Chapter 44: Hiring a Helper Who spread the rumor that she could uproot weeping willows? ...
There were many weeping willows along the riverbank. Wei Jinyun stood beside a willow for a moment, then suddenly, with a mighty effort, uprooted it. The large willow tree fell into the river. As if unsatisfied, she plucked another, and another, and another... Willow catkins filled the air, cascading toward her and scratching her face.
Yuanbao stared at Wei Jinyun who had just opened her eyes and meowed, his furry tail sweeping across her face.
Wei Jinyun was still thinking about this while washing her face.
Who on earth spread the rumor that she could uproot weeping willows?
The autumn wind was chilly, and Wang Qiulan spread a half-worn cloth under the old locust tree, and placed two new pieces of cotton cloth neatly on the cloth.
"The silk cocoon covers I hung out to dry a while ago are now completely dry and feel just right to the touch."
She smiled and patted the silk cocoon covers piled nearby. "We won't be pulling out the big ones today. Just these two small ones. Give them to Sister Qi and Sister Ling. Jinyun, come and help pull out the silk floss."
There were two new sheets on the rattan chair. I don’t know when Wang Qiulan started embroidering them. One is red and the other is green. They are embroidered with a few pecking sparrows and two or three butterflies resting on the branches. The embroidery is so exquisite that even the thread ends are not visible.
"How about I open a tailor shop for my grandmother?"
Wei Jinyun stood beside the bed sheet, lifted a corner to admire it, and reached out to touch the sparrows that looked almost alive.
Wang Qiulan gave her a reproachful look, but couldn't help but smile. "You have so much money."
As she spoke, she picked up a fluffy silk cocoon and gently spread it across the cotton cloth on the floor. Wei Jinyun quickly reached out, and the two of them, one on each side, slowly pulled the cocoon apart. The two palm-sized cocoons, after being pulled, stretched out into long, fluffy sheets, covering the bed like clouds. In two quarters of an hour, they had completely ripped the two new quilts. Wang Qiulan took the sheets and sat on a small stool, meticulously sewing them.
"Sister, One, Two, Three is getting uglier and uglier."
After Wei Fuqiu finished pounding the rice bran, she didn't need to reach out and knock on the edge of the bowl. As soon as she walked over, they rushed out from the oilcloth, chirping.
Wei Jinyun walked over, took a look, and sighed.
How can there be a chicken with bangs?
Wei Fuling accepted her sister's assignment today: hang some cutout red paper rabbits, tied with red ribbons, and dangled bells from the osmanthus tree in front of the shop. Luffa and Maodou followed her, taking turns holding the red ribbons and paper cutouts, handing them to her.
The osmanthus tree was as tall as the two sisters, and was chosen by the elder sister. She said that when the osmanthus tree grew as tall as the door, they would also have grown up. She was eager for the osmanthus tree to grow taller. When it grew as tall as the door, it would be able to protect her sister and grandmother anytime, anywhere.
She had hung up the red ribbon and was watering it when she looked up and actually saw her sister who was almost as tall as the door of her shop.
"Excuse me, are you hiring any waiters here?"
She was holding a notice in her hand. Wei Fuling remembered that this notice was written by her brother Wu Sheng for her sister when he came to the shop yesterday. It was posted on the wall at the corner in front of Tianqing Temple not long ago.
When Wei Jinyun heard her sister calling her, she ran from the backyard to the shop door without even wiping the rice flour off her hands.
"Miss Wei, we meet again."
"It's you!"
Wei Jinyun looked at the person in front of him and recalled the very neat stick strikes on the way back to the shop a few days ago.
She had well-proportioned features, and her smile was wide and pointed. She was a full head taller than Wei Jinyun, and she stood very straight in her short jacket, her complexion a healthy tan, looking energetic.
The man left in a hurry, and Wei Jinyun didn't even say a proper thank you.
She only heard one sentence: Can't you uproot a weeping willow tree?
Gu Xiang held the job application in his hand. "I've read the rules on the application. The probation period is three days. If you pass the test, you can sign the contract. Can I give it a try?"
Wei Jinyun and Zhao Xiangping went to the brokers' guild to select assistants. None of them frowned when they heard her say "only a hundred coins for three days". Some impatient ones even grumbled on the spot, "How can this be possible? You hire this one to work for three days today, and that one to work for three days tomorrow. You might as well not pay them at all. It's endless." They just rolled their eyes at her.
They spent half an hour choosing but couldn't find anything satisfactory or suitable.
In fact, there were only her grandmother and sister in the shop. In addition to having the strength to work, she also wanted to see the temperament of the shop assistants, so her requirements were a bit high.
Ever since she came back that day, Wei Jinyun has been wondering who that familiar person was that followed her. She has been observing every customer that came in for dim sum, but she has never seen that person again. This incident made her desperately want to hire a good waiter.
Wei Jinyun looked at Gu Xiang's cheerful expression and subconsciously added, "It's clearly written on the bill. The meal for these three days is only a hundred coins. During that time, you have to help prepare the food, clean the place, greet the guests, and learn how to introduce dim sum..."
"I know."
Gu Xiang held the job application out to Wei Jinyun and said, "I'll do my best. Besides, Miss Wei is a good person, I trust her."
"Do you know me?"
Wei Jinyun was sure that she had never seen her except that evening.
"My dad said so."
Gu Xiang lowered his eyes to look at her, his eyes narrowed with a smile, "My father delivered some goods to your house a while ago, and when he came back he kept talking about how amazing the young lady from the Wei family is. Even our donkey that pulls the goods praised her for being smart, having big eyes, and long ears."
If it's a smart little donkey. So this is the daughter of the old Gu family?
Wei Jinyun often teased the old Gu family's donkey to eat apples. Every time he teased it, he praised it for its cleverness.
Once, Wei Jinyun accepted an order for a tea party. When Lao Gu went to the bathroom, she was in a hurry and sat on a donkey cart with a apple hanging from a wooden pole. Lao Gu looked at the donkey from behind, staring at the apple with its eyes fixed and whining. He felt that she drove the donkey cart better than he did.
Wei Jinyun couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, today will be the first day. I'm in need of a helper in the kitchen right now, why don't you try?"
It would be a great thing if she could be hired. After all, Wei Jinyun saw with his own eyes that day that she drove away the bad guys in just a few moves. She was strong and brave.
"good."
Gu Xiang responded quickly, rolled up his sleeves and followed her, "Get to work, Miss Wei, I promise I won't let you down."
Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, so Wei Jinyun's pastry shop naturally has mooncakes on sale. Back in the Song Dynasty, mooncakes were still called "xiaobing" (small cakes) or "yuetuan" (moon cakes), but there wasn't a custom of eating them during the festival yet. Wei Jinyun planned to take advantage of the festive season to make a killing.
Since she started her business, she loves celebrating holidays the most.
The red beans, already plump from soaking last night, now simmered in the casserole. Wei Jinyun turned to prepare the egg yolk taro paste. The taro was mixed with milk and then coated with salted egg yolk. The five-nut filling was the most labor-intensive. The watermelon seeds, walnuts, and almonds were first roasted in a pan until crispy, then mixed with cooked sesame seeds and drizzled with a thick syrup. Each kernel was evenly and firmly coated, leaving the mouth filled with a fragrant aroma.
The five-nut pie without the red and green threads is a delicious mooncake.
The salty fresh meat filling is made with pork belly with a 30% fat-70% lean ratio. It is chopped into small pieces and put into a bowl. Add chopped ginger and scallion, rice wine and Zhao Xiangping's secret bean paste, and stir in one direction to make it sticky until the meat filling can be firmly formed into a ball.
Wei Jinyun unceremoniously handed over the tasks of chopping meat and peeling taro to Gu Xiang. While chatting with her while they worked, she also got to know her in general.
Gu Xiang was a big fat girl when she was born. When she was four or five years old, she was already as big as Wei Jinyun's sister. Old Gu and his wife lamented that their daughter was so hungry and couldn't feed her anymore. At the same time, when they saw her eating, they couldn't help but buy her good things.
Fortunately, Gu Xiang was a hardworking child. By the time she was seven or eight, she was already helping with household chores, turning the food she ate into solid flesh. However, when she was fourteen or fifteen, Old Gu began to worry. Why was she getting taller and taller? By the time she was seventeen or eighteen, Old Gu's head had barely reached his shoulders.
This is outrageous!
Matchmakers from other families had come to propose marriage, but his own living room was chilly. He didn't really want to marry his daughter off so soon, he just wanted to find a good family for her, so that when he got old and confused, he wouldn't be able to defend his daughter if she was bullied.
A neighbor joked with him, saying, "Your sister Xiang is still being bullied. One punch would make her husband's family lose their temper." What a ridiculous thing to say! Old Gu was so angry that he ignored the neighbor all day.
Old Gu and his wife stared at their daughter all day long and were worried about her, but the daughter was not worried at all. She said that she could be a porter in the future because she was strong.
How can a good girl be a porter?
However, after getting to know Wei Jinyun over the past two months, Old Gu's thoughts began to change. Actually, it wasn't impossible for a girl to be a porter. Wei Jinyun had been chatting with her about all sorts of professions, and whether male or female, the most important thing was that it suited them and made them happy.
Miss Renwei picked up the pastries and put them on the cart in a few "swishes". She could do everything.
Old Gu always mentioned Miss Wei and even brought Gu Xiang some snacks made by her. From time to time, he would mention the word-of-mouth tradition in front of Tianqing Temple - Miss Wei uprooted a weeping willow tree.
Influenced by Old Gu, Gu Xiang's image of Miss Wei was probably similar to hers, a strong, large woman. Unexpectedly, while working day labor at the Changmen Wharf, she heard a sailor muttering in the distance, saying that it was Miss Wei from Yunlaixiang.
Seeing her slender figure, Gu Xiang wondered if she had a strong explosive force. She returned to the shop and finished work. As she walked, she also observed her. It was not until a lewd man appeared that she could not help but help chase him away.
Yunlaixiang was looking for a job, and it was her father who told her to give it a try. He said she had been hanging out at the dock all day and was almost as dry as a chicken egg.
While Gu Xiang was chopping meat for Wei Jinyun, she was also carefully observing her explosive power. Seeing how easily she kneaded the dough, she believed that one day, she would see her uproot a weeping willow tree.
The pastry is the soul of Suzhou mooncakes. Wei Jinyun takes the rested dough, kneads half into oil-based pastry and the other half into water-based pastry. She flattens the pastry, then wraps it in the oil-based pastry, rolling it repeatedly like folding tofu. She then cuts it into small pieces, flattens them, and rolls them into round pastries with a thick center and thin edges.
When wrapping the stuffing, pinch it gently and wrap it tightly to prevent the stuffing from leaking out. After wrapping everything, brush it with a thin layer of oil and put it into the clay stove.
Two strings of red silk were tied to the entrance of Yunlaixiang's shop, swaying in the wind. Under the osmanthus tree hung paper cutouts of moons and rabbits, their bells jingling.
Wei Fuling was wearing a light red jacket that Wang Qiulan had just made for her. The cuffs were embroidered with white fluffy rabbit fur edges. On one side of her head was a small rabbit fur flower, the pompom bouncing gently with her movements.
She held a bamboo basket with a plate of mooncakes cut into small pieces, sat in front of the cart, and called out crisply, "Try it! Try the freshly baked mooncakes!"
She picked up a piece of red bean paste with a bamboo stick and raised her hand high. "This one is so sweet, like honey!"
Then he picked up a piece of fresh meat and sniffed it carefully, "This one is so salty, the aroma of meat can be smelled from far away!"
A woman passing by was attracted by the shouting and bent down to look at her.
Wei Fuling passed the plate towards her, counting out the pieces and saying, "Sister, try some. We have soft mooncakes with date paste, soft taro paste and egg yolk, and five-nut ones with crunchy watermelon seeds inside. They're all fragrant and crispy, and the crumbs fall off as soon as you bite into them. Give them to you to try, free of charge."
The woman in her forties was already delighted by Wei Fuling's crisp call of "Sister". She nodded even more as she took the red bean paste mooncake and took a bite.
The outer skin is crispy and crumbly, and the red bean paste inside is dense and fluffy.
"Oh, this craftsmanship is really good."
The woman wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth, walked into the shop with a smile, and slowly entered Yunlaixiang.
As soon as she came in, her eyes swept over the moon cakes on the counter. Cutting them into small pieces didn't allow her to see the full shape of the moon cakes, but upon closer inspection, she discovered that each round moon cake was printed with the words "Auspicious Flowers and Full Moon".
Gu Xiang saw her and hurried over to greet her, "Madam, please sit inside. What snacks would you like?"
The woman waved her hand, pointing at the moon cakes in front of the counter. "Give me some of the ones your kid outside was just hawking. How much do you want?"
"Eight cents each, you can mix sweet and savory."
As the woman was watching her fold oil paper, she suddenly noticed a bamboo basket beside her. Two straw rabbits hung from the basket, and a few newly opened white chrysanthemums were planted next to the moon ball in the basket.
"This bamboo basket is quite exquisite. Is it ready-made?"
"If my lady wants to give a gift, this is suitable."
Wei Jinyun smiled and introduced, "Just order it tomorrow. 78 wen for a set of eight, two of each flavor, including the bamboo basket and the floral paper inside. If you order it today, I'll deliver it to you tomorrow during the Mid-Autumn Festival without charging any extra money, saving you the trouble of carrying it."
The woman thought for a while, and since her family was about to send a festival gift to their in-laws, she agreed, "Then give me two sets of bamboo baskets, and six loose ones for myself, no five-nut ones."
Wei Fuqiu sat next to Wei Jinyun, pulled out a stack of papers from under the counter, picked up a pen and dipped it in ink, "Sister, tell me your home address. I'll write it down and deliver it to you tomorrow."
The woman laughed at her quickness, told her her address, counted the money and handed it over, then took the moon cakes tied with oil paper and the other snacks she had chosen, and said, "I'll wait and try them tomorrow."
After seeing the guests off, Wei Jinyun turned around and saw Gu Xiang picking up the remaining broken cakes on the chopping board with his hands. He coughed lightly and handed over the bamboo tongs, "Xiao Gu, even if you don't sell the broken cakes, you still have to use the bamboo tongs to pick them up. It's uncomfortable for the guests to see you touching them."
Gu Xiang took it and learned to use the bamboo clips to pick up the broken biscuits easily. He nodded and kept it in mind. This was indeed more difficult than carrying the goods.
This "Xiao Gu" sounds quite smooth.
“And greet guests.”
Wei Jinyun wiped his hands and spoke more slowly, "No matter how old you are, you should act younger. Your smile should be bright and make the guests feel comfortable. You are well-proportioned and your smile looks good. There is no rush. Just practice slowly."
Gu Xiang listened carefully, went over everything in his mind, and nodded heavily, "I've taken note, Miss Wei."
As they were talking, the shop doorbell rang softly, and a large man stepped in. Today, his face was shaved clean, revealing his rather delicate features beneath. He was clutching an oil-paper bag. He came daily to look after Wei Jinyun's business, serving as her shop's professional food blogger. They were already familiar with each other; his name was Ah Du.
"Miss Wei, it's the same as before!"
Ah Du sat down in his usual corner seat, familiar with the place. When he caught sight of Gu Xiang, he was stunned for a moment. "Gu Xiang, why are you here? Aren't you going to the dock to carry heavy loads?"
The porters who worked together at Changmen Wharf were all familiar with each other, drinking with one today and bragging with that tomorrow, not to mention that Gu Xiang was a female porter.
Behind him followed two unfamiliar men, also strong in build, each holding some chopped pork skin and three fried quails.
As Ah Du opened the oil-paper package and placed the fried chicken drumstick inside on the table, he said to the two of them, "When you eat meat, you should eat it with the snacks from Miss Wei's house. They are so delicious. This sweet and salty combination should be learned from you."
He turned to Gu Xiang again and said, "Don't tell my dad, or he'll scold me for being greedy and not saving money."
Gu Xiang stood by the counter, still holding the bamboo clip in his hand, "I will work here from now on, not as a porter."
"That's good."
Ah Du stuffed a chicken drumstick into his mouth and said, "Those rough guys at the dock don't have much to say. They always tell dirty jokes. It's really not suitable for a girl like you."
A man nearby was unhappy and pushed him. "What are you talking about? You make it sound like you're not a rough guy. We are just porters, but we are all good people."
Ah Du was so amused by the retort, "Yes, yes, I am a good person, and a good person who loves to eat."
He had just tasted some mooncakes at the door and asked someone else to order a few. After Gu Xiang served them, he stared at them for a few seconds before asking Wei Jinyun to make him a few more. The festival was coming up soon, so even if Dad scolded him, it wouldn't hurt to take some home to sweeten his parents' hearts.
Ah Du stuffed the mooncake into his mouth, not even bothering to pat the pastry off his shirt. He mumbled, "I heard from the guys at the dock the other day that Lord Lu has taken his troops to suppress the pirates. I'm afraid he won't be back until Mid-Autumn Festival."
He tutted his words and took another hard bite. "Those pirates deserved it, though. They ran into Lord Lu. This time, we must wipe them out."
People love to talk about family and national affairs at the dinner table. When Wei Jinyun followed her grandparents to visit relatives during the holidays, her uncles and aunts loved to talk about this. They talked about everything from whether this dish was a bit salty to their ideals in life, whether there would be a war this year, the international situation, and whether finance would be affected.
Oh...it turns out this is an ancient tradition.
They were chatting animatedly, wishing they could board Lu Lan's warship right now and kick the pirates in the face. Ding-ling, ding-ling, Zhang Renbai walked in.
He was wearing a lake blue gown, but his face looked a little downcast. There were dark circles under his eyes, bloodshot eyes, and his lips were a little lighter than usual.
But when he spoke, his tone was a bit more spirited. "Didn't you think about your parents during the Mid-Autumn Festival? Instead, you were thinking about Lord Lu? Did he give birth to you and raise you? Is he worthy of your worry?"
Ah Du swallowed the last bite of the moon cake, wiped his mouth, and glared back, "What do you know? Lord Lu is suppressing the pirates for the sake of us civilians. Otherwise, those pirates will cause chaos on the water, merchant ships will not dare to leave, and the docks will be closed. Who will have the heart to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?"
Zhang Renbai sneered, "I'm afraid the only ones who don't care are you porters. Without a ship, you can't transport goods, so naturally you won't make any money."
"You said that."
The porter next to Ah Du said indignantly, "The pirates robbed cargo ships and killed people, causing countless families to be destroyed. Lord Lu is eliminating this evil for the people."
Ah Du also nodded, "That's right, although we porters earn our money through hard work, we also hope for peace in the world. Why do you say that..."
After he said a few words, he didn't want to bother with the scholar anymore and just ate his snacks.
Zhang Renbai sat in his old seat, gripping the teacup tightly. Although his parents no longer restricted him from visiting Yunlaixiang, and he could come there every day for dim sum, he still felt that her smile had changed.
The smile she gave Lu Lan was completely different from the smile she gave him.
The prefectural academy was closed, and while Zhang Renbai was having a snack, the noisy students flocked over. When they reached the shop door, they still couldn't stop running around the stalls outside the prefectural academy, making the wind chimes next to the shop door tinkle so much that Wei Jinyun almost had to replace the door.
"Our message was put up."
Tang Yin fanned himself with his folding fan, his eyes fixed on a newly added wooden board in the shop. It was hung in a corner by straw ropes, with many straw-woven animals hanging on it. The designs were eye-catching, and the note attached to it could be seen at a glance upon entering the shop.
"Well, thanks to your care in the past, I can stay now."
Wei Fuqiu has always been in charge of the message board on the cart. Yesterday, when Wei Jinyun was re-ordering the wooden board from Carpenter Wang, he discovered an incredible message.
Lord Lu is jumping up and down, Lord Lu is growing flowers...
"Then I'll keep one more today!"
Tang Yin found a round table and turned to ask Zhu Zhishan, who was standing beside him, "Brother Zhu, what do you think of the poem about jasmine cake that I hung on the wall?"
"You hung it on the wall?"
“…”
When people from the provincial school came, the shop would become extremely lively. A bunch of people would talk and chat, and almost made Adu and his friends fall asleep.
"Jinyun Jinyun Jinyun!"
Lu Lingxiang dismounted with her bow on her back and quickly ran into Yunlaixiang. She leaned over and smiled, "It's been a few days since we last met. Did you miss me?"
"I miss you."
Wei Jinyun stuffed a moon ball into her hand and asked, "Where have you been hiding?"
"My mother and I are praying for the people from the Inspection Office. We've been visiting almost every temple in Pingjiang Prefecture lately."
Lu Lingxiang quickly ate half a moon ball, took a big sip of tea and said, "Do you miss my second brother?"
Wei Jinyun fell off the bench.
"ha?"
She grabbed the corner of the counter, staggered to her feet, and hurried to see Wei Fuqiu who was sitting with her.
"Don't worry, sister. I already knew it in advance."
Wei Fuqiu stood upright with a brush in her hand, showing no sign of falling.
"Do you want to?"
Lu Lingxiang continued to ask, her face almost close to Wei Jinyun's.
Wei Jinyun mumbled a few "hmm"s and went to pick up the tea bowl in front of him to drink.
"Brother Wu, we really have no hope now."
Tang Yin fanned himself with his left hand while he slowly scooped up a piece of candied taro with his right hand. He blew on it before slowly biting into it. "What should I do, Brother Wu?"
"No, what can I do?"
Wu Sheng saw a thin layer of powder on the tip of her ear, breathed a sigh of relief, and took a bite of the moon cake, "As long as she is happy, I am happy when she is happy. Today's moon cake is very sweet."
"You're eating minced meat."
“It’s quite salty.”
"Don't cry, my good brother."
Zhu Zhishan patted Wu Sheng's back a few times and said, "Brother, please have some sweet food."
Tang Yin blinked and leaned forward, "Brother, can you treat me to a meal too?"
"Get out of here right now."
They were sitting not far from Zhang Renbai and were making a lot of noise, so all the words they said reached his ears.
He had only suspected it before, but now he was finally sure that even Mr. Wu liked her.
Then she is really good.
What tricks did she use on the students of the prefectural school to make them take care of her business and buy her snacks every day?
Wei Fuling's plate was running low on samples, and she was about to go into the shop with her two guardians to get more when she saw a carriage slowly pull up to her door.
"elder sister!"
She pulled the sleeve of a well-dressed man and ran to Wei Jinyun, her eyes shining like Wei Jinyun's, "Sister, this uncle wants to order thirty mooncake baskets!"
Wei Jinyun steadied the tea bowl in his hand.
She really enjoys the holidays.
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Author's words: Jinyun: Jumping up and down... [glasses]
Lord Lu: Fight the pirates well, your reputation will be damaged. [Breaking down into tears]
Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and Suzhou-style fresh meat mooncakes are popular all over the country!
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