Chapter 85: Hot Pot Sisters Chat
Today I just checked the accounts and asked if there were any problems with the stalls at Jiangshi Wharf and Zhouqiao. I was relieved to know that both places were relatively stable.
Pei Yanqing only had two days off. On the first day, the two of them had dinner with Grandma Pei, and on the second day they went to the Zhen family for dinner.
Although there was a holiday for Mid-Autumn Festival, there was a lot of work in the government office at that time and it was a busy time, so I didn't rush back and didn't celebrate the festival at home. However, Pei Yanqing sent someone to deliver a holiday gift.
In the evening, he stayed at the Zhen family for dinner. Baorong hadn't seen his elder sister in the past few months and missed her very much. He pulled Baozhu and didn't let her go back tonight.
My mother glared at me, "You're already a grown-up, yet you're always dragging your sister along to act like a fool."
Baozhu touched Baorong's head and scratched her nose with a smile, "It's cold and there's a lot of work in the store. I won't be going out this time. If you miss your sister, just come find me. Why are you still acting like a child?"
Bao Rong acted coquettishly, "Sister, you're not going back today. I have a lot of personal things to say—"
Pei Yanqing was still sipping his wine, but he coughed twice when he heard her words. Baorong glared at him, as if she was determined to compete with him for her sister.
All the children in the Zhen family are beautiful, and Baorong has grown into a big girl without anyone noticing.
"Erlang is now an official, and many people have come to propose marriage to Sister Rong. Life is much better now, and we don't have to worry about being bullied like before. She's still young anyway, so it will take a few years for her to carefully choose a partner. I'm not looking for wealth or status, I just hope she has good character. This girl has always had the mind of a child. If she finds someone with deep scheming, she'll inevitably be bullied."
When Baozhu heard what her mother said, she asked if anyone wanted to see Baorong.
She really guessed it right. Madam Xu nodded.
"Mrs. Kong's family has a nephew who's a year older than Baorong. He's a good-natured man, very motivated, and his family is simple, without a lot of messes. Last Mid-Autumn Festival, when we were sending gifts, Mrs. Kong mentioned that she liked Baorong's personality, and asked if our family would be willing to meet him. If we like him, there's no need to rush, we can arrange the marriage first and then get married in a few years. I went to the Kong family for a banquet during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I took the opportunity to take a look. I caught a glimpse of him from a distance in the garden, but Baorong refused, so the matter was dropped."
Baorong kept covering A Niang's mouth and refused to let her speak anymore.
Pei Yanqing accompanied Zhen's father to drink a few glasses of wine. Neither of them was talkative, and they had no chance to join in the conversation, so they could only raise their glasses and drink.
Zhen's father's reputation as a chef was growing. Even high-ranking officials at the imperial court wanted to invite him to their banquets. He was always inundated with requests during festivals, but unfortunately, he was too busy to handle them. Consequently, many lesser-known chefs wanted to work for him, hoping to pick up more work.
After his mother and the others finished speaking, he asked if this could be done.
Baozhu and Xu Niang naturally nodded in agreement.
"But if someone else registers it under my father's name, I must try to see if their skills are not good enough. I won't make much money, but will destroy my reputation."
Zhen's father nodded. "Of course. I'm not an expert in business, but I do have some experience in cooking. I have to test their skills before I can take on a job."
Some chefs do have good cooking skills, but unfortunately they are not famous. Zhen's father has a lot of work to do, but he can't handle it all by himself. Now that he has a skilled chef by his side, if there is a conflict in the table, he can assign that person to cook the meal, and he can get a commission from the deal.
He was too busy because some guests were difficult to refuse. He did not only host banquets for the homes of dignitaries, but also accepted banquets from some ordinary families every month to avoid being accused of being picky.
"Also, since they're under your control, we need to sign a contract. It's better to be clear upfront to avoid disputes later. They're not famous right now, and if we use my father to build a name for ourselves and then dump him, it would be a thankless task for us. We can take a smaller commission, but we absolutely cannot do something that would tarnish our reputation."
Everyone thought it made sense. Madam Xu was used to doing this, so she said that she would draft a contract for Zhen's father. Anyone who was willing to work under Zhen's father would have to sign the contract.
"Hengzhi has also got engaged now. The girl's family is well-matched, so it's a good match." Madam Xu remembered the wine party they had for the engagement a few days ago, and told Baozhu about it.
The family ate, drank and chatted until dark. When it was completely dark, the couple took the lantern handed to them by Mrs. Xu, lit it and went home.
Although the alcohol he drank in the evening was not strong, he still drank too much. He had to go to the yamen tomorrow. Thinking that Baozhu was not there and they had been together for so long, Pei Yanqing felt sad and wondered how these two days had passed so quickly. He pulled her to stroll slowly on the street and refused to go back early.
It was cold, but the street was still bustling. There were stalls outside the tile house selling snacks such as wontons, steamed buns, and dumplings. The stalls inside charged money. It was already a little chilly at night. Pei Yanqing saw someone selling hot ginger rice tea, so he ordered a cup and asked Baozhu to hold it to warm her hands. The lights were on inside the tile house. After watching the puppet show for a while, he saw Baozhu yawning, and the two of them slowly walked back together.
Seeing that Baozhu couldn't finish her cup of ginger tea, she took it and drank it all in one gulp, feeling a little dry.
The next day, with nothing to do, Baozhu took Aman to send him out of the city, and then went to the street to check the current prices.
The price of grain is still high this year. Due to the drought, there is not much new grain. Fortunately, Madam Xu stockpiled a lot of grain last year, which was enough for the whole family to eat and drink. She also sold some when the price was right and made some profit.
All in all, she didn't make much money. Although she was doing business, she didn't make money by going against her conscience. Most of the money she made was sold directly to the people.
There is a drought this year. I heard from Pei Yanqing that the situation around the capital is still okay because canals have been built and water can be released even when there is drought. However, the harvest in more distant places has dropped sharply, and many people from other places have come to Bian Jing to find work so that they won't have to starve during the next year's lean period.
Baozhu looked along the way and saw that there were more people doing hard labor than in previous years, and they all looked pale and thin.
Vegetable prices have increased a bit this year. The price of ordinary vegetables has quadrupled compared with previous years. The price of meat has not changed much, but mutton is still in short supply after the weather gets cold.
Baozhu took a walk around and came up with an idea. In winter, copper pot hot pot is indispensable. If other dishes are sold, the diners will be impatient if the price goes up. Mutton is an expensive food to begin with, and those who can afford it will not care about the price.
She negotiated a deal with a sheep dealer, who supplied her with the best fat sheep every day. Baozhu made some brass pots and used them to blanch the mutton. Eating it at this time of year was just the right way to nourish the body and replenish energy.
Only twelve small pots were made, and since they were made of brass, they cost a lot of money.
Slice the mutton into thin slices, wait for the clear soup in the pot to boil, pick up a piece and roll it twice in the soup, then pick it up and dip it in the sauce. Watch the sauce cover the meat, and the aroma will burst out of your nose as soon as you take a bite.
There are also some requirements for lamb. The best is naturally the lamb head, followed by the lamb leg with alternating fat and lean parts, and then the lamb spine. The price of lamb varies in different places.
Baozhu assigned different prices to different meats. This copper pot mutton hotpot is only affordable for people with plenty of money. Although there are not many pots, it is enough in the store. After all, not every table is willing to order it.
The base of the pot is only fifty cents, but the meat alone costs one hundred and twenty cents per plate. Even the worst lamb spine costs one hundred cents per plate. The lamb is red and white and looks very fresh.
In addition to the mutton hot pot, the more affordable dish is braised mutton shank bones. There is a lot of meat left on the bones, and the bone marrow is also tender and fresh. One shank bone is enough to chew for a long time.
When these two things were served, the rich would eat the hot pot meat, and those who could not afford it would eat the mutton shanks and bones.
In winter, it is the right season to eat fish. The fish have gained weight in the winter and are very delicious to eat. The original grilled fish is put back on the menu. Baozhu and Chen Niangzi thought about it and decided to grill the fish with fruit charcoal. The oil is roasted to a crispy aroma, and the outer layer of fish skin and the fish meat are roasted together, making it crispy. It tastes more like wood than the previous grilled fish.
The fish is cooked like this before being taken out of the pan with oil, seasonings and side dishes. If two or three people order this fish, it will taste just right.
Ever since Baozhu came back, Baorong has been following her like a little shadow, coming to the restaurant every day. While Baozhu was doing the bill, she would help grind the ink.
Baozhu just found it funny.
When the store was less crowded, Baozhu asked Baorong, "You said you wanted to tell me something personal last time? What did you want to say?"
Seeing Baorong hesitating for a long time and refusing to speak, Baozhu suddenly remembered what Pei Yanqing said last time, that his classmate wanted to apologize to Baorong, so she asked about it.
"Last time, your brother-in-law said that a man named Xu wanted to apologize to you. How did that man offend you? I never heard you mention this matter."
Baorong hesitated even more, "He he..."
Seeing her like this, Baozhu felt that something was wrong. "What happened to him? Did he bully you?"
Seeing that her elder sister looked like she was about to start a fight, Baorong stammered and told the story of her wedding day.
"During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mrs. Kong insisted that I meet her nephew..."
It turned out that it was the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the young man from that family was actually a good friend of Xu Yuming. Baorong had originally resisted the meeting, so Xu Yuming helped her out. She didn't know what the man had said to the nephew of Mrs. Kong, but he refused to tell her after she asked him several times. In short, the matter was dropped, and Baorong didn't dwell on it anymore.
But after this incident, this guy recognized her and talked about how he stepped on his foot on his sister's wedding day. He went to the clinic and the doctor said that the kick left him with an injury, and he might need to use a crutch when he gets old. He asked her to compensate him in words and deeds, and since he had helped her once, he acted like he was asking for repayment.
Baorong was so annoyed by his pestering that she agreed to give him a painting as a reward.
Seeing Baozhu laughing at her, she snorted unhappily.
"Sister, you still want to laugh at me. Come on, think of a way to draw him a picture."
Baozhu stopped smiling, because it turned out that this guy had such thoughts. No wonder he wanted to ask Pei Yanqing about Baorong. Baozhu didn't know this guy's background, so naturally she didn't want him to bother her.
"Just paint him a picture of a toad looking at a swan."
Baorong's eyes lit up, and she turned around and laughed again, "Sister, are you kidding me? After all, someone helped me once."
Baozhu sneered, "Silly girl, he's not helping you, he's helping himself."
Baorong was so happy that he took out a pen and paper and began to paint on the counter. He smiled as he painted and made a simple picture with just a few strokes. The bird was lying on the shore, looking at the white swan preening its feathers in the lake, with a dazed look on its face.
The painting was so funny that Baozhu burst out laughing when she saw it. She rolled it up and asked Jiang Shi to find out where the Xu family was so that she could send the painting there.
Jiang Shi came back after a while, also holding a painting in his hand. Bao Rong unfolded it curiously.
It turned out to be a painting of a swan playing with a swan. This guy really had some talent. With just a few strokes, he created another painting that was exactly the same as the one painted by Baorong.
Baozhu leaned over to take a look and felt that the previous operation was like hitting cotton. However, she felt that this man was not a stingy person. If an ordinary man saw the painting of a toad wanting to eat swan flesh, he would be angry, but he also joined in the joke.
Baorong laughed until he had enough and then asked Baozhu what to do next. "Why don't I give him another one in return?"
"Giving you a painting is a gift, but going back and forth will make you talk to each other. If outsiders don't know, they will think you have something..." Baozhu remembered what Pei Yanqing said before.
"Your brother-in-law said that although Mr. Xu is a bit dull, he has a good character. I don't think he is dull either. Could it be that he has become enlightened after seeing you?"
Baorong blushed at what he said, stiffening her neck and retorting, "How is he stupid? Look at how shameless he is! He's really thick-skinned!"
"This Lord Xu is now serving as an editor in the Imperial Academy. His future is limitless."
"Sister! Why are you teasing me too? Forget it, I won't talk to you anymore. I'm going to my master!" Baorong didn't even turn his head and ran away for a long distance.
At the end of the month, my second brother received a letter saying that Miss Kong was pregnant. He wanted to take advantage of this day off to send her home to take care of her. His work was very busy, and in the winter, during the slack season, he had to strengthen the dikes and dig canals. It was because of these canals that the people had water for irrigation during this year's drought.
He was too busy to take care of Miss Kong, and people from the yamen often came to see her, so she couldn't even get a good rest.
My second brother has made many achievements during his tenure, and his superiors have taken advantage of it. Some time ago, they received confirmation that he will be promoted next year. This means that my second brother may also be transferred. The government now remembers him, and it would be great if he could take advantage of the opportunity to be transferred to Bian Jing.
The second sister-in-law was pregnant, which was a happy event. Madam Xu asked someone to go to the Kong family to announce the news. The Kong family was also very happy. The person who announced the news received a reward and happily came back to tell Madam Xu.
"My wife is very happy. She said it's not a good time to make a big fuss now because the baby is still young. When the second wife gives birth, we'll decorate the house and have a great time."
When Miss Kong came home, Miss Xu thought about finding a few reliable people to take care of the house. Before she could choose anyone, the Kong family pointed out two people and asked them to take care of the house. Knowing that Miss Xu was also looking for someone, Miss Kong told her mother that there was no need to look anymore, as these people were enough now.
Madam Xu had just come out of the Kong family and stopped by the shop. She began to ask Baozhu if she had been feeling unwell recently.
"I'm not feeling any discomfort." Baozhu looked up at her and knew what her mother meant. She smiled and shook her head, "Don't worry, mother. My period is over."
She always chose a safe day to have sex, not to mention that couples also intentionally practiced contraception. Baozhu was not in a hurry to have a child, and Pei Yanqing was afraid that he was too busy to take care of her, so how could they dare to have a child so soon.
"By the way, mother, have you hired workers to cut and transport the ice?"
Madam Xu shook her head. "It's not too late to look for workers after the first snowfall. Prices are rising for everything except the hard laborers."
If you don't do anything wrong and hire people to do work for you, you can pay them according to the same price as in previous years.
It's cold and I just want to eat something warm. Grandma Pei is old, but her teeth are still good. Baozhu went back at noon and brought a few plates of sliced mutton. She asked the old woman to make a clear soup. Eating meat in a copper pot is very warm in this weather. Add half a pot of hot wine, and the life of eating meat and drinking wine will be more enjoyable.
Fine snowflakes had begun to fall outside at some point. Baozhu looked out the window for a while and was about to get the hot wine to call Grandma Pei for dinner when she saw Pei Yanqing leading the horse into the yard.
After not seeing him for more than a month, Baozhu's eyes lit up instantly when she saw him, and Pei Yanqing's eyes were even more tearful. The old woman who was doing the housework was very tactful and led the horse to the stable. Pei Yanqing walked into the kitchen in two steps, shook off the snow on his body, and then hugged Baozhu tightly.
At noon, the three of them ate a few plates of hot pot. After traveling for several hours in the freezing weather, their hands and feet were frozen stiff and their faces were chapped. Only after eating the mutton did they feel warm all over.
Baozhu drank two cups of half a pot of warm wine, and asked him to drink the rest to warm his body.
As the saying goes, when you are full and warm, you will feel sleepy. Baozhu knew that he was tired from the journey, so she let him go to the house to sleep for a while.
Pei Yanqing just said that he had something to ask her. Baozhu didn't suspect anything and thought it was something important. But she didn't know that the guy closed the door tightly as soon as she entered, and the next moment she was pressed against the door.
A charcoal basin was lit in the room, pressed against the man's body. Baozhu felt her body and face were hot. Perhaps it was because of the two glasses of wine she drank at noon, Baozhu's legs felt a little weak.
Seeing her legs weaken, Pei Yanqing simply carried her sideways to the bed. The couple had been talking to each other frankly for a long time. After not seeing each other for a month, Baozhu felt a little shy, her face flushed.
"In broad daylight..."
The unfinished words were swallowed up. Baozhu was afraid that someone would come and knock on the door. Pei Yanqing took her hand and clasped their fingers together, "Our courtyard is locked, no one will come."
The sobbing sound lasted for a long time. When Baozhu woke up again, she saw that it was dark outside. Her body was clean, and she thought Pei Yanqing had fetched water to wash her.
She hadn't eaten lunch, so she was starving. Seeing that she had woken up, Pei Yanqing went to the kitchen to bring her some chicken soup and pancakes.
The chicken soup and the pancake were both warm. After asking, she found out that Grandma Pei had already eaten and was asleep. Baozhu looked embarrassed when she heard this.
"Eat quickly, the night is still long—"
Pei Yanqing was a smooth talker. Baozhu picked up the teacup on the table and threw it to him. He caught it steadily and even smiled at the end.
"Madam, are you worried that my mouth will be dry?"
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