Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 111 Preparations before adding new people

The two boys smiled at each other happily, then picked up the buckets and went to carry water.

Li was also very happy. She had always felt that Yuzhi worked too hard. Yutao and Yucheng were still young and could not really help much. If Jiang could stay, it would be much better.

She thought happily that she didn't expect Yuzhi to be so kind-hearted that she invited Dundun and his mother to her house for a full meal, and she picked up Jiang, who was a good cook. Could this be the result of good people being rewarded and the benefit of doing good deeds and accumulating virtue?

Thinking of this, Li stood up hurriedly and went to burn incense to the Buddha.

Shen Yu was more practical. She asked Jiang: "Aunt Jiang, do you and Dun Dun have anything else to bring from the dilapidated temple? Although my place is small, we can still sleep well. From now on, you and Dun Dun should not fight with others for sleeping space in the dilapidated temple."

Jiang said, "Although these are not valuable, they are all brought from home. I still can't bear to throw some of them away. Dun Dun and I will go back and get them later."

After thinking for a while, he assured: "I will make sure to clean it before bringing it back, so as not to dirty the girl's room."

Shen Yu replied: "That's good, I'm not afraid of anything else, just wash it clean if it's dirty, but I'm really afraid of lice." After saying that, he smiled embarrassedly.

Jiang Shi didn't feel uncomfortable at all. She nodded in agreement and said, "Miss, it's better to keep it clean. Otherwise, how can we eat the food after it's cooked?"

Shen Yu's heart moved, and he asked tentatively: "Aunt Jiang, I haven't had time to ask you, where are you and Dun Dun from, and how did you end up like this?"

Jiang lowered her head and said lightly, "We came from the north. Our hometown suffered a disaster, and Dun Dun and I were the only ones who survived. Dun Dun is still young, and I don't have any skills. I wanted to go to live with my relatives, but my travel money was robbed on the way. So I had to beg for food here, but we can only live one day at a time." After that, she smiled bitterly in self-mockery.

Shen Yu stopped talking, knowing that Jiang and Dun Dun's experiences were definitely not as trivial as she said, and she didn't know what kind of sad past they had.

She patted Jiang's hand comfortingly and said with a smile, "Okay, everything will be fine in the future. When Dun Dun comes back, you can go to the ruined temple outside the city to get your things. Don't be too late, otherwise you will be late to come back after the city gates are closed."

Jiang agreed, and at that moment Dun Dun and Yu Cheng came back carrying water. Jiang took Dun Dun to pay respect to Shen Yu, and the two hurried away.

When Li came back and didn't see Jiang, she asked Shen Yu and learned that they went to the ruined temple outside the city to get something. Li said with emotion: "I used to think that I was miserable enough, but I didn't expect that your Aunt Jiang was even more miserable than me. Did she tell you that she and Dun Dun were the only ones left in her family?"

Shen Yu nodded and said, "Yes, I did. When I asked her where she was from, she just vaguely said she was from the north. I saw that she was sad, so I didn't ask in detail."

Then he said, "Mom, I took the initiative to keep the two of them here. You won't blame me, will you?"

Li said happily: "How can I blame you? You work so hard every day, and you want to make small reunion cakes. You are short of manpower at this time. They stay here and they can help you."

"I've been with Sister Jiang for the past half day, and I think she's a really good person. She can cook, is very steady, and doesn't talk much. Let's keep an eye on her first. If she's really not well, she'll have to go and live with her relatives. Just give her some money for the trip, and that'll be a good thing."

Shen Yu thought that this was the only way to go, so he discussed with Li: "Why don't we go to the bank tomorrow and deposit the money we collected these days. After all, there are two strangers living in the house. Although they seem to have good personalities and good character, we still have to be on guard."

After exchanging the silver that day, Shen Yu met two yamen runners and carefully inquired about the situation of the money house. The two runners said that Huilong Money House has been in business for three generations and is a time-honored brand in the county. Many wealthy families in the county also deposit silver there.

Li agreed and said, "I think the same as mother. Before, when there were no outsiders in the family, it was fine to keep the money at home. But now that there are two more people, it's better to deposit the money in the bank."

She told Shen Yu, "When you close the stall tomorrow, keep the money in your home for daily use, and save the rest. The two yamen runners are from the government, and if they say this bank is trustworthy, then mother can trust it."

Shen Yu smiled and said, "Okay, I'm going to buy some ingredients for making small reunion cakes tomorrow. When we get the cake molds back the day after tomorrow, we'll make a batch and see how it goes."

Li immediately put aside the matter of money and said worriedly, "Yuzhi, Madam Lin said that when the Qian family ordered reunion cakes, they specially made molds and ovens. Although we don't make such large ones, the molds are probably not cheap. And as for the oven, should we ask a craftsman to build one tomorrow?"

Shen Yu smiled and shook her head and said, “Mom, we don’t make the same thing as the bakery, the bakery only uses puff pastry.

"We make one kind, called snow skin reunion cake, which can be made without an oven. It is sweet and delicious, and the color is beautiful. Another kind is called auspicious reunion cake, which also does not require an oven but an iron pan. When the mold arrives, mother will know when it is done."

Li said complacently, "I don't understand what you said. I guess you learned it in the restaurant. I am also a lucky person. Although I have never been to a restaurant to eat or drink, I have eaten and seen a lot of good things in this restaurant with you."

After Shen Yu and Li had discussed all this, they started to plan how to prepare beds for Dun Dun and Jiang.

Dun Dun is a boy, so he naturally lives in the same room with Yu Cheng, but there is no ready-made bed board. Shen Yu said, "Mom, why don't we go buy two bed boards? Even if they are no longer with us in the future, we can always use them ourselves."

Since Li had some money in his hands, he has become much more generous than before.

She smiled and said, "Yutao is getting older, and she can't always share a bed with me. Let's just buy three bed boards and a bed frame, and turn our room into a big bunk bed so that we can all sleep more comfortably. You can move your small bed board to Yucheng's room for Dundun to use."

It was getting late today and it was almost dark. Shen Yu and Li decided to buy a bed board after closing their stall tomorrow. They could only sleep on the floor to get by for the night.

When it was almost dark, Jiang and Dun Dun came back carrying a small bag.

At this time, Shen Yu and his family were busy preparing the fillings and dough for tomorrow.

When Jiang saw this, she quickly put down her bag, washed her hands and came to help.

Shen Yu smiled and said, "Aunt Jiang, I have discussed with my mother and we will buy a new bed tomorrow. Today, I have to ask you and Dun Dun to sleep on the floor. I am still busy here. You and Dun Dun can make your own beds. Although the straw mat is old, it is thick. You can tidy it up yourself."

Jiang said, "It's fine as long as you have someone to sleep with. Miss, don't bother. This is much better than staying in a dilapidated temple."