Chapter 82 So Thin
The master and servant whipped the mule all the way back to the shop. It was noon now. Some were preparing lunch, some were cleaning, and some were preparing ingredients.
Feng Wangtian was splashing water on the floor at the door. When he saw Su Ruojin coming, he quickly put down the bucket and walked over with a smile, "Young Master..."
"Father Feng, didn't I tell you to take a break and stroll around? Why are you working again?"
Feng Wangtian smiled and said, "I've been walking around for a while, and there's nothing to do, so I'll just get some water to rinse my face!"
Dashi's wife Shan He was cleaning the hall, sweeping the floor and wiping the table. She was very skillful. When she heard her father-in-law talking to Su Erniang, she also stood up and saluted, "Young... Young Master..."
"Sister-in-law is still busy, right?"
"It's a habit, a habit..." Shanhe was still a little reserved.
"That's good." Su Ruojin smiled slightly, "You guys are busy, I'll go to the back and take a look."
The young master went to the kitchen like a little fairy.
Shan He stared at it for a while.
Feng Wangtian looked at his daughter-in-law who had never been out of the mountains and said, "Work hard, and you will get your wages."
"Hey!" Shan He came to his senses and quickly picked up the broom to get busy. When he was in his hometown before, he didn't make a penny after working all year round. Now he still works, and I heard that he can earn one or two taels of silver.
One or two! I never dared to think about it before, and I am full of energy.
Su Ruojin went into the kitchen, Mao Ya started the fire, and Mother Dong was busy at the pot, preparing one meat dish, two vegetable dishes and a soup, which was the standard daily meal.
"Second Madam..." Mother Dong greeted while busying herself, "Stay here for dinner today!"
It was already time for dinner, and Su Ruojin was also hungry, so she didn't go back to eat. She nodded, "Okay!"
Mao Ya was smiling. Usually she was not helping in the shop because she followed her young master. But today Shu Tong was following her young master, so she stayed here to help.
After a while, lunch was ready.
Mother Dong took a large round plate and divided the food into portions, one plate per person, plus a bowl of soup. The staple food was steamed buns, which were placed on the table. People could take as many as they wanted.
Su Ruojin was small, so she just took a small plate and brought it to the table to eat.
While eating and looking at everyone else, Uncle Feng and his family took their plates and sat at the two tables at the door to eat, while the shopkeeper Huang Shun sat at his counter.
She suddenly realized that two people were missing.
"Where's Uncle Hua? And where's Aunt Gui?"
Mother Dong was the last one to sit next to her with her own plate. She smiled and said, "Brother Hua is still asleep, Xianggui brought a plate to him."
Su Ruojin opened her eyes wide, "Is it like this every day?"
"That's not the case." Dong's mother smiled, "Occasionally."
While the master and servant were talking, Manager Huang glanced over here and then lowered his eyes to eat.
Su Ruojin clicked her tongue, "Uncle Hua is so lazy!"
She was convinced.
Mao Ya was sitting at the next table. Seeing the host's sighing face, she leaned on her chopsticks, leaned over, and whispered, "Second Madam, can Uncle Hua teach me?"
Su Ruojin has been busy with business recently, so she gave Hua Ping the credit for his excellent skills. Yes, if he teaches Mao Yajie, Mao Yajie's skills will definitely be better, and then they will be more secure when they go out.
Her eyes lit up, "No problem."
Mao Ya got what she wanted and ate happily.
In the backyard, at the door of the cottage, Hua Ping was lying on a bamboo chair, enjoying the breeze and the quietness, like a hermit.
Xianggui put the food plate on his small tea table. Usually she would leave without saying a word, but today she reminded him, "The young master is eating in front." After saying that, she turned around and left.
As she left, Hua Ping turned around and watched her back disappear through the Moon Gate.
Suddenly he frowned and looked up at the big tree above his head. The sunlight fell through the gaps between the trees, forming mottled shadows, shining on him, like a dream.
Could it be that Lady Gui has feelings for him? Hua Ping, who is already 24, suddenly feels a little irritated. Who asked her to serve food and water? Really, women are so troublesome.
The food on the table was not touched at all.
When Su Ruojin finished her meal and went to the backyard to find him, she found that the food was cold. She looked at the teapot and teacups beside her and saw that the small stove was smoking.
"No way, Uncle Hua, no wonder you are so thin, it turns out you only drink tea and don't eat, this is not good for your health."
She sat down at the small tea table and asked Mao Ya to change the food into hot ones.
Mao Ya hurriedly took it away to change it.
In the kitchen, Dong's mother was washing dishes. Xianggui was eating something beside the stove. Dong's mother advised her, "I don't need your help here. Sit at the front table and eat slowly."
Xianggui responded to Dong's mother's kindness with a smile, "It's okay, I'll be almost done." Just as she was about to lower her head to eat, she saw Maoya coming in with the untouched food. Her face suddenly turned pale, and she immediately lowered her head into the rice plate, unable to eat.
Mother Dong looked at it calmly and shook her head secretly.
She had noticed that Xianggui had a crush on Huaping, but the two of them didn't seem to be a good match. Huaping was as handsome as a young master from a wealthy family, and Xianggui was also pretty, but maybe because she came from the mountains, she always had a rustic air. This was not Dong's mother disparaging her, but the environment in which a person is born and raised does give that person an inescapable temperament.
Mother Dong was also in the same situation, so she came to the capital to look for her relatives, but was abandoned by her man. She understood the cruelty of reality very well and could only sigh for her secretly.
In the backyard, when Mao Ya brought the hot dishes and rice over again, Su Ruojin urged Hua Ping, who refused to get up, "Eat quickly!"
Hua Ping was lazy and refused to move.
Su Ruojin was so angry that she stretched out her little hand and pinched the soft flesh on her arm, causing Hua Ping to grimace in pain. "Shh... Su Erniang, you look so small, but I didn't expect that pinching someone would hurt so much."
Hua Ping rolled over and avoided Su Ruojin's vicious hand.
Su Ruojin snorted, "Eat quickly."
Hua Ping had already drunk enough tea and had no appetite at all.
Su Ruojin called Mother Dong over and said, "From now on, use the stove to make tea for him in the afternoon after lunch. Don't make tea for him at other times."
"Hey, hey... Su Erniang, I can't even go to the teahouse with only one tael a month, and now you're taking my small furnace away. Don't go too far!"
"Look how thin you have become?"
Hua Ping didn't care at all about how thin he was. He was confused about life and felt empty inside. He was lucky enough that he didn't drown his sorrows in alcohol.
He suddenly fell silent, as if he were someone else. Su Ruojin was suddenly not used to it, so she deliberately said loudly: "Since you are in my house, as the employer, I have the responsibility to take care of the three meals a day for the employees, and I have to ensure that you are healthy and safe."
"Tsk!" Hua Ping suddenly changed from serious to nonchalant, "You are so young, but you care so much. Aren't you afraid that you won't grow taller?"
Although he said this, he picked up the chopsticks and ate bit by bit.
Su Ruojin looked at him and saw that he looked like a picky eater like the son of a landlord, and frowned, "Uncle Hua, are you too idle?" He was almost sick from being idle.
Hua Ping lazily lifted his eyelids, "What's the matter? Have you thought of another way to exploit me?"
Su Ruojin smiled slyly, "I actually thought of that."
Hua Ping jumped up, "Su Erniang, don't go too far!" It was good enough for her to be a guard in the courtyard, but how could he, a master who was trained by the court for sixteen years, really become a mortal!
She smiled maliciously: "Eat first, and when you're full, we can talk."
"How can we eat this?"
(End of this chapter)
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