Chapter 89 Eating Hot Pot and Drinking Tea with Yu Cai
Ye Li handed the oxcart to the shop assistant and had him lead it to the back door.
He and Jiang Ji entered a semi-secluded life.
Upon arriving at the counter, Deputy Manager Zhang saw him and immediately said with a smile, "Mr. Ye, please go up first. I'll have the waiter bring the fish pot up right away."
"Also, you left in a hurry earlier and I didn't have time to tell you, but today every table dining in will receive a complimentary serving of tofu dumplings, with both pork and mutton fillings. Which kind would you two prefer?"
"Huh? Tofu soup with dumplings?"
Ye Li was surprised.
Jiang Ji was also somewhat surprised; could tofu puffs be used to make dumplings?
The assistant manager, Zhang, explained with a smile, "It was the boss's idea. He started promoting it inside and outside the shop a couple of days ago. Now, at mealtimes, many customers have come to try it out."
"Oh my, Manager Yu is truly a shrewd businessman! His ideas are so ingenious!"
No wonder the first floor was almost full.
Yu Cai really knows how to do business.
To be honest, he never expected that tofu puffs could be chopped up and used as dumpling filling.
Since we've come across this, we should definitely take them all.
He said, "Then can I have a mixed dish, a few pieces of pork and a few pieces of mutton?"
"Of course, you two can go up first, and the waiter will bring the dumplings shortly."
Deputy Manager Zhang pointed upstairs.
"Thank you, shopkeeper."
As Ye Li spoke, she and Jiang Ji headed towards the stairs, heading straight for the third floor.
The private rooms on the third floor are partitioned off with wooden boards.
The private rooms are spaced two meters apart, and each room is quite spacious, about seven or eight square meters. There is a round table in the middle, and calligraphy and paintings hang on the walls, showing considerable care in the arrangement.
Ye Li pulled Jiang Ji to sit down, and then he opened the package in his hand.
Inside was a small earthenware jar and a cloth bag.
The earthenware jar contained dumplings.
The cloth bag contained steamed buns.
Although the package was wrapped in a cotton quilt, the dumplings and buns had already gone cold due to the low winter temperature.
Ye Li said, "Have the chef in the kitchen heat it up tonight, don't eat it now."
Jiang Ji glanced at the earthenware jar and noticed that the dumpling on top was actually a small, irregularly shaped steamed bun. He smiled and asked, "Did Ya-ge make this little steamed bun?"
"Yes, he and Xiaomai wrapped quite a lot today."
Ye Li nodded.
"Then we'll cook a few in the pot later. The tofu dumplings are just for trying something new. I'm sure yours are much tastier."
"Huh? Did you eat honey in your mouth?"
Ye Li raised an eyebrow.
"Would you like to try it?" Jiang Jiye raised an eyebrow slightly.
But to everyone's surprise, Ye Li immediately shook her head: "What are you saying? It's broad daylight, I'm a respectable person."
"...Don't tell me, you came all the way to the third floor just to broaden your horizons."
Jiang Ji pointed to the private room, which was about the size of a small house.
"Yeah, we're country folk, we just want to see what the private rooms on the third floor look like."
Jiang Ji was amused by his words and was about to pull him into a hug when a series of footsteps sounded outside.
The wooden floor makes a lot of noise.
Jiang Ji had no choice but to lower his arm, but he said, "You wait here."
Ye Li chuckled upon hearing this: "Wait for what?"
"You'll find out next time I go home."
Jiang Ji looked at the table in front of him.
Before Ye Li could make any connection, the waiter knocked on the door: "Sir, the fish hot pot is here."
Jiang Ji called out "Come in," and the door to the private room was pushed open.
Four men came in.
One was carrying charcoal.
A person holding a pen and paper menu.
A steaming, fragrant pot of fish and meat.
There was also someone carrying a bowl, chopsticks, and a hot towel.
Ye Li instructed the waiter to light the charcoal directly.
He and Jiang Ji quickly ordered their food and then wiped their hands with hot towels.
After the waiter left, the two stopped flirting and started eating, both of them hungry.
Fishing is difficult in winter, so this fish hot pot is made from three fish that weigh over a pound each.
The snow-white fish meat soaked in the bright red broth made Ye Li's mouth water.
He hasn't eaten fish in a long time.
The fish is small, so the pieces of fish meat are cut into large pieces.
Jiang Ji used a ladle to scoop two pieces of fish belly meat for Ye Li, while he scooped two fish tails for himself.
"You eat the fish belly too? In our family, we share the good stuff."
Ye Lidao.
“It’s just the two of us here, no need to make a scene for Xiaomai and Ya Ge’er. We can’t throw away the fish tail, I’ll eat it.”
Jiang Ji shook his head.
These words warmed Ye Li's heart, and he said, "Jiang Ji."
Jiang Ji turned his head to look over.
The next instant, his face was cupped by a pair of familiar hands, and then, familiar lips descended upon him.
The kiss was fleeting, a mere touch before Ye Li pulled away. He sat back down on his stool, picked up his chopsticks, and said, "Eat, eat. Don't let this interfere with your afternoon class."
Jiang Ji: "..."
He couldn't suppress a smile: "Aren't you a decent person?"
"Because you're so good-looking, I can be unserious around you too."
Ye Li picked at the large bones on the fish's belly without looking up.
Jiang Ji's lips curled up even higher: "Trying to sweet-talk me, huh?"
Ye Li asked, "So, are you going to drink it or not?"
Jiang Ji nodded: "Give us more, you can't really taste the flavor from just one sentence."
Ye Li laughed at this: "Dream on! Hurry up and eat. If you keep talking, you'll really miss your afternoon class."
"No, it's a holiday today, and Xuezheng is going home to have a happy family reunion."
Jiang Ji shook his head.
Today, almost everyone in the county school who lives in the county town has gone home.
"Then I'll heat up some dumplings for you."
As Ye Li spoke, she picked up a few dumplings from the earthenware pot and put them into the hot pot.
This spicy fish comes with a broth, perfect for soaking dumplings.
Just then, footsteps could be heard outside again.
The staff have come to deliver the ingredients they just ordered.
The table was covered with these ingredients, mostly meat and a small portion of vegetables.
There was also a bowl of soy milk rice mochi.
If you can't finish it, Ye Li can pack it up and take it home.
A plate of tofu dumplings was also served.
There are twelve in total.
The dumplings are raw; diners have to cook them themselves.
To save time, Ye Li simply scooped all the fish out of the pot and then asked the waiter to add broth while he added the other ingredients.
By the time he and Jiang Ji finished eating the fish, the ingredients in the pot had boiled.
Three fish, with the head and tail removed, there's not much meat left.
It can only be used to fill my stomach.
Ye Li placed a large slice of mutton into Jiang Ji's bowl. "My dear husband, you only ate the fish head and tail earlier. Now you should eat more meat."
Of course, there's also tofu soup with dumplings.
The tofu puffs were chopped very finely and mixed with the pork, so you could barely taste the texture of dried tofu.
It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't bad either, considering the filling was made by a professional chef.
Jiang Ji only tasted it briefly, but he ate most of the dumplings Ye Li brought. It turned out that Ye Li's dumplings were more to his liking.
So Ye Li decided to take the remaining tofu dumplings home.
Ye Li's method of cooking hot pot greatly shortens the meal time.
After they finished eating, Ye Li and Jiang Ji took their spoons and slowly used the bowl of soy milk rice mochi to sew around.
The bowl wasn't big; the two of them ate it all in just a few spoonfuls.
Ye Li put down her spoon and said, "After drinking this for a while, it's getting a bit cloying. We need to come up with something new."
Jiang Ji finished the last sip and put down his spoon: "Have you got any ideas?"
Ye Li shook her head: "No, I've been thinking about going to the county town these past few days."
Jiang Ji chuckled upon hearing this, grabbed his wrist with one hand, and patted his own thigh with the other: "Sit over here."
Ye Li had wanted to do this for a long time. Upon hearing this, he got up from the stool, stepped over, and sat on Jiang Ji's lap.
Jiang Ji wrapped his arms around his back and said seriously, "Being obsessed with beautiful women will indeed interfere with important matters."
"……shameless."
That's true, but Ye Li still couldn't help but reach out and cup Jiang Ji's face in her hands.
Seeing Jiang Ji smiling and with bright eyes, he couldn't help but smile as well.
He kissed Jiang Ji's lips.
Jiang Ji hugged him tightly, and when their lips touched, he pried open his teeth, slipped his tongue into his mouth, and deepened the kiss by hooking his tongue inside.
The two of them had just drunk the beverage, and their mouths were still sweet.
But this sweetness is not as sweet as the sweetness in their hearts.
After being separated for almost half a month, we were finally able to hold and kiss each other again. The satisfaction and fullness in our hearts at that moment could not be achieved by simply having a meal together.
Although both of them were wearing thick cotton-padded clothes, their lips and breaths were intertwined, and this intimacy was enough to ease the longing they had felt for more than ten days.
Jiang Ji's kiss was gentle, without touching Ye Li's sensitive spots. Therefore, although the kiss was long, Ye Li was still full of energy and her breathing was steady after it ended.
Ye Li wrapped her arms around his neck, somewhat puzzled: "You told me to wait just now, I thought you were going to kiss me so hard I couldn't breathe."
"This isn't our bedroom."
Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow as he spoke, leaned closer and pressed his forehead against his, whispering, "Besides, what's a kiss? We'll settle this on the kang (heated brick bed)."
Ye Li: "..."
He chuckled and asked in a low voice, "My dear husband, how do you plan to settle this?"
"Did I tell you to sleep until noon?" Jiang Ji asked.
These words instantly reminded Ye Li of the first night this person returned.
That night, they did it three times. The last time, he was half asleep and half awake, feeling drowsy and exhausted.
But a sliver of excitement remained in my mind.
In addition, Jiang Ji's movements were somewhat slow, and he hugged him and bumped him repeatedly, making him feel as if he were lying on the surface of water, which felt extremely comfortable.
Thinking back to how he felt then, he couldn't help but twist his body a few times. He missed it so much!
Unfortunately, my husband has to go to school.
go to school!
An eighteen-year-old student, with his mind filled with such thoughts, always feels a sense of guilt.
He sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Jiang Ji, isn't it wrong for us to indulge in pleasure like this?"
His voice was somewhat low and serious.
Jiang Ji naturally recalled what happened that night, but he shook his head: "What kind of pleasure did we have? We only get together for a few days at the end of the month."
"Isn't this normal at my age?"
Ye Li: "..."
That's right.
He's living with the mindset of his past life, believing that eighteen-year-olds should be studying hard.
But you can find it here!
People of this age are married, and it's only natural for them to live a married life together.
He laughed, looking at Jiang Ji's lips so close to his own, and said with a smile, "Good husband, then I'll be waiting."
Without waiting for Jiang Ji's reply, he kissed him.
My eighteen-year-old husband, if you don't enjoy yourself now, when will you?
Jiang Ji was unaware of his inner turmoil and assumed he was worried about interfering with his studies. So, after the kiss, Jiang Ji repeatedly assured him that it wouldn't affect his studies.
Ye Li did not say she did not believe it.
But I still decided to visit Master Han at the end of this month.
The two hugged and talked for a while about the festival gifts they had received yesterday. After they finished talking, it was time for them to leave.
Ye Li called the waiter to come up and pack up the leftover ingredients.
Jiang Ji picked up the leftover dumplings and buns that Ye Li had brought.
The couple went downstairs and went to the counter to pay.
Although it was half price, the meal still cost more than 800 coins.
If it weren't for the workshop, even at half price, Ye Li wouldn't dare to come here often.
The two paid the money and were about to go out to wait for the helper to bring the oxcart over.
At that moment, a rather luxurious and tall carriage stopped at the entrance.
When the carriage came to a stop, the old woman who had been following Yu Cai jumped off the carriage.
Yu Cai has arrived.
Since we've run into each other, we should at least say hello.
Ye Li and Jiang Ji left the Banxian Residence. Jiang Ji stood at the door carrying a basket, while Ye Li walked towards Yu Cai's carriage.
However, he stopped after taking only two steps.
Because Yu Cai did not dismount from the carriage.
Although the old woman placed the stool under the carriage shaft, Yu Cai simply sat at the carriage door, staring blankly at the plaque of Banxianju, her face showing obvious confusion.
Clearly, Yu Cai had something on her mind.
Ye Li blinked, hesitating whether to step forward, when the old woman whispered, "Cai Ge'er, Ye's husband is here."
This sentence brought Yu Cai back to her senses.
Following the old woman's pointing finger, Yu Cai saw Ye Li and immediately looked a little embarrassed: "Husband Ye, I was thinking about something and got distracted."
"It's alright, let me help you down."
Ye Li walked over and said.
"No need, let Granny Wang help me."
Yu Cai gently shook her head.
He glanced again at the plaque hanging above the gate of Banxianju, pursed his lips, and got off the carriage with the help of Granny Wang.
He stopped, looked at Ye Li, and said with a smile, "Husband Ye, were you satisfied with this meal?"
"Satisfied. We can enjoy fish hot pot and unique tofu dumplings as soon as we arrive. Manager Yu, this Banxianju restaurant is so thoughtful and innovative. It's hard for the business not to be good."
Ye Li said with a smile.
Hearing this, Yu Cai smiled.
Indeed, he put a lot of thought into achieving a semi-retired lifestyle.
His efforts have paid off.
However, he is not actually short of money...
Thinking of the argument at the dinner table earlier, he pursed his lips again.
Looking at him, Granny Wang couldn't help but say, "Cai-ge'er, why don't you and Mr. Ye come inside and sit for a while?"
Shall we go inside and sit for a while?
Yu Cai hesitated for a moment; he wasn't familiar with Ye Fulang.
Besides, they might be busy.
But Granny Wang added, "Instead of keeping it to yourself, why don't you talk to someone?"
Yu Cai's heart skipped a beat.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Ye Fulang, are you free later? Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?"
"Sure, I have nothing else to do except send Jiang Ji back to the county school."
Ye Li nodded.
Yu Cai chuckled upon hearing this, "Okay, then go deliver it. I'll wait for you at the store."
He did want to send a servant to deliver it.
But Ye Li and Jiang Ji were obviously too close, so he didn't take on the job.
So he greeted Deputy Manager Zhang and told Ye Li to go directly to the backyard to find him when he arrived.
At this moment, the worker also brought over the oxcart.
Ye Li went to see Jiang Ji off first.
After the oxcart had gone quite a distance, Jiang Ji finally spoke: "What does Manager Yu want with you? If it's troublesome, you should decline."
"It's okay, I have nothing to do anyway, I'll go be a confidant brother... a confidant younger brother."
Ye Li quickly changed his tune.
He was only seventeen years old, eight years younger than Yu Cai.
Jiang Ji: "...It gets dark early, you should go back soon."
"Don't worry, I know."
Ye Li nodded.
The two quickly arrived at the entrance of the county school. With a quarter of an hour before class, Jiang Ji gave Ye Li a few more instructions before entering the school.
Ye Li drove the oxcart back to Banxianju.
When Zhang, the deputy manager, saw him, he personally led him to the backyard.
The backyard of the semi-secluded residence is divided into two courtyards, one large and one small, by a wall.
The larger rooms are the semi-vacant kitchen and storeroom.
The smaller one is Yu Cai's office area, which consists of two rooms and is generally off-limits to staff.
When Ye Li arrived, Yu Cai was sitting inside drinking tea.
Several plates of pastries were also placed on the table.
Seeing him come in, Yu Cai invited him to sit down, poured him tea, and pointed to the snacks on the table, saying, "Try them, they were made by the chef in the shop, and they're quite delicious."
Ye Li waved her hand: "I just ate, I'm not hungry, a cup of tea will do."
“Alright. This is pre-rain Maojian tea, have a taste.” Yu Cai said, pointing to the teacup.
"I am not knowledgeable enough to distinguish the different grades of this tea. If I cannot say anything good, please do not blame me, Manager Yu."
Ye Li picked up her teacup and said with a smile.
Yu Cai shook his head upon hearing this: "How could that be? Speaking of which, I'm a few years older than you. You should call me Brother Cai. It sounds too formal to use the formal 'you' or 'you' in this way."
Upon hearing this, Ye Li readily nodded in agreement: "Okay, Brother Cai. Then you can call me Brother Li, those three words sound better."
As he spoke, he took a sip of tea.
The tea was slightly hot, with a delicate aroma.
It was clearly much better than the ordinary tea he bought.
He couldn't help but ask, "Brother Cai, how much does this tea cost per ounce?"
Yu Cai said, "This tea isn't top-grade, but it still costs seven hundred coins per ounce."
"Seven hundred coins, one tael?"
Ye Li's eyes widened instantly: "Wouldn't that be seven ounces per pound?"
He shook his head and said, "Then I'll just stick to drinking tree leaves."
Yu Cai was amused by his reaction: "With the workshop's income, we can afford to drink it."
"There are many places where I need money. I plan to buy a small courtyard house in the county town next year."
Upon hearing this, Yu Cai couldn't help but sigh, "You two have such a wonderful relationship, it's truly rare."
As he spoke, a look of confusion crossed his face again: "Brother Li, does it feel good to marry someone you love?"
"Very good, exceptionally good."
Ye Li nodded, his tone firm.
Upon hearing this, Yu Cai sighed: "My father said the same thing. He said that he and my father had happy days together, even though he later found out it was all a lie, but at least they were happy at the time."
Ye Li: "...Uncle Wu, do you want you to get married?"
Emma, he was wrong in his analysis before.
He thought the Wu family didn't want Yu Cai to get married.
Yu Cai nodded gently: "Yes, my father thinks that I can't stay at home all my life. I should go out and do something or experience something pleasant."
"He has already asked my father to help me find a suitable candidate."
“This noon, my brother came home from the county school and learned about this. He disagreed and had a dispute with my father.”
But he himself was confused.
Fear, of course.
He secretly envied the relationship between Ye Li and Jiang Ji.
well.
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