Chapter 85 Going to the County Town
Before they knew it, it was the fourteenth day of the first lunar month. Early that morning, Xie Wanniang, Jiang Yuan, Hao Yu, and Xiao Yang packed their things and took a car to Tang County.
They planned to stay in the county town for two nights and return on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.
To prevent anyone from sneaking in and stealing their money, food, cloth, and other valuables while they were away, Jiang Yuan hired Wang Xiaozhi's family to watch over their house.
As for Wang Xiaozhi's own family, they are currently living in the same courtyard as the rest of the Chen family. No matter how desperate the thief is, he wouldn't sneak into a large family like the Chen family's, where there are eyes and ears everywhere, to steal things.
The weather in January was still very cold. Although Xie Wanniang and the others wore thick cotton-padded clothes and shoes, they were still shivering from the biting cold wind.
Fortunately, Jiang Yuan and Hao Yu were both very experienced. They not only prepared a long sheepskin coat for Xie Wanniang and Xiao Yang to wear while riding in the car, but also prepared a rabbit fur hat for Xie Wanniang separately.
The collar of the sheepskin coat stood up, overlapping with the lower part of the hood, which perfectly blocked out the cold wind.
Xiao Yang was small, so Xie Wanniang held her in her arms and wrapped her tightly in her sheepskin coat, so she didn't even need to wear a hat.
As for Jiang Yuan and Hao Yu, they would get out of the car and walk when they felt cold, and then get back in and sit for a while when they warmed up. They could regulate their own temperature and didn't need any external items like fur coats.
In the middle of the morning, the group arrived at the county town gate in an oxcart. After paying an entrance fee of one copper coin per person, Hao Yu led them to get off at the street corner closest to his house.
The county town was more lively than usual on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, and many shops had already hung up lanterns.
As the four walked along the street toward Hao Yu's house, they looked around curiously at the lanterns lining the street.
The lanterns during the day are certainly not as beautiful as those at night, but people are still irresistibly drawn to the exquisitely crafted lanterns.
As they walked and looked around, Hao Yu soon led Xie Wanniang and the other two to the gate of his house.
His house was located in the core area on the east side of the county town, close to the county government office, county school, market, and the two busiest main streets.
After the four of them got off the oxcart, they walked through the streets and alleys for less than a quarter of an hour before Hao Yu took out his key and unlocked a brass lock hanging on the wooden door of his house.
Hao Yu was just an ordinary person. His house gate could not be painted, but could only be brushed with tung oil to prevent insect infestation and erosion by rain and snow. Moreover, the width of the gate had to be controlled within "one zhang" (about 3 meters) to avoid confusion with the residences of officials (who usually had gates that were more than one zhang and five chi wide).
Even door knockers were limited to wooden or ceramic rings for ordinary people, reflecting the strict hierarchical system of the feudal dynasty in every aspect.
However, once she opened the gate and stepped inside, Xie Wanniang immediately fell in love with the house.
The brick house is about 80-90% new. The courtyard not only has a well, but also a vegetable garden and fruit trees. Most importantly, it is a two-courtyard house with a total of more than a dozen rooms. Even if Hao Yu has grandchildren in the future, his family will still have enough room to live in.
"I've tidied up the three rooms in the front yard. You and Xiaoyang can stay here for the next couple of days, Wanniang." Hao Yu pointed to the east wing. "This room is for the two of you. Ayuan and I will stay in the main room."
Of course, he and Jiang Yuan had to make do with living in the same room, because the third room he had cleaned up was the main room, which was uninhabitable.
The four of them put away their belongings, then used the firewood Hao Yu had bought in advance to boil water and heat up the earthen beds in both rooms. By then it was already noon.
Hao Yu didn't prepare any vegetables, grains, or seasonings. They wouldn't be staying in the county for long, so instead of going to the trouble of preparing these things, they might as well eat out every meal and try different things.
Hao Yu locked the door and led the other three out of the alley. "I'll take you to eat wontons for lunch. There's a Peng's Noodle Shop nearby that makes really delicious wontons."
Xie Wanniang and the others weren't picky eaters, so when they heard Hao Yu say that, the three of them followed him to Peng's Noodle Shop.
Peng's Noodle Shop was not large, and it was located at a somewhat remote three-way intersection. When Hao Yu led them into the noodle shop, more than half of the tables were already occupied by customers.
With so many customers and the enticing aroma of food filling the restaurant, Xie Wanniang immediately became looking forward to the food.
Hao Yu found a small square table in the corner and gestured for the others to sit down quickly.
Xie Wanniang and Xiao Yang were seated on a bench against the wall by him and Jiang Yuan, while Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan sat on their left and right sides respectively.
"Waiter, please give us four bowls of wontons, one serving of braised pig's head meat, and ten sauerkraut and tofu buns."
"Alright—" The waiter bowed slightly to Hao Yuwei, who had taken the order, and then nimbly walked around the tables and chairs in the room to the kitchen to take the order for Xie Wanniang and the others.
This was Xiaoyang's first time leaving the village, and also her first time eating out. Since entering the county town, everything seemed incredibly new and exciting to her.
The usually well-behaved child was acting like a hyperactive child today, constantly looking around and never stopping.
Xie Wanniang had noticed it long ago, but she didn't say anything about it.
It's normal for kids to be very curious.
The four waited for about fifteen minutes before the cooked wontons were brought over by the waiter on a huge wooden tray.
The wonton soup, topped with chopped green onions, dried shrimp, seaweed, and pepper, was steaming hot. The plump, adorable meat-filled wontons swam around in the soup, looking incredibly tempting.
"This is chili oil, soy sauce, and aged vinegar." The waiter placed three small bowls on the table so that Xie Wanniang and the others could add the ingredients according to their personal preferences.
After delivering the wontons, the waiter brought them steamed buns and braised pig's head.
Both of these are prepared in advance by the store. Just lift the lid, pick them out, and you can serve them directly to the customers in the lobby.
"Their braised pig's head and steamed buns are also delicious, you should try them." Hao Yu swallowed a mouthful of flavorful wonton soup. "This soup can be refilled for free, just tell the waiter if you want more."
While eating, Xie Wanniang and the others all nodded to Hao Yu in unison, indicating that they were listening to what Hao Yu was saying.
I must say, this place has really good wontons.
The wonton wrappers, slightly yellowish, are thin and translucent, allowing you to vaguely see the cooked filling inside.
With a gentle bite, the tender and delicious wonton skin breaks open, releasing hot and fragrant juices.
The filling made with cabbage and pork turns into small meatballs after cooking. The meatballs contain very little cabbage and a lot of pork, which is smooth, tender, and bouncy, without any meaty smell.
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