Xu Qinyu was so excited when she heard the little girl calling her auntie. She couldn't help but hold the little girl and nibble on her cheek twice, which made Yan Jieer feel a little embarrassed. She stammered and told her, "Auntie, auntie, this was snatched away by Xiaoxiao."
She hadn't spoken for a long time, so she couldn't help stuttering, but she also told Xu Qinyu what Xiao Xiao had done.
Xu Qinyu told Sister Yan seriously, "Don't be afraid, Sister Yan. If anyone bullies you in the future, you can tell your aunt, your grandmother, and your aunt. No one will bully us here anymore, so don't be afraid." The little girl watched her family die, with a shadow in her heart. Even if she was bullied in this rural area, she still didn't dare to resist.
Sister Yan looked at Xu Qinyu with red eyes, and finally she lay in her arms and cried, her little body twitching.
Xu Qinyu did not stop her. She hugged the little girl, patted her back silently, and let her vent.
Later, Xiaoxiao brought Yanjie's hair tie and ran away again.
After that, when Sister Yan went out to play with her friends, she would occasionally utter a few words. The boys were very happy for her when they learned that she could actually speak.
When Xiaoxiao learned that she could speak, she was very panicked and worried. She was afraid that Yan Jie'er would tell Xu Qinyu about her snatching her hair rope and bracelet, and Xu Qinyu would tell her mother. So Xiaoxiao didn't dare to play with Yan Jie'er during that time and would hide when she saw her.
Sister Yan is more attached to Xu Qinyu. In fact, Brother Feng is also quite attached to Xu Qinyu. He is the seventh prince and was only two years old when he was exiled. When he came to the border town, it was Xu Qinyu who made delicious food for him. In his heart, Xu Qinyu is probably closer to him than Wen.
Although the two brothers and sisters were excited to see Pei Weixuan, they were also a little shy since they hadn't seen him for more than a year.
Both children were very smart. Even though Fengger was only three years old when Pei Weixuan left, he still remembered it.
Sister Yan called out "Uncle" and stood beside Xu Qinyu. Brother Feng was born dumb and could not speak, so he just followed Sister Feng and quietly hid behind Xu Qinyu, revealing half of his delicate face to look at his fourth brother.
Pei Weixuan was not surprised when he heard Sister Yan calling him. He just nodded and said that Sister Yan and Brother Feng had grown taller.
After calling out to the two little guys, Pei Weixuan looked at Sister Ning again, "Sister Ning has grown taller too."
Wen smiled and said, "The children have eaten well together and have grown taller and healthier. Only you have become thinner. Yu Niang cooked noodles for you. Please eat them quickly."
"good."
Pei Weixuan glanced at Yu Niang, then took the noodles and sat down to eat.
The noodles were tasty, the soup was light, the poached egg was fried tenderly, and the yolk was still soft. He liked eggs with soft yolks, and she always remembered that.
The bean sprouts are crisp and tender. One bite makes your stomach and body feel comfortable.
He hadn't eaten the food cooked by Yu Niang for more than a year. When he was in those countries overseas, he often dreamed of the food cooked by Yu Niang and the appearance of Yu Niang calling his husband.
Thinking of this, Pei Weixuan's eyes darkened.
Xu Qinyu cooked him a big bowl of noodles, and the whole family gathered around him to watch him eat. Then Wen said, "Sister Ning, take Brother Feng and Sister Yan to bed first. Your fourth brother has been traveling a long way, so he should wash up and go to bed right after he finishes eating."
Sister Ning nodded and led Sister Yan and Brother Feng back to the house.
Wen asked the children to go to bed first because after Xuan Ge'er finished eating, she wanted to ask him where he had been for the past year. Even if the caravan was far away, it would not take more than a year to return.
After Pei Weixuan finished his noodles, he took his bowl and chopsticks to wash the bowl and put it back in the cupboard. The hot water on the stove was still boiling.
Seeing that Wen was looking at him, he knew that he couldn't keep some things secret. After thinking for a moment, he told Wen and Yu Niang, "I'm sorry that you and Yu Niang have been worried for more than a year. I went out to sea with the caravan and went to a country called Erlai."
Xu Qinyu thought she had heard it wrong and looked surprised.
"Fourth brother, what did you do?"
Pei Weixuan said calmly, "Go to sea."
Wen still didn't quite understand what going out to sea meant and was a little confused.
People of this era did not know that there were countries overseas, that the end of the sea was not the sea, and that going out to sea simply meant fishing.
Wen couldn't help but ask, "Why is Brother Xuan going out to sea? Isn't he following the caravan?"
Pei Weixuan said: "Mom, I went on a voyage with a merchant caravan. There are other countries overseas. I went to a country called Erlai. The people there are different from us here. They have blond hair and blue eyes. The culture and food are completely different."
He only went to Erlai and did not sail further, otherwise he would have encountered other countries.
Xu Qinyu heard it clearly and took a breath.
She never expected that her fourth brother would go on a long voyage.
In this dynasty, the navigation system was not developed enough. The ships could only sail according to the wind and the sails. The ships might not even be big enough. How could the fourth brother go out to sea? And he even found a country overseas? She didn't know what to say. She could only say that the fourth brother was lucky and didn't encounter a big storm. Otherwise, he would have been dead.
Mrs. Wen was not aware of the dangers of sailing. She did not expect that Brother Xuan would go out to sea after being away for more than a year.
Pei Weixuan did not intend to say too much, and simply told Yu Niang and Wen Shi, "We have stored some crops in Erlai, including potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as seeds of peppers, tomatoes and other crops."
Xu Qinyu was completely stunned.
Fourth brother found these crops when he went out to sea!
She remembered that before her fourth brother went out to sea, she knew that there was a snowstorm in the north. She chatted with her fourth brother while cooking, saying that she had mentioned in some rare travel notes that there were countries overseas where the agricultural production was very high. Her fourth brother asked her what those crops looked like, and she even drew them with a charcoal stick for him to see.
So Fourth Brother went out to sea specifically to look for these crops?
But she only told her fourth brother about potatoes and sweet potatoes, and did not mention crops such as peppers and tomatoes.
Come to think of it, it's unlikely. Fourth brother was just following other caravans out to sea. It might just be a coincidence.
But no matter whether it was a coincidence or it was done by her fourth brother, she couldn't help but be happy. Those were potatoes and sweet potatoes, with an output of four to five thousand kilograms of grain per mu. If potatoes and sweet potatoes could be planted on a large scale in various parts of the Great Sheng Dynasty, even if there was a disaster year, as long as there was enough food at home, they would not have to starve to death or flee from famine.
For people who are used to eating beans, potatoes and sweet potatoes are just delicious foods, and they will not dislike their monotonous taste.
On the contrary, potatoes and sweet potatoes can be cooked in many ways and taste very good. Potatoes can be used as a staple food or as a dish, while sweet potatoes are sweet and sticky, and can be used as a staple food or to make various desserts.
Moreover, the fourth brother also brought back peppers and tomatoes, and said there were some other crops. The peppers alone were enough to surprise Xu Qinyu. She could only use dogwood instead of chili peppers to make spicy dishes, but the taste of dogwood was still a little worse. If there were peppers, the taste of the dishes would be more prominent.
There are also tomatoes, which also occupy a very important position in cooking ingredients or seasonings.
Although these crops cannot be grown right away and it will take time, Xu Qinyu couldn't help but feel happy.
Wen didn't know what these crops represented, but was worried about something else. "Brother Xuan, is it dangerous to go out to sea? Do you want to continue going out to sea in the future?"
This trip to the sea would take more than a year, so she was still a little worried.
Xu Qinyu also looked at her fourth brother.
Fourth brother was lucky on this voyage, but she was also worried.
Pei Weixuan said: "I will not go out for the second time for the time being. If allowed in the future, maybe I will have some trade exchanges with overseas." This is just his idea, and it will take a lot of effort to realize it.
Xu Qinyu couldn't help thinking that, worthy of being a prince, he could see the economic benefits that maritime trade could bring to his country, but his fourth brother was right, the conditions were indeed not mature enough now.
In addition, any trade with overseas countries must be approved by the imperial court. If the fourth brother goes out to sea secretly for a long time, it would not be good if he was noticed by the imperial court. And the fourth brother is an exiled prince, so the whole caravan might be implicated.
Xu Qinyu couldn't help but sigh. If her fourth brother could become the emperor, perhaps the Great Sheng Dynasty would usher in a prosperous era.
Wen also asked about what happened when going out to sea and whether it was dangerous on the sea.
Pei Weixuan also said that it was okay and everything would be fine as long as there was no major storm.
When he went out, he encountered several storms. He would look at the weather and avoid them all. There was only one time when he didn't avoid it, but he got through it safely. When he came back, it was relatively smooth. He didn't encounter any big storms, but the wind direction was wrong, so the voyage took a long time, and it took several months to return to Dasheng.
Pei Weixuan also told Wen and Yu Niang that the fact that the caravan brought back these crops should not be announced to the outside world.
There are some things you can tell them, and some things you have to keep hidden from them, otherwise they will just be worried every day.
Wen and Xu Qinyu knew the interests involved, so they naturally would not tell anyone about it for fear of attracting the attention of the court.
After Pei Weixuan finished speaking, he hesitated for a moment, then took out a hairpin from his arms. It was a crabapple-colored glass hairpin that seemed to be flowing with golden light. There was also a cloth bag, and he poured the contents of the bag onto the wooden table. There were several strings of glass bead bracelets and a ring, all made of glass. The colors were also different, but none of them were red, and there was no golden light flowing in the glass beads. He bought these strings of glass bead bracelets in Erlai and gave them to other people in the family.
Wen's eyes were immediately attracted by the colored glass hairpin and the colored glass bead bracelets. She murmured, "What are these? They are so beautiful."
Even though there are already techniques such as filigree inlay, gold and silver inlay, and engraving, which can produce extremely beautiful jewelry and objects, there is no kingfisher feather inlay, blue burning, and even less colored glaze techniques. It is only this colorful colored glaze, with its hazy transparency and absolutely beautiful colors, that is so attractive that no one can take their eyes away.
Even Xu Qinyu, who had seen all kinds of colored glaze and glass products, couldn't help but hold her breath when she saw this hairpin.
This hairpin is so beautiful. It has a heavy texture yet is hazy and clear. The crabapple color and the golden light inside are intertwined, as if it were alive.
Pei Weixuan's eyes fell on the wooden hairpin on Yu Niang's bun, and handed the glass hairpin with golden and crabapple colors to Xu Qinyu, "These are Erlai's handicrafts, and can also be used as jewelry. This hairpin is for Yu Niang."
In fact, the colored glaze ornaments sold in Erlai do not include hairpins, but only bracelets and rings. The women there do not use hairpins or other jewellery.
Although the hairpin was borrowed from Yu Niang to let her watch how to make colored glaze, it was also out of his own selfish desire. He wanted to give Yu Niang a hairpin, a unique hairpin.
Without waiting for Yu Niang to take the hairpin, he reached out and handed the bracelets and rings to Wen Shi, "These are for mother, Ning Jie'er and Yan Jie'er. The ring is for Feng Ge'er, but it's a little big. You can only wear it when Feng Ge'er is older."
Wen took these things subconsciously.
Xu Qinyu didn't bother to be polite with him. She took the hairpin and thanked her fourth brother with a smile. She also took off the wooden hairpin on her head and inserted the glass hairpin into her bun. She asked with a smile, "Fourth brother, does it look good?"
She is not stunningly beautiful, but her face is pretty and her eyes are lively, which makes her look charming and cute.
"nice."
Without knowing it, his voice had become two degrees deeper.
But neither Wen nor Xu Qinyu noticed, and Xu Qinyu touched the glass hairpin.
She and Wen knew clearly in their hearts that neither the hairpin nor the bracelets could be taken out.
Colored glass handicrafts have never appeared in the Dasheng era. If they appear in the world, they will be rare treasures that are unique. After all, they are one-of-a-kind and will definitely attract the attention of the court. Their family has such a relationship with the two people in the palace. If they are involved in anything, the two people in the palace will not let them go. Therefore, even if they are exiled to the frontier as commoners, their family can only be cautious.
They can only take these glass crafts out if they can be found in large quantities.
Xu Qinyu and Wen Shi both thought that Pei Weixuan's caravan went out to sea for the colored glaze and used it to make money. As for the crops, Xu Qinyu thought that she might have mentioned it casually, so when the fourth brother saw these crops overseas, he told the caravan and brought some back.
Mrs. Wen planned to put away these strings of glass beads and the rings and tell Sister Ning about them tomorrow. Sister Ning had grown up, and Mrs. Wen would discuss any matters at home with her.
After putting the things away, Wen told Pei Weixuan about the matter between Old Madam Zhu and Zhu.
Pei Weixuan didn't expect such a coincidence, but it was also a good thing that his grandmother and great-grandmother could meet again.
Mrs. Wen also told her son about other things happening at home. The biggest things that happened at home, apart from the fact that Old Lady Zhu and Yu Niang opened a restaurant, was the diarrhea last summer.
After listening to Wen's story, Pei Weixuan knew that the protective methods against diarrhea were not thought up by Yang County Magistrate, but by Yu Niang.
He already knew in his heart that Yu Niang was not the original second daughter of the Marquis Dechang's Mansion, so he was not surprised. However, he was still curious about her origins. Would she leave just as suddenly as she came?
Thinking of this, Pei Weixuan's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by something and he could hardly breathe.
Wen said, "Then go and have breakfast with your great-grandmother tomorrow. She has been talking about you these days."
"good."
Pei Weixuan lowered his eyes, hiding all emotions in them.
Xu Qinyu also plans to ask Cheng Ge'er to go to the restaurant tomorrow to hang a notice saying that tomorrow is a day off, but since he is supposed to rest the day after tomorrow, he can just rest in advance and write it clearly on the notice.
It was already late and the water was ready, so Wen asked her son to fetch some water and wash up.
Xu Qinyu also said to Pei Weixuan: "Fourth brother, I will go back to my room and sleep first. I will make you whatever you want to eat tomorrow morning."
“All right.”
He likes everything made by Yu Niang.
Xu Qinyu thought about it and realized that her fourth brother had never eaten the custard buns she made, so she planned to make some dairy products for him as breakfast tomorrow.
Uncle He will definitely continue to send her milk and fish tomorrow. The fish will be kept for Cheng Ge'er to make fish balls in the restaurant tomorrow and sell them. The milk will be kept for the family. It happens that Ma Liu will leave for home tomorrow, so she will make some more custard buns for him to take with him on the road.
Before Pei Weixuan went to wash up, he took out a silver note worth one thousand taels from his pocket and gave it to Xu Qinyu.
He asked for this from Huo Ye. Huo Ye was in charge of the black-armored guards and had some silver in his hand, which he took away.
When Huo Ye gave it to him, his face twitched with pain, and he muttered, "This is all the wealth we have left. Fortunately, Your Highness has learned how to make colored glaze, otherwise we would not have the money to recruit soldiers and buy horses."
When Xu Qinyu saw the 1,000 taels of silver, she couldn't help but exclaimed, "Fourth brother, did the caravan give so much as a reward?"
Although it was a sea voyage, one thousand taels of silver was a lot of money. The escorts in an ordinary caravan only earned a few dozen taels of silver a year.
"Yes..." Pei Weixuan was a little helpless, "Although the restaurant makes a lot of money, you should keep these banknotes. You can use them when you want to open a bigger restaurant in the future."
It seems that the only things on Yu Niang's mind are cooking, running a restaurant and making money.
Xu Qinyu took it. She knew that Wen Shi would not want the 1,200 taels of silver. Even if her fourth brother gave it to Wen Shi, she would only give it to her and let her keep it.
When Wen saw Xuan'er giving the banknote to Yu Niang, she was stunned for a moment, but she didn't think much about it, but a strange feeling spread in her heart.
Even if Xuan Ge'er gave her the banknote, she would definitely give it to Yu Niang.
It's just that this was given to Yu Niang by Xuan Ge'er on his own initiative. The other gifts Xuan Ge'er gave to them were bracelets and rings, only Yu Niang got a hairpin.
Could it be that Brother Xuan is against Yu Niang...
Wen couldn't help but feel happy. She liked Yu Niang and naturally wanted her to be her daughter-in-law. It was great that Xuan Ge'er was interested in Yu Niang. Given her son's cold-hearted behavior, she thought he would never fall in love with anyone in his life.
Just looking at Yu Niang, it seems that she really treats Xuan Ge'er as her fourth brother.
Forget it, let's wait and see. Anyway, even if Xuan Ge'er really likes Yu Niang, she will still follow Yu Niang's feelings.
Pei Weixuan carried the water back to the room to wash up, and Xu Qinyu also went back to the room to wash up and go to bed. After a while, Ning Jie'er also went back to the room to sleep with her.
Ever since Zhu moved in with the old lady, Wen slept with Feng Ge'er, Ning Jie'er slept with Yuan Jie'er, and Yu Niang slept in a room of her own.
Now that Pei Weixuan is back, he naturally has to sleep in the same room with Fengger. Wen will sleep with Yanjieer, and Ningjieer will go back to sleep with her.
Xu Qinyu thought that as the family had more people, it was time to buy a new house. It didn't have to be too big. First, they could buy a house with two courtyards. Most of the houses in Laixi Lane ahead had two or three courtyards. Then the family would be able to live in it. Ning Jie'er was grown up too, and it was time for her to have her own room.
As she was thinking, Xu Qinyu fell asleep in a daze.
The next day, she woke up still a little dazed. She got dressed and went out. She found the oil lamp in the kitchen was on. She went over and saw that it was Pei Weixuan. She smiled and said, "Fourth brother, why don't you sleep a little longer since you just came back?"
Xu Qinyu hadn't washed up yet and had just woken up. Her eyes were a little hazy, and there were marks on her face where she had pressed on the quilt.
Pei Weixuan raised his lips and smiled, "I couldn't sleep, so I got up."
He had already boiled some water and filled the water tank in the kitchen, but he hadn't chopped the firewood in the yard yet for fear of disturbing everyone.
Xu Qinyu muttered, "Fourth brother has suffered so much on this trip, he should rest more when he comes back."
After saying that, she thought of the potatoes and sweet potatoes from yesterday and asked Pei Weixuan, "Fourth brother, what are you going to do with the crops you brought back from overseas?"
We can't sell them as seeds, right? Should we sell them directly to the court? After all, it's not Fourth Brother's caravan, Fourth Brother shouldn't have the final say, right? In fact, she didn't want the caravan to sell these things to the court. She felt that even if they were handed over to the court, the new emperor and the queen mother, who were in power and could slaughter the victims at will, would probably not pay much attention to these two crops. It would be a pity if they were destroyed in their hands.
It would be better to find someone to try planting in the southwest first. We only have one boat, and we brought back some glass. The amount of crops we brought back should not be much. It will definitely take another two years to implement large-scale planting.
Pei Weixuan said: "The owner of the caravan should be planning to find someone to plant it first."
Not many of these crops were brought back, so the people on the island could only grow them first. By the time they could be planted in large quantities, the southwest should be in his hands.
But before that, he had to set up a workshop to make colored glaze and earn some money.
So he couldn't stay at home for long, and he would have to join Huo Ye and the others in a few days.
Hearing that it was the caravan owner who asked people to plant the crops first, Xu Qinyu felt more relieved.
Before these things are grown in large quantities, she can't ask her fourth brother to help her negotiate business with the employer to purchase these ingredients. So now even if Xu Qinyu is itching to do so, she can only wait. After another two years, she will be able to use these ingredients to cook.
Xu Qinyu chatted with her fourth brother for a while, then went to the Wen family to find Cheng Ge'er. Together with Cheng Ge'er, they drove a donkey cart to the restaurant.
After arriving at the restaurant, Xu Qinyu wrote a notice and posted it, saying that the restaurant would be closed today, but would be open the day after tomorrow, and that fish balls and fish heads would be sold during the evening meal.
The space at home is too small to make too many breakfasts and custard buns, so it is more convenient here in the restaurant. The big steamer can steam dozens of them at a time.
Soon, Uncle He brought the fish and milk, as well as other fresh river food such as shrimps, crabs, and eels.
Xu Qinyu kept all of them and cooked them for Fourth Brother at dusk.
The excess shrimps, crabs and eels can be made into pepper and salt flavor, and the meat of the snails can also be made into dry-fried pepper and salt flavor, and Ma Liu can take them all to the group of officers and soldiers to eat.
Unfortunately, the capital city is quite far away and it would take several days to travel by water, otherwise she would like to ask Ma Liu to help send some of the food she cooked back to her family.
Now that the weather is getting hot, these foods will go bad in two days and there is no way they can be delivered to our families.
For breakfast, Xu Qinyu made custard buns and steamed buns with milk, cooked a pot of rice porridge with brown sugar, fried some tofu, and stir-fried some leeks, snails, and wild rice slices.
The whole family had breakfast. Xu Qinyu first asked Cheng Ge'er to deliver the breakfast cart to Old Lady Zhu.
Pei Weixuan, Wen, and Ning Jie'er had already gone to Old Lady Zhu's place. When Old Lady Zhu learned that Pei Weixuan had returned and saw her daughter's grandson for the first time, she was very excited and shed tears. She pulled him aside and talked for a long time.
The whole family started eating breakfast only after it was served.
Pei Weixuan had never eaten the brown sugar rice porridge and custard buns for breakfast, and he had never eaten even the pickled vegetables and fermented bean curd that came with it.
Needless to say, the taste is amazing, and only Yu Niang can make such a delicious dish.
Xu Qinyu saw that her fourth brother actually liked sweets, and he drank three bowls of brown sugar rice porridge in one breath.
After eating and drinking, Pei Weixuan and Xu Qinyu returned the kitchen utensils to the restaurant.