Dinner was dumplings stuffed with pork cabbage and pork scallions, accompanied by a thick and appetizing pot of radish and oxtail soup.
The oxtail soup was a good thing. Not only could it nourish the Qi and remove dampness, but it could also strengthen the tendons and bones, nourish the five viscera. It tasted delicious and was suitable for both young and old. However, cows were a very important source of power for farming in ancient times. Therefore, the previous dynasty had issued a law that prohibited the slaughter of cattle.
So what kind of person would have the guts to make a pot of forbidden oxtail soup?
A beautiful face suddenly flashed across Yu Wan’s mind.
What a coincidence…
No matter what, thanks to Little Bruiser, their family could drink the oxtail soup that ordinary people would never be able to drink in their entire lives.
The oxtail was stewed until it was mushy, and the colloid melted into the soup. The light soup instantly became thick. After drinking a spoonful, one could feel the mushy meat skin melt in the mouth. The sweetness of the radish also blended well into the spicy soup. The tofu was the finishing touch, completely bringing out the freshness of the ingredients.
The family drank to their fill and their bodies were warm. It was so satisfying to have such a bowl of soup in the middle of winter.
Little Bruiser finished eating the last piece of oxtail. After that, he even sucked his fingers, not letting go of a single drop of fat.
They had also finished eating the dumplings, but there was still a lot of stuffing left. After dinner, Yu Wan left with her aunt to give out corn noodles and noodles. They rolled them into dumpling skin and bun skin and wrapped the remaining meat stuffing.
Little Bruiser also wrapped a few and he actually did a good job! But he was a child after all. After a while, he fell asleep on the chair.
Yu Wan wrapped Little Bruiser tightly in a cotton shirt and carried him back to the house with Mrs. Jiang.
Yu Wan heated hot water and lit a brazier. After washing up, the family lay on the warm bed.
Little Bruiser lay on the pillow, drooling.
The fire in the room gradually dimmed.
Yu Wan closed her eyes but could not fall asleep.
“Ah Wan can’t sleep?” Mrs. Jiang asked gently.
Yu Wan turned around and looked at Mrs. Jiang from the dark. “Did I disturb you?”
Mrs. Jiang turned to look at her, her beautiful eyes seemingly flowing with light. “No, I slept a lot during the day. I’m not tired yet. Is Ah Wan thinking about something?”
Yu Wan opened her mouth. “Mom, where did I go when I left home? Did I mention it to you?”
“No.” Mrs. Jiang lay down and shook her head slightly. She looked at the roof beam in the night. “But you brought something back.”
“Is that so?” Yu Wan was slightly stunned.
Mrs. Jiang gently lifted the blanket and got off the bed. She went to the wardrobe, opened it, bowed, and took out a box. Then, she took out something from the box. She returned to the bed, covered herself with the blanket, and reached out to hand it to Yu Wan.
Yu Wan touched it and looked at it weakly. She asked in confusion, “A tassel?”
Mrs. Jiang said, “It’s a tassel from a jade pendant. You sold the jade pendant, and the tassel is broken, so it was left at home.”
Yu Wan stroked the tassel and said, “It’s hard on you to keep it.”
“The knot is quite exquisite,” Mrs. Jiang said with a smile, explaining why she was keeping a broken thing.
Yu Wan looked at the tassel against the fire and said, “There’s a bead on it. I wonder if it can be sold for money.”
“Ah Wan… aren’t you curious about what happened back then?” Mrs. Jiang looked at her and asked.
Yu Wan shook her head. “I don’t think it’s something worth remembering. Otherwise, I would definitely tell you.”
Mrs. Jiang smiled faintly. “Go to sleep.”
“Okay.” Yu Wan casually stuffed the ear under the pillow, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
The last of the fire was extinguished.
In the endless darkness, Mrs. Jiang sighed softly.
…
“Get lost! Get out!”
In the Guiyun Pavilion of the North Garrison General Manor, Yan Ruyu smashed a room of porcelain.
The maidservants in the room were frightened.
This young lady, who usually did not even speak loudly, seemed to have been angered by someone outside. As soon as she returned to her room, she started smashing things.
A maidservant secretly carried a vase and slipped out when Yan Ruyu was not paying attention.
“Stop right there!” Yan Ruyu pointed.
The maidservant froze at the door.
“Turn around,” Yan Ruyu said coldly.
The maidservant did not move.
Yan Ruyu raised her voice. “I told you to turn around! Are you deaf or stupid? If you don’t hear me, I’ll find someone to sell you tonight!”
“Miss, please spare my life!” The maidservant hurriedly turned around and knelt on the ground with the vase in her arms. “This vase was sent by the Young Master. I was afraid that Miss would accidentally break it, so I wanted to put it away.”
Yan Ruyu said coldly, “So you’re making the decision for me! Why don’t I give you the position of the daughter of the General Manor? You’ll be the eldest daughter! You’ll marry into the Young Master’s Manor for me!”
The maidservant turned pale and hurriedly kowtowed and begged for mercy. “I don’t dare! I don’t dare!”
“What’s wrong?” Mrs. Yan hurriedly walked in under the escort of the maidservants. When she saw the mess on the ground, she sucked in a breath of cold air. Then, she looked at her usually calm daughter, who was now as angry as a lion whose fur had exploded. Her face immediately turned cold. “All of you, stand down!”
“Yes.” The maidservants walked out trembling.
The maidservant who was kneeling on the ground also stood up.
“Leave the vase!” Yan Ruyu said fiercely.
“You still dare to cause trouble?!” Mrs. Yan said angrily. “You’re the daughter of the Yan Manor, but you actually learned from that shrew in the market. Where’s your upbringing? Did you let a dog eat your upbringing?!”
Yan Ruyu was angry and aggrieved.
Mrs. Yan knew her daughter’s temper very well. She did not get angry easily. It was definitely not an ordinary grievance to make her so angry.
Mrs. Yan sighed. “I know you’ve been wronged, but anger can’t solve anything. You’re the smartest. As long as you calm down and think about it, you’ll know what to do to protect your status as the Young Madam.”
Yan Ruyu pondered for a moment and really calmed down. She pulled open her makeup and took out a jade pendant with a tiger pattern wrapped in white silk. “Mother, prepare a gift for me. I want to see the Princess Consort.”
…
At dawn, Yu Wan was woken up by the biological clock in her body. As usual, she went to the chicken coop to collect eggs and then cooked a pot of pork and cabbage dumplings for breakfast.
Three days later was New Year’s Eve. They still had some silk and satin that had not been sold. The cloth shop in town did not offer a high price, so Yu Wan decided to go to the Capital to try her luck.
A material that could make Mrs. Bai’s eyes widened could be sold for at least ten taels, right? If all six bolts of cloth were sold, her uncle’s consultation fee would be settled.
Yu Feng knew that she was going to the Capital and came early.
Yu Feng said, “Let’s take the ox cart to town first. When we get there, we’ll change to a carriage to go to the Capital.”
The price of the carriage was originally a hundred copper coins, but it had increased by two to three folds. However, there was no choice. Although the ox cart was cheap, it was too slow. He did not want the city gates to be closed when they arrived at the Capital.
Yu Wan smiled. “Don’t be afraid, Big Brother. These materials are extremely good. As long as they’re sold, the money for the carriage is a small matter.”
