Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Daily Life, First Hot Pot...
During the years when Li Liu worked as a servant in the Jing family, as Jing Mingze's close friend, Jing Ye Ze hated Jing Mingze, and therefore also hated him. Jing Ye Ze bullied him when Jing Mingze was studying or going out. Later, his affair with Jing Mingze was exposed. At that time, Jing Ye Ze even wanted to taste him, and said dirty words that he wanted to see how good he was in bed. He actually seduced his nerdy brother.
Later, it was Jing's mother who scolded Jing Ye Ze, who was making things difficult for him, and sent someone to escort him out of the city. Otherwise, he probably would not be able to return to Dali Village safely.
Li Liu read the letter about the second house, and when he replied, he couldn't help but ask about the situation of Mr. Jing and Mother Jing, who loved his younger brother so much.
Xu Yunfan listened with great interest as Li Liu talked about the Jing family, not forgetting to ask a question from time to time, "Sixth brother, are Father Jing and Mother Jing treating you well?"
"Very well." Li Liu smiled, sensing Xu Yunfan's concern for him, and continued, "Master Jing also came from a poor family. He was very kind and never looked down on me because I was a servant. He even made sure I learned calligraphy from the teacher because I was Master Jing's servant. Madam Jing is also a kind person. When Master Jing and I were discovered, Master Jing didn't whip me, but instead whipped Master Jing so hard that he couldn't get out of bed for half a month."
Perhaps it was hard to believe, and even talking about it was hilarious. "At that time, Madam Jing even asked me if Young Master Jing had forced me. I was only a teenager at the time, and Young Master Jing was older than me. Madam Jing thought I was being bullied and wronged, and she felt sorry for me, so she didn't even scold me."
Hearing this, Xu Yunfan thought, if it were someone else, if this happened, they would probably be reluctant to blame their own son. The fault must be someone else, and it must be Li Liu who seduced their son. It is even possible that they would quietly get rid of Li Liu for the sake of their son's reputation.
It seems that the Jing family's parents are indeed good people. "Did Brother Jing say that General Qin and Jing Ye Ze have cancelled their engagement?"
Li Liu shook his head. "Jing Ye Ze disagreed. I don't know what happened next. Master Jing hasn't written to me recently. I guess he's busy."
He is definitely busy. After such a long inspection, Jing Mingze is so busy when he returns to Beijing that it is not easy for him to take some time out from his busy schedule to write to Li Liu about all these long-winded things. In his last letter, he wrote that he would be very busy after meeting the emperor and would not be able to write to him often.
There was no way. The emperor was very concerned about farming. He was overjoyed when he learned about the new corn varieties and experimental fields in Dali Village. Jing Mingze was not a person who would take credit for others' work. He told him all about the proposals of his partners and who had proposed the previous letter. After learning that the emperor knew Xu Yunfan and was willing to train Xu Yunfan, Jing Mingze watched with his own eyes as the emperor gave Xu Yunfan the first credit.
Jing Mingze asked Li Liuwu to tell Xu Yunfan about this matter. Xu Yunfan is only in his teens now, and it is time for him to be humble and not impatient. Only by practicing first can he remain calm no matter how big the matter is in the future. Otherwise, it would be a bad idea to be complacent with a little achievement.
Jing Mingze didn't allow him to say it was for Xu Yunfan's own good, so Li Liu kept his mouth shut. "Young Master is worried that because of Jing Yeze's matter, Young Master Jing will take his anger out on you?"
But Xu Yunfan shook his head. "I'm not worried about that. I just feel that if things get really unpleasant, you won't be comfortable being caught in the middle, and it will be troublesome for me to find another partner."
Li Liu didn't expect that Xu Yunfan would still consider him at this time. He was obviously just a servant, but Xu Yunfan didn't treat him as a servant. Li Liu felt very warm in his heart. "No, Master Jing and Yu Jingyezhe don't get along. By the way, Master, next time I go to the capital with my friends, would you like me to take a look at the house?"
"Looking at houses?"
"Yes, you will take part in the provincial examination next year, and then you will have to live in the capital. Young Master Qin told me before that after you go to the capital to take the exam, you may live in the capital, so he also mentioned buying a house."
When Xu Yunfan talked about the imperial examination, he was bragging about it so much that he started bragging about it before he even took the exam.
After listening to Xu Yunfan bragging so much, Qin Run felt embarrassed for him at first, but later he became numb. After becoming numb, he felt like he was brainwashed. As for the imperial examination, it was just a small matter to Xu Yunfan. If Xu Yunfan took the exam, he would definitely pass. If he was not in the top three, he would at least be a first-class Jinshi or something like that. People of this kind usually entered the Hanlin Academy and would not be sent to small places to serve as county magistrates. Therefore, it was necessary to buy a house in the capital so that it would be convenient for Xu Yunfan to move up and down in his career in the future.
When hearing Qin Run say this, Li Liu didn't know what expression to make for a moment. He even wanted to wipe his face, wake Qin Run up, and ask him to stop talking such nonsense.
Even though Xu Yunfan is a teacher, so what?
Except for him, which teacher in Qingfeng Academy is not a failed student?
That’s it, where does Xu Yunfan get his confidence from?
However, Li Liu was reluctant to say more. He remembered Qin Run's words. "The last time I went to Beijing, I was unfamiliar with the place and pressed for time, so I didn't have time to ask. But I did ask around, and I'm afraid the housing prices there are so high that we can't even afford a toilet."
Xu Yunfan's mouth twitched. "If that's the case, you're still talking about buying a house? What are we going to use to buy it?"
"If we can't afford it, we can't think about it yet. It won't hurt to think about it first."
Xu Yunfan: “…”
Speechless, Xu Yunfan felt a chill on the tip of his nose, and his philtrum seemed a little damp. He had to take out the small handkerchief he brought with him and wipe it. He saw that it was not wet. "I see you are bored. Hurry up and wash the vegetables. It's very windy outside, and my nose is almost frozen."
"Young Master, you... are a little weak." Li Liu looked at Xu Yunfan's red philtrum, his eyes fell on the soft cotton handkerchief he was about to put away, and his throat moved.
Run Ge'er is really spoiling Xu Yunfan to the sky.
Look, the handkerchief used to wipe his nose is actually made of fine cotton. If other people saw it, they would probably say that Xu Yunfan is extravagant.
Li Liu quickened his pace, but kept talking, "Master, after the Yunrun Restaurant opened, have the manager and accountant been found?"
Since Xu Yunfan called him "Sixth Brother", Li Liu had to worry about him all the time. Before he left, Qin Run and his wife had no plans to open a restaurant. But this time, when he came back, not only had the restaurant been renovated, but the tables and chairs had also been sold. He had invested several hundred taels of silver in it.
The two young men do whatever they think of. One dares to speak, and the other dares to listen and act.
Only Li Liu was worried. "Also, what about the chef? Have you found the right person?"
There is no chef in the noodle shop on the second floor of Yunrun store. After all, cooking noodles does not require much cooking skills. A few men can start working after a few days of training. But the chefs in the restaurant are different.
Xu Yunfan: "What cooking skills? Yunrun Restaurant doesn't have a chef. I just run a hot pot restaurant. When the weather gets hot, I sell barbecue in the evening. I don't need a chef."
It’s hard to find a chef. If we had found a chef, the restaurant would not have been able to open so quickly.
"Hot pot, is this what we're going to eat tonight?"
"Yes, for hot pot, the base is already prepared. We just need to prepare the soup and all the vegetables and meat. When the customers order, no matter what, we can just pour it into the pot and it's done."
"So convenient?"
"Of course, but the shop does need a manager and a cashier, but they haven't been found yet. Once Xu Yi and the others bring them back to me and train them for two days, they can start working. So these two days..."
Xu Yunfan was halfway through his words when he looked up and smiled at Li Liu, "I'm sorry to trouble you again, Brother Liu."
Li Liu: “…”
He knew that whenever Xu Yunfan smiled at him, it was definitely not a good thing.
About a dozen people came back and lined up in the yard one by one, reporting their situation one by one.
Xu Yunfan, who was standing in the front, frowned as he listened.
As he expected, these students were in a bad situation after failing the exam!
"Have they agreed to come and work?"
"Agreed."
If you don't agree, then you're stupid. Where can you find such a job with a monthly salary of eight taels?
Go dig in the ground?
Xu Yunfan nodded and said, "Sixteen and Fifteen, tomorrow you two will continue to go back to Dashan Village to guide the villagers in their work. The others will listen to the master's orders. Okay, we've been running all day and everyone is tired. You should go back and rest first and come back for dinner in half an hour."
"Master, are you here to eat?" Xu Yi asked uncertainly.
None of the dozen or so people knew how to cook, so they ate the food that Sun Wu brought back from the cafeteria every day. The master would arrange for the aunt to heat up the food for them, otherwise, with their strength, they might have poked a hole in the pot.
Xu Yunfan hummed, "You've been in Dali Village for so long, and we haven't celebrated yet. Today, Sixth Brother is back, so let's have a good meal."
Xu Yi and the others hesitated, looking at each other, and some wanted to say that it was too troublesome. They were a bunch of rough guys, and they could wash vegetables, but they were afraid they couldn't do other work well. Wouldn't it be tiring to feed more than a dozen mouths if the master had to rely on him alone?
Before they could say anything, Xu Yunfan waved his hand and told them to go back and rest.
At six o'clock sharp, Xu Yi and his group arrived.
Xiaobao has been traveling to more places with Qin Run recently and has met more people. He is no longer as timid and fearful as when he first came. Instead, he is sensible and obediently shares the dried fruits that Qin Run gives him as snacks every day with Xu Yi and others.
In the past, Xu Yi and his friends mostly came into contact with important figures, and rarely met children, let alone a soft and chubby little guy like Xiaobao.
Having been in Xiao Qin's house for such a long time, Xu Yi and the others had naturally seen Xiao Bao, but this young master was either staying with the master or with Ang'er and the others. He was rarely left alone, so naturally, they rarely had the opportunity to talk to the young master.
Now that the young master was so generous in sharing candies with them, Xu Yi and the others resisted the urge, reached out to take the dried fruits and didn't dare to do anything else. Otherwise, they were really afraid that they would not be able to control themselves and would pinch the young master to tears.
"Uncle, are the dried fruits delicious?" Xiaobao raised his chubby face and smiled with his big eyes curved, looking even more adorable.
For him, these dried fruits were something he had saved for a long time, and he was happy to share them. If his uncles liked them, he would be even happier.
My father said that good children should learn to share.
It's a pity that his little dad loves him, but the snacks he gives him every day are fixed, for fear that he will eat too much and skip meals or get cavities. These dried fruits were saved by him after two days. He usually can't bear to eat them, so he wants to share them with his good friends.
Among Xu Yi and the others, Xu Shiliu was the youngest and had the most things to talk about with the children. Everyone else looked at him, and Xu Shiliu could only bite the bullet and force a smile, "Delicious, very sweet, and very chewy."
In fact, that's all. This group of people rarely have the opportunity to enjoy themselves. Even when they eat, they have been trained and must finish eating within a certain time. Speed is the key. The dried fruits that Xiaobao gave them, they chewed them twice and swallowed them. It was such a small piece, and they really couldn't taste it as they were not professional gourmets.
But this does not prevent Xu Shiliu from "talking nonsense".
Xu Yunfan crossed his arms over his chest, knowing at a glance that Sixteen was lying. "Xiaobao, go and pull out the stools and set them up. It's time for dinner."
Xu Yunfan did not feel any psychological pressure in ordering a three-year-old child to do work. Didn't his elder brother order him around a lot in the past, and in the end, didn't he grow up to be a man with five virtues and four moral integrity?
Therefore, children's education must start from an early age.
"Okay, father." Xiaobao got the job done, turned around neatly, and dragged the stool over with a grunt.
He was too weak to lift the stool, so he could only drag it with his hands, which looked extremely strenuous.
Xu Yi and the others' eyes twitched. Seeing that Xiaobao seemed to be having trouble, they wanted to help. Xu Yunfan held them down and motioned them to sit down, "Just let him do it."
Xu Shiliu said weakly, "But the young master is still young."
In his opinion, these young masters should have never done housework and grow up in luxury. With them around, why would the young masters have to do these chores?
This would make them look useless.
Xu Yunfan: "He's three years old, not little anymore. Children need to be taught from a young age. Let him do things within his ability. It's not a problem. As for you, I can't control what kind of education you received before, but now that you're here, you can relax a little. Eating too fast will be bad for your stomach. There's nothing else for you to do, so don't worry."
Xu Yunfan had experienced this before, when he was taken by his grandfather to the army for training. If you don't eat enough within a certain period of time, you will have to go hungry. However, the time given by the army is still sufficient. Although you don't have the time to chew slowly, you won't be in a hurry to eat.
Xu Yi and the others had nothing to say, and they lowered their heads in silence.
Their previous masters were good to them, but not like Xu Yunfan. Their previous masters treated them as master and servant. In the end, they saved their lives, which was a kind act. They will remember this favor.
Xu Yunfan is different from the prince. He can tell whether Xu Yunfan is good or bad to them from some small things.
This person seems careless, but he is actually very meticulous.
Qin Run was cooking a big pot of bone soup in the kitchen. Seeing that the soup had been cooked for a long time, Li Liu hurriedly asked Xu Yi and the others to set up the table.
The table used tonight was custom-made, four meters long and one meter sixty wide, with three grooves in the middle, inside which was a burning charcoal fire, and a large four-grid pot on top. Various ingredients were placed on the left and right sides of the long table.
Such a long table can easily seat more than a dozen people. There are several of them in the restaurant, which are usually enough to meet the needs of large gatherings.
The four-grid hotpot had two grids filled with spicy hotpot base. As the soup rolled, the aroma filled the air. Li Liu swallowed a few times. Even Qin An and Qin Mu didn't have time to play with Xiaobao. The three little guys gathered around the table, staring at the pot eagerly.
Xiaobao couldn't help sucking his fingers and mumbled, "Uncle, it smells so good."
He didn't ask for food, but just looked at it longingly, sucked his fingers greedily, stood on tiptoe, and stretched his neck to see the red soup in the pot.
Xu Yunfan found it funny. He stretched out his hands and tucked them under Xiaobao's armpits, and asked lovingly, "Are you hungry?"
"Dad, Xiaobao wants to eat that."
Following Xiaobao's little finger, it seemed that what he wanted to eat was fish balls.
Xu Yunfan asked Xu Yi and the others to sit down, and then asked Li Liu and the others to sit down. Then he took the plate of meatballs and put a few meatballs into the clear soup pot. "Brother An, Brother Mu, put whatever you want. The red ones are spicy and the other are fragrant and spicy. If it's too spicy, you can rinse it with soup. The dipping sauce is in front of you. Take whatever you want. If you can't get it, call Brother."
Qin Run sat next to Xiao Bao and waited for the meatball to float and roll for a while before picking it up and putting it in Xiao Bao's bowl. When Xu Yunfan saw this, he cut it in half and said, "Be careful when eating this meatball. There is soup in it. Watch out for the soup in your mouth."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Qin Run couldn't help but explain embarrassedly when he saw that there was so much soup in a meatball.
As Xu Yunfan put the hard-to-cook ingredients into the pot, he glanced at Qin Run and said nonchalantly, "Why apologize? Not really. He's just a kid. He'll learn a lesson if he gets burned."
Xiaobao suddenly looked up and gave Xu Yunfan a wronged look, and suddenly felt that the meatball in his mouth no longer tasted good.
Xu Yunfan, who was looking at Xiaobao, felt guilty and said stubbornly, "What are you looking at? Hurry up and eat it. Who told you to be greedy? You want to put it in your mouth without blowing it. If it's not you who will be burned? Just because the outside of this thing is cold doesn't mean it's cold inside. Be careful next time you eat it."
Qin Run laughed, patted Xiaobao on the back, and blew on him. "Remember, Xiaobao and I both remember it. Don't talk about him anymore. Let's eat quickly."
"Dad, I want to sit with my uncle." Xiaobao suddenly asked, wanting to change seats with Xu Yunfan.
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