Jane Ning first took a look around the kitchen. It looked like it had been renovated and was barely usable for cooking. There was a well in the back, and the area around the well had been cleaned. She put down the bucket and pumped in some water to test it. The water quality was acceptable and usable.
She rolled up her sleeves and took out all the pots and pans she had brought from home. She worked quickly and tidied up the kitchen in less than half an hour, and then began to prepare lunch. Ding Youtian also came over and sat in front of the stove as usual, intending to help light the fire and cook.
He had just sat down when a skinny middle-aged woman poked her head out of the kitchen, holding a small bamboo basket in her hand. "Auntie, are you from Uncle Lu's family?"
Ding Youtian asked.
Only the county magistrate's family lived in the backyard of the yamen. Judging from the woman's age, he guessed that she was the county magistrate's wife.
The woman walked in and saw Ding Youtian sitting in front of the stove, as if he was going to help light the fire and cook. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.
"Aunt, are these radishes and vegetables for us?" Seeing that she was a little reserved, Jian Ning asked with a smile.
"Oh, yes." She handed over a bamboo basket containing five or six small red radishes with leaves. The county magistrate asked her to deliver it. She had cleared a piece of land behind the west room, and these small red radishes were planted by herself.
The county magistrate thought that since they were living in the same government office, no matter how long Ding Youtian and his companions could stay, he had to show some appreciation for their new arrival. Since their family didn't have anything special to offer, he asked his wife to go to the fields and pick some vegetables to bring over as a token of his appreciation.
"Thank you, Auntie. These radish leaves look so green and delicious. I've been wanting to try some." Jian Ning happily took it. "I'll bring the bamboo basket to you later. You and Uncle Lu can bring the kids over to eat with us tonight. You can also help me cook and we can chat."
The county magistrate's wife didn't know whether she was not good at talking or because she was not familiar with Jian Ning and the others, but her heart was conveyed. She nodded and said only, "Then I will go home first."
She turned around and saw Tong Bajin and Erlangzi cleaning the dining hall. She also heard the laughter of children in the main house. She felt that this family seemed to be planning to stay for a long time. She was afraid that they didn't know how cold water would freeze here in winter.
She sighed inwardly. She quite liked the county magistrate's wife. She was very kind and modest. The county magistrate was also kind. He even helped to light the fire and cook. This was the first time she had seen a county magistrate like this.
After the meal was ready, Jian Ning finished her meal and went back to the kitchen to pick a few apples from the herb room and put them in a bamboo basket. When she was about to give it to the county magistrate's wife, she suddenly had an idea. She looked at the apples in the bamboo basket, thought about it carefully, and then ran to pull Ding Youtian, who was still eating, back to the room.
"I've got some good news for you," she said excitedly, grabbing an apple and shaking it. "This one's actually called an apple, not the red fruit you used to call it. Apple trees are incredibly cold-resistant and can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius. If we encourage everyone in the county to plant apples, and sell them to the various prefectures when they're ripe, we'll have no trouble exchanging them for food."
"Also, apples are rich in many vitamins that the human body needs. They not only promote gastrointestinal motility but also nourish the heart and replenish qi. Apple paste made from them can relieve coughs and reduce phlegm, and it also beautifies the skin. If this product becomes popular, it will surely be favored by ladies. Furthermore, apples can be used to make a variety of delicious dishes. Pies made with apples and wheat flour are delicious."
"Oh, if they can really withstand extreme cold, that would be great." Ding Youtian was delighted when he heard this. "If we can lead all the women and children in the county to make ointment pies and sell them to the various prefectures and counties, even if crops can't grow in the fields, people will no longer starve to death. This is truly a great thing!"
"Of course not. I'll send a few to Aunt Lu first, and then we'll try it out. Cut a few branches and plant them in the yard to see if they survive. If they do, cut more and plant more fruit seedlings, and then distribute them to the people. I want to make Danyang an apple planting base, so that every household can live a good life and become the richest county in all of Yanzhou County."
She became more and more excited as she spoke. When she turned around to leave with the bamboo basket in her hand, Ding Youtian stopped her and pointed at the apples in the basket. "Madam, these apples are not even red yet. Can we eat them?"
"They're edible when they're green, sour and sweet. Once they're fully ripe, they'll only taste sweet. I'll pick a few more and wash them for you all to try."
Jian Ning walked briskly to the west courtyard, carrying a bamboo basket. She searched around and found the county magistrate's wife in the backyard vegetable patch. "Auntie, where are your children? Why can't I see them? Are you home alone?"
"The kids are going to the fields with their father to harvest wheat." When she talked about harvesting wheat, she couldn't help but show a trace of sadness on her face, because more than half of the wheat had frozen to death, and the harvested wheat was not enough to feed the family, not to mention exchanging the grain for oil, salt and other things.
"Uncle Lu went to the fields?" Jian Ning thought that the county magistrate was in the yamen in front. She remembered that Xu Dali said that the position of county magistrate had been vacant for more than a year, with only the county magistrate and the chief clerk. But she didn't see the chief clerk when she came here before. Could they have gone to the fields?
"What if someone comes to sue? Doesn't the government office usually need to be guarded?"
"If anyone is arguing, I will go to the fields to look for them." She glanced at the bamboo basket in Jian Ning's hand. She didn't know what was in it, but she knew it must be edible, so she thought it was also a dish.
She originally wanted to tell Jane Ning not to be so formal. She just bought some vegetables grown in her own field. Why should she return the gift?
However, thinking that Jane Ning happily accepted her things, if she pushed them back it would seem like she was being distant with her, so she didn't say anything.
"Aunt, these are apples. You can eat them after washing them." Jian Ning handed over the bamboo basket. "I still have to go back and put things away. I'll talk to you when I cook dinner tonight. You should come to my place more often when you are free. I'm leaving now."
When Jian Ning came back, she saw Ding Youtian and the other three. Each of them was sweeping the spider webs on the eaves inside and outside the house with a bamboo broom. Baimei and Guoguo were also helping. Baimei was flying around, constantly sweeping the spider webs in the corners with his wings, while Guoguo was climbing walls and running on the eaves, and one of his claws had turned pitch black.
The white-browed one also has half its wings.
The two little silver foxes of Erniu and Sanniu were of no help. They squatted side by side on the ground, their eyes rolling around as they followed Baimei and Guoguo, like little brothers looking up at their bosses. Their coquettish look made them look very servile.
"Baimei, Guoguo!" Jian Ning walked over and pointed at Baimei and Guoguo, "Listen up, you two! If you dare to come into the room and jump on the table and bed, I'll show you how I'll deal with you."
Guoguo was about to jump up when she heard the words, but she stopped and looked at Jian Ning with wide eyes, looking confused.
When Baimei saw her coming, he flew over happily. He originally wanted to land on her shoulder to take credit from her, but when she called his name and heard her words, he was so shocked that he almost fell to the ground.
After flapping his legs twice to steady himself, he tilted his head to look at her, his two little eyes full of confusion.
Aren't they helping to clean up? How come they're doing something wrong?
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