Chapter 25 Chapter 025 Stone Mill Arrangement and Braised Beef Noodles. ...
Thinking about the taste of braised beef noodles, Qin Yuan couldn't help but salivate. There was no other way. In the past five years, from a baby to five years old, she had only drunk milk and various foods that did not require chewing. The goat milk she had drunk also had an indescribable taste. Now when she thought of instant noodles, Qin Yuan felt that it was a rare delicacy in the world.
As she thought this, she swallowed the dumpling wrapper in her mouth. The dumpling wrapper, which was tainted with the flavor of mutton, tasted slightly different from modern noodles. Modern noodles were more delicate, white and tender, while the dumplings were now slightly yellow in color, easier to chew and not very chewy.
Xie Yaer gently blew the remaining dumplings for her daughter, and then brought them to her daughter's mouth. Qin Yuan swallowed the dumpling skin in her mouth, and then opened her mouth to eat the dumplings that were actually filled with mutton. She took a bite, and the fresh and tender taste of mutton instantly filled her mouth.
Although the Great Yong Dynasty did not have any thirteen spices or sesame oil, it did have vinegar and soy sauce. However, the taste of these things was completely different from the modern taste. The vinegar was particularly sour, but it was popular. The mutton filling, pickled vegetables, and garlic chives specially taken out and mixed together tasted particularly fresh and tender, with a different kind of taste that is hard to describe.
"Delicious! Mom, you try it too!" Qin Yuan's eyes widened suddenly. She had always thought that the stewed mutton was delicious, and now she felt that the dumplings were especially delicious. Could it be that she was so hungry that she ate anything she wanted?
Seeing that her daughter cared about her, Xie Yaer nodded gently. She did not despise her daughter and did not share her chopsticks with her daughter. She picked up a dumpling and took a light bite. If it were in the past, Xie Yaer would have been scolded by her mother if she had done this.
The more aristocratic a family is, the more they must abide by the rules, make appointments in the morning and evening, respect their parents and elder brothers, behave like gentlemen with their friends, and not over-pamper their children. Everyone must maintain a certain distance.
It was just that Xie Yaer had been in the Qin family for a long time, and Qin Yuan was still a child, so over time there were not so many rules.
As I tasted the dumplings made under my daughter's guidance, I felt that they were delicious. The flour wrapped the vegetables inside, which could warm the chest if eaten in winter. If I took them out to give to others, they would not get cold quickly in a short time. These dumplings were really interesting.
"These dumplings are so delicious!" Wang Pandi never thought that his hands could make such delicious food in his life. At this moment, holding the bowl and looking at the dumplings in it that his mother-in-law described as gold ingots, he couldn't help but look at his own Yoyo.
Could it be that the gods in heaven all eat gold ingots? So when my Yoyo came to the human world, he had these dumplings?
Liu Chunhua also tasted the dumplings and felt that the flour was indeed good. Moreover, dumplings can be made not only with mutton, but also with other vegetarian dishes. They are suitable for eating all year round.
"Oh, grandma likes this dumpling too."
After she said this, Qin Yuan, who had eaten another dumpling, immediately said.
"Grandma, you can put pork, mutton, chicken, eggs, whatever you want in these dumplings, as long as they taste good. Not only that, flour can be used to make a lot of dishes, including steamed buns, vegetable cakes, fried dough sticks, noodles, and so on. I'll teach my aunt and second aunt how to make them! That way, we can eat flour in different ways every day!"
As long as she doesn't eat those grains that prick her throat, Qin Yuan feels that eating noodles is the eternal fate of northerners.
The other members of the Qin family who were eating dumplings but had already set their sights on Qin Yuan were now looking at Qin Yuan eagerly, imagining how delicious the steamed buns, vegetable cakes, fried dough sticks, noodles and the like that Qin Yuan mentioned were. Are they as delicious as these dumplings?
Why didn’t they know to grind the wheat into flour to eat before?
Everyone regretted it very much. After all, in their place, they only planted crops once a year. They planted wheat on good land to pay taxes to the court, and they planted beans on bad land. So the villagers actually lived on bean rice. It was only after the daughter of the Xie family came that they added chestnuts to the meal.
But the silly Qin Gouzi said something without thinking after eating these particularly delicious dumplings.
"Mom, can I tell Awen how to make these dumplings?"
Qin Gouzi's words made everyone glare at him. Liu Chunhua glanced at her silly son and said with a smile.
"Come, come here, I'll tell you."
Qin Gouzi is as his name suggests. He is Liu Chunhua's last son. He was born weak, so he was given such a humble name. Even if Liu Chunhua raised him well, he was much thinner than his three older brothers and had not much strength as many people. This made Liu Chunhua think of sending her son to someone else to be a son-in-law. It was not because she disliked him, but because she thought that Qin Gouzi would learn a skill in the future and could survive without relying on farming.
Otherwise, with Qin Gouzi's physique, he would starve to death sooner or later if he relied on farming.
Although Qin Shi was a stonemason, he did not come from a family that worked with large stones. He could make anything from small stones like whetstones to the extremely profitable job of carving tombstones. During the Yong Dynasty, lavish burials were popular. When a family member passed away, both rich and poor had to erect a tombstone. This was the rule. Therefore, a stonemason who could carve tombstones was very capable. He had to be literate and be good at carving. If his son learned how to do it, he would at least be able to make a living.
The silly Qin Gouzi thought that his mother really had something to tell him, so he quickly walked over and squatted in front of his mother.
With a snap!
Liu Chunhua patted Qin Gouzi on the head, causing Qin Yuan to look up immediately to watch the fun. Grandma's movement was not big, so it shouldn't hurt.
"You haven't even married into their family yet! Why are you so eager to send our things to them? Who made these dumplings today? You ask me?"
Liu Chunhua looked down on her stupid son and called him in-law. She didn't intend to hide it, but she was angry when she saw her son being so disloyal.
As a result, Qin Gouzi couldn't see it at all. When he heard what his mother said, he turned his head and looked at Qin Yuan eagerly.
"Yoyo, you asked your sister-in-law to make these dumplings. Can I tell Awen how to make them?" Qin Gouzi's dark face turned red when he thought that Awen would be Yoyo's aunt in the future.
Now Qin Yuan, who was eating, finally understood what her grandmother meant. It turned out that she drove her uncle out at the beginning of the year not for him to learn skills, but because she planned to let her uncle marry into someone else's family in the future!
She immediately understood that they were all a family from now on, and thinking of Sister Qin who had come before, she nodded.
"Okay, I'm willing, little uncle. I'm willing to teach you how to make dumplings."
When the other members of the Qin family heard this, they didn't know who burst out laughing first, and then everyone burst into laughter while holding their bowls. Qin Gouzi's face turned red from laughing, and Qin Dali, his biological father, looked at his stupid son with displeasure.
"When I asked your father-in-law to make this stone mill, I didn't intend to hide it from him. Your father-in-law is so smart, how could he not know what it is used for? This afternoon, I'll ask your sister-in-law to make some dumplings. You can take them back and let your father-in-law taste them. When the big stone mill is ready, I will definitely tell your father-in-law about the method of grinding flour."
After all, they will be a family in the future. Qin Shi has only one daughter in his family. Even though his son is marrying into his wife's family, his grandson will still have the surname Qin, so there is no difference.
Qin Gouzi's face turned red from black due to everyone's teasing. He didn't dare to say anything. Qin Yuan couldn't stop laughing. She just thought that her family was really funny.
In the modern era, she grew up in an orphanage. There were limited resources in the orphanage, and everyone was of the same age, competing with each other. It was rare for her to be favored by the adult elders. But now, Qin Yuan easily gained the favoritism of everyone in the Qin family.
Maybe my daughter is right. She should like and enjoy all of this, because it may be a gift from God to her.
Seeing the Qin family so happy, Xie Yaer also raised a faint smile at the corner of her lips. After coaxing her daughter to eat a dumpling, she also put a dumpling into her mouth and savored it slowly. Such time may not be as comfortable as that in the boudoir, but it has its own flavor.
The more tender the dumplings in her mouth became, the clearer the stone mill in front of her became.
When Qin Yuan raised her eyes, she saw that her mother seemed to be in a daze. She didn't know what her mother was thinking, but her mother wanted to tell her.
Everyone's breakfast today was really too sumptuous. Fresh mutton dumplings. After a few days of eating them, only one box of fresh mutton was left out of the two large boxes. Liu Chunhua was reluctant to part with it. She thought about Youyou's favorite food. If it was gone, what would Youyou do if she couldn't find it at home when she wanted to eat it...
But she couldn't process the fresh mutton properly. If she didn't process it properly, it would not taste good.
Everyone was happy with the meal, and Qin Yuan took the opportunity to express her opinion. She asked her grandmother.
"Grandma, this stone mill can grind wheat. Every household in the village has wheat. If it is ground into flour, everyone will have more food to eat, right?"
What she meant was that the existence of the stone mill did not need to be concealed from the family. As soon as she said this, everyone fell silent. Even Wang Pandi and Zhou Yan watched their mother-in-law's reaction cautiously. In fact, Zhou Yan thought that the stone mill was good. If she made one for her parents' family, they would have more food to eat.
But she didn't dare say it.
The other men in the Qin family all listened to Liu Chunhua, and even Qin Dali looked at his wife. After all, his wife knew better how to handle the important matters at home.
"Oh, every household in the village has wheat, but our stone mill is not yet ready. Once our large stone mill is finished and grinds out a lot of wheat flour, we can tell the village chief and have him arrange for other villagers to grind wheat flour. What do you say?"
He is indeed a fairy child sent from heaven. He knows how to understand the sufferings of the world. Liu Chunhua originally thought that Youyou got this wheat flour simply because she wanted to eat all kinds of delicious food, but she didn't expect that Youyou was willing to give it to the people in Qinjia Village. She naturally understood that if this thing was used, the village would have more food this winter.
"Okay, I'll listen to grandma." Qin Yuan nodded obediently, and then another idea flashed in her mind.
"Grandma, this stone mill can also grind beans, which can be used to make many delicious things. There's soy milk, which makes people smarter. We can also make tofu and tofu pudding... Grandma, can you help me make them?"
Qin Yuan became greedy again when she thought of the taste of tofu pudding.
How could Liu Chunhua not agree? Qin Dali, who was standing by, agreed to his granddaughter's request.
"Grandpa will help you make it. Grandpa will help you grind the beans. Just tell your aunt how to make soy milk and tofu. Your two aunts will definitely help you make them!"
As for his three sons, Qin Dali had already made plans. He didn't wait until the afternoon and sent all four sons to Qin Shi's house to quickly finish making the big stone mill. If it could really be used by the villagers, it could really save lives.
Since they are all from the same clan, Qin Dali naturally wants the villagers to have a better life.
"Then Grandpa, let's soak the beans in water first. We need to soak them until the evening before we can grind them."
Qin Yuan has made soy milk, tofu and even tofu pudding herself. This was because her daughter Qin Huan was curious about how to make these things when she was a child, so she bought some small things for her daughter to make. She still remembers it clearly now.
"I'll soak the beans right away." Second aunt Zhou Yan reacted quickly and went to soak the beans, which made Wang Pandi couldn't help but glare at her back, but he also understood that since his sister-in-law was not from the Qin family, she would inevitably think about her parents' home when the time came, so it was normal for her to be more diligent.
Liu Chunhua never cared about her daughter-in-law's eyebrow lawsuit. Seeing that her third daughter-in-law Xie Yaer seemed a little silent, she had some guesses in her mind, but she did not say much in front of others. She just planned to ask in private.
Afterwards, Qin Dali started to explain again.
"Daughter-in-law, make some more dumplings and have Gouzi take them to Old Carpenter Qin's house to cook. I'm going out today and I'm going to take my family to finish the big stone mill so we can use it tomorrow. If Yoyo wants to eat other food made with flour at home, you can make it for her."
"Niuniu, Huzi, Erxiong, you guys just grind the wheat at home into flour. Don't let your mother worry about it, okay?"
Qin Dali told his grandchildren that hard work like grinding flour is not something women should do.
Everyone naturally agreed immediately. After dinner, Qin Dali, who was warm, went out with his four sons and the mutton dumplings made by his eldest daughter-in-law. Of course, they were going to look for Qin Shi. Qin Shi's home was also in the village, but it was on the edge of the village and they had to walk a distance to find it.
Qinjia Village is actually quite large, but Qin Yuan has never been out of the house and has no idea about it. In Ming County, if we talk about clan rankings, the Qin family clearly has an advantage. There are more than 5,000 people in the village, not counting the newly born elderly who still have no strength. If the elderly and children are included, there are probably more than 7,000 people.
This is already the village with the largest population among all the villages under Ming County. Other villages can barely have two or three thousand people, which is already strong enough. This is also the reason why Qinjia Village can survive well. During the summer drought, other villages cannot compete with Qinjia Village in terms of water grabbing.
Generally speaking, people from the same village rarely intermarry, and most of them marry people from neighboring villages. But Qin Shi is different. He is not a real descendant of the Qin family. He was an orphan on the roadside and was picked up by an old couple in Qinjia Village. He was raised by them and included in the Qin family's genealogy. Later, he went out to make a living and became a stonemason. After returning to Qinjia Village, he made a living by carving tombstones for people.
However, his parents died early, and the wife he married was not in good health. She died when his daughter was ten years old. In order to prevent his daughter from being bullied, he did not remarry. He watched his daughter turn fourteen. If she did not get married at the age of fifteen, the court would have to pay taxes.
Just like that, Liu Chunhua set her eyes on Qin Shi. This man was so good to her daughter, so her son would definitely have a good life if he married into Qin Shi's family. He could also learn Qin Shi's craft, so Liu Chunhua went straight to his house and let her sixteen-year-old son be a child husband for Qin Shi's daughter.
Qin Shi's daughter is fifteen years old this year. Liu Chunhua pays all the taxes to the court. The two of them have agreed to hold a wedding when Qin Shi's daughter turns eighteen. Everyone in the village knows that the two families have already arranged for marriage.
Qin Dali quickly brought his sons to Qin Shi's house. Qin Shi was sitting in the yard, wearing only a short shirt. The muscles exposed were so obvious that Qin Yuan would be shocked. He really had a good physique. The snow hadn't melted yet, but he was carving stones in the yard in thin clothes.
In front of Qin Shi were two huge round stones, which he had already completed the process and was currently carving horizontal lines on. When he saw the Qin family coming over, he immediately smiled.
"How is it? Is that little stone mill usable?"
He guessed what it was for, but didn't ask any more questions.
"Brother Qin, your craftsmanship is naturally impeccable. This is it!" Qin Dali gave a thumbs up and said.
"Today, we used the small stone mill you made to grind wheat flour at home, and specially made these mutton dumplings. Gouzi, quickly give these dumplings to your future wife and have her cook them for Brother Qin to taste."
"Hey! Dad, I'll go right away!" Qin Gouzi really liked his fiancée. When his mother mentioned this matter, he was the first one to agree because he liked his fiancée. Qin Wen had a plump appearance, different from the thin women nowadays, but Qin Gouzi liked plump girls.
After Qin Gouzi left with his eyes wide open, Qin Shi glared at Qin Dali helplessly.
"You old thing, you're ruining my daughter's reputation. You haven't even gotten married yet, yet you keep calling her your daughter-in-law. What kind of person is that?"
Although he said this, Qin Shi was still smiling. After all, he was happy that the Qin family was satisfied with his daughter. Moreover, the Qin family did not hide anything from him. Just one word about wheat flour made him know what it was made of. What's more, they also brought mutton dumplings. Although he didn't know what these dumplings were, mutton was a rare commodity that could only be eaten during festivals. His in-laws trusted him.
"Brother Qin, we're all family sooner or later, why should we be so distant? Come on, I'll bring my sons to help us. Let's finish this big stone mill by tomorrow!!!"
The others also hurried over to help. There were not many steps left, just polishing out the stripes. Qin Shi did not refuse and said directly.
"The tools are all over there, go get them. The stripes must be neat. I've already marked the lines, just follow the knife."
The three big stones in the yard were all moved by the son of the Qin family. Qin Shi had expensive stones, but bluestone was hard and cheap, and more suitable for making stone mills, so the bluestone was brought down from the mountain, which took half a day.
Several men in the Qin family found carving knives. They just had to follow the lines and slowly carve patterns on the stone. In fact, everyone was familiar with it.
Except for Liu Chunhua, who sent her son here and then ignored him, several of Qin's brothers had come to Qin Shi's house to help, such as moving stones for their younger brother, and they did the work smoothly.
Qin Dali also took action and sat opposite Qin Shi.
After a while, there was a noise from the inner room, and Qin Gouzi came out with a bowl of mutton dumplings, respectfully handing it to his master.
"Master, please eat dumplings."
Qin Shi put down what he was holding and took the bowl. He didn't mention whether his hands were dirty or not. He just wiped them on his clothes a few times before taking the bowl. Qin Yu frowned when she saw this. She thought that her daughter loved cleanliness the most. If the man in the family was like this, she would definitely not allow anyone in the family to come to the table for dinner.
The Qin family is very fond of cleanliness now and they wash their hands before eating.
"You keep going, I'll eat."
Qin Shi gave the order directly and was very satisfied with his future son-in-law. Although he was not strong enough and could not compare with his brothers, as the youngest in the Qin family, he was well taken care of by his brothers. As long as he learned his stone carving skills, if he really needed to do any physical work in the future, he could just ask his brothers for help, and he would be able to make a living.
Thinking this in his heart, Qin Shi became even more satisfied with his son-in-law. Just as he was about to put the dumplings into his mouth, he heard his son-in-law's concern again.
"Master, these dumplings have a tender skin and are very hot inside. Take a bite and blow on the filling before eating to avoid burning your mouth. Don't worry, I've already told Awen."
After Qin Gouzi said this, Qin Shi finally smiled. Qin Dali didn't care. Anyway, this son would marry into the family in the future, so it was good to be sweet in front of his father-in-law.
"I know, you're busy."
Qin Shi bit off a little bit of the dumpling wrapper and saw the meat inside and smelled the aroma of mutton. The freshness of the dumpling wrapper alone was a rare delicacy in this winter. Then he blew on the dumpling filling before putting the rest of the dumpling in his mouth.
The moment you bite into it, the tender taste of the mutton and the hot juice bloom in your mouth. In such a cold day, eating a bite of this dumpling is simply like eating a divine meal!!!
He moved faster and started eating the dumplings one by one. When the other members of the Qin family saw him, they could understand why. After all, it was a great pleasure to eat something hot in winter. In the past, they had to live on porridge made from mixed grains.
After finishing a big bowl of mutton dumplings, Qin Shi turned to look at his in-laws with some envy.
"Your third daughter-in-law got this, right? I was out for a walk earlier and saw someone going to your house, and there was a carriage."
Everyone in Qinjia Village knew that Xie Yaer was of extraordinary status, so no one was jealous. She was a girl from an aristocratic family, a member of the Xie family! Who dared to say anything more?
When Xie Yaer married into the Qin family, she brought nothing with her, but the clan leader directly contracted the money for the Xie family's wedding banquet, which lasted for three days. Therefore, everyone in the village envied the Qin family and would not want to offend them.
"That's right. Who can blame me for having such a good daughter-in-law? But the dumplings you're eating were made by my eldest daughter-in-law. My second daughter-in-law also made mutton stuffing. Are these mutton dumplings delicious today? This mutton is from a young lamb, so it's the most tender and fresh. I've never tasted something this fresh in my life."
Qin Dali was showing off, thinking that his daughter-in-law was indeed a noble person. The mutton that the Zhang family sent to Feiyi was not made of adult sheep, but lambs. If they were the ones who had to dig for food in the fields, who would be willing to kill the lambs?
But according to his daughter-in-law, lamb meat is tender, so wealthy families often like to eat it, and there is also duck meat. There is a dish called duck tongue that requires killing many ducks. Qin Dali felt distressed when he heard it.
His boasting made Qin Shi laugh and he complimented him.
"Then I'm also benefiting from Gouzi's kindness. This lamb meat is delicious and tender. I've never eaten it before. But these dumplings sound like a good name. Is this also the recipe your daughter-in-law brought?"
How could a farmer cook? They just cooked everything edible, adding a little salt and other flavorful ingredients. As long as it didn't kill them, they'd keep eating it. Qin Shi had finally fallen in love with the taste of these dumplings.
Recipes...are not something that ordinary farmers can have.
"...Of course." Yoyo's things can also be regarded as his daughter-in-law's. He has a fairy at home, so how can he let everyone know? So these abnormalities must be pushed onto the daughter-in-law.
Qin Dali is not stupid, so he changed the subject with a smile.
"Okay, hurry up and get to work. You've already eaten my dumplings, so why don't you do your job properly?"
After he said that, Qin Shi stopped asking questions. After all, a recipe could sometimes support a stall or even a restaurant. If he asked more questions, it would be like blocking someone's financial path and not knowing the rules.
Qin Shi also started working. The yard was filled with the sound of men swinging carving knives. He didn't feel the cold anymore because he was busy...
After Qin Wen in the house ate dumplings, she heard that the dumpling soup could also be drunk, so she brought out the dumpling soup for everyone to drink as hot water. It had a sporadic smell of mutton, and everyone loved it. They drank it in one gulp and felt that this year was so promising.
Old Qin the Carpenter started the stone mill process at home. At the Qin family's side, everyone felt warm after eating dumplings, and the women began to get busy. This time everyone was busy while sitting on the bed, and they couldn't help but talk about the food made from wheat flour. The Qin family was full of laughter.
Qin Yuan was carried to the study by her mother. When she looked up, she saw her daughter's beautiful appearance. She immediately became happy. However, Xie Yaer looked a little worried.
After a while, there was a sound outside and Liu Chunhua came in.
"Grandma!!!" Qin Yuan likes her mother and her grandma, and she becomes happy when she sees her grandma.
"Hey! Grandma's darling! Come here, let grandma hold you."
Liu Chunhua came over and took Qin Yuan from Xie Yaer's arms. In fact, when other families in the village had five-year-old children, they would have already run around. Only Qin Yuan was always in the arms of her family members. If she ran on the ground, it was only when there were people around.
The ground is cool in winter, and Liu Chunhua always likes to hold her precious granddaughter in her arms for fear that the child will get sick.
Qin Yuan hugged her grandmother's neck and leaned close to her. Today's mutton dumplings made her particularly happy.
However, Liu Chunhua noticed Xie Yaer's silence and took the initiative to speak.
"Third daughter-in-law, I saw that you seemed to have something to say when you were in the kitchen. Now it's just me and Youyou here. If you have any ideas, you might as well talk to me and Youyou. We can also help you share some of them."
Although her daughter-in-law is sometimes thoughtful, she is not a bad person. The Qin family is very lucky to marry such a daughter-in-law. Liu Chunhua is reluctant to see her daughter-in-law unhappy.
Qin Yuan actually discovered it too. When she heard her grandmother's question, she looked at her mother anxiously.
"Mom, you can tell Yoyo if you have any problem. Yoyo also wants to help you."
Xie Yaer looked at her mother-in-law standing beside her, and even such a well-behaved daughter. She had some ideas in her mind, but this would infringe on the interests of the Qin family and the interests of the Qin clan, which made it difficult for Xie Yaer, as a mother, to speak.
When Xie Yaer saw the stone mill in the kitchen, the first thing she thought of was her father. Her father was exiled for being involved in a crime. If she could offer something beneficial to the people's livelihood to the main branch of the Xie family, she would surely be able to let her father return safely.
The little bit of bean sprouts that I sent to the main branch Xie family before was just a trick. Even if it couldn't bring my father back, at least I could get some benefits from the Xie family.
But this stone mill is different. The Dayong Dynasty was established a hundred years ago, and the aristocratic families there are even more powerful than the Dayong Dynasty. If the Xie family has this stone mill, they can have more food and even do more things with it. For the sake of this stone mill, they will definitely be willing to rescue their father.
Aristocratic families have never relied on blood ties, but on real interests. Xie Yaer knew clearly that even if she presented this stone mill to the Xie family, the Xie family would certainly not present it to His Majesty.
But my daughter... my daughter is a fairy who descended from heaven. She is willing to give the stone mill to the villagers for use, which means she wants to promote it to the world. How can she, as a mother, be so selfish?
After thinking about it, Xie Yaer didn't know how to start. Her father was important, but her daughter was also important to her.
Qin Yuan saw her mother's dilemma and inexplicably thought of the bean sprout-making method that was sent to the Xie family. Only then did she suddenly remember her grandparents and uncles.
"Mother, are you asking me if I can give away the method for making this stone mill so that we can rescue my exiled grandparents?"
My grandparents were not exiled for corruption, but because they were targeted by the Xie family’s political enemies in the court. This is what led to my grandfather’s accident. It has been more than six years now. My mother hasn’t seen my grandparents for a long time. She must miss them very much, right?
Just as she missed Huanhuan, she had been thinking about her daughter all the time in the past five years. Her mother must have missed them very much after losing her parents.
Xie Yaer was stunned. She didn't expect her five-year-old daughter to be so smart. She could see what she was thinking. It was true that she missed her parents, but her daughter was a fairy. She was afraid that if the news of the stone mill spread from Qinjia Village, she would not be able to protect her daughter at all. But it would be different if her father came back.
This stone mill is presented to the main branch of the Xie family. Her father will surely come back from exile. If he can be settled in Ming County at that time, he will be able to conceal the ability of his daughter, the fairy, and prevent others from spying. She dare not think that if the identity of her daughter, the fairy, is really known in advance by other top families, even the Xie family will find it difficult to protect her daughter.
"...Yes, I do have such an idea." Xie Yaer nodded in admission. This time Liu Chunhua did not say anything, but just waited for what her granddaughter in her arms would say.
"Then go ahead and make it. I made this stone mill so that everyone can grind wheat into flour to eat. This way, everyone will have more food. Mother, if you use the stone mill to exchange for grandpa and grandma, I will be happy too! I have never met my grandparents. Will they like me?"
Qin Yuan inexplicably felt a sense of anticipation. After all, her own mother was a beauty, so her grandparents must be good-looking too, right? Furthermore, since her grandparents had married her mother off before being exiled, they must have loved her very much.
"Oh, your grandparents will definitely like you. When mom was still in her boudoir, she was the most popular person in the family. You are smarter than mom, so naturally they like you."
Gently rubbing her daughter's hair, Xie Yaer listened to her daughter's childish talk. She did not treat her daughter as a five-year-old child, but said seriously.
"Oh, you can make a stone mill for Qinjia Village to use. Then the whole Qin clan will thank you. But the news of the stone mill will spread far and wide. Then your reputation as a fairy will spread far and wide. If someone with ulterior motives comes and asks you to settle down and protect their home, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you."
The so-called "settling down and guarding the house" means that some noble families will "invite" some people with good reputations in the folk to be guests in their homes. Maybe they are a cook who has developed a new dish, or a craftsman who has made delicious things, or a swordsman who has become famous. Once these people enter the door of the noble family, it would be a fantasy to think about leaving again.
As soon as the words "settling the family and protecting the house" came out, even Liu Chunhua's expression instantly became ugly. She remembered something and then said it to her daughter-in-law in front of her.
"Daughter-in-law, I know about this. A few years ago, there was a stall in Ming County. There was a cook who made delicious tea soup. The stall was very prosperous, but not long after, she was hired back home by someone from the Zhang family. After that, the stall was replaced by Zhang's Tea Soup."
This is the method used by the big families. If they find out that someone has done something good, they will bring that person home under various pretexts, either as a domestic slave or as a concubine, so that they can rightfully possess everything that person has.
The poor people were nothing in the eyes of these big families. Some of them were even more powerful and would even rob their servants directly.
Five years after the birth of their fairy, Liu Chunhua has never taken Qin Yuan out because she is afraid that Qin Yuan's extraordinary intelligence will be discovered. If someone comes to rob her, how can the Qin family protect her?
Qin Yuan, who was being held by her grandmother, widened her eyes when she heard this. She didn't expect that the Great Yong Dynasty was a little different from what she had imagined. In ancient times, people still ate people. They could take away a person's things under various pretexts. It was really too much.
"Mother, that's why I wanted to report this to the Xie family and use Youyou's name. Last time I wrote to you, I only said that I made this bean sprout recipe for my daughter. The same should be true for this stone mill. If my father were still alive, Youyou would be famous and the Xie family would protect her. My father could also protect her. But in the current situation, the Qin family..."
It’s not that Xie Yaer looks down on the Qin family. The Qin family is a big clan, but it has nothing to do with the current Qinjia Village. So once Youyou’s reputation spreads, the Qin family will not be able to resist any noble family.
It just so happens that Youyou's surname is Qin, and she is not a girl from the Xie family. If her surname was Xie, it would be better, because the Xie family would always protect her because of this surname.
And now... Xie Yaer didn't dare to gamble on this unknown.
"My dear daughter-in-law, you are smart. I was mistaken. You should still do this. I will tell my family about the stone mill. This thing was brought out by you, Xie. You made it because you saw that my daughter had difficulty swallowing grains. It has nothing to do with Youyou."
Not knowing that you have valuable treasures is also a sin, called the sin of foolishness.
When Liu Chunhua heard her granddaughter mention her grandparents before, she was a little unhappy that the good things belonging to the Qin family were donated to the Xie family. The bean sprouts had already been given away, and the stone mill could be kept to make the Qin clan famous. But now after hearing her daughter-in-law's analysis, fear had occupied Liu Chunhua's heart.
She understood, having long heard her daughter-in-law Xie Yaer tell the story of a child carrying gold through a busy market. Her own granddaughter was a daughter of gold, but the Qin family could not protect her. Even with the addition of the clan leader's more than 5,000 people, they could not protect their own Yoyo.
The Xie family is a famous and powerful family, much more powerful than those of them who work in the fields. If the father-in-law really comes back, he will definitely find a way to protect Youyou.
Liu Chunhua didn't understand those big principles, but she couldn't bear to see her granddaughter being taken away by those bad guys under various pretexts.
Qin Yuan naturally understood what he meant, and thought to herself, no wonder the emperors of the ancient great families had to show courtesy and leniency. Now, when they see someone has something good, they just come and rob and seize it. Without a reputation for being powerful, anyone dares to step in and trample on it. This is really not a life for human beings...
At this moment, Qin Yuan didn't know whether she should feel sad that her mother was from a wealthy family and that she had taken advantage of the Xie family, or whether she should sympathize with ordinary people like her grandmother who had their good things snatched away by others.
"Oh, mother knows you want to spread the stone mill far and wide, but if the method of the stone mill is given to the Xie family, I'm afraid the Xie family won't spread it to the world. Even if they do, it will be a few years later. Do you understand what mother means?"
For aristocratic families, interests come first. Reputation is important, but one's own interests are more important.
This stone mill is too important, and the profits it brings are too great. The Xie family will definitely use it to make a fortune first, and then seek to spread its fame far and wide, making the Xie family's reputation known to the world...
Of course Qin Yuan knew that, to put it bluntly, this aristocratic family was just eating and taking. They wanted both benefits and a good reputation. However, since she had to rely on them to make a living, Qin Yuan said viciously.
"Then just give it to me, mother. When the head of the Xie family finds grandpa, we'll ask him for a reward! I gave you such an important millstone, so the head of the Xie family will definitely show some appreciation, right? He will definitely give you a lot of gifts, right?"
So you have to make the most of it!!!
Qin Yuan hinted to her mother that she must write about asking for benefits in the letter. This little look made Xie Yaer unable to help laughing.
She pinched her daughter's nose and said softly.
"The Xie family isn't stingy. If the bean sprout method my mother sent us arrives, we'll definitely be able to gain some benefits. If this stone mill method can be sent over, I'm sure we'll not only gain benefits, but when my parents return, they'll definitely arrange an official position for you. Then your grandfather will be able to protect you. If my father is more powerful, and your uncles in the Qin family are strong and healthy, they can also arrange some positions for you..."
That’s right, Xie Yaer knew that money was useless in this world, but official positions and power were.
If I send the stone mill over myself, not only will my father come back, he will also be able to get an official position. Then, with the surname Xie, he will be able to protect his daughter.
When Liu Chunhua heard that her son would become an official in the future, she was so happy that she couldn't say anything else. She knew that her daughter-in-law was smart. She was from a noble family! She was even more capable than ordinary men!
"Mom is so awesome!" Qin Yuan didn't expect that her own mother had thought of so much. She immediately stretched out her hand towards Xie Yaer. After being in Xie Yaer's arms, she kissed her generously and passionately.
She likes such a smart mother, so amazing!!!
"Mother isn't that powerful, but your grandfather is. The main branch of the Xie family now holds the position of Sikong in the imperial court. Although it's an empty title, no one dares to offend him. Before your grandfather was exiled, he was the governor of Cao County, which is right next to our Yunfeng County. If my father can come back, he might be able to take up a position in Yunfeng County."
Only then did Xie Yaer mention her father. She used to obey her father, but after her father was exiled, she rarely mentioned these things.
Qin Yuan was stunned when she heard this! Her grandfather was a prefect? The prefect of an entire county?
Wouldn't this be the mayor in modern times? Is this so powerful?
My mother is definitely marrying down. Not to mention the Xie family background, just look at my grandfather's official position. If he is not exiled, the Qin family will never be able to see my mother again...
"Grandpa is so awesome! Mother, please let Grandpa come back. I want to see him!"
How could such a powerful person be exiled forever? If I had a grandfather like this, I wouldn't be afraid of being targeted no matter what I did.
"Okay, then I'll listen to you, mother. I'll write a letter now and arrange for someone at home to deliver it to Magistrate Zhang's house tomorrow."
Xie Yaer did what she said. Qin Yuan did not make any more trouble and quickly got out of her mother's arms. Then she watched her mother sitting upright and writing. Every time she saw her mother writing, she thought it was so beautiful. It was a pity that there was no camera in this world, otherwise she would have taken a picture of her mother's appearance.
Wait! I have a cell phone!
Qin Yuan quickly took out her cell phone and took pictures of Xie Yaer in front of her. These photos were indeed preserved, but there was no place to post them, so they were only for Qin Yuan's personal appreciation.
While Xie Yaer was writing a letter, Qin Yuan snuggled in her grandmother's arms. Unexpectedly, just after taking the photo, she heard her daughter's phone ringing!
Qin Yuan happily clicked to answer the call immediately! Anyway, grandma and mother can't see it.
The video call was immediately turned on, and Qin Huan appeared on the other end of the phone with a happy mood. The background was still in the hospital. At the beginning of the video, Qin Huan was seen shaking the golden bracelet on his arm.
"Mom! Don't you think I look really pretty in this bracelet?"
Qin Huan waved his hands happily, and Qin Yuan also laughed.
"Mm, it's very beautiful. Please don't sell this gold bracelet. It was my mother's dowry in this world. It was originally left to me, but I thought you would like it, so I gave it to you first."
As a mother, of course my daughter is the first one I think of when something good comes.
"Hehe! I've seen it. It has the words Ya'er on it. Mom, I know you have me in your heart and always think of me first when you have good things. But I'm also very grateful to my grandma in that world. She should know it's for me, otherwise she wouldn't have given it to me."
Qin Huan really likes this bracelet and can't put it down.
"Well, this is indeed what your grandmother asked me to give you. She also said that you can pick whatever you like from her dowry. However, I don't know what else you like, so I didn't express it to you."
Qin Yuan didn't mind giving all these things to her daughter, but Qin Huan refused.
"Goodbye. I have no place to store such precious things. I'm living in the hospital now. When I have more money, I'll buy a big villa and put all the things you gave me in it, okay?"
Qin Huan acted coquettishly with her mother. During the nearly one week that she was able to talk to her mother on the phone, Qin Huan lived in an indescribable strange and bizarre feeling every day. She just felt very happy every day. When she thought that her mother was doing well in another world and was loved by someone, she felt happy for her mother.
"Okay, Mom will send you some goodies later. You can sell them and buy a villa. Then you can buy a luxury car. Don't you like Mercedes-Benz the most? When you have money, buy a beautiful Mercedes-Benz."
Qin Yuan remembered that her daughter had said before that she liked Mercedes-Benz, and now she was thinking about something valuable. She planned to express it to her daughter, but apart from her own mother's dowry, it seemed that the Qin family did not have any valuable items.
"Then let's wait until later. I'm resting in the hospital every day now, eating plenty to stay healthy. I'm already very happy to be able to see you, Mom. Your life has just returned to normal over there, so don't rush to buy me expensive things. I still have hundreds of thousands of dollars in my hands, and I can't spend it all."
Fearing that his mother would act impulsively to get money for him, Qin Huan quickly said that he was living a comfortable life now.
Qin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this and smiled.
"You should eat more. We made dumplings today. I'll send you some tonight. Try the food here. Didn't you say you liked the mutton soup I gave you last time?"
As expected, when the topic of mutton soup was brought up, Qin Huan became excited and nodded immediately.
"Yeah, I want to eat mutton dumplings. The mutton dumplings here are not tasty. The stewed mutton you gave me last time was so tender. I finished a big bowl! I'm so full!"
Qin Huan chuckled, and Qin Yuan was also happy. After all, mothers all hope that their children will eat more, and Qin Huan was too thin.
"Okay, our dinner here is at 3:30 pm. You can eat less at noon and I'll send it to you by express."
Qin Yuan agreed, and Qin Huan then remembered the most important thing.
"Mom, didn't I meet Jiaojiao and Shiman yesterday? I casually asked them what things are worthless nowadays but were valuable in ancient times. They gave me a lot of ideas, such as agate, red southern pearls, pearls, glass beads, and crystals. Do you think I should send you some of these beads? They're so cheap here. Two kilograms would be worth a lot of money back there."
As she spoke, she also felt the joy of reselling, but then she became a little worried.
"I actually wanted to give you all of this from the beginning, but I was afraid that the Qin family wouldn't be able to protect you. What if these things got out and got known to someone with ulterior motives? What if they targeted you?"
This is also the reason why she is so cautious. After all, in ancient times, there were really people who killed their entire families, and it was normal to kill people for some treasure.
"Alright, alright, I'm not short of money now, and I don't have to worry about food and clothes. If you really have to send me something, I want to eat instant noodles today. I want to eat braised pork instant noodles! Can you buy it for me? It would be best if you could change to different flavors. Braised beef noodles, traditional pickled cabbage noodles, seafood noodles, ahhhh! Do you know how I've been living these past five years in the Great Yong Dynasty? My mouth is almost bland and I can't taste anything!!!"
Qin Yuan also went into a rare outburst. After eating dumplings today, her craving for modern junk food had skyrocketed. She had to have some instant noodles today. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight...
“…”
Looking at the frantic look on his mother's face, Qin Huan couldn't say that children couldn't eat junk food. After all, in ancient times, instant noodles were probably considered very nutritious...
"No problem! Mom, I'll go buy it for you later. I'll buy all the flavors for you and give you two kilograms when I have enough!!!"
Qin Huan did not stop her, but instead supported her mother in eating junk food. Qin Yuan calmed down.
"Let's buy two flavors first. Buy more for my family to share. I can't eat it all by myself..."
Ever since the statue of their daughter was hung there, even if Qin Yuan from the Qin family walked sideways, everyone would praise her for her cute walk, so no one would say anything about anything she took out.
"Okay, then I'll buy you some braised beef noodles and pickled cabbage noodles."
Qin Huan agreed, and the two of them actually used [Mother and Daughter Express] to eat. For them, mother and daughter, sometimes it is enough to have enough money to spend, so they are more willing to try what each other eats.
Seeing that the call time was about to end, Qin Yuan hesitated to speak, and remembered the [Star Cultivation] APP. She had already finished watching "The President's 18-Year-Old Substitute Lover". Fortunately, the male and female protagonists in the drama were good, and her daughter seemed normal. Qin Yuan wanted to tell her daughter that she had seen the TV series she starred in, but she was embarrassed to say it, for fear that her daughter would be shy.
In the end, this matter was not discussed because the 30-minute call time was up and the video call was automatically disconnected.
After the video call ended, Qin Yuan realized that her mother had also finished writing the letter and even sealed it.
She also told her grandmother directly that her daughter wanted to eat dumplings.
"Grandma, my little fairy also wants to eat mutton dumplings tonight, is that okay?"
Of course Liu Chunhua is willing, she said quickly.
"No problem, I'll tell your aunt to be the fairy girl tonight, just give it to her."
This little fairy is so beautiful and doesn't need any offerings. What's wrong with just eating some home-cooked food? Apparently, the little fairy likes mutton. Why not go to the second brother's mother's house next month and get some mutton?
Liu Chunhua was so worried about trying to please her granddaughter's pretty girlfriend, while Qin Huan, after hanging up the phone, dragged Zhang Jiajia to the convenience store downstairs in the hospital to buy instant noodles.
"Sister Huanhuan, Sister Xu doesn't allow you to eat instant noodles. It makes you fat and has no nutrition. If you want to eat it, we can go get something else."
Zhang Jiajia tried to persuade Qin Huan, but Qin Huan shook his head.
"I didn't eat it, I gave it to someone else. Don't worry about it."
She quickly picked out two types of instant noodles and bought a lot, even some sausages. She didn't know if these two foods could be delivered together, but she had to give it a try.
How can you eat instant noodles without ham?
Specially selected the child's taste, corn ham sausage, when they arrived at the ward, when Zhang Jiajia went to get the things, Qin Huan quickly delivered the instant noodles and ham sausage together.
It works!!! As expected!
Both sausage and instant noodles are considered food, so they can be delivered together.
Qin Yuan also quickly received the supplies from her daughter. She really wanted to eat instant noodles, and she almost couldn't wait to click to receive the express delivery.
The next second, still in the study, a lot of instant noodles and sausages appeared out of thin air in front of Qin Yuan! She could see braised beef noodles! And old-style pickled cabbage noodles! Most importantly! There were also two big bags of corn sausages!
Qin Yuan almost forgot what this thing tasted like!
Don't ask why. Qin Yuan had never seen corn in the Qin family even when she was five years old, so she seriously suspected that there might not be any corn in the Great Yong Dynasty...
In the eyes of Liu Chunhua and Xie Yaer, the instant noodles and corn sausages that suddenly appeared were still wrapped in oil paper, but seeing Qin Yuan so happy, they also began to wonder what these things were.
"What is this?" Liu Chunhua asked first.
Qin Yuan picked up a bag of instant noodles and felt that her life suddenly had a purpose.
"This is a kind of noodle, a pasta made from flour. You just need to unwrap it and cook it in hot water before eating it."
Qin Yuan raised the instant noodles and felt inexplicably happy when she thought about eating instant noodles in Dayong.
Then he picked up a corn sausage.
"And this, this is called corn ham sausage, it tastes sweet and fragrant!!!"
She immediately opened the corn sausage, took out one, and then skillfully tore open the packaging, revealing the pink sausage inside. The moment the outer packaging was torn open, a strange sweet smell filled the nostrils of Liu Chunhua and Xie Yaer. They didn't know what kind of sweetness this thing was, but it smelled good.
Qin Yuan opened one and handed it to Liu Chunhua, then opened another and gave it to her mother, and finally it was her turn.
"Just bite it directly, bite here, and then peel off the bag."
Knowing that the packaging bag looked different in her eyes and in her mother's eyes, Qin Yuan demonstrated while speaking, and then finally put the corn sausage she had been longing for into her mouth.
A mouthful of delicious, soft, sweet, and delicious corn sausage! It went right into my mouth.
The sweet taste of corn and the tender aroma of sausage are combined to create a modern flavor! And the corn kernels inside make one's mouth water. Qin Yuan's eyes narrowed with happiness.
Liu Chunhua and Xie Yaer looked at each other, and seeing Qin Yuan eating so happily, they slowly put this strange...corn sausage in their mouths and took a bite.
What is this taste? It tastes like meat, but is also sweet. There seems to be some fruit inside, and it tastes fresh and juicy. This magical taste is a mixture of sweet and salty, which makes Liu Chunhua's eyes light up immediately. She has never eaten anything so delicious in her life.
Xie Yaer had eaten many delicious foods in her boudoir, but she had never tasted such ham sausage. And what was the corn her daughter was talking about? Was it rice made of corn?
She took another bite of the sausage and saw the golden corn inside. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that the sweet taste that had just burst out in her mouth was this. It was indeed worthy of being something eaten by immortals. It was really delicious...
This corn is golden in color and must be very expensive.
"This is so delicious. It tastes like meat, but also has a hint of sweetness."
Liu Chunhua sighed, and Qin Yuan nodded and said.
"Because it has meat inside, pork. The yellow kernels are corn, which is also a kind of grain. It's sweet and delicious."
After Qin Yuan finished speaking, she remembered to ask about the corn.
"Hasn't Grandma ever seen corn?"
Liu Chunhua shook her head, and Qin Yuan finally understood.
Corn had not yet appeared on this land, so what period was this fictional dynasty that I came to?
"Grandma, have you ever heard of potatoes? And sweet potatoes, have you heard of them?"
Corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, these should have slowly spread from overseas to the country. Of course, these are from history books in the past, and Dayong is a fictional country. I have never heard of them, so Qin Yuan is not sure whether these things exist.
"No, are these the food that gods eat?"
Liu Chunhua continued to shake her head, which made Qin Yuan give up instantly.
Xie Yaer gave her mother-in-law a look silently, and Liu Chunhua stopped asking questions. She took the opportunity to speak.
"Hey, are we going to eat this tonight? The noodles made from wheat flour you mentioned?"
She changed the subject, but Qin Yuan didn't notice and immediately started talking to her mother about the charm of instant noodles.
"Yes! Mom, this is instant noodles, so delicious! This one is braised beef instant noodles, it tastes like beef, and the other one is pickled cabbage beef noodles, it tastes like pickled cabbage. We should try them both tonight!"
I must be the first person to eat instant noodles in ancient times, right?
Qin Yuan felt happy when she thought of this. Liu Chunhua and Xie Yaer naturally agreed with Qin Yuan's opinion and immediately said that they would eat this in the evening.
For this purpose, they took these things to the kitchen. Qin Yuan fell asleep again after being excited for a while. When she woke up again, it was time to cook. Her aunt was still making dumplings. After all, other people in the family also needed to eat dumplings. Grandpa and others also came back with her uncle and others.
Second aunt carefully followed Qin Yuan's instructions, opened the instant noodles, and put them in hot water to cook. There was also cooked mutton on the side. After the noodles were cooked, she added the appropriate seasoning packets. The whole kitchen was filled with a strange and domineering aroma. It actually went straight out of Qin's house, allowing many people in the village to smell this domineering fragrance.
However, everyone was not surprised to see that the smell came from the Qin family. After all, the Qin family had a daughter-in-law who came from a noble family, so it was normal for them to have some good things.
After Qin Yuan's instant noodles were cooked, her grandmother added a poached egg, corn, ham and mutton.
After the first bite, Qin Yuan was really dizzy with the fragrance...
The others were already drooling at the smell, and they followed Qin Yuan's example and started eating 'noodles' for the first time. After taking the first bite, they realized that there was such a delicious food in the world...
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