Chapter 39 Two Hundred Taels in Hand

Chapter 39 Two Hundred Taels in Hand

After finishing all that, Xie Wanniang returned to her room, rubbing her aching back. There, she began organizing the embroidery frame, needles, thread, and fabric that Qin Niangzi had provided for her.

Xiao Yang followed in with her short legs. Xie Wan Niang caught a glimpse of her small figure and said with a smile, "I have to do needlework this afternoon, so I won't be able to look after you. You can go out and find other children in the village to play with."

Xiao Yang shook his head, "I want to see my sister do needlework."

The way Xie Wanniang was completely absorbed in embroidery had an indescribable and strange beauty in Xiao Yang's eyes, which she could never get tired of watching.

"Alright then." Xie Wanniang sat down in front of the embroidery frame. "Then if you're thirsty or hungry, find some water to drink and something to eat yourself."

There are tomatoes and cucumbers in the vegetable garden, and clean pears, dates, and grapes in the main room, along with sugar cubes and pastries wrapped in oil paper, and the mooncakes she just bought today. Xiaoyang can eat whatever he wants.

Of course, Xiaoyang wouldn't just put things in her mouth whenever she wanted. Even if she really wanted the fruit, candy, and snacks in the main room, the little girl would never take them or eat them on her own.

In her opinion, Xie Wanniang was already getting a great deal by providing her with three meals a day, and making sure she was well-fed and well-nourished at each meal.

In order not to lose the wonderful life she had never dreamed of, Xiaoyang managed to suppress her childlike craving for delicious food.

She would only cherish those things and eat them in small bites when Hao Yu, Jiang Yuan, or Xie Wanniang offered them to her.

After a whole afternoon of sewing, Xie Wanniang slowly got up and left the house as the sun set and the sky began to darken.

Xiao Yang, whom she had dispatched half an hour earlier, had already prepared the vegetables that Xie Wanniang would need that evening.

Xie Wanniang touched her dry, frizzy hair and said, "You've worked hard, Xiaoyang."

Xiao Yang affectionately nuzzled Xie Wan Niang's palm with her little head, "I helped you start the fire, I've already brought the firewood."

"Okay." Xie Wanniang replied, took out the pork belly she bought that morning, and prepared to cut the pork into chunks to make braised pork with green beans later.

For their staple food, she planned to make pancakes. She used all the small amount of white flour that the family had stored, and added about one-third sorghum flour. The resulting dough would be enough for them to eat tonight and tomorrow noon.

The pancakes made with sorghum flour weren't as delicate and soft as those made with pure white flour, but Xie Wanniang added two eggs to the dough, which greatly improved the texture of the pancakes.

Fragrant flatbreads and braised pork with green beans were served one after another, emitting a unique aroma of oil and meat that made many people, including Jiang Yuan, Hao Yu, and Xiao Yang, unconsciously swallow their saliva.

After Xie Wanniang stir-fried a large bowl of bright green lettuce leaves in the oil, the four of them sat around the table and began to enjoy this tempting dinner that was full of color, aroma and flavor.

Chen Moqin, the second son of Chen Lizheng next door, rubbed his stomach and said, "Wife, let's go buy some pork to eat tomorrow too."

His wife, Deng Xiaoyan, placed the stir-fried eggs with chili peppers she had prepared in front of him. "It's not like we haven't bought meat before. The reason it smells so good is because Miss Xie is a good cook; everything she makes smells better than what others make."

Her father-in-law was the village head, and their family lived better than most of the villagers. While other families might not be able to eat meat during festivals, their family could eat meat every ten days or so.

They usually get to eat a little bit of eggs and refined grains every day or two to satisfy their cravings.

But neither she, nor her sister-in-law, nor her mother-in-law could replicate the taste of Xie Wanniang's cooking.

Chen Moqin sighed, "Do you think we could talk to that Miss Xie and ask her to teach you a few moves when she has time?"

Fearing a glare from his wife, Chen Moqin added, "Of course, we won't let her teach us for nothing. Whether it's money or gifts, as long as she asks..."

"You're kidding me." Deng Xiaoyan picked up a wooden spoon and served Chen Moqin rice. "He's just a master chef who makes meals for families holding weddings and funerals in the village. His cooking is just so-so. But he has a family-record skill that he can pass down through generations."

"Whether it's money or gifts, if we give too much, we feel it's not worth it; if we give too little, it'll seem like we're bullying Miss Xie just because our father is the village head."

Chen Moqin slumped down, "But this is just too torturous, day after day."

Deng Xiaoyan picked up her bowl and calmly took a bite of chili-fried eggs. "What's wrong with this? It's quite nice to eat with this aroma."

When it comes to making a living, it's already pretty good if you're neither rich nor poor.

The composed Deng Xiaoyan was completely unable to empathize with her husband, who was practically drooling with envy.

Xie Wanniang and the others next door, who were eating with great satisfaction, had no idea that Chen Moqin had the idea of ​​having his wife learn cooking from Xie Wanniang. They quickly finished their dinner and then went back to doing their own things.

Jiang Yuan helped Xie Wanniang collect medicinal herbs, Hao Yu washed pots and pans and boiled a pot of water for everyone to use for washing later, while Xiao Yang first helped clean up the used dishes and chopsticks, and then squatted in front of the stove, earnestly helping to tend the fire.

Xie Wanniang lit the oil lamp and continued her needlework, working hard to earn two hundred taels of silver.

Only after everyone else had finished washing up and gone back to their rooms to rest did Xie Wanniang stop what she was doing and quickly wash up with a bucket of hot water that Jiang Yuan had brought for her.

For the next two months, Xie Wanniang mostly went into the mountains with Jiang Yuan and Xiao Yang. While trying to find time to embroider, she did not neglect her plan to collect herbs.

As for Hao Yu, although he also went out every day, he didn't go into the mountains to hunt for money and collect mountain products like Jiang Yuan.

Some families in the village with little land have been renting land under Hao Yu's name for farming for many years. Every autumn harvest season, Hao Yu would personally watch them harvest, thresh, and dry the grain, and then take away 60% of the grain and straw.

This 60% includes not only the rent they paid to Hao Yu, but also the land tax, miscellaneous taxes, and other taxes that Hao Yu had to pay.

Besides worrying about collecting rent from their own land, Hao Yu also had to help Chang Yao procure food and prepare winter clothes, just like in previous years.

Unlike previous years, the world is now at peace, which has made it easier for him to procure food and winter clothes, while also increasing his safety. He no longer needs to carry Jiang Yuan, his formidable henchman, with him all the time.

This is why Jiang Yuan can still go hunting in the mountains as usual, instead of going out with Hao Yu to run around.

The three of them were busy with their own things, and the days flew by in their constant busyness.

Just as she had planned, Xie Wanniang completed the embroidery order, which was worth a huge sum of two hundred taels of silver, within two months. After Qin Niangzi inspected the last two curtains, she successfully received her heavy twenty silver ingots.