Chapter 65 Chapter 65 - Eating at a Two-in-One Restaurant
When I came back, my aunt and her family had just washed the sweet potatoes and potatoes and were preparing to cook them for lunch.
Seeing her come back after a long time, he asked with a smile: "Why did you take so long?"
"My fourth aunt cooked some broad beans and left them for me to eat, so I came back to get some." Lin Chuntao raised the small bamboo basket. When the second aunt saw the broad beans, she laughed. "Why did you bring broad beans from your fourth aunt's house? We have some too. We can go pick some later."
Lin Chuntao said, "I didn't want it, but she didn't agree and just pretended to do it for me."
My aunt smiled and said, "Her broad beans are growing very well this year. Just take them if she gives them to you."
Lin Chunxing and her cousins were already having fun, Pei Ying was also sitting and chatting with her uncle and his family, her aunt was cooking lunch, and her second and third aunts said they wanted to go to the fields.
Not long after they left, they came back with a lot of beans, peas, cabbage, bitter greens, radishes and peppers.
When they came back, lunch was just cooked. The whole family sat in the yard to eat lunch. Just as they were about to start eating, my second aunt said, "You have to eat those green peppers quickly, otherwise they will turn red."
Lin Chuntao looked at the green peppers they picked, washed a handful, roasted them on the fire, chopped them up, scooped a spoonful of sauce and mixed it into a bowl. The children in the yard ate it and screamed, saying it was delicious!
Sun and the others were also pleasantly surprised. "Chun Tao, how did you make this sauce? It's delicious!"
Lin Chuntao said, "I covered the beans and made them together. The first time I made less, I'll send some over after the next vat is covered."
After taking two bites, my second aunt also said, "It tastes even better than the one from the Chai Family Sauce Factory. Chuntao, don't you go to the county town often? Take some and try selling it. I'm sure many people will like it."
"That's right, Chuntao, take some and try it." Third aunt also echoed. Lin Chuntao looked at these relatives and said with a smile: "I'm still picking mushrooms, and Chuntao is busy cooking noodles to sell. We'll have to wait and see about selling the sauce later. This sauce tastes very good when stir-fried with vegetables, meat, or noodles. You can try it, aunt."
Sun nodded.
The bowl of roasted chili peppers was finished in a short while, and Lin Chuntao made two more bowls.
Lin Chuntao loves chili peppers very much. Chili peppers are delicious, and her appetite will double.
At noon, more sweet potatoes were cooked than potatoes. Usually, these children love sweet potatoes, but today they were attracted by the peppers and were eating potatoes, resulting in a lot of sweet potatoes left over.
The children were still clamoring for food, so my aunt-in-law put some directly into the stove.
Although the sisters were greedy at home, Lin Chuntao didn't need to say anything outside. They would just eat a few and then stop.
After sitting and chatting for a while after noon, Lin Chuntao was ready to take them home, but the adults would not let her and asked them to stay for dinner. For this purpose, her aunt-in-law even went to catch a rooster.
Seeing that the chicken was about to be killed, Lin Chuntao hurriedly stopped them. The aunt laughed and said, "This chicken bites people. I was planning to kill it and eat it."
Second Aunt dragged her off to pick vegetables while the eldest uncle and his friends cleaned up the chicken. Pei Ying was a bit bored and went to help, but was stopped by the eldest aunt and her friends. Lin Chuntao knew that he was uncomfortable sitting there, so she smiled and said, "Aunt, just let Pei Ying do it, he will do it."
Lin Chuntao spoke, and the aunt looked at him and the uncle and said, "Then I will give this chicken to you two."
My uncle smiled and said, "Okay, okay, go and do other things."
They didn't go to the fields to wash clothes today. They just had to prepare dinner, which wasn't very busy. However, they could sit and pick vegetables and chat with Chuntao.
Pei Ying killed the chicken skillfully. After he killed the chicken, his uncle went to get hot water to burn the chicken feathers. Pei Ying plucked the feathers and put the chicken over the fire to burn the down. His movements were skillful and quick.
The eldest and second aunts teased Lin Chuntao: "You order people around at home, don't you?"
Lin Chuntao smiled when she heard this, "Then the housework must be done by everyone together."
The aunts laughed and said, "That's the right thing to think of. But don't treat people like masters."
They chatted and waited for Pei Ying and the others to prepare the chicken before the aunt-in-law went to fry it.
There were many people eating, so my uncle brought a clay stove and put an iron pot on it, and cooked the food in the yard.
The neighbors smelled the aroma and stretched their necks to ask, "Sister-in-law, what big happy event happened in your family? Why are you eating so early?"
Sun smiled and said, "Chun Tao and her sisters are here. They have to go back after dinner, so they ate early."
Lin Chuntao only heard the sound across the yard, but did not see any figure.
The sun had not yet set when they finished eating. After sitting and resting for a while, Lin Chuntao prepared to go back.
The uncle took a bamboo ladder and went to the backyard to pick half a bamboo basket of peaches. He said to Lin Chuntao, "The peaches on our tree are late to ripen. You can take them home and let them sit for another seven or eight days. They will be even sweeter. Bring your sister back later to pick some to eat."
Sun also echoed: "Then we can eat the bonus too."
This was her uncle, who gave them some fruit. Lin Chuntao thanked him cheerfully and accepted the gift happily, without feeling awkward at all.
Second and third aunts went to get beans and vegetables that afternoon, and Sun also packed a lot of them in their backpacks. Lin Chuntao accepted it with peace of mind and couldn't help but say, "Aunt, please put less in. I can't finish it all when I take it back! It would be a shame if it went bad."
My aunt laughed and said, "How could it go bad? If you can't finish the cabbage and bitter greens, you can make sauerkraut. Do you know how to make sauerkraut?"
Lin Chuntao nodded: "I can do it."
Sun said, "Then make some pickled vegetables and keep them for later consumption." As she spoke, she put a lot of cabbage, bitter greens, radishes and peppers into the backpack, filling the whole basket for them.
And there is half a bamboo basket of peaches.
Lin Chuntao was really embarrassed now. She told Sun about it, and Sun laughed and said, "What's there to be embarrassed about? It's just that I'm not close to you. Otherwise, I can pick them anytime in the fields."
Their uncle and aunt sent them to the village entrance before returning. Facing the setting sun, Lin Chuntao looked at the basket of vegetables and smiled slowly.
After seeing them off, my aunt and the others slowly walked back.
When they returned, the younger children gathered around the table, on which were placed the noodles and meat bought by Lin Chuntao. The meat was a long strip of pork belly with ribs, with both fat and lean meat. The fat was white and the lean meat was bright red. There was also a lot of noodles, and it looked like the whole family could not finish it in one meal.
My uncle looked at the things and said, "This kid must have spent a lot of money on these things."
Sun said, "This meat weighs several pounds, and the rice noodles are not cheap either. And that jar of wine cannot be bought for just one hundred coins."
The second aunt said, "I see that the sisters have changed a lot since the last time I saw them. They must have been doing well recently."
Sun nodded slightly and smiled, "I thought they had no food this year, so I waited until the new potatoes were ready to eat and then dug some up to send to them. I didn't expect them to be so well-organized."
The child standing nearby said he wanted to eat meat. Sun smiled and said, "We just had chicken. We'll make this meat tomorrow."
Their life was not very tight, but not very rich either. They did not dare to spend money easily. They had several half-grown children and had to arrange marriages for them in the future. It was difficult to save money, but it was easy to spend it.
Vegetables are grown in the fields, and most of the grain is harvested from the fields. Eggs can only be eaten occasionally, and some have to be saved to sell. Meat is not available at any time, and only a little lard residue can be eaten when making lard.
Seeing this piece of meat, even though they had just eaten chicken, they were looking forward to tomorrow.
When Lin Chuntao and her friends arrived home, it was dusk. Everyone in the village had finished dinner and was outside enjoying the cool air.
Seeing the sisters coming back from outside, they all asked, "Chun Tao, what have you been doing?"
Lin Chuntao said, "Aunt, we went to my uncle's house."
After a quick chat, Lin Chuntao and the others walked over. When they passed by the old Lin family's yard, Meng Yun and Madam Fan were also embroidering at the gate of the yard. Seeing them, they greeted them with a smile. Lin Chuntao also responded with a smile and glanced at the embroidery in Madam Fan's hand. It seemed to be well embroidered.
Lin Chuntao guessed they were making embroidery to sell. She had heard that Madam Fan was taking Lin Chunlang and the others to the county town to sell firewood, but she had never encountered them.
After arriving home, Lin Chuntao took out all the vegetables and set them aside to dry. It was okay if they wilted a little, but it would be a pity if they rotted. She put them aside for now and would decide later whether to make sauerkraut or pickled vegetables.
Before she finished cleaning up, Lin Chunhe came over and asked, "Sister, can we make some more of those sauce-flavored pancakes we had yesterday?"
Lin Chuntao raised her eyebrows slightly: "Are you hungry already?"
Lin Chunhe smiled and said, "I'm not really hungry, I just want to eat that cake."
Lin Chuntao wasn't too full, and after walking for a while, she would definitely be hungry later. She said, "Wait a moment, I'll make some dough for you."
After hearing her words, Lin Chunhe said, "Then I'll go light a fire and boil some water."
Lin Chuntao put the dishes in order, went out to wash her hands, and then returned to the house to knead the dough. She looked at Lin Duoer who was jumping around outside and called out, "Duoer, wash some peaches and bring them out for us to eat."
After Lin Duoer agreed, she also reminded: "Wash them clean, scrub them one by one, or your furry mouth will itch!"
After the dough was kneaded, Lin Chuntao gave it to Pei Ying to knead. Lin Chunhe followed her to learn how to make the sauce. When the sauce was ready, Pei Ying had kneaded the dough before she went over to make it.
It was already dark while they were waiting for the sauce-flavored pancakes to be made. The sisters sat in the yard, enjoying the evening breeze and eating pancakes.
After eating the cake, I ate a peach. This peach was a hard peach. It was crispy and sweet and sour when I bit it.
Lin Chunxing felt a little sour, so she hissed and took another bite.
"Why are these peaches so sour? Cover them with some bran. They'll probably be less sour when they soften."
Lin Chuntao didn't have any objections, but she felt that the taste was okay to her, and said with a smile: "Leave a few outside for me, I like these crunchy ones."
Lin Chunxing nodded when she heard this, but she didn't cover it for two days, and the peach would gradually become soft if left outside.
The days passed slowly, and as the copper coins in the box increased little by little, their new house became more and more promising.
The old housekeeper of the Chai Mansion searched for two days but could not find any new sauce shops in the county, let alone any new sauces that were selling well.
After hearing the old housekeeper's report, Guo Jixiang believed Lin Chuntao's words that the sauce in the noodles was made by Lin Chuntao herself.
Guo Jixiang made the decision on the spot.
She was a person with strong action drive, and she went to look for Helan the same day after making the decision.
Helan felt something was wrong when he saw Guo Jixiang coming to his house suddenly, but he remained calm and invited her upstairs for tea.
At this time, sisters Lin Chunxing and Lin Chuntao were busy at the butcher shop downstairs.
Guo Jixiang's eyes frequently turned to Lin Chuntao. Helan raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her in confusion, "Who are you looking at, Madam?"
Guo Jixiang retracted her gaze and looked at He Lan, smiling, "Are these two girls familiar with Shopkeeper He?"
These two sisters often came in and out of her door, so it was impossible to say that they were not familiar with each other. Helan could only say, "Not bad, madam, what can I do for you?"
Guo Jixiang sighed deeply and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I think my sister also knows about Xingyu's situation. After his accident, he canceled the marriage we had originally arranged for him. His father and I are worried about his marriage."
Helan's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, but he smiled and said, "With your family business and Xingyu's good personality, there's no need to worry about marriage. When fate arrives, it will come naturally."
Guo Jixiang listened to Helan practicing Tai Chi. She took a step forward and said bluntly, "As for the family business, the child must be interested in it. Xingyu has a good personality, but he doesn't care about the soy sauce factory at all. To be honest, I don't expect him to inherit the family business now. I don't care about being well-matched. I just want him to marry a capable wife and be satisfied with entrusting the family business to him."
When Helan heard her words and thought about the look Guo Jixiang had just given Lin Chuntao and her sister, he was stunned and frowned. How could Lin Chuntao and her sister be so successful that the Chai family would spend so much money?
Helan didn't mean to say that Lin Chuntao and the others were incapable. Just because this small stall could earn nearly one string of coins a day, it was already very impressive.
If we compare it with the Chai family, it is definitely not as good.
She was filled with disbelief.
"Madam, you are joking, right?"
"These two girls down there are miserable people. They are not suitable for your family in any way."
Guo Jixiang understood the implication of Helan's words, but did not respond. She only said, "A hundred years ago, our Chai family's ancestor was also a miserable person. Everyone is the same. What's more, it's even more precious that such a poor girl can find a way out for herself."
Helan now understood Guo Jixiang's determination and picked up the teacup in front of him.
Based on her understanding of Lin Chuntao, she could not be tempted by the wealthy and powerful families, but it might be troublesome if she was entangled by the Chai family. She thought about it in her mind and just waited and watched.
Looking at Helan's expression, Guo Jixiang knew that the relationship between Helan and Lin Chuntao was deeper than she had imagined.
"I see that the shopkeeper's wife is of marriageable age. I wonder if she is married."
He Lan laughed when he heard this and said, "I wonder if Madam is asking about the big one or the small one?"
Guo Jixiang said: "Big one."
Helan smiled and pointed at Pei Ying's back, "This is Madam Lin's husband."
Guo Jixiang was confused. Although she had seen Pei Ying the last time she came, Pei Ying was in the butcher shop. No one would have thought that Pei Ying and Lin Chuntao were actually husband and wife. The nanny had gone with her that day and didn't tell anyone when she came back, mainly because she didn't think of asking.
"She got married."
There was a hint of regret in Guo Jixiang's tone.
"Is this young man an employee in your shop?" Guo Jixiang asked. Helan replied, "He's a butcher."
Guo Jixiang nodded slightly, her eyes deep, and it was unknown what she was thinking. Helan lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea. After a while, he said, "Since Madam asked about them today, I have something else to tell Madam."
Guo Jixiang raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Helan quietly, waiting for the next words.
Helan raised his chin slightly and pointed at Pei Ying, "The man who saved Xingyu on the day he got into trouble was the butcher in my shop."
Guo Jixiang widened her eyes in surprise and stood up to look at Pei Ying.
"What? It's actually him!"
"Lao Chai and I had our servants waiting at the market entrance those days, thinking if we could see him, we'd definitely thank him properly. I never thought he'd end up in your butcher shop."
"Sister He, this is truly fate."
Helan thought to herself, you wouldn't be so ruthless as to snatch the wife of the man who saved your life, right? She smiled and agreed, "Isn't it?"
"I didn't know you were looking for me, ma'am, or I would have told you."
Guo Jixiang said, "I'm looking for him. Of course I wouldn't look for him if he did me such a great favor. It's just that Xingyu's situation is not good, so I didn't come out to look for him myself."
"I must thank him very much for this! Xin Zhu, go to Wanfulou and ask the owner to reserve a table for me at noon, using their signature dishes. Also, go home and get a box from the storeroom."
The girl named Xin Zhu left in a hurry after hearing what was said.
Guo Jixiang and He Lan said, "Boss He, let's meet later. You didn't tell me about this last time I came. I'm really... ashamed."
Helan smiled and said, "Please forgive me, Madam. I didn't think of it yesterday. I only remembered it when you mentioned it."
The two of them sat upstairs drinking tea, enjoying the hustle and bustle of the market. Lin Chunxing cooked noodles while Lin Chuntao helped by collecting money and serving noodles.
Guo Jixiang raised her eyebrows slightly, "Is this noodle shop run by sisters mainly run by the younger sister?"
"Yes, sister mainly helps."
Guo Jixiang said, "I think she is a little younger than Xingyu."
Helan smiled but said nothing. Guo Jixiang had her sights set on Lin Chunxing. Was she really looking for a daughter-in-law or was she thinking about a sauce recipe? Helan wasn't sure.
"Don't be afraid of my sister laughing at you. Xingyu's face was badly injured. If we find someone with a lower social status, we can spend more money, which can be considered as compensation."
Helan was a little skeptical, but she still said, "Madam, it's better for you to let go of the matter of marriage. I think Xingyu will find his sweetheart on his own."
Guo Jixiang waved her hand gently.
Lin Chuntao and her colleagues were busy until noon. When all the noodles were sold out, the two sisters were busy washing dishes and pots and cleaning up. Only after they finished did Guo Jixiang and Helan come down from upstairs.
Guo Jixiang walked towards Pei Ying first. Pei Ying looked at the woman coming towards him and looked at Helan in confusion.
Helan smiled and said, "Xiao Pei, let me introduce someone to you. This is Madam Guo from the Chai Family Sauce Factory. The young man you saved at the market entrance that day is Madam Guo's son."
Before Pei Ying could say anything, Guo Jixiang said, "Thank you, Brother Pei, for saving Xingyu's life. Xingyu was seriously injured at the time, and I sent people from the mansion to look for you at the market entrance, but they couldn't find you. I accidentally mentioned it today, and Shopkeeper He brought it up. I'm so ashamed that I never expressed my gratitude to you!"
Pei Ying said calmly, "It's just a small favor for me, Madam, don't worry."
Guo Jixiang said, "This is a great favor to our Chai family. I have already asked someone to reserve a table at Wanfulou. Please do me the honor of coming."
Pei Ying was a little annoyed by these things. He had refused Chai Xingyu's invitation that day, so why did he invite him again today? He felt that if he didn't accept, this family would never stop. Then he looked at Lin Chuntao.
Lin Chuntao remembered Guo Jixiang and asked with a smile, "Madam, were you satisfied with the noodle soup that day?"
Guo Jixiang smiled and said, "I'm very satisfied. The shopkeeper has good cooking skills and is very considerate. I'll make another pot of the soup you prepared tonight."
"As long as Madam likes it, you can come anytime you need."
As Lin Chuntao was about to collect the backpack, Guo Jixiang hurriedly said, "Of course I did. I just learned that your husband is my son's savior. Madam, I've ordered food at the restaurant. Please do me the honor of having lunch with us before returning."
Pei Ying had told her about this two days ago, but when she heard Guo Jixiang mention it, she still pretended to be surprised and asked, "How could there be such a fate?"
Guo Jixiang said, "Isn't it? Then it's settled. Let's go now."
Lin Chuntao looked at her and smiled, "Madam, you are so polite. In that case, we will respectfully obey your command."
Guo Jixiang smiled with satisfaction after hearing her words.
Lin Chunxing was confused about going to Wanfulou for dinner, but when she saw Lin Chuntao chatting and laughing with Guo Jixiang and Helan, she took a deep breath and plucked up her courage.
When inviting their savior to dinner, how could Chai Songchuan and Chai Xingyu not be there?
Lin Chuntao and the others entered Wanfulou and followed the shopkeeper to the door of the private room, where Chai Songchuan and Chai Xingyu were already there.
When Chai Songchuan saw the visitor, he greeted Pei Ying and bowed to express his gratitude. Pei Ying said, "Master Chai, you are welcome. It is just a small favor for me."
Chai Songchuan said, "Calling you Master Chai is too strange. From now on, just call me Uncle."
Chai Xingyu only knew that he was coming to eat, and he didn't know that he was inviting Pei Ying and the others to dinner.
Thinking that Pei Ying had refused his request two days ago, and now his mother was asking him again, he was a little worried. Would Pei Ying think that he was the one who went home to ask the adults to come and bother him?
Fortunately, Pei Ying looked calm, so he felt relieved.
The dishes ordered by the Chai family were very rich. In addition to chicken, duck and fish, there was also a dish of braised goat, a dish of braised deer tendon, a dish of pigeon and ginseng soup, meat stuffed with tofu, steamed preserved vegetables, roasted matsutake mushrooms, preserved eggs and red cabbage, and each person also had a serving of rice dumplings with fermented glutinous rice.
The dishes were all beautifully prepared, but Lin Chuntao had a strong taste for food and didn’t particularly like regular dishes like this, mainly because her mind wasn’t on the food.
Helan had already reminded her, how could someone who set fire for the sake of a prescription be a good person?
It sounds nice to say that they were grateful for saving their lives, but for poor people like them, if it wasn't profitable, the Chai family would be considered kind by giving them some money to get rid of them. They are even afraid that they will get close to them, so why would they be so kind as to invite them to this big restaurant for dinner?
Halfway through the meal, Chai Songchuan mentioned the sauce.
"Mrs. Lin is a very good cook. In just a few days, her soup noodles have become very popular in our small county."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Uncle Chai, you're too kind. It's just a snack, for everyone to enjoy for fun. It's not really a craft."
As soon as she finished speaking, Guo Jixiang echoed, "Mrs. Lin, you're too modest. You don't even know that half of the people who come to our sauce shop to buy sauces recently ask what kind of sauce you put in your soup noodles?"
Upon hearing this, Helan picked up the teacup beside her and looked at the table calmly, but she was worried about Lin Chuntao in her heart. She was afraid that Lin Chuntao would inadvertently fall into the trap set by the Chai family.
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I've heard that the Chai Family Sauce Factory has been passed down for over a hundred years and is the signature of our Yizhou. Now that my wife has mentioned this, I know it's true. When the people try new sauces, the first thing they think of is the Chai Family Sauce Factory. This is all due to word of mouth. Now that everything is being renovated, maybe soon the people of the entire Dasheng Dynasty will be able to taste our Yizhou Chai Family Sauce."
"Mrs. Lin, this is truly an unbelievable compliment! It's just that our county is small, and everyone spreads the word by word of mouth."
Chai Song relayed Lin Chuntao's words, but there was pride in his shrewd eyes, and Guo Jixiang also had a smile on her face. This is what nice words are like, everyone likes them.
The topic suddenly changed from discussing the sauce in Lin Chuntao's soup to the Chai family's rise to wealth, how hard the ancestors worked, and how they came up with a sauce that everyone liked.
Helan watched helplessly as Lin Chuntao praised them to the utmost and they had a very pleasant conversation.
Guo Jixiang became concerned about the silent Lin Chunxing at the table, and asked whether she was married, how old she was, etc. Chai Xingyu at the table knew his parents very well, and he and Helan immediately had the same idea, some of them couldn't believe it, but it was something they could do.
"Mom! I have an idea. Shopkeeper He happens to be here today, so please help me be a witness."
Guo Jixiang's eyes dimmed slightly. She didn't know what Chai Xingyu was up to. But as he said, with Helan here, she couldn't say anything directly. She just smiled and said, "Kid, if you have anything on your mind, just say it. Why are you so serious?"
"Brother Pei saved me that day, and I came back to life after eating the noodle soup made by Madam Lin! I will take this opportunity to become sworn brothers with Madam Lin today!"
Lin Chuntao: “…”
Helan: “!!!”
Pei Ying and Lin Chunxing opened their mouths wide, their faces full of disbelief.
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