sbdcsierra Chapter 116 Four Cobblers (Seeking Good Comments)
Chapter 116 Four Cobblers (Seeking Good Comments)
Lin Xiaoman picked the petals of the peach blossoms and washed them clean with water just like the tips of the mugwort.
Xie Ci'an volunteered to help Lin Xiaoman make peach blossom juice.
Lin Xiaoman went back to her room under the pretext of taking out a few bags of mung beans, soaked them until soft, and then cooked them on the charcoal stove.
Afterwards, I saw Xie Ci'an and Lin Jingzhe each holding a stone mortar, one mixing peach blossom juice and the other mixing mugwort juice.
Gu Changsheng moved a small stool and sat far away, looking a little lonely.
"Brother Changsheng, can you make paper signs?"
"Paper sign?" Gu Changsheng looked up, "Is it for your brother?"
Lin Xiaoman shook his head. "It is placed in the bamboo basket of the Qingming gift to identify the purpose of the gift basket. For example, for worshipping ancestors, honoring parents, visiting relatives and friends...different poems and paintings are used for each."
Gu Changsheng loves painting the most, so he immediately asked Lin Xiaoman what kind of paper sign he wanted to make, what size and style?
The paper used for signing cannot be thin paper, but thicker rice paper. Rice paper is expensive, so Lin Xiaoman decided to make one that is four inches high and three inches long.
As for the style, a simple rectangle will do.
The remaining painting and writing poems are the real work.
After deciding on the size and style of the paper slips, Lin Xiaoman and Gu Changsheng began to discuss what to draw on the slips.
Climbing high to see far into the distance, mugwort coming in spring, peach blossom forest, flying kites... there are so many of them, plus the plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum suggested by Gu Changsheng, the two discussed and came up with more than a dozen paintings.
Of course Lin Xiaoman can only speak but not draw.
Just as the two men holding the mortars had finished their work, Lin Xiaoman waved his hand and called them over to discuss the matter together.
The four of them sat together and started discussing.
Xie Ci'an saw that Lin Xiaoman was painting and writing inscriptions, both of which were time-consuming and laborious.
I wonder how she plans to sell it?
If the price is high, I'm afraid not many people in Dayi Town will buy it.
The doubts in his heart came out, and Lin Xiaoman smiled and answered: "Who said I was going to sell it in Dayi Town? Let's go to Jialin County."
"Jialin County?" Lin Jingzhe's voice suddenly rose. "Xiaoman, you have never been to Jialin County. Jialin County is far away. It takes half a day to go back and forth!"
"Then we'll stay for one day."
Lin Xiaoman has longed to visit Jialin County.
I have been here for more than nine months and have not even left Dayi Town. It would be a disgrace to the book-traveling person if I told anyone about it.
Lin Jingzhe's voice trembled as he spoke, "Do mom and dad know?"
"I haven't said it yet! Let's wait until Lichun makes the bamboo basket tomorrow and put the three kinds of food in it, and then we can discuss it."
As soon as Lin Xiaoman finished speaking, Gu Changsheng could no longer sit still. "I will ask for leave from the teacher tomorrow afternoon. You guys have to wait for me."
"Okay, everything depends on whether the bamboo basket can be made tomorrow. If it can be made, my brother and I will be responsible for preparing the food, and you two will be responsible for drawing the paper signs."
It was Xie Ci'an's first time doing business, and he was excited: "Deal!"
Although Gu Changsheng was the son of a wealthy businessman, he had never been involved in his family's business. Not wanting to be outdone, he said, "No problem!"
Lin Jingzhe asked, "Mom and Dad want to start a breakfast business. They will definitely not agree with the four of us. What's more, you two are the only children in the family, so you will definitely not be able to come out when the time comes."
Gu Changsheng knew his father's stubborn temper, and after thinking it over, he decided to just tell him what they had done.
"There is also a Jixiang Bookstore in Jialin County. In this case, I will ask my father to help us arrange accommodation."
Lin Xiaoman didn't dare to joke about Gu Changsheng's health. It was indeed safer for him to do so. He nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble Uncle Gu!"
Gu Changsheng felt very gratified that he could do something for everyone.
"Don't worry, leave the trip to me."
As soon as Ping'an jumped off the donkey cart and hurried over, he heard the young master's full-hearted assurance.
What did the young master promise?
Are we going to rush him back to town again?
"Master, I have brought the mold."
Gu Changsheng waved his hand and said, "Give it to Xiaoman."
It turned out to be a wealthy family, they actually had a peach blossom mold.
It's a great help!
"Take a break and come and eat some Qingming steamed buns." Li Taohua called from the kitchen. The Qingming steamed buns that had been left for a while exuded the fragrance of mugwort.
It was the first time that Gu Changsheng tasted something salty. The outer skin was soft yet chewy, and the inside was fresh but not greasy.
"Changsheng, go back and bring some back to Master Gu in the evening."
"Thank you, stepmother. My father is in for a treat. He just happened to be returning from Lin'an Prefecture today."
Li Taohua instinctively waved her hands, "It's homemade, it's not worth much. But you guys are picking peach blossoms and pounding moxa leaves, are you going to make something to eat?"
Lin Xiaoman then told Li Taohua and Lin Dajiang the results of their discussion.
Li Taohua stood up suddenly, wondering if she had heard wrongly, "You are going to Jialin County?"
The four of them nodded in unison.
Ping An, who was standing next to Gu Changsheng, shook his head and waved his hands innocently.
Lin Dajiang pulled Li Taohua and she pulled him back to the stool, "Don't scare the children with such a loud voice."
"I'm just too excited."
Li Taohua calmed down her restless heart. It would take three hours to walk to Jialin County without stopping. If the children wanted to sell Qingming bamboo basket gift boxes in the county town, they would have to stay in the county town for one night. If they couldn't sell them, one night might not be enough.
It was the first time for Jingzhe and Xiaoman to travel far away.
Even she hasn't been to the county for more than 30 years.
"Don't worry, Jixiang Bookstore has branches all over Lin'an Prefecture, and the manager of the one in Jialin County is the youngest son of our old housekeeper." In order to dispel Li Taohua's worries, Gu Changsheng continued, "I will tell my father about this trip when I go back today, and let him help us arrange the trip."
Li Taohua finally felt relieved.
Fortunately, the children did not learn from Xiaoxue from my second brother’s family.
The outside world is not peaceful now. Lin'an Prefecture is a land of fish and rice, and God has blessed them with food, but they have no idea what the situation is like in the county town and other places.
If the little ones had any intention of doing anything sneaky, Li Taohua swore that she would definitely give them a meal of stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork.
-
After eating Qingming rice cake, Lin Jingzhe, the chief strong man, came in handy.
Grinding the cooked mung bean flowers into paste is definitely a big project.
Unlike modern times, where a blender can do the job with just a "clang clang" sound, a task that would take half an hour here might take more than half an hour if done manually.
Seeing that Lin Jingzhe was working very hard, Xie Ci'an probably had no mood to study today.
Well, it just so happened that he was attracted by Lin Xiaoman’s deal, so he just took a day off.
He and Gu Changsheng were not familiar with each other, but they had decided to make Qingming bamboo basket gift boxes together, so they couldn't remain distant from each other forever.
"Brother Gu, why don't you come with me? I have some rice paper from the Jixiang Bookstore at home. I wonder if I can make a bookmark out of it."
This job has to be done by Gu Changsheng.
Gu Changsheng's family runs a bookstore, and apart from his own home, the place he spends most time at is Jixiang Bookstore.
You already know all the paper types by heart.
Gu Changsheng took Ping'an to Xie's house. Lin Xiaoman started making the crust for peach blossom cake and mugwort cake, while Lin Jingzhe worked hard to grind mung bean paste.
Lin Guyu took Lin Lidong to the backyard to feed the chickens and ducks.
Lin Dajiang and Li Taohua were busy making pork skin jelly.
Everyone has work to do, until smoke rises from every household in Shanglin Village.