Chapter 617: Imperial Examination Family-Building System (26)

Beyond these uniquely flavored snacks, there were also the small red clay stove, the earthenware pot, and the charcoal that his wife had made him bring for emergencies. One day, because he was too engrossed in discussing a Policy Essay with his classmates and missed the Shantang's mealtime, he lit the stove in his Zhaishe and boiled a pot of millet porridge. Remembering that the pickles in the jar had been fermenting for over five days, he fished out a few pieces to eat with the porridge—

"As expected of Junior Brother Song, you truly have foresight! Next time I go home for the break, I'll bring a stove over too..."

"Junior Brother Song, the pickles your family makes taste so good! Sour and crunchy, the more you eat, the more appetizing it gets!"

"..."

The more you eat, the more appetizing it gets?

Then you'd better not eat it!

Song Yanqing silently placed a few pieces of pickled radish and the real pickles into the other person's bowl.

Ever since then, he was often surrounded by classmates looking to discuss academics with him, but the topics always started with academics and ended with the various snacks he brought.

Before he even hoped to go home for the break, he had already helped his mother-in-law take no fewer than ten orders for soy-sauce meat and two orders for soy-sauce pig trotters.

If not for his firm refusal, many more classmates would have wanted to buy the pickles, meat floss, meat jerky, and Salted Duck Egg his wife made.

Even the instructor was stirred!

One day, because it was raining and he didn't want to go to the Shantang, he returned to the Zhaishe to boil a pot of rice porridge. While reviewing his books and eating the porridge with pickles and Salted Duck Egg, Instructor Liu arrived. He shared a steamed bun with him, and in return, he also invited the instructor to taste the side dishes brought from home.

After this taste, the pickle jar was almost lost—

"Your instructor's wife has had a poor appetite lately. These pickles of yours taste quite good; I will shamelessly ask for some on her behalf."

"..."

In the end, he gave the instructor half a jar of pickles.

The day after class, the instructor smilingly stuffed a one-tael Silver ingot into his hand, indicating that his wife liked the pickles very much and could eat two bowls of porridge with them, and asked him to help bring a jar next time he went home for the break.

"Your family's Salted Duck Egg is also good, not too salty or bland and even oily. If you have any, help me bring a few of those too. Yanqing, whether I can get a good look from your instructor's wife depends on you!"

"..."

Xie Yang did not yet know that her family's side dishes had started a trend at the County School.

She took her parents-in-law and sister-in-law for a tour of the County, bought many local specialties, and picked out several bolts of discounted homespun cloth that were out of fashion in the city but still very popular in Guixiang Town. They found a bustling inn to stay for a night, and the next day they experienced the morning market in Qingfeng City before finally boarding the carriage home with bags in hand.

Some villagers in Qinghe Village didn't even have the chance to go to the town, let alone the County. Learning that Song Laosan's family had sent their son to the County School and taken the opportunity to play in Qingfeng City for two days, envy was not enough to express their feelings.

The men took advantage of breaks in their work to chat with Song Zhisheng, curiously asking how prosperous Qingfeng City really was, whether they traveled by carriage, and if they had no worries about food or clothing?

The women brought their sewing work to find Lin Shi, and while sewing shoe soles, they listened to Lin Shi talk about the scenery of Qingfeng City.

Song Jinzhi put some small snacks like hawthorn cake and malt sugar bought in the city into her purse, and while eating, chatting, and digging for winter bamboo shoots with her close friends in the village, she had already become the most popular existence among her peers.

Seeing this, Jinyun, Jinlan, and Jinzhu of the Lao Song family came together to find this little cousin, wanting to ask for some city snacks, but were rejected by Song Jinzhi: "Before, when you had food, you didn't share it with me; why should I share it with you?"

"Song Jinzhi! How can you be like this!" Song Jinlan stood with her hands on her hips, eyes glaring, "We are family! You'd rather share it with those outsiders than give it to us? Grandma is right! Your whole family really are heartless white-eyed wolves!"

Song Jinzhi gripped her purse tightly and said angrily: "You are the white-eyed wolves! I share with A-Xiang and A-Zhu because they share with me when they have good food! Unlike you, who only know how to hide and eat secretly! Sister-in-law said, if people respect me by a foot, I return it by ten; if people bully me by three parts, I return it by one! You used to hide and eat whenever you had good things, so why should I share with you?"

"..."

The three sisters couldn't get the upper hand and were furious. After returning home, they deliberately told Song Jiabao. Then Song Jiabao started clamoring to eat the County snacks.

"Grandma! Grandma, I want to eat the County snacks and treats! Grandma, buy them for me!"

Where was Lao Wangshi supposed to get Qingfeng City treats? Go to Lao San and ask? That unfilial son, he wouldn't even let her in the door.

"Mother, the silver for building the new house was borrowed from Yanqing's father-in-law. Before the debt is paid off, I really don't dare invite you in to sit, for fear the in-laws might have an opinion. Or are you saying you want me and the children's mother to move back to the west Ear Room?"

Move back to the west Ear Room?

The west Ear Room had long been occupied by the second son's family; how could they bear to give up a house they already had?

Thus, Lao Wangshi had no choice but to stand at the courtyard gate and say a few words to Lao San, which boiled down to why he didn't send any of the food he brought back from the County to the old house.

"Mother, the snacks and treats that Jinzhi eats were all bought by Yanqing's wife. Even the carriage fare to the County was paid for by Yanqing's wife. The children's mother and I have to pinch pennies for every few coins in our hands; how could we afford to buy snacks for the girl? If you ask me, I can't produce them! If you are looking for Yanqing's wife, unfortunately, she has returned to her maiden home."

"..."

For the first time, Lao Wangshi felt regret. If only she hadn't split the family from Lao San back then, how good would that have been?

The second son's wife's maiden family was truly well-off. Besides the Farm, there must have been silver in her dowry chest! Otherwise, how would she dare to spend so lavishly? Taking the whole family to the County to play, and bringing back bags and bags of goods.

If the family hadn't been split, wouldn't there have been a share for her in those bags? Regret! Truly regret!

Xie Yang had indeed returned to her maiden home!

After returning from the County, she brought a few specialties and homespun cloth bought in the city and stayed at her maiden home for two days.

She had originally planned to go and return on the same day, but her mother had helped her hear news about lambs:

"You came just in time. Your second sister sent word yesterday that a family near her had a ewe with a difficult birth. Although it gave birth to three lambs, the ewe is half-dead, and the lambs are very weak. The owners are worried they won't survive and have let it be known they intend to sell them. But, if you want to buy the lambs, you have to buy the ewe as well."

But the ewe's condition was clearly very poor and it obviously wouldn't survive this ordeal. It was equivalent to paying the price of a live sheep to buy a dead one. This was clearly a losing deal; who would want to be a sucker?

Fang Shi also felt this deal was not worth it and said to Xie Yang: "Even if the asking price is cheaper than a normal live sheep, it's not worth it! The price difference between a live sheep and a dead one is significant. In any case, it's still early before spring; lambs can be found later. There's no need to buy a half-dead ewe just for the lambs."

But Xie Yang didn't think it was a loss! She had the max-level Spirit Spring; whether it was a person or livestock, as long as there was a breath left, she could save it!

Without a second word, she said she would buy them!

Fang Shi couldn't sway her, so she accompanied her on a trip to the neighboring Panshi Town.