novelraw Chapter 175 The Zhu Family Again
Chapter 175 The Zhu Family Again
Chapter 175 Returning to the Zhu Family
With something on his mind, Li Shunzi ignored Gu Mei and quickly drove the oxcart to the Zhu family's house.
After delivering the person to the Zhu family's door and having them jump off the oxcart, Li Shunzi drove away without looking back, not saying another word to Gu Mei.
Gu Mei glared at his departing figure, her anger rising. The villagers were right; a man who can't find a wife will eventually go crazy!
This Li Shunzi is definitely sick!
First, he inexplicably brought up Zhang Shi, and then he left without saying goodbye. He's really quite ill!
Spitting at the departing figure, Gu Mei cursed under her breath to vent her anger before heading towards the Zhu family's house.
The Zhu family's courtyard wall was a waist-high fence, and the gate was made of bamboo. It was very simple and could only serve as a cover, not a way to keep people out at all.
Standing in front of the courtyard gate, Gu Mei could see through the sparse bamboo gaps that the door latch was not engaged. She raised her hand, intending to push the door open and go inside.
But for some reason, she suddenly felt extremely panicked, and her whole body shivered. She didn't know if it was from the cold, but her spine felt tingly.
Peering through the bamboo gaps into the Zhu family courtyard, a voice faintly rose in my mind: Don't go in, don't go in... as if there were mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead.
Gu Mei shook her head, thinking that she was too shy to bring up the marriage proposal with the Zhu family.
But now that we're already at the door, it's too late to back out...
Just then, the tightly closed door of the Zhu family's main room was pulled open from the inside, and Old Mrs. Zhu, wrapped in a blanket, walked out shakily.
As if sensing something, Old Lady Zhu glanced towards the courtyard gate and vaguely saw a person standing in front of it.
"Who is it?" Old Mrs. Zhu asked warily.
Upon hearing Old Lady Zhu's voice, Gu Mei suppressed her unease and pushed open the courtyard gate to walk into the yard.
"Grandma, it's me."
Grandma Zhu was overjoyed. Her cloudy eyes shone brightly as she rushed to greet her, exclaiming, "My dear grandma! Why are you back? Didn't you go back with Dad?"
Approaching Gu Mei, he wrapped his withered, rough hands around hers and began to rub them, his face full of concern: "Look how cold your hands are! Did you walk back alone? Come inside and warm up! There's a stove in the nanny's house, and the fire is burning brightly."
A warm feeling welled up in Gu Mei's heart, and all the previous strangeness disappeared.
Her grandmother still dotes on her.
Old Mrs. Zhu's loud voice startled the residents of both the east and west wings, and the eldest, second, and third branches of the Zhu family all opened their doors and came out of their houses.
Upon seeing Gu Mei return, the three members of the family displayed different expressions and shifty eyes, all harboring calculations.
But soon, the three sisters-in-law, Qin, Ding, and Yan, all put on smiling faces and walked towards Gu Mei with great care.
"Mei'er is back? What a coincidence! I was just saying in the house that you haven't stayed at home for quite a while, and I should have asked you to stay earlier!"
“Sister-in-law is right. We regretted it as soon as you left. We knew your father didn’t like you, and we knew you were having a hard time. But your father left so suddenly that we didn’t even have a chance to say anything!”
“Yes, your dad has a bad temper, and with this whole mess, the family is worried you'll get a beating when you go back. I was just talking to your third uncle, saying if it's really bad, he should go see you tomorrow, just in case your dad actually hits you…”
……
The three sisters-in-law chatted amongst themselves, and the three Zhu brothers following behind also chimed in from time to time. At first glance, it really did look like they were welcoming close relatives.
Gu Mei had been visiting the Zhu family for many years, but this was the first time she had received such a warm welcome. The words spoken by her uncles and aunts were all incredibly caring, which brought tears to her eyes and warmed her heart.
"Stop talking! Let Mei come inside and warm up first. Poor thing, her hands are freezing!" Old Mrs. Zhu pulled Gu Mei and led her to the main room.
The three sisters-in-law lagged behind, looking at each other in bewilderment. After a moment's hesitation, they finally followed.
As for the three Zhu brothers, they didn't follow. They glanced at each other, then turned and went back into their rooms to continue lying down.
……
Apart from Gu Lai'an, no one in the Gu family knew that Gu Mei had secretly run away to the Zhu family.
Gu Lianshan was currently helping out in the backyard, where a group of people were making final repairs to the cowshed.
The cowshed was located in a corner behind the woodshed, backed by the courtyard wall. Two "walls" were erected on the left and right sides with bamboo poles, and thick straw curtains made of thatch were placed on top of the bamboo walls, which provided excellent wind protection.
The cowshed roof was also covered with layers of straw mats, and then thick wooden pieces or stones were pressed down evenly in two circles on top to ensure that the thatch on the top would not be blown away when the wind was strong.
Once the cowshed was built, the chicken and duck pens next to it were also completed.
This time, Gu Tang raised chickens and ducks separately, using fences to enclose two enclosures. Inside the enclosures, he built a row of simple nests with wooden chips and adobe bricks, lined with straw. This provided shelter for the chickens and ducks from wind and snow, warmth, and also made it convenient for the hens and ducks to lay eggs.
After leading the cow into the cowshed and tying it up, Gu Lianshan waited for a while. Seeing that the cow did not show any signs of agitation after being moved to a new place, he went to the woodshed to catch chickens and ducks.
Besides Third Uncle and Gu Tang, everyone else went in to help.
Forty chickens and ducks, how long would it take one person to catch them?
The plump chickens and ducks were pulled out one after another, and they felt heavy and substantial when held in one's hand.
Gu Dazhu, the leader, stroked the chicken a few times and said to his third uncle with a look of amazement, "Third Uncle, your chickens and ducks are really well raised! I haven't seen such plump chickens and ducks in many years. Do you sell these chickens and ducks? If you do, please save one chicken and one duck for me. I'll buy them and slaughter them to eat during the New Year."
Hearing the praise, Third Uncle smiled from ear to ear, but he would not take credit for it.
He pointed to Gu Tang beside him and told Gu Dazhu to talk to Gu Tang about this matter, "These chickens and ducks are all raised by Tang. If you want to buy them, you only need to get her permission."
A hint of surprise flashed in Gu Dazhu's eyes as he glanced at Gu Tang, feeling a deep sense of admiration.
This girl is capable!
Before she was adopted, the Lianshan brothers doted on her, letting her interfere in everything both inside and outside the home. After she was adopted, she even won over her third uncle.
That's amazing! If his own daughter had that ability, he would be laughing in his sleep!
Thinking of all this, Gu Dazhu smiled and said to Gu Tang in a gentle tone, "Girl, Uncle has taken a liking to the chickens and ducks you raise. Can we sell them?"
“I can sell them,” Gu Tang said, pointing to the rooster in his hand. “I only sell roosters and male ducks; the hens and ducks are for laying eggs.”
"Alright! Then leave me a rooster and a duck. I'll come and buy them on the Laba Festival."
Gu Dazhu didn't intend to buy hens or ducks. Ordinary people wouldn't sell hens or ducks; they were counting on them to lay eggs and exchange them for copper coins.
"Alright, I'll save the biggest ones for you. By the way, Uncle, my family has accumulated quite a few chicken and duck eggs. If you want to buy any, just come to my house. I'll charge you two copper coins for a chicken egg and three copper coins for a duck egg."
Gu Tang's eyes were fixed on the price she was offering; it was definitely a low price!
In Bei'an City, an egg costs three copper coins, while a duck egg costs four copper coins.
If you buy them in the village, they'll be cheaper. For example, ten eggs would normally cost thirty copper coins, but if you buy them in the village, you'll only need to pay twenty-five copper coins.
If you do the math, there aren't many cheap options. But her chicken and duck eggs are a different story; they're genuinely cheap.
Sure enough, Gu Dazhu was tempted after Gu Tang quoted the price.
Since the beginning of winter, his two hens have been starving because they have no grass or insects to fill their stomachs and are only fed wheat bran once a day. They peck at straws in their coop every day, and are so thin that they have stopped laying eggs.
Come to think of it, my wife and kids haven't had eggs in a long time. Now that we've come across such cheap eggs, we might as well buy a few to treat ourselves.
"Girl, can I buy five chicken eggs and five duck eggs? I can't afford more than that." Gu Dazhu was a little embarrassed. The other party's price was so low, they probably wanted to sell more, but he was short of money and couldn't take out any more copper coins.
Five chicken eggs and five duck eggs make a total of ten eggs, which is indeed not many. Gu Tang can understand this. Most people in the village are tightening their belts to make a living. Let alone the price dropping to two copper coins per egg, even if it dropped to one copper coin, very few people can afford to buy them in large quantities.
"No matter how many you buy, it's the same price." Gu Tang reassured him that she wouldn't raise the price just because he bought fewer items.
Gu Dazhu grinned, put the rooster in his hand into the chicken coop, and immediately took out twenty copper coins and handed them over.
"Here's the money for the eggs and duck eggs. Count it up, it's twenty copper coins."
Gu Tang took the coins, counted them, and returned ten copper coins: "I haven't settled your wages for building the cowshed yet, so I'll use those wages to offset half of it. You can take these ten copper coins back."
Gu Dazhu refused to accept the payment: "Your chicken and duck eggs are already sold too cheaply. If I were to charge you for your labor, what would I be?"
Gu Tang paused, then turned to look at her father, signaling him to try and persuade him.
This was agreed upon beforehand, and the amount would be as agreed. She felt bad that the person had worked so hard in this cold weather for so long, and that they would work for nothing.
Having received his daughter's instruction, Gu Lianshan took the copper coins from Gu Tang's hand and shoved them into Gu Dazhu's arms, forbidding him to return them.
"I've finally overcome my hardships and have enough to live on. Take what's yours, but if I ever need more coppers, even if you don't say anything, I won't give you any coppers even if I ask you to come work for me!"
These words reminded Gu Dazhu of the past days. Knowing that refusing again would hurt their relationship, he could only smile and accept the money.
"That's more like it!" Gu Lianshan patted him on the shoulder.
Then he asked the others, "Do you want chicken eggs or duck eggs? If so, the price is the same!"
The remaining people were also tempted and each bought a few, totaling twenty eggs.
There weren't any duck eggs; I guess they were still reluctant to part with them.
Gu Tang quoted the price based on the quantity they wanted, and according to their wishes, they would first use today's wages to offset the cost, and if that wasn't enough, they would make up the difference.
After settling the accounts, Gu Tang went back to her room to get the eggs.
Gu Lianshan then led everyone to the main room, where they were given a few cups of tea to warm up before returning.
Before long, Gu Tang brought the chicken and duck eggs to them. They each had a cup of tea and then said goodbye and left.
It was already dark outside, and the drizzle that had been falling had long since stopped.
After seeing the person off, Gu Lianshan locked the courtyard gate, rubbed his hands together, and breathed hot air as he headed to the kitchen.
As we approached the kitchen door, a delicious aroma of roasting food instantly filled our nostrils.
Gu Lianshan took a deep sniff and hurried inside, where he saw his son making fried pancakes.
On the stove next to him was a bamboo food basket with about a dozen pancakes already baked. Seeing this, Gu Lianshan laughed: "I was just thinking of coming over to cook, but it seems that Father is a step too late."
"I've finished memorizing the words that Grandpa asked me to write today. Since I had nothing else to do, I came to the kitchen to help with cooking. Oh, and I also made some mutton soup."
Gu Ping'an took out the last few fried dough cakes and put them in the food basket, then removed the lid from the earthenware pot on the stove and gestured for his father to see.
The earthenware pot contained thick, white mutton soup, which had no gamey smell at all and tasted extremely tempting.
Gu Lianshan scooped out a spoonful of meat and asked in surprise, "Where did this mutton come from?"
“It was given to me by my grandfather. The day we moved here, he said he would stew some for my second sister, saying that it was good for a young lady. I had completely forgotten about the mutton these past few days, but I remembered it today, so I just stewed some.”
"The mutton flavor is too strong, will your second sister eat it?" Gu Lianshan knew how picky his second daughter was, and this mutton soup probably wouldn't suit her taste.
"Take a sniff," Gu Ping'an said smugly. "I don't know if it's because my cooking skills have improved or if this mutton is different, but after it's stewed, there's absolutely no gamey smell, only a fresh and fragrant aroma. It's so rare! You should try it!"
He handed the bowl on the stove to his father, indicating that he should ladle out some soup.
Gu Lianshan was skeptical, but he took the bowl, scooped out a small half bowl of soup, blew on it a few times, and then finished it all in one go.
The hot soup was indeed incredibly delicious and flavorful!
He smacked his lips a few times, his eyes lighting up: "Wow! This is really rare! The mutton doesn't have a gamey smell?!"
"Am I right? There's definitely no gamey smell." Gu Ping'an's hands didn't stop as he scooped the rice porridge into a bowl and had his father take it to the main room along with the fried dough.
As for the mutton soup, he brought it over himself.
Hearing the commotion from the east wing, Gu Lai'an came out of the house, sniffed the fragrance wafting in the air, his mouth watered, and hurried towards the main room.
Gu Ping'an was serving mutton soup at this moment. He hadn't cooked much, about three bowls' worth.
Grandpa and Second Sister each had a bowl, and the remaining bowl was given to their father. He and Gu Lai'an didn't eat any of it; they only ate fried dough and rice porridge.
Gu Lai'an was displeased and glared fiercely at Gu Ping'an before his gaze fell on the mutton soup in front of his third uncle.
He couldn't afford to offend Gu Tang, and he dared not even think about his father, Gu Lianshan. After much thought, it seemed that only his good-tempered third uncle could be the one to try and ask for help.
"Master..."
"Shut up!"
As soon as his eldest son opened his mouth, Gu Lianshan knew what he was going to say, so he cut him off and glared at him, not letting him utter a word!
Gu Lai'an shrank back and swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Seeing this, the Third Uncle sighed and thought of dividing the mutton soup in two, giving one half to Gu Lai'an and the other half to Gu Ping'an.
Gu Ping'an stopped his third uncle from sharing the mutton soup.
"Grandpa, I don't like this. This was specially stewed for you and my second sister. There's still some mutton left. If I want to eat it, I can cut it up and stew it anytime."