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墨書 Inktalez
From the moment Aunt Zhou started boiling the soy milk, she stood by waiting to drink it.
The foam on the surface of the liquid gradually accumulated in the pot, and the unique sweet smell of raw soy milk filled the air. After it boiled, it couldn't be consumed immediately; it needed to be cooked for another ten minutes to fully mature.
Yezi preferred the original flavor, while Aunt Zhou and Elder Brother Yu liked to add sugar, just like the little ones. After finishing the soy milk, they watched Aunt Zhou prepare the tofu. Half an hour later, the soy milk had congealed into small flowers, and each of them had a bowl of tofu topped with soy sauce, scallions, and sesame oil. They could hardly eat any lunch afterward, but Black Treasure seemed unfazed; without food, it still made a fuss.
Yezi was about to pour the soybean dregs to it when Aunt Zhou exclaimed, "Oh my dear girl! How can you give such good stuff to Black Treasure?" She snatched the dregs from Yezi and hid them in a pot, even covering it with a wooden lid.
Yezi joked, "Auntie, in your eyes, there’s nothing that isn’t precious!"
Aunt Zhou smiled at her. "You know, you're great at everything except for wasting things. You should change that; be careful or Little Lin won't want you!"
"He dares!" Who stole her line?
Aunt Ren Er stood at the door holding a basket. Aunt Zhou warmly welcomed her. "Ren Er's family, your tofu is ready!"
"It was done early; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to leave home!"
Aunt Ren Er uncovered the cloth on the basket. "I want to trade some duck eggs for something for Yezi!"
During this time, Yezi dreaded hearing the words "trade something." As soon as she heard it, she felt a headache coming on. "Aunt Ren Er, the yarn has already been traded away by everyone; even if you offered me Gold Mountain or Silver Mountain, I couldn't turn it into anything!" In rural areas, if you asked them to buy something with real money, they might hesitate. Even if they had just received money, they might not be willing to spend it. Zhoujiatun was relatively better off, but there were always some people who were greedy yet reluctant to part with their money. Yezi thought that trading items might work out fine, but once that door opened, more troubles would follow.
"No yarn? What’s going on? Is someone asking you for yarn again?"
"Yes! I don’t know which idiot leaked my yarn trading secret to Tun'er; now people from other villages are coming to ask!"
Aunt Ren Er was even angrier, saying, "If Yezi has anything good in the future, don't always think of us. You care for us wholeheartedly, but there are always some people who are greedy and shameless!" Aunt Ren Er's scolding was fierce, and the more she scolded, the less she understood.
Little Fan, Wolf Child, stared wide-eyed at Aunt Ren Er in amazement. "Aunt Ren Er, you're amazing!"
Yezhi finally came to her senses; the little ones were still there! "Aunt Ren Er, what do you want to trade with me?" Yezhi interrupted suddenly, causing Aunt Ren Er to be taken aback. "Um, Yezi, I want to trade with you!" Then she leaned closer to Yezhi's ear and whispered, "Do you still have that thing called Moon something?"
Yezhi gave her a thumbs up. "Aunt Ren Er, you really know your stuff!" The Moon Grass dried in water wasn't exactly great for selling, but it worked almost as well as the bought ones. Yezhi had dried a whole basket of it; since she couldn't use it all herself, she gave some to a few close friends. Aunt Ren Er was her first repeat customer. For someone as bold, meticulous, and open to new things as Aunt Ren Er, Yezhi liked her a hundred times over. The development of Zhoujiatun relied on people too.
"Aunt Ren Er, do you want to learn how to read?"
Aunt Ren Er held her forehead. "Oh my goodness, I'm already so old; why would I learn to read?"
Yezhi said, "Knowing how to read means you won't be easily fooled!"
Little Fan waved his fists and said, "Knowing how to read makes you very powerful!"
Wolf Child also rarely spoke up. "Knowing how to read will help you hunt more animals and have plenty to eat!"
Yezhi was amused by the children's logic, but Aunt Ren Er began to seriously consider it. "Is reading really that good? Am I too old for this?"
"You're not old! Besides, there's an old saying that goes 'live and learn'!"
Aunt Ren Er made up her mind. "As long as you don't think I'm stupid, I'll learn!"
"Don't feel pressured; learning to read isn't hard at all. We can learn one character a day, and in a few years, we'll have learned them all!"
Aunt Ren Er laughed out loud this time, "Yezhi, can I learn two things a day?"
Yezhi replied readily, "Of course!"
When Aunt Zhou heard this, she became interested as well, "Girl, can I learn too?"
"Absolutely!"
Aunt Zhou and Aunt Ren Er eagerly started discussing. If it weren't for Elder Brother Yu and Black Treasure returning from delivering soy milk to Barefoot Aunt and Tofu Pudding, these two would probably chat endlessly.
"Well then, I'm heading back!" Aunt Ren Er hurriedly walked out the door, and Yezhi shouted from behind, "Aunt Ren Er, don't forget the Yueyue Shu!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Jianhua's face turned red. Aunt Ren Er quickly covered her mouth, saying, "Goodness, can you shout about that so loudly!"
Yezhi was confused by these aunts and older women; sometimes their jokes were more explicit than those of 21st-century people. Ever since she became a married woman, the aunts and older women had been even less reserved in front of her, sharing tips on "how to keep your man satisfied" and "secrets to having sons." Now, why was mentioning "Yueyue Shu" such a big deal?
After finally prying Aunt Ren Er's hand away, she gasped and said, "Does Aunt Ren Er really need to be so excited about mentioning 'Yueyue Shu'?"
"Isn't Less at home? It's embarrassing for you to shout like that!" What was there to be embarrassed about? Sister Luo used it every month! But why was Elder Brother Yu's face so red? Could it be?
It seemed possible! She suddenly recalled helping a friend with a part-time job as a Whispering Angel in high school. She delivered samples to people; the men mostly avoided her, and the various awkward situations led to flushed faces; even two women turned red in the face and neck.
"Do you still want it?" This time she learned her lesson and asked in a lower voice.
"Of course! Yezhi, the name 'Yueyue Shu' is really great; I think it's much better than that cloth thing. It's way more enjoyable!"
Yezhi handed Aunt Ren Er a bundle and packed a bag of powder for her, saying, "Aunt, I’m giving you this bag of powder. As long as you make a mold, you can do it yourself!"
Aunt Ren Er was surprised and exclaimed, "Is it that simple?"
"Yes, it's that simple!"
Aunt Ren Er's eyes lit up, and she asked excitedly, "Yezhi, do you think anyone would buy this?"
Yezhi felt a surge of joy inside; she thought Aunt Ren Er was perfect for this business. "Aunt Ren Er, you really have an eye for this!"
"Oh dear! I'm not as good as you say. I just want to make a little money to buy some liquor for my husband and treat the kids to some meat."
Yezhi blinked and said earnestly, "Aunt Ren Er! The duck farm is already paying your family wages. You’ve also received money for eggs, rice, and fish. Plus, you have your own vegetables, and you've sold quite a few peaches too! Why are you still stingy about buying liquor for Uncle and treating Spring Peach and Shuanzi to some meat?"
Aunt Ren Er laughed while playfully hitting her, "You little girl!"
"Black Treasure, quickly hug Aunt Ren Er!" Upon hearing Mama Bear's call, Black Treasure ran over and hugged Aunt Ren Er. After a bit of chaos, Yezhi assured Aunt Ren Er that Yueyue Shu was selling well, and Aunt Ren Er left with a smile.
On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth month, Pig No. Three came to help slaughter pigs at their home, with One Egg assisting. Their pig had not been fed for long; compared to others' fat pigs, it was noticeably smaller. Wolf Child was excited; from the moment the little pig started bleeding, her eyes turned red—not out of sadness but because she was envious of Xiao Fan who had helped Aunt Zhou feed the pigs. She craved the rawness of it all; no matter how good Yezhi's food was, it couldn't change her primal desires.
When she could no longer hold back and began drinking from the basin wildly, even the family members who had seen this scene last year were not shocked. He understood why Wolf Sister wanted to drink blood. It was like how his dad and mom loved spinach while he hated it; one couldn't expect everyone to have the same preferences. Besides, pig blood sausage and stir-fried pig blood were delicious. Wolf Sister really knew how to eat; he wanted to learn from her and be a blessed person like Egg Brother who said "being able to eat is a blessing."
With blood all over her face, Wolf Child not only drank for herself but also remembered Big Wolf. Big Wolf strolled over leisurely; his table manners were far superior to Wolf Child's. Yezhi felt a sense of failure in her education as she held Niu Niu.
This year they slaughtered pigs late, and she forgot to tell Aunt Zhou about buying meat and intestines from the villagers. The cured meat sausages couldn’t be made anymore. Xiao Fang had strong opinions about not having cured meat to sell; Little Bai's grandfather had just one wish for the Spring Festival: "I want to eat cured meat again." Cured meat was especially loved by older people; young folks might find it fatty or unhealthy, but for the elderly, it was all about the taste they remembered.
In Bodoria, the cured meat sold by Yezhi has faced criticism for its high price and even more for being unhealthy. Xiaobai didn't find it tasty, but the Hongdou family loved it, and their Old King was said to be a die-hard fan of the cured meat.
"Master, let's do it! The Spring Festival in Bodoria is later than on Earth, so there's still time!" Xiao Fang bounced out with her glasses, pleading.
Yezhi rubbed Niu Niu's little belly. "Let's do it, it's easy to say! But I don't know if the weather is suitable. I remember that cured meat and sausages are usually prepared a month before the Spring Festival, dried and smoked. Once spring arrives, no one makes them anymore."
"Master, please! The old man from Brother Bai's family loves it so much, and Hongdou too. You wouldn't want to disappoint them, especially the elderly; it's just their wish!" Xiao Fang became increasingly pitiful, making Yezhi feel that if she didn't do it, there would be no warmth in the house.
"Alright, I'll give it a try!"
"Master, you are such a good person!" Xiao Fang looked at her with heartfelt admiration.
"Xiao Fang, stop pretending. Your eyes are full of dollar signs. You spoke so righteously just now, but in the end, it's all about money. I despise you!"
Niu Niu sneezed in response to Xiao Fang's antics, its glassy eyes glancing at her as if to say that she was worth less than an ant in its eyes.
"I'm just trying to earn some honest money; is that so bad?" Xiao Fang pouted.
"Hmph~ I'm the one sweating and bleeding here!"
"Master, can't you be a bit more ladylike? Stop saying 'hmph' all the time; be careful that Xiaobinzi doesn't want you!" After saying this, Xiao Fang cowardly slipped back to Glasses.
Yezhi couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. For two consecutive days, people had been saying that Xiaobinzi didn't want her; it seemed she had quite a few flaws. Sigh~ I wonder when Xiaobinzi will come back; I suddenly miss him!
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