peasant young lady

Chapter 32 Here comes the point of the conversation

When Cheng Xia heard it, the point of asking them to come to dinner finally came.

The big table at home was really big, and it didn't feel crowded when they sat eight adults and two children. Cheng Xia sat next to Yang Dalang, and younger brother Cheng You squeezed to sit next to Cheng Xia.

The dishes on a large table are very rich, and it can be seen that the parents have worked hard to invite them to eat this meal.

Stir-fried spinach with garlic and eggs, spicy tofu, stir-fried bamboo shoots with tenderloin, fried tofu with watercress and fungus, cold spinach, plus two servings of crucian carp tofu soup and spinach egg soup, and a basket of steamed bread and cornmeal pancakes.

Cheng Xia knew that this kind of abundance was rare, because when Cheng You saw it, he couldn't help swallowing, and the joy in his eyes was obvious.

Among these dishes, Cheng Xia was most interested in the dull spicy tofu.The Yang family is too poor, she traveled to modern times and still doesn't know what the spicy taste of ancient times was like.Especially without the spiciness before the chili, how does it taste.

Just like in ancient times, plums were used to make sour taste before there was any vinegar. Even though mature vinegar became available later, the Bai and other ethnic groups in the southwest still used plums for seasoning.

Cornus officinalis can be used as a spicy seasoning before there is no chili.There are three kinds of cornel, Evodia rutaecarpa, Cornus officinalis and Evodia rutaecarpa. Wang Wei's "Yaozhi brothers ascend to a high place, and there is one less person planting cornel everywhere" refers to Evodia rutaecarpa.As for cornel, it is famous as a condiment.

The record of eating dogwood can be found in "Book of Rites" and "Shuowen Jiezi", and there are also detailed descriptions in Zhang Heng's "Nandu Fu" and Zuo Si's "Shudu Fu" in the Western Han Dynasty.

Cheng Xia wanted to try to see how different the tastes of cornel and chili were.Just by looking at the color of this spicy tofu, the dull red has faded without luster, and you know that the cornel is far from the bright color of chili peppers. If the taste is also very different, then when she grows chili peppers, she will be able to make a fortune and go to Beijing to enjoy life up.

Seeing Father Cheng move his chopsticks, Mrs. Zhang and Cheng Shang also started to eat, Cheng Xia curled her lips and caught tofu with the first chopsticks.

Yang Dalang gave Cheng Xia a meaningful look, and Cheng Xia couldn't understand the meaning of his eyes, anyway, her husband has always been weird, so he didn't care about it.

Putting the tofu in his mouth for a while, Cheng Xia frowned and thought about it seriously. There is still a spicy taste, otherwise it would not have been used as a condiment for thousands of years, but to be honest, Compared with chili, this spiciness is really far away. It doesn't have a spicy and refreshing feeling, but it has a spiciness at best.

Thinking of her as a modern person, she usually loves to go to Chongqing, Sichuan to eat hot pot during the winter and summer vacations. Why, it is so cool, the feeling of spicy taste in the throat is really refreshing from the mouth to the bottom of the heart.

Cheng Xia laughed when she thought about it, it was so good, anyway, her pepper seeds had already been placed in the rose bushes, and they were well buried, and she would plant them when she made candied winter melon tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Pieces of fiery red hot peppers suddenly appeared in front of my eyes, they were all white flowers.

Probably because the corners of her mouth were grinning to the back of her ears, Yang Dalang couldn't see it and kicked her, Cheng Xia came back to her senses.Embarrassed, he suppressed his smile and tried his best to imitate her husband and eat calmly.

Cheng Xia lowered her head and accidentally found that Cheng You was covering her mouth and secretly laughing at her. She stretched out her hand and pinched Cheng You's waist, watching him grinning and begging for mercy before letting him go.

Seeing that Cheng Xia was not looking good when eating, Liu Wen couldn't help coughing like an old pedant, but pointed at Yang Dalang, "Brother-in-law, you haven't eaten such a meal before, so eat more today." He was very polite and generous. I put a piece of tenderloin in Yang Dalang's bowl.

"Okay." Yang Dalang only answered one word stingily.

Cheng Xia felt that her husband-in-law was really a treasure, and she cherished words like gold, just like him.

Yang Dalang's behavior really left Liu Wen speechless, so he could only cough to remind Mrs. Zhang and Mr. Cheng.

Father Cheng really spoke up, "Second girl, you are married no matter what, but your natal family has always been your natal family. Your mother was so stupid that she almost did something stupid. Don't worry about it."

"No." Cheng Xia followed Yang Dalang's example and didn't say much.

Father Cheng saw that Cheng Xia didn't look up, so he motioned to Mrs. Zhang with his eyes, asking her to make a statement.Mrs. Zhang coughed lightly, "Girl Xia, my mother had a fever a while ago, so she did the thing of asking you to marry the Li family in Benggeng Village. It was my mother's fault, but this is something our mother and I discussed in advance. You regret it yourself. My mother hasn't talked about you yet. This matter, our mother and I will talk about it today, and we can no longer resist what my mother says."

"Okay." Cheng Xia didn't intend to say more, it was obvious that drunkards were not interested in drinking, and their focus was not on this at all, Cheng Xia was waiting for their last words.

Father Cheng was a little annoyed when he saw Cheng Xia's attitude, "I'm looking for you today. Firstly, your elder sister and brother-in-law are going back to the county today. Secondly, you are returning from three dynasties. Furthermore, father also has something to say to you and your elder brother. Lang asks, asks."

Seeing Liu Jingzhong and Cheng You looking up at him at the same time, Father Cheng gently stroked Liu Jingzhong who was sitting beside him, then glared at Cheng You who was opposite him, "What are you looking at, eat yours."

The difference in treatment was too obvious. Fortunately, Cheng You got used to it and didn't react much.

"Father, just tell me if you have anything to say." Cheng Xia asked frankly.

Sooner or later, what is hidden has to be said, so there is no need to deal with those twists and turns.

Father Cheng coughed again, "Girl Xia, you also know that your brother-in-law is going to take the exam in August, and it will only take four months to complete the calculation. The ink, paper and inkstone all need money. Please give it to Jingzhong." Sir, you also need a lot of money to sit in the hall, and it’s almost too much now. You can take out how much you have. When your brother-in-law is in high school, you will be paid back double. Your brother-in-law will be a high-ranking official in the future, so you don’t like these few Two denarii."

What does it mean?It is obvious that you have to belittle them when you ask for money. Are they so cheap?
"Father, my brother-in-law doesn't think much of these taels of silver, so naturally I don't need it. Why did my father say it out, and make my brother-in-law look bad?"

"You bastard!" Father Cheng slapped the table, "I asked you to take the money because your brother-in-law thinks highly of you, so don't be shameless."

"Father, this face is given to me. I don't need brother-in-law to give it to me. Brother-in-law's high school is also his ability. We are from the countryside, so we can't get such a big blessing."

"Bah," Cheng stomped his feet angrily, "It's really shameless. Our family doesn't rely on your brother-in-law, and we are waiting to be looked down upon by the villagers forever. It's hard for your brother-in-law to be able to go to high school, and you still push back and forth. You are sincere Make me uneasy, why did I give birth to you as a girl."

Seeing Father Cheng's appearance, Cheng Zuo quickly comforted him, and blamed Cheng Xia by the way, "little sister, why are you talking to Dad? It's so indifferent. Dad has already bowed his head and offered to ask you. Why don't you hurry up and give the money away?" It’s really disrespectful to take it out.”

Cheng Xia looked at Cheng Zuo coldly, "Brother, tell me what filial piety is? Do you work as hard as you do to give the money to the elder sister? Don't you feel aggrieved and I am aggrieved, what do you think? I won't stop you, don't Force your point of view on me."

Mrs. Zhang slapped the table, "It's too presumptuous, saying this in front of me and your father, you don't take us seriously, right?"

"Mother," Cheng Xia said as patiently as possible, "I've said it before, if you don't know about my father, you should know that my brother-in-law is a scholar, and he has one or two taels of silver a month for Shu Xiu, as well as oil, salt and fish. It is said that I have saved dozens of taels. Besides, my brother-in-law said that he invited a bachelor of Shang Ren to sit in the hall for his nephew. The old Mr. Shang died last year. Would you not be able to discern such a lame lie? Brother-in-law took the money to the end Do you really know what to do?"

"Little sister, what do you mean?" After being poked by Cheng Xia again and again, Liu Wen couldn't hold back at all.

"That's what it means on the surface!" Cheng Xia looked at Liu Wen coldly, "Brother-in-law is a scholar, don't you understand what I said? You know exactly what you want so much money for. Don't worry about it. Come to me, or I will not be polite."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Father Cheng directly smashed his chopsticks at Cheng Xia who was facing him, and Cheng Xia managed to escape without being disfigured, "Our family is counting on your brother-in-law to give you a chance to show yourself. You even kicked your nose in the face, you have offended your brother-in-law now, and when your brother-in-law is in high school, you will have good fruit to eat."

Cheng Xia sneered twice, "Father, you put the hope of the whole family on others, aren't you afraid that the bamboo basket will be empty in the end?"

"Shut up!" Father Cheng's angry voice almost toppled the roof of the house, and even completely covered the sound of the rain outside the door. "Why did I give birth to you, a wicked son? Your brother-in-law is the hope of the whole family. If you want people to look up to you, you don't have to rely on your brother-in-law, do you rely on you, a sick husband who is about to die?"

Father Cheng was also in a hurry, and said it directly in front of Yang Dalang.

"Father, the face is all given by myself. I will not stop my father if he wants to enjoy the blessings, and I will not stop my mother from giving everything in the house to my brother-in-law to express myself, but I have no money, even if I have money, I will not do this." Do. Besides, my father-in-law wants to live a good life, and my father wants to save face, so we just need to live a good life. Life is for ourselves, not for the villagers to see."

Cheng Xia was also angry. In her previous life, her grandfather was very concerned about face, and he was desperate for face. He thought her father was a cook. Although he was a Chinese food chef, he always said that a cook was not promising.Every time I go to my grandpa's house during Chinese New Year, I always satirize their family overtly and secretly. By the way, I would like to say how good my uncle who is a teacher is, and worthy of his pride and face.

It's also fortunate that her father has a good temper, no matter what her grandfather says, she doesn't take it to heart, but Cheng Xia also knows how hurtful her grandfather's words are.

Now both Father Cheng and Mrs. Zhang have such tempers, they are so vain that they always feel that everyone in the village looks down on her family, and that everyone in the village is busy living their own lives, so no one can stare at her small yard all day long Let's see if her family has flourished.

Moreover, Father Cheng and Mrs. Zhang were stunned. They put all the money and energy of the family on Liu Wen and Liu Jingzhong, and ignored their own sons Cheng Zuo and Cheng You, but why didn't they think about it? With Liu Wen's temperament and Liu Jingzhong's foul-mouthed appearance, everyone looks down on him. If he really has a prosperous day, can he still look down on their Cheng family?
A good attitude now is nothing but a request from his family.

Father Cheng was so angry that he slapped the table and pointed at the door furiously, "Get out, get out, get out of here!"

(End of this chapter)