With the carriage, they could sleep for more than two hours longer than before. Qinghua was an energetic little horse that ran very fast. When they arrived in the county, they took the carriage to the backyard to rest before setting up their stall.
Customers who love braised food arrive very early every day.
Then, those with sharp eyes noticed that He Zifeng was carrying a pot of braised pork ribs to deliver to the inn.
That braised pork bone, with its tendons and meat still trembling slightly, looked absolutely delicious.
"Hey, why are you walking so fast? Let me take a look."
Someone asked Qiuyu, "Your family has something new again?"
Qiu Yu said, "The braised pork ribs were ordered from the inn." He only made a little bit, and it shrank quite a bit after stewing, so it was fortunate that he prepared a lot in advance. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been enough, although they themselves ate quite a bit as well.
The diners' mouths watered at the thought, and the idea of gnawing on meat with bones was incredibly satisfying. They asked, "How much is it? Do you sell it in small quantities?"
Qiu Yu said, "The big iron pot we ordered hasn't arrived yet, so we can't take on any new jobs for the time being." Right now, they only have two pots at home: one is the one that came with the rented courtyard, and the other is their original iron pot. These two pots are constantly in use; they need to stew two pots of tough, splintered things like big bones. They really can't keep up. Besides, they've already taken on the job for Gouzi's dad to go to the market, and it'll be a while before they can start selling.
Everyone had no choice but to reluctantly accept it, and they were repeatedly told to start selling as soon as they finished setting it up.
He Zifeng returned after delivering the goods and immediately got busy here.
Qiu Yu has already told her regular customers that she will no longer make savory pancakes, but will instead focus on braised dishes.
It was a bit of a disappointment for everyone, because although there were several pancake vendors on this street, none of them could make as delicious as theirs. The crust was very chewy, with a natural grain aroma that became more fragrant with each chew, and the sauce on top added a lot to the pancake. It tasted savory and delicious, and the more you ate, the more you loved it.
They bought the chili sauce, and it was absolutely delicious whether dipped in steamed buns, eaten with rice, or mixed with noodles. The only downside was that it was consumed very quickly. A large bottle would last at most two days. If there were a large family, one bottle would be enough for one meal.
Just then, I heard that the savory pancakes were about to be sold. I quickly asked if they still had any chili sauce.
Qiu Yu said, "Yes, there will be." He also needs this sauce when making braised dishes. Now there aren't as many pots, so he can't make dozens of kilograms at a time like before. He only needs to make about thirty bottles a day.
They bought too much of the old cripple's soy sauce. What he could have sold for a year was now all gone. The new soy sauce is being put into the vat quickly, but it will be a while before it can be sold. During this period, they have to be careful with their sales.
That's why they accepted the savory pancakes.
Soon, the waiter and Brother Liu from the security escort agency came to buy savory pancakes. Upon hearing that they would no longer be selling them, their mood soured. These past few days, having delicious pancakes every day had been their anticipation for waking up early.
Other families also sell pancakes, but theirs tastes worlds apart from theirs.
I just hope that once they're done with this busy period, they can start selling again.
There were only one hundred tickets in total, plus two large sets, and the remaining tickets were bought up piecemeal.
There are only a little over five kilograms of braised food left. If I can sell like this every day, it won't take much effort, and I can make money without getting up early or working late.
The two of them quickly finished off the five pounds of braised food.
The two counted the money; it totaled six taels of silver. They set aside one tael for the carriage ride yesterday. Qiu Yu was going to use the remaining five taels to buy spices and Chinese herbs to prepare the braising liquid for removing the fishy smell from braised dishes, and she asked He Zifeng to wait for her there. But He Zifeng said, "I'll go out for a stroll too."
The two then went their separate ways, and He Zifeng even brought out his own little horse, Qinghua.
Walking with it along the way is incredibly eye-catching; the blue and white porcelain is beautiful, and it makes you look very prestigious.
He Zifeng traveled all the way to Xiao He Ran's private school. Being a man, he was too embarrassed to say he missed his son. In five days, the children would have their monthly break and could go home for three days. But He Zifeng couldn't wait any longer; he just wanted to catch a glimpse of him from afar.
When he arrived, the children were playing in the yard. Children are very playful. Some were playing with beanbags, others were playing hopscotch.
He Zifeng spotted his son at a glance; he was squatting on the ground, writing characters stroke by stroke with a twig.
He Zifeng is incredibly soft-hearted.
As I was watching, I heard someone say, "Second Uncle He." It was Gouzi who spoke.
He was still looking around, wondering, "Has my father arrived?"
He Zifeng said, "Your father is busy, but he will come to pick you up next time he has a holiday." He also took a few pieces of maltose and wrapped them in oil paper.
"Thank you, Uncle He."
He Zifeng continued, "Don't fight here, be nice to your classmates."
The dog said, "Mmm." Then it said to Xiao Heran, who was still drawing on the ground, "Ranran, your dad has come to see you."
The dog barked incessantly.
He Zifeng originally just wanted to take a quick look, afraid that the child would miss home after seeing him.
As soon as the dog called out, his own pup came running over like a little colt, opening his arms and saying, "Daddy..."
He Zifeng bent down and picked up the little slut in one swift motion. Before, at home, she would only call him "Dad," but now she called him both words together.
He Zifeng held his child in his arms; the little guy hadn't seen him in a long time. He snuggled against him. He Zifeng secretly gave him a kiss. Little He Ran immediately smiled, then asked in his childish voice, "Did you miss Ranran?"
"I've thought about it."
Xiao Heran said, "Ranran missed you all too." Then she boasted, "I can write the character '大' now. I can also write '一' and..."
He Zifeng said, "My son is so great. Even I can't write. Can you teach me?" Actually, this was just to coax the child. He had attended a private school for a few years, but he didn't pursue academic studies. He had no problem with daily writing and calculations, and his handwriting was also very beautiful.
Upon hearing this, Ranran felt a surge of responsibility: "Okay, I'll learn more and teach you when I get home." After saying that, she snuggled into his arms again.
This was He Zifeng's precious darling; when Ranran was born, she lay softly in his arms. He truly wanted to give her everything.
Little He Ran hadn't seen his dad in a long time, and like a little chatterbox, he asked, "Have you given my rabbit water?"
He Zifeng said, "Your little daddy feeds him all the time." This is practically his son's little pet. Qiu Yu said that if her son didn't cherish him so much, she would have killed him and eaten him long ago. She wondered how they could have such a kind and sensitive child as He Ran.
He Zifeng led the horse to the front and said, "Its name is Qinghua. When you have your holidays, I'll take you for a ride in a carriage."
Little He Ran had been so focused on his father that he hadn't noticed the horse behind him. His eyes lit up as he looked at the horse: "Wow!" He then turned and asked, "Can I touch it?"
He Zifeng said, "Okay." Then, holding his son, he turned his head to face the blue and white porcelain.
To Xiao Heran, blue and white porcelain seemed like a colossal object. But he wasn't afraid at all; his eyes shone brightly. "Blue and white porcelain."
Qinghua looked over. She tentatively brought her face closer. Xiao Heran touched it, then quickly withdrew her hand as if embarrassed, hiding in He Zifeng's arms and giggling, "I touched it."
Xiao Heran then whispered in He Zifeng's ear, "I want to be good friends with Qinghua."
He Zifeng said, "Okay."
Xiao Heran became even happier. But soon, they heard a whistle coming from inside. The children who had been so cheerful just moments before all wanted to go back inside when they heard the whistle.
Xiao He Ran struggled to get He Zifeng to put him on the ground. The little guy didn't want He Zifeng to leave. But he was always an obedient child and couldn't skip class. So he could only repeatedly remind him, "Remember to pick me up next time."
He Zifeng said, "Hmm."
Xiao Heran pouted and waved his hand. Then he turned around and ran back into the house.
He Zifeng watched the children go into the house, and soon the sound of them reciting the Three Character Classic could be heard. He Zifeng stood there for a while longer before going back inside.
Back home, Qiu Yu was about to rush out when she saw the man and horse returning. She then said with relief, "You two went out together. I thought you'd been robbed."
He Zifeng tied the horse to the carriage.
With no one around, Qiu Yu snuggled into his arms and asked, "What's wrong?"
Although He Zifeng didn't say anything, Qiu Yu could sense that he was in a bad mood.
"It's nothing," He Zifeng said, trying to save face as a man. He was too embarrassed to admit that he missed his son so much that seeing him made him even more heartbroken than the child himself.
Qiu Yu immediately guessed: "You went to the private school?" Thinking about it, he also bought candy. What else could he be doing, leading a horse out?
He Zifeng nodded.
They set up their stall every day, and checking on the children wasn't difficult; their only worry was that the children wouldn't be able to handle it. They had finally managed to focus on their studies over there, and now they were constantly thinking about how they could concentrate on their studies at home. Qiuyu went to see him once that day, and never went back. She asked, "Has he lost weight?"
He Zifeng said, "He hasn't lost weight, and he can write now."
A smile flickered in Qiu Yu's eyes. For her closest relatives, every bit of progress their child made brought them immense joy.
Ranran said he would take good care of his rabbit.
Qiu Yu asked, "What else? What else was said?"
"He told us to go pick him up together, that little rascal. As soon as I got there today, he wanted to be held. He's four years old now, but he still acts like a baby," He Zifeng said.
Qiu Yu, standing nearby, said jealously, "Last time I went there, I wasn't allowed to be hugged."
"When he gets home, you can hug him as much as you want."
Qiu Yu glanced at He Zifeng, raised her chin and said, "I want to sleep with Ranran in my arms."
"With a dad like you, it's no wonder Ranran hasn't grown up," He Zifeng said with a hint of doting. "When he comes back, fry some fried dough twists and fried cakes for him."
Qiu Yu said, "Let's buy another fish. I've heard that children who eat fish are smart."
"Go ask Sister Xu how much the radish cake is from that family in the neighboring village. My son has never had it before. Let's buy some for him to try."
"Yes, and red bean milk cake too," Qiu Yu added. "These are sweet, Ranran will definitely like them."
With five days left of holiday for the children, the two fathers started getting excited.
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