Chapter 25 She's Smart
Shen Ning was shocked by the scene just now.
No wonder I once saw someone say online that the seemingly feudal ancients were actually the most extravagant.
She was so shocked that she didn't notice that Xiao Nanchen had been silent all the way beside her. Even when they were eating roast duck at Jufulou, he didn't say a word.
After dinner, Shen Ning went to Rong Kang Ji to buy things.
She planned to visit Yuanyue's group of children and bring them some things.
After entering Rong Kang Ji, Xiao Baiyan immediately greeted her: “Madam Shen is here, what do you want today?”
Although Xiao Baiyan didn't understand, the shopkeeper told him to be polite to Madam Shen, so Xiao Baiyan obediently treated Shen Ning politely and respectfully.
Shen Ning reported the list of things she wanted, and Xiao Baiyan responded and immediately went to prepare it. At this time, Su Lianyi walked out.
“It sounds like Sister Shen to me. My sister hasn’t come here for several days.”
Shen Ning smiled and responded: "I have been busy taking care of my younger brother recently. I haven't had time to make the canned food that I asked Shopkeeper Su to bring last time. I will send it to Shopkeeper Su to try when it is ready."
Su Lianyi replied: "Then I'm in for a treat. I've already seen Sister Shen's cooking skills. Speaking of which, it's a shame that you don't open a restaurant... Are you really not selling that Thirteen Spices?"
Shen Ning smiled and shook her head: "I haven't figured out what to do in the future."
The two of them were already familiar with each other. Su Lianyi took Shen Ning's hand and persuaded her: "I mentioned it to you last time, asking you to move to the city. It's not that I look down on the countryside, but you don't have any relatives or friends to rely on now, and it's not convenient to do anything in the countryside. With your ability, you will definitely achieve greater things in the city."
Shen Ning knew that she meant well, so she smiled and nodded: "I will think about it carefully."
"That's right."
Su Lianyi patted her hands and said, "If you want to move into the city in the future, just come to me if you need anything. I don't have any special skills, but I do know a few people, so I can help you."
Shen Ning smiled and thanked him.
At this time, another person walked out from inside, accompanied by a gentle male voice.
"I was wondering why you suddenly disappeared. It turns out a guest has arrived."
Su Lianyi immediately smiled and said, "Come, Sister Shen, let me introduce you. This is my husband, Li Ziyuan, who is now the instructor of the county school... Ziyuan, this is the Sister Shen I often mentioned to you."
Su Lianyi was very open and honest, so Shen Ning didn't shy away from it and went forward to exchange a few pleasantries. But the next moment, when she saw the appearance of Su Lianyi's husband, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
It’s actually him!
The man who was fooling around with a man in the rockery of the county school before...this man turned out to be Su Lianyi's husband?
She remembered that Su Lianyi seemed to have mentioned that although her husband's family was poor, they were a family of scholars with a clean family tradition, and her husband had a good reputation, so it was not a problem for him to pass the imperial examination one day... Su Lianyi had always been grateful to her husband for being willing to marry her, a merchant girl.
But did she know that her husband was with another man...
Shen Ning was shocked in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. Her smile was impeccable: "So it's Mr. Li. What a coincidence. My younger brother will be studying in the county school in the future. I hope Mr. Li can take care of him."
This matter cannot be concealed, so it is better to mention it openly, otherwise it will easily arouse suspicion.
The Daxuan Dynasty does not advocate male homosexuality, and Li Ziyuan is a role model. If he knew that she had caught him, there was no telling what would happen.
Li Ziyuan never thought that he would actually be bumped into by someone today. After all, that place was remote and there were few people there today as the county school was on holiday.
He would never have thought that the person who caught him was right in front of him.
After a few casual greetings, Xiao Baiyan came over and said that the food was ready, so Shen Ning smiled, paid the bill and left.
Walking towards Anfu Temple with Xiao Nanchen, she wondered whether she should tell Su Lianyi about this matter.
But she soon thought it through and decided not to say it rashly. After all, firstly, she had no evidence, and Su Lianyi's feelings for her husband were obviously very deep. Secondly, her relationship with Su Lianyi was not yet to the point where she would trust him.
If you reveal it rashly like this, you will probably end up in trouble.
Let's take it one step at a time.
After leaving Rongkangji, she sent the things she bought to Anfu Temple. The health of the children in Yuanyue had improved a lot, and the little girl July shyly gave her a purse to express her gratitude.
Afterwards, Shen Ning and Xiao Nanchen took an ox cart back to the village.
The wheat in the fields on both sides of the road has begun to turn yellow. Speaking of which, Chen Ning's own wheat is also ripe.
When it came time to farm, Zhao Mu's land was still there, and there were almost three acres of crops, which wasn't too much, but Chen Ning didn't plan to do it herself.
Although she liked to see the rural scenery, she did not like to harvest crops and farm under the scorching sun. After all, she was not short of money, so she asked the head of the village to help hire a few people to do it.
The head of the village found four people for her, one of whom was Zhao Shuan. Zhao Shuan was quite capable. His parents were frail and sickly, and he was the only one who worked on the five acres of crops at home, and he finished earlier than others.
Zhao Shuan and the villagers were harvesting crops in the fields, while Chen Ning was canning food at home.
Su Lianyi suggested that she move to the county town. Shen Ning was actually considering this. The only reason she was hesitant was that she still liked the pastoral scenery and her home was also comfortable.
But the village is indeed short of resources, and it is very inconvenient to buy things on a daily basis. In addition, Shen Qingbai is now studying in the county school, so moving to the county town may be a good choice.
If she decides to move, she will have to speed up her earning speed. After all, she has a hard time living, and she should enjoy life.
Canned food is Shen Ning’s next way to make money.
The towns and villages under Pingning County produce a lot of fruits, but transportation is inconvenient due to traffic restrictions in this era, and the fruits are not easy to store, so she thought of starting a canned food business.
The fruit output is large, so the cost of canning is low. Canned food is also durable and can be shipped to other places, especially to places where fruit is scarce. This makes it very profitable.
The latest to arrive are apricots, which have a sweet and sour taste, so Chen Ning made the canned sugar water very sweet. After all, white sugar is easy for her to get, and the taste of the canned food is the most important.
After the golden apricot meat and sugar water were put into the pot, Xiao Nanchen was responsible for lighting the fire, while Chen Ning went to make ice with the prepared saltpeter.
She placed a smaller tub inside the larger tub, filled with water, and then poured the saltpeter into the larger tub outside.
Not long after, the clear water in the small wooden basin began to slowly freeze. After it turned into an ice-water mixture, Chen Ning stopped adding saltpeter.
At this time, the canned food is ready.
The sweet smell spread out. Xiao Nanchen, who was in charge of lighting the fire, looked at the clear sugar water and golden fruit flesh in the pot, then looked at Shen Ning eagerly: "Sister-in-law, I want to eat."
"Haha, okay, our Anan will be the first to try it."
Shen Ning filled a bowl for him and then put it into the basin of ice water mixture to chill.
Xiao Nanchen sat at the table eagerly waiting, while Chen Ning scooped the canned food and sugar water from the pot into the new wine jar that she had bought specially.
She filled the cans completely without leaving any space, and then, while the cans were still warm, began to seal them with the prepared sealing mud and coarse cloth.
Wrap the mouth of the jar with coarse cloth, then cover the entire mouth of the jar with the prepared yellow mud, and finally wrap it with another layer of coarse cloth on the outside and tie the edges tightly.
The jars Chen Ning bought were not big, so she filled eight jars with the canned food.
Just as she finished her work, she heard footsteps and looked up to see Xiao Nanchen standing in front of her with an empty bowl. He said pitifully, "I still want to eat."
Shen Ning said: "This thing is too sweet, you can't eat too much at one time, I'll make it for Anan next time."
"Okay." The little fool was very obedient.
Shen Ning patted his head: "Be good."
The first moment Xiao Nanchen regained consciousness, he felt the lingering sweetness and coolness between his teeth... and then he was patted on the head.
good?
His Royal Highness Prince Ding was speechless.
Does this woman treat him like a child?
Shen Ning was still teasing the little fool: "It turns out that Anan likes to eat sweets."
The majestic Prince Ding's face turned even darker.
Who likes sweet food?
He doesn't like it when your mother is whining!
There was some extra sugar water from the canning process, and Shen Ning thought of the villagers working in the fields, so she put the sugar water in empty cans and took Xiao Nanchen out to the fields.
Zhao Shuan and his men were working hard, but when they saw Chen Ning coming to bring water, they stopped to rest.
But when they drank the water and tasted the sweetness, they were surprised to realize that it was actually sugar water.
Sugar is so expensive these days, and the syrup has no color... Could this be the legendary white sugar?
Several people were flattered, and Zhao Shuan even said directly: "Mrs. Shen, Madam Shen, isn't it a waste to dilute such expensive white sugar with water for us to drink?"
He wiped his sweat and said, "You don't need to pay me my wages. Hehe, the money I earn is not enough to buy candy."
The others hesitated and didn't speak, so Shen Ning quickly comforted them, "It's not white sugar, it's brown sugar given by a friend in the county. It's not that expensive. You work hard, and I'm doing this to give you the strength to harvest the crops for me. Don't be polite."
Those people immediately breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him repeatedly.
After drinking the sugar water, they obviously worked harder.
Chen Ning and Xiao Nanchen sat under a tree at the edge of the field, watching the sun about to set in the distance.
The setting sun was like a blazing fire, the sky was blue and full of clouds, the green mountains stretched out across from me, the wheat fields were golden in front of me, the farmers were working and chatting in the fields, and the breeze brought the coolness of the approaching evening...
Shen Ning looked a little intoxicated: "It's really beautiful."
Next to her, Xiao Nanchen looked in the direction of her gaze and saw the men in the field with their shirts opened and muscles exposed due to sweating profusely.
Thinking of the restless hands that this woman had taken while he was unconscious, Xiao Nanchen's face suddenly turned a little ugly.
It’s hard to change one’s nature!
Chen Ning sat in the field until dusk before getting up and going home. Before going to bed at night, she checked the seal of the can.
When I passed by the bathroom on my way back to my room from the kitchen, I accidentally saw Xiao Nanchen washing himself with his back to the bathroom door.
He was only wearing a pair of pants with his back bare, and he had a very good figure.
It was indeed pleasing to the eye, but the bathroom was facing her door, and she was afraid that the little fool would take off his pants in a daze later...
Shen Ning coughed lightly and walked forward.
After Xiao Nanchen finished rinsing the water, he paused holding the basin and snorted silently.
really!
But the next moment, with a creak, the bathroom door was closed, followed by the sound of Shen Ning's footsteps walking away.
Xiao Nanchen put down the basin with an expressionless face...
She's smart!
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