Hearing the commotion of Zhang Mama returning from the backyard, Huo Xiaolong scrambled off the stool and sped off to the kitchen.
"Aunt Zhang, where's Sesame?"
"Here you go, here you go, don't forget about the sesame seeds!"
Little Dumpling, being short and stocky, couldn't help with the work, so she pulled Er Ya along with the sack of sesame seeds to the stone mill. She filled a gourd ladle with sesame seeds and placed it in the millstone, saying...
"Sister Erya, keep grinding!"
Er Ya felt that the child was a bit of a troublemaker, but she didn't buy the things herself. Besides, she was a little biased towards Xiao Niu Niu. Er Ya went straight to the shed, brought over a donkey, covered its eyes, and started pulling it.
Watching the little girl standing on the stone bench, pouring oil, sesame seeds, and peanuts into the food, Er Ya's heart clenched with anxiety. This was too much! Even the nobles in the capital didn't eat this extravagantly.
The sesame seeds here are all roasted and dried before being sold, otherwise they might not be able to be sold and could not be preserved for long. She saw the distressed look in Er Ya's eyes.
Originally, Er Ya wanted her to do the work while Xiao Tuanzi supervised from the side. However, Er Ya was reluctant to pour the oil, only adding a tiny bit at a time, so Xiao Niu Niu took over the work.
When they had used up about half a bag of sesame seeds, a strong aroma of sesame wafted over. The small bucket below was also half full. Xiao Tuanzi told Er Ya to lead the donkey.
She jumped off the stone bench, dipped her finger in the thick, brown sesame paste from the stone mill, tasted it, and said...
"That's about it, Sister Erya, you should try it!"
Er Ya also dipped her finger in the water and put it in her mouth.
"fragrant"
This was the only word the uneducated girl could use to describe it: "It smells even better than the sesame oil her mother used during the New Year." At Xiao Tuanzi's prompting, Er Ya scraped all the sesame paste off the stone and put it into a bucket, then took it to the kitchen to show Zhang Mama.
"Aunt Zhang, look!"
When Zhang's mother turned around, she saw Er Ya leading Xiao Ya Dan into the backyard, carrying a bucket in her hand.
"Oh my, did you make sesame paste?"
"Our Yadan made it!"
Sesame paste is also available in Beijing, but pure sesame paste is bitter. Only chefs in restaurants know what to put in sesame paste and how to grind it to make the most fragrant paste.
Seeing that He Yi and his wife were very polite and had managed to scrape together one hundred taels of silver in just a few days, Zhang Mama figured that Huo Xiaolong must have been used to a life of luxury.
The burly woman picked up her chopsticks, dipped them in the sesame paste, and tasted it.
"Our Xiaolong sesame paste is even more fragrant than the Guicuilou sesame paste in Beijing!"
The little girl opened her eyes wide, listening to the praise with delight. This was a formula carefully selected over thousands of years, so she loved to hear more praise!
"If it's delicious, we'll make more! When those gentlemen come over, we'll sell it to them at a high price!"
"Buy flowers for the older sisters to wear, and fur coats for the mothers to wear!"
The little boy spoke haltingly, but he expressed himself clearly. Zhang's mother and Er Ya looked at Huo Xiaolong; some children are just so endearing, always thinking of their loved ones when they get something good.
The hot pot dinner at Fengyue Tower kept everyone warm and cozy, accompanied by some fruit wine brewed by the girls there. Everyone's face was flushed. Zhao Kai looked at the slightly tipsy Cen's mother. Cen's health was improving every day. The weight she couldn't regain before was now back on her face. She held little Ya'er in her arms, wiping the sesame paste from Ya'er's mouth from time to time.
If they had a child, Ah Cen would definitely be a good mother.
Mother Cen wore her hair in a bun, and with more flesh on her face, she didn't look so harsh. With her phoenix eyes and willow-leaf eyebrows, she was a very charming and beautiful woman.
Zhao Kai was completely mesmerized. Some of the girls even buried their heads in their bowls when they saw it. At first, only one or two girls noticed, but later all the girls saw it.
They knew that Steward Zhao was a learned man, a truly talented person, which was why they didn't care for those penniless scholars.
I've heard that the girls at Fanghua Brothel are often bewitched by scholars, willing to give up all their wealth to elope with them. Some even use their entire fortune to help scholars travel to the capital for the imperial examinations, only to return with a grand procession to marry them off to an official.
How foolish must one be to place their hopes on a man they've only met a few times?
They knew a little about Manager Zhao and Mother Cen's affair; the two had known each other for over ten years. As for what happened to them afterward, it was beyond their knowledge. The meal was almost finished, and the girls took their leave and went upstairs to rest.
Cen's mother's attention had been entirely focused on her little girl. The decision the Huo family made today had fulfilled her dream. She now had a daughter and could be by her side—it was truly wonderful.
The woman looked up and found that only Zhao Kai was left at the table, staring straight at her. At this time, the little girl had already finished eating and fallen asleep.
She really couldn't control herself! Kids always get sleepy after eating! Wouldn't he be happier if he weren't eating melons?
"Shh, wait until I take Long'er back."
Mother Cen put her index finger to her lips and said...
The two put the little girl on the bed and went back upstairs to the front hall. Looking at the bustling passersby and the vendors setting up stalls along the roadside, Cen Ang thought: If life could be like this forever, it would be quite nice.
"Ah Cen, you're feeling better."
Cen Ang nodded
"Then we..."
Zhao Kai's eyes were slightly red as he held the woman's hand in front of him. He had a thousand words he wanted to say to her, but he didn't know how to start.
"We'll get married after we've settled things in the capital."
Cen Ang leaned against the man's chest, her delicate hands wrapped around his waist. They were both getting on in years, no longer young. Therefore, they needed to act quickly.
"It's my fault, I kept you waiting too long."
Upon hearing these words, Zhao Kai could no longer hold back his tears.
"No...no...I've heard you say that, it's all worth it, really, Ah Cen."
"So what if he's a top scholar? He was still being coaxed to tears by his mother." A group of girls poked a hole in the window and took turns looking at the two embracing each other.
"That's right. If it weren't for our mother, look at how Manager Zhao is crying. I bet if she asked him for his life, he would have given it to her without hesitation."
"Don't say such unlucky things," Liu Xu said, pulling at Zhiyin's mouth.
"Zhihua, how's your drawing coming along? Show it to the other girls when it's almost done."
A woman with pale skin and roses in her hair was also bending over to look at the painting, which was about to be finished on the table in front of her.
"It'll be ready soon, don't rush me!"
She wanted to watch a little longer. Seeing Cen's mother enjoying the flowers and the moon, she felt she could die without regrets. She had to remember this scene so she could tell her mother about it when she died.
Cen Ang, enjoying the flowers and the moon, must have found it a delightful experience.
"Shall I take you to catch the Snail Fairy in the building tonight?" Mother Cen leaned against Zhao Kai, her lips slightly parted, and said.
Zhao Kai felt like he was already in heaven. He was pregnant with a beautiful woman, and he felt he could do anything to capture Chang'e from the heavens!
"good"
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