Chapter 1 Chapter 1 (Revised) The Pious Woman Comes to the Door to Propose a Marriage
In February, the city of Suzhou is full of greenery. The most eye-catching one is the peach forest near Xuanmiao Temple in Le'anfang. No one knows when and who planted it, but later generations can enjoy this beautiful spring scenery.
Every year when the flowers bloom, Xuanmiao Temple is crowded with people coming to enjoy the flowers.
Firstly, they seek fortune-telling from the Taoist priest in the temple, and secondly, they use the peach blossoms to find their marriage partners. Young men and women of appropriate age come to see each other in the name of appreciating the flowers. Unfortunately, a sudden spring rain a few days ago drenched the peach blossoms all over the ground, and now only a few remaining petals remain on the trees.
Walking from Xuanmiao Temple to Pi Shi Street, there is a restaurant that is always packed with customers. You can see the cloth sign hanging at the door of the restaurant from a long distance. In addition to pictures of noodles and dishes, there are also large words embroidered on it: Zhenjia Restaurant.
The restaurant has been crowded with diners all day long, but now that students from Changzhou County School are leaving for school, there are fewer people.
Inside the restaurant, the tables and chairs are neatly arranged, the walls are white, and there is not a speck of dust even on the window sills. One glance makes one feel that this restaurant owner is a very particular person.
There were no diners in the restaurant now. Only a middle-aged woman was leaning on the counter with her elbows. She had a thin layer of powder on her face and lip balm on. She looked to be in her early forties. A black mole at the corner of her mouth rose and fell with the pitch of her voice. A closer look revealed that the powder on her face was not very stable and kept falling onto the countertop as she spoke.
"Aunt Xu, your little sister is almost at the age to get married. I have a great match—" the woman observed Xu's expression. "There's a wealthy family in Pingjiang Prefecture with considerable wealth. The master of that family is not only well-educated but also extremely talented. They've personally asked me to propose marriage. I wonder what your family thinks?"
This woman is the most famous prostitute in Xiahu Lane. She specializes in matchmaking. Although she has a great reputation, it is not a good one. This is because she works as a pimp and usually associates with the young men of wealthy families. She arranges daughters from good families to be mistresses in wealthy families, or she seduces women from decent families to do those despicable jobs.
The woman counting on the abacus at the counter was none other than the owner of the Zhen Family Restaurant. She was called Aunt Xu and had a slightly darker skin. Compared to other ladies in Gusu City, Aunt Xu was tall and sturdy, with an appearance that made her look tough.
It was said that she was a refugee from the north, kneeling on the street to sell her body to bury her mother. It was really pitiful. The Zhen family met her and bought her back to be a maid. Later, no one knew what means she used to marry the young manager of the Zhen family, and only then did she turn her life around and live a good life.
After hearing what the old woman said, Xu looked up at her.
"Auntie Hua, my Baozhu is still young. I want her to stay for a few more years. She has been pampered at home. Her father and I are reluctant to let her get married. Let's talk about her marriage in a few years." Xu didn't respond to her words. Instead, she seemed to remember something and smiled. "Besides, the marriages of my brothers Dalang and Erlang haven't been decided yet. Why don't you help them keep an eye on it first? Baozhu is still young. It's not easy for her to skip her two brothers." "Girls are not like boys. It's not easy to find a good marriage after a few years." Auntie Hua was confident. "I guarantee that the marriage I told your third mother will be a good one. She will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of her life. There will even be someone to wipe her butt..."
When Xu heard this, she couldn't help but spit in her heart.
Just as Hua Pozi was about to continue speaking, she saw the blue cloth door curtain leading to the backyard being lifted, revealing a pretty, fair and tender face behind the curtain. The girl looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old, with a tall figure, and her black hair was tightly wrapped with blue silk cloth, with only two velvet flowers pinned on the outside. Her eyebrows and eyes were square and clear, with a curve at the end of her eyes and a smile on her face. The corners of her lips were raised, and her cheeks were as rosy as February flowers. This face was completely a combination of the advantages of her parents, and there was no fault to be found on her face. Hua Pozi was stunned for a moment.
The sun was about to set outside, and it was time for the Zhen Family Restaurant to close. Baozhu was surprised to find someone still in the restaurant at this hour, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she put down her plate, which contained a plate of shiny stir-fried lotus root stems, a dish of crispy shredded mustard greens, and a bowl of stalk rice porridge.
Baozhu's voice was also crisp and clear. "Mom, eat some food first. There will be some noodles left. Big brother is frying toppings in the kitchen. Let's go back after we have a full stomach."
The restaurant business was good, and their last meal was early in the morning. After a whole day, they only had two dry biscuits to eat, and they were so hungry that their eyes were a little dizzy. Her mother was also standing in front of her. She had been standing all day and had no chance to eat. There was some porridge left in the pot, and she had some side dishes to fill her stomach first, and would have a good meal when she got home in the evening.
Xu no longer paid any attention to Mrs. Hua. She took the food plate and started slurping the porridge.
Baozhu stared at the person for a long time before she recognized it as Hua Pozi. Disdain welled up in her heart, and she put on the same fake smile as Xu Shi, saying to Xu Shi, "A rat just broke into the backyard. This filthy thing won't go away. It's really disgusting. It keeps playing tricks all day long."
"This rat is really annoying. I'll drive it out with a broom." Xu put down the bowl of porridge and went to get the broom behind the door without even looking at Hua Pozi.
Hua Pozi didn't notice anything unusual, or perhaps she did, but she was used to having her face stepped on, so she didn't care. It wasn't her first time seeing Baozhu, but she was still captivated by her beauty. There were many beautiful girls in Gusu City, but to be honest, she had never seen a more beautiful young lady than the young lady from the Zhen family in her life.
No wonder she only mentioned it once, but the master of the Sun family came over to take a look and then eagerly asked her to go to his house to propose marriage.
She had met many people, and she knew at a glance that this girl was not someone that a small family like this could keep. In that case, she should be asked to come and make some money.
Mrs. Hua thought about this and that for a long time before she came to her senses.
It was obvious at first glance that the young lady from the Zhen family was the favored daughter of the family, and Mr. Sun's reputation was... notorious. If the Zhen family knew that he was saying that he had committed adultery with their daughter, I'm afraid her legs would be broken.
Let's wait for a moment. This matter cannot be mentioned in front of Miss Zhen. A young lady of this age has a bad temper. If anything goes wrong, she will have to bear the consequences. Let's wait until she goes back and think of a way to persuade this family.
Xu took the broom, swept the floor twice, pretended not to hear, and sent the person outside.
She had come here with the intention of finding out more, but since Baozhu was right in front of her, she couldn't bring up the previous topic. She just winked at Madam Xu and said, "I'm leaving now. I'll come back to talk to you in a few days when I have time."
Mrs. Hua went out and looked back at Zhen's Restaurant.
A pair of droopy eyes glanced back and forth at Zhen Baozhu. After all, she came from a poor family, and marrying into the Sun family to enjoy a good life was a great fortune.
After the people left, Baozhu asked, "Why did this old woman come here?"
Xu frowned. "This rotten woman wanted to propose marriage to you. I didn't respond to her because I thought it wouldn't be so easy to get away with it. This vicious woman is a pimp for rich families. She has caused countless troubles to decent women. She often uses threats and bribes. Unless she forces them to death, no one dares to disobey."
Baozhu had naturally heard of the name of Hua Pozi. She was already displeased to see her coming, and now that she knew she was here to arrange a marriage for her, she was so angry that she slammed the table.
Xu comforted him, "Don't worry, Dad and Mom won't listen to her nonsense."
Baozhu sighed, "If it's an ordinary family, it's fine. But I'm afraid it's some noble family. We can't afford to offend such a family. Next time she comes, mother, please ask her which family she wants to propose marriage to, so that we can find a way to deal with it."
Xu agreed.
Zhen Jia Dalang, who was busy in the kitchen, was unaware of the noise outside. His colleague finished his work in the kitchen and came out with half a bowl of greasy臊子面 in his hand. It smelled delicious, but Baozhu had no taste for it and only managed to finish it reluctantly.
Zhen's eldest son collected the empty bowls and went to the kitchen to clean up. Baozhu closed the shop door, hung a wooden sign saying it was closed, bolted and locked it. The shop assistant stayed in the utility room to rest and watch over the shop, while the mother and her two daughters went back to the restaurant through the back door.
The Zhen family has two restaurants in total.
The restaurant was managed by Zhen's father, who was the chef. He hired an accountant to look after the front and hired a waiter named A Zhong to do odd jobs.
The second restaurant was run by Zhen's eldest son, who was in charge of cooking. Madam Xu was in charge of the front desk and collecting money. They hired a waiter to do odd jobs, and Baozhu usually helped out in both.
The restaurant had been open for decades, starting when Zhen's grandfather was young. When Zhen's father made some money, he bought two adjacent shops and connected the three together, making the store bigger. When he had extra money, he opened another restaurant on Pi Shi Street.
The business of the second restaurant was also good. There was a parade ground to the north and a county school to the south. Soldiers in the parade ground were often sent to run errands to buy stir-fried dishes and braised meat at the restaurant.
In addition to snacks and stir-fried dishes, Baozhu also makes a simple meal called boxed lunch and sells it in the restaurant.
Of course, this is what I learned from my memories of my previous life.
Fifteen years after arriving in this dynasty, she initially had a fairly clear memory of her past life. Over the years, however, her memories had gradually faded, leaving only fleeting glimpses of the past. However, it was precisely with these fragmented memories that she was able to manage her restaurant, managing to multiply its already strong business. Perhaps having no family in her previous life was compensation for her having a happy family in this one.
After all, the restaurant is smaller. If the restaurant is full, people can directly choose the dishes and put them in a wooden box to take away. One meat dish and two vegetable dishes cost only ten cents. Because the food is inexpensive, tastes good and is filling, it is especially popular among some students and soldiers.
The restaurant is located in Xishifang, a more lively market town. After all, it has been open for decades and there are more people. When the mother and her two daughters came back, there were still many diners. They waited until the moon was at its highest point in the sky before the last table of diners left.
Ah Zhong, the shop assistant, had a limp. Seeing the Xu family and their three companions, he greeted them and went back to clearing the table. Ah Zhong's usual work was unnoticeable, though he did have a slight limp when he walked quickly, which seemed a bit awkward. He was actually quite a skilled worker.
When the father of the Zhen family bought A Zhong back, he was only eight or nine years old, about the same age as Erlang. He was honest and capable in the Zhen family for several years, and he was also a man with a miserable life. Zhen's father returned his indenture to him last year and went to the government office to help him get rid of his status. A Zhong had nowhere to go, so he continued to stay in the Zhen family. The Zhen family was kind, and he was loyal.
The backyard of a restaurant is where the whole family eats and lives. It is a decades-old restaurant and has always been doing prosperous business. Ever since Baozhu grew up to understand things, she suggested that her family renovate the restaurant, and since then the business has increased several times.
It was precisely because of this that the family had extra money to support Aunt Zhen. This was naturally mutual. It was because of Aunt Zhen that the Zhen family restaurant could continue to operate peacefully.
The Zhen family has inherited cooking skills from their ancestors, and Zhen's father is an excellent cook of southern dishes. Although the restaurant only makes stir-fried dishes and snacks, wealthy families often invite him to cook for their banquets. If the guests know that it is he who cooks the banquet, the host family will be very proud.
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