Chapter 65 Peach Rice Cake "Meng Yu, you've deceived me so badly."
Yun An turned and chased after her to the kitchen, trying to snatch the jar back, but was met with a fierce scolding. Yun An was so angry that she almost fainted.
Meng Yu quickly helped her to sit down on a stone bench in the courtyard, her brows furrowed, and she raised her hand angrily: "She bullies you like this, does Cui Xun just let her do nothing?"
The August weather was unbearably hot and humid. Sweat soaked Yun'an's forehead. She shook her head with a wry smile: "He goes to the private school early every morning and doesn't return home until sunset. By the end of the day, he is exhausted. My mother-in-law and I sometimes have disagreements, and if he finds out, he will help me. But after a while, he inevitably gets tired too. So most of the time, even if my mother-in-law and I have arguments, I don't let him know."
“He is your husband, and you are not an unreasonable person. If there is anything, you should let him know.” Meng Yu’s gestures were very fast, as if she was extremely angry.
Yun An raised his head, his eyes glistening with tears: "My mother-in-law is the mother who gave birth to him and raised him, what can I do?"
Her words left Meng Yu with a belly full of anger that she couldn't utter or suppress.
"The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has always been difficult. It's my fault for not recognizing her true colors before we got married, which is why I've ended up like this. Yunhe, you don't need to worry about me, go back!"
After saying that, Yun An stood up slowly as if she had lost her soul. As she walked back in a daze, she suddenly felt her vision go black and the world spin. The moment she closed her eyes, she felt her body go limp, and then a "bang" sound entered her ears. After that, she could no longer hear any sound or see anything.
When she woke up again, Meng Yu's slightly worried face was the first thing she saw, followed by Cui Xun's happy expression and her mother-in-law's smiling face.
A sense of unease welled up inside her. Recalling past events, Yun'an frowned and struggled to sit up. Cui Xun quickly and carefully helped her, placing a pillow behind her back. Holding her hand, he said with tears in his eyes, "Yun'an, we have a child."
As expected, Yun An responded to Cui Xun with a smile. Cui's mother also chimed in, her voice softer than ever before: "Now that you are carrying the flesh and blood of our Cui family, you don't need to worry about household chores anymore. Your mother-in-law will take care of them for you. Just focus on your pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby boy for our Cui family. That's the right thing to do."
Before Yun An could respond, Cui Xun said, "In that case, I'll trouble Mother."
Meng Yu was furious and gestured from the side: "What hardship has she endured? You are not their servant. All they do is bully you all day long. Before you married into the family, did they not need to eat?"
"Pfft!"
Yun An was amused by her words. Cui Xun looked at Meng Yu, then at Yun An, and felt that Meng Yu's furrowed brows didn't seem like she was joking, so he frowned and asked, "What did Miss Xi say?"
“She said pregnant women should keep a happy mood,” Yun An raised an eyebrow, glanced at Cui’s mother, and chuckled, “so that they don’t end up like snakes that fall into a cesspool and come out covered in excrement.”
Cui's mother's face darkened.
Her zodiac animal is the snake.
However, because Yun An was pregnant and Cui Xun was present, she couldn't vent her anger. She could only hold her breath, so angry that her eyebrows almost stood up.
Cui Xun asked, puzzled, "What does this have to do with you being pregnant?"
"It means that petty people are no different from cesspools, and that even if I fall into a cesspool, I shouldn't bother with petty people, so as not to affect my mood."
Yun An rambled on, which made Meng Yu laugh. Cui Xun also thought it made sense and said "good" several times. Only Cui's mother was left standing by, her face red with anger.
After chatting and laughing for a while, Yun'an wanted to have a private chat with Meng Yu, so she asked Cui's mother and Cui Xun to go out first. Although Cui's mother was unwilling, Cui Xun half-pushed and half-pulled her out of the room. Seeing the old wooden door closed, Yun'an and Meng Yu smiled at each other from the bottom of their hearts.
“From the time Ah Xun and I met, got to know each other, fell in love, and got married, no one interfered. Even my brother and mother-in-law were very supportive,” Yun An touched her belly, but her face was full of worry. “I always thought that having a child with the person you love must be a very happy thing, but now…”
At this point, she sighed and paused, "I don't understand why my mother-in-law, who was such a good person before marriage, turned into such a terrible person after we got married?"
Meng Yu raised her hand: "Maybe she's always been this kind of person. You couldn't see it before because she hid it so well. Now that you're in the door, and the deed is done, her ugly face will naturally be revealed."
Recalling what I witnessed a few months ago, and seeing Yun'an's current situation, a wave of guilt washed over me.
If she had told the truth back then, would Yun An have avoided stepping into this quagmire?
Meng Yu hesitated for a moment, moved her lips, and finally couldn't help but raise her hand to tell Yun An exactly what Cui's mother had said when she stuffed the pork knuckle into her sister's hands that day.
Seeing through Meng Yu's thoughts, Yun An took her hand and comforted her, "Yun He, don't blame yourself. Even if I had known about this back then, I wouldn't have left Cui Xun. That's how people are; they won't turn back until they hit a wall."
There was some truth to what she said. Meng Yu paused for a moment, then raised her hand: "So what do you plan to do?"
Upon hearing this, Yun An lowered her head and gently stroked her still-flat belly: "Let's focus on taking care of the pregnancy first and give birth to this child properly."
Meng Yu nodded: "In that case, don't think about your worries anymore. Just relax and take good care of your pregnancy. Only in this way can you and your baby be safe and sound."
Yun An nodded in agreement.
***
September 3rd.
It is auspicious for marriage, betrothal, and prayer.
"One comb to the end, two combs for marital bliss, three combs for white hair and harmonious marriage, four combs for a house full of children and grandchildren." In front of the mirror, Meng Shuang, dressed in a wedding gown, was stunningly beautiful, her features bearing a slight resemblance to the person behind her.
After combing her hair, Madam Yuan put down the comb and, choking back tears, instructed, "Shuang'er, after you marry into the family, remember to come home often, and if anything happens, be sure to tell your mother."
Upon hearing the word "mother," Meng Shuang's stunned expression finally stirred. In the past, Madam Yuan only allowed her to call her mother, never allowing her to call her "mother" like children from ordinary families.
“Mother, I’ve gotten used to calling you Mother. Didn’t you say that for a branch to grow upward, it needs to keep climbing, always moving forward, and never looking back?”
She turned her head and saw tears in Yuan's eyes. She sighed, seemingly with regret and sorrow, but from a distance, her cold expression showed no emotion, and her words were full of estrangement.
Seemingly surprised by Meng Shuang's change, Madam Yuan paused for a moment, but then smiled brightly and said, "Yes, yes, I said it before, we must always move forward and never look back."
As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer until the last few words were tinged with a sob.
Meng Shuang ignored her and focused on putting on the phoenix crown.
The beaded curtains on the phoenix crown clashed together, making a crisp sound, like tears falling to the ground.
***
Another half month passed, and in the golden autumn season, all the jams and dried fruits were ready. Suddenly, Uncle Ge came to my door beaming with joy: "Miss Xi, I didn't see you because you weren't at my stall. The two jars of jam you gave me were originally on the shelf, but the other day the wine was sold out, and since the stall is far from the storeroom, and that customer was really difficult, I had to scoop out a spoonful of jam, mix it with a cup of water, and he tasted it and actually gave me an extra tael of silver. Later, I don't know where the news leaked out, but every customer who comes to my stall to eat specifically asks for this. Do you still have any jam here? I'll take it all."
Meng Yu smiled, bowed his head and wrote: "Your stall isn't very big. If you buy so much fruit wine and jam and can't sell it all, wouldn't that be a waste?"
“To be honest, thanks to your fruit wine, I’ve made quite a bit of money these days. I’m planning to buy a shop and open a restaurant so I can avoid the wind and sun when I’m running a stall,” Uncle Ge paused, his smile fading, and asked sincerely, “But how much jam do you have left, miss? And how much does it cost?”
Meng Yu answered his question carefully. After listening, Uncle Ge frowned and did a quick calculation: "If we want to take all of the girl's jam, it will cost fifty taels of silver. But most of my silver has been used to pay a year's rent for the shop, so I'm afraid it won't be enough."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yu thought for a moment before picking up his pen and saying, "Since Uncle Ge is interested in these jams, I have an idea."
The storeroom was emptied of jam in no time. Meng Yu locked the signed contract back in the cabinet. She sold the jam to Ge Bo at the price of 20% of the monthly profit of Ge Bo's shop. This was equivalent to her investing 50 taels of silver to become a shareholder of Ge Bo's "Chunshi Restaurant".
Having more options brings more peace of mind.
After resting for three days, on their first day back at work, Meng Yu had someone prepare a table full of dishes and opened several jars of peach wine for everyone to enjoy.
Compared to other village leaders in Hejiuyun Township, Mengyu not only paid people for their work but also shared profits with them. In addition, there were days off and various gifts, so everyone worked very hard.
On the first day of Chun Restaurant's opening, Uncle Ge invited Meng Yu to have a drink. The shop had about ten tables and chairs. Because Uncle Ge had been setting up a stall in the city for many years, he was quite well-known in Hejiuyun Township. When his old customers learned that he had opened a new shop, they all came to support him. He also hired two farmhands to help out. The small shop was bustling with people, and the waiters were busy serving dishes.
Uncle Ge ordered several of Chun Restaurant's signature dishes for her, including lotus leaf fish dumplings, stuffed duck with fresh mushrooms, almond tofu, and fried quail.
Meng Yu tried them all. The lotus leaf fish dumplings removed the fishy smell, and every bite was filled with the fragrance of lotus leaves. The fresh mushroom stuffed duck was stuffed with a thick and fragrant sauce. One bite of the fresh mushroom burst with juice in your mouth. The almond tofu had a delicate texture and was soft and smooth. The fried quail was golden in color, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was fragrant and crunchy. Paired with a sip of peach wine, it was simply refreshing and delicious, and it greatly increased your appetite.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Uncle Ge came over to ask for his opinion. Meng Yu had already written down all his thoughts and feelings after tasting the food.
Uncle Ge looked at it and couldn't stop laughing.
Meng Yu then asked, "By the way, doesn't Chun Restaurant have any dim sum?"
“Young lady, you’re joking. How could I, old man Ge, possibly make pastries? I only know how to make stir-fries,” Uncle Ge shook his head and laughed. “Besides, the Ruixiang Restaurant up ahead makes exceptional pastries. If I were to make pastries, I’m afraid no one would buy them.”
Meng Yu smiled and didn't ask any further questions. Instead, she changed the subject: "I do know how to make a dessert. It just so happens that there's nothing urgent going on in Zhuoshan today. I wonder if Uncle Ge would like to try my cooking?"
***
Meng Yu borrowed the kitchen of Chun Restaurant and made a dessert with some peach jam and glutinous rice flour. It was peach-shaped, pink and tender, and when you took a bite, it was both chewy and sweet.
Uncle Ge and Xiao Er tasted it and praised it highly.
Meng Yuzhi wrote with a smile: "This is called peach cake. It is filled with peach jam and is sweet and soft. People who love sweets will definitely like this. I wonder if Ruixianglou has similar pastries?"
Uncle Ge laughed and said, "Where would they get this? Ruixianglou mostly sells red bean cakes, milk cakes, yam cakes, and the like, filled with peach jam. They really don't have this..."
As they were talking, Ge Bo paused, his eyes lit up, he looked down at the peach cakes on the plate, then glanced at Meng Yu, and immediately realized: "Miss Xi means that we, Chunshi Restaurant, should also sell these?"
Meng Yu smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
After teaching Uncle Ge how to make peach cakes, it was the time when the sunset was full and wild geese were returning to their nests. At Uncle Ge's invitation, Meng Yu had dinner at Chun Restaurant before leisurely walking back to Hualing Lane.
When she first moved into Hualing Lane, she set aside a vegetable garden in the yard. Now, as she opened the door, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the lush green leaves, as if bathed in golden light. The hen, which had been cooped up in its cage all day, finally laid an egg. She scattered a handful of rice on the ground and released it. The six newly hatched chicks followed behind their mother, pecking at the rice grains on the ground one by one with their sharp beaks.
Meng Yu licked her lips, the sweet aroma of peach wine still lingering in her mouth. The more she licked, the less satisfied she felt. She simply lit a lamp, took out a new jar of peach wine from the house, and leaned back on the recliner in the yard, enjoying the sunset while savoring the wine.
As darkness gradually descended, the lit lanterns emitted a faint glow.
In a daze, the lamplight cast a tall figure, but she couldn't make out the face. She rubbed her eyes, but still couldn't see clearly.
The man seemed to be standing with his hands behind his back under the eaves. He paused for a moment before walking towards her.
Even when she got closer, she still couldn't see his face clearly.
Until his cold fingertips touched her face, accompanied by a familiar voice that reached her ears from afar: "Meng Yu, you've deceived me so badly."
A chill suddenly shot from the soles of my feet throughout my entire body.
Meng Yu suddenly opened her eyes.
The lamplight under the eaves flickered, and the hen was nowhere to be seen in the yard. Several small figures huddled in the chicken coop. The cold moonlight shone on the ground, as if spreading a hazy white veil. A cold wind gently brushed her face, wrinkling the beads of sweat on her forehead.
The chaotic vision gradually cleared.
As the scenery in the courtyard came into view, Meng Yu's heart, which had been in her throat, gradually calmed down.
It was all a dream.
Since leaving the capital, she hadn't dreamed of Lu Xiuyi for a long time. Now, thinking back, the face of the person in her memory became increasingly blurry. It turned out that forgetting someone was such a simple thing, or perhaps he had never occupied a place in her heart. So it was only natural that his face would become increasingly blurry over time.
It was already quite late, and thinking about the inspection tour of Zhuoshan the next day, Meng Yu tidied up and went inside to sleep.
The second half of the year was mainly spent pruning and fertilizing the fruit trees. After the harvest, Meng Yu did not hire any more temporary workers. Now, including Ren Ling, there are only ten workers in total. They each took responsibility for a fruit tree, and the responsibility was assigned to each person.
Chun Restaurant is always packed, and Uncle Ge is so busy he doesn't even have time to drink water.
In the first year of harvesting fruit and making wine, she and Uncle Ge made a lot of money. To continue doing this for a long time, health is the foundation, and the cost of hiring helpers is indispensable. Uncle Ge was reluctant to spend the money, but Meng Yu couldn't bear to see it, so she paid for two kitchen helpers for him.
Life went by quickly, and the end of the year was fast approaching. Meng Yu calculated her profits for the year, and with the monthly interest paid to her by Uncle Ge, she had earned a total of five hundred taels.
She took 200 taels out of the 500 taels and distributed 20 taels as a bonus to the ten workers. Including Ren Ling, these ten people were all farmers from the surrounding area. They could barely make ends meet by working hard every day, and it was impossible for them to save up 20 taels in a year. Therefore, seeing so much money, everyone worked even harder.
Of the remaining three hundred taels, Meng Yu took out another one hundred taels and presented them to the government office as a tribute, claiming that the government office had done a good job in maintaining public order and was deeply loved by the people. The government soldiers patrolled even more diligently on weekdays, and almost no village bullies in the vicinity dared to come and cause trouble.
Things seem to be getting better.
In the last few days of the year, a heavy snow fell, and the thick snow broke tree branches in the yard. The next day, Meng Yu spent a lot of effort clearing the snow from the yard. During the process, she accidentally cut her finger on a tree branch, and blood flowed freely. She quickly disinfected the wound, applied medicine, and bandaged it up before she felt better.
The north wind seeped in through the gaps in the gauze, tearing at the wound and causing excruciating pain.
The bandages on her fingers weren't removed until New Year's Eve. Meng Yu and Ren Ling then prepared a table full of dishes in the yard, and after the workers had eaten, they packed up their things and prepared to close the gate and keep watch for the night.
The door bolt had just been bolted when the sound of several horses' hooves came hurriedly from outside. Firelight shone through the gaps at the bottom of the door, followed by a series of loud bangs.
The knocking was very forceful.
Meng Yu was startled.
Just as she was stunned, a familiar voice came from outside the door: "Miss Xi, open the door quickly. I am Constable Feng. Something has happened at Chun Restaurant. Uncle Ge has been arrested. Lord Lü wants me to summon you to the yamen immediately for questioning."
It's Feng Huai.
Meng Yu was startled and hurriedly went to open the door.
Under the frosty moonlight, the man, dressed in black, seemed to blend into the night. Two people followed behind him, carrying torches. His cold, hard face was framed by his eyes, but his gaze towards her was filled with tenderness and anxiety.
Meng Yu looked anxious and gestured, "What happened at Chun Restaurant? Why are they arresting Uncle Ge?"
Feng Huai used to lead patrols to Zhuoshan. Over time, Meng Yu became familiar with him, and he eventually learned to read her sign language.
"Let's talk as we walk," Feng Huai stepped aside to make way for them. "Tonight, for our New Year's Eve dinner, the Zhou family ordered food from Chun Restaurant. After the waiter delivered it, Old Man Zhou and his family collapsed shortly after eating. Old Li from next door happened to be delivering some plums when he discovered that they had been poisoned. He immediately reported it to the authorities. Fortunately, their poisoning wasn't severe, and the doctor administered acupuncture in time, saving their lives. Although their lives are no longer in danger, they are still in a coma."
The road was covered in frost and snow, and the biting wind felt like knives, cutting through our clothes.
Meng Yu was in such a hurry that she forgot to bring her cloak. When Feng Huai saw this, he quickly took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders.
The unique fragrance of a man seemed irresistible as it entered her nostrils. Meng Yu frowned, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. She was about to raise her hand to refuse when Feng Huai preemptively made a gesture.
It was too cold outside, and seeing this, she no longer refused and had no choice but to give up. Instead, she raised her hand and asked, "What kind of poison have they been poisoned by?"
Feng Huai frowned: "He was poisoned by Chiwu. The most crucial thing is that the coroner also found Chiwu in the dishes sent from Chunshi Restaurant, which is why Ge Bo was imprisoned."
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