Chapter 34 Chapter 34 It’s difficult to be alone…
Seeing Brother Dong's bruised face, Lin Qiuran couldn't help but wonder. Besides, Sun and Xiao Dashi couldn't cook at all. She didn't believe they hadn't said they couldn't. And if they had, how could they still be invited? What kind of invitation was that?
Lin Qiuran said, "You go find a clinic first, and I'll go to the Jiang family to ask."
If they could leave after cooking, then it shouldn't be Sun and Xiao Dashi who went.
Brother Dong waved his hand and said, "Madam Lin, don't go. Aunt Sun told you not to go. Besides, I think those people are not easy to deal with."
But Lin Qiuran couldn't just watch Sun and Xiao Dashi being taken away and do nothing.
She asked, "Who should cook for us? Even if they were to cook, they should hire a chef from a restaurant. Why hire a street vendor?"
Everyone knows that big restaurants have better cooking skills.
Dong Xiaoge said, "It seems they were making snacks for the old lady in the mansion. They wanted me to go, but when they saw I was selling sesame cakes, the well-dressed steward muttered, 'The old lady can't chew it, so it's no use asking him to go,' and instead sent Auntie Sun and the others instead."
He continued, "Those men were kind at first, but even though Aunt Sun said she couldn't do it, they still forced her to go. Ah Yu was terrified. I tried to stop them, but they beat me. After that, the steward asked if we could go this time, and no one dared to say no."
When Chen Yu saw Brother Dong being beaten, he cried and left with the Jiang family.
Sun took the opportunity to pass on a message to Brother Dong, "If Qiuran comes looking for you, don't let her come."
It is so arrogant and unreasonable, like going to hunt wolves and tigers.
It wasn't like Lin Qiuran hadn't cooked for wealthy families before, even for Xu Yuanheng himself. Manager Xu had always been courteous. That time, when Xu Yuanheng asked, Lin Qiuran said she couldn't go, and no one said anything. He had never done this before, just sending someone away. It was no different from robbery.
Brother Dong moved and pulled the wound again. He said, "I think if you can't do it, I'll let you go. Madam Lin, you should wait for news at home."
Lin Qiuran asked, "Brother, is your injury any problem?"
Brother Dong nodded and said, "It's okay, I just watched it hurt, it's nothing serious."
Lin Qiuran said, "Could you help watch it for a while? You can eat your meal first."
Brother Dong looked at the food, not caring about the pain anymore. He swallowed and said, "I'll take the food back to you."
I've sold quite a few, so it's not heavy.
Lin Qiuran told Xiao's family where they were, then suddenly remembered that no one was home. "Please put the things next door first. Thank you so much."
Brother Dong nodded and asked, "Mrs. Lin, are you still going to the Jiang family? Didn't Aunt Sun tell you not to go?"
Lin Qiuran shook his head. "I'll go find out what happened first. We have to release the person first."
Since they dare to do this on the street, it means that reporting to the police is useless to the Jiang family and is the worst option.
Lin Qiuran wanted to go to the Xu family to ask. She didn't know much about the Jiang family, but she knew they were a well-known family in the county. They were wealthy and had no shortage of money, but she didn't expect them to act like this.
Going to the Xu family to take advantage of their power was the best strategy. It would cost nothing and she could get the person released. Sometimes she would run herself to pieces, but it was no match for a single word from someone else.
If going to the Xu family doesn't work, she can only get Sun and Xiao Dashi to move out. Sun and the others are of no use there. She can ask what snacks to make, maybe she can help.
Brother Dong also hoped that Chen Yu would come out quickly. He nodded and said, "Don't worry, leave this to me."
Lin Qiuran said, "Also, send that stall selling sauce cakes to my house. They're my relatives. Remember to go to the clinic to get medicine for your injury. I won't help you go."
After Lin Qiuran finished speaking, he went straight to the Xu family. The Xu family lived far away, and it took him quite a while to walk there.
Lin Qiuran went to the doorman and told him she wanted to see Manager Xu. Manager Xu came out soon after. "Hey, Madam Lin, what brings you here? Didn't I say I'd tell you if I had any news? Look, you've made another trip."
Lin Qiuran said, "I'm not here for the spices, Manager Xu. I came to you because I had nowhere else to go..."
Manager Xu was stunned and said quickly, "No, no, let's go in and talk first."
Manager Xu took people to the front hall.
Lin Qiuran bowed and said, "Manager Xu, please save my parents."
Lin Qiuran saw that Brother Dong had a bruised face and nose, and thought that Sun and Xiao Dashi were old, and they must be scared to be "invited" over like this.
Manager Xu helped Lin Qiuran up, and then looked at Lin Qiuran with her head down and tears in her eyes. She was already pretty, and now that her belly was bigger, her temperament seemed to be softer.
The thought that Lin Qiuran had no husband and that her parents-in-law had gotten into trouble made her feel even more unbearable.
He glanced at the screen inside the room and couldn't help asking, "Madam Lin, what exactly is going on? Tell me first, what happened to your parents-in-law? If you tell me, I can help you find a solution."
Lin Qiuran wiped his eyes and said, "They went to South Street to do business this morning, and then they were taken away by the Jiang family. They said they were asked to cook for the old lady in the mansion, but one of the vendors was beaten by the Jiang family. Manager Xu, you know that these two people don't know how to cook at all. If they go there, they will probably only make you unhappy."
Manager Xu pondered for a moment and said, "Don't worry, Madam Lin. I've heard about this as well. The old lady of the Jiang family is old and not having much time left. She longs for a pastry she once had. These days, the Jiang family has invited almost all of Yu'an's pastry chefs, but they still can't make it. Now they are desperate and are trying all kinds of methods.
But in broad daylight, I won't do anything to your father or mother even if I ask them to come. If they really can't do it, I'll definitely let them go."
After Manager Xu finished speaking, he glanced at the flower and bird screen standing in the main hall. Seeing no movement over there, he felt relieved.
Lin Qiuran looked at Manager Xu, not knowing what to say for a moment.
What do you mean by "let them go if they can't do it"? What do they think they are? They're doing their business well, and they can be taken away at will, and they can be beaten at will. If they really can't do it, they can be released. How long do they have to wait? Half a day, a day, three or five days? Wait until the old lady dies?
These rich and powerful people think that this is as they deserve, and they can even arrest and release people so easily.
Lin Qiuran glanced at the table. In the eyes of Manager Xu, she was not a guest, so he did not serve her tea. However, there was a teapot and teacups on the table. The cups were placed upside down on the tray, arranged in a circle, but one was missing.
There was someone here just now. Was it Xu Yuanheng who came back?
Lin Qiuran remembered that on the day they signed the documents, Manager Xu kept looking next door. Today, he kept looking at the screen again, wondering what was behind it.
There was no way to get through to the Xu family. Lin Qiuran nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go back and wait for news."
Manager Xu sighed, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. The old lady is old, and her children want to show their filial piety."
Lin Qiuran thought to herself, Sun and Xiao Dashi are still old, why doesn't anyone understand her filial piety? Or is it that only the filial piety of the rich counts as filial piety, while the filial piety of the poor doesn't count.
Before leaving, Lin Qiuran asked again, "Did the Second Young Master say when he would be back?"
Manager Xu responded, "I guess it will be soon, but I can't say for sure."
Lin Qiuran nodded and said goodbye.
After Lin Qiuran left, Xu Yuanheng came out from behind the screen.
Manager Xu said, "Second Young Master, the Jiang family is too ostentatious. They are just a branch of the Xuzhou Jiang family, and yet they are so reckless."
The Jiang family of Xuzhou had produced many officials, and the county had a close relationship with them. They felt that they had a strong support system and became arrogant. Although they were not related to them, they thought they were extraordinary and looked down on others.
In fact, it’s not that Xu Yuanheng is unable to help. He just needs to ask someone to come over and ask that Lin Qiuran cooks for him but doesn’t know how to make snacks, and that he needs the old couple’s help. Just a simple sentence will be enough, and the person will be released soon.
But why did Xu Yuanheng help her? Moreover, Lin Qiuran was making a fuss out of nothing.
Xu Yuanheng said calmly, "Have someone keep an eye on her. When she returns, tell her I'm back at Yu'an."
Manager Xu nodded.
Xu Yuanheng: "Give her a share of the profits and ask her to make sixty taels of silver worth of spices within two days. If she can't finish it, tell her that we can help someone here."
After saying that, Xu Yuanheng twirled the beads in his hand twice and said, "Three days, let's finish it in three days."
Manager Xu: "Yes."
*
After leaving the Xu family, Lin Qiuran went straight to the Jiang family. Fortunately, the two families were relatively close, and it didn't take long to arrive. The Jiang family's gate was just as wide as the Xu family's, and the two large characters on the gate plaque were magnificent.
Just now, in the main hall of the Xu family, Lin Qiuran felt like someone was there. She wondered if it was Xu Yuanheng. If it was Xu Yuanheng, her parents, who didn't care, then he would probably care more if she were to do business with him.
Lin Qiuran knocked on the Jiang family's door. It opened a crack, and the doorman asked through the crack who she was. She said, "I'm the daughter-in-law of a couple who were invited to cook this morning. They don't know how to cook, so I used to cook for the food they sold on the street. If you want to show your filial piety to the old lady, you should also invite someone useful."
The servant brought Lin Qiuran into the mansion and first went to see the steward. After seeing him, the steward agreed to replace him.
Lin Qiuran was led to the kitchen.
The Jiang family's kitchen is very large. Chen Yu is making bean cakes while everyone else is standing. There are other people in the kitchen, many of them busy, probably brought here by chance.
Sun and Xiao Dashi were stunned when they saw Lin Qiuran coming. "Why are you here? Didn't I tell you not to come?"
Lin Qiuran said, "I can cook, so I might be able to help here. There's no point in you staying here, so go back first."
She said to the servant, "And the aunt who sells sauce cakes, I also taught her. They don't know how to do anything and can't help here."
Aunt Zhao came over quickly and said, "Hey, I can't help you. I'm just making dumplings. Let me go too."
The servant who brought Lin Qiuran here said nothing and left with Sun and the others.
Chen Yu knew she couldn't leave, so she didn't say anything. When she saw Lin Qiuran coming, she felt more confident, "Sister Qiuran."
Lin Qiuran asked the steward and found out that the old lady wanted to eat bean cake, but no matter which pastry chef made it, no matter how it was made, the taste was not what the old lady wanted.
Today, the Jiang family came here for Chen Yu, and the others were more or less implicated.
Chen Yu looked at Lin Qiuran. She had been crying, and her eyes were still red and swollen. "Sister Qiuran, this is all my fault. If it weren't for me..."
Lin Qiuran said, "There's no point in saying this now. Let's make some snacks first. Even if we can't make them exactly the same, we can tell them we tried our best and try to go back soon. Besides, it's not your fault."
Blame it on the Jiang family for not knowing etiquette, blame it on the Jiang family for not treating people as human beings. Saying they were too anxious to fulfill their filial piety was just an excuse.
Chen Yu nodded, frowned and said to Lin Qiuran: “But Sister Qiuran, I sent all the bean cakes I sold, but they said the taste is different.”
Lin Qiuran thought, with so many dim sum chefs, even if each one made the same thing, they would definitely bump into each other, so why didn’t it work?
She asked, "Can you tell me what it tastes like?"
Chen Yu said: "They only said it was a little sour, with a little bit on it, and they said they had eaten it many years ago. You can't put vinegar in snacks..."
Chen Yu whispered in Lin Qiuran's ear, "I suspect this was eaten many years ago when our family wasn't as wealthy as they are now. I was hungry for a long time and ate some spoiled bean cake. The sour taste is from spoilage, and the black spots are from mold. When you're starving, anything tastes good, but I didn't dare serve it to you if it was actually spoiled."
This was the only thing Chen Yu could think of, because she sold bean cakes and was quite familiar with them. Over time, it became sour and moldy. But with so many people watching, and the Jiang family being wealthy, who would give a spoiled pastry to an old lady?
Besides, people are already hanging by a thread. If someone dies from eating the bean cakes she made, they will be sued.
Others probably know this too, but don’t dare to do it.
Chen Yu was worried. "Sister Qiuran, if you don't do it, you don't know when you can go back. You keep saying that you are just one breath away, but you never die. Are we just going to wait here forever?"
Then they will not be able to continue their business.
"Otherwise, just tell the Jiang family directly..."
Lin Qiuran thought, if it was really as Shen Yu said, it would taste sour and have some spots on the surface, which really seemed to be spoiled. But he couldn't serve the spoiled food. The Jiang family's children were all filial, so who would tolerate serving the spoiled food?
Lin Qiuran shook his head. "If that's the case, even if you tell them, I'm afraid they won't give it to the old lady. They'll be ashamed to talk about the poor days back then, and they'll even take their anger out on you."
Lin Qiuran suddenly thought that they only needed to make something that tasted similar. She said, "When you ate the steamed buns I made that day, didn't they taste a little sour?"
That's the smell of fermentation, but it doesn't mean the steamed buns are bad.
Shen Yu nodded, “Indeed.”
Lin Qiuran said, "The moldy spots can be replaced with osmanthus flowers. They are old, and if you don't look closely, osmanthus flowers look almost the same as moldy ones. I use fermented glutinous rice to make steamed buns. Let's try it. One method can be used as the filling directly, and the other method can be mixed with fermented glutinous rice into the bean cake. Let's try it first, and then we can talk about it if it doesn't work."
Shen Yu nodded and took a deep breath, “I’ll go cook the beans.”
The Jiang family soaked a lot of mung beans, but it was not enough to make bean cakes for another day.
Lin Qiuran said, "I'll go ask if they have any fermented rice wine here. If not, I'll ask someone to go home and get some."
Chen Yu said, “Okay, I hope it works this time.”
Aunt Zhao didn't hear what the two said, but seeing that they were busy, she hid aside. Even if she heard it, she wouldn't care.
Lin Qiuran didn't know if it would work, but he had to try. The Jiang family had rice wine, so Lin Qiuran asked Chen Yu to taste it. Chen Yu was puzzled as to why Lin Qiuran didn't try it himself. Lin Qiuran touched his stomach.
Chen Yu nodded in sudden realization. In her eyes, Lin Qiuran was more like an older sister, smart and reliable. Sometimes she would even forget that she was pregnant.
After Chen Yu tasted it and found it was not sour, Lin Qiuran began to make the filling.
This was my first time making this, so I tried a few different recipes. I boiled and peeled the beans, mixed half with fermented glutinous rice, and steamed it in a mold. I mashed the other half with fermented glutinous rice into a paste, mixed it with a little red bean paste, and then wrapped it in a mold and steamed it.
Every kind of bean paste is mixed with osmanthus flowers. The osmanthus flowers are so tiny that if you don’t look closely, they do look moldy.
Chen Yu didn't know how many pieces of bean cake he had made today. If this didn't work, he had to find a way. Making bean cake every day was annoying enough, and he had to be brought here to make bean cake!
She gritted her teeth and made two pots this time.
After it was steamed, the steward came to take it and asked if it was bad. Lin Qiuran said, "It's osmanthus flowers, which add fragrance. I thought about adding it to the bean cake during the osmanthus season a few days ago to add flavor. It's not bad, you can try it first."
The Jiang family steward nodded and took the snacks out. Naturally, someone would taste them before giving them to the old lady, and only when there were no problems would they be served to her.
The things were delivered, and Chen Yu and Lin Qiuran could only wait.
The Jiang family's Shoukangyuan had been filled with the lingering aroma of medicine for some time. Yang had been ill for some time, her health had been poor, and her complexion was withered, like a dead tree in autumn. She was awake very little, and she was always thinking about food, sometimes even thinking about bean cakes in her dreams.
Everyone in the mansion was staying in Shoukangyuan, and several daughters-in-law were taking care of Yang. In addition to medicine, they also fed her ginseng slices to keep her alive.
Several people did not want Yang to die with regrets.
Today, the bean cakes were served. Yang smelled the aroma and slowly opened her eyes. She was different from the past. In the past, she would shake her head and say no when she saw it, but today she nodded and said, "Let me try it."
The eldest lady of the Jiang family helped Yang up. Yang leaned against her chest. She spoke softly, rambling on and on, "When I was fleeing famine, I didn't eat for two days. It was my wife who pulled out a bag of bean cakes from her bosom. I haven't eaten anything better since then."
The lady pinched a piece of it and fed it to Yang. Yang took a bite and tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. "It tastes just like it did back then."
She seemed to see many years ago, and also saw her mother waving at her. She stretched out her hand, and finally her hand fell on the bed.
The descendants of the Jiang family knelt on the ground, crying bitterly. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, including the steward. At this moment, the doorman came over and saw everyone kneeling on the ground, so he knelt down as well.
The steward glared at him and said, "How reckless."
The servant said, "Steward, the second son of the Xu family is here. He said...his people are staying at our house."
The steward immediately thought of the people who had been invited. Could it be the young lady who made bean cakes? But this was a critical moment, and the steward didn't want to disturb them and wanted to go out and talk about it, but the old man of the Jiang family had already asked, "What's wrong?"
The steward explained, "We've hired some people to make snacks for the old lady, and they're still in the kitchen. It seems someone from Second Young Master Xu is inside, and they've come to ask for them."
He said, "It's urgent. The servants' attitude is not very good. I will send them back properly later."
The Jiang family's uncle nodded and decided to go meet Xu Yuanheng. Xu Yuanheng was different from the Xu family's eldest son. He held most of the Xu family's assets. If he offended him, it would be bad for the Jiang family.
The master told the steward to send the man away properly and "don't forget to pay him."
The steward hummed, "Don't worry, sir. I will make sure everything is properly arranged."
Everyone who comes today will be compensated, and those who make snacks will definitely not be short of money.
Uncle Jiang asked his brothers to take care of this place and went to the front yard to meet Xu Yuanheng.
In the kitchen, Lin Qiuran and Shen Yu sat and waited. Shen Yu only prayed that this matter would be over quickly. In the past, she had hoped to get lucky and have her snacks appreciated by a wealthy family, but now she only hoped to get out safely.
Chen Yu looked at Lin Qiuran from time to time. Lin Qiuran was pregnant, but she had to suffer here with her. If it weren't for her, Sun and Xiao Dashi wouldn't have come, and Lin Qiuran wouldn't have come either.
Lin Qiuran's mind was blank, he didn't know what to think. He was also afraid, afraid that something might really happen, afraid that he would end up like Brother Dong.
Sun and Xiao Dashi were probably waiting outside the Jiang family. It was hard to wait inside, and it was even harder to wait outside without knowing anything.
The two of them didn't know how much time had passed. During this time, Aunt Zhao walked back and forth, talking all the time. Sometimes she scolded the Jiang family for being conscienceless, and sometimes she said that she was implicated.
Finally, she saw the Jiang family steward coming and hurried to greet him, "When can I leave?"
The steward said, "Thank you for the trouble. You will be leaving soon. Everyone who comes today will be given half an ounce of silver."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Chen Yu and Lin Qiuran, "Thank you both so much for fulfilling my old lady's wish today. This is a thank you gift. By the way, does anyone know the second young master of the Xu family..."
The manager plans to ask and then take him over directly.
Chen Yu shook his head, and Lin Qiuran also shook his head. The two looked at the purses in their hands, which were heavy. The Jiang family gave each of them five taels of silver, and gave Lin Qiuran two taels more.
The steward was now more amiable than anyone else. "Thank you for today. I was in such a hurry this morning and apologized for any offense. Madam Lin, please help pass the remaining money on to those four people."
Lin Qiuran accepted the silver without saying anything.
The two of them walked out of the Jiang family's house through the side door. Chen Yu patted his chest with lingering fear, "Finally we're out. I was really scared today."
And when Brother Dong was beaten this morning, she was also very scared. It was morning when she came, and now the sun has set and it is dark.
The afterglow stained the entire western sky, and the autumn wind blew, sending a chill down Chen Yu's back. The two of them spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen, feeling like they were living for years.
Lin Qiuran also breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and patted Chen Yu's shoulder, "It's okay, it's fine as long as you get out."
Chen Yu sniffed, looked back at the towering wall of the Jiang family's courtyard, and said in her heart, "Pooh!" As the two of them walked out, she tugged at Lin Qiuran's sleeve and said, "Hey, Sister Qiuran, look, it's Aunt Sun and the others."
Sun and the others hadn't left since leaving the Jiang family, and Aunt Yu and Da Hu were also there to guard them. Since Lin Qiuran had just left, they couldn't just go back as if nothing had happened.
Aunt Yu was worried for a long time. They saw with their own eyes the servants of the Jiang residence beating people. Those people spoke in a kind tone, but they didn't even blink when they beat people.
Sun was so frightened that tears came out. She ran over and circled around Lin Qiuran, "I'm glad you're back, I'm glad you're back. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble!"
Lin Qiuran shook his head. "No, the snacks are made and I gave them as a thank-you gift. Aunt Yu, this is for you. Everyone gets one."
Aunt Yu accepted half a tael of silver per person.
Lin Qiuran: "I asked Brother Dong to send the things to my house. Come and get them."
The group was rushing home, and when they passed by the Jiang family's gate, they passed by a horse-drawn carriage.
Lin Qiuran didn't pay much attention, as there were so many carriages here, but Manager Xu in the carriage widened his eyes. How did he see Madam Lin? How did Madam Lin leave with Madam Sun and the others? But... the Second Young Master hadn't come out yet.
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