Cai Damei shook her head, saying that sending rice and flour was inappropriate. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Weigh out 20 catties of taro flour and send 10 catties of beans to the Zhou family. Your aunt is particularly good at sprouting beans. Tell her that these 10 catties of beans are not free. Make her return the 20 catties of bean sprouts to us."
"Is this all you're giving us? How about we get some dried vegetables? There's also a piece of cured meat in the kitchen, cut some up and take it with us." Ye Yunniang felt that giving only taro noodles was a bit too little.
"Hmm, you decide what to give."
"good."
Ye Yunniang got up and went to the cellar. First, she weighed out 20 jin of taro flour and 10 jin of soybeans from the room on the left. Then she went to the room on the right and filled it with 2 jin of dried vegetables. Thinking of Cai Xiaomei's pale face, she also grabbed two handfuls of red dates and put them into her basket.
Finally, I went into the kitchen, took down the cured meat hanging from the rafters, cut it in half lengthwise with a knife, and stuffed it into the basket with oil paper.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around at the alley entrance, Ye Yunniang hurried towards the Zhou family.
“Auntie.” Zhou Lingling was somewhat surprised to see Ye Yunniang.
"Your great-aunt asked me to take some things to your grandma," Ye Yunniang said as she walked towards the backyard. She took out taro flour, soybeans, dried vegetables, a bag of dates, and cured meat from her basket.
Cai Xiaomei was immediately drawn to the cured meat; there was no way around it, her family hadn't seen any meat for a month.
"I cured the pork using the method my aunt taught me. Why don't you try it and see if it tastes right?"
Cai Damei took it closer and smelled it. "It's better than your mother's pickled ones."
“Compared to my mother, I’m still far behind.” Ye Yunniang said, opening the bag of soybeans. “Little mother, my mother said that she wants 20 jin of bean sprouts out of these 10 jin of soybeans.”
Cai Xiaomei carefully looked at the soybeans in the bag. "The soybeans are plump. I estimate that one pound can yield four and a half pounds of bean sprouts."
“It’s perfect timing, Auntie can start selling bean sprouts now,” Ye Yunniang added with a smile.
“You’re just as smart as your older sister.” Cai Xiaomei smiled as well, looking at Huang Dou with nostalgia.
"Back then, the first business my aunt and uncle did in Jiangcheng was selling bean sprouts. To ensure the bean sprouts grew well, I didn't dare to sleep too long. I would take a nap and then go to the vat to check on the sprouting."
Your aunt's husband would fill two large baskets with bean sprouts before dawn and sell them on the street. It was the dead of winter, and he was worried the bean sprouts would freeze, so he took off his cotton-padded coat and covered the baskets with it.
As a result, he got so cold that his nose started running.
We saved up our money little by little and opened a general store.
"Once the shop opens, I'll tell your uncle that I'll never do anything else in my life but sell bean sprouts."
Cai Damei laughed heartily, tears streaming down her face.
"Grandma, don't cry. You teach me how to sprout bean sprouts, I'll do it." Zhou Lingling took out a handkerchief to wipe Cai Xiaomei's tears.
"I'll fetch water," Zhou Yan said, raising her little hand.
"Okay, okay, let's sprout beans." Cai Xiaomei felt heartwarming thanks to her granddaughter and grandson for their thoughtfulness.
The gurgling sound interrupted the heartwarming moment between the grandmother and grandson.
"Lingling, I'll teach you how to make cornbread." Ye Yunniang said, getting up and carrying the taro flour to the kitchen.
“Okay.” Zhou Lingling followed behind.
Ye Yunniang taught Zhou Ling how to make cornbread little by little, and steamed it.
Soak the dried vegetables in hot water until softened, then chop them finely. I also diced some cured pork. I greased the bottom of the pan with a little oil and stir-fried the dried vegetables and cured pork.
Stir-fry dried vegetables and diced cured meat, then stuff a piece into a steamed bun with your chopsticks.
With meat, vegetables, and cornbread, the Zhou family ate without even looking up.
Ye Yunniang was also given a cornbread, took a bite, and swallowed it without changing her expression.
Time really can change a person. The first time Ye Yunniang ate a cornbread with half wheat flour and half white flour, her throat hurt. Now, she can eat a cornbread without any white flour mixed in without batting an eye.
Returning to Wanxia Lane from the Zhou family home, they encountered Qiongniang and her companions who had returned from Xiaofang Village.
Their tired and weary faces revealed that today's harvest was not good.
"Yunniang, it's a good thing you didn't go." Qiongniang put her arm around Ye Yunniang's shoulder and leaned back to rest.
I'm so tired today.
"Didn't find any wild vegetables?"
"Don't even mention it." Qiongniang showed Ye Yunniang her basket, which contained some dried wild vegetables at the bottom.
“There are more people going up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables than wild vegetables themselves. We only found this out because Aunt Fang led us to a remote spot.” Hongyan shook her head, thinking of the crowds everywhere on the mountain.
"I'm too tired. Mom won't go next time." Daya hugged Chunxing's leg, her little face full of exhaustion.
"Okay, I'm not going." Chunxing didn't want to go through what happened today again.
"There are no wild vegetables to dig up. Vegetables at the market are ridiculously expensive. How are we going to survive?" Qiongniang worried, and Hongyan and Chunxing beside her sighed in the same way.
“There will always be a way out; the imperial court won’t just watch us starve to death.”
Ye Yunniang believed in the imperial court, but others were not as optimistic as she was.
"What are you talking about? Why are you making such a fuss?" Niu Dajiao walked out of the courtyard, came to Chunxing's side, grabbed her basket, and rummaged through it.
"Oh dear, you've been gone all day and only dug up these few. Not even enough to ruin a pair of shoes," Niu Dajiao said disdainfully.
"If you don't like it, don't eat it." Chunxing forcefully pulled back her basket, feeling annoyed that Niu Dajiao only talked all day.
“I’m eating my son’s food, not yours,” Niu Dajiao said, displeased with Chunxing’s attitude.
“Your son’s is mine too.” Chunxing said, leading Daya into the courtyard, not wanting to say another word to Niu Dajiao.
"You're talking nonsense! My son's things are my son's things!" Niu Dajiao shouted as he caught up with Chunxing, wanting to argue with her.
Seeing this, Ye Yunniang and the others shook their heads and headed home.
When Ye Yunniang arrived at her doorstep, she ran into Liang Maimiao, who was walking out of the house.
Ye Yunniang kept her eyes straight ahead, took out her key, unlocked the door, and went inside.
Liang Maimiao watched Ye Yunniang enter the courtyard and clenched her hands.
As Granny Xu came out of the courtyard, she saw Liang Maimiao staring menacingly at the Li family's gate. She took two steps forward and grabbed Liang's arm.
"Are you trying to cause trouble for Yunniang again? Your sister chose her own path. Don't blame others. You're married now, and you have Dalei and Erlei to support. Stop thinking about such nonsense."
Granny Xu sighed, not understanding why her perfectly good daughter-in-law had suddenly become so stubborn.
Ye Yunniang changed her clothes and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Rinse the black rice and white rice thoroughly and put them in a pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the red dates and longan and simmer over low heat for half an hour. Add a little brown sugar before serving.
The soft, sweet longan and red date porridge is ready.
I stir-fried the soaked dried vegetables with some diced cured pork.
Divide the food into two parts. Take one part to No. 3 courtyard and tell Cai Damei about the trip to the Zhou family.
After listening, Cai Damei didn't ask any more questions. She believed that with 10 jin of soybeans, Cai Xiaomei and Zhou Zhongding could seize the opportunity and turn the tide.
When Ye Yunniang returned to her courtyard, Li Pan and Li An had already returned and were serving the food.
"Mom, wash your hands and eat."
"Okay." Ye Yunniang washed her hands and sat down.
She saw a bowl of porridge in front of her, and half a bowl of porridge in front of her two sons.
"Why is there only half a bowl? I cooked more porridge, there's enough for everyone."
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