This side yard of the Pei family has a single wooden door facing the alley.
Entering through the wooden door, on the left is an old tree with green leaves and red flowers. The trunk is thick and winding, and a simple swing is tied to one of the protruding trunks.
On the right is an oval doorway connecting to the Pei family's front yard.
Going further, there is a row of houses on the left and a small courtyard like a corridor on the right, leading directly to the kitchen and a well at the back.
There are three bedrooms in the house on the left, separated by a spacious and bright living room.
Because of the sudden drop in temperature last night, the two were woken up by the cold in the middle of the night and got up to change the thin blanket into a thick quilt.
I fell asleep again and slept until noon.
When I woke up, Aunt Pei was already making lunch.
The two of them drew water from the well to wash.
Li Sisi couldn't help but talk about being woken up by the cold last night: "The temperature difference between day and night here is too big. It's autumn now. Why don't we go buy some thicker clothes?"
Li Nian nodded: "Okay, we also need to buy daily necessities."
She thought of the clerk's matter again and added, "Yesterday I saw that Aunt Pei only had a wooden hairpin on her head. We should go pick out a nice silver hairpin for her later. After all, we will need her for many things in the future."
Li Sisi didn't observe as carefully as Li Nian. She only knew that the clothes on Aunt Pei were made of ordinary materials and not good ones.
Now, after hearing what Li Nian said, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. According to Aunt Pei, her two sons were both employed by the government, and her house was located in a better area in the city.
She should have some family background, but she rents out her side yard and dresses simply, making it seem like she's really short of money?
Suddenly a gust of wind brought with it a strong smell of Chinese medicine.
"Miss Sisi, are you up? Did you sleep well last night?" Aunt Pei's cheerful voice came.
The two looked ahead and saw Aunt Pei approaching with a smile: "Your kitchen isn't ready yet, why don't you go to my room for lunch at noon?"
She looked at Li Nian again: "By the way, I have also prepared Miss Nian Nian's medicine. This medicine cannot be taken before meals. You should go to my place first, eat, and then take the medicine..."
Aunt Pei came over, chattering carefully and giving instructions, her words full of undisguised concern.
Li Sisi was touched by Aunt Pei's enthusiasm, even though she was a stranger she had just met yesterday.
Li Nian smiled and replied, "Okay, thank you, Auntie."
Li Sisi let Aunt Pei kindly hold her hand and walk towards the front yard.
Compared with the side yard, the front yard of the Pei family mansion is naturally much larger.
There is a tree with green leaves and red flowers in the yard, just like the one in the side yard, and there are also two persimmon trees.
Beyond the heavy vermilion gate, there was a stone wall similar to a screen, blocking the view from the gate. On the stone wall was a painting with auspicious meanings, and a poem was attached in the lower right corner.
Unlike the one flight of steps in the side yard, the house in the front yard requires climbing six steps to enter the house.
There was a rectangular dining table in the room with food already placed on it. Two tall men were already sitting at the table waiting.
After Li Sisi and Li Nian entered the house, they bowed to the two of them respectively and exchanged some pleasantries before going to the table to eat.
Unlike the elaborate cooking methods in the south, the dishes here in the northwest are simple.
Big chunks of meat stewed with lumps of noodles, is this considered a main course? After all, this dish is served in a large porcelain bowl, and it is the largest portion on the table!
There were also flatbreads, served on a large porcelain plate, and at first glance there were about a dozen of them?
Aunt Pei smiled brightly as she picked up a large pancake wrapped with a scallion and handed it to Li Sisi enthusiastically: "Just treat it like your own. Don't be polite."
Li Sisi was in a dilemma whether to answer or not.
She really can't eat raw green onions!
Pei Yanli had been observing their every move out of the corner of his eye since they entered the house.
Seeing the embarrassed expression on Li Sisi's face at this moment, combined with the way they just saluted, it was indeed as her mother said, like a rich lady from the south.
No, to be more precise, it should be a daughter of an official. After all, merchants in Anyang State had a low status, and the temperament of a daughter from a wealthy family was always not as calm and dignified as that of a daughter from an official family.
Pei Yanli saw his mother roll another scallion pancake for Li Nian and reminded her, "Mom, people in the south don't eat raw scallions."
Aunt Pei paused as she handed the cake to her, her mouth slightly open as she exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?"
She glanced at Li Sisi, who was holding the pancake without taking a single bite. It seemed like she really didn't want to eat it?
"Oh, I'm so unworldly! I didn't even know you southerners don't eat raw onions!"
Aunt Pei put the pancake into her bowl, took out a large spoon and began to enthusiastically scoop a spoonful of meat into Li Nian's bowl: "Come on, have some of this."
Li Nian quickly picked up the bowl with both hands and took it: "Thank you, Auntie, I can help myself."
Seeing Aunt Pei scooping out one spoonful after another, she hurriedly said, "That's enough. This is enough for me, Auntie."
In the end, she was unable to stop Aunt Pei's enthusiasm and was given a full bowl of meat stewed noodle dumplings by Aunt Pei.
Seeing this, Li Sisi had already taken the green onions out of the pancake and took the spoon from Aunt Pei's hand. "Auntie, you're welcome. I'll serve myself!"
Li Nian frowned, looking at the bowl full of meat and noodles in distress. It wasn't that she disliked the taste. To be honest, this big pot of stew, although it looked rough, tasted very good.
But the bowls here are so big!
A bowl full of meat like this can last her a whole day!
Aunt Pei greeted with a smile: "Eat quickly, you're welcome."
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