| TBBOTOF | 54
The two adults and three children in the main house were all surprised by Tang Erhu's sudden visit. It was the time to open the door for business, and the few people busy moving things were quite happy to see him.
"Carry on with your work, we'll talk later," Tang Erhu waved to them and entered the courtyard. He was a bit surprised by the appearance of the backyard. Walking along the stone path to the front yard, he saw the livestock being raised. He stood outside the enclosure for a while, observing, "These pigs are well-fed."
The fat piglet was pampered by Tang Xu with good food and drink every day.
Due to the hot weather, Tang Xu even gave it a cold water bath every day. At the moment, the pig was lying comfortably in the shade, sleeping soundly, its round belly rising and falling with each breath.
Tang Erhu then glanced at the chicken coop nearby, where more than ten chickens had grown up and started laying eggs. Recently, they had been catching locusts frequently, so the chickens were well-fed, not to mention that they had plenty of space to roam around. Their feathers were shiny, and the largest rooster in the coop even puffed up its comb and flapped its wings proudly upon seeing the unfamiliar Tang Erhu.
In the rabbit's nest next to it, several baby rabbits had already opened their eyes.
Tang Xu had provided plenty of dry grass for bedding, so the mother rabbit hadn't plucked much fur and had been feeding them well. They looked just as plump as the other animals.
Tang Erhu nodded in approval, muttering to himself, "Well-raised."
The big mule was originally wandering in the backyard. When it saw Tang Erhu approaching and looking around, it trotted over to the wall. With its head held high, it rested its large, long face on the courtyard wall, staring at Tang Erhu.
Tang Erhu turned around and saw the big mule's face, somehow understanding the wariness in its eyes.
"Dad," Wei Dong walked over, also noticing the behavior of the big mule. He glanced at it and then redirected his gaze, leading Tang Erhu to the front yard. "We've set up a shelter in the front yard. It's cooler to sit outside when it's hot indoors. Come and sit for a while. I'll make you some honey water."
Tang Erhu nodded happily and followed him, saying, "I don't want honey water. It's too sweet and doesn't quench your thirst. Just give me water from the well. It's cool. Leave the honey water for Xu Ge'er to drink. He needs to replenish himself with something good after being so busy these days."
"It's fine. The younger siblings have been helping a lot," Wei Dong replied. He also didn't like drinking honey water. After hearing Tang Erhu's words, he went to the well, pulled up the bucket inside, and took out two large bamboo tubes. "Drink this. Xu Ge'er said you shouldn't drink raw water directly; it might upset your stomach. This is boiled and then cooled down. It's safe to drink."
Tang Erhu's face was full of silent disbelief at the trouble of just drinking water. He didn't say anything in the end. After all, it wasn't him who was doing the fussing. They could do as they pleased.
The well water was icy cold, with thin droplets of water condensing on the outside of the bamboo tube. Tang Erhu took a few sips, feeling the cool water flowing down his throat, refreshing his entire body.
After a few sips, the heat that had accumulated along the way dissipated.
Wei Dong went to the kitchen and brought out some peaches he had picked yesterday afternoon from the mountain, along with a wild chicken he had caught.
With the weather getting hotter recently, most of the fruits on the mountain were ripe. He had discussed with Tang Xu and decided to quickly go pick some before it rained, or else the fruits would be devoured by animals from the mountains.
Moreover, when he went yesterday, he found footprints, indicating that someone from the village had also entered the mountain to pick fruits.
"You don't need to worry about me. Go help Xu Ge'er. I'll sit and rest for a while myself," Tang Erhu said, seeing Wei Dong coming in and out. "I'm not a child who needs someone to take care of me."
Wei Dong nodded and went back to the kitchen. He brought out the stir-fried peanuts and mulberry wine that Tang Xu had prepared and placed them on the table. "Dad, enjoy your meal and drink. We'll get back to work first."
Tang Erhu opened the lid of the small wine jar, took a sniff, and smiled, "Alright, I've had this mulberry wine before. Xu Ge'er also left a small jar at home. Hurry up and go back to work."
Sitting with his legs crossed, Tang Erhu enjoyed the peanuts paired with the wine. He leaned back in his chair, feeling utterly content as he watched the clouds slowly change shapes in the sky.
A gentle breeze carried a slight chill, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas and insects. Occasionally, he could hear the shouts of people outside the courtyard.
Feeling drowsy and relaxed, Tang Erhu gradually drifted off to sleep, leaning against the back of the chair.
When the others finished their work and returned to the front yard, they saw Tang Erhu, the patriarch, snoring in his chair. The wine jar on the table was now half empty, and all the peanuts were gone.
"Look!" Tang Yang exclaimed, but Tang Xu quickly covered his mouth.
"Shh, let Dad nap for a while. You guys go wash your hands and clean the bowls. I'll start cooking," Tang Xu gestured to the backyard, then took Wei Dong to the kitchen. "We'll make some rice balls to eat. I'll scoop some rice, and you can light the fire," he instructed, grabbing some rice and washing it before pouring it into the pot. "Medium heat will do, just don't let the water boil too vigorously."
"Okay," Wei Dong nodded, sitting on a small wooden stool to tend to the fire. "Your dad must be having a hard time these past few days."
"Unfortunately, there's no other way," Tang Xu sighed, taking some potatoes and eggplants from the basket, washing them, and placing them on the tray. He then grabbed a few ears of corn, peeled them, and added them to the tray. "Get them to bring back some tender ones too. These corn ears are quite delicious."
"Alright," Wei Dong rarely ate tender corn ears like this. Usually, they would wait until the corn matured before harvesting, drying them in the sun, and storing them in the warehouse for later use. "Do you want some edamame as well?"
"Yes, bring back a sack of them, and some peanuts too. I'll cook some five-spice edamame and peanuts. They make a good snack, and we can also sell them," Tang Xu thought about how all the crops in the fields were beginning to ripen, even the vegetables in their front and backyards. His mood improved considerably.
"After dinner, you can accompany Dad for a couple of drinks. Once we've eaten, I'll take him to pick some vegetables from the fields. We need to start drying and pickling them," Tang Xu continued while cutting the pork belly into small cubes.
He then took six eggs from a nearby jar. "Our little hens have been laying eggs quite frequently. I collected eight eggs this morning, leaving three in the nest to see if we can hatch some chicks."
"If they hatch, aren't you planning to raise ducks and geese? The water in the pit in the backyard has risen, so I'll go tomorrow and catch some fish, shrimp, and crabs to put in there," Wei Dong suggested.
Tang Xu nodded in agreement, envisioning the scene in his mind, a smile curving his lips. "We'll raise two geese and six ducks, splitting them evenly between male and female."
"Alright, I'll ask someone from the village to buy them. Should we get adult geese or goslings?" Wei Dong leaned towards buying adult breeds, as they would start laying eggs immediately after purchase, which was more reliable than raising them from young.
"Whatever, just go take a look. Any size should be fine, I don't really mind," Tang Xu replied. He thought that it might be easier to buy ducklings and goslings, as finding adult geese for sale might be challenging. Many households in the village raised geese and sold eggs and goslings, but he hadn't heard of anyone selling adult geese.
With a sizzle, Tang Xu shoveled the diced meat into the pot, stirring it. "Get me a bowl of soybean paste and stir the soybean paste jar. Skim off the black scum on the surface. When sealing the jar, be careful not to let any water in."
Wei Dong didn't know how to make soybean paste. Normally, they would buy soybean paste directly from Wei Zhonghong's house. Tang Xu had made several blocks of soybean paste when he was crossing books. Before getting married, he had moved seven or eight blocks here.
The soybean paste in the jar was bought directly from Wei Zhonghong's family, but Tang Xu would ferment it himself. He always felt that soybean paste made by others wasn't quite clean. "Alright, I'll go,"
Tang Li entered from outside, hearing his words as she reached for a large bowl. "I'll go pick some vegetables to dip in the sauce."
"Okay," Tang Xu scooped out the cooked diced meat and turned to her, saying, "Ah Li, can you pick some spring onions for me? I need some green onion leaves."
"Sure thing," Tang Li went to the yard to pick some scallions. The green onion leaves were long and green, and the white part felt firm when pinched.
"Bao'er~"
Tang Xu was holding a bowl and stirring eggs with chopsticks when he suddenly heard a sexy, deep male voice in his ear. He jerked his hand, almost spilling the egg mixture. "What are you doing?" He turned his head to see the man who had approached him, looking puzzled. "Speak properly."
Wei Dong clicked his tongue. "What's wrong? Can't I call you Bao'er?"
"It's not that. It's fine, but you can't just call me that in broad daylight. It's embarrassing if others hear, and besides," Tang Xu glanced at him, "we were in the middle of a conversation. Why did you suddenly act like this?"
"You haven't hugged me to sleep these past two days. I'm not happy," Tang Xu said, raising an eyebrow, wondering if Wei Dong had lost his mind.
"Go on, go on. Check if the rice is cooked well. Once the rice is ready, scoop it out. Serve the rice soup separately in a basin. Whoever wants to drink it can serve themselves a bowl. If no one wants it, take it to the backyard to feed the animals," Tang Xu instructed, shooing Wei Dong away while checking on the cooking.
Wei Dong, procrastinating and not doing any work, hugged him from behind.
Feeling Wei Dong's excitement, Tang Xu paused and awkwardly maneuvered out of his embrace. "What's going on with you? Why are you suddenly so energetic?" he asked.
Wei Dong didn't want things to go this way either.
Just now, when Tang Xu was bending down to stir the meat, he looked really appealing. And lately, Wei Dong, who hadn't been fully satisfied in bed, suddenly felt invigorated.
"Don't rub against me!" Tang Xu exclaimed, feeling embarrassed as Wei Dong's actions turned his face red. He pushed Wei Dong away, sounding agitated. "Go cool off in the backyard. Don't mess around. Control yourself. If Ah Li comes back and sees you like this, will you still have any face left?"
Taking a deep breath, Wei Dong harshly pinched his fleshy part twice before silently turning around and rushing out. Tang Xu's flesh stung and tingled, and his legs felt weak.
He quickly slapped his face to cool down and fanned himself with his hand. With a tomato-red face, he scooped out the cooked rice and ladled out the rice soup.
“Brother, should I chop the green onion leaves finely?” Tang Li shook off the water from the green onion leaves. In her hands, she carried a basin containing several cucumbers, purple eggplants, large green onions, a few red tomatoes, five long green peppers, and a bunch of lettuce.
They had never tasted tomatoes before. The first time they tried them, they were amazed by the rich juice and sweet-sour taste, mistaking them for fruits. But her Brother immediately cooked tomatoes with scrambled eggs, which tasted even better, with completely different flavors and textures whether raw or cooked.
“Chop them, but not too finely. The tomatoes have turned red?” The tomato plants they dug from the mountain were growing well, with mixed results in terms of taste. Some of the ripe fruits, even when red, were sour, while others were sweet and sour.
Tang Li nodded and showed him the basin, saying, “I’ve picked all the ripe ones, and there are still quite a few green ones. Brother, should we save some for seeds?”
“Yes, let’s save some, but it’s a bit early for now,” Tang Xu said as he poured the beaten eggs into the pan and stirred them. Then he poured in the bowl of soybean paste, followed by the diced meat. After frying until fragrant, he added the chopped green onion leaves and continued to stir. The egg, meat, and soybean paste mixture was now ready.
“Brother! Dad’s awake!” Tang Yang shouted from outside the kitchen.
“Set the table. We’ll be ready to eat soon,” Tang Xu turned to Tang Li again. “The potatoes and eggplants in the steamer are ready. Put them in a bowl and bring them out, but be careful not to burn yourself.”
He finished washing the pot and then stir-fried the peanuts. When the peanuts were done, he turned off the stove and carried them out.
"Set the tableware, Dad, go wash your face and freshen up, I'll pick some cabbage leaves," Tang Xu said.
The cabbage in the field was growing well, with green and wide leaves. Tang Xu picked a head of cabbage and carried it to the well, pulling off the outer layer of leaves and tossing them into the chicken coop.
As Tang Erhu came over to wash his face, he observed Tang Xu rinsing the cabbage leaves and commented, "Having a well in the yard is convenient."
"Yeah," Tang Xu poured water into the basin, indicating for him to wash his face here, "We'll also have someone come dig a cellar. In the fall, we can store more fresh vegetables, so we won't have to eat dried vegetables and pickles every day in the winter."
"Sounds good, sounds good," Tang Erhu nodded with a smile, muttering a few words.
Tang Xu noticed his father's voice sounded somewhat despondent and looked over. The hands of the middle-aged man, hardened from years of labor, were covered in calluses and deep wrinkles, with some areas cracked and rough.
Tang Xu grabbed a towel from the rack by the well and handed it to him. "Dad, we have to keep moving forward in life. There's no obstacle we can't overcome. We still have me, Ah Li, and Ah Yang. As for Ah Rui, that child is probably just a bit spoiled. Don't dwell too much on him."
Tang Erhu sighed heavily and wiped his face, mumbling in a gloomy tone, "It's not that he's spoiled, it's that your mother... it's Liu Xiangxiang who's indulged him!"
Tang Xu smiled reassuringly at him. "Dad, children have their own destinies. You've done your best to support him in his studies. The rest is up to him. He knows best whether he'll succeed or not."
"I'm afraid that if I continue to support him now, I don't know what else he'll demand in the future. You didn't see the way he divided the silver with his mother that day. It sent chills down my spine!" Lately, Tang Erhu has been truly struggling. It's not just Liu Xiangxiang who has hurt his heart, but his own son as well.
He doesn't know exactly how much silver is in the house, but he has a rough idea. Tang Rui must have taken at least twenty taels of silver when he left.
After Tang Rui and Liu Xiangxiang left, Tang Erhu went to look at the small box where the money was kept, only to find it empty, not even a single copper coin left.
Tang Erhu felt like he was about to lose it at that moment.
Now, hearing Tang Xuan comforting him, he finally couldn't hold back anymore. He covered his face with his rough hands and choked out, " Xu Ge'er, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for all of you!"
Tang Xuan sighed heavily, took a couple of steps forward, and gently embraced his emotionally fragile adoptive father at this moment, whispering softly, "Dad, if the money's gone, we'll save up again. You have to pull yourself together. I don't blame you, and Ah Li and Ah Yang won't blame you either."
Tang Xuan stepped back, smiled, and said, "Alright, Dad, wash your face again, let's have dinner."
Steamed eggplant and potatoes, fried peanuts, minced meat with eggs, all put into one bowl and mashed together, then mixed with rice.
After tasting it, he added a bit more salt and half a spoonful of sauce, stirred it evenly, then laid out clean cabbage leaves, scooped a large spoonful of the mixed eggplant and rice onto the leaves, and wrapped them up.
On the side, two adults and three children watched his actions with thick suspicion. Can it really taste good like this?
Tang Xu lifted his eyes and met five pairs of skeptical eyes. He raised an eyebrow, then handed the big rice bundle in his hand to Wei Dong, tilting his chin slightly, "Take a bite and try."
Wei Dong was very hesitant.
He had eaten raw cabbage leaves before, and honestly, he didn't like them.
But he also had great trust in his husband's cooking skills, so after hesitating for a moment, he reluctantly took a bite. He chewed for a while, his eyes widening suddenly. Tang Xu smiled and asked, "Is it delicious?"
With his mouth full, Wei Dong nodded, "Mmm!"
Tang Xuan quickly wrapped up a second one and handed it to his adoptive father, "Dad, look, even your brother-in-law says it's delicious. You should try it too." He said this as if someone was testing poison.
Tang Erhu took it, holding it with both hands, and took a bite with his head lowered.
There was no need for many words; just by seeing him enjoy each mouthful, it was clear that the rice bundle in his hand was to his liking.
Initially, Tang Erhu had planned to have a couple of drinks with his brother-in-law, but after devouring one big rice bundle, he ended up sitting back heavily in his chair, panting heavily.
"It's been days since we've had a decent meal."
Tang Li was lowering her head, biting into her rice bundle. Hearing his murmured words, her hand trembled, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
Tang Xu served a bowl of rice soup and placed it in front of Tang Erhu, saying, "Dad, did you come today to bring them back home?"
"Yeah, if we don't go back, the pigs at home will starve to death," Tang Erhu said with half-closed eyes, his body in a very relaxed state. "Your mother, after she left, I'm not very good at feeding the pigs, and the chickens haven't laid eggs for two days."
Tang Li became anxious. "Dad, you didn't feed the chickens?"
"I did, I fed them some grass," Tang Erhu scratched his head. He had always only cared about the crops in the fields. Not to mention feeding the chickens or pigs, he hadn't even weeded the vegetable garden at home. It was too difficult for him to handle these tasks these past few days.
Tang Li became even more anxious. "Then let's go back after we finish eating. Brother, can you give me a few bean cakes? I'll feed the pigs when I get back."
"Sure, you take a basket and pack more," Tang Xu advised. "You eat your meal properly first, don't rush. I'll ask your brother-in-law to drive you back later."
Thinking of this, he turned to Tang Erhu again and asked, "Dad, should we start harvesting the wheat in the dry fields?"
"Yeah, while it's not raining lately, we need to harvest quickly. Your uncle's family started cutting a couple of days ago," Tang Erhu said with a worried expression.
Every year when it's time to harvest wheat, Liu Xiangxiang used to help in the fields. Now, he's all alone. With so many acres of land, he's afraid that if it rains continuously, the wheat spikes will be ruined. "It's tough this year."
Tang Xu turned to look at Wei Dong, who returned a puzzled look, "?".
"Let Dad take the mule to help with the work," he suggested. "Pulling the wheat back and forth is better than carrying it by yourself."
Tang Erhu waved his hand, "No need, I've been carrying for so many years, I'm used to it."
"You're already exhausted harvesting so much land alone. Carrying back and forth will only wear you out more," Tang Xu said. He wouldn't suggest asking Wei Dong to help with cutting wheat, but lending out the mule cart was feasible.
They hadn't been going to town recently, and they didn't need the cart for their small business at home. The mule must be feeling cooped up lately; it needed to stretch its legs. "Take the mule cart back, Ah Yang can feed it normally, and it'll get some exercise too, instead of being cooped up in the yard all the time."
"There's nowhere to keep it," Tang Erhu thought of the tall donkey. Actually, he wanted to agree, but there was nowhere in the yard to tie it, and there was no place for it to rest at night.
"Dad," Tang Xu said with a serious face, "Am I your child?"
Tang Erhu was taken aback, looking at him earnestly, nodding vigorously, "Yes, you've always been."
"That's it then. You bring it back, morning and evening, don't need to harness the cart for it, just let it run back freely," Tang Xu said. When he said this, everyone except Wei Dong looked up at him, shocked.
"But what if it gets lost?" This was Wei Xi's question.
Tang Li nodded, "Yeah, letting it run on its own, it's bound to get lost."
"I don't think it will get lost," Tang Yang said, setting down the rice bundle he still had a small portion of and holding his bowl of rice soup. "When that big donkey pulls the cart to town, it always runs back home by itself. My brother-in-law just sits there and sleeps, he doesn't even look at the road."
Tang Xu looked at him, surprised. "How do you know?"
"I've seen it. The big donkey runs happily, and my brother-in-law taps its butt with a stick to slow it down, but it still whips its tail and hits it," Tang Yang finished his rice soup, licked his lips, and continued eating his rice bundle. "Dad, you can rest assured. If you're worried, I can drive the cart every day, but then I'll have to stay at Brother's house at night!"
Tang Erhu glared at him. "Don't think about always causing trouble for your brother!"
Tang Yang shrugged, obediently eating his meal without saying a word.
At this moment, Wei Dong finally finished his meal, wiping his mouth and hands with a cloth. After gulping down half a bowl of rice soup, he said to Tang Erhu, "Dad, this donkey can find its way home, and no one else can steal it. It runs fast and has great strength. Even if someone tries to harness it, it would take several people to manage, and if there's any commotion, I'll have to step in to handle it.
Don't worry, in the morning when the roosters crow, I'll let it out, and after you're done with your work in the evening, you can release it again. It knows how to come back on its own."
The mule's ability to recognize the way home was something he had discovered first. On two occasions when he had nodded off while driving the cart, he found that the mule had followed the correct route. After trying it a few more times, he realized that it understood where to go each time and ran happily on its own.
"It's run on this road between the villages several times already. Dad, if you're still not convinced, try it later," Tang Xu said with a mischievous smile, cupping his face. "You lie on the cart and let it pull you back home. When you reach the front door, pat its butt, and then let it pull you back."
Tang Erhu chuckled and shook his head, "Nonsense!"
The result of this nonsense was that he ended up lying on the cart, being pulled around the village by the big mule.
Many people who knew him in the village were puzzled when they saw this, wanting to ask but unable to stop the mule, which was running too fast. After a whirlwind of dust, the cart had already run more than ten meters away.
Despite the bumps, Tang Erhu still managed to doze off on the cart. He really hadn't been getting enough rest lately.
"Alright, then I'll take them back now," Tang Erhu waved to the siblings. "Let's go."
The siblings were reluctant to leave, but they knew they had to go back.
Tang Xu handed them two small money pouches, patting their heads. "Here, one for each of you. If you encounter any difficulties after returning, remember to come and tell me."
The siblings hugged Tang Xu and rubbed their faces against his, their eyes red. They waved to him as they left.
After they left, Wei Xi pouted and asked, "Why can't we live together?"
Tang Xu was taken aback and smiled, "That's impossible. Your brother isn't marrying into our family."
Wei Xi wasn't happy, "Then my brother can marry into your family."
"Forget about it, even if your brother wants to, I wouldn't agree," Tang Xu laughed as he poked his face, unexpectedly finding it quite pleasant to touch. "Have you gained weight recently?"
"Sure, you're definitely better than before, but not taking medicine is impossible," Tang Xu ruthlessly shattered his illusion, pinching his arm and feeling his chest and back. "You've really gained a lot of weight, I can't even feel your ribs anymore."
"I've also grown taller!" Wei Xi raised his hand and gestured above his head. "Before, I was about the same height as Ah Yang, but now I'm a bit taller than him. But Ah Yang is much stronger than me. I just heard Uncle Erhu say he's gotten fat."
Tang Xu chuckled. "You two have grown a lot, eating and playing. Not growing would be a waste of all the effort I put into cooking delicious food for you every day. Now go, take a shower and go to bed."
"Okay, I'll go shower first."
It wasn't completely dark yet when Tang Xu went to the backyard to check on the livestock.
The fat pig Hui truly adhered to the principles of eating, sleeping, and defecating. It would eat and then sleep, then wake up and defecate, and when it finished defecating, it would get hungry and start squealing for food, repeating the cycle every day.
Tang Xu opened the gate and went in, scooping water from the bucket to rinse the stone slabs on the ground. He then used a large brush to scrub the ground and rinsed it with clean water.
When the fat piglet woke up and saw Tang Xu, it immediately trotted over and bumped its body against his shins. Tang Xu looked down at it, "Go back to sleep, dinner's over, do you still want to eat?" The fat piglet snorted happily, continuing to bump into him.
Tang Xu nearly got knocked over by it and reached down to give it a pat, "Alright, alright, I'll bring you two bean cakes for supper later, go on now."
After tidying up the pigsty, he went to clean the chicken coop and found two warm eggs in the straw nest. The young rooster saw Tang Xu taking away the eggs and flapped its wings behind him. Tang Xu shooed it away, "Go away, guard your wives, don't follow me around."
The rooster stretched its neck and made a cackling sound, sounding quite angry.
Tang Xu snorted and swept away the messy grass on the ground with his foot, piling it to the side. He needed to remind Wei Xi not to throw so much grass into the chicken coop when feeding them. Cleaning the rabbit hutch was relatively easy; at least there wasn't any feces stuck to the stone slabs that needed scrubbing. A quick sweep would do.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled.
Tang Xu grabbed a few grass mats nearby and laid them over the top of the hut, thickening the roof to prevent leaks.
"Bao'er!" Wei Dong heard the thunder and came over from the front yard. "I need you."
Upon hearing Wei Dong's call, Tang Xu couldn't help but recall the situation when Wei Dong was in the kitchen before. He sniffed, feeling his face flush.
Without saying anything, if Wei Dong needed him, of course, he would help!
…
After the Tang siblings returned home, the lunchtime snack stall was much busier. Tang Xu thought it might be a good idea to reduce the number of skewers, but Wei Xi strongly opposed it.
"Brother, I'm not tired. After breakfast, I can thread the skewers while sitting," Wei Xi insisted.
"Six hundred skewers. You're not tired today, but what about tomorrow? And the day after?" Tang Xu frowned. Although it was a small business, he didn't intend to tire out Wei Xi over this. Both he and Wei Dong had other things to attend to, and threading skewers couldn't be their sole focus.
"How about I go and ask Auntie to help?" Wei Dong suggested from the side.
Tang Xu looked at Wei Xi, the young lad shaking his head. "No need, I can handle it myself! You have to trust me, really. If I can't keep up, then I'll ask Auntie to help me. Besides, Auntie has her own things to do, especially now that wheat harvesting has started. No one's free."
"Wei Xi, you've really grown up. Alright, then you do it yourself for now. If it gets too much, you must tell us," Tang Xu ruffled his hair, and Wei Dong handed him the prepared bamboo skewers in a basket. "If you're not feeling well, speak up."
Wei Xi nodded in agreement and went to thread the skewers.
At noon, the snack stall opened for business, attracting not only customers but also Manager Wu. Manager Wu arrived much like Tang Erhu, following the aroma all the way.
He hadn't expected Tang Xu to have started this hotpot skewer business. Just by looking at the queue, he knew how popular it was. These skewers must be delicious!
He had his carriage parked nearby and went to join the queue himself, buying ten skewers with a mix of meat and vegetables to taste the flavor.
The one driving the carriage was Xiao Muzi, who had been salivating at the aroma for quite some time. Seeing Manager Wu getting ten skewers for just five coins, he also paid for ten skewers himself.
Tang Xu was busy cutting cold noodles and mixing them. He hadn't noticed the two of them.
It wasn't until someone in front of him asked for a portion of cold noodles with sesame and peanut sauce that he recognized the familiar voice. He looked up to see Manager Wu smiling, holding five copper coins. "Manager Wu!"
" Xu Ge'er, I should call you Boss Tang now," Manager Wu said with a smile.
Tang Xu's hands moved swiftly as he scooped some sesame and peanut sauce along with the prepared sauce, asking, "Manager Wu, would you like some bean sprouts?"
"Sure, I'll eat whatever you normally serve."
"Do you want it spicy? I have two kinds of spicy sauce, fragrant spicy and numbing spicy."
"I'll have fragrant spicy. I just had numbing spicy skewers earlier, and they were delicious." Manager Wu glanced at the people around him, all holding large bowls, but their bowls were mixed with cold soup and only had cucumber shreds. Unlike his bowl, which had very rich ingredients: bean sprouts, cucumber shreds, crushed peanuts, and chopped cilantro!
He held the large bowl and used chopsticks to mix the cold noodles and ingredients. The aroma wafted into his nose, and as he took a big bite, "Mmm!"
The texture, the flavor, exquisite!
This thing was only selling for five copper coins a bowl, but in a restaurant, he could sell it for fifty copper coins! Of course, fifty copper coins would be a bit expensive, but this was definitely worth more than five copper coins!
Manager Wu enjoyed the bowl of cold noodles with relish, and Xiao Muzi couldn't help but drool. He leaned over with a smile and asked Tang Xu, " Xu Ge'er, can you mix me a bowl too?"
"Sure," Tang Xu nodded with a smile, "you guys can pay for whatever you want to eat. The sauce is five copper coins, and the soup is three copper coins. What kind do you want?"
Xiao Muzi rubbed his hands together, looking at him. "I want to try both, Xu Ge'er, this sauce is too fragrant!"
"Alright, I'll give you half of each, and you can pay four copper coins," Tang Xu said. He had a large bowl prepared, ready to serve the cold noodles for those who hadn't brought their own bowls.
Xiao Muzi grinned happily, thoroughly pleased.
After the food at the small stall was sold out, Tang Xu invited the two inside his home.
Manager Wu complimented the grand mansion as soon as he entered the courtyard, expressing admiration for the spirited livestock and poultry.
"We're old acquaintances, Manager Wu. Just speak your mind," Tang Xu poured him a bowl of cool green bean soup from a bamboo tube. "Please, have a seat and speak freely."
As Wei Dong entered through the main gate and nodded at Manager Wu, the latter's attention was drawn to the wild mountain goat that Wei Dong was dragging into the courtyard.
"Wow! This is quite something!" Manager Wu exclaimed.
"Not for sale," Wei Dong replied icily.
Manager Wu's lips twitched. "I didn't come to buy," he said, though there was disbelief evident in his eyes. Wei Dong lifted the wild mountain goat with one hand and headed towards the backyard.
"Husband, also get a bowl of goat blood," Tang Xu reminded.
Wei Dong nodded stiffly.
Manager Wu turned to Tang Xu, expressing regret. "I thought we could strike another deal."
Tang Xu chuckled lightly. "It seems Manager Wu is already considering buying seasoning packets from me. I've prepared quite a few."
"The seasoning you sell is even better than what was prepared in the kitchen last time," Manager Wu licked his lips, still wanting more. "Honestly, I never thought that spicy flavor could be so refreshing, without making one feel overheated."
"Alright, I usually simmer a pot of this seasoning every night, using well water to dilute it. Over on your end, you can use ice cubes directly, but it shouldn't be too cold, or it'll feel greasy," Tang Xu explained. Seeing Manager Wu nod, he continued, "One packet costs fifty wen, which is enough to simmer a pot."
"One pot won't be enough," Manager Wu said, hearing that fifty wen wasn't too expensive but knowing he'd need more. "I'll send someone over every ten days, and they'll take away at least one hundred packets each time."
After thinking for a moment, Tang Xu offered some advice, "You could actually take fewer packets back to try first. If they sell well, you can always take more later."
"I trust your craftsmanship," Manager Wu said with a smile. "Could you make it a bit cheaper?"
"Alright, I'll give you a discount of two hundred wen for one hundred packets," Tang Xu shrugged. "It's a small-scale business, and you know that spices are expensive."
Manager Wu considered for a moment before agreeing, "Okay, I'll take one hundred packets back today. Is there anything specific to note when cooking with this?"
"I'll show you when I simmer a batch," Tang Xu replied. There wasn't much to explain; he led Manager Wu to the kitchen and dropped a small spice packet into the pot. It was indeed small, about half the size of a palm, wrapped in several layers of gauze.
Manager Wu grinned as he watched, unable to resist asking, "Are all the spices ground up inside?"
"Yes, I ground them up twice to ensure they're all finely powdered and can fully release their flavor," Tang Xu smiled, nodding to him.
Manager Wu chuckled helplessly, "You've completely cut off the path for others to imitate your seasoning."
"Of course, that's how I make money," Tang Xu added other seasonings to the pot. "Don't add too much soy sauce; the broth will turn black. Make sure the broth you simmer is deep red, and don't use too much oil. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top at the end."
Manager Wu sniffed the increasingly rich aroma and took a deep breath. "This isn't animal oil, is it?"
"It's bean oil. Although animal oil is more fragrant, this dish is served cold, and animal oil tends to be too greasy," Tang Xu replied, glancing at him. "You've already tasted the skewers; you can decide on the size and price yourselves. I sell them cheap because mainly villagers eat them. If they're too expensive, probably no one will buy them."
Manager Wu nodded and then asked, "Do you want to sell some of the cold noodles we just ate? Or perhaps sell me the recipe?"
"The recipe..." Tang Xu hesitated. "I'm not keen on selling the recipe, at least not right now."
"In that case, could you make some cold noodles every day, and I'll have someone come to pick them up?" Manager Wu was particularly interested in the cold noodles; they were delicious, cheap, and paired well with the skewers. With a refreshing fruit juice, he could already imagine the bustling scene in the restaurant.
Tang Xu sighed, "This dish really can't fetch a good price. You've tried it; you know roughly how it's made, right? I only sell a bowl for three wen. How much do you think would be fair for me to sell to you?"
Manager Wu was stumped by his question.
Tang Xu thought to himself that while making the cold noodles wasn't too much trouble, teaching someone else could be tiring, and he didn't want to exhaust himself every day for little profit.
"Manager, why don't you go back and see how the skewers sell first? I'll discuss the cold noodles with my husband, and I'll let you know our decision when I come to town to restock later," Tang Xu suggested.
Manager Wu had no choice but to agree.
After they left, Tang Xu went to the backyard and watched as Wei Dong disassembled the wild goat. "I didn't realize we had so many knives in our house!" he remarked. Disassembling just one goat had resulted in ten knives of various sizes strewn about. Wasn't that a bit exaggerated?
Wei Dong shrugged as he raised his knife. "I'm just letting them out to see some sunlight."
Tang Xu sighed and shook his head. Alright, he supposed his husband's knives needed some sun exposure.
"Shall we invite Dad, Ah Li and Ah Yang over for a lamb feast?" Wei Dong looked up at Tang Xu. "Or are you planning to send them half of the goat?"
"Whoever cooks, " Tang Xu replied, eyeing the not-so-big goat. "Let's invite them over; even my little kitchen might not have enough seasoning for stewing goat meat."
Wei Dong nodded. "Alright, I'll go call them over."
At that moment, at the home of Tang Erhu, both siblings looked on with pity at their crying mother.
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