Gu Yin followed the Wang family to buy a dozen steamed buns and returned home. Gu Yin also took out the meat skewers in the food box to share with everyone.
However, under the leadership of Guan Caotou, everyone refused to accept it, only saying that since it was ordered by the county magistrate, they were performing official duties, and it was not easy to collect things from the people.
When it was getting dark, the work on the pan kang in the three rooms of the family was nearing completion, but the kang had to be completely cooled, and it took several days to go to sleep.
However, it was not difficult for Mrs. Wang. Long before the start of construction, she moved her belongings directly to the next door.
It was Xu Qingchuan's ten-day vacation. He helped Wang to move the house together. He went back to the academy immediately in the afternoon, and then returned home in the next ten-day.
The yard where Xu's mother and son lived had one more room than Gu Yin's.
In the room where Gu Yin and her two children lived more, Mrs. Wang went to squeeze with Mrs. Xu.
Because only the bedroom can't be used, the rest of the house is still used, so it's not particularly troublesome.
After sending off Guan Huotou and others, the two of them had dinner together.
At the dinner table, Xu's interest was lacking, and even Gu Yin's hot skewers couldn't make her happy.
After the meal was over, Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Wang went back to the house without grabbing the dishwashing job.
Gu Yin followed Wang into the kitchen, and Wang pushed her straight with her elbow, "I don't need you, just a few bowls, you've been tired all day, go and rest."
Gu Yin didn't touch her hands after seeing the bowl, and asked tentatively, "Mother, I don't think Aunt Xu is very happy and has no appetite for eating. Do you not want to live next door to us? Or is it our house today? disturbing the tranquility of her home?"
"She's lost her appetite, she's eaten several meat skewers... Hey, it's not! At that time, I said that I was going to live in an inn, but your Aunt Xu said that you should just stay at his house. Anyway, his Qingchuan only came back once in ten days. It won't affect anything."
"That is… "
Mrs. Wang turned her head to look around and made sure no one was there, so she lowered her voice and said, "Aunt Xu is not happy that I send Guan Huotou to do the work. Didn't I tell you already!"
Gu Yin then remembered that Wang Shi had told her this gossip earlier.
"I thought the mother just said it casually."
"Am I the kind of person who casually says that the East and the West are short?"
When he was in Batou Village, Wang's favorite thing after work was to hang out with the women in the village. She even came back and told Gu Yin that the family in other villages had lost a chicken.
So Gu Yin was silent.
"Well, I am a little bit fond of talking. But I can't make up such things! I have evidence..."
"Hey, forget it, I won't ask."
Gu Yin made a silent gesture towards Wang Shi, telling her to stop talking about the gossip about Xu Shi and Guan Zhaotou.
Gu Yin took the two children back to the house to wash up, and then stopped to mention it.
The next day, Gu Yin still went to Wen's house to work.
On this day, she saw that there were a lot of ingredients and spices left over from the previous day, so she was going to make hot pot for Mrs. Wen.
The hot pot base is naturally fried by yourself-
The clear soup pot is simple, use pork bones and water to slowly boil into a milky white soup.
Spicy base is more troublesome.
She first put the dried peppers in a pot of boiling water and boiled them for ten minutes, then drained them, and then chopped them into chiba peppers.
Then wash the Wenjia's ready-made beef suet and cut it into pieces, boil water in a pot, add the butter pieces, add water and slowly boil over medium heat, stir until the water evaporates, boil until the butter pieces are golden brown and small, and all the butter pieces are When it floats, the butter is cooked.
Put the filtered butter into the pot, put the shallots, coriander, celery leaves, garlic, etc. and stir-fry on high heat until fragrant, until the fragrant is incorporated into the butter, remove all these, then add the chili peppers and some minced ginger, turn Stir fry evenly, boil all the water over medium heat, and finally add the peppercorns and soybean paste, and boil for a quarter of an hour.
The last step is to soak the spices left over from the previous day in white wine, add butter and stir-fry evenly. Finally, put some sugar and salt, and turn to low heat and simmer for half an hour. Homemade Butter Hot Pot Base is complete.
The old man played crazy yesterday and got up late today.
Gu Yin thought that it was just right, after all, fried peppers are too choking, so don't choke the old man.
But she didn't expect that even though the doors and windows of the large kitchen were open, the chili smell would still spread from the doors and windows to the outside, shrouding the entire Wen family in a strong spiciness.
The old man and the eldest man came directly together.
The old man was woken up by choking, and the old man came over with his saliva.
It's also thanks to them that they came early, because the second housekeeper came over while coughing and cursing. If it wasn't for the presence of these two giant Buddhas, Gu Yin's hot pot base might not have been cooked.
After the base is cooked, it is time to prepare the side dishes.
The Wen family's beef was made like this by Gu Yin for two days, and the remaining ones were made into beef rolls, which were all used up.
Add the mutton leftover from the previous day, cabbage, mushrooms, etc., and the side dishes are all done.
Finally, the sauce, Gu Yin mixed two kinds of sesame sauce and peanut butter-because there was no food processor at this time, thanks to Chef Xu's great strength, he brought two little apprentices to help grind it.
Because this spicy pot tastes too great, it is not suitable for eating out, so I temporarily added a Baxian table in the big kitchen.
There are two small red clay stoves on the table, each with a flat-bottomed iron pot, one pot is a milky white bone soup, the other pot is a red and spicy butter soup base, and the table is a variety of sliced meat. and dishes.
It's novel just to look at.
Mr. Wen and Mr. Wen took their seats first, and the old man asked Gu Yin, who had been busy for half the morning, to also sit.
In front of the three of them was a pair of long male chopsticks for making noodles, and another pair of normal-sized chopsticks.
Grandpa Wen looked at his eldest son and said with a smile: "I always knew that I was bored in the house to study, but it was not easy for me to see you once. These two days, I saw you around every day."
Mr. Wen is also a little embarrassed. He claims to be not a person with a heavy appetite, and usually likes to read, write, and draw in the house.
But after eating the spicy dishes made by Gu Yin, it seems like a new chapter in life has opened. In the past two days, I have to add spicy food to my daily food. This day, I was hooked by the extremely spicy taste.
The bone broth is light and can best present the deliciousness of the food itself, and then dip it in the sesame sauce and peanut sauce made earlier, which makes people unable to stop eating; the spicy soup is rich, whether it is meat slices, vegetables, or mushrooms, if you dip it into it, that's it. No dipping ingredients are needed, the spicy and delicious taste is straight to the forehead!
After eating the hot pot, all three of them turned red.
The old man was hesitant to hold the teacup in his hand—it was to say that Gu Yin did not meet his requirements. The little girl had been busy for two days inside and out, and the food she made was fresh and delicious. It was too much to do it herself.
But if Gu Yin has met the requirements, then it is not because he has no reason to come to the kitchen and become a loner again
Before waiting for the old man to speak, Gu Yin said thoughtfully: "There should also be copper stove mutton in the capital, which shouldn't be considered original. It's just that the taste is different and there are some other side dishes. I'll think about it tomorrow. of."
The old man laughed immediately, "Hey, good. I have a good taste. I will go back and change my clothes to take a rest. The bottom of this pot should still be there. I will eat this bone soup hot pot at night, so you don't have to work any more, come earlier. Go home, take a shower and change your clothes, and come back tomorrow."
It's like it's working early again.
As soon as Mr. Wen stood up, Mr. Wen, whose mouth was swollen, followed.
When the two masters left, Chef Xu brought his own bowl and two little apprentices to the table.
Of course, the three of them are not as particular as Mr. Wen, and they don't use public chopsticks. They clip the remaining untouched meat and vegetables on the plate, scald and rinse them in the pot, and then put the sauce bowl in their hands. As soon as it is dipped in, it is delivered to the mouth while exhaling the heat, and it tastes more atmospheric.
"The little master is too modest," Chef Xu said vaguely, swallowing the dishes, "Why is something so delicious not original? Fizz, it's so spicy!"
While Gu Yin was being eaten by him, she still didn't forget to make fun of her injustice, "Then I'll go back first, you guys eat slowly."
Chef Xu put the bowl and sent her out of the kitchen, then quickly trotted back—
"You bastard leave some for Lao Tzu!"
…
In this state of working for a long time and taking a break for a long time, Gu Yin made a series of fresh things such as home-style cola, teppanyaki, and pizza for the old man. The old man was happy every day, not only The spirit is good, and the person is plump.
Until the twenty-fifth year of the new year, the taste of the new year became stronger and stronger, and Chef Xu and his two young apprentices also began to busy preparing the food for the guests at the New Year's Festival.
This afternoon, Mrs. Wen didn't give Gu Yin a leave, and specially let her stay for a while.
Gu Yin followed the old man to the study. On the way, she was still thinking that it should be New Year's Day soon. Chef Xu's hands are so busy that the old man should also assign other tasks to her - she takes 10 taels of silver a month. The monthly money, only doing half a day's work a day, is indeed a bit too easy.
Unexpectedly, in the study, the old man did not take out any food list for her to prepare in advance.
Instead, he took out a few silver ingots in advance and put them on the table.
"This is your salary this month, and the other five taels are the New Year's money for you."
Gu Yin: ? ? ! ! !
Is she unemployed
Although it was a part-time job for Wu'an's shackles at the beginning, when she started working, she said she would work for two months. Although she has enough money for shackles now, after one month, people will quit this kind of thing. It makes people feel uncomfortable.
"I'll think about other things tomorrow, think about it!" Gu Yin said seriously, "I will definitely meet your requirements."
She admitted that she had guessed that the old man just wanted to play with someone, so she didn't do anything special.
Mrs. Wen was amused by her serious look, and said, "What do you think? It's the New Year's Day soon, I just let you go home early for the New Year's break. If you come back after the fifth day of the new year, then you will naturally pay this month's wages. To you first."
"New Year's break? Isn't the year busy? When the time comes, you will entertain guests..."
"I don't have any guests!" The old man pouted, "I'm so old, who can be higher in the clan than me? If I say no, I don't have any. Why do you worry about this little girl? If you want to take a break, just take a break."
Seeing that the old man had made a decision, Gu Yin said, "I will take the money for that month, but I really can't collect the money for this New Year."
The old man didn't force her, just put the 5 taels of silver in his left hand and put it in a red paper envelope, "Since it's the Chinese New Year, when you're not with me, I'll give your New Year's money to your head office in advance, right? Elder? Don't give up. You don't want to accept the New Year's money given by the elders?"
Gu Yin was mulling a refusal, but the old man didn't give her the chance at all. She shoved the money into her hand, took out two books wrapped in oil paper, and asked Gu Yin to help transfer them to the Xu family, and then started chase people.
Gu Yin was driven to the outside of the study, and the voice of the old man came from inside: "Don't save all your New Year's money, get some delicious food and drink, and take care of yourself better, if I still see you thin at the beginning of the new year. Thin and small, wearing that big black robe, I'm going to scold people!"
Gu Yin couldn't help laughing and rolled her eyes across the door panel. She first thanked the old man and greeted the old man in advance, and then went back to the kitchen to get her robe.
Chef Xu was talking hotly about stuffing sausages into the sky and the ground. When he saw Gu Yin coming back, his subordinates kept going, so he asked: "Master is going back today?"
Gu Yin said no, and explained that the old man had asked her to retire early.
Chef Xu's two little apprentices are so envious that their eyes are red - they all know that New Year's and festivals are the busiest time for cooks, and it is the ultimate dream of every cook to be able to rest at this time!
"Go and stay while you go." Chef Xu drove the two little apprentices aside as if chasing flies, "Do you have the ability? Just watch the thief eat meat, not the thief being beaten!" After speaking, he himself After a pause, he said embarrassedly: "I'm a rude person and can't speak, little master, don't care about me. Anyway, what I mean is that you have worked hard these days, and you have eaten so much food that I have never heard of or seen before. Take a break."
Gu Yin shook her head with a smile, said goodbye to Chef Xu and left Wen's house.
On the street, the usually lively town became more and more crowded.
There are shops and stalls selling all kinds of New Year's goods on the street.
Gu Yin put the 10 taels of wages close to her body, only carrying the 5 taels of New Year's money, and joined the army of buying New Year's goods.
She went to the ready-to-wear shop first and bought a new set of clothes for everyone in the family. Although the Wang family made new clothes for everyone in the winter, they were all gray and stain-resistant, and they didn't look very beautiful. Especially the child's body, which was made of rags. She had heard Wu An say the day before that when the two of them went out to play, other children in Zhenyi Lane joked that the child was dressed like a beggar.
The child didn't understand anything, and played with himself. Wu An was so angry that he came back and told Gu Yin secretly.
The four decent ready-to-wear clothes cost almost two taels, and Gu Yin bought some dried fruit snacks that the family was reluctant to eat, and cut some meat, and spent another couple of taels.
With more than two or two left, she thought for a while and went to the jewelry store.
I still remember that when she first wore it, Wang had a small silver hairpin on her head, and her name was vaguely engraved on it. It's just that Gu Yin's medicine continued to be eaten day by day, and she didn't know when the hairpin on her head was gone, replaced by the wooden hairpin she was wearing now.
At dusk, Gu Yin returned to Zhenyi Lane with a large bag and a small bag.
Wang Shi and the two children in a row were waiting at the entrance of the alley.
Seeing Gu Yin, one big and two small went up to greet him.
"I'm still wondering why you came back so late today, did you go shopping?" Mrs. Wang took the things in her hand and left nothing for her, "Why do I remember that you gave me the key to the money cabinet before? Why don't you go back after that? Where did you get the money?"
Gu Yin squatted down and untied the ropes on the hands of the two children, holding one in each hand, and followed Wang's footsteps.
"It was the old man who let me rest for the year, and gave me the monthly money and some silver taels for the New Year, so I went to buy new clothes and food."
When he got home, Mr. Wang took everything apart.
Seeing the four clothes, she frowned and said, "You can just buy it for yourself... You can buy it for your two children, why would you buy it for me?"
Gu Yin chose green jackets for herself and Wang's, but Wang's body was darker and her own was lighter.
"Niangzhen's clothes are all gray in the daytime. This is not the New Year. Let's be brighter."
Wang said, "Hey, I don't like this color. Where did you buy it, should I change it?"
Gu Yin reported the address of the ready-to-wear shop, and then let the two little guys try on new clothes.
Xiao Wu'an was given a lake-blue cotton jacket and cotton trousers.
Not only are the colors bright, but they are also well-cut.
Wu An's dress is a little bigger, but it's still a lot more suitable than the one his mother made that can be worn for three years.
His skin is naturally dark, and although the upper body of the clothes does not appear white, it is a lot more energetic.
Wu An didn't like it so much, he changed it immediately after trying it on, and folded it up squarely, saying that he would wear it again during the Chinese New Year.
It was the child's turn. His clothes and trousers were a bit smaller than Wu'an's. Gu Yin originally wanted the two children to wear the same color and the same style, but after thinking about it, she bought him indigo - this child can make , climb trees in the room, drill dog holes... There is nothing he can't do.
A slightly darker color is better, at least it can be guaranteed to be worn all day before changing and washing.
His dark skin was acquired from the sun, and after raising it at home for more than half a month, a lot of whiteness has gone back.
When the indigo blue clothes and trousers were put on him, he looked like a young master from a rich family.
He also followed suit, and he had to change it after trying it on.
The two children returned to the house with their clothes as if they were holding treasures, and Gu Yin was also ready to try on her own.
As a result, I looked around, and her clothes were gone!
She went through the inspection again, thinking whether it was because the clothing store's work at that time was missing for her, or she was careless and didn't find it when she was buying other things, and Mrs. Wang came back with a small burden.
The burden was shaken off, and it was a goose-yellow plain jacket and a Hunan-colored horse-faced skirt.
"Mother this is..."
Wang shi smiled and said: "Hey, I didn't like it when I went to see it. I accidentally brought the one you bought for yourself, so I just replaced the two with this one. Try it now. "
As she said that, she pushed Gu Yin back to the house to try on clothes.
Not to mention that people rely on clothes, Buddha relies on gold clothes, the small jacket and skirt upper body, Gu Yinben's fair skin is more and more lustrous, and the jacket's stand collar is inlaid with a circle of rabbit fur, surrounding her sharp point chin, and the slap-sized face became smaller and smaller.
"It's so beautiful!" Wang complimented sincerely, "You should dress up well at your age, and you should wear this for the New Year. I'm happy to see it!"
"Then your clothes..."
"Ha, I don't like those things. It's not convenient to wear them for work. What's wrong with my body? Do you think it doesn't look good?"
Gu Yin naturally can't say that Wang's craftsmanship is not good, she just whispered: "I just want to see you look younger."
Wang Shi waved his hand, and then went to deal with other things, "You didn't buy me anything, did you?"
Gu Yin hurriedly went up and picked up the smallest bag, which was always close to her body, "No, this is the book from the old man to the Xu family, saying that it is a thank you gift from Aunt Xu for helping the doctor last time, and I will send it to the doctor. Go next door."
…
That night, Mrs Wang was about to rest after washing up.
Wu An suddenly ran into the house and smiled happily: "Mother! Look at what I found!"
Wang Shi took a closer look. The younger son was holding a thin silver hairpin in his hand. Although the hairpin was thin, the head of the hairpin was a lifelike plum blossom.
"Where did you pick it up?" Wang took it in surprise, took out the handkerchief and wiped the soil on the hairpin.
Wu An paused for a while, and then said, "Actually, it wasn't me who picked it up, it was the kid in our family who picked it up. So I don't know where it was."
"Why have I lived so much in my life, and I have only picked up a copper plate at most? He can still pick up a hairpin, or is it silver?"
While the mother and son were talking, Gu Yin pushed the door and came in, "Oh, I heard Wu An's words outside. It's really good to go out and see money. It's a good thing! Mother, put it on and see if it fits."
Wang Shi did not move, and said suspiciously: "This is not a thief, right? I heard that many thieves have stolen things and dare not sell them directly, and deliberately bury them in desolate places. Don't let our children pick them up. Don't cause trouble!"
Gu Yin immediately said: "Certainly not! Wu An and the others didn't run far today, did they?"
Wu An immediately nodded frantically like a chicken pecking at rice.
Gu Yin then continued: "So this should have been picked up near our house, and Guan Jutou lives next to it. How can a thief dare to bury the stolen goods near our house?"
"That's even more impossible. If it's near our house, isn't it your Aunt Xu? She seems to like this plum-blossom-style jewelry. I'll give it to her!" Wang slapped her thigh, "If it wasn't for her , I'll give it to Guan Jutou, such a good hairpin, if I lose it, I'm so distressed, I'd better let the people in the yamen put it in the lost and found place."
She said she would go, and she was about to leave the house.
"Mother, don't!" Gu Yin and Wu An said in unison, then pulled Wang Shi from left to right.
After the two of them shouted, they didn't know what to say, and they kept fighting the lawsuit—
"Sister-in-law, speak up!"
"I just made up so much, I won't lie!"
You look at me, I look at you, one big and one small, no one can hold back a fart.
With his back to them, Wang's body began to shake, and then the amplitude became bigger and bigger, and finally he laughed.
"The big fool is leading the little fool to lie and deceive people! He even picked it up near his house, and he knows how to throw dirt on it... I laughed so hard! Hahahaha..."
"Mother knows." Gu Yin's face was ashamed, and she let go of Wang's hand.
"Everyone said you wouldn't lie. Wu An said that he picked up something on the front foot, and you came to congratulate him on the back foot. The fool knows that you two are colluding!"
"I'm not afraid that you won't want it again."
Mrs Wang reached out and twisted her cheek, "Yes, why not? We both take turns wearing them, you don't have good jewelry when you are so big, so you will wear them to work at Wen's house after the new year. I listen. It is said that the servants of the big families are the best at watching people serve dishes, but they can't let people look down on you."
After the trouble, Gu Yin and Wu An went back to the house holding hands, and Wu An was still saying when they went out: "Sister-in-law, you really don't seem to be able to make up nonsense, otherwise I'll make it up next time, you follow what I said. do it."
Gu Yin's face became more and more red, "No next time, lying is a bad thing after all."
That night, Mrs Wang slept extraordinarily sweetly while rubbing the small silver hairpin.
Just laughing and making trouble, Gu Yin ushered in the first New Year's Day after crossing.