Not only did Meng Zhao buy some for the Shen family, but he also bought two for himself and his parents.
She hadn't originally intended to buy it for herself. The original owner had left behind several dresses, which, although not made of the finest materials, were still wearable. But once she got to the store, she couldn't control herself.
They are a piece of light purple linen fabric, which feels sturdy and breathable, and is also cheaper, making it suitable for everyday work or setting up a stall.
She also bought a piece of light green gauze. The fabric was soft and delicate, and the color was bright, making her skin look even whiter. Meng Zhao couldn't take her eyes off it at first sight.
The final choice of color was relatively light and elegant, because Meng Zhao suddenly remembered that the mourning period for Shen's father and Shen Da was not over yet. Although there was no rule that only plain colors could be worn during the mourning period, it was still best to wear less bright colors.
After paying one tael of silver, the servant found him a piece of cloth to pack the selected fabric. He also let her choose a few pairs of silk flowers. Meng Zhao picked out a pair for Gu Shi, Meng Madam, herself, and Shen Qingyu, again choosing lighter colors.
Fortunately, the fabric was all summer material, so it wasn't too heavy, and with all the work and exercise she had been doing these days, her strength had been increasing.
But as we walked to Shenjia Village, beads of sweat still appeared on my forehead.
Upon entering the village, Meng Zhao noticed a little girl, around ten years old, following her closely. The girl was carrying a bamboo basket and didn't approach her to speak. She didn't seem to have any ill intentions, so Meng Zhao stopped to ask her what was wrong.
"Whose child are you, and what are you doing following me?"
The little girl's clothes were clearly too big, loose and baggy, unlike her own clothes. Her shoes also had a hole in them. She slowly walked up to Meng Zhao, lowered her head, and stammered:
"Sister Meng, Sister Meng Zhao, I live at the east end of the village. My grandma told me that you harvest vegetables in the village, so I wanted to ask if you also buy these." As she spoke, she pushed the basket forward.
News in the village can't be kept secret. Ever since she started collecting eggs and buying rabbits from Aunt Fengxian in the village, people have been coming to her door or trying to find out what she's up to, either directly or through Aunt Feng'e.
Although Meng Zhao had originally intended to buy vegetables from the village, he refused most of them.
The main problem is that the quantity is small and inconsistent. Today I dug up some wild vegetables, tomorrow I'll pick some mushrooms, but that's not even enough for a day.
When someone comes to Meng Zhao, he will first check the items. If the food is fresh, he will accept it this time, but he will also tell them that he will not accept it in the future.
Seeing the girl's words, Meng Zhao understood. However, there was nowhere to put the cloth on her back, and it was too hot to talk in the sun. Since it wasn't far from home, she let the girl come home with her and they would talk later.
When they arrived home, Madam Gu was washing dishes with her sleeves rolled up. When she saw Meng Zhao carrying a large bag, she quickly came to take it from her. "Zhao Zhao, what did you buy? If I had known you would buy so much, I should have waited for you to come back together."
Meng Zhao took the cloth bag off and placed it on the table with Gu Shi. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I didn't expect to buy so much, but it's okay, I'm not tired from walking back."
After putting the things down, Madam Gu noticed the little girl following behind Meng Zhao. "Oh my, isn't this Xiao Yun? Why did you come back with Zhao Zhao?"
The girl called Xiaoyun approached and spoke somewhat reservedly, "Auntie, I heard you buy vegetables. I wanted to ask if you buy them?"
Meng Zhao reached out and took the basket from Xiao Yun. She had already seen it earlier; the basket was filled with fresh green plums. Now that she was closer, she could clearly smell the sour and astringent aroma of the plums.
"Hiss, isn't this a green fruit? This thing is inedible, it's just too sour." Just seeing the green fruit made Gu's mouth water, not from greed, but from the sourness.
The Shen family was poor before and had little to eat. They used to pick green fruits on the mountain, but they could only eat the first bite each time because they were so sour. Even when they were fully ripe, they were still sour and astringent.
Seeing that she was rejected, Xiaoyun lowered her head even further. She and her grandmother were almost starving at home. Today, she went to the mountain to dig for wild vegetables, but most of the wild vegetables in the vicinity had been dug up, so she could only pick some unripe fruits that no one wanted.
Just then, he saw Meng Zhao, and with a last-ditch effort, mustered up the courage to come up and ask, but it seemed it was still no use.
Meng Zhao couldn't resist any longer. The green fruit was cool to the touch and smelled very refreshing. She took two to the well to wash them, handed one to Gu Shi, and took a bite herself.
The moment it entered his mouth, his face scrunched up, his lips and teeth drooled, and he kept swallowing.
Seeing how sour it was, Gu couldn't help but laugh. "Oh dear, I already said it's sour, why did you still take such a big bite?"
Meng Zhao finally recovered and looked at Xiao Yun standing next to him, asking, "Where did you pick these plums?"
"They were all picked from the back mountain."
"Okay, I can take these green plums, but I have some requirements." He then emptied the remaining green plums from the basket and divided them into two portions.
Meng Zhao pointed them out to Xiao Yun one by one, "I only need those that are round, plump, and without any flaws. I don't want those with bruises on the skin, dirty stems, or wrinkles on the skin, is that okay?"
When Xiaoyun saw Meng Zhao say she wanted it, she was extremely excited. She carefully read Meng Zhao's requirements and nodded to him after she understood them. "Okay, I will definitely choose carefully."
Judging from Xiaoyun's clothes, her family background is probably not very good. There should be many in Qingmei Mountain, and she could accept anyone's. But since she happened to meet Xiaoyun, it means that they are destined to meet.
"I'll give you these plums for two coins a pound. Don't tell anyone else, or I won't be able to refuse them if they come knocking on my door."
"Okay, I understand." Xiaoyun nodded emphatically. She was determined not to tell anyone. She had asked without much hope, but unexpectedly, there really was a chance to make money.
There were about two pounds of usable plums on the table. Meng Zhao took out four copper coins and handed them to Xiao Yun, telling her to go back first.
Shen Yun clutched the four coins in her hand and happily ran home.
Years later, Shen Yun felt that the best thing she ever did was to hand Meng Zhao the basket when she saw her that day.
When Gu saw that she had bought the sour and astringent green fruit, she had no objection. After all, she had completely trusted Zhao Zhao after spending time with her. If Zhao Zhao wanted to do something, she must have her reasons.
Meng Zhao was also very happy at this moment. She had made a viral video in modern times, which introduced various ways to eat green plums.
It can be used to make plum wine and plum jam, as well as preserved plums, stewed pork ribs, and braised pork. Even fresh plums can be eaten as a cold dish.
Just thinking about the delicious dishes that can be made with green plums makes my mouth water uncontrollably.
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