Chapter 94: The main text ends with the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the factory, and the ceremony ends...
Snail noodles are so delicious that Gu Xiang and his friends ate them all summer long.
Especially the sour bamboo shoots pickled by Manager Wei, the taste is really tempting.
The sour bamboo shoots are crispy when you bite them, and the bone broth is made with fresh snails, which is thick and fragrant. The noodles are slippery when you put them in your mouth, and then the sour taste hits you, which is so hot that you gasp for breath, but you can't put your chopsticks down and even drink up the soup.
In the summer, after work, everyone gathers in the yard, eating a bowl of snail noodles with some chilled watermelon.
The barbecue on the small clay stove was sizzling with oil, and there were crispy pork belly, soft and glutinous braised chicken feet, and chewy pig's trotters... Before they knew it, everyone's waist and abdomen had become rounder and they were gaining weight.
Shopkeeper Wei said that more delicious food should be prepared in winter.
From that time on, Gu Xiang looked forward to the cold weather every day. Lying on the couch at night, he would think about these things.
The broth of fresh lamb cooked with mountain spring water must be clear and sweet. The fish soup with corn and rice should be smooth, with the fresh fish mixed with the aroma of chestnuts. The bamboo shoots in the fried bamboo shoot chicken soup should be crispy and full of oily fragrance when bitten.
What I miss most is the sauerkraut hot pot mutton that Shopkeeper Wei has been talking about. The fresh and refreshing sauerkraut is paired with the thinly sliced mutton, which is dipped in the pot and then dipped in mashed garlic. It tastes amazing.
Manager Wei always kept chasing Lord Lu to inquire about the news, asking if there were any merchants from across the sea who could ship chili peppers to make the spicy hot pot she had been dreaming of.
Therefore, Lord Lu has recently gone to merchants to buy chili peppers, and he must find them for her.
The days passed by in anticipation, and finally the autumn wind came, bringing comfort to everyone.
Manager Wei, who usually sat at the door of the shop to have breakfast and wait for her, was nowhere to be seen today and went straight into the kitchen.
Which of Manager Wei's acquaintances is having a wedding that requires her to personally take charge so early?
"Sister Gu, would you like some persimmons? They're sweet."
Wei Fuling was holding a small persimmon. Seeing Gu Xiang coming in, she handed it to her, "But you have to eat it with breakfast. Eating it on an empty stomach will give you a stomachache."
Gu Xiang nodded and took it happily. He took a bite of the large thin-skinned steamed bun with white cabbage and pork in his hand, then squatted down to look at Carpenter Wang who was busy at the door of the shop.
"Uncle Wang, why are you here so early to work for our Shopkeeper Wei?"
Carpenter Wang didn't even look up, his work still throbbing. "I saw a bunch of ants scavenging for food outside my shop this morning. It looks like it's going to rain today, so I figured I'd do what Shopkeeper Wei asked me to do while the weather's still nice... Oh, I have orders for Zhao's Restaurant and Li's Restaurant today, so I'm busy."
He said he was busy, but his tone was indeed relaxed, unable to hide any smile. Being busy was the best, as he also wanted to save more money to find a wife for Dalang.
But Dalang was a man without good judgment. Seeing that they were making more and more money and their lives were getting better and better, when the family savings were brought to Dalang, he scratched his head and said, "Dad, how did you make so much money? Are you going to give me another little sister?"
He wanted to throw a stick at his head.
Gu Xiang and Carpenter Wang went to work without saying a few words, while Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqiu sat beside them to supervise.
"Uncle Wang, you can't damage it in the slightest. I'll have to tie it back up after I'm done."
Wei Fuqiu chewed the fried dough sticks slowly, "Uncle Wang, you have to be more careful with this cart."
"Okay, okay, uncle will handle it with care and won't damage it at all. This is my first serious masterpiece, more precious than anything else. I will make sure it doesn't prevent your sister from using it."
Just kidding, there's no way he could damage a little cart, he's a professional!
Wan Wu followed Wei Jinyun and saw her kneading the cake dough and humming a tune. She asked in confusion, "Boss Wei, the Fengqiao factory's ribbon-cutting cakes have all been steamed when Yuqing and Amu's morning shift arrive. Do we have any other orders to catch up on?"
“It’s not an urgent order.”
Without looking up, Wei Jinyun kneaded a ball of snow-white cake flour, the dough becoming increasingly delicate and smooth in her hands. She filled the cake with various fillings, then took a mold, pressed the dough in, and with a backhanded twist, a delicately patterned cake took shape.
"These are for old friends."
Wei Jinyun smiled faintly as she placed the delicate pastries on the steamer trays, and then slowly pressed red stamps on the cooled trays.
The divination said that this morning was an auspicious time, so Wei Jinyun had made a lot of preparations in advance and was now going to take his family and colleagues to the Fengqiao factory to cut the ribbon.
It was still a clear and crisp autumn morning. Not only was the osmanthus tree in front of the shop blooming, but the fragrance of osmanthus was everywhere.
Gu Xiang held the oar of the black-sailed boat, and with a push of his arm, the boat floated forward steadily.
The guys on the boat huddled together, drinking tea and enjoying the scenery, but even they looked a little sad when it came to drinking.
Chang Siyan patted Chaojiu's shoulder and said, "Sister Chaojiu, it's not that far away. If we miss you later, we can row the boat to the factory to see you."
Wan Wu agreed, "That's right, it's not a big separation. You're frowning again. You're going to be a lobby manager."
Chao Jiu sighed for a while, "Isn't this something I'm still reluctant to part with? You can't even let me frown."
Wei Jinyun sat down next to her and comforted her, "Chaojiu, you're not just the second lobby manager. You'll be the factory manager in the future, in charge of the entire Fengqiao factory. You're much more powerful than a lobby manager."
Seeing that Chaojiu was still a little nervous, Gu Xiang advised, "Manager Wei, show Chaojiu how to uproot a weeping willow tree, and she'll be less nervous."
"This is a rumor made up by Xiao Chang!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone burst into laughter.
Gu Xiang smiled from ear to ear and said while eating a persimmon, "Spoiled Chaojiu, you have climbed higher than me."
“No, no!”
Chao Jiu shook his head repeatedly, "The boss is always the boss!"
The two younger sisters were also chattering and comforting her.
After this commotion, she also laughed, and finally relaxed her brows. She secretly vowed to manage Manager Wei's new factory well.
Just as the black-sailed boat reached the shore, there was a series of "crackling" sounds from the direction of Fengqiao Factory, and red confetti floated down like red rain from the sky.
Zhan Wenxing and Jing Liulang took the fire starters and set off a row of big firecrackers.
Seeing the boat docked, they immediately came over with a smile and followed the crowd to the factory. The sound of firecrackers continued all the way, attracting nearby boatmen and passers-by to look, making it very lively.
When they arrived at the factory gate, He Wenyan was already standing next to the red silk waiting. He was wearing new clothes and looked very energetic. When he saw Wei Jinyun and his group coming, he stroked his beard with a smile.
Wei Jinyun was stunned when she saw him. She quickly moved closer to Lu Lan and whispered, "I clearly asked you to come cut the ribbon, so why did you invite the prefect here... Such a high-ranking official, yet he's so intimidating."
If the prefect came to her shop to have snacks, she could still be a customer, but now he is cutting the ribbon, so she should be... a mysterious guest?
Lu Lan lowered her eyes and looked at her. "Ayun, it was Lord He who took the lead in ordering the bread for the sailors. I didn't invite him, he came on his own. Later, Magistrate Cai and the others will also come to ask for a glass of wine."
These words seemed to have legs and floated into He Wenyan's ears.
He turned his head and laughed out loud, "Yes, Manager Wei, I came here on my own. Please don't blame Lord Lu."
He raised his eyes to look at the sun and said, "The auspicious time has arrived, let's cut the ribbon quickly and wish for good luck!"
Wei Jinyun was still a little nervous holding the scissors. Lu Lan beside her held her hand, and He Wenyan smiled and gave her a look.
The three of them raised their hands at the same time, and the red silk was cut with a "click", falling onto a tray covered with red cloth.
Not long after the cutting was finished, Gu Xiang led people to light a longer string of firecrackers.
Wang Qiulan handed each person a bowl of sweet tea with rice cakes soaked in it, which was full of rice aroma.
Some people held wooden plates and distributed the ribbon-cutting cakes brought from the boat to the people present. The various cakes were soft and glutinous, and tasted delicious, each one was sweet.
When they sat down to eat, Chang Siyan smiled and led Wei Jinyun into the inner room of the workshop.
"Hello, Shopkeeper Wei!"
The guys in the factory were wearing the same orange cloth short-sleeved shirts and standing in two neat rows. Their voices were so uniform and loud that Wei Jinyun almost threw his tea bowl away.
"How is Xiao Chang doing?"
"Very good, I'll give you two more jokes as a reward."
"Manager Wei, you are blatantly fleecing me!"
"It's naked..."
The excitement lasted until the afternoon. After three rounds of drinks, the guests gradually dispersed. Wei Jinyun looked at the festive red all over the yard, and the smile on his face never faded.
The noise around the table hadn't died down yet. Lu Lan handed a cup of tea to Wei Jinyun. "You still have something to do. You haven't had any drinks today. I guess it's something important."
After looking at Chaojiu and Wanwu, they also advised, "Yes, Shopkeeper Wei, you can go ahead and do your work without worry. We will take care of the finishing work here and make sure it is cleaned up properly."
Wei Jinyun nodded and said with a smile, "Then I'll take my sister and grandmother back to Yunlaixiang first. You can go home after you're done. Take a rest today!"
"Shopkeeper Wei is the best in the world!"
Wei Jinyun took her two younger sisters and Wang Qiulan back to Yunlaixiang.
Wang Qiulan gave them a few words and then walked out. "I'm going to talk to Shopkeeper Shen about the autumn clothes. He said that a distinguished person from Bian Jing is interested in cooperating on some new styles. We can't delay."
Wei Jinyun agreed with a smile, turned around and brought out the snacks made in the morning from the kitchen, and placed them one by one into the cart. She pushed the cart again and laughed out loud.
"Let's go, let's set up the stall!"
"Let's set up the stall!"
Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqiu held up the small windmill, which was turning with a whirring sound, and ran along with the cart.
The road was warmed by the autumn sun. The sweet-scented osmanthus trees in Pingjiang Prefecture were in bloom, and the sweet fragrance wafted over the wind, along with the smell of fried chestnuts and ginkgo.
The three of them soon arrived at the gate of the provincial school, where they met old acquaintances everywhere.
Old Guo saw them first and lifted the lid of the copper kettle and called out, "My three good granddaughters are here. Come and try my freshly brewed autumn pear drink!"
Madam Qian also came over and held out her hand for the Family Portrait Egg Pancake, "Boss Wei, if the ribbon-cutting at the factory goes well, I'll give you six extra eggs, and wish you a prosperous future."
Wei Jinyun responded one by one, without stopping, and arranged the snacks on the cart neatly.
Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqiu took the autumn pear drink handed to them by Lao Guo and drank it in small sips with their eyebrows curved.
Wei Jinyun bit into the egg pancake that Madam Qian had stuffed in her mouth, but was forced to give her another piece. She could only politely refuse with a helpless smile, "Aunt Qian, I really can't eat any more. My stomach will burst if I eat any more."
Several people were chatting and laughing around the cart, just like before.
As soon as the weather gets cold, Old Guo packs up his stall and goes to sleep. Madam Qian, on the other hand, plans to open a small shop so that she doesn't have to go out in the wind and rain all the time and worry about her son.
Time flies, and the bell of the provincial school finally rings. Students in long gowns rush out and run to the egg pancake stall as if they are familiar with the place.
Tang Yin walked over, waving a sandalwood fan, and his eyes fell on the familiar cart.
He jokingly asked, "What's this, Shopkeeper Wei? Are you bringing an old friend here to reminisce about the good old days?"
Another autumn.
Such a familiar scene made him a little dazed.
"Want to try a piece? Today's special offer: buy any pastry and get a free Guanghan Cake. Best wishes to everyone! Mr. Tang, you can't miss the Autumn Examination, can you?"
Wei Jinyun raised his eyebrows and smiled.
"In that case, I will change my address to Miss Wei."
Zhu Zhishan squeezed over from behind, "Can you make an exception today and let me leave a message at Miss Wei's usual place? The autumn scenery is beautiful, and there's a graceful and beautiful lady giving people Guanghan cakes... I'm so inspired to write poetry!"
Wu Sheng rolled his eyes at him and said, "You're just talking nonsense. I suggest you just let Lord Lu take it away."
Even so, Wei Jinyun still picked up the message board from the cart and raised his hand, "Leave a message!"
Everyone was clamoring to buy cakes and leave messages, while the two sisters helped to pack the snacks while the other counted the silver coins thrown into the money jar.
The Guanghan cakes were quickly sold out. The provincial examination was extremely important, so the students chatted with Wei Jinyun for a few minutes and then quickly said goodbye and went home.
Carpenter Wang’s words came true. As the three sisters were packing up, dark clouds appeared in the sky and raindrops as big as beans fell down with a crackling sound.
If the weather is sunny for several days in a row, there will always be some autumn rain.
Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqiu immediately got under the cart and said, "Sister, let's go pick up grandma. She left in a hurry and didn't bring an umbrella. Let's push the cart to pick her up."
"Um."
Wei Jinyun packed up her things and prepared to go to Chenji Cloth Shop with her sister.
A tall figure quickly walked out of the rain.
He was wearing a scarlet suit and holding a thin cloak. The oil-paper umbrella tilted towards the cloak let a light layer of rain fall on his shoulders, and in a blink of an eye he was next to the cart.
Lu Lan bent down to avoid the rain, walked to Wei Jinyun's side, and fastened her cloak. "The matter at the workshop has been settled."
He waved the oil-paper package in his other hand towards his two sisters, smiling, "Date paste sesame cakes, freshly baked."
Wei Jinyun reached out and wiped the raindrops off his shoulders.
"Let's go pick up grandma!"
The rain falls slantingly and the fragrance of pastries wafts in the air.
Her little windmill followed them, squeaking and turning on the cart.
————End of the main text————
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Author's words: Jinyun: My workshop is open [rainbow fart]
Mr. Lu: I am so happy——[pitiful] I am going to find peppers for Ayun
Qi Jie'er: Supervisor Sister [Glasses]
Ling Jie'er: I'll have a bite of the jujube paste sesame cake first [OK]
Grandmother: Why did such a large group of people come to pick me up? [helpless]
Of course, the story of Jinyun and Lord Lu will not end here. Lord Lu's obsession with marrying himself off will be put in a separate chapter.
The cold-faced and scheming person just wants to be attracted by the little sun, and then bows his head and acts like a clingy kitten [OK]. In fact, he was healed by Jinyun.
References were made to "Suzhou Food Talk", "Wumen Food Records", "Shan Jia Qing Gong", "Dongjing Menghualu" and so on.
If my wife likes it, can you give me a good review? [OK]
Tenosynovitis is a bit serious, the extra chapter will be updated at 18:00, (I can always finish writing [glasses] It is not updated daily, I will say it in the extra chapter, it will be updated on October 5th, I will take a day off
I will probably start writing food articles in the same series in November. If my wife likes it, please collect it. [Three-color cat head]
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