Boss Zhou coughed, and Li shut up, but she couldn't contain her pride. Humph, don't think that just because you gave birth to a son, Zhao has the confidence to snatch her position in the family!
Boss Zhou stopped looking at his upset wife and said, "Dad, we went to my father-in-law's house this afternoon and bought some pork and fish. We gave them as a separate New Year gift this year."
Zhou Shuren nodded to show that he understood, "Okay, you should go back and rest too!"
Zhulan stood up and said to Li: "Let's make dinner. We'll make noodles tonight."
Li asked, "Mom, are the noodles soup noodles or noodles with soybean paste?"
Zhulan hadn't eaten noodles with soybean paste for a long time, so she was craving for it. "Take out a piece of meat and make a non-spicy meat sauce with half of it and a spicy meat sauce with the other half."
Li was greedy, "Mom, I'll go back and change my clothes first, and then I'll go to the kitchen."
"Go ahead, I'll get the noodles and meat."
"Okay, Mom."
The Zhou family's bean paste is made by Li. Zhulan didn't like to eat paste in modern times, but she liked it in ancient times. The fried paste with pancakes is especially delicious. Zhulan would eat it every few days.
The Zhou family doesn't make much sauce every year. This year, Zhulan loves the sauce so it's made even faster. If they save it, it will only last until the beginning of spring. Zhulan is thinking of buying some beans to make sauce.
Soybeans originated in China. There are records of soybean cultivation in ancient times, but it was not widely planted. Zhulan's family did not grow soybeans, and the beans for making bean paste were bought from Zhang's family who sold tofu.
Two big pots of noodles for dinner were not enough. My one-year-old granddaughter Yu Lu ate the whole bowl. Otherwise, she might have eaten some more because of indigestion. Fortunately, the little girl did not look like her parents, but inherited Zhulan's looks from the previous generation. She is also a beautiful baby. Since Zhulan came here, the family's food has improved, the little girl has enough nutrition, and many baby teeth have grown out. She clapped her hands happily after eating.
Zhulan was full and looked at the other people in the family. Their stomachs were like bottomless pits, especially the eldest and second oldest children, who would have eaten two bowls of food if there was nothing left in their bowls. Zhulan thought that it was a good thing that Zhou Shuren was capable and the Zhou family was wealthy, otherwise they wouldn't even be able to afford food.
The next morning, after breakfast, Zhulan prepared gifts for the clan leader's house, including a piece of silk cloth and a pound of cakes. She didn't take anything else. The test paper that Zhou Shuren copied was valuable enough. Not only would it help him reintegrate into the clan, but it would also benefit the entire clan, allowing Zhou Shuren to gain a position in the clan and make the clan owe him a favor. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
Zhulan left a fan as a dowry for the clan leader's little daughter when she gets married next year.
Zhou Shuren, Zhulan and the eldest son and grandson packed up and went to the patriarch's house together.
Patriarch Zhou is also busy in winter. The Zhou family's clan school is not like other private schools that have students in every village and are closed when winter comes because the roads are blocked. Most of the students in the Zhou family's clan school are from the same village with the same surname. They will not be delayed even if there is snow. Patriarch Zhou will go to the clan school every day and come back.
Zhou Shuren and Zhulan arrived at the exact time, and clan leader Zhou had just arrived home. Clan leader's eyes were shining. He had helped Zhou Shuren and had been waiting for Zhou Shuren to come, but unfortunately he had been waiting for several months. It would be a lie to say that he was not disappointed. He thought Zhou Shuren had changed, but unexpectedly he remained the same. He had no hope anymore, but Zhou Shuren came to visit instead, and brought his eldest son and grandson with him. This meant he was going to interact with the clan.
Patriarch Zhou drank his tea slowly without saying a word, and Zhou Shuren was not in a hurry either.
The wife of the Zhou Wang clan leader smiled and said to Zhu Lan, "What brings you here today? What's the matter?"
According to past experience, gifts are given to get things done.
Zhulan put the basket in Zhou Wang's arms and said, "Look at what Auntie said. We are all relatives of the same surname. It's almost the New Year and we are not allowed to visit our elders."
Zhou Wang was stunned for a moment. She was not here to do any business. She could not make up her mind for a moment and turned her head to look at the old man.
Chief Zhou gestured, "It's rare for Shuren and his wife to come here, so you should prepare some good food for them to eat here at noon."
Zhou Wangshi thought it was something special, so she smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll accept it without hesitation. I'll ask the head of the family to prepare it. Yangshi and Auntie, can you come to the inner room to talk?"
Zhulan silently thought about the terrible ancient times, where women had a very low status. She couldn't even listen in. "I've wanted to kiss my aunt for a long time."
Zhou Wangshi paused and thought to herself, I never expected that Yangshi is not a fool at all, just look at how good she is at talking.