The days passed imperceptibly in the hustle and bustle, and in a blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Ten acres of sorghum land were stubbled, turned, fertilized, and planted with wheat. These ten acres of land are Qingshu's first real field, and she is trying to plant winter wheat. The bud grain sticks have been broken and pulled back to the yard, and the bud grain straw has been cut and bundled, but it has to be pulled back.

The cabbage pulled two carts to Jinyang City to sell, two catties of three pieces of cabbage and people picked and chosen, more than 6,000 catties of cabbage, and finally only sold for eight taels of silver and another penny. Qing Shu probably calculated the account, this back and forth will take four days, the cost of two ox carts in four days, the cost of food and lodging for the coachman and the four people who follow the car, the ten copper plates collected by the two carts of vegetables at the city gate when entering the city, and the two hangs of money for finding a person to introduce buyers, carefully calculated, it would be good to have five taels left in the eight taels of silver for selling vegetables, and this is the result of her subordinates saving money for her and treating themselves poorly in food and accommodation.

As a result, Qingshu vetoed the plan to continue to pull cabbage to Jinyang City, and placed high hopes on pickled cabbage. In fact, she also considered making kimchi, but kimchi is inseparable from chili peppers. From the capital to Huizhou, she didn't see a large number of chili peppers sold. To be precise, there should be very few chili peppers that are sold, and it is difficult to come across them. She walked around the West and East markets in the capital, and only met a person selling chili peppers once, and only bought more than two catties. When I bought it, although the peppers were red, some of the seeds were not ripe, and there were very few usable seeds that were dried and collected. In short, the only hope at the moment is on sauerkraut.

With a worried heart, Qingshu walked to the small vat of pickled cabbage, there was no smell in the air, and there was hope.

Wu Xiaoshan uncovered the coarse cloth on the jar and glanced at it, "Miss, the stones pressed on it are almost out of water." ”

"I'll see." Xiaojuan stepped forward and took a look, "The cabbage has become less, it was half a jar when it was put that day, and now it is half a jar." ”

Qing Shu stepped forward, and Wu Xiaoshan and Xiaojuan retreated. Qing Shu approached the mouth of the cylinder and sniffed carefully, there was really no smell. "Quickly move away from the stones, any of you will fish one out for me, and you should fish out the bottom one, not the top one." "By the way, your hands should be clean, and the stones should be put away in a clean place."

Wu Xiaoshan agreed, reached out and came out of the jar and hugged the stone. Xiaojuan fiddled with her sleeves, reached into the jar, and quickly fished out a cabbage that had lost its primary color, "Miss, its color ......"

Qing Shu smiled, "Xiaoshan, put the stone back in the jar." Turning his face, "Take the kitchen." ”

Xiao Juan agreed, grabbed it and went to the kitchen, where it was put on a clean board.

Qing Shu got into his hands with an expectant face, took the kitchen knife next to him and cut off some of his head, and then peeled off layer by layer, finally revealing the core of the vegetable inside. She cut off each slice and put it in her mouth and tasted it. It's not marinated yet, so it's not delicious, but it seems to have succeeded.

Xiao Juan stared at Qing Shu's expression tightly, "Miss, this, can you eat this?" ”

Qing Shu smiled and narrowed his eyes, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and said to Xiaojuan: "Let Wu Xiaoshan tell Wu to manage things, from today onwards, our cabbage will not be sold." The cellar was left in the ground, and the rest was taken back and stacked on the edge of the yard, where it was exposed to the sun during the day and covered with straw at night. She only recalled in the past two days that before her grandmother pickled sauerkraut, she had to put the cabbage in the sun to dry for a day or two.

Wu Xiaoshan waited outside, and he heard it without Xiaojuan's words, "Miss, the cabbage is really not for sale?" ”

Qing Shu came out of the kitchen, "It's not for sale." "It took a lot of effort to take it out and sell it, but it didn't sell much, but it worked hard for everyone, and it was not cost-effective." Xiaojuan, don't rub it off, go back to town, there is something urgent to do. "She's at home now.

When he returned to the house in the town, Qing Shu didn't want to delay for a moment, so he immediately found Gu Qiang and ordered, "Go buy a big vat and come back, I want twenty." Also, remember to buy salt, only buy more, not less. ”

Gu Qiang was taken aback, "Miss, what do you want so many vats for?" There is also salt, and there is a basket brought from the capital, which cannot be eaten in the New Year. ”

Qing Shu whispered to him mysteriously, "Those cabbages I pickled are done." ”

Gu Qiang was stunned when he heard this, "Cabbage can also be pickled?" ”

"In short, our cabbage this year is not worried about not being sold. Except for the cellar, all the others are pickled, and you can eat them yourself, or you can take them out and sell them. I estimate that twenty cylinders are not enough, you can order another twenty. After saying this, he muttered in his heart, forty jars are enough. How many catties of cabbage can be held in a jar, she really doesn't know this, she must be weighed when pickling the first jar, so that she can know it in her heart.

"Miss, can this be done?" Gu Qiang was frightened, pickled forty cylinders, and didn't dare to imagine.

"Let's put it this way, I'm not sure I'll be able to make money, but I'm sure I'm not going to lose money. Besides, if you don't pickle it, you can sell it in a limited way, and it's also thrown, so why don't we try another method, maybe we can find a good market. ”

Gu Qiang didn't say anything more, and hurriedly went out of the house to do what Qingshu explained. Qingshu Zhang Luo collects beans, and he supports it because he is also optimistic about the prospects of beans. Qingshu Zhang Luo planted ten acres of wheat in this season, he had no objection, whether it was successful or not, he just wanted to make the young lady and young master who were enthusiastic about agricultural books happy. Qingshu is now pickling cabbage, he has no bottom in his heart, but he has no objection, because he feels that it is better to have the heart to toss and find a way out than to sit and wait for death. Besides, now the life of the people in the whole mansion is no longer so embarrassing, and they have confidence, and even if any of Qingshu's tossing methods fail, they can't lose too much money, Gu Qiang feels that it is within an acceptable range.

Qing Shu held his "notepad" and imagined the scene of the whole province eating steaming pork stewed sauerkraut in the cold winter months, and the smile on his face couldn't be stopped. Of course, it would be nice if there were vermicelli. It's a pity that she can only eat vermicelli, not make it. However, it is useless to know how to do it, she has been here for so long and has not seen potatoes yet. She didn't know whether Da'an had potatoes or not, so she could only pay attention to it slowly, and there was nothing else to do.

At this time, Xiaojuan reported that Su's mother came.

Qing Shu, who was leaning back in the chair, hurriedly sat upright, making sure that there was nothing on his body that could make Su's mother nag for a long time, and then said, "Su's mother, come in." Seeing that Su's mother came in, he beckoned Xiaojuan to hurry up and take the pestle for Su's mother to sit on.

Mother Su has always refused to sit, and today is the same, just standing and talking, with a look of doing something wrong, "Miss, the old slave has a soft heart today, so he took on a matter and caused trouble to Miss." ”

Qing Shu was surprised, "What's the matter?" "Su's mother will cause her trouble? Unthinkable.

It was Ning Si's mother, standing far away outside the gate of the mansion and looking around from time to time, not daring to step forward with a sad face. When the old slave saw this, he couldn't bear it, so he called him into the porter to speak. As he spoke, he glanced at Qing Shu's face.

Qing Shu nodded, indicating that he was listening, and felt amused by Su's mother's caution, "And then?" ”

Ning Si's mother said that Ning Si didn't have an errand for the yamen and wanted to find a job in the town, but no one was willing to use him. He had no way, he went to the old man's village outside the town to find a job, and he was willing to do both long-term and short-term work, but still no one used him. His daughter-in-law gave birth to a child and injured her body, and from time to time she also got medicine from the pharmacy, spending a lot of money every month. At this time, the whole family of five depends on his wife to do laundry and cook for others. Alas! It's not easy to be a mother. Su's mother said, very emotional.

"Mother Su, is Ning Si's mother begging you to find a job to do? There is no shortage of manpower in our house. "It's not easy to feed forty people, plus the brothers of the Kang family, there are more than enough people to do the work, she doesn't want to go to the house to get people and increase the mouth for eating. There is little work in winter, so she has to toss sauerkraut and beans, otherwise everyone in Zhuangzi will have to eat and live a life where they can't get in and out.

"Miss, no. Ning Si's mother didn't mean that. Mother Su hurriedly explained, "If she wants to say this, the old slave will not be soft-hearted." ”

"Oh." It's not to get into the house to get an errand, what is it asking for, Qing Shu is puzzled.

"What Ning Si's mother begged was to ask Gufu to be a guarantor, so that Ning Si could find a job to do in the town and have something to eat. Miss, this Ning Si's mother knows how to advance and retreat, Ning Si's child is still young, Ning Si is also filial, and besides, he is also from the army. After the battle was over, he came back alive, and he made a lot of contributions, so he got a quick job in the town. Su's mother said with a look of embarrassment.

Qing Shu understands now, Ding Jiabao's mouthy many days ago, and Su's mother's soft-heartedness today, are only for one thing: Ning Si has been in the army, has been on the battlefield, and has defended the territory of Da'an.

Ning Si couldn't find a job, and half of the reason was that he was involved in Gu Yuanhe's case, which was a bit offended by Gu Fu; Most of the reason is on Bai Xianfu's side. Bai Xianfu was sentenced as two distant relatives of the arrester, and Ning Si let it go, which was a reasonable thing. However, anyone with a discerning eye knows that Bai Xianfu will not stay in Ning Si again. In this way, who has nothing to do to touch this moldy head and give Ning Si a job, but it will make his parents unhappy.

Now Ning Si's mother begged for the ancient mansion and begged the ancient mansion to give Ning Si a guarantee. It seems that the Ning Si family has smart people, otherwise how could they have thought of such an idea. As long as the ancient mansion is willing to guarantee Ning Si, any shop in the town will dare to give Ning Si a job, and Bai Xianfu's unhappiness can only be hidden in his heart, and he will naturally not find trouble with anyone.

"Who do you say they are in a family of five?" Qing Shu asked curiously.

"Ning Si's mother, Ning Si and his daughter-in-law, Ning Si's two boys, one is six years old and the other is three years old. Ning Si's father didn't have it four years ago, I heard that there was an uncle in the town, but Ning Si was arrested, and that person broke off the relationship with them, which is really not as good as a pig and a dog. Su's mother scolded very disdainfully.

Qing Shu sighed, wondering in his heart whether to give Ning Si this guarantee or keep it for his own use.

Mother Su didn't know what Qing Shu was thinking, she just thought that Qing Shu was embarrassed, so she rubbed her hands, "Miss, no, the old slave will return to her." The old slave said that he would ask the master for her, but he didn't say anything. ”

Qing Shu came back to his senses, "Ning Si's mother is still outside?" ”

"The old slave told her to come tomorrow to listen to Xin'er, and she has already left."

"Okay, I'll think about this again, let's get busy!" Qingshu said.

Su's mother agreed and withdrew.

After a while, Su's mother came back again, with a happy face, "Miss, Miss, young master's master, Mr. Lu has arrived." ”

"Mr. Lu?" Qing Shu raised his eyebrows, "Has the housekeeper come back?" ”

"I'm back, I'm back, I'm back with Mr. Lu."

Qing Shu stood up, "Did the young master pass the word over there?" ”

"Sister, I heard that the master has arrived." Without waiting for Su's mother to reply, Qingyang hurriedly came in from outside.

"Yes, let's go, go out to meet your master." She didn't know whether it was good or bad for her brother not to send her younger brother to a private school, but to invite her master to come home and teach one-on-one.

When the two sisters and brothers went out, they not only saw a strange man wearing a scholar's scarf, a cyan scholar's robe, a white beard and a black beard, and a weak scholarly appearance, but also saw Zhou Mao, a doctor of Zhou.

Gu Qiang was standing in the gate of the mansion with a smile on his face and talking to the two people, behind them, a carriage with a canopy was parked, Ding Jiabao and Gu Yuanhe were moving things from the carriage with a strange couple, and then looked at the side, there was a woman holding a three- or four-year-old boy.

Seeing Qingshu and Qingyang coming out, Gu Qiang hurriedly introduced, "Miss, young master, this is the master recommended by Mr. Kong, Mr. Lu." ”

Qing Shu made a woman's salute, "Qing Shu has seen Mr. Lu. ”

Qingyang solemnly saluted the students, "Qingyang has seen Mr. Lu. ”

Lu Xuanfang smiled and accepted the salute, and said hello twice.

Gu Qiang said again: "Doctor Zhou has seen it," and then introduced the woman holding the child, "This is Doctor Zhou's wife." ”

Qingshu and Qingyang greeted Dr. and Mrs. Zhou again. Then Qingshu said: "Don't stand here, hurry up and please, work hard all the way, go to the front hall to drink a cup of hot tea and slow down." ”

Gu Qiang also said: "That's exactly the reason, please, please, please." ”

Qingyang hurriedly picked it up, "Mr. Lu, please, Dr. Zhou, please." ”

So the people were divided into two waves, Mr. Lu and Dr. Zhou Qingshu handed over to Qingyang and Gu Qiang to entertain, and he led Dr. Zhou's wife Zhao to the arranged room.

Zhou Dafu Zhou Mao only got the news after Qingshu and Qingyang left Beijing, so he told Gu Qiang, who was still in the capital at the time, that he was going to quit the job of Baoantang and asked Gu Qiang to wait for him and leave Beijing together.

Gu Qiang said that he couldn't wait, and he had to finish his work to catch up with the young masters. He also told Dr. Zhou that there were three people who had not had time to quit their jobs in the restaurant, and Dr. Zhou could leave Beijing with these three people and go to Kangxi Town, Huizhou.

So, Dr. Zhou quit his errand, asked his wife and children to tidy up their bags, and Mu Cong, who was also a cook in the restaurant, and Chen Huzi, who was a miscellaneous man, and his wife converged, and rushed over all the way.

Qing Shu learned the news that Dr. Zhou was coming from Gu Qiang early in the morning, so the room had been prepared in advance. She led Zhao into the room, "See if you like it or not?" What is missing, just tell Su's mother. ”

Zhao looked like he was twenty-three or four, with a pair of smiling eyes, white skin, slender hands, and a delicate silver hairpin for pulling his hair, which was not as good as that of a rich and noble family, but it was not coarse cloth clothes. After listening to Qing Shu's words, she said softly and slowly: "I like it very much, Miss Trouble." ”

"I used to rely on Dr. Zhou, don't be polite, madam. Madame still has things to put things in place, so I won't bother. After that, Qing Shu turned his face to one side, "Xiaoyu, you stay, give Mrs. a hand." Then he beckoned to the little boy who was hiding behind Zhao and peeking at him, "Come here, tell me what is your name?" ”

When Xiao Zhouxing saw it, he shrank his head and didn't look at Qingshu anymore.

Zhao smiled and said: "Don't look at this child now, when you get acquainted with it in two days, you will definitely have a headache for the young lady." ”

Su's mother answered from the side, "The child is happy. There are also Xiaoya and Maizi in the house, and Zhou Xing has no shortage of playmates. ”

After a few more gossips, Qing Shu exited the house and asked the Zhao family to settle his belongings. Since there are guests, the dinner is naturally more abundant than usual.

Qing Shu went to the kitchen in person, "Is there still meat in the kitchen?" ”

Xu Sanniang was cutting a big radish, and when she heard Qingshu's voice, she quickly put down the kitchen knife, "Yes, Miss." Ding Jiabao bought six catties of pork belly in the morning, half of which was used at noon, and half of it was used. "By the way, and half a pork liver."

"At this time, the butcher stall is probably closed, and there is nowhere to buy it if you want to. Make two plates of lotus leaf cakes with meat and radish soup, do you think the meat is enough? ”

"Miss, there's enough meat. The slave maid pondered, cut the pork liver into a cold dish, cut out two of the braised pig's trotters and cut out two plates, fried an egg, fried a bean sprout, made a hot and sour cabbage, and then killed the rooster sent from Zhuangzi and stewed it, which is eight dishes. ”

"Okay, that's it. Make more white rice, you can't eat meat dishes, white rice should be compensated. This means that at night, both the master and the servant eat white rice.

"Miss Xie." Xu Sanniang smiled and thanked her.

Xiao Juan, who was following behind Qing Shu, grinned, "Miss Xie." ”

Qing Shu smiled and scolded a greedy girl, turned around and walked out of the kitchen, and Xiaojuan hurriedly followed. Halfway through, Qing Shu suddenly remembered that the peanuts sent by others on August 15 had not been eaten, and he wanted to add another dish, and immediately thought that it would be a singular number, but no, so he gave up.

Considering that the guests who came from afar had a long journey and needed to rest early, dinner was eaten earlier than usual.

Lu Xuanfang, Gu Qiang and Zhou Mao are old acquaintances, and when they met and drank wine, there were more topics. Qingyang wanted to accompany them, Lu Xuanfang stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Happy today, Mr. will definitely have a good drink, you go down, you don't have to accompany us drunkards." ”

Qingyang was dumbfounded, how could any gentleman say that he was a drunkard.

Gu Qiang smiled and said, "Young Master, leave him alone, go to Miss's side!" Today he is not the young master's master, he is just a drunkard, haha......"

Zhou Mao also smiled, "Go quickly, go to Miss's side to eat something, don't go hungry." ”

Qingyang saw that they all said so, so he retired. He was a child, sitting between three adults, one of whom was still his master, and he was very nervous. At this time, he got an amnesty order and hurriedly ran to Qingshu's side.

As soon as Qingyang left, Lu Xuanfang smiled and sighed, "The children who were so old at the beginning have grown so big now!" The years are not forgiving, and we are all old. ”

Zhou Mao thought of those who were gone, sighed, and raised his glass, "Stop selling sour, drink." ”

Gu Qiang's expression was also gloomy, and he raised his glass, "Come, drink." ”