Prince Jing was very excited: the youngest son finally talked to him! ! Not to mention eating locusts, he is willing to eat even poison. The youngest son went to sea for a trip, improved, and his temper is not as bad as before. After returning for more than half a year, he didn't cause any trouble, but he was favored by the emperor. Thinking of Jingzhong's praise of his youngest son, King Jing expressed his honor.
Although he was very happy in his heart, he still had a serious air on the surface. He picked up a large piece of grasshopper sauce with his chopsticks, imitated his son, spread it on the steamed buns, and when he opened his mouth to bite, he was caught. Concubine Jing stopped her: "My lord, that... it's made of worms, are you sure you can eat it?"
"It's okay! I heard from my father that insects are used to entertain distinguished guests in the southwest mountainous area. Certain insects are very nutritious. What kind of... protein is rich in them? My son is fine after eating it. I am his father. What can happen? Regardless of Wang Hao's obstruction, Prince Jing took a big bite and tasted it carefully. It tasted really good, like dried shrimp.
Zhu Junyang said while eating: "This is fermented grasshopper sauce, and most people will not be allergic to it. Last time, Chief Su, who was next to the emperor, ate unfermented grasshopper sauce, and he had bumps and itches all over his body. Terrific. Grasshopper sauce is delicious, but not everyone can eat it."
When Princess Jing thought that what the father and son were eating was that kind of scary-looking bug, she suddenly felt that she had lost her appetite at all. The locust plague along the coast also spread to the capital. The flowers in her garden were ruined by locusts. Fortunately, the precious flowers and plants brought back from Tanggu were moved to the glass greenhouse in time, otherwise they would not have escaped the plague of locusts.
Speaking of the camellia brought back from Tanggu, Princess Jing immediately felt elated. There are many people in Beijing who love camellias, among them, Princess Jing and Mrs. Feng, the wife of the Taishi, are the most obsessed. Originally, this pair of sisters with the same hobbies had a close relationship, and they often exchanged the secrets of growing flowers together, and held camellia feasts together. Not everyone can participate in the Camellia Banquet. Only those who are of sufficient status and whose character is approved by Princess Jing and Madam Feng can get invitations.
The Camellia Banquet was flocked to by ladies and wives from famous families in Beijing. If anyone could get an invitation to the banquet, not only would they feel proud among the many distinguished wives, but the whole family would feel honored.
The camellia banquet is known to everyone in the middle and upper circles in Beijing. But the good times didn't last long, and the two sponsors who were like sisters collapsed! Everyone in the capital knew that Prince Jing loved the concubine very much, and because of her hobby, he searched for precious camellia everywhere, which made Mrs. Feng both happy and envious. I am happy that there are new varieties of camellias in the Camellia Banquet every year, but I am envious that these camellias are not hers and can only be admired occasionally.
Mrs. Feng is a true flower lover. Not only does she love flowers, but she is also very good at planting flowers. She once cultivated a new variety of camellia with her own hands, which made Princess Jing very envious. Therefore, Concubine Jing followed Madam Feng's example and served her favorite camellia with her own hands. But she didn't get the title of "Flower and Plant Killer" for nothing. Many precious camellias were raised beyond recognition by her. Mrs. Feng tried to persuade her many times, but Princess Jing became interested in planting flowers, so she didn't listen at all. It wasn't until she planted a top eighteen scholar to death that Mrs. Feng couldn't sleep for a few days because of her heartache, and she had a fight with her, and the two broke up. The Camellia Banquet is over...
"Concubine mother, what are you thinking?" Prince Jing was being forced by his father to try grasshopper sauce, and when he asked concubine mother for help, he found her in a daze.
Princess Jing came back to her senses, sighed, and said, "I don't know if the locusts have ruined those precious flowers and plants in the valley that Yu Xiaocao mentioned. The last time Xiaocao took the maid from Mrs. Fang's house, it is said that she did not leave." No matter how far away you are, you can see a lot of precious flowers and plants, as well as some old herbs. It’s such a good place! If I’m not afraid of ferocious beasts, I’d like to see it too!”
Zhu Junyang thought of the wolf named Big Gray, nodded and said: "I've heard about this place too, and there lived a big and mighty gray wolf. However, that wolf was very spiritual, and once Helped the Yu family!"
Seeing that Princess Jing was very curious about this topic, she briefly talked about their defense against wolves. Princess Jing exclaimed: "Xiaocao helped that wolf, and the wolf saved her father. I didn't expect animals to have love and righteousness. Just keeping a wolf at home, won't it cause trouble for the Yu family?"
Zhu Junyang said: "I told the villagers that it was a pet I had raised since I was a child. It was inconvenient to bring it back to Beijing, so I asked the Yu family to help raise it. That wolf can understand people's words. If there is no malice, it is not Will attack people. By the way, this year's New Year's Eve dinner, will we still eat it in the palace?"
"The emperor has sent an order, saying that it's freezing, so don't bother, just eat the New Year's Eve dinner at your own home." Prince Jing ate the grasshopper sauce with great relish, and spread a spoonful on the steamed buns.
Zhu Junyang saw that half of the bottle of grasshopper sauce he had brought back was gone, so he put it away with some distress. When Prince Jing saw it, he laughed and cursed: "Stinky boy, you want to hide the grasshopper sauce and eat it alone after hooking out my glutton? No way! Come on, give me a jar of filial piety..."
Zhu Junyang only brought back four cans of grasshopper sauce this time, two of which were given to General Fang. Looking at his father with a rascal expression of "If you don't give me grasshopper sauce, you are not filial", Zhu Junyang endured the pain in his heart, and with a straight face, he reluctantly gave the remaining half can to his father. .
Prince Jing was angry and funny and said, "What expression do you have? Don't you just eat something from you, as for cutting your flesh! If you like to eat, you won't buy other people's recipes and ask our cook to make them for you." You eat!"
"There is no food, what should I do?" Zhu Junyang thought of the pockets of locusts in Yu's ice cellar, thinking that he would go to Dongshan Village to sit in town as soon as the spring thawed, and the euphemistic name was to supervise the corn planting.
Zhu Junyang has asked County Magistrate Zhao to pay attention to the purchase of land in Tanggu Town. As the hardest-hit area of the locust plague in Tanggu Town, not every household was as lucky as the Yu family and suffered no losses. In the surrounding villages, most of the farmland was barren, and few people hoarded food at home. Therefore, before the relief food came, most people bought high-priced food to survive. There are very few families with money and food that can survive the winter and next spring, and there must be a lot of people who sell their fields and land to sell their children and daughters.
Since Tanggu is to be turned into a breeding base for improved corn varieties, it needs a lot of farmland. Yu Xiaocao's family's 170 mu of land is not enough to fit between teeth. Therefore, Zhu Junyang began to let Zhao County Magistrate buy fields and land one after another from autumn, and it would be best if they could be connected together. It doesn't matter if it doesn't even make a film, just change it with someone else. If the land used by the imperial court is compensated with some money, it is impossible for those who are sensible to not exchange it.
While Zhu Junyang was silently working hard for next year's work, the Yu family had already begun to happily prepare for the new year.
The last young wild boar kept in the pen was also killed not long ago. Xiaocao's grandmother's house in Xishan Village, and Lao Yu's elder brothers' house, each sent ten catties of wild pork, twenty catties of white noodles, and a few Chinese cabbages.
Now every family is in a difficult situation. Although the price of rice has stabilized, when the disaster year comes, the livestock raised by the family will be slaughtered early for fear of wasting food. During the Chinese New Year, the price of pork soared all the way, and it was snapped up by the rich people in the town early on, and it was not the turn of the common people at all.
Of course, the common people are reluctant and can’t afford to buy a few hundred yuan a catty of pork. Many people’s New Year’s Eve dumplings are prepared with dried vegetables, so that’s what it means. In previous years, I couldn't afford meat, and there were cabbage and radishes. This year, it's pretty good to be able to eat dried vegetables!
These annual gifts from the Yu family are like giving charcoal in the snow. When the gift was given, it was snowing heavily, and the snow outside was so deep that it was difficult for vehicles to pass. Yu Xiaocao accepted the task of sending New Year's gift with full of excitement. Since the small sled was made, she had no chance to show it except for running a few laps in the mountains and forests. Now her wolf sled can finally come in handy.
Since Dahui came to Yu's house, Lingshi water has been added to the water he drinks every day. It is already taller and more powerful. It sits on the ground, and the grass can't reach the top of its head. Dahui looks mighty, and he is even more obedient in front of Xiaocao than the most docile dog. As for others, they can only see its cold side. The rest of the Yu family wants to instruct it, don't even think about it! Therefore, Yu Xiaocao could only go to give the New Year gift. Who made it impossible for others to drive a sled
On the small sled, Yu Xiaocao sat in the front, and pork and white noodles were placed in the back. There are railings behind the sled, so you don't have to worry about the annual ceremony falling halfway.
Yu Xiaocao put on the warmest clothes, a rabbit fur hat on her head, the kind that can wrap her ears inside, a rabbit fur scarf around her neck, and thick rabbit fur inside her boots. Yu Hai was afraid that his daughter would be cold, so he wrapped his wolf fur jacket around her body, leaving only his eyes outside.
"Let's go!" Yu Xiaocao waved to his family and said something to Dahui. Big Hui walked slowly on the snow, and when it left the village, it began to speed up gradually, and the mountains and forests on both sides of the road retreated rapidly.
At first, Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai also wanted to follow, but their short legs were stuck in the snow, and they couldn't run fast. Before they could get out of Dongshan Village, they were left behind by their own wolf father, so they could only go home resentfully.
In the snowy season, the sky is cold and freezing, and there is hardly a pedestrian on the road, and I am not afraid that the big ash will scare others. Yu Xiaocao went to grandpa's second brother's house first. Yu Lixia lives in Xishan Village and Daba Village to the west, where there are not mountains or seas, and there are many fertile fields. Yu Lixia's family has more than ten acres of fertile land, and after paying taxes, the remaining food can barely keep him from starving. But this year is a disaster year after all. Although the imperial government has reduced or exempted the agricultural tax, life is still tight.
When Yu Xiaocao entered the village, maybe everyone was at home and didn't meet anyone. She drove the sled directly to the door of Second Grandpa's house and knocked on the door. It was Yu Yang, the eldest son of the second grandfather's family who opened the door. When he saw the grass wrapped into a ball, he was taken aback for a moment, and immediately asked, "Is this... Xiaolian or Xiaocao?"
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Thank you Haifeng for the red envelope