Chapter 144

Chapter 144

A good number of pumpkins have grown in the field. However, with limited ingredients, they’ve been relying heavily on pumpkins for meals, and the pumpkins stored in the cellar are running low.

Lin Chunyan didn’t want to keep eating pumpkins, so she asked Mrs. Zhang to try using other ingredients. There were still many bitter gourds and loofahs in the field, and if not, they could still eat green beans and eggplants.

Mrs. Zhang wasn’t pleased. "We’ve been eating those for ages; they don’t even taste good anymore. Besides, I saw that the pumpkins in the field are still growing. When I went to the field early this morning, I found several more by lifting the leaves."

The carrots that Lin Chunyan had planted were sown too late and didn’t sprout. Recently, she had rarely gone to the field to check, unlike before when she would go several times a day.

When she heard there were more pumpkins, Lin Chunyan went with Mrs. Zhang to check, and sure enough, a few more had grown, making her really happy.

Pumpkins can be planted in spring and directly sown in autumn without starting from seeds. Lin Chunyan decided to plant another round of pumpkins.

Since Mrs. Zhang loved pumpkins, she volunteered to plant them and asked Lin Taohong to lend a hand.

After working for a while, both of them were sweating profusely. Mrs. Zhang was so tired that her back ached and she cursed the heavens for being so hot at this time.

"Where is it hot? It’s just because we’ve been working. Who didn’t cover themselves at night and ended up with a stomachache from diarrhea?" Lin Taohong wiped the sweat from her forehead, and even though she felt it was very hot, she still argued with Mrs. Zhang.

Lin Chunyan wasn’t idle either. She thought there were only a few pumpkins left and was still reluctant to eat them. But seeing that there were more, she took one out and made pumpkin bread.

When Mrs. Zhang saw the bread coming out of the bread oven, it was clearly made from pumpkin, with a golden color that looked very beautiful, and she could smell a hint of sweetness.

Lin Chunyan also enjoyed making bread. She kneaded the dough back and forth vigorously, watching as the gluten developed. It not only relieved her stress but also gave her a great sense of accomplishment.

The sweet fragrance in the air made her happy; it was a comforting and reassuring scent.

Mrs. Zhang had already started eating the bread. The soft bread had a milky taste, and she guessed that sheep’s milk must have been added.

Apart from that, Lin Chunyan hadn’t added any nuts or dried fruits. Just eating it soft like this, it tasted very good.

It had only been sunny for two days before the weather turned uncooperative again. After eating two pieces of bread, Lin Chunyan went to the west room to check on the drying grapes, fearing they might mold due to the bad weather.

Wang Yingniang saw how worried she was and suggested putting the grapes in the bread oven to dry. "Just like the kiwi fruit from last year. I remember our grapes were dried in the bread oven last year."

Lin Chunyan couldn’t remember very well, but this year they had harvested even more grapes. If they were all to be dried in the bread oven, it was uncertain how long it would take.

"Let’s wait a bit longer. Maybe it will be sunny tomorrow."

The task of cooking for the people helping on the mountain was given to Second Aunt Lin. Everyone knew that Lin Cuixiang often prepared banquets for people, and her skills were impeccable, so they expected Second Aunt Lin’s skills to be just as good.

For this reason, Second Aunt Lin had specifically learned a few dishes from Lin Cuixiang, planning to show off her skills.

She had three older brothers in her family back home. They had come to find Second Aunt Lin, except for Wu Erge, who had proper business to attend to.

Even Shuangjie’s mother had come, saying she wanted to help with the work since she had nothing else to do at home.

Second Aunt Lin didn’t agree to any of it. It had been over a month since she last visited her natal home after the Dragon Boat Festival. Her brothers and sisters-in-law had come to see what was going on.

Second Aunt Lin didn’t mention that she was still bothered by what the elderly matriarch had said, only that she had been too busy to visit and took the opportunity to inquire about Shuangjie’s situation.

According to the calculations, Shuangjie had been pregnant for almost four months.

The news she heard was all good. Even Wu Erge had let go of his previous grievances, and they were all counting on Shuangjie’s pregnancy to redeem them.

Second Aunt Lin didn’t keep her family there any longer. She calculated the cost of today’s meal and went to find Wang Yingniang to get the money. Seeing that Lin Chunyan and the others had not left yet, she stayed to chat with them for a bit.

"I see that the pigsty and chicken coop are almost finished. Which place should we build next?"

Building these shelters is different from building houses, so it naturally goes faster. Lin Chunyan had them build a small rest house nearby, so even if it rains, people won’t get wet.

"We can produce the ham here, so we won’t have to make it at Ding Hui Niang’s house anymore."

After waiting anxiously, Zhang Xiaojiu finally returned from his trip. This time, he had gone to faraway places and brought back a lot of merchandise. Lin Chunyan was quite worried whether that merchandise would sell well.

Calculating the time, the batch of ham that Ding Hui Niang and her team made was ready to eat and could be sold.

This time, it wasn’t Zhang Xiaojiu but Dabao who was vomiting on the shore after getting off the boat. After just one trip, he had lost a lot of weight and was dry heaving for a long time before following Zhang Xiaojiu toward Lin’s establishment.

Lin Taohong had already seen them and quickly called Lin Chunyan over. By the time Zhang Xiaojiu and the others arrived at the establishment, Lin Chunyan had already poured them some water.

Zhang Xiaojiu and Li Youfu gulped down the water and then grinned broadly. "This trip took us to some faraway places, and we sold all the mooncakes we brought!"

They didn’t return empty-handed; they also brought back wool collected from various places along with other items. Every time, the boat crew had to help them bring it back.

Incidentally, Yu Chuanfu stayed for a meal.

Hearing this, Lin Chunyan felt relieved. "As long as they sell well, that’s fine. This batch of ham we’ve made is quite large; we’ve almost used up all the pigs around here."

Zhang Xiaojiu wasn’t worried about the supply but was concerned about whether they could sell the ham in sufficient quantities.

Lin Chunyan noticed his concern and told him not to worry. "I’ve already spoken with the escort agency. When they go on their next escort, I’ve asked them to help bring some along."

Lin Taohong had been listening and now looked at Lin Chunyan suspiciously. "When did you talk to the escort agency? How come I don’t know?"

Afraid that Lin Taohong would press for more details, Lin Chunyan quickly changed the subject. "It’s almost the Mid-Autumn Festival. We should spend the festival at home first and then rest properly before heading to the next place."

Since returning, Li Youfu had been constantly looking for Lan Jier, feeling disappointed when he couldn’t see her.

Zhang Xiaojiu didn’t notice and was only worried about returning home, not knowing how to face Mashi. He was afraid that Mashi would still be the same, and when he returned, there would inevitably be arguments.

Dabao, sitting nearby, perked up. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now, after not eating or drinking well on the trip and receiving cold treatment from Zhang Xiaojiu, he missed Mashi even more.

Thinking about it, if they could return to the old days when his mother doted on him so much, he would be willing to follow Zhang Xiaojiu to run goods again.

Even though he didn’t want to go back, Zhang Xiaojiu still led Dabao homeward. The wool was left at the establishment, waiting for Erlang to pass by and load it onto a cart to take back.

"He didn’t even check on Lan Jier and Hui Jier," Mrs. Zhang complained as she watched Zhang Xiaojiu leave. "He says it’s for their good, but who knows what he’s really thinking."

Lin Chunyan also found it a bit speechless that Zhang Xiaojiu only asked two questions and, upon learning they were doing well, didn’t seem to care further. Lan Jier and Hui Jier were such good people; it was a pity they ended up with such parents.

Thinking further, there were countless women in the world even worse off than Lan Jier and Hui Jier, like Qiwen Jie, who had been drained by her parents her whole life.

During this time, the swimming crabs at their establishment had been selling very well. Seeing the trend, Lin Chunyan specially asked the delivery person to bring more.

"Young miss, don’t just focus on the swimming crabs. There are other seafood products too."

This man saw that Lin Chunyan was a big customer and brought a lot of seafood, hoping she would buy more.

Lin Chunyan picked and chose, selecting what she needed. "If you have clams, bring some next time for me to look at."

She wanted clams because the last time she went out to a stall, she saw someone selling mandarin fish with fake clams passing off as real ones.

Comparatively speaking, clam meat is a rarer seafood, but mandarin fish is easier to obtain, so this dish of imitation clam meat is still quite popular these days.

Lin Chunyan had never eaten it before and was very curious to try the taste. She discovered that the dish involved slicing fresh mandarin fish into thin pieces, similar in size to clam meat. The fish was seasoned with ginger, scallions, and pepper, then quickly scalded in a broth made from shrimp, resulting in a flavor quite close to that of clams.

The lady running the stall knew Lin Chunyan and gave her a full bowl, asking her to help critique it.

The last time she was at the stall, Lin Chunyan had also tasted fried quail and didn’t dare to underestimate the vendor’s skills. Although she could tell how it was made, she was still extremely impressed by their craftsmanship.

Seeing that Lin Chunyan was being so respectful, the lady grew a bit more proud. “This dish is a family tradition. We’ve been making it for decades. Even though it’s an imitation clam dish, we have many repeat customers because it tastes so good.”

After eating the mandarin fish imitation clam meat, Lin Chunyan realized that she had rarely eaten real clam meat since arriving here.

When she asked about this, the man selling seafood shook his head. “You’re putting me in a difficult spot. Clam meat is very expensive and is generally only affordable for high-ranking officials and wealthy people.”

Lin Chunyan had wanted to taste clams again but had to give up on the idea.

In addition to the millet and sorghum ripening in the fields, pomegranates, apples, pears, and jujubes were also gradually ripening.

The small courtyard where Dong Taoyu lived had a pomegranate tree. The last time Lin Chunyan visited, she saw the fruits hanging on the tree and was very envious.

Dong Taoyu said that when the pomegranates ripened, she would send some over. Just after Lin Chunyan placed the sunflower seeds brought by Jin Niangzi into the backyard, she saw Madam Chen bringing over two baskets of pomegranates.

Mrs. Zhang immediately went over and asked, “Why so many pomegranates?” though the smile on her lips could not be hidden.

Madam Chen spoke to her with a smile, “I know you have many people here, and they’ll be gone once everyone gets a few. We still have many left at home; we had a big harvest of pomegranates this year.”

Lin Chunyan thanked her and gave her some freshly made swimming crabs to take back. She planned to give out the pomegranates as Mid-Autumn Festival gifts, with each person getting a few.

With nothing to do at Lin’s establishment, Lin Chunyan began to peel the sunflower seeds one by one. At first, she found it fun, but her hands quickly started to ache.

Seeing this, Mrs. Song told Lin Chunyan to go rest for a while. “I’ll help you peel them when I have time in the evening.”

Lin Chunyan declined, knowing that Mrs. Song would be busy making cold rice cakes in the evening, which was not an easy task.

Mrs. Song knew she was being considerate and only said that Mr. Song would help in the evening, and the two of them would finish quickly together.

This was more than what most people would do; many wouldn’t even bother cooking and just expect to be served when they got home.

Lin Taohong didn’t want to peel sunflower seeds. She couldn’t even look at them, feeling like she would get goosebumps all over, afraid of the dense arrangement of seeds.

Dong Taoyu was similar to her; she was diligent in other tasks but would avoid walking near the sunflower seeds spread all over the ground.

Since Mrs. Zhang loved eating sunflower seeds, Lin Chunyan went to ask her for help peeling them. “Otherwise, we won’t roast them and will just return them to Aunt Jin.”

Mrs. Zhang loved eating but didn’t want to work and insisted on dragging Lin Taohong over to help. Before they started working, the two of them had an argument.

“Yan Niang, look at how Red Lady is just trying to slack off; don’t just ignore her.”

Lin Taohong was already tired of arguing with Mrs. Zhang and, throwing the curtain aside, went outside to help with the work.

Seeing her reaction, Hu Daqiang chuckled. “Looks like you had another argument with the old lady, huh?”

Lin Taohong’s temper had improved a lot. In the past, she would have argued back to prove she was right.

But after someone proposed marriage to her, she realized she was a grown woman and that constantly arguing with Mrs. Zhang was pointless.

At home, it didn’t matter because no one could hear them, but at Lin’s establishment, it could damage her reputation.

But Mrs. Zhang seemed to take pleasure in stirring up trouble and always liked to come over to create problems.

As Lin Chunyan peeled sunflower seeds, she wondered if the sunflower seed oil she had heard about was made from these very seeds.

There were actually quite a few types of oil available at the time. Besides lard, the grain and oil shop also sold various vegetable oils, including sesame, soybean, rapeseed, and tea oils. However, the prices were all quite expensive and not something ordinary families could afford.

Lin Chunyan would buy some from time to time, but what she used the most was still lard. After all, they often used pork in their cooking, so lard was relatively easy for them to obtain.

Their town didn’t have an oil press workshop, but it was said that there was one in Gourd Town. Every time the oil was pressed, the fragrance would waft through several alleys.

After returning home, Lin Chunyan took out the soybeans and found an empty spot to spread them on the ground.

Their house had a large stock of soybeans. Before, when they made tofu, the villagers were unwilling to buy it with money. Instead, they mostly exchanged soybeans for tofu, and over time, the quantity became quite substantial.

She wasn’t planning to plant the soybeans. She spread them on a thin layer of soil and covered them with a layer of straw. In this period of lingering summer heat, it wouldn’t take more than two days for the bean sprouts to grow quite long.

Once they had grown, Lin Chunyan collected all the bean sprouts. Each sprout had some dirt attached, but that wasn’t a problem. Most of the dirt could be shaken off easily.

“Are we going to eat soybean sprouts?”

Lin Chunyan nodded, planning to make boiled sliced pork.

The pork slices were made from tenderloin, which was both fresh and tender. After marinating, it was stir-fried in a wok, and after adding seasoning, water was added to bring it to a boil. Then dried bean curd sticks, tofu skin, vegetables, and bean sprouts were put in.

Right before it was done, minced garlic was added, and hot oil was drizzled over it to finish.

The next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the people at the establishment took turns resting for half a day, each taking some festival gifts back with them.

Even those working on the mountain received some gifts. Each person got two mooncakes and a piece of tofu. Though modest, it was a thoughtful gesture.

Wang Yingniang took the opportunity of the festival to go up the mountain and picked a lot of cocklebur.

This was something she used to play with as a child, and no one paid much attention to it. But when you had a stuffy nose, boiling cocklebur with red dates could quickly relieve a stuffy nose.

Every plant and tree on the mountain was beneficial. They were gifts from nature to people. You just needed to pick them at the right time and store them properly.

“Your eldest uncle said he’s going back, and I’m going with him to check things out and bring back some crabs.”

After Mrs. Zhang had prepared herself, she informed Lin Chunyan and then went back to Zhang family village with them.

In addition to bringing back some crabs, Mrs. Zhang also wanted to check on Zhang Xiaojiu and Mashi to see if the couple had caused any trouble.

Lin Chunyan gave her a lot of things to take and specifically told her not to quarrel with that old woman in the village again. “If you cause a scene again, I don’t think you should go back.”

Lin Chunyan didn’t need to say anything; Mrs. Zhang had already forgotten about the incident during the temple fair in Zhang family village. She became upset for a moment: “If that old woman causes trouble again, I’ll teach her a lesson.”

Seeing Lin Chunyan’s face darken, she quickly assured her: “We’ll just argue. I promise it won’t come to a fight.”

Zhang Manliang had been waiting there, munching on food non-stop, not in any hurry at all.

Whenever Mrs. Zhang stayed at her birth family’s home for a few days, she always felt reluctant to leave and wanted to bring Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong along. “We’ve never been separated, us mother and daughters.”

Lin Taohong refused to go. “Mother, you’ll be back tomorrow. Just don’t stay for several days like last time.”

Mrs. Zhang left with frequent looks back, clearly reluctant to go. Now, only three girls were left at home. Although Mrs. Zhang usually didn’t control them much, it felt different without any adults around.

Lin Taohong jumped with excitement. Lin Fengdie knew they could manage on their own, so she brought her things and insisted on sleeping with them.

"When she saw you coming, Xiang Niang likely decided to join us too."

Sure enough, Lin Cuixiang had prepared herself early and came over, smiling at them. "Big sister, are we going to make something delicious?"

Lin Chunyan had just sent Sanlang to town to buy some ice. "While it's still hot, let's have milk sugar syrup."

The women cheered with delight. If Mrs. Zhang were here, she’d surely scold them for spending so much. The price of ice was as expensive as ever, still a costly treat.

Lin Chunyan didn’t care. She had been craving ice for a while. Wang Yingniang helped squeeze the goat milk, added some sugar, and stirred until it thickened. Then it was set aside for later use.

Meanwhile, Lin Fengdie and Lin Cuixiang were also busy. They carefully chipped the ice into small pieces, piled it into bowls, and poured the thick milk syrup over it. The milk sugar syrup was ready.

They had harvested plenty of hawthorns the previous year. After selling some to Shopkeeper Cao, the rest were made into haw flakes, which were still edible.

Lin Chunyan planned to add a lot to the milk sugar syrup. In a few days, they would harvest more hawthorns, and there was no way they’d be able to eat them all.

"Otherwise, we could make hawthorn cakes for Clear Breeze Building. We can't let them go to waste."

Too many people knew how to make hawthorn cakes, so it wouldn’t be anything new. Lin Chunyan wasn’t sure if Lady Zhu would accept them.

Everyone knew that the pastries at Clear Breeze Building were unique, and they already had a skilled pastry chef.

Once the milk sugar syrup was ready, the women sat in the courtyard, eating slowly. By mid-August, the mosquitoes were starting to die off and no longer bit like they used to; their days were numbered.

No one had lit any mosquito coils in the courtyard. Only the late autumn breeze blew, taking away the fatigue and making everyone feel relaxed.

"Yingniang, eat less or you'll have a stomachache when that time comes."

Lin Taohong looked at Wang Yingniang sympathetically. Wang Yingniang, not experiencing that yet, was eating the most happily.

The gate had been locked earlier. The sky seemed to have an extra layer of deep blue. The distant mountains were still faintly visible, but as it grew darker, the flowers near the door became harder to make out.

The perilla, mint, and mugwort near the door were still thriving. On the other side, wild chrysanthemums had begun to bloom, their yellow flowers popping out one by one, bringing joy to anyone who saw them.

Trumpet vines climbed up the courtyard walls, a gift from Lady Li, who did the laundry in town. When they bloomed, they were a vivid red, looking exceptionally beautiful.

Lin Chunyan listened to Lin Fengdie and Lin Taohong chat about village gossip while she slowly finished the ice, then leaned back in her chair, content.

As the moon rose, the ladies all looked up at the sky together.

"Is there really a goddess Chang'e and a jade rabbit up there?"

"There probably is," Lin Chunyan said, gazing at the eternal moon. She wondered if this was the same moon she had seen countless times before and which one she had seen first.

"It looks just as tempting as a mooncake."

Lin Taohong finished her ice, took a mooncake, and seeing the pomegranates and grapes on the table, she couldn’t help but smile.