The shop was closed, but the sun hadn't set yet, and the daytime heat hadn't dissipated. Qin Xiaozhou set up tables and chairs in the courtyard, and on the table was a large basin of steamed oysters, as many as thirty or forty. "Come and eat, today is a seafood feast."
Under the table was a large plate of cool well water, radiating a slight chill. Lu Yan couldn't wait to grab a freshly grilled scallop and blow on it, exclaiming, "Sister-in-law, I didn't know its shell could be used as a bowl! The color of this shell is so beautiful; I'll keep it after I finish eating it."
The scallop shells reflected a rainbow of colors in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Qin Xiaozhou taught her how to eat it, "Like this, eat the vermicelli, garlic, and scallop meat in one bite."
Lu Yan imitated her, her cheeks puffed out, and after chewing a few times, her eyes lit up. She was about to speak when Zhao Fen gently scolded her, "Finish what's in your mouth before you talk." After eating the abalone, she was also surprised by its delicious taste, and her tongue became lively. "This stuff is really delicious. It's a pity that Er Yun and Xiao Si aren't here."
When a mother eats something delicious, her first thought is always of her child.
Lu Yunfeng placed the grilled scallops on the table, saying, "Next time Brother Liu and the others come, I'll save some to take home so that Grandma and my brothers can have some."
Qin Xiaozhou distributed the gifts to the two old women, Jing and Jingyue. After all, they were slaves, so they were always a little uncomfortable and reserved in front of her.
"Don't be shy, eat quickly. It's hot, so this stuff can't be kept overnight."
She and Lu Yunfeng cooked all thirty or forty pounds of seafood at once. It would be a waste if they couldn't finish it. Both old women were from the capital city and their mansions were confiscated and sold off. They were definitely well-informed people in this small county town, but they still praised the scallops highly.
Granny Zheng ate three in one go, praising them repeatedly, "I used to work in the kitchen of a wealthy family, and I could eat seafood once or twice a year, but none of it was as delicious as what you made. Young Madam's cooking skills are truly superb."
It was Jingyue's first time eating seafood, and she was so impressed by how delicious it was. "Shopkeeper, everything you make is so delicious!"
Qin Xiaozhou has a natural talent for cooking, and he was enjoying his meal with great enthusiasm. "Eat up, eat to your heart's content. It's a bit far from the East China Sea, otherwise we could set up a barbecue stall, with fish, shrimp, scallops, big chicken legs, beer, liquor, and grilled skewers. That's the essence of nightlife."
Lu Yunfeng didn't understand what a street food stall was, but he roughly knew what a barbecue was all about. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let's set up a barbecue stall. We can kill and eat most of the chickens and ducks at home. We have forty or fifty rabbits already, and if we don't eat them soon, there will be more and more. It will become a burden for Grandma to raise rabbits."
The litter of rabbits we caught in the spring has multiplied to dozens in just one season, and the backyard is almost overflowing. The chickens and ducks are already four or five months old and are about to be released.
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaozhou immediately slammed his hand on the table and said, "Okay, let's set up a barbecue stall."
If they had their own barbecue stall, they could sell all their chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits themselves, without wasting time looking for sales channels. Why not?
Lu Yan clapped her hands in agreement. She loved grilled meat the most; it smelled better than stir-fried or stewed meat, and the aroma alone made her mouth water. Meanwhile, everyone was enthusiastically discussing the future, their mouths drooling with food, even licking the scallops. Exclamations of amazement filled the air.
Jinghe quietly tucked two oysters into her sleeve. She was well-fed and clothed every day, and now she even had such expensive food. Her two children didn't have such good food. Anyway, the master's family had plenty of things and made money, so it wasn't a big deal for her to occasionally give one or two things to the children. This wasn't the first time she had done this. When there were one or two left over from the unsold desserts and pastries in the shop, the shopkeeper would give them to them. She would keep them and give them to her husband, who was waiting in the corner outside, in the evening so that he could take them home to the children.
The shopkeeper won't find out.
Lu Yu was lost in thought and tried to speak several times but didn't get a chance. It wasn't until dark, after the seafood banquet had ended, that she found Lu Yunfeng and asked him about Li Yang.
"Da Yun, have you found out what happened on the day Li Yang broke off the engagement?"
These days she has been having trouble sleeping. She does have a crush on Li Yang. After all, he is good-looking, hardworking, and has a touch of scholarly charm, which is something that the men in the village lack. Even her nephew, Dayun, has the temperament of a rough man, a rough fellow who has studied for several years but has no scholarly air about him.
She prayed countless times that it would be best if it were the fault of the girl whose engagement was broken off, so that she could marry Li Yang in peace, and she would be filial to her parents-in-law, never disobey them, and live a good life with Li Yang.
She was jilted and became a laughingstock. She hid at home for more than half a year, not daring to go out, hoping to get married. She finally found such a good man as Li Yang, and she grasped at him like a lifeline. She really couldn't bear to let go. Besides, she would be eighteen in another six months. When the government arranged marriages, who knew who would marry her to? She didn't want a butcher or a gambler. Compared to him, Li Yang was someone she was marrying above her station.
But neither Dayun nor her niece-in-law mentioned Li Yang when they came back today. She waited all day and was very anxious.
Lu Yunfeng recounted everything he had learned: "Li Yang's mother is somewhat domineering, and the girl also has her faults. Li Yang has a good reputation in Lijiaba."
If someone pushes their own mother into the water, then breaking off the engagement is the most reasonable thing to do. They're only good-natured for not hitting her; how could they possibly still marry her?
Lu Yu felt a sudden sense of relief, her heart finally settling down after days of anxiety. She clutched her chest and smiled, saying, "I just think Li Yang is a really good person."
When Qin Xiaozhou finished tidying up and entered the room, she saw Lu Yu looking shy and blushing, her face radiant with spring-like beauty. She looked just like a bride-to-be waiting for her husband to come and marry her. In this era, a woman's marriage was not only her own understanding but also a legal requirement. She had no way and no reason to stop her.
In her opinion, Li Yang was definitely not a good match.
Lu Yu covered her mouth to hide her smile, but when she looked up and saw Qin Xiaozhou, her expression faltered, and her voice trembled unconsciously, "Niece-in-law, you don't think highly of Li Yang?"
How could you not have high hopes for such a good man?
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