Chapter 89: In broad daylight "Fiancée, I like this name. ...
As the weather grew warmer, Wang Qiulan opened the lid of the wooden box early in the morning, folded the thick silk quilts used for the entire winter and spring into a square, and stuffed them inside. She then took out the thin quilts and dried them in the yard.
Wei Fuqiu stood beside the stone table with a wooden basin in her hand, holding a toothbrush in her mouth, and occasionally bent down to stroke the loofah and edamame.
Wei Fuling took the cold water from the basin and splashed it on her face. Then she put her head into the basin and immersed her whole face, blowing bubbles.
"Sister Ling, come quickly!"
Wei Fuqiu spat out the Poria cocos water in her mouth and frowned.
Wei Fuling was just feeling cooler when she heard Wei Fuqiu's urgent call. Without even bothering to wipe her face, she ran to her side in her slippers, "What's wrong?"
She looked in the direction Wei Fuqiu pointed, and worry appeared on her brows. The two people's faces were exactly the same.
Something big happened!
There were many vine seedlings in the soil in the corner of the yard, and the thin vine stems looked very familiar.
Wei Fuling's face fell, and she looked gloomy. "It's the loofah seedling! It's appeared again!"
It was clearly winter, and the loofah vines had already withered. She and Sister Qi had checked repeatedly, and the snow had fallen so heavily that the loofah vines had completely died.
Wang Qiulan was lifting a thin quilt and placing it on the bamboo pole. She tapped the quilt cover gently to fluff up the silk cotton inside.
Listening to her two granddaughters sighing, she turned around and said with a smile, "Well, what's the big deal? It's summer again."
She stretched out the corner of the quilt and then hung another one to dry. "This morning, when Grandma went to buy some cattail leaves, hollyhocks, and mugwort, she passed by the old vendor's stall. Seeing that his loofah seedlings were growing well and were lush green, she bought a few."
Seeing Wei Fuling still looking downcast, Wang Qiulan laughed a few more times, "Don't worry, grandma didn't just buy this. She also picked out cucumber seedlings, eggplant seedlings, and the watermelon seedlings you two like to eat..."
The two sisters squatted down and touched the short, sturdy seedlings next to them. There were still water droplets on the leaves of these seedlings, and the soil underneath was also wet. These seedlings were newly planted by their grandmother.
The two looked at each other, thinking about the sweetness of the watermelon submerged in the well water. Their frowns slowly relaxed, but they still sighed in unison.
Wei Fuling poked the tender sprout of the loofah vine and muttered softly, "Forget it, for the sake of the watermelon, let's just spare this loofah vine..."
The loofah next to it finally breathed a sigh of relief, having heard its owner calling it a long loofah and a short loofah since early morning.
I thought I was caught stealing a small loach from my brother last night...
Wei Jinyun stood at the door of the shop and looked up at the sky.
The sun is really strong at the beginning of summer. It’s not even the Dragon Boat Festival yet, but I already feel a bit hot.
She frowned, her thoughts drifting to the workshop. Yunlaixiang and Miaomiao Bakery were fine; the ice delivered daily from Fengmen Ice Cellar was plentiful and convenient, selling for twenty wen per square.
The sailors had their own way of storing snacks, so she didn't have to worry about it. But the factory was different. With the huge volume of shipments, milk and snacks would go bad after just an hour or two in the middle of summer. She couldn't just run to the icehouse every day to buy ice.
The factory was still under construction, and they needed to finish digging the ice cellar before winter to store the ice. Xiao Zhang said they were going to start digging the cellar today, so she had to go over to inspect it.
She returned to the counter and calculated the cost of insulation materials such as pickaxes, shovels, wood, and straw.
Zhao Xiangping just came in carrying a basket. She had a bright hollyhock in her hair, but she was even more beautiful than the flower. Her face was rosy, and she was in high spirits, looking even younger than when they first met.
"Jinyun, have I prepared my shangliang cake?"
She smiled as she spoke, "I was thinking of moving into the new house before the Dragon Boat Festival, just in time for good luck."
Wei Jinyun just put down the account book and stood up with a smile, "I have steamed it for you a long time ago. I kneaded the dough myself. It is on the stove now. I guarantee it will be delivered to your door before the auspicious time."
"No, I can get it myself."
Zhao Xiangping handed red chickens to the shop assistants and said, "You are in charge of the shop and the workshop, how can you have the time to come here?"
"Aunt Zhao is now much more energetic than before, with a rosy complexion. She is a real beauty."
Wei Jinyun poured her some tea.
Zhao Xiangping touched her face and smiled even more happily. "It's all thanks to you that business is booming in the shop now. Chuntao and Xiaoman always drag me to that beauty salon on Shantang Street to get powdered face. They say it's a new beauty method."
"That's right."
Wei Jinyun nodded, "After all, Aunt Zhao's business is booming. She bought land and built a new house. Her life is getting better and better. Naturally, she needs to take good care of herself."
Wei Jinyun poured the tea and handed it over, saying softly, "It's just that the land you bought is a bit far away. I'm afraid it will take more effort to go back and forth to the shop."
Zhao Xiangping took a sip of the tea, but she didn't care at all. "It's a bit far, but it's cheaper. It would be better to build a house from scratch. I can divide it into several rooms and put windows wherever I want."
Thinking of the appearance of her new house, she was full of anticipation, "Once the house is ready, I will bring my parents over from the countryside, and we will live together in the future."
She continued, "In the final analysis, Jinyun, I can live such a happy life now, all thanks to you. If you hadn't persuaded me to divorce that gambler, helped me to put him in jail, and taught me many ways to sell fried food, I might still be rolling in the mud now."
Yun Lai Xiang and Miao Miao Bakery were doing brisk business, and Zhao Ji Cooked Food had plenty of customers. Over the past year, she had saved a good amount of money and bought a piece of land a little further away and had a small house built on it.
We started building it after the New Year and chose today as an auspicious day to put up the beams.
Talking about this, Zhao Xiangping couldn't help but sigh that things are really different now than in the past, and life is getting better and better.
"Aunt Zhao, I was just gossiping. It's you who really worked hard and supported the shop. You're the one who made the shop flourish and decided to build a new house. It's all your ability."
Wei Jinyun always felt that Zhao Xiangping was a capable person, but it was just that the pearl was covered in dust and needed to be wiped clean.
"Hey, you kid..."
Zhao Xiangping's eyes were filled with tears.
"Don't frown on such a happy day."
Wei Jinyun smiled and pointed at her temples, "Be careful, it makes the hollyhock look ugly."
Zhao Xiangping laughed out loud at this and finished her tea. "Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll go back and take Meng Ge'er to pick up my parents first. I'll come back to get the Liang cake later tomorrow."
Wei Jinyun subconsciously asked, "Lawyer Zhan...I haven't seen him for a long time."
"He's fine. He's busy preparing for the provincial examination and will go to another place to study after that."
The smile on Zhao Xiangping's face faded a little, but she was particularly carefree. "I remember his kindness. If we are destined to meet again in the future, I will... Right now, I just want to focus on the shop and take good care of my parents and Meng Ge'er."
She paused, then smiled again, "I just hope he does well in the exam and gets a good score in the exam."
He said he would not let the green carp enter the cage again.
Do whatever you want to do.
When the time comes, Yunlaixiang starts to get busy.
Chaojiu held two stacks of dim sum in each hand, his steps very steady. Wanwu walked in and out of the backyard kitchen before placing the freshly steamed plum cakes on the plate. The customer also wanted to order fifty sun tarts for his child's birthday.
Gu Xiang walked back and forth between the two shops. When he passed by Chang Siyan, he smiled and urged him, "Xiao Chang, we should have continued our conversation today!"
Chang Siyan was fanning himself in his hand, leaning slowly against the long table, surrounded by a circle of young ladies.
She snapped her eyes awake and cleared her throat. "Yesterday we were talking about the scholar trapped in the ruined temple. Suddenly, he heard a noise outside the window... Guess if it was a robber or a fairy bringing food?"
As soon as these words fell, the young ladies immediately started asking questions, but Chang Siyan kept it a secret, "Don't be impatient, try the freshly baked snacks first, and then we'll talk slowly."
It is even more lively in the Meow Meow Bakery.
Amu stood behind the counter picking up puffs, Weirui was decorating a cake, and Yuqing was tidying up the tables and chairs in the main room. As soon as the guests left, she quickly wiped the table clean...
Just as the place was bustling with activity, a customer in a green shirt squeezed in through the doorway and said with a foreign accent, "I want a Meow Meow cookie! Oh, and I want a sachet too!"
Chao Jiu quickly explained with a smile, "You're late. The lottery ended last year. How about you try something else? Loquat cake, made with the first crop of yellow loquats."
"Sa? Sa cake?"
The guest sat down at the table and said stubbornly, "I don't want anything else, I just want meow!"
Wei Rui returned with the flowers framed. "Don't worry, sir. How about making you a meow cake? I'll paint it for you."
"Okay, I want a little lucky star."
The customer's eyes lit up, and he immediately downed the milk tea that was about to be served, nodding and saying, "I'm a businessman. Hello, Little Lucky Star, Little Lucky Star guarantees your business!"
Wei Jinyun didn't have lunch. Looking at the sun, he gave his servant some instructions, then washed his face and walked to the river.
The black-sailed boat that Lu Lan gave her was parked on the shore. She stepped onto the boat with skillful movements.
Wei Jinyun untied the rope, bent down, picked up the oar, and with a slight push, the oar blades sank steadily into the water. The black-sailed boat drifted silently towards Changmen like a willow leaf.
A customer on the shore who was packing snacks looked at her from behind and couldn't help but sigh, "Manager Wei, this boat is so skillful. It looks even steadier than the professional boatmen who ply the river all year round."
Gu Xiang, who was standing at the entrance of Yunlaixiang to see off a guest, couldn't help but laugh. "Of course, this rowing skill was taught by Lord Lu himself. Our headmistress Wei is quite impressive now, she can ride a horse, row a boat, and do everything... Who knows, Lord Lu will probably teach her how to use a bow and arrow and wield a sword and a gun next time."
The black-sailed boat stopped steadily beside the stone steps of Fengqiao Wharf, and Wei Jinyun jumped ashore.
The factory in Fengqiao is under construction in full swing.
Xiao Zhang, standing at the workshop entrance with a wooden ruler in hand, ran over and shouted from a distance, "Manager Wei, you're here again. The west foundation has just been leveled and the mortar joints have been filled. Would you like me to take you to have a look?"
"No, I can just go shopping by myself, you go ahead and do your work."
She handed the basket of loquats she was carrying to Xiao Zhang.
"Why!"
Wei Jinyun walked into the workshop, around the shelves of wood, and saw a dozen or so workers busy at work, some tamping the earth with their bare arms, others squatting beside the foundation, scraping away the mortar with trowels.
These are all newly recruited bricklayers by Manager Zhou. His Zhouji Brick and Tile Shop is so busy with repair and construction orders that it is probably overwhelmed.
Next to the circled ice cellar site, Erniu was directing other workers skillfully.
Wei Jinyun looked around and said with satisfaction, "We have to see a prototype before the beginning of the dog days. I know it's difficult to build an ice cellar."
Erniu took a sip of tea and smacked the foam. "Don't worry, Shopkeeper Wei. I used to dig ice cellars in the imperial kilns with an old craftsman. I know the ins and outs of it. The walls need to be cut into squares, and there needs to be a water channel underneath to prevent water from accumulating when the ice melts."
"Then I'll trouble you, Brother Erniu."
Wei Jinyun nodded and said, "I brought some loquats. Let's eat some together first."
She felt relieved after hearing Erniu's clear and logical explanation, and casually asked, "Have you enjoyed your lunch these past few days? If there's not enough food or the taste isn't to your liking, just tell me."
The workers' lunches were boxed meals that Wei Jinyun had arranged with the Li family restaurant, which was billed monthly. If the Song Dynasty hired workers to build a house, they would generally include meals, but the shop couldn't even make snacks, let alone cook for more than ten people.
She had tea with Li Shiwan and then arranged for a set of eighteen cents.
Several workers who were taking a break nearby immediately gathered around and laughed out loud. "Of course it's great! Two meat dishes and one vegetable dish every day, plus plenty of rice... More importantly, it tastes great."
Normally, when they went to work, the host would just cook two dishes, one meat and one vegetable, and they were quite tasty. But when they worked here, a donkey cart would be brought to them for lunch.
Another younger worker laughed so hard that his mouth was crooked. "Just now I heard from Lao Gu, the delivery man, that today's braised lion's head with sauce was made by Li Shiwan herself. Who would have the spare money to treat her to a feast on weekdays? I've already sucked up all the sauce."
"Look at you, you useless guy!"
Seeing the workers chatting and laughing and working hard, Wei Jinyun felt relieved after taking another round of inspection.
Satisfied. Satisfied.
Her workshop began to take shape.
After she went out, she went to the soup noodle shop near the pier and ordered two bowls of three-shrimp soup noodles. The fresh aroma went straight to her nose.
Three-shrimp soup pancake is a classic seasonal dish in Pingjiang Prefecture at the beginning of summer. It is made with shrimp roe, shrimp brain and shrimp meat as a topping, and is paired with chewy thin noodles, which is fresh, mellow and rich.
The freshest river prawns are carefully selected, and the meat, brain, and roe are separated. The meat should be oily and tender, while the brain and roe are simmered in broth to create a thick topping. Finally, it is poured over the cooked noodles, leaving the dish full of the fresh, sweet flavor of the river.
She packed it carefully in a lunch box and carried it to the Inspection Office.
When the men at the gate of the Inspection Office saw her, they greeted her warmly. She nodded a few times and walked inside.
In the main room, Lu Lan sat at his desk, flipping through a pile of documents. On the desk were also piled the cargo ship registers from various ports and several letters seeking to arrest thieves.
"Ayun is here."
Lu Lan heard the footsteps, but didn't look up or put down the documents.
"Um."
Wei Jinyun put the lunch box on the table, looked at the almost cold food beside him and said, "No meal again?"
"I'll use it in a moment."
"A little longer."
Lu Lan looked at her slightly furrowed brows and finally put down the document. "I'll use it right now."
"If you do this again, I won't come to see you anymore."
Wei Jinyun stared at him for a while and continued, "You can't come to Yunlaixiang either."
Lu Lan nodded in agreement and turned to wash her hands.
She took the bowl in front of Wei Jinyun and slowly mixed the soup noodles with the shrimp roe and shrimp brains. The orange-red shrimp roe was wrapped in the snow-white noodles, each piece distinct, and the row of peeled shrimp was also fresh and tender.
He deliberately stirred the sauce from the bottom of the bowl to ensure that every noodle was coated before pushing the bowl in front of her.
Wei Jinyun ate slowly, then looked up and asked, "Can you take a day off during the Dragon Boat Festival?"
"Three days of rest."
Lu Lan swallowed the soup cake in her mouth and smiled softly, "I have been growing in Yunlaixiang for the past three days."
Wei Jinyun curled her lips, "Aren't you going back to the Lu Mansion?"
"I'll go back at night. I want to stay with you during the day."
Lu Lan put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Rest for a while after you finish. I'll be free in the afternoon so I can teach you some basic body movements."
"Really?! You know that Xiao Gu has mastered the stick technique to perfection. Even hooligans don't dare to hang around Yunlaixiang these days. Why would I need to learn this?"
Wei Jinyun bit his noodles and continued to refute, "And Xiangxiang, every two days she comes to teach me horse stance and makes me draw the bow... What are you brothers and sisters trying to do!"
"It's better to learn more."
Lu Lan didn't back down at all and continued, "Next time you come to the Inspection Office, remember to bring the loofah with you so it can get familiar with the road."
Wei Jinyun sighed helplessly, "Under Lord Lu's tireless care, Pingjiang Prefecture is now very stable. There are no so many dangers."
"I'm going to patrol the Yangtze River again in the summer, and no one will be with you then."
"Oh, then I'll go with you."
Wei Jinyun took a sip of tea and spoke lightly.
Lu Lan suddenly raised his eyes and asked in surprise, "What?"
"You said you would take me to see the Yangtze River."
Wei Jinyun propped up her chin and looked at him, saying confidently, "Besides, patrolling all year round is the rule you set for yourself. I'll accompany you this time to put an end to your nagging thoughts. In the future, you don't have to worry about me being left alone. I'm your fiancée now, so it shouldn't be a problem for me to follow you. Or I can hire a boat and follow behind."
"What... what fiancée? Ah Yun, say it again."
Wei Jinyun bit her lip and smiled, deliberately turning her head away from him, "I won't tell you unless you return my clothes to me."
Lu Lan chuckled and cleared his throat, "I really can't find it. Maybe the wild raccoon slave took it somewhere else."
"oh."
Seeing her indifferent expression, Lu Lan quickly continued, "I've already returned so many new ones to you, and the material is better than that one. So don't hold on to this one."
Wei Jinyun snorted and continued eating the soup noodles.
Rainbow clothes, who on earth wants to wear something so bright?
After finishing her soup noodles, Lu Lan continued to deal with the remaining matters. Wei Jinyun skillfully washed her hands and rinsed her mouth, then leaned back on the couch beside the table as usual. Not long after, she curled up and fell asleep.
This couch chair didn't exist originally. Ever since she came to inspect the workshop and often took a detour to the Inspection Office to see him, Lu Lan specially had someone add one and even put a soft mattress on it.
The incense burner on the table was filled with incense mixed with Luanhua petals, and the whole room was filled with sweet fragrance.
After Lu Lan finished dealing with the case, he turned around and saw her sleeping soundly.
The corners of her mouth twitched, as if she had dreamed of something wonderful, and her breathing was shallow. Now she always had to come to inspect her workshop, so she rarely let him go to Yunlaixiang during lunch.
She would bring snacks when she needed them and would even take a nap at his place. He would only go if he had nothing to do at noon, usually to see her when he got off duty and occasionally eat with her.
Lu Lan stared at her for a long moment, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. He stood up and tiptoed over, pulling down the thin blanket draped over the back of the chair and carefully tucking her exposed wrist.
Wei Jinyun woke up about an hour later.
Without opening her eyes, she spoke lazily, "Lu Lan, we're making rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival. Do you want sweet or salty ones?"
"Sweet ones, like candied dates or red bean paste."
“Isn’t salty delicious?”
Wei Jinyun opened her eyes and looked at him, "Meat dumplings are also very fragrant."
"The candied red bean paste is more refreshing and sweet, and it relieves the greasiness."
Lu Lan patiently argued with her, "Ayun knows I like sweets."
"I make pork belly and egg yolk, and preserved vegetable and braised pork. My grandmother and sister also like to eat meat."
Wei Jinyun sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Never mind. You can make your sweet rice dumplings then... Our snacks are already sweet enough. It's time for something salty."
"good."
Lu Lan put away the paperwork and walked to the couch. "Then, Ah Yun, you've had enough rest, get up and practice martial arts for self-defense."
Wei Jinyun shrunk back in his chair and said, "I beg you, Master Lu, tomorrow, tomorrow."
"I can't even beg for it."
Lu Lan stood firm and reached out to pull her up.
Wei Jinyun was quick-witted and quick-handed. He turned around, grabbed his wrist, and used the force to pull him towards him.
Lu Lan was caught off guard and her body leaned down. She quickly supported herself on the armrest of the couch with her other hand to avoid being crushed by him.
He lowered his eyes to look at the person so close to him, his eyebrows slightly raised, "What? Are you trying to use a honey trap on me?"
Wei Jinyun raised her head and gently kissed his drooping eyelashes, "Lu Lan, I don't want to practice today. I made two donkey carts of shangliang cakes for Aunt Zhao this morning. I'm tired."
Lu Lan didn't say anything, stood up, walked to the door and closed it.
“…”
Wei Jinyun realized it later and jumped up immediately, "I want to practice, I want to practice martial arts! Dasha Lan, what are you doing!"
Lu Lan walked back to the couch, leaned over, and gently touched her cheek with his fingertips. "What else can I do? Your beauty trick was very successful... I don't want to practice it anymore. I didn't know you made so many snacks."
At present, Wei Jinyun would let the shop assistants do their work, and she would give instructions and occasionally take the lead. Most of the time, she was doing the accounts, inspecting the workshop, or going to the east of the city to check on her cattle.
It’s Zhao Xiangping’s, so she must do it herself.
"Then can I continue to rest and wait for you to call me after your shift?"
"What do you think?"
"I think... sure."
Lu Lan chuckled and patted his waist, "Come up."
Before she could react, Lu Lan had already leaned over, his arms firmly across her knees and back, and with a gentle push, he lifted her up horizontally. He then turned and sat down, and the next moment, he had her straddling his lean waist.
He embraced her with his big hands, pressed her tightly into his arms, then lowered his head and captured her lips accurately.
When their lips and teeth intertwined, the breath instantly became hot.
Wei Jinyun finally found a gap and dodged, protesting with an unstable breath, "Lu Lan, in broad daylight, this... this is not okay..."
Lu Lan ignored her protests, grabbed her hand that was trying to push her away, and firmly wrapped it around his waist.
His hot breath invaded her earlobe, "Don't shake."
"......lecher!"
Wei Jinyun scolded in shame and anger.
"Um."
Lu Lan agreed calmly, his lips brushed across her earlobe, leaving a delicate itch, and then bit it gently, "Fiancée, I like this name."
He deepened the kiss, sucking and biting lightly and heavily, and kept on kissing.
The silver thread broke between their lips, and Lu Lan's neat leather belt had already fallen apart, with his clothes slightly open, and the lines were clear.
He clasped her hands, and as he pulled, her entire body seemed to be in and out of her abdomen, moving back and forth. His breathing rose and fell slightly.
She couldn't help but let out a few moans from her throat.
Lu Lan leaned against her forehead, their noses touching, their hot breaths intertwined. He asked in a hoarse voice, "Ayun, is it useful..."
Wei Jinyun clutched his collar and gritted his teeth, "Lu Lan, you're finished!"
Lu Lan chuckled softly, rubbing her back gently with his palm. "Okay, okay, I'm done. I'll wash the rice and make rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival. I'll make all the meat dumplings you like."
"no."
As soon as Wei Jinyun finished speaking, he gently covered her lips. The warm touch made her swallow the rest of her words and her instep stretched extremely straight.
"It's not like you haven't tried it before. It was obviously you who did it first... I'm a hard-working person and good at reviewing what I've learned to learn new things."
Lu Lan hugged her and asked, "Continue?"
“…”
Wei Jinyun was no longer so shameless.
He is addicted.
There are faint water marks.
After a long while, Lu Lan let go of her and said, "Come on, I'll take you to Changmen to buy some zongzi leaves. Pick the widest and greenest ones so that the zongzi you make will look good."
"Lu Lan."
"I'll wash it."
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The author has something to say: Jinyun: [holding chin] waist.
Lord Lu: Reviewing the past will lead to new insights. [Starry eyes]
(Just a romantic couple, nothing else happened.
I'm finishing up now. I'll be done in a few chapters. [Spread flowers]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
