When Dong Ping came back from his classmate's house with Xizi and had a good time, he met his brother-in-law who was also going up the mountain, and the two of them talked and laughed, and as soon as they climbed halfway up the mountain, they saw Liu Ergou and others resting with pickaxes while stretching their necks to look up the mountain. Dong Ping's face sank immediately, and he asked in a cold voice, "What are you doing?" ”

The handymen immediately shrank their necks when they heard the sound, Liu Ergou was a little steward in the end, and he felt that he had some face in front of the master's house, so he hurriedly stepped forward and responded carefully, "The old man and the second young master are back, we have just dug the drainage canal, and we are planning to rest for a while before continuing to fertilize." But I don't know what delicious food is being made in the courtyard on the mountain, and the fragrance wafts here. Everyone was curious..."

Dong Ping carefully sniffed that there was indeed a faint fragrance in the air, and then he knew that he had misunderstood everyone, but if he was wrong, he couldn't apologize to the slave, otherwise he would not be able to act well after losing his majesty. He coughed twice in embarrassment, nodded at the end, and said lightly, "Let's rest for a while." ”

With that, he followed the stupid pillar and continued to climb the stone steps. It took a long time for the handymen to dare to raise their heads, and secretly muttered, "The second young master looks like a kind person on weekdays, but it's weird and scary to start a fire." ”

"No, the second young master is a talented master, and he will be an official in the future, how can he not be a little majestic."

Dong Rong was standing at the door of the stove at this moment, and milky white steam was constantly spilling out of the door, lining her like a fairy stepping on the clouds. It's just that she, a fairy, doesn't care about weaving or clothes, she only cares about the back kitchen of the Jade Emperor's family...

The lo-mei in the cauldron has been boiling for almost an hour, and the rich aroma is like a naughty child drilling into everyone's nostrils.

In the front yard, there were more than a dozen and a half children who were learning to write with Steward Zhang, although they tried their best to focus on the willow branches in their hands, but the stomach worms rioted, and they always wanted to look up at the inner courtyard. Steward Zhang took a ring ruler in his hand and knocked it a few times from time to time, obviously very satisfied with his temporary husband's errand.

As soon as he saw his master come back, Steward Zhang hurriedly took a group of boys to salute, and the stupid pillar waved his hand and went straight into the inner courtyard.

The boys were greedy and jealous, and secretly thought that it would be good if they could follow the second young master as a scholar, and they didn't have to do work to eat, drink and have fun all day long. Steward Zhang Xu saw the thoughts of the boys, raised his hand and knocked them one by one, and scolded, "You guys, how do you know that your eyes are red?" Don't look at Xizi's young age, the three-character scripture and the thousand-character text have long been memorized, and it is even more thoughtful to take care of the second son's laundry and dress in the academy on weekdays, and I don't know how clever I am than you leather monkeys. Remember, as long as our family is willing to endure hardships and work hard, we will definitely have a bright day. If you don't work hard, hmph, then you will be disciplined every day. ”

The boys stuck out their tongues in fright, but at last they grabbed the willow branch again, and their expressions were much more serious than before.

Sister-in-law Liu and the others waited around the stove, and when they saw that the steam was thinning, they asked, "Boss, can you start the pot?" ”

Dong Rong was just about to respond, when she saw Zhu Zi and Dong Ping entering the door, so she smiled and said, "Let's start the pot, the diners are back, it's time to serve." ”

Sister-in-law Liu was a little puzzled, and she smiled when she looked at it, and finally greeted Mei Huā and Silian, "Hurry up and boil, the old master and the second young master are back." ”

Dong Rong stepped forward and patted her younger brother, and then looked at the stupid Zhu's face again, and then said, "I tried to make a few braised vegetables just now, how about you quickly change your clothes and wash your hands, and help me taste the taste?" ”

"Okay, I'll be right away." Dong Ping happily responded and went back to the East Chamber, Dong Rong personally fetched water and greeted Silly Zhu to wash his hands, and asked him how Mr. Feng was doing by the way. Silly Zhu smiled and said, "Uncle Feng, let me send more boiled eggs." ”

Dong Rong laughed and said, "Cheng, one or two pieces of silver, the best deal to kill is done." ”

The young couple talked and laughed, and soon changed into a set of clean clothes, but as soon as they came out of the inner room door, they saw the second sister Cao standing at the door of the hall and poking her head and looking in. Dong Rong said helplessly, "You girl, when you are doing your work, you don't see anyone, and when the braised vegetables are ready, you come to eat ready-made?" ”

Second Sister Cao smiled and hugged her sister-in-law, and said coquettishly, "Sister-in-law, I'm afraid of killing chickens, there is blood everywhere." When you make snacks in the future, I'll definitely help, okay? ”

Dong Rong is almost forty years old in her two lives together, and her sister-in-law who treats this teenage girl on weekdays is like a spoiled daughter, so naturally she will not really blame her, so she gently pinched her and let her go.

On the stone table in the corner of the courtyard, there were already several plates of various kinds of food, and Sister-in-law Liu and others were surrounded by excitement, but none of them moved the chopsticks first. Dong Rong was happy that they understood the rules, so she first sandwiched a chicken wing for the stupid pillar, and after choosing two chicken legs for her younger brothers and sisters, she beckoned them and said, "It's been a busy morning, don't be polite, how about you taste the fruits of our labor?" ”

Liu's sister-in-law put down the chopsticks one after another, Mei Huā was previously responsible for picking up the pig into the water, and then she put a piece of pork liver into her mouth, and finally chewed carefully for a long time before shouting, "Dongjia, this pig is washed with fine noodles, and there is really no pickled taste." After she finished speaking, she sandwiched a piece of pig's large intestine and ate it, and smiled even more happily, "The intestines don't smell either!" ”

Dong Rong tasted the food one by one, and asked everyone's opinions, and then said, "This braised soup boiled chicken, duck and eggs are not bad, but the pig is a little reluctant to go into the water." In this way, the pork liver and heart and lungs are not done, as for the small intestine ... I'll do it again, and we'll try again tomorrow. ”

Sister-in-law Liu and Mei Huā both responded, Chu Silian was a little anxious, and asked, "Dongjia, when will you teach me to make dim sum?" ”

"Don't worry, let Steward Zhang go to the pottery kiln tomorrow to hire two people, and build a small kiln at home, when you are tired."

Chu Silian didn't worry about it anymore when she got the quasi-letter, she smiled and took a chicken neck and gnawed it with relish.

Seeing that everyone was half full, Dong Rong asked Sister-in-law Liu to remove the plate, this is not a serious meal after all, it is too greasy and not good for the body. Xizi licked her fingers a little unsatisfied, and was slapped by Dong Ping when she saw it. This kid is also clever, and quickly praised, "Madame's craftsmanship is really good, and the business will definitely be prosperous." ”

Everyone laughed, Dong Rong asked Wen Niang to take the rest of the lo-mei to the outer courtyard for Steward Zhang and the boys to taste fresh, and Sister-in-law Liu listened to it and said, "Sister Wen, by the way, please ask Steward Zhang to write our work deed together, and we will rest assured that we have pressed our handprints." I don't have to worry about the owner finding a better craft, so I don't need our clumsy mothers-in-law. ”

Wen Niang listened with a smile, but her eyes looked at her master. Dong Rong nodded and smiled, "Go ahead, tell Zhang Guan to write a five-year work contract in advance, and the salary is ten taels per year." ”

Wen Niang bowed down and retreated, and when Steward Zhang heard that the owner had ordered an errand, he threw down a group of saliva boys and entered the room, and finally took the written deed paper and ink into the inner courtyard. Sister-in-law Liu, Mei Huā, and Silian all happily pressed their handprints, and then they all wrapped up the unfinished needlework and went home to report the good news.

Dong Rong saw that the courtyard was finally quiet, so she invited Steward Zhang to sit down and drink tea, and slowly arranged the latest work in the orchard. Early in the morning of the second day, Sister-in-law Liu and others came up the mountain again, each of them was gearing up, asking what to eat today, Dong Rong asked Wen Niang to take out a basket of duck eggs and half a pot of pig intestines and take the lead into the stove.

Soon, the two good hands hired by Steward Zhang to build pottery kilns also arrived, Dong Rong took the time to come out and point out a few words and then returned to the stove, leaving Steward Zhang and the two potters racking their brains to figure out how to build a "pottery kiln" that can bake dim sum.

At the entrance of the orchard at the foot of the mountain, Yu Guisheng took more than a dozen handymen to build a chicken shed next to his house, and from time to time he could hear him shouting, "Everyone work hard, after the shed is built, we will build a small restaurant by the peach huā forest. ”

The handymen were hired in the village temporarily, and when they heard this, they seemed to see their own prosperous days in the future, and they became more and more energetic.

In the lotus pond in the distance, Zhao Qingshan is taking seven or eight people to plant lotus root seeds in the pond mud. But Dong Rong planted lotus root in order to fill the pond with lotus huā, so as to make up for the gaps after the defeat of peach huā and pear huā, so he didn't care about this small shortcoming. After all, the orchard is a sign for rewarding huā and drinking, and if the guests come and have no huā to enjoy, even if the wine and food are good, they will feel disappointed.

Therefore, this lotus pond is the focus of the entire orchard after June. The lotus root seeds are planted in batches every half month, and when the lotus huā blooms, it will naturally bloom until late autumn.

Zhao Qingshan stood in the pond mud, his face was a little cold and blue, but he didn't have the slightest idea of going ashore to be lazy. Seeing that the owner's family business is getting bigger and bigger, not to mention that Steward Zhang is more relied on by the main family, even if the women of Sister-in-law Liu have signed a five-year long contract, he also has to work hard, otherwise how can it be better to be forgotten by the owner?

"Let's hold on for a while, our owner is kind-hearted, and I have already instructed Aunt Yu to stew tofu with meat bones, and there are two jars of bud grain wine. Let's finish our work early and go gnaw bones and drink! ”

Everyone responded with a coax, "Okay, this water is so cold, I can't bear it without drinking some wine." ”

In this way, as the days passed, the weather became warmer and warmer, the earth was completely rejuvenated, and the mountains and forests were full of greenery. The orchard was full of people, and it was a full month of busyness, and more than 200 chickens carefully raised by Aunt Yu had already lived in a spacious chicken shed, and a small restaurant at the foot of the peach forest had also been built. The thatched roof, the varnished wooden floor, and the six small boxes separated by screens, seem simple but faintly casual. These boxes are all backed by the lotus pond and facing the peach forest, and it is foreseeable that when the huā is open, three or five friends sit here to drink and laugh, which is definitely a very comfortable thing.

There will be various aromas wafting out of the courtyard on the top of the mountain every day, and every time Sister-in-law Liu and others try to make something new, they will bring it out and find someone to try it. The half-sized children were ecstatic at first, and almost rushed up to grab a good light, but they couldn't stand eating anything good every day, and now except for hunger, no one would take the initiative to run outside the door.

(The first watch, if there are no two shifts tonight, get up early tomorrow morning, come on, thank you for your support!) ）