The weather is getting colder, and soon the frost is coming, the weather is getting colder, the first frost is white, and the vegetables in the field are wilting, at this time, except for the dried vegetables accumulated in the summer, and the pickled vegetables prepared in the autumn, there are no fresh vegetables to eat.

Usually, before the frost, the farmer takes the radish and cabbage back to the house and puts them in the cellar to keep them fresh, which is the vegetables for the whole winter.

After all, there were no greenhouses in ancient times, and it was basically difficult for ordinary people to eat fresh vegetables in winter, except for the royal rich who could use hot springs to grow vegetables.

Even bean sprouts need to be kept at a temperature of 20°C at all times, and in ancient times, there was no heating or air conditioning, and not everyone could keep the charcoal fire constantly.

Xie Xuan has also been running in the vegetable shed recently, after all, leeks and garlic are about to go on the market.

As soon as the frost fell, the temperature of the grass shed dropped suddenly. Although Xie Xuan had already asked Xie Qingshan's father and son to burn a few yellow clay stoves, and boiled water on the stove to emit steam to prevent drying and water loss, the leeks and garlic on the edge of the grass shed were still frozen, and the yellow and tender leeks and garlic were a little wilted, and the distressed Xie Qingshan stumbled.

Although the straw curtain is covered thickly, the thatch has a large gap after all, which is not only breathable, but also penetrates if it rains and snows, which is really not a good material for sealing and cold. In ancient times, there was no plastic sheeting, so Xie Xuan thought of the cloth on the oil cloth umbrella, which was made of cotton cloth and cooked tung oil, which was rain-proof, moisture-proof, alkali-resistant, anti-corrosion, and had a certain thermal insulation effect, but the cost was too great.

Ancient lacquer is very expensive, a can of five catties of tung paint also costs two taels of silver, the oil cloth is even more expensive, a piece of oil cloth is about thirty-three meters, get more than three taels of silver, two grass sheds can also get five or six pieces of cloth, calculated down about nearly twenty taels of silver.

Xie Qingshan felt that the vegetables had not been sold yet, so he went out for twenty taels of silver first, which was really breaking the jar to make tiles - it was not cost-effective.

Xie Xuan bent over, squatting in the grass shed of black shadows, holding an oil lamp to shine on the frost-beaten leeks, listening to Xie Qingshan's constant "It's a pity".

Xie Xuan persuaded him: "Grandpa, Ming'er, let's go to the various vegetable markets in the county first to see if anyone sells these, if so, let's see how much they sell for a catty, let's set a price!" ”

Xie Qingshan nodded and said, "It's this reason!" In previous years, I haven't seen anyone sell this anyway, they all eat some radish and cabbage, dried vegetables and pickles, and there is a bean sprout and garlic sprout in winter, even if it improves life! ”

"Then won't we make a lot of money by planting this? If we sell more and sell well, we will add a few more acres of land to plant, and it is not too late to plant again! I thought of a way to reduce costs, if it works, let's discuss it again when we come back! Xie Xuan said.

"What's the way to reduce costs?" When Xie Qingshan heard this, he didn't feel sorry for the leek at his feet, so he hurriedly asked her.

Xie Xuan smiled and said, "Grandpa, what are you anxious about?" It's useless to tell you now! Early in the morning, let's cut two baskets of leeks and garlic, send one basket to Dr. Liu, and then go to the vegetable market to try to sell it and see the situation! After Ming'er cut another basket and sent it to the Fu family's villa, we promised Grandpa Fu to send him food. ”

"It's still my granddaughter who thinks about it! This favor can't be broken, if it weren't for Dr. Liu and Master Fu, our family wouldn't be able to live today's good life! Xie Qingshan nodded again and again.

So before dawn the next day, Xie Qingshan took Xie Pingtian and Xie Ping'an to the vegetable shed, cut two large baskets of leeks and garlic, covered them tightly with hay, and transported them home.

At this time, Xie Xuan was still asleep! Fished out of the warm quilt by her grandmother, Xie Xuan was still sleepy, looking at the sky outside from the crack in the door, it was a little white, and the stars were gradually disappearing.

"What about my grandfather?" Xie Xuan yawned and tried to open her eyelids.

"Little lazy cat!" Xie Wang was carrying a tin pot and refilling the hot water in her basin, "Your grandfather and they have come back from cutting two baskets of vegetables, and they are washing their hands and preparing to eat!" Zhiyuan Zhicheng also got up and was reading books there! You're the sleepy worm left! ”

"I slept late last night, and I memorized a lot of this "Thousand Poems"! Let me teach them in the future, if you can't memorize them, you will beat them in the palms, hehe! Xie Xuan couldn't help laughing.

"Little Devil!" Xie Wang couldn't help laughing, and told her: "In the future, read less at night, and read more under the oil lamp!" When I was young, I embroidered under the oil lamp at night, counting on subsidizing the family, but now I am old, dazzled, and useless! ”

"It's okay, I've made a lot of money to sell you a pair of Western glasses, and bring them that can make presbyopia see clearly!" Xie Xuan smiled and said that glasses were imported in the Ming Dynasty, and their names were "叆叇", and there were people with glasses and sunglasses in the Ming painting "Nandu Fanhui Scenery Scroll". However, the price of this imported product is really not low.

"Just your sweet mouth will coax people!" Xie Wang tapped her forehead with his hand, and he couldn't close his mouth with joy.

Lin had already set up the meal and called everyone to eat.

Breakfast was a hot white noodle soup, a cooking cake made of millet wheat and sorghum noodles, and two vegetables were fried, one cabbage and one radish, both fried in lard and dipped in meat. Because Zhiyuan Zhicheng was still in school, Xie Xuan's health was not very good, so he gave three eggs to the three children and put them in a bowl. Although his family is richer than before, his daily diet is not extravagant, but this meal is already the top in the village.

After eating, the sky was just bright, Zhiyuan Zhicheng went to school early with his bookbag, Xie Qingshan took Xie Xuan and Xie Ping'an to the county seat, and the other was to let Xie Pingtian also go out to relax, so as to save him from thinking nonsense.

Half an hour later, I arrived at the county seat, and first came to Dr. Liu of Baicaotang, the guy on the medicine cabinet was called Liu Sheng, and he also knew Xie Xuan's grandfather and grandson.

"It's really unfortunate that Dr. Liu went to Han Qianhu's mansion for a visit! You wait a while, I'll report to the second master! So saying, he went into the inner hall.

Suddenly, a man in his forties walked from the back hall, wearing a scarf on his head, wearing a stone blue oblique silk straight jacket, stepping on the clouds, and his face was upright and kind.

He was followed by two children, a young man with a horn, a bun on his head, a white hosta, a small silk robe with a dark pattern of waterfowl in the moon and white lotus pond, and a plain satin foundation with a handsome face, sword eyebrows and starry eyes.

A girl is younger and has an appointment with little Xie Xuan. The head is combed with a hanging hair, two gold-inlaid white jade toad palace jade rabbit hairpins are inserted on both sides, and the small and exquisite earlobes are with two red agate beads and gold cloves, wearing a jacket skirt, wearing a lotus red entwined branch treasure flower placket jade silk jacket, wearing a bamboo green palace satin hundred butterflies wearing a pattern to stay in the fairy skirt, and the end is a pink carved jade.

Right now, the two of them were behind the man, looking curiously at Xie Qingshan and his party.

"Liu Zhengshou, who was born in the late life, saw Uncle Xie, and my father went to Han Qianhu's house to ask for a consultation, and asked Uncle Xie to go into the inner hall to rest for a while!" The forty-year-old made a deep gesture and called Xie Qingshan as a junior.

"Don't dare, don't da......re" Xie Qingshan was flattered, and hurriedly took a few steps back to avoid Liu Zhengshou's etiquette, "Little Lao'er didn't have anything else to do here, just planted some fresh vegetables at home, and Dr. Liu helped my family a lot, so I sent it to Dr. Liu to try it!" ”

"My husband is too polite, my husband can tell me the secret recipe at home to Baicaotang, without asking for a penny, it really helps me a lot in Baicaotang. Please go to the inner room for a cup of tea and rest for a while! Liu Zhengshou said, turned his head and instructed the guy: "Liu Sheng, go and bring in the vegetables sent by Uncle Xie!" ”

Liu Sheng responded, and Xie Ping'an hurriedly followed him out to help him carry the vegetables.

A few people went to the back hall, Liu Zhengshou asked Xie Qingshan to sit down on the black lacquer circle chair, and asked about some details in the process of concocting Shou Wu, because at home Xie Qingshan had also concocted Shou Wu by himself, and he could also answer, but he didn't understand the pharmacological phenomena caused by these details.

However, Liu Zhengshou didn't care, in the circulation of various secret recipes in ancient times, there were too many cases where he only knew what it was and didn't know why. Many people have one or two secret recipes and crafts at home, and as long as they do it according to the popular method, they will not go wrong, but why they do it is generally not clear.

Xie Xuan was listening carefully to Liu Zhengshou and her grandfather, when she saw four eyes staring at her as if they were nothing, she turned her head and saw that the two children, a man and a woman, were secretly looking at her, so she showed a warm smile to the two children like a big sister.