Chapter 43
Scattered horse bandits are easy to defeat. As long as you find their tracks, it will be easy to encircle and intercept them.
In just two months, Zhou Jingchen commanded a 300-man force to eliminate the rampant bandits along the road west of Libei Town towards Persia. By the time they returned to camp, it was already late August. The weather was gradually cooling, and the border villages, after years of fear, finally found a respite and peace settled in.
Beiying fell into silence after receiving the news of the great victory in the anti-bandit campaign.
In the main tent, Captain Shen listened to the news from the front, his dark red face taut. He took several deep breaths, gritted his teeth, and the flesh on his cheeks trembled with anger. After a long moment, he still couldn't swallow the anger and smashed the cup in his hand. He pointed at his deputy's nose and cursed, "What's going on? Didn't I send a letter to Su Gan a long time ago? Can't you even handle a bunch of stragglers?"
The cup shattered with a sound, and porcelain fragments flew up, cutting a bloody mark on the face of the first person kneeling below.
"Your Excellency is wronged. There's actually a character hidden among the new recruits this time. We never expected this!"
That man was completely wronged. They had been thoroughly prepared, but who could have guessed that among those two hundred or so new recruits was a capable commander? They had only been drilled for two months, had never seen a battlefield, had never seen bloodshed, and their armaments were minimal. Logically, they would have been weakened after a few intimidating blows on the battlefield. Who could have known that Sugan's group could be wiped out?
"I've already informed Su Gan and pointed out the generals leading this expedition. With a little more carefulness, such a huge mistake wouldn't have happened!" The deputy was so angry that he wanted to capture the fleeing Su Gan and pin him to the ground to make him speak. "Su Gan's group didn't last a single round, and they've failed to show your respect for them."
"What's the point of saying this bullshit now!" Shen Hai was so angry that he ran around the room, turned around and threw the cups on the table to the ground, "My biggest source of income has been cut off, and you can make up for it just by saying this bullshit?!"
Cups and porcelain shattered to the ground, and the people kneeling on the ground did not dare to raise their heads, allowing Shangguan to rage.
Someone who couldn't stand it any longer spoke up, their words firm and filled with righteous indignation: "In my opinion, that kid who overstepped his authority should be punished severely. He's a rookie who has only been in the army for two months, yet he dared to usurp power in the presence of his superiors. Such an ambitious person should not be given any benefits. Secondly, Deng Hu should also be punished for shirking his responsibilities. The captain trusted Deng Hu and entrusted him with such an important task. But Deng Hu, that idiot, actually did such a sneaky thing and shirked his authority. He is unworthy of your cultivation!"
After he finished speaking, the whole room fell silent. Some remained silent, while others echoed, "Yes, sir, this ignorant brat should be taught some sense of propriety! He really thinks his cleverness gives him the right to be so arrogant and foolish!"
Outsiders were unaware of what was happening in the main tent of the North Camp. At this time, Deng Quchang had led an army of 300 people to the foot of Hongshan Mountain and would return to the camp soon.
The long march to suppress the bandits was even more exhausting. As night fell, the journey back to camp wasn't long. Arriving at the foot of Rainbow Mountain, Commander Deng Qu ordered everyone to set up camp and rest. Deng Hu was in high spirits all the way back to the city, speculating on the promotions and rewards he could receive for his service. Feeling elated, he turned around and invited his men to feast, drink, and get drunk.
Zhou Jingchen was kept by Deng Hu's side throughout the whole process. Deng Hu was his benefactor, so naturally he acted very close to him.
The bonfire was lit, and the drinks were served. Liu Yuan sat down next to Zhou Jingchen, holding a large bowl. Seeing his expressionless face, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "After such a great achievement, why don't you have a trace of joy on your face?"
"Should I be happy?" Zhou Jingchen took a sip of wine, his face grim.
Liu Yuan stopped smiling immediately.
Neither of them was foolish. The captain surnamed Shen was a local tyrant in the Northern Camp area. They were both fully aware of his motives behind this arrangement. Whatever the underlying scheme, if they rashly acted and ruined someone's plans, they would certainly face bad consequences. If they encountered someone lawless, they might even be branded as a traitor and executed.
This is Zhou Jingchen’s crime: he acted beyond his authority and disobeyed military orders.
The soldiers around them, still dreaming, were already drunk, noisily playing finger-guessing games. Liu Yuan sipped his wine gloomily, looked up at the starry sky, and suddenly asked, "By the way, do you have any children now?"
"No." Zhou Jingchen took another sip of wine, his eyes gloomily fixed on the distant shade of trees. "Having fallen into this situation, it's a burden to my children and me."
Liu Yuan laughed and didn't hide it anymore. "That's not necessarily true. As the saying goes, things change over time. The brilliant and talented Prince Jing once became famous in Yanjing. How could he be the kind of person who would easily accept his fate?"
"What about you, Mr. Hongzhang's last disciple?" Zhou Jingchen raised his eyebrows and raised the bowl in his hand to Liu Yuan.
"Of course I won't accept my fate."
Liu Yuan raised his bowl, the two clinked their glasses together, and smiled at each other.
Zhou Jingchen set up camp and drank wine a hundred miles away, and the Zhou family was also drinking.
Ye Jia had just discovered that Yu Shi was a heavy drinker. She'd never touched a glass of wine in the past, when times were tough, but now that her family was no longer struggling, she'd often offer him a glass of wine. The alcohol in the northwest was the stronger sorghum liquor, sometimes barley wine. It was a bit harsh for Ye Jia, and she'd get drunk with just one drink. Meanwhile, Yu Shi, petite as she was, could drink a whole bowl without batting an eyelid.
This time, the reason for drinking was naturally another good thing. Earlier, Ye Jia had given Cheng Linfang a sample of the scented soap, and she had found it quite good. Someone had come with a message today, asking Ye Jia to give the girls in her building a hundred yuan to use.
When Ye Jia made scented soap for Linglong Rouge Shop, she had saved about 60 yuan, plus the 60 yuan she had brought back from Libei Town earlier. She left 20 yuan for her family to use, and packed up the 100 yuan worth of scented soap and sent it to Cheng Linfang.
Cheng Linfang offered a fair price, one tael and five qian of silver for one piece, and for a hundred pieces of fragrant soap, she gave 150 taels directly. She packed it in a small box and sent it over.
The soap had opened up a sales channel, and the money was piling up almost instantly. Ye Jia had been thrilled to have saved two hundred taels, but now, in just two weeks, it had become three hundred and fifty. With that kind of money flowing through her, who wouldn't be fascinated?
Ye Jia is now beginning to imagine how to run the brand after it is established.
"It seems that the wealthy families in Dongxiang Town do have some wealth." After taking a sip of wine, Ye Jia felt a little proud. "Once our reputation spreads, we might be able to sell further and make more money!"
Yu swallowed a mouthful of liquor, her cheeks flushed. "We'll definitely make more money if we cooperate with the caravan heading west!"
After she said this, Ye Jia hadn't nodded yet, but Ye Wumei next to her nodded her head like a chick pecking at rice.
"The slate is gradually expanding, and I'm afraid our family's staff alone won't be enough." Ye Jia has been busy running around these days, and the butcher shop is actually already looking. Business at the breakfast stall has been quiet for two or three days since mid-August. It's simply because leeks are out of season. Leeks are now unavailable, and radishes are still a month away. Even if I wanted to make radish cakes to fill the void, I'd have to wait.
Ye Jia had wanted to think about making multi-grain pancakes, but he was too busy with all sorts of things to think about anything else. "We've finally built up the reputation of our Xishi stall, and we need to continue the breakfast business. Now that we've taken over the shop, we need to keep selling the pork head meat for a long time. We need to come up with a plan for how to distribute it when the time comes."
"The most important thing is the soap business."
This time, because the family already had inventory, Ye Jia was able to catch a good opportunity as a precaution. If things could stabilize with Lihua Lane in the future, they would be worried about being late even with their busy schedules. The demand was high, and everything from sourcing to production to delivery took time and manpower. "Ultimately, we still need people. Let's wait and see if we can recruit some workers."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law drank a little too much and felt a little dizzy sitting together. Yu nodded repeatedly: "It's not easy to recruit workers, we still have to buy people."
Ye Wumei, still too young to drink, buried her head in her food, listening intently to their conversation. She had never heard of the concerns of being the head of a household. In the Ye family, daughters were not allowed to attend any major decisions. Once the men had come to an agreement, the decision was made. Now, with her sister, Ye Wumei had a sudden realization.
Having never met her since childhood, she didn't really understand what Ye Jia said. But she was a keen observer. Seeing Ye Jia and Yu's faces beaming, she knew it was a good omen. She had already made up her mind to follow her third sister, and the more she listened, the happier she felt.
Ye Simei was eating meat on the side and didn't quite understand what was being said, but not understanding didn't stop her from knowing that she could make a lot of money by doing business.
Ye Jia was talking about hiring people, and she couldn't help but feel anxious as she listened. She had been watching the Zhou family's business for a while. Her sister was making money but lacked manpower, so she had some ideas in her mind. Not to mention being able to get involved, but at least she wanted to be like her fifth sister and work behind Ye Jia.
But she was weak and inactive, and didn't know how to open her mouth.
Ye Jia noticed it, glanced at her a few times but said nothing. She was now five months pregnant. Although her belly wasn't so big that she couldn't walk, she still had to be carefully watched. She had to be careful not to bump into anything. No matter how busy Ye Jia was, there was no way he would ask her to do any work.
At this time, he pretended not to see it and talked about the breakfast stall: "Let's take a day off tomorrow. We have been busy for so long, getting up early and going to bed late every day, and we deserve to take a break."
"It just so happens that tomorrow is Ruijie's birthday." Yu was actually tired, as were all of them. "Let's have a good meal at home."
I have more than three hundred taels of silver in my bank account, so I can naturally afford a good meal.
After saying this, several people raised their glasses and started drinking again.
Old Man Sun ate a bit and listened intently, not daring to drink a single drop. Drunk people tend to get confused, and with the Zhou family's male owner away, if a man like him got drunk and went berserk, none of the women in the Zhou family would be able to handle him. Even if he wanted to drink, he wouldn't dare drink in the Zhou family. He ate a few bites of food, picked up some for his two little grandsons, and finished the meal in a lively atmosphere.
Ye Wumei took the pots and pans to the kitchen to wash them, and Ye Jia and Yu Shi staggered back to the house.
After late August, the weather gradually improved, and the scorching heat wasn't as intense. Ye Jia, who'd been drinking, felt drowsy, so she went back to her room and lay down, drifting off to sleep. In the middle of the night, she was awakened by the urge to urinate, and by then, the alcohol had almost worn off. She shook her head, then went to the kitchen to boil some water and wash up. Her body was sticky with the smell of alcohol, which was both unpleasant and unpleasant.
Ye Jia carried a bucket of water back to the house. After washing up, he felt refreshed and lay down on the couch to sleep again.
Even though she hadn't eaten breakfast for the past two days, Ye Jia still got used to waking up early. She opened her eyes before dawn, and the birds chirped on the courtyard wall. The morning air, fresh and fragrant with the scent of grass and trees, was refreshing and refreshing.
It was rare for Ye Jia not to rush to Tile City in the morning. He walked around the yard a few times and then went to the backyard.
After late August, the flowering peppers seemed to suddenly come to life. As soon as the flowers faded, the slender peppers popped out one after another. Needless to say, the eggplants were already bearing fruit. Ye Jia carefully counted the winter melons in the field and found nearly twenty of them. Three or four of them were already as big as plates.
The shape is very round and the color is very dark, you can tell it is very sweet just by looking at it.
Ye Jia couldn't help rubbing her hands when she saw this. She was so lucky that she could eat the winter melon grown in this shabby place!
Calculating how long it would take for the fruit to ripen, Ye Jia turned around and went to the kitchen.
She couldn't just give up on the breakfast stall. Now that Xishi's stall had become famous, her pork head meat had become popular thanks to the Xishi stall's cover, and now most diners in town were attracted to the stall by its name. Her shop wasn't yet established, and if she wanted to attract customers in the future, she would have to rely on the Xishi stall, so she couldn't let up.
Chive and egg pancakes and radish pancakes are seasonal, but multi-grain pancakes don't have that same claim. If I were to make multi-grain pancakes, I'd probably be able to make them all year long. Ye Jia pondered this as he went to the kitchen and scooped out a large spoonful of multi-grain flour, mixing it into a batter according to the appropriate proportions.
The so-called mixed grains are soybean flour, mung bean flour, corn flour, and a little corn flour. The fine powder of the four grains plus a little low-gluten flour is actually wheat flour. Mix them together, add some old flour, a little salt, and more water to make a batter, and then use a spatula to press it. This will make the dough more chewy. Ye Jiazhen is a person who is very particular about food, thanks to her love of trying everything on her own. She used to make good mixed grain pancakes and she also made her own sauce.
There were a few chili peppers growing in the backyard. Although they couldn't be ground into powder, Ye Jia went to pick several large ones, washed them, and chopped them into small pieces. He then mixed soybean paste, sesame paste, and cumin powder with oil and the chopped chili peppers to make a paste.
Old man Sun got up early and took his two grandsons to the nearby woods to collect firewood. At this time, he just came back with a large basket of firewood on his back.
When he saw Ye Jia busy, he put down the firewood and came over to help light the fire.
Ye Jia also kneaded the dough, rolled it into thin sheets, folded it, cut it with a knife and fried it in a pan.
Ye Jia actually didn't like the thin crisps in her pancakes; she always found them too oily and made her stomach feel hot. But so many multi-grain pancake lovers loved the addition of thin crisps, so her preference was surely in the minority. As soon as Ye Jia finished frying the thin crisps, the aroma of fried starch filled the room. Rui Jie'er had gotten up, her hair still uncombed, its fine, soft hair tangled and tangled against her head.
The two little grandsons of the Sun family also watched eagerly, so Ye Jia simply fried them and gave one to each of the three children. They were still very hot when they came out of the pan, but that didn't stop them from rubbing them with their little teeth and eating them. The fragrance was so good that even Ye Simei was greedy.
"Wait a little longer." Ye Jia scooped up the excess oil in the pot and added a little oil to stir-fry the sauce.
The sizzling sauce in the oil was much more fragrant than deep-fried crispy pancakes. Ye Jia stirred up a large bowl of sauce and dipped a little with her chopsticks to taste it. It was quite good, even without chili powder, MSG, or oil. She still had to get out the frying pan. You couldn't use a large pan for pancakes, or the batter would just go mushy and wouldn't hold up.
Ye Jia actually thought a pancake pan would be better, but without the tools, she made do. She found a wooden pusher, which was just a wooden stick fixed on a plank. It was roughly the same shape, so she washed it and used it as a makeshift.
Scoop a large spoonful of batter into the frying pan and use the wooden spatula to spread it evenly. Then crack an egg and scrape it over the batter. Ye Jia likes sesame seeds, so she sprinkles some on top. Once the batter and egg mixture are set, she uses a spatula to flip it over. Fry it for a bit, and when it's done, spread the sauce on the quilt.
There was no ham sausage at the time, and there was no cooked chicken at home. Ye Jia just fried the thin crispy ones. Thinking that eating this way wouldn't taste like the delicious multi-grain pancakes, Ye Jia remembered that there was some pig's head meat at home, and instructed Ye Wumei to cut it into thin slices: "Cut more."
Ye Wumei was quick, carving out a large bowl of pork head in no time. Ye Jia scooped up a good portion with chopsticks, sprinkled some chopped green onions and pickled vegetables on top, and then, after placing the thin crisps on the plate, rolled it up with chopsticks and handed it to Yu.
Yu watched for a long time. Honestly, she didn't think the whole grains were that good. Her family had been eating whole grain steamed bread for a long time, and she felt that the flavor couldn't compare to the whole grains. But now, seeing what Ye Jia had made, it smelled and tasted good. She took a bite and it was crispy, fragrant with egg and soy sauce, but it almost burned her tongue.
After eating a few more bites, she nodded repeatedly without saying anything.
Ye Jia rolled a few more, and everyone said they were delicious. Old Man Sun liked the taste of the scallions mixed with the meat, and he scooped another spoonful of chopped scallions into the pancake. Fourth Sister Ye took one into the house to give to Ah Jiu, who was recovering from his injuries. Yu turned around and asked Ye Jia, "Jia Niang, if we were to buy this for the breakfast stall, how much would we have to pay? It has both meat and eggs, and we'd feel bad if we bought less."
"That's not necessary. We're making this for our family, so we've included meat and eggs. If we're selling, we can charge you accordingly." Ye Jia couldn't finish a whole one, so half was enough to fill him up. He held the remaining half in his hand and said, "Like me, I don't like thin crackers. If others don't add thin crackers, we can charge them less."
Yu blinked her eyes, feeling that if nothing was added, the taste would be greatly reduced.
"That's not necessarily true," Ye Jia dipped some sauce with chopsticks and gave it to Yu Shi to taste. "This sauce tastes good even when used to brush the pancake."
Yu tasted it and it was indeed. The pancake didn't have much flavor, but the sauce added a sizzling, tongue-burning flavor that made it irresistible. She couldn't help but slurp it after finishing it; the more she ate, the more delicious it became. "What did you put in this?"
What's added? Chili peppers, of course.
Ye Jia was worried that people in ancient times wouldn't be used to chili peppers, so he deliberately added less. But they still ate it with gusto. Yu Shi asked, but Ye Jia just smiled and said nothing. "It's enough to make pancakes. If we can afford to add extra ingredients, we can sell them at a high price. Pancakes can be four cents each. Adding extra things later will be charged according to the amount added. Eggs sell for a little over a cent each at the market, so we'll add two cents for each egg. Thin crackers will cost one cent more, and adding meat will also cost four cents more."
Yu thought about it and decided that if all these ingredients were added to a pancake, it would only cost eleven cents, which was not too expensive. This price would sell well, after all, in the past, pancake sellers would buy three or four pancakes at a time, which seemed to be quite common.
"I don't have to get up early to make these pancakes, right?" Yu saw Ye Jia just scooping the batter and making them. "Is it possible to just mix the batter and start making them right away?"
"Yes." Ye Jia called Ye Wumei over. Wumei was quite talented at cooking, and her control of the heat was better than Ye Jia's. Wumei had just finished eating, wiped her hands, and came over happily. Ye Jia asked her to do it again according to the instructions, and Ye Wumei followed suit. As a result, her first try was particularly good, even better than Ye Jia's.
Ye Jia: "..." Thinking back to when she was figuring it out, it took her at least a lot of effort to come up with a successful one.
"Try making another one."
Ye Wumei obediently made another one, which was better than the first time.
Ye Jia: “…” Okay, talent is talent.
"Go to the breakfast stall later and I'll let you make the pancakes."
Ye Wumei blinked and laughed. Ye Simei next to her couldn't help but said, "Sister, can you ask me to try too?"
Ye Jia glanced at her large belly. She walked over to Ye Wumei. Wumei simply stood up and made room for her, and Ye Simei sat down with her legs spread apart. Ye Jia could roughly tell what she was thinking and repeated what she had just taught Wumei.
It's no wonder Fourth Sister Ye is even better at cooking than Fifth Sister Ye. The pancakes she made were crispy yet not dark. After taking a bite, Ye Jia almost thought she was eating a multi-grain pancake made in a pan specifically for pancakes in the future. She looked at Fourth Sister Ye, then at Fifth Sister Ye. These two were even more talented at cooking than she was. Facing Fourth Sister Ye's eager eyes for comments, Ye Jia nodded, "...not bad."
"But you're pregnant now, so you can't squeeze into crowded places." Ye Jia added after her eyes lit up, "If you have time in the future, come and help out at the stall."
Ye Simei wanted to hear Ye Jia's words, and she immediately smiled: "Okay, sister, I will do my best."
After all the hassle this morning, I finally decided to buy multi-grain pancakes from the stall for breakfast.
The day passed in a flash, and in the blink of an eye I had rested for three days, and it was enough rest.
Early that morning, Ye Jia saw the weather was good and asked Old Man Sun to drive her to town to buy pig heads. The Chaoshi stall had been closed for several days, and the pig heads still needed to be sold. Ye Jia went to the butcher's shop, and the owner had indeed reserved the pig heads for her. Xishi's stall was quite famous in town for selling pig heads, and the owner had gradually become familiar with Ye Jia's dealings, and would reserve stock for her every day.
Ye Jia bought pig heads as usual, then went to pick up some goat milk to replenish his stock. Since he had switched to selling multi-grain pancakes, he had to buy more multi-grain pancakes. Multi-grain pancakes were much cheaper than white flour; the money he used to spend on white flour could buy him twice as much multi-grain flour.
After a moment's thought, she went to fetch a large jar of soybean paste. To make the sauce, she needed to prepare the ingredients. After loading the jar onto the oxcart, Old Man Sun drove the cart back home. Sitting in the cart, Ye Jia pondered the next day, when she would close her stall and visit the shops. As the cart passed the pond at the entrance to town, she noticed several children from the town fishing and catching shrimp.
There was no river in the town, but the nearby residents who had land and grew fruits and grains worked together to dig a large pond.
The water in the pond wasn't deep in the hot weather, so even a child wouldn't drown if they jumped in. Ye Jia casually glanced over when she noticed a wooden basin on the bank. It was filled with lively freshwater shrimp.
When Ye Jia saw this, his eyes lit up and he immediately asked Old Man Sun to stop the car.
She stood by the pond, grabbed a slightly older child, and asked if they could sell the shrimp. This nearly frightened the children. When Ye Jia said she was willing to pay thirty coins for the whole basin of shrimp, the child immediately started selling them.
"What did the boss buy this prawn for? It smells fishy and stinks," Old Man Sun said puzzledly. "The kids caught it to play with."
Ye Jia didn't know if people in ancient times didn't often eat shrimp, or if it was because inland areas lacked freshwater lakes, but from what Old Man Sun said, it seemed like they didn't eat shrimp. Ye Jia didn't explain why he was buying them back to eat. He just smiled and got a bucket to put the shrimp in. "We'll talk about it when we get back."
Old Man Sun saw her expression and guessed that the boss was going to make some food again, and he felt a little bit of anticipation in his heart. Nothing Ye Jia made was bad.
The oxcart creaked to the door. Just as Ye Jia was about to get off and call out, he saw a tall figure standing at the door. Hearing the noise behind him, the figure slowly turned around, revealing a picturesque face. His travels had left him covered in dirt and dust, but his handsome appearance didn't reveal the appearance of dust and dust. He was still wearing his simple armor, his dark hair ruffled by the wind.
Looking at Ye Jia from afar, his calm eyes slightly curled up.
I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but even though we haven’t seen each other for only three months, his features seem to have become colder and deeper.
He smiled at Ye Jia from a distance: "Jia Niang."
Ye Jia raised his eyes, got off the ox cart and walked over.
She had been meaning to tease him, saying, "You've learned your lesson today and decided not to climb over the wall," but after taking two steps, a little kid threw a stone at the door. She was so focused on the person, she hadn't noticed where she was stepping, tripped over the stone, and was thrown forward uncontrollably. Then, like a hammer, her head hit the person in the stomach.
Zhou Jingchen groaned, but his hands firmly grasped Ye Jia's shoulders. Perhaps because he'd suffered a loss last time, this time he wised up and didn't feign weakness by sitting down. His feet were firmly planted on the ground, and he bent down only slightly pretentiously.
Ye Jia stood firm: "..." Damn, this is so embarrassing.
The surroundings fell silent. Old Man Sun coughed dryly and turned away silently. This look was very knowledgeable and tactful. Zhou Jingchen stood up and asked Ye Jia softly, "Is this my punishment for buying on credit?"
Ye Jia's face suddenly became hot, and she blushed expressionlessly right under Zhou Jingchen's eyes.
She stiffened her neck and said, "Yes!"
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