Chapter 17: Sold out Guan Guan Ju Jiu again, on the island of the river
This shout attracted all the students, and they immediately surrounded Wei Jinyun's stall tightly, shouting "Mr." and "Master" in unison and loudly.
The old man was called Lu Hongcai. He used to be an official in Bianliang. Now he has retired and returned to his hometown. He is employed by Pingjiang Prefecture School. Those who know him respectfully call him "Master Lu".
Master Lu covered his cheeks and gasped. The stickiness of the mint cake was still fighting against his teeth, and even drinking a cup of tea was of no use.
He wanted to use this opportunity to admonish the students, but he heard a crisp "Ah Weng" suddenly coming from behind everyone.
His eyes widened even further, but he felt somewhat at a loss. The path the students had opened this time was even wider than the previous one.
"What is Aung doing here?"
Lu Lantang walked along the aisle to Master Lu, glanced at the jasmine cakes on the stall, and said slowly, "Oh... Yuan Aung is eating... snacks here."
She wore a green straight-collared, double-breasted, narrow-sleeved gown and a light blue folded skirt. She wore a orchid-shaped pearl hairpin in her bun. Her eyebrows and eyes were very delicate, revealing a scholarly air.
"Tangtang, Aong only took a small bite."
Master Lu no longer had the energy to lecture his students. He just coughed lightly and said, "Besides, you haven't swallowed it yet."
However, after taking a bite, his teeth were almost stuck to the food, and his granddaughter happened to see him doing so. He felt so regretful.
Quiet, the atmosphere at this moment is even quieter than Master Lu’s classroom.
"That's all."
Lu Lantang chuckled softly, "The doctor told me that you don't have diabetes. You haven't eaten much meat or snacks in the past two months, and I saw you sighing. I'll allow you to eat today, but don't eat too much."
She stuffed money into Wei Fuling's hand and took a bite of the jasmine cake. It was sweet but not greasy. If it were paired with Shuiyue tea, it would definitely taste even better.
She stared at the exquisite plating again, which seemed to be designed with great care.
"really?"
Master Lu asked tentatively.
Lu Lantang nodded and responded with an "hmm".
"Tangtang is still good to me."
Master Lu's expression changed rapidly. He turned towards Wei Jinyun and laughed loudly, "Then give me ten dollars!"
It was very quiet all around.
He glanced at Lu Lantang's face and said nervously, "Well, eight dollars will do... five dollars, or... four dollars can't be less."
The students gathered behind the two of them and watched as Master Lu, who usually would take out a ruler to punish them depending on whether they understood or not, became as wilted as a chick in front of his granddaughter.
"I was wondering why you've been so irritable these past two days, it turns out you haven't eaten enough snacks."
"I hope that after you finish eating the sweets today, you will give me fewer spankings tomorrow."
The students began to whisper among themselves, and some couldn't help laughing out loud.
"Then buy two." Lu Lantang sipped tea to moisten his mouth. "Pack four for Grandpa, and ten for me. I'll give some to the sisters to try."
Wei Jinyun skillfully filled the cart for the two of them and added some samples. But in a short while, only about twenty pieces of jasmine cakes were left on her cart.
Only after Master Lu left did the students behind him dare to speak out.
"It's like one thing conquers another. Can you please invite Miss Lu to sit in on every class?"
"Look carefully, Miss Wei has two children with her?"
"What? Could it be that, oh my spring heart..."
"Look, your brother Tang looks like this because he didn't read enough books. He's completely crazy. After all, Miss Wei wouldn't have a child this big."
"What are you guys talking about? Go and try the snacks that make Mr.'s teeth sticky."
When scholars talk, they never stop for a moment.
Either he had already thought of the contents of the message board in class and held the pen tightly, or he was half bent over, carefully looking for the differences in the faces of the sisters Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqiu, or he was chatting with Wei Jinyun casually.
The cakes sold quickly, but people were still waiting at the stall. The two pots of tea Wei Jinyun had prepared were completely insufficient, and they were all gone in a moment. Business at the nearby fragrant drink stall also saw a significant increase.
"The day of departure always comes so quickly."
A student sighed, "It's not like in a teahouse, where you can eat snacks and listen to opera and sit there all afternoon... Miss Wei, can you stay a little longer?"
Wei Jinyun didn't have any tables or chairs here, only two or three small stools for her sister to rest on. Once the cakes were sold out, there was no need for her to stay here.
The two sisters helped Wei Jinyun gather the plates and put them into the basket under the cart, and then spent their own change to buy her a bowl of perilla water.
"cannot."
Wu Sheng spoke up for Wei Jinyun.
"My sisters are tired and exhausted. I want to take them back to rest."
Wei Jinyun said hello to the remaining students, then pushed the cart and set off back to the shop with her sisters.
Today's cakes are sold out again.
The mint cake was well received during the tasting, so I think I can add it to her dessert menu tomorrow.
"Ouch."
The student twirled his folding fan in his hand, watching Wei Jinyun's receding figure. He tapped Wu Sheng's head, "Brother Wu, the orioles are singing, and they are on the island of the river... Do you think there is another Lord Lu in our Pingjiang Prefecture?"
The kind that jumps up and down.
"ah?"
Wu Sheng took a bite of the omelet.
The sisters liked to put the small windmills she bought on the cart, and the wind blew them around. Two of them ran and jumped in front of the cart. Today, they accompanied Wei Jinyun to set up the stall, and they didn't look tired at all.
"We did go out, but it would be boring for grandma to be alone at home."
Wei Fuling finished her run and returned to Wei Jinyun. "When we were in Gaochun Town, my grandmother would accompany my sister every day."
"So what does Grandma like best?"
"I know."
Wei Fuqiu seemed to be lost in thought.
The silkworm market in Fengmen is hidden in an alley. In June, it is no longer as lively as it was in March when the spring silkworms were growing. Only two or three old women are guarding the stalls.
The bamboo plaque was covered with tender yellow mulberry leaves, on which crawled some plump white silkworms, some shaking their heads, some lying on the leaf stalks and gnawing, making bursts of rustling sounds.
Wei Jinyun squatted down, her fingertips hovering above the silkworm plaque, and taught her sisters to identify silkworms. "Pick the ones with shiny bodies and fast crawling. Such silkworms are willing to eat... Let's buy some for grandma to raise."
Granny Li, who was selling silkworm seeds, saw that she was young but knowledgeable. She fanned herself with a palm-leaf fan and said jokingly, "Your grandmother wants to raise late-blooming silkworms? She needs to change the mulberry leaves frequently in this weather."
"We know that my grandmother used to like raising silkworms at home. I also know that you can't eat mulberry leaves that have been contaminated by dew."
Wei Fuling's eyes fell on the silkworms that Wei Jinyun pointed at, and she imitated them very carefully.
"You little kid also understands."
Granny Li laughed a few times and said as she picked out about twenty strong silkworms with thin bamboo strips and put them into a paper bag covered with mulberry leaves. "I'll give you a discount of thirty cents. I'll also give you two handfuls of freshly picked mulberry leaves, enough to last until tomorrow."
Sericulture is a matter of timing, and seeds should be selected starting from the Spring Equinox. However, in June, it's too late to start raising silkworms from eggs. Buying half-grown silkworms directly saves the meticulous care of young silkworms, simply for convenience.
Besides, they were worried that their grandmother would be bored at home.
Wei Jinyun bargained for twenty cents and ordered three pounds of plump, purple-red mulberries.
When they got home, Wang Qiulan was sitting in the yard embroidering a newly made dress. Seeing them come back, she immediately stood up and said, "Finally, you're back. I made some mung bean soup and will serve it to you guys right away to help you cool down."
"No rush, Grandma."
Wei Fuqiu brought out a flat basket, and the silkworms were still stirring gently under the mulberry leaves. "These are for grandma. From now on, when my sister and I go out, the silkworms will accompany grandma."
The cicadas in the old locust tree are noisy, but the rustling sound in the flat basket is gentle.
Wang Qiulan looked at her three granddaughters gathered around the silkworm plaque and said with a smile, "What can you do with these twenty or so silkworms? Grandma will think about it... I'll put them in the ear warmers I made for you in winter."
The sisters were busy helping their grandmother find a new home for the silkworms for two days. Wei Jinyun drank a bowl of mung bean soup, took a pot, and walked a few steps to the farmer carrying loads under the arch bridge in front of Tianqing Temple to weigh half a pound of milk.
She promised to make ginger milk for Sister Qi today.
In just half a minute, she saw a group of people gathered around her shop. She hurriedly ran forward with the jar in her arms, only to hear a rough shout.
"Zhao Xiangping, it's only natural to pay back a debt! Your husband ran away, so is this debt just going to rot in the ground?"
She held the jar and pushed through the crowd. The door of Li Ji Delicatessen was pushed hard by two strong men, and it creaked and seemed to be about to fall apart.
There were still diners in the shop. Zhao Xiangping was protecting Meng Ge'er, who was curled up in fear, holding the rag she had just used to wipe the table.
Her face was pale, but she managed to keep her voice steady. "Can you give me a few more days... I'll collect the money I earned from the ducks these days, and I'll definitely pay you back..."
"Extension? From Qingming to Summer Solstice, your damn man must have already run off to Bianliang!"
The leading man was spitting everywhere and kicked over the duck cage at the door of the shop. Meng Ge'er was so scared that he cried out "Wow". Zhao Xiangping quickly hid him behind her.
A few more onlookers crowded in beside Wei Jinyun. Some sighed, while others whispered to each other, "Old Li used to be so honest. How could he run away after owing gambling debts? This is really outrageous."
"Poor mother and daughter, running a delicatessen shop, working from dawn to dusk, their roasted duck and goose are incredibly juicy. Everyone in the neighborhood has tasted them. Alas."
But while they were there to watch the fun, no one dared to approach and talk to them. The men all had short clubs on their waists, their faces were covered in flesh, and they looked like they were not to be messed with.
Seeing that Aunt Li refused to give in, the men began to break into the inner room.
"Search to see if there's anything valuable."
The leader overturned the stool beside the stove, and the rest of the group ripped down the pickled duck hanging from the wall. The oil rope fell to the ground with a "clatter", covered in dust. Zhao Xiangping rushed to stop them, but was pushed by a man and stumbled into the duck stove, hitting her forehead on the iron edge and oozing blood.
Meng Ge'er cried even harder, tugging at the man's trouser leg and shouting, "Don't bully my mother!"
The author has something to say:
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Diabetes mellitus is almost the same as diabetes. In fact, June is past the silkworm breeding season, which usually starts at the end of March.
Lord Lu's message will continue to blow and sway in the wind until half of the people in Pingjiang Prefecture see it. [Rainbow fart]
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