Chapter 66: Revisiting the Old Place in Gusu
The boat sailed smoothly and arrived at the destination in just a few days.
Ever since receiving the letter, the eldest son of the Zhen family had been visiting the dock every day. Calculating the date, it should have arrived long ago, but after waiting for so long, no one showed up, and he was getting a little anxious.
Axiu at home was about to give birth, and he was unable to take care of everything by himself, so he asked someone to help watch the dock. Baozhu and the others naturally didn't need their eldest brother to pick them up. They had been in Suzhou for more than ten years and could walk back home with their eyes closed.
The people hired by Dalang just stared at the people playing chess at the table and pointed and criticized them every day. They were paid for their work and had no idea when the people got off the boat.
Madam Xu walked a little slowly, with Baozhu Zhurong supporting her on each side. Now she found it difficult to breathe when sleeping at night, let alone walk normally.
As soon as they got off the dock, a group of coachmen surrounded them, thinking they were outsiders and gave them random quotes with their eyes closed.
Mrs. Xu cursed, "It's not proper." Seeing that she spoke in Suzhou dialect, the drivers finally stopped talking.
"Go to Xishifang, and it's eighty wen—"
Only after returning to Suzhou did they realize that the prices at home were much lower than in Bian Jing. The four of them got on the car, and Pei Yanqing consciously sat on the other side of the frame.
Pei Yanqing gazed at the scene outside with a look of wonder. Baozhu pointed out where the academy was, where the government office was, which street sold food and drinks, which street sold medicinal herbs. Even though she hadn't been back for years, the streets and alleys of Suzhou were deeply etched in Baozhu's memory, and now revisiting the place, the memories were clear.
For Yu Zhen's family, Bian Jing is a place to make a living, and Suzhou is their home.
There are many temples in the city. Baozhu told him that when she was a child, she often went with her grandma and mother to burn incense, and which temple had the best vegetarian food and which temple had the most effective fortune-telling.
Bao Rong smiled and replied, "Hanshan Temple is the most effective place for finding love. Since Lord Pei is in Suzhou, we should go and pay our respects there."
After hearing what she said, Pei Yanqing actually supported his chin and started thinking about when to go, until Baozhu pinched him and he came to his senses.
"Crabs are plump at this time of year. In the past, at this time of year, Zhen's restaurant would sell over a hundred pounds of crabs every day. Customers would come to the restaurant to eat fried rice cakes with crabs. Although Bian Jing restaurant also has this dish, I always feel that it is not as delicious as the one at home." Baozhu sighed, and a sense of homesickness arose in her heart.
The Zhen's Restaurant in Xishifang was closed today. Baozhu saw a red notice saying that the owner was pregnant. The family looked at each other and then hurried to the back door, not knowing whether Ah Xiu was about to give birth.
Last time, I posted a fake notice saying that the boss was pregnant, which was just a joke on the Sun family. This time, there is a real happy event.
A neighbor was sharp-eyed and saw Ms. Xu and immediately waved to greet her.
"Oh! It's Aunt Xu who's back!"
After saying that, he looked at the handsome Pei Yanqing and said, "This is... is it my eldest sister's husband?"
This aunt had a loud voice and called out to several people at once. Pei Yanqing took advantage of the fact that no one was noticing and silently moved closer to Baozhu, smiling like a fool.
This trip relied heavily on Master Pei, and he had secretly promised that he would come to propose marriage when he returned to Bianjing. As long as they didn't get too close, Madam Xu would just pretend she didn't see anything. Now that he followed her home, it would cause misunderstandings among the neighbors, and Madam Xu would have a hard time explaining it. He had taken care of her all the way, and she couldn't just abandon him once she arrived in Bianjing. Besides, the journey back was long and steep, and she would have to rely on him for the journey.
Madam Xu thrived in Suzhou, and her neighbors were close friends. She greeted everyone and said, "Tomorrow, when Dalang's wife gives birth, I'll invite everyone to come to my house for a drink."
The aunt saw that the few people were exhausted and slapped her forehead and said,
"You haven't gone home yet, have you? Dalang's wife gave birth! She gave birth yesterday! I can't keep you any longer, hurry back!"
Before the aunt could finish her words, the family hurried to the back door. As soon as they stepped inside, Madam Xu said to Baozhu, "The family is busy now, and we can't neglect Master Pei. Go find an inn and ask Master Pei to stay first."
Sister Xiu had just given birth and had a lot of things to do at home, so I couldn't neglect her. Baozhu nodded, carried the luggage into the yard first, and then led Pei Yanqing out of the alley.
When the neighbors saw the two of them coming out, they just thought they were a couple and didn't think anything of it. Some of the people who were closer to them even made fun of them.
"The eldest sister in our alley is the most distinctive."
"If your family hadn't moved away, I would have to be your matchmaker."
"Speak of a few more gentlemen, and I guarantee you'll be spoilt for choice."
Baozhu laughed dryly, not daring to reply. Pei Yanqing's expression was stern, causing the other aunts to laugh again. The two of them didn't walk far before finding a clean inn nearby.
"You're exhausted from the journey, take a break first. I've been busy at home these past few days and I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of you. When I have some free time, I'll take you to the best restaurant in Suzhou City to eat crab fried rice cakes and crab roe soup dumplings."
Pei Yanqing turned his back and sighed. He was now more and more familiar with pretending to be pitiful. He muttered a few words and turned back, only to find that the person had already left.
Knowing he was about to turn around, she laughed and said, "You're really... jealous now!"
As soon as you enter the house, the furnishings are all the same as before, with only some new furniture.
The eldest brother came back and renovated the house. There were paint stains on the wall and knife marks everywhere in the house. Some of the things that could be replaced were replaced, and those that could not be replaced had to be made do with. The main beam could not be replaced and had to be left as it was, as there were several deep knife marks on it.
After knocking on the door and entering the house, I saw my elder brother holding the baby and smiling like he was eating. Baozhu came and held the baby to show her.
"Young man, young man, look, this is your aunt."
"He's like a monkey. How can he recognize people before his eyes are even opened?" Sister Xiu also smiled gently.
She was still too weak to get up. Baozhu knew that she was already weak and had suffered a lot during the childbirth, so she was still not in a good mood.
After returning home, I saw that everyone was busy and bustling. The Zhen family members were delayed for a long time on the road. They originally wanted to come back to take care of A Xiu during childbirth, but they didn't expect that when they came back, A Xiu had already given birth.
Madam Xu looked at the first young man of the Zhen family and was so happy that she felt a little better. She hurried out to find an aunt who could take care of the baby and a wife who could cook.
Hearing how urgent her request was, the matchmaker immediately took out the list and showed it to her. After she picked out a few that she liked, she immediately went to call people over.
"I'm familiar with these young men. My sister-in-law cooks delicious meals. The most important thing for a woman who has just given birth is to eat well."
After seeing them, Madam Xu immediately picked out two people. After she went back and tested their skills, she immediately made the contract. She signed the employment contract, paid the middleman, and agreed to a monthly salary of six strings of cash for each person.
The wages here are much cheaper than in Bian Jing, where even the most ordinary handyman would cost more than ten strings of cash a month.
Baozhu was also busy. Madam Xu asked her to go to the countryside to collect some chickens. Baozhu went to the suburbs with Pei Yanqing and ran all day to collect some hens that were more than ten days old.
Baorong was also assigned a task, which was to go to the river every day to buy fresh fish caught by the fishermen.
Chicken soup and fish soup are nourishing every day. It is not difficult to have enough food when the weather is good these days, but it is not easy to eat well. Seeing that A Xiu is so thin, Madam Xu reminds her every day that the confinement period is a good time to nourish her body, and the minor ailments she had in the past can also be cured during the confinement period.
Seeing the family's immense joy, Baozhu patted her head and suddenly asked, "Have you chosen a name for your nephew?"
These days he's been calling himself a "young waiter" and he hasn't even got a proper name.
When asked about it, the eldest brother just said that he had no knowledge of literature. Ah Xiu also shook his head, and Ah Niang waved her hand. Before coming, the father and grandmother had not said what name to give the baby.
"Don't be too worried. I just hope the young man is safe and healthy." The eldest brother and A Xiu looked at each other, with only this thought in their minds.
Baozhu held the young boy in her arms, and Baorong teased him. The little boy changed every day. He looked as skinny as a monkey two days ago, but he has become fair and tender in the past few days. The young boy was teased and started to grunt.
"In that case, let's call him Zhen Ankang." As soon as Baorong started talking, he felt that the name was good. "The young man also likes this name. Look at his smile."
This name sounds like a blessed one.
On the third day of the baby's bath, she invited all the familiar neighbors to come. Although Suzhou city had not changed much in just two or three years, the people she knew had changed a lot. Only one of Baozhu's old friends was still unmarried, but she was probably married.
"Erlang Zhang, who ran a grocery store at the corner of the alley, and Jiao Jie'er from Zhu the butcher's family at the end of the alley used to quarrel all the time. Who would have thought that last year the Zhang family would come to propose marriage to Jiao Jie'er? I even went to have a drink on the day of their wedding." Miss Zheng, my best friend in the past, laughed, "Or maybe it's fate. Look, we played together when we were little, and everyone knew they didn't get along, but now they seem inseparable!"
Baozhu also chuckled. She really couldn't imagine the scene of the two of them getting along. Jiao Jie'er was the most aggressive one in the alley, and Zhang Jia Erlang was the most naughty one in the alley. When they got together, there would be chaos. Now they were living together.
Hearing that Baozhu had returned, Jiaojie, who lived not far away from the Zhang family, also came to see the gift with her child. When Baozhu saw her bringing the baby, she made a red envelope and stuffed it into the arms of the young man she was holding. It goes without saying that the three of them had a lot of intimate conversation after not seeing Baozhu for a long time.
Baozhu only realized at this moment that the rumor in the alley was that the one from the Sun family was Rabbit Brother.
I originally thought that my old close friends might not have time to come, but I didn't expect that except for a close friend who married and moved to Yangzhou, the rest of them came one after another, some were newlyweds, and some were holding babies. The group looked at each other and felt relieved to see that everyone was doing well.
Baozhu made a gold lock and a gold bracelet as additional gifts, and also gave the gifts from other family members to Axiu. Although the Zhen family did not have many relatives in Suzhou, they had been friends with their neighbors for decades and had a very good relationship, so everyone came to join in the fun and add gifts.
Madam Xu hired someone to cook for the banquet, and there were nearly twenty tables in total. Not only was the restaurant full, but the yard was also full. Some of the diners who used to eat there also came to join in the fun and give gifts when they heard about the happy event. Madam Xu politely invited them to stay for dinner.
After the third day of bathing, a few people thought about returning to Bian Jing in a few days.
My eldest brother and A Xiu couldn't stay any longer. The trip back to Suzhou took four or five months, which was too long.
There was a lot of work to do in Bianjing. I had originally wanted to wait for Ah Xiu to finish her confinement, but the pirates had delayed me for quite some time. In autumn, the docks in Bianjing were busiest with merchant ships, and with so much cargo and so much work, I was afraid the hired men would be overwhelmed, and Madam Xu's warehouse couldn't wait any longer.
When the season changes, Baozhu Restaurant also has to change its dishes. The pickled garlic and pickled duck eggs are probably used up. I don’t know which dishes to buy or which dishes to replace. Baozhu is not here, and I’m afraid the restaurant can’t cope with it.
Knowing that Madam Xu would be returning to Bian Jing soon, all the neighbors had given her Suzhou specialties to take away. Madam Xu also went from house to house, greeting and giving gifts to her old friends with whom she had a good relationship.
There is a flow of favors between people, and only by relying on others can one live a prosperous life.
After finding out the departure date of the ship back to Bian Jing, the family planned to take the ship back on that day.
While waiting for the boat, Pei Yanqing and Baozhu walked through the streets and alleys of Suzhou. Pei Yanqing was curious about Suzhou, so Baozhu took him on a tour of the place where he grew up, exploring nooks and crannies he had never been to before.
The original Zhen Family Second Restaurant had been sold to someone else, and now a new restaurant had opened in the same shop. This one had a good location, and when Baozhu walked in, it looked like business was brisk. The menu was full of authentic Suzhou cuisine, and since crabs were plump at the time, the two of them ordered a bowl of crab roe noodles, two baskets of crab roe soup dumplings, and a pot of crab fried rice cakes.
Crab meat is already delicious, and local crabs have an extra sweetness. Even if they are steamed directly without dipping in any sauce or vinegar, the taste is still outstanding.
"Last time, Sister Rong mentioned Hanshan Temple. When are we going to visit it?"
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