot, so cook it over low heat.
He then brought out an iron stove and used a clay pot to boil water so he could brew black tea.
So when Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya returned carrying grass, they saw him sitting leisurely under the jujube tree by the door, holding a ceramic bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other, drinking something with relish.
Jiang Ya had been busy outside for a while and was getting thirsty.
Upon seeing him, she quickened her pace, calling out, "Brother Li! Brother Li!"
His short legs moved quickly, shaking the grass out of his basket. Jiang Mai could only say, "Brother Ya, slow down, the grass is falling to the ground."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ya slowed down her short legs.
But his big eyes were still fixed on the bowl in Ye Li's hand. What Li Ge was drinking wasn't water, it was white, like goat milk!
He loves to drink!
At this moment, Ye Li swallowed the last bite of soy milk rice mochi. He looked at Jiang Ya, who was running over, and said with a smile, "Don't rush, I saved some for you and Xiaomai. Don't fall."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ya's slightly chubby face immediately broke into a big smile: "Thank you, Brother Li!"
"I'll serve it to you both. Wash your hands and come over."
Ye Li said that she went back to the courtyard first.
Once inside the kitchen, he took out two earthenware bowls, poured some black tea from the earthenware pot, and added some cooked goat milk.
Then he picked up a spoon and scooped up a large spoonful of rice mochi.
When Jiang Ya entered the kitchen, she saw him scooping sticky rice mochi into a bowl.
The little guy had never even eaten glutinous rice before, let alone this sticky, white rice mochi. His big eyes lit up, and his little body headed straight for the stove.
He stood in front of the stove and stared at the rice mochi for a few moments.
I don't recognize it, but I'm really craving it.
He swallowed hard, then turned his little head to Ye Li: "Brother Li, what's this?"
"This is called rice mochi, it tastes good. Here, this bowl is yours."
Ye Li handed him the bowl of soy milk rice mochi, and after he reached out his little paw to take it, she sprinkled a layer of soybean powder into the bowl with a spoon.
Without the support of milk foam, the soybean powder gets wet immediately upon entering the bowl, and its color darkens.
But when mixed with white sheep's milk, the color alone is still incredibly tempting.
Jiang Ya couldn't help but swallow again, then picked up her bowl and went to the dining table.
At this point, Ye Li handed him a spoon and told him to stir it before drinking.
He obediently picked up the spoon and stirred it.
As soon as the spoon touched the rice mochi, it became difficult to stir. He scooped it up with force and immediately scooped up a full spoonful of rice mochi.
He had been craving it for a long time, and seeing this, he couldn't wait to put the spoon into his little mouth.
Ye Li added sugar when cooking the rice mochi, making it sweet, soft, and sticky. This unique and delicate texture made his big eyes widen instantly, and his little head "whoosh" towards Ye Li: "Brother Li, it's delicious!"
It's so delicious!
Ye Li was making the second bowl when she heard this and looked over. She saw his surprised and delighted expression and immediately smiled: "How delicious is it? If you had to pay for it, would you buy it?"
"I won't buy it!"
Jiang Ya shook her little head and answered very firmly, without the slightest hesitation.
Ye Li paused, "...Didn't you think it was delicious?"
"I'm saving my money for my older brother's travel expenses," Jiang Ya said earnestly.
"...I see."
Although Ye Li paid the two little ones a wage every day, she never asked where the money went.
Moreover, when he and Jiang Ji discussed the tuition fee, neither of the two little ones were there.
They were unaware that he would be supporting their older brother's education from now on.
However, I never expected that this gluttonous little one would so readily refuse delicious food just to give it to her husband.
She's so lovable.
Just then, Jiang Mai washed his hands and came into the kitchen. He said, "Xiaomai, come and try this bowl of milk tea. See if it's good."
Jiang Mai responded, walked to the stove, took the bowl, said thank you, Brother Li, and then sat down with Jiang Ya.
"Second brother, eat this! It's called rice mochi, and it's delicious!"
Jiang Ya raises her spoon like she's offering a treasure, so that Jiang Mai can see the rice and mochi.
Ye Li took a spoon from the chopstick holder and handed it to Jiang Mai, explaining, "This is something I just made. Try it. I plan to take it to the county town to sell. Do you think it's possible to sell it?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mai first took a sip of milk tea from her bowl.
He was thirsty.
The milk tea only has a 30% sweetness level, but for Jiangmai, the sweetness is quite noticeable.
Besides the sweetness, there's also the rich aroma of goat milk and the astringency of tea leaves.
Normally, children don't like the astringency of tea, but now this astringency is mixed with sweetness and goat milk, so it's definitely not that it tastes bad.
He couldn't resist taking another sip, and then another, forgetting even to taste the rice mochi.
Seeing this, Jiang Ya couldn't help but pick up the bowl and take a sip of milk tea.
His feelings were similar to Jiang Mai's.
He smacked his lips, took another sip, and then another.
Soon, he finished half a bowl of milk tea, and a ring of white beard clung to his lips.
He smacked his lips again; hmm, he had already tasted the flavor.
He turned his little head to Ye Li: "Brother Li, it's delicious! It'll definitely sell well!"
At this moment, Jiang Mai also spoke up: "Yes, it can be sold."
He has already tried the rice mochi.
Rice mochi is undeniably delicious.
As for milk tea, it tastes a little strange, but it's very addictive.
He looked at Ye Li: "Brother Li, rich people will definitely buy it."
Ye Li was relieved to see this.
The two little ones liked milk tea the first time they tried it, and most wealthy people who are used to drinking milk tea would probably like it too.
Replica successful!
Next, we just have to wait for Jiang Ji to come back.
Not far off, just the day after tomorrow.
Ten days is a long time, but if it is divided into two five-day periods, the agony of waiting will be much less.
The first two times Jiang Ji returned suddenly and in a hurry, he didn't have time to prepare anything.
This time...
There's really nothing to prepare.
Without money, you can't come up with any fancy tricks.
The day after tomorrow, I'll have Ye Liang buy a few pounds of pork belly in town and bring it over. I'll make braised pork and steam some rice.
The moment the idea popped into his head, and he thought of the fragrant and tender braised pork, he immediately made the decision.
That's what we'll do!
Although he is from the north, he still craves rice after not eating it for a long time. He's been eating pancakes and buns every day, and it's time for a change of pace!
As for soy milk rice mochi, that's indispensable too.
We have prepared enough ingredients today; we can just buy some goat milk the day after tomorrow or the day after that.
Having made up his mind, he spoke to Ye Liang about the matter the next day after Ye Liang arrived.
"Four catties of pork belly?"
Ye Liang frowned: "Why did you buy so much meat again?"
The price of pork belly is second only to pork fat. Goodness, four catties will cost seventy or eighty coins.
“I’m planning to stew meat when Jiang Jiming comes back. Brother, besides the pork belly, could you also buy five jin of rice?” Ye Li added.
One pound of rice costs seven coins.
Five catties is thirty-five coins.
Ye Liang's flesh ached.
It costs 100 coins to come back each time!
Ye Li and Jiang Ji had a fight before, and he had a headache.
Now that Ye Li cherishes Jiang Ji so much, he feels a pang of heartache.
However, he has been eating and drinking quite a bit these days, getting plenty of oil and fat.
Ye Wen's wedding date has been set, after the wheat harvest.
The young man knew that the Ye family was not wealthy, so he didn't ask for an exorbitant amount. He only asked for five taels of silver as a betrothal gift, a pair of silver bracelets, and four sets of new clothes. That would be enough for him.
For an ordinary family, this dowry would be quite ordinary, but for his family, it was a heavy burden because they had only been selling tofu puffs for a short time, less than a month.
He and Yi Ge'er had to use all the money they had saved up for emergencies.
Forget it, I won't try to save this little bit of money.
As the eldest brother, it's not right to always eat and drink for free.
Tomorrow he'll go to the dock and buy a fish to bring over.
Ye Li didn't know that Ye Liang planned to buy fish, but judging from Ye Liang's expression, he roughly knew what Ye Liang was thinking.
He pretended not to see it.
If Bao Beiyuan's milk tea business succeeds, he will definitely receive a share of the profits.
In a few days, he would go to Jiang Tong and ask him to do wind chime business, and he would also get a share of the profits.
In this way, he might be able to earn three hundred coins every day.
So eat and drink as you please.
You can't wrong yourself by forcing yourself to eat something you don't want to.
However, Ye Li only applies this principle to himself and does not demand it of others.
Therefore, when Ye Liang came over carrying a grass carp weighing more than two pounds, he immediately asked, "Brother, what are you buying it for?"
“I’ve been eating your food every day, it’s time for me to buy some meat.” Ye Liang said, taking out four catties of pork belly from his basket.
The pork belly had six layers, one layer of fat and one layer of lean meat, including the skin; it looked absolutely beautiful.
As soon as he arrived in town today, he ran to the butcher shop to buy meat. He was fast and was the first to arrive, so he bought the best quality pork belly.
Ye Li was extremely satisfied with the few pounds of pork belly.
But after taking the meat, he instructed Ye Liang, "Brother, we're brothers, you're being too polite. Besides, you've helped with the work."
"We'll buy these things when we're more financially secure. Right now, we need money for everything, so we shouldn't waste it."
Hearing this made Ye Liang feel comforted, but he said, "Fish is cheap, not as cheap as pork, so it didn't cost much."
"After dinner, go and borrow the iron pot from your second uncle's house. I'll use the stove to cook the braised pork first. When you go back, bring a bowl for your father and brother so they can try it too."
Ye Lidao.
"No need, no need, you guys eat." Ye Liang waved his hand.
"It's settled then, let's eat." Ye Li smiled and urged him to wash his hands.
Although we have earthenware pots at home, they may crack when exposed to fire.
Even he would feel heartache if it cracked.
So, let's borrow the iron pot from Jiang Dahe's house.
After the meal, seeing that Ye Liang was unwilling to go, he sent Jiang Mai to make the trip.
When Jiang Dahe brought the iron pot, the two little ones, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, grabbed the hemp rope and reluctantly went out to collect firewood.
Actually, the two of them wanted to stay by the stove and watch Ye Li cook meat, but it was obvious that they still needed a lot of firewood today, so they had to go outside.
The two little ones left, and Ye Li started making braised pork.
He likes sweet food, so after blanching the braised pork, he sautéed the pork pieces until the oil was rendered, and then added cane sugar to caramelize it.
Smelling the enticing aroma and watching his skillful movements, Ye Liang couldn't help but ask, "Brother Li, where did you learn to make this?"
"It's a secret, brother. I'm only telling Jiang Ji."
Ye Li deliberately maintained a mysterious expression.
Upon hearing this, Ye Liang said, "Alright, just tell Xiao Ji."
Now his third brother and Xiao Ji are a family.
That's great, this is exactly the scene he's been hoping for.
God knows how worried he's been these past two years as his younger brother's personality has become increasingly erratic.
The Ye family has already wronged Xiao Ji; if they were to let her marry a troublemaker, that would truly be...
Fortunately, Li Ge'er's personality has changed now!
Heaven has eyes!
Ye Liang chuckled and shut his mouth.
Ye Li breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned his attention to the meat in the pot.
Actually, braised pork doesn't need many seasonings. Just add some scallions, soy sauce, cinnamon, bay leaves, and star anise, then simmer it over high heat.
Once the braised pork was stewing, he went back to the kitchen to start frying tofu puffs, large skewers, and fried dough twists.
As for the fish, he had Ye Liang clean it up while tending the fire, intending to fry it all together.
After frying everything, the braised pork was also ready.
Its color is bright red, and its fragrance fills the entire courtyard.
Ye Li picked up a piece of bread for Ye Liang. Ye Liang took a bite and immediately said to Ye Li, "Give me a pancake, I'll eat it with this."
Such delicious food can't be eaten on its own.
It smells so good, he wished he could eat this piece with three other pancakes!
Ye Li was both amused and exasperated, and actually gave him a corn and soybean residue pancake.
He finished the braised pork with the flatbread, and then asked Ye Li to put nine more pieces into his bowl.
His family has five members, so two yuan per person is enough.
He's already eaten one piece; he can have another one tonight.
There's a lot of braised pork in front of us, but there's still Jiang Dahe's family to go!
Soon, he left, carrying his basket and completely satisfied.
Ye Li then started steaming rice.
My cheap husband is coming back soon!
He hummed a little tune as he washed two pounds of rice.
First, cook the rice. After the water boils, use a strainer to scoop the rice out and put it into an earthenware basin. Then, place the earthenware basin on a steamer rack to steam it.
This method yields both rice and rice water—perfect!
A little while later, the two little ones returned.
They each dragged back a huge bundle of firewood, especially the bundle that Jiang Mai was carrying, which was almost as tall as Jiang Mai himself.
So capable! Ye Li immediately took two pieces of braised pork from the pot to reward them.
They were overjoyed to taste such soft, sweet meat for the first time. Jiang Ya jumped around in front of Ye Li, repeatedly calling him "Brother Li is awesome."
But Ye Li had already seen through his "true nature," and once her cheap husband returned, the little guy would definitely forget about him again.
While I was playing with Jiang Ya, Jiang Dahe arrived.
Ye Li scooped out most of the braised pork from the pot, leaving a dozen or so pieces, and then asked Jiang Dahe to take the pot back.
He didn't wash the pot; there was too much sauce inside. Instead of washing it, he decided to wipe the pancakes clean and eat them.
Night fell.
Dinner is ready.
But no one said it was time to eat, and even Jiang Ya kept glancing at the courtyard gate.
The night breeze carried a slight chill.
The moon has risen.
Ye Li arrived at the small shed. At noon, he filled two buckets and a basin with water and placed them there to dry.
I raised my hand to touch it; the water was scalding hot.
He went back inside to get a basin, intending to wash his hair first.
cough.
Whether you do it or not, you still need to look presentable in public.
With a hint of excitement, he quickly washed his hair.
After washing, he stood in the yard, slowly drying himself while glancing towards the gate.
The gate was wide open.
As the initial excitement turned into anxiety, the long-awaited figure finally appeared at the courtyard gate.
He hadn't even had a chance to say anything.
Jiang Ya and Jiang Mai, who were sitting at the kitchen door, jumped up like little cannonballs and ran towards the door: "Brother! Big brother!"
The two men's joyful shouts carried far through the night, startling the rooster in the backyard into crowing a few times as well.
The quiet courtyard instantly became lively.
Ye Li stood still.
He watched as Jiang Ji led the two little ones toward him and stopped in front of him.
The dim light from the kitchen shone into the courtyard, creating a hazy glow, but it was still possible to clearly see the familiar faces of the people in front of me.
The person is smiling.
His slightly narrow eyes curved upwards.
His pupils were bright, as if stars were twinkling inside.
He couldn't help but laugh too.
Anxiety turned into joy.
Hey.
He's back.
Jiang Mai turned his head left and right, taking in the smiles between his older brother and brother-in-law. He suddenly remembered the scene before his older brother left last time.
At that moment, his elder brother and brother-in-law actually went into the east room together!
He shook his older brother's hand: "Brother, why don't you sleep with Brother Li tonight?"
These words came suddenly, immediately bringing the two people who were smiling at each other back to their senses.
Ye Li opened her eyes wide.
Jiang Ji was also somewhat surprised: "I'm sleeping in the west room?"
Why make this suggestion all of a sudden?
Did Xiaomai wake up in the middle of the night and find him not there when he came home last time?
"After getting married, you'll definitely sleep together."
Jiang Mai, unaware of her elder brother's guilty conscience, nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Although he was young, it was common sense for husbands and wives to sleep together, and his second uncle and aunt slept in the same room.
"Aren't you, aren't you and Ya-ge'er afraid?" Jiang Ji stammered, feeling guilty.
The questions asked were also quite funny.
Because he's away from home too often.
But Jiang Mai didn't laugh at him. She just answered seriously, "Don't be afraid. When you're not home, Brother, Ya Ge'er and I always sleep together. How could we be afraid when we sleep together?"
Jiang Ya also said, "Brother, I'm not afraid. I fell asleep as soon as I got on the kang."
Jiang Ji: "..."
He pursed his lips and looked at Ye Li.
Jiang Mai looked at Ye Li and asked nervously, "Brother Li, are you willing?"
Although Li Ge and his older brother no longer quarrel, it was Li Ge who kicked his older brother out before!
Ye Li smiled and said, "Xiaomai, as long as you and Ya Ge'er aren't afraid, then let your older brother move over."
We'll have to move sooner or later.
Now that Jiang Mai has brought it up herself, it's considered to be out in the open, saving them from having to do it secretly anymore.
"Very good!"
Having gotten the answer he wanted, the usually composed Jiang Mai, unusually, jumped up like Jiang Ya: "Then let's move after dinner! Let's eat first, big brother, Brother Li made braised pork, it's so delicious!"
"Yes, yes, braised pork belly, it smells amazing!"
Jiang Ya got excited when it came to eating meat, and pulled Jiang Ji's hand toward the kitchen.
"Let's eat! I'm hungry!"
Ye Li also shouted.
He had been busy all day and needed to show his cheap husband the results!
I'll skip the soy milk rice mochi and make it tomorrow morning.
We're only eating meat tonight!
Fragrant and sticky braised pork belly and rice are a perfect match.
Ye Li, a northerner, loves noodles, but he admits that this dish can rival his favorite noodles.
As for the three Jiang brothers who were eating for the first time, they were so happy that they didn't have time to say a word and just buried their heads in their rice.
The four of them actually finished the rice made from two pounds of raw rice.
The two little ones ate too much again.
The first time, instead of washing up and going back inside, they strolled around the yard to digest their food.
Ye Li was a bit tired after working for most of the day, so she took a shower and went back to her room.
Lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), he could hear Jiang Ji talking to the two little ones.
The three brothers shared their experiences of the past few days.
The two little ones highlighted the soy milk rice mochi.
Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya were deeply impressed by this drink. While Jiang Ji was taking a shower in the shed, the two of them stood outside the shed chattering away.
Finally, the three brothers went back to the house together.
Jiang Ji waited until the two of them were asleep, then, while drying his wet hair, he pushed open the door to the west room.
This time, Ye Li was lying down with her legs crossed. When she saw him come in, she sat up and said with a hint of smugness, "How about it? Want to try some soy milk rice mochi?"
Jiang Ji casually plugged in the bolt and shook his head, saying, "I don't want to."
"Don't want to?" Ye Li asked in surprise. "This is a money-making scheme I devised for your classmate, and you don't even want to know?"
Is it made of plastic?
Hearing his doubts, Jiang Ji felt somewhat helpless.
Weren't you quite clever before?
Glancing at his loose collar, Jiang Ji recalled the small picture book he had looked at earlier, and pointed to that spot: "I'll try this first."
Ye Li: "..."
Tsk.
But believe it or not, a single sentence from him made him feel completely at ease.
He smiled and wrapped his arms around Jiang Ji's neck, first leaning over to kiss the corner of Jiang Ji's mouth, then lowering his voice to say, "My dear husband, besides here, you can try other places too."
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