Chapter 21 Stinky Tofu
Grandmother Jia banished the thought from her mind, and looking again at Wang Xifeng, who still wore an indignant expression, a thought suddenly occurred to her:
Feng Yatou is now on good terms with Yuan Hongqu. We mustn't let her relay these words to Yuan Hongqu's ears. Otherwise, Yuan Hongqu might think that we are insulting her and that she won't be able to properly educate her three girls. That would be terrible.
After a quick consideration, Grandmother Jia said earnestly:
“Feng’er, I was wrong. I originally thought that such a good woman should have a good home.”
"After much thought, I believe only my second son is somewhat suitable for her. However, he has been married for so many years, and Wang has done nothing wrong; we cannot simply divorce her without cause. I can only ask that Teacher Yuan temporarily become her second wife..."
Grandmother Jia thought to herself that her true thoughts must never be known to anyone. It was only recently that Feng'er was easy to fool; in the past, she would never have been able to fool her.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng's expression softened slightly.
On the other hand, after Yuan Hongqu inspected the renovation of the Lin family's old house, the servants who were placed there yesterday had all been properly arranged.
Since it was still uncertain how long Lin Daiyu would stay at the Rongguo Mansion, these people were temporarily stationed in the capital to be on standby.
They weren't left idle, though. They were temporarily put to work on tidying up the old house, and the Lin family also had a farm in the capital that needed to be managed as well.
In recent years, since no one from the Lin family has been in the capital, the Rongguo Mansion has been helping to manage the estate. However, at the end of the year, they sent someone to Yangzhou to deliver rent.
Jia Min never cared how much the rent was.
After Jia Min passed away, Lin Ruhai didn't think about this matter. It was only when Daiyu was about to go to the capital that he remembered that his family still had some businesses in the capital.
Since Yuan Hongqu was teaching Yu'er how to manage a household, she decided to give Daiyu the estate to practice her skills.
Before leaving, Lin Ruhai packed all the account books and other items into a box and gave it to Yuan Hongqu to take with her.
Yuan Hongqu hadn't planned to let Lin Daiyu get involved in these matters so quickly. However, since the Lin family hadn't been there for so many years, she decided to send someone to investigate first before making any plans.
As for herself, the most important thing she did this time was to find a legitimate source for the items produced in her space.
Near Ningrong Street, there is a small street where most of the merchants are small business owners who rely on these two prefectures to do business.
This street has a nickname: "Ningrong Street".
Although the street is not large, the daily needs of the Ningguo Mansion and Rongguo Mansion are indeed numerous and complicated.
Moreover, there are only so many important figures in the two mansions who can be brought into the public eye, and there are even more collateral branches of the Jia family nearby, as well as relatives who depend on the Jia family for their livelihood.
Most of them live nearby and have a lot of daily necessities.
Therefore, the things sold on this street are everything that officials and nobles need, as well as those from all walks of life.
After leaving the Lin family's old house, Yuan Hongqu arrived at Ningrong Street. She sent her followers back first, intending to wander around and see if there were any interesting things she could bring back for Daiyu.
She strolled along Ningrong Street until she reached a corner, where a small market street suddenly appeared before her eyes.
Compared to the wide Ningrong Street, the street was much narrower. The shops on both sides of the road were only a little over ten feet apart, and there were stalls set up in front of the shops.
As a result, only a little over a meter of space remains on the street for people to pass through.
However, this narrow street was much more lively than Ningrong Street.
This is the place she's been looking for!
Yuan Hongqu smiled and stepped into the bustling street.
As evening fell, Yuan Hongqu returned to Rongyue Courtyard through the side gate, her hands full of goods.
The old woman in the courtyard smiled as soon as she saw Yuan Hongqu return home like this.
"Granny Yuan is also searching for good things in the capital. We're in for a treat today!"
“Of course, we must not lose this good habit once we arrive in the capital.” Yuan Hongqu laughed heartily.
She was carrying a bag in each hand, both of which were bulging.
As a time traveler, she felt it was essential to make certain small things more convenient for her.
For example, the two bags she was carrying were made of extremely sturdy coarse cloth, sewn tightly with needle and thread in the style of eco-friendly bags.
This bag is incredibly convenient for someone who frequently goes grocery shopping.
Original red lotus usually carries it with them.
The old woman stepped forward and took the two bags she was carrying:
"Granny Yuan, this is really heavy. It's amazing that you were able to carry it back. Next time you go out, take me with you. I'm strong."
"Aunt Liu, let's try arm wrestling next time, I'm quite strong!"
Yuan Hongqu smiled.
Since arriving in the world of Dream of the Red Chamber, her depressive symptoms have disappeared, and she has become even more fond of shopping. However, she has never been interested in expensive items, but only in ordinary and practical things.
Although the salary Lin Ruhai gave her might not even be enough to buy an antique fan for a wealthy family, in the eyes of an ordinary family, Yuan Hongqu's monthly salary would be enough for their family's expenses for ten years.
Yuan Hongqu considered herself to be from an ordinary family.
The items in Ningrong Street are all things that ordinary people can't live without, and the prices are very affordable.
On this trip, Yuan Hongqu bought almost everything that caught her eye on the street, without spending much money.
“These are all kinds of snacks from the small streets. I think they’re alright. I brought them back for you to try.” In Rongyue Courtyard’s kitchen, Yuan Hongqu first opened an oil paper package.
"Oh my, Granny Yuan, you actually eat this kind of thing? It doesn't look like it." Granny Liu, still with her loud voice, exclaimed in surprise when she saw the oil paper package that Yuan Hongqu had opened.
"What good stuff is it? Let me see it too." As the two were talking, Daiyu walked in with the three sisters.
They heard from someone else that Granny Yuan had returned while they were playing elsewhere, so they came over immediately.
Upon seeing the four people, Granny Liu quickly covered the things in her hands.
Daiyu disagreed, saying:
"Aunt Liu, don't hide it! Let me see it!"
Granny Liu looked at Yuan Hongqu.
Yuan Hongqu was also feeling uneasy. She couldn't even let this little girl see this thing; just thinking about it made the scene seem strange.
Lin Daiyu, you should leave now. You shouldn't be in the same scene with such a thing.
"Granny Yuan~~~" Daiyu pleaded, "Please let me take a look..."
"Yes, Granny Yuan, is it some kind of novel snack? It smells a bit strange to me." Xichun sniffed with her little nose. It was a smell she had never smelled before, with a slightly oily aroma, a crispy and crunchy taste, and a strange savory sauce flavor.
The moment Granny Liu opened it, the smell came out, and even though it's wrapped up again now, you can still smell some of it.
Everyone was very curious.
"Girls, let's go outside. I just found some really interesting little things on the street, like a clay Monkey King, a flower stand made of tree roots, and little dogs and cats woven from bamboo. I guarantee you'll love them. The kitchen is too smoky, so don't let it get your clothes smelly." Yuan Hongqu hurriedly invited them outside.
Upon hearing this, the girls were immediately drawn to the scene and crowded together as they walked out.
Only Xichun, who was walking at the very back, tugged at Yuan Hongqu's sleeve.
"Granny Yuan, what's that delicious food? Save some for me."
“Miss Xichun, that’s food for adults. It’s not good for children. I’ll make you something that’s suitable for children tomorrow. I guarantee it will be delicious,” Yuan Hongqu advised.
We finally managed to coax them out, but we can't let Xichun attract them back.
"Really? Then, Granny Yuan, can I still have the flower tea pear jelly I had yesterday? I like peaches. Can you make flower tea peach jelly?" Xichun asked earnestly.
“Yes!” Yuan Hongqu readily agreed.
"Okay, you have to keep your word!" Xichun, having received a response, skipped and hopped after her sisters to get ahead.
It seems I need to be more careful when buying snacks in the future. I wouldn't dare let these girls eat them, or even just let them see them; I'd probably carry a heavy psychological burden.
Yuan Hongqu wiped away non-existent beads of sweat.
"Granny Yuan, what should we do with this?" Granny Liu was still shaken.
"Why don't you find a secluded spot to eat it, so they can't smell it?"
Yuan Hongqu looked at the oil paper package with reluctance. Just now on the street, she bought it immediately because it smelled good, but she didn't have time to taste it at all.
"Why don't you eat a piece first?" Looking at Yuan Hongqu's appearance, Granny Liu couldn't bear it and handed her the paper package.
"It's still hot now, the stinky tofu won't taste good if it gets cold."
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