152, Ironic Reality
152, Ironic Reality
It was still early when they returned to the city, so Lu Mingfei and his father went to the pancake shop to pick up his mother and brothers. After getting off the carriage, he thanked the horse guard who brought them back, "Thank you for taking us back and forth."
"You're welcome." Guard Ma replied.
After watching the father and son enter the alley, Guard Ma drove the carriage away.
Lu Mingfei and his father entered the backyard of the pancake shop through a small door on the side.
Liu Sanniang, who was stuffing sausages in the yard, was surprised to see the father and son return and asked, "Why are you back so soon? Have you finished your business?"
"I'll tell you slowly when we get back." Lu Youtian said.
"Oh, okay." Liu Sanniang knew that some things were not convenient to say in front of so many people, so she stopped asking about the situation at the Lu family's old house. She looked at her eldest son who had returned and said, "Your uncle Chunping sent a bucket of snails today. Do you want to go and see if they can be used?"
"Okay, where is it?" Lu Mingfei asked.
"It's in the kitchen." Liu Sanniang asked someone to take her place, and she took her eldest son who had returned to the kitchen to look at the snails.
When Lu Mingrui, Lu Mingcong and Zhang Xiaobao, the three boys who were playing in the backyard, saw their brother coming back, they all ran towards him one after another.
"Brother." Lu Mingrui ran over and hugged his brother's waist, shouting.
Lu Mingfei patted the boy's head and asked his mother, "How long have these snails been here?"
"It was delivered this morning and has been kept here ever since." Liu Sanniang replied.
"The sand should have been spitted out, so we can fry it now. Are you going to sell it today? I'll fry it." Lu Mingfei asked as he was already rolling up his sleeves to get ready for work. He was feeling really down today, so it was a good time to do this to relieve his pent-up mood.
"How about I do it? You go and rest for a while." Liu Sanniang was worried that the child was tired.
"I'll try frying it for you to see, so you'll know how to do it next time." When he smelled the aroma of the braised meat, Lu Mingfei knew that his mother was planning to set up the stall again this afternoon.
"Is there meat in the pot?"
"Yes, I braised a little, not a lot. This is our first time setting up a stall in the afternoon, so I don't know how business will be. Your adoptive father just asked us to take some fried snails and braised meat to nearby restaurants and taverns to ask if they would buy our fried snails and braised meat."
"It just so happens that my father is back. Let him and my godfather go together."
"That's fine. I'll tell your father later and ask them to send it off together."
After thinking for a while, Liu Sanniang lowered her voice and asked her eldest son, "Did something happen when you and your father went back there today?"
Lu Mingfei told his mother what the old patriarch had said to them, as well as what he heard his second aunt and the old lady arguing when they returned to the old house.
However, he did not say what the old patriarch said about worrying about affecting his future.
After hearing what her eldest son said, Liu Sanniang wasn't too surprised. She just sighed and said, "Ah, I expected this to happen. Your grandparents and the others are the kind of people who would sell their children for money, not to mention that they're just selling a little girl. As long as they have the money, nothing else matters."
"Forget it. Since they have already taken other people's money, it is not good for us to interfere in this matter. You and your father should not get involved."
Originally, Liu Sanniang didn't really want her eldest son and husband to get involved in this matter. They had been separated for so many years and had long since stopped interacting with the people in the old house. Now that her niece was dead, it was pitiful, but there was no reason for them, the third branch, to intervene in the affairs of a deceased niece who had married out.
Their biological parents and grandparents took the money and stopped pursuing these matters, so why should they, the third branch of the family that was separated from them, pursue these matters?
This is also what makes Lu Mingfei most helpless and the most tragic thing for his dead cousin.
Seeing her eldest son's silence, Liu Sanniang could more or less tell what was going on in her child's mind. She patted her eldest son's arm and said soothingly, "Okay, don't think too much."
"Yeah." Lu Mingfei responded.
Before frying the snails in the bucket, the tails must be removed.
It took some time to process so many snails.
Then they prepared the condiments and spices and started stir-frying the snails.
This time, Lu Mingfei was in charge of the cooking. As he was frying the snails in the wok, he told his mother some things to pay attention to. When the snails were almost done, he poured in a little white wine. "This white wine is to remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor. This step is crucial."
"Oh, okay, I understand." Liu Sanniang nodded, "I've discovered that Mingfei, you are extremely talented in cooking."
"Well, I'm a good cook who was delayed by studying." Lu Mingfei said seriously.
"It's a pity to let you be a cook. I still want you to study." Between a son who is a cook and a son who studies and becomes an official, Liu Sanniang would choose the latter without hesitation.
The mother and son exchanged a few jokes, and the atmosphere in the kitchen became much more relaxed.
But whether they feel relieved or not, only they themselves know.
There were quite a few fried snails today, and Lu Mingfei was generous this time, giving each of his three children half a bowl and leaving two smaller portions for himself and the servants. The remaining snails were divided into two portions, one for sale at the store entrance and one for his father and adoptive father to sell outside.
Zhang Qi said he wanted to go with them, so he let Zhang Qi go out with his father and adoptive father.
When things are put outside, they need people to watch over them and sell them.
Today, with nothing to do, Lu Mingfei worked hard to secure a sales job. He moved a small stool and sat on it to watch over the stall and sell things. He didn't care if no one bought the food after it was put out. He just filled a small bowl for himself and ate it while sitting there.
"Hmm, delicious!" He was sure that no one could refuse fried snails... but there might be exceptions, such as their young master who was too concerned about his image?
There were two pots, one filled with braised food, the other with fried snails, both warmed by a charcoal fire. As the heat rose, the aroma emanated from the pots, and soon the street was filled with the two aromas.
Passersby stopped in their tracks when they smelled the aroma and came over to ask, "Little brother, how much do you sell this for?"
"Uncle, you can try it. This is our new dish today." Lu Mingfei scooped two fried snails for the customer to taste. "If you like it, buy it. Otherwise, it's free."
The old man didn't care about his image and just picked up the fried snails and put them into his mouth.
Although there is not much meat in the snail, it tastes very good, fresh and sweet. The old man kept saying, "How much is this? Give me one."
"The fried snails are five cents each, and the braised ones are ten cents each." Lu Mingfei took out two bamboo tubes of different sizes. The small one was used to hold the fried snails, and the large one was used to fry the braised ones.
As a food business, they often get takeout customers, so they usually keep a lot of clean bamboo tubes at home. Today, they used them to pack stir-fried snails and braised food for customers to take away, which came in handy.
"I want a large portion of fried snails. And one portion of braised meat as well." The old man was not short of money, so he paid twenty cents.
"Okay." Lu Mingfei didn't expect that he hadn't set up his stall for a long time, but as soon as he did, he made a big deal. He hurriedly took two large bamboo tubes, filled a large portion of fried snails for the old man, and another portion of braised food.
The ten-cent braised dish is a combination of meat and vegetables, and comes with a braised egg.
The two bamboo tubes were covered with oil paper and tied with ropes. However, when Lu Mingfei handed them to the old man, he reminded him, "The opening is not tied firmly. Please hold it tightly and don't let it spill."
"Okay." The old man gave twenty coins, held a bamboo tube in one hand and left happily.
Zhao Lang, who was studying at the Imperial College, had already learned about Lu Mingfei's return to the city from the guards who had returned. However, he was still attending classes in the Imperial College, so he had no time to look for Lu Mingfei.
Compared to Prince Zhao who was still studying in the Imperial College, Lu Mingfei, who had already finished the exam and was waiting for the results, was much more relaxed. He even picked up a side job that he had not done for a long time.
But at this moment, he was sitting in front of the store selling things, and his mind was still thinking about his deceased eldest cousin and the way those people in the Lu family's old house handled this matter, which made him feel very heartbroken.
In fact, Lu Mingfei himself knew that his cousin's experience was not an isolated case in this era. Too many married women died in their husband's family, and as long as the husband's family was willing to pay a little money, everything could be settled.
After all, the person is already dead. If a dead person can be exchanged for a little interest, many people are willing to accept it.
Such examples are not only found in this era. Even in the future when technology and civilization are developed, money can still buy a person's life.
It's ironic, but this is reality.
Thinking of this, Lu Mingfei felt as if a stone weighed down his heart, heavy and uncomfortable, and it was difficult for him to accept this fact. He remembered the dream he had yesterday, and the dream where his eldest cousin came to see him. If he couldn't get justice for his eldest cousin, he would never be able to let go of this matter.
However, their old patriarch was right in saying that a family without capable officials would only be bullied. Especially in this era dominated by the royal family and the powerful, it would be difficult for common people to challenge and shake the status of the powerful and seek justice.
Therefore, only by standing at a higher position can we prevent ourselves, our family, and the loved ones around us from being bullied; when we encounter injustice, we can seek justice for ourselves and our family! Author's words: Thank you Bole 9492239 (9492239) for your support, mua! To know more exciting content, please leave me a message on Liancheng Reading.
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