Chapter 36 Sushi Boat: Knowing there is no hope, yet still hoping; knowing I should stop missing her, yet still wanting to see her.
Tomorrow is the Little New Year, and Yao Ruyi is tinkering with sushi boats in the kitchen.
A row of small plates and bowls were laid out on the cutting board, and vinegared rice was spread on the bamboo mat in front of them, with cucumber shreds, pickled radish cubes, and shredded fish sprinkled on top, all arranged neatly.
She was busy inside, while the shop was being looked after by Three Inch Nails and the children.
These past few days, Yao Ruyi has not only been making sushi, but she has also arranged with He Xiang, who came to deliver toys, to have Zhou Jumu make some trendy and fun wooden chessboards and cards.
The Monopoly game we played as children was rebranded as "Promotion and Fortune Chess," Ludo became "Swallow Flying," and Checkers was renamed "Jumping Beads Chess." Several sets of each were made, along with a sheet of paper with the rules written on it, and they were put up for sale in the corner store.
For now, only one card game has been made, which can be described as a "Song Dynasty version of Werewolf" modified to resemble the customs of the Song Dynasty: wood chips are sawn into three-inch square thin slices, planed smooth, coated with tung oil, and dried in the shade. Characters are carved on the front, and the "Yaoji" rabbit head trademark is carved on the back.
Although many students at the Imperial Academy said her rabbit head drawing was too ugly and suggested she hire a better artist, Yao Ruyi thought to herself, "They just don't know its value. This is the 'Mischievous Rabbit' that was all the rage on campus when I was a child!"
As for the roles, Yao Ruyi assigned the Taoist priest to the seer, the spirit woman to the witch, the hunter to the hunter, the constable to the guard, and the civilian roles to the scholar, peddler, tea master, etc.; the bandit to the werewolf... It was not appropriate to call it Werewolf at this time, so Yao Ruyi pondered and finally decided to call it Yin Yang.
These items were extremely popular as soon as they were put on display. Originally, only three or five sets were prepared, but they were all sold out in a single day by students who were extremely bored in the school during the winter.
Now, orders have piled up for over thirty promotion charts and forty sets of yin-yang talismans. In addition, there are regular stock items such as silk dolls and small toys that require a fixed supply. Zhou Jumu no longer needs to hammer stools or saw tables, and he no longer has time to go to the market to set up his stall. His leisurely and carefree days are gone forever. Every day, he has to work as soon as he opens his eyes, and he spends all his time dealing with the snowflakes of orders coming in from Yao Ruyi.
Even the carving skills are improving rapidly.
The convenience store's business has soared in the past few days as a result. Even if the students who came to buy chess pieces didn't actually buy any, they would still browse around before going back, and once they did, they would buy some odds and ends.
Yao Ruyi happily counted her money every day, her only regret being that Wupan had taken her spicy snacks and never returned, with no word from him. Yao Ruyi thought it best to go see him in person before the New Year.
Otherwise, what would she do with the snacks she'd always wanted to make—rice crackers, snow biscuits, crispy pastries, and spicy beans? One person simply couldn't handle it all. She was already struggling to keep up with the demand for her spicy chips, much like Zhou Jumu, who spent her days preparing braised eggs, mixing meat paste, stirring batter, frying chicken strips, steaming bean curd sheets, and making spicy chips.
This is already considered extremely minimalist! After all, the steamed buns for her breakfast set meal, the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), and the porridge were all ordered from a familiar food stall with good ingredients. The stall owner even packed them one by one in oil paper before they were delivered, so she could put them on the table and sell them without having to worry about it.
Even so, it was a very hectic morning, but fortunately, Cong Bo, Cong Xin, and San Cun Ding were there to help out. Whether it was household chores or business at the shop, the three of them greatly relieved her worries.
Uncle Cong was even more attentive than any of her relatives, doing the grocery shopping and cooking every day, and taking Grandpa Yao to the clinic for acupuncture. As for her cousins, they had only briefly met on the day Lin Wen'an returned, and hadn't been in contact for a long time since.
Now that her business is stable and she has the spare money, she said she wanted to give Uncle Cong and the others a monthly allowance as well.
They were servants of the Lin family, yet they took on all the work for the Yao family. Firstly, this must have been Lin Wen'an's instruction, and secondly, it was because they were good people. If they were unwilling, even if their masters instructed them, they would have found a way to shirk their responsibilities.
But Cong Bo and others never spared any effort and always handled everything very well.
Upon hearing Yao Ruyi's suggestion, Cong Bo firmly refused. However, unable to persuade Yao Ruyi otherwise, he relented and said, "This old man doesn't need to. When I accompanied Erlang to the capital, he raised the monthly wages for all three of us on the way. He also told us in advance that we should help the young lady's family more in the future. If I were to accept money from the young lady again, I would have no face to see Erlang. As for the two children, Cong Xin still needs to save money to get married in the future, and for someone like San Cun Ding, getting married is out of the question. It would be good for him to save more money to support himself in his old age. The young lady is kind-hearted; giving them a few hundred coins would already be a great favor."
For Yao Ruyi, she came into this world alone. Apart from Grandpa Yao, who naturally became her family, only Lin Wen'an, Uncle Cong, Cong Xin, and San Cun Ding were her daily companions, and they had long been like family to her here. However, even the best family cannot be one-sided; hearts are reciprocal, and even blood ties require careful nurturing. Insisting on giving money was not being distant.
Yao Ruyi didn't know much about human relationships and gratitude, so she could only do these things superficially.
Having received Cong Bo's advice, Yao Ruyi now gives San Cun Ding and Cong Xin one string of cash every month, plus clothes, shoes, and socks for all three of them in all four seasons, and additional red envelopes for festivals. Cong Bo is very pleased. San Cun Ding and Cong Xin are both honest children. They are both apprehensive and grateful for the money. They work even harder and more diligently for the Yao family, always thinking of how to live up to their double monthly allowance.
With sushi rolled in her hands, her thoughts were wandering, one moment thinking about this, the next about that.
She placed the sliced sea bass, marinated fish, and fried fish on a piece of white gauze to absorb the moisture and oil, and then carefully cut them into small cubes about half an inch in size.
She considered several types of sushi to put on the sushi boat. Sashimi sushi was definitely indispensable. The most common way for Song people to eat fresh fish was to make sashimi, which was served with "jiangqing" – a relatively light soy sauce brewed in the Song Dynasty, which tasted similar to the "weijixian" of later generations.
People at the time thought it was the most delicious way to eat it.
Yao Ruyi made several kinds of fish sushi, and then started rolling pork floss sushi, thick omelet sushi, chicken and egg crepe roll sushi, cucumber and ham sushi. She also wrapped a few hand rolls and gunkan sushi in bamboo leaves and reed leaves, and then made several triangular chicken rice balls and plum rice balls.
The sushi boats had been made and delivered by Zhou Jumu well in advance. They were small boats made of cypress wood, about two feet long and a foot wide. She first lined the bottom of the plate with a layer of bamboo leaves, the color of which would make the sushi look brighter. Then she arranged the sashimi sushi and other types of sushi alternately in the center of the plate, spacing each piece half an inch apart, neat yet not crowded. Gunkan sushi and hand rolls were placed on the side, and the rice balls were arranged in the shape of small flowers around the edge of the plate. Finally, she inserted small candy wrappers and paper-cut flags, and it was finished.
Yao Ruyi examined the plate of sushi with satisfaction, taking a closer sniff. There was the aroma of vinegared rice, the freshness of fish and chicken, the savory fragrance of sauce, and the delicate scent of pickled plums, all blended together in a wonderful way. Even without seaweed, it smelled delicious enough.
The colors are perfectly matched, red, white, and green, making it both beautiful and elegant.
She made two sushi boats today and planned to see how they sold. If they didn't sell well, she would eat them herself tonight! To display them, she first took down all the other small items from the window and prepared to place the two boats in the most conspicuous position.
She planned to dismantle one of the sushi boats and sell them piece by piece, allowing customers to choose their preferred flavor; the other boat would be used to attract wealthy young men who would find it novel and interesting and would buy the entire boat to take away with them, with servants helping to carry it.
When the sushi boat was carried into the shop, several children from the alley were crowded around the counter playing jacks with Three-Inch Nail. Three-Inch Nail, looking rather dull and clumsy, was dressed in a gray cotton robe and resembled a big, fat squirrel, blending in perfectly with the group of children. Little Stone's tiger-head hat had a string of red tassels trailing behind it, and he kept brushing them against Xiao Song's face as he played. Xiao Song told him off several times, but Little Stone ignored her, focusing intently on throwing pebbles. Frustrated, she yanked his entire hat off and threw it behind her, slapping it hard across Three-Inch Nail's face.
Little Stone showed no mercy and reached out to pull Xiao Song's braid.
The two kids almost got into a fight.
As soon as Yao Ruyi entered, she attracted the children's attention. Even Xiao Song and Xiao Shitou forgot their angry glares and came over to look. When they saw the sushi boat, their eyes widened and they all screamed in surprise.
Listening to the chorus of frogs, she carefully placed the sushi boat.
Just as they covered the sushi boat with a large gauze dishcloth, they saw Uncle Cong driving a horse-drawn carriage with a blue cloth canopy rumble from the alley entrance. Yao Ruyi's eyes lit up, and she leaned out, propping herself up on one shoulder: "Uncle Cong, is Second Uncle going to take up his post as an official today?"
Speaking of officialdom, both she and Uncle Cong had misunderstood Lin Wen'an before!
Second Uncle didn't want to become a monk at all, nor was he a transmigrator like her.
He's going to be a high-ranking official!
Remembering how she had foolishly asked him how much a cup of Imperial Jade Liquor cost, and seeing Lin Wen'an's still sleepy eyes, Yao Ruyi felt like she wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
What embarrassed her most was that Lin Wen'an sat up and answered her very seriously: "Imperial liquor? I'm afraid it's impossible to sell it. Imperial brews have never been sold to the public, and even officials can only obtain them as gifts from the Emperor. It's priceless, so it's better to sell some ordinary wine. If you want to drink some..."
He pondered for a moment: "In a few days, when I go to the palace to meet the Emperor, I'll ask you for a pot of wine."
Yao Ruyi was extremely embarrassed and quickly waved her hand, stammering, "No need, no need, I didn't want to drink, I just heard someone mention it and asked casually..." After saying that, she suddenly realized what Lin Wen'an had said and exclaimed in surprise, "What, entering the palace to pay homage?!"
Only then did she realize why Lin Wen'an wanted to refine pills and why he had that "Italian cannon".
The blueprints for the "Italian cannon" were the same ones that the official had asked Wang Fuyin to bring to Lin Wen'an. Moreover, this thing had already been used in the army several years ago. It was not created by Lin Wen'an, but rather the result of countless nameless craftsmen's dedicated research and development.
Lin Wen'an, known for his genius and having served as a close advisor to the Crown Prince, was ordered to oversee the manufacture and improvement of firearms.
Yao Ruyi suddenly realized that the Lord Wang who had served her coarse tea and hawthorn candy that day had actually come to deliver an imperial decree to appoint Lin Wen'an to an official position.
After Yao Ruyi understood the whole story, she felt very impressed that he could remain so composed and calm in the face of such immense wealth, as if the Lord Wang had brought her toilet paper instead of an imperial edict or official seal.
That's incredibly calm and collected!
If she were to suddenly "come ashore," with such a great stroke of luck falling into her lap, she'd probably be donning her official robes and swaggering around. Moreover, even a short walk home wouldn't be complete without her waving the long wings of her official hat around Bianjing three times before returning home. She'd especially want to wear her official robes and circle around those snobbish officials like Liu the Registrar and Feng the Chancellor, showing them that they were no match for her today! Humph!
I heard that the Emperor has granted him a fourth-rank official position, which is only one rank away from the purple robe and gold belt. Isn't that a high-ranking official? It's even two ranks higher than the position of Chief Minister Feng!
Moreover, the official title he held was something like "Supervisor of the Imperial Household Department." But Cong Bo said that this was not a proper official title, because the Imperial Household Department had not been an independent government agency since the founding of the dynasty. During the reign of the previous emperor, the manufacture of weapons was always managed by the Three Departments (Salt and Iron, Revenue and Expenditure, and Household Department). However, what was special was that the current Imperial Household Department was funded and constructed by the imperial treasury and did not go through the Ministry of Revenue's accounts.
Therefore, the Military Equipment Bureau was actually a small government office directly under the government. Although its power was nominally controlled by the Three Commissioners (the Minister of Finance), it could bypass them and report directly to the government.
Is this... a kind of "special economic zone" official? Yao Ruyi was completely dumbfounded.
The official system of the Song Dynasty was further complicated by the division of "original official rank, assigned post, additional title, and concurrent post," which made her even more dizzy.
Although Cong Bo hadn't received much formal education, he treated Lin Wen'an like his own son, knowing all about him, big and small. Even with such a convoluted and complicated official title, he could recite it word for word, backwards and forwards: "Young lady, Erlang's official position is Tianzhang Pavilion Attendant, a fourth-rank official. This is a prestigious position that allows him to enter and leave the palace at any time and is responsible for drafting imperial edicts. Only close ministers of the emperor can hold this position. Therefore, Erlang's official seal, rank, and salary are calculated according to this position. At the same time, Erlang also holds the fifth-rank position of Military Commissioner of the Ministry of War and is appointed as the sixth-rank Director of the Imperial Arsenal. His actual duties are to oversee the manufacture of firearms at the Arsenal."
Yao Ruyi listened with bated breath, unable to make sense of it even after a long time. But if she couldn't make it clear, she wouldn't bother. Anyway... in any case... her second uncle had become a fourth-rank official!
Today marks the day Lin Wen'an has finally decided to return to officialdom.
Hearing Yao Ruyi shouting loudly, Uncle Cong also showed a very bright smile from afar. He could understand Yao Ruyi's slightly vain and boastful thoughts. After all, he also wanted to show off!
He stood tall and proud, and replied in a loud voice, "Exactly!"
He acted as if he were the one about to become an official.
Yao Ruyi was amused by the way his chin was tilted to the sky. She chuckled and gave Uncle Cong a thumbs up: "Uncle Cong, you look so handsome today! You look amazing!"
When Little Stone, Jasmine, and Little Song heard Yao Ruyi mention becoming a high-ranking official, they hurriedly peeked out the window. They didn't really understand what was going on, but they just liked to join in the fun. Like parrots, they all chirped in unison, "Uncle Cong, you're so handsome!"
The child's voice was tender and clear, which made Uncle Cong laugh out loud. He was so happy that he almost lost his bearings while driving the cart.
"Does this new outfit look good? Today, Erlang is going to the palace to meet the Emperor first. Although we lowly servants cannot enter, we are waiting at the palace gate. How can we embarrass Erlang by waiting with so many high-ranking officials' servants? So I specially hired a brand-new carriage, and even had the coachman wash the horses and repair their hooves!"
Uncle Cong drove the car to the Yao family's door, sighed, and jumped out of the car, his mouth almost reaching his ears. He even raised his hand to adjust his newly bought hat with a touch of demureness: "How is it?"
Yao Ruyi nodded repeatedly: "It's so beautiful!"
This is no lie. Today, Uncle Cong changed into a brand-new dark brown cotton robe with a swastika pattern. It was starched and crisp. His new hat, shoes, and socks were spotless. Even his beard was neatly trimmed. He even went to a hair salon and hired a skilled barber to dye his gray hair black with a black hair dye made from gallnuts, walnut peels, and lead powder.
With this hair dye, Cong Bo looks at least ten years younger.
However, the hair dye at that time would fade easily when it came into contact with water, and it would come off after just one wash, unlike the hair dye of later generations. Yao Ruyi looked at the sky. Although the sun wasn't shining brightly today, it was still a sunny day. She prayed in her heart for Uncle Cong, hoping that it wouldn't rain on their journey!
Cong Bo was very satisfied. He tied up the carriage and said to Yao Ruyi, "I'll go in and see if Erlang is ready. It's getting late, we should set off."
“You go ahead, I’ll watch the carriages and horses,” Yao Ruyi said. After Cong Bo entered, Yao Ruyi couldn’t help but rest her chin on her hand and ponder: A fourth-rank official… should wear a scarlet robe and a jade crown and belt.
A scarlet robe and an ivory tablet—I wonder what my second uncle would look like in them?
As she was lost in thought, the bell of the Imperial College rang out.
Yu Shouzheng was the gatekeeper, on duty today. Two birds were perched on his shoulders. He took the key and opened the back gate of the Imperial College.
Before long, countless students filed out.
Today happens to be the last day of the Imperial College's annual examinations, which are the final exams. I heard that today is the last exam, which only lasts half a day. After the exam, we'll wait for the results to be released tomorrow or the day after, and then we'll have a holiday.
These students have finally graduated this year and their hard work has come to an end.
Cheng Shujun, Meng Boyuan, and Lin Weiming walked out of the study together. Cheng Shujun, who was usually calm and composed, looked unusually gloomy today. He stood between his two friends, his brows furrowed, his face somber and silent.
This morning, after finishing the last subject, "Current Affairs Essay," the papers for the "Policy Essay" and "Poetry and Prose" exams from the previous two days had already been returned. For the first time, he failed to achieve an "A grade," getting a "B" in one and only a "C" in the other. The vermilion comments were shocking to see, and Cheng Shujun's heart sank deeper and deeper.
Knowing why he failed the exam, he felt even more remorse for his absent-mindedness.
These days, he couldn't forget that day in front of the Yao family's gate, when the aunts grabbed him and made paper, and he overheard them subtly suggesting they arrange a marriage between him and Yao's daughter, but in the end...
At first, his heart pounded like a drum, as if a fire was burning in his chest. But when he heard Yao Xiaoniangzi's answer about who was the most handsome, each word was like an icicle, piercing him as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. After that, for several days he stopped looking for excuses to go to the general store, feeling as if his whole heart was soaking in sour liquid, both sour and swollen, and sinking heavily.
This isn't a matter of whether he's handsome or not; Miss Yao didn't understand that yet, but he did.
Even while reading, my mind was in turmoil, and I was caught up in endless speculation.
Seeing that Cheng Shujun's face was pale and his expression was gloomy, Meng Boyuan hooked his arm around his shoulder and comforted him, "What's wrong? I got a G grade and I don't look like this. You only got a B or C grade, is it really that big of a deal?"
Lin Weiming also said, "I only took the B and C exams."
Cheng Shujun glanced at Meng Boyuan listlessly: "You often get grade G, I don't often get grade B."
Meng Boyuan silently withdrew his hand, rolling his eyes in anger: "I shouldn't have comforted you! Yes, yes, yes! You're finished! You've fallen off the list of top scorers! You won't be able to take the prefectural exam next spring! You might as well go home and farm!"
Cheng Shujun realized he was wrong. He hadn't meant to provoke Meng Boyuan; he was just feeling irritable and couldn't help but say things he didn't mean. Now, he felt remorseful and lowered his head, looking even more dejected: "That's not what I meant. Just ignore me."
Seeing that he looked like a wilted eggplant, Meng Boyuan stopped being angry. He and Lin Weiming exchanged a glance and suggested, "The exam is over, there's no use regretting it now. Why don't we go to Miss Yao's place to play chess and have some mixed vegetable stew? We can also buy some dried meat for Wangwang, since you love Wangwang the most, don't you?"
Cheng Shujun hesitated, unsure how to refuse, and realized he had shot himself in the foot.
Previously, Cheng Shujun would always use lame excuses to run to the grocery store. Meng Boyuan and Lin Weiming noticed something was wrong and grabbed him by the neck to interrogate him. However, he could not tell them what was on his mind. He glanced at the big yellow fat cat of the Yao family squatting on the threshold, squinting in the sun. Its yellow-orange fur seemed to be shining in the sunlight. He had a sudden idea and said that he actually... liked the Yao family's cat.
The Yao family's cat is fat and round, and very cute.
The Cheng family owns a tailor shop with plenty of fabric, so they can't keep cats and dogs. Cheng Shujun's argument makes perfect sense. Seeing his resolute and serious expression, Meng Lin, the two simpletons, suddenly understood and playfully nudged his arm, teasing him:
"I thought you were like Lu Fang from the Ding family, that you were infatuated with love and spent all your time looking at Miss Yao. Turns out you're a fool, you don't appreciate beautiful women, but you love a fat cat instead."
At that moment, Cheng Shujun glanced at his two laughing friends and his lips twitched.
I wonder who the fool is.
"Let's go, let's go." At this moment, Cheng Shujun was being dragged towards the Yao family by his friends, who seemed to have found a way to comfort him. They laughed and said, "I know you cat lovers have all sorts of quirks. No matter what difficulties you encounter, as long as you hug your cat, stroke its fur, and give it a couple of kisses, you'll feel better!"
With the Yao family's roof so close, Cheng Shujun found it increasingly difficult to move, and his heart ached.
He despises himself.
Knowing there was no hope, I still clung to it; knowing I shouldn't miss her anymore, I still longed to see her.
He even failed his year-end exam because of this, he's really... pathetic.
Upon arriving at the Yao family's gate, Meng Boyuan opened his mouth to call for Yao's wife and ask for three bowls of mixed vegetable soup. However, he immediately noticed two cypress boats filled with small rice balls on the windowsill. He changed his mind and asked with great interest, "Yao's wife, what's this? Have you made something new to eat?"
Yao Ruyi was sitting by the window when she heard that a customer had come in. She quickly looked up, smiled, and said, "I just made some sour rice. Would you like to try some?"
Cheng Shujun walked at the very end of the three, his steps slow and deliberate. It took him a long time before he finally looked up at her.
Today, Miss Yao wore a playful black bun, with a magnolia flower tucked into her temple. She wore a short, narrow-sleeved, grape-buttoned, pinkish-red jacket, and a fluffy rabbit fur scarf that covered half of her chin, making her look even softer. Her eyes were round and curved when she smiled, her eyelashes falling softly. The dimple on her left cheek was deeper than the one on her right, and looking at her felt like a burning sensation in one's heart.
"How much are they? Vegetarian ones are five coins each, fish and meat ones are eight coins each... We'll have some fish and ham ones too! We'll also have some mixed vegetables to cook." Meng Boyuan had completely forgotten his friend's suffering, his eyes were full of food. "This egg-skin rice dish looks pretty good, and three plum rice balls too."
"Alright, come in and have a seat. We'll be there in a bit."
Meng Boyuan then pulled Lin Weiming and Cheng Shujun inside to sit down. As soon as he entered, he saw Yao's fat cat, Wangwang, curled up on a shelf near the heater, snoring soundly. He had only learned that cats snore when they slept after seeing Yao Xiaoniangzi's cat before, and it was quite loud.
"Cheng Da! Woof woof is here, here you go, hold him." Meng Boyuan was very understanding and picked up the sleeping cat and put it into Cheng Shujun's arms, who seemed even more silent after entering the general store.
Wangwang yawned sleepily, and when it realized that he was a regular customer, it didn't stand on ceremony. It sat down in Cheng Shujun's arm with its plump buttocks, found a warm and comfortable position, and continued to sleep.
Then we waited expectantly for the meal.
A short while later, Yao Ruyi neatly arranged all the sushi they had ordered on plates and brought it over, also giving them an extra small dish of soy sauce and almond milk for dipping.
Meng Boyuan and Lin Weiming, who had been taking exams all morning, were starving. Their eyes lit up, and they immediately started eating. First, they chose a sea bass sushi. The white sea bass slices were so thin they were translucent, lying on the vinegared rice like a snowflake melting in their mouths. A few thin strands of scallion, so fine they could be threaded through a needle, trembled beside the meat. Meng Boyuan picked up the sushi with his chopsticks, the fish trembling with each movement, and quickly put it in his mouth.
The rice was still warm, with a slightly sweet and sour taste. Each grain was distinct and had a satisfyingly chewy texture. The fish was tender and fresh, and even the scallions had a refreshing aroma that wasn't overpowering.
Refreshing! So delicious!
Lin Weiming ate vegetarian bamboo shoot sushi. The tender, yellow winter bamboo shoots were finely chopped, tossed with a little sesame oil, and glistened on top of the rice. A perilla leaf was also plucked on the side. The bamboo shoot shreds were crisp and refreshing, with a hint of fresh sweetness. The sesame oil wasn't overpowering; instead, it enhanced the freshness of the bamboo shoots. The rice absorbed some of the bamboo shoot's juices, making it incredibly delicious. After eating so much rich, meaty food in the winter, sitting by the warm stove could make one feel a bit parched, so this bite was exceptionally comforting.
And then there are the rice balls, coated with sesame seeds and fried beans. They're loose but not crumbly when you hold them in your hand. When you bite into them, the vinegared rice has a sweet and refreshing aroma of pickled plums, along with the crispness of the beans. You can eat half a rice ball in one bite and finish it before you know it.
This sour rice dish didn't look particularly special; I thought it would be similar to glutinous rice balls. But it turned out to be so delicious. Meng Boyuan and Lin Weiming were both very satisfied with their meal. This dish had many flavors—some were tender, some were crisp, and some were fresh—each with its own unique taste. Overall, it was refreshing, but each flavor was different, and they could try them all, so they both felt it was well worth the price.
The two were so engrossed in eating that they only noticed Cheng Shujun staring blankly at the cat, not having touched a bite. Meng Boyuan and Lin Weiming couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are you listening to so intently?"
However, Cheng Shujun didn't need to answer. They had already heard it. Yao Xiaoniangzi had entered the courtyard at some point and was busy with something with Sancunding and Cong Xin. She was saying, "Second Uncle is going to be gone for a long time. Cong Xin, do you think we should take some bean feed to feed the horse? Don't let it get hungry and start kicking its hooves."
Cong Xin didn't know anything about raising horses either. She thought for a moment and said, "Then pack some and take them with you. Three-Inch Nail, go and ask Uncle Cong if Second Uncle will be back for dinner tonight."
Three-Inch Nail agreed and was about to leave when she called him back: "Wait a minute, ask Second Uncle what he wants to eat if he comes back for a meal. Second Uncle and Uncle Cong are going out today, and I'll go out to buy groceries in a bit."
"Is Miss Yao really this talkative in private?" Lin Weiming slurped as he ate the mixed vegetable stew, shaking his head. "How can she call so many 'second uncles' in just three sentences?"
She could hardly tell whether Lin Wen'an was her uncle or his uncle.
Although Lin Wen'an was from several branches of the same family, they were still from the same clan. Lin Wen'an could compose poems and write essays at the age of seven, and he became famous in the capital after passing the imperial examination at the age of twelve. Countless distant relatives suddenly appeared, but the Lin Si Cao family was at least somewhat related to them. Seeing that this child, who was their uncle by seniority, was no ordinary person, their family also wanted to get closer to him.
His father then started associating with his uncle. Even when Lin Wen'an's father wanted to buy a house at the Imperial Academy, it was the Lin Si Cao family who ran around helping to make the connections. But actually, the two families weren't familiar with each other before.
Even the thinnest blood relation is still blood relation. We weren't familiar with each other before, but we gradually became familiar with each other. Although we haven't seen each other for seven years, it still sounds quite natural for Lin Weiming to call him that.
Cheng Shujun lowered his eyes and stroked the glossy, shiny fur on his back.
Just then, they suddenly heard Yao Xiaoniangzi call out, "Second Uncle."
The tone was somewhat dazed, and all three of them subconsciously turned their heads to look into the courtyard.
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Congratulations to Cat Wangwang for being named a star employee of Yaoji Grocery Store for eight years!
(Awarding certificates and canned cat food)
Everyone applauded enthusiastically. [Applause][Applause][Applause]
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