Reborn in Dunhuang, I am farming and doing business in the desert

Chapter 26: A good man never has trouble finding a wife.
"What betrothal gift?"

Zhang Shanyue said unhappily, "Your eldest brother's marriage is ruined. Your father is taking people to seek justice from the Cao family."

"It's yellow?" Shen Heng was surprised: "Why?"

Zhang Shanyue: "The Cao family thinks we are poor, so they try to marry into a richer family." She gets angry when she thinks of this.

Although our family is not as wealthy as the rich ones, we can still have enough food and drink among our neighbors.

Haven’t you seen some of the neighbors who don’t even have winter clothes and bedding? A family of four or five people only has one complete pair of pants, and only those who go out to work are qualified to wear them. That’s poverty!

Shen Heng frowned when he heard this, feeling a little uncomfortable.

Then he relaxed his frown and said with a smile, "I don't think the girl from the Cao family is a great beauty. It's good that she's gone. When our family has money, you can marry any girl you want, elder brother."

Shen Zhao nodded in agreement: "That's right!"

Shen Heng suddenly turned around and asked his sister: "A Zhao, what is your ability to make money? Tell me about it."

"That's it." Shen Zhao pointed to the tofu in the yellow basin and said, "This thing is easy to make and tastes good. It's more reliable than selling old winter clothes."

Winter clothes are only sold in winter because people want to save their lives and have no choice but to spend a lot of money to buy them.

When spring comes and flowers bloom, people will try to save as much as possible. Who would dare to buy clothes and cloth?
Didn’t you spend a year mending your own house?

So, cheap and delicious things are still the best-selling ones, and customers come here all year round.

Shen Heng walked over, grabbed a piece, looked left and right, and then put it in his mouth.

Then he picked up another piece and was about to put it in his mouth when he was slapped by his mother.

"Just try a piece? Are you addicted?"

Zhang Shanyue glared at his son and took the yellow basin aside: "If you have nothing to do, sort the leeks and make some pancakes for you guys in the afternoon."

Shen Heng agreed with a smile, ate the tofu in his hand and went to pick the leeks.

While sorting the food, he turned around and said to his mother, "Mom, save some for us when it's ready. My son has never tasted dishes made with tofu."

"Got it." Under the guidance of her daughter, Zhang Shanyue tore the oyster mushrooms into strips, cut the tofu and duck blood into small cubes, and then put the fish balls, meat balls and other ingredients into the big iron pot. She waited for the chicken soup to be simmered and then poured it in to cook together.

Shen Heng's mouth was watering as he watched. Although he had never eaten these things, he instinctively felt that they were delicious.

Sure enough, when the chicken soup was poured into the big pot and stewed together, the aroma was so fragrant that it could be smelled from miles away.

Then, snow-white rice was cooked in two earthenware pots, and they could start eating as soon as Dad came back.

At this time, the sun was already setting at noon. As Shen Heng was waiting anxiously, his father Shen Ang and his group slowly walked into the neighborhood.

"Mom! Dad is back!" He ran into the kitchen excitedly and said to his mother, "Can we have dinner now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shanyue quickly added hot water to the yellow basin and took it to the yard.

This is for guests to wash their hands and faces. Put a cloth beside the basin for guests to wipe their hands.

"Don't just think about eating. Go and set up the mat and the table, and move the small table over." Zhang Shanyue instructed his son, "I see there are quite a few guests today, so don't embarrass your father in front of others."

"Got it!" Shen Heng pouted and went to the hall to spread out mats and a small table.

Shen Zhao was also busy preparing ceramic bowls for rice. Fortunately, his family often entertained guests, so there were enough bowls and chopsticks.

This time, my father brought back a total of ten guests, including the village headman of Xixiang, the three elders of Anle Township, and the village chief and village assistants.

Including himself, two guards, and Chen Qing, there were a total of ten people.

While her mother was not paying attention, Shen Zhao reserved a large bowl of chicken soup with tofu, fish balls, etc., and a large bowl of white rice for her second brother. She had a feeling that if she didn't reserve food in advance, her big pot of food would definitely be eaten up.

"Eh? What did Brother Shen cook? Why does it smell so good?" A man followed the smell into the kitchen and saw a huge iron pot in the room. He couldn't help but asked in surprise: "Is this an iron cauldron? Where did you buy it from?"

Shen Zhao quickly explained: "I bought it from a camel caravan in the Western Regions."

"Oh?" The person who came was a middle-aged man, about the same age as Shen Ang. He walked around the big iron pot and left.

Shen Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, quickly put the vegetables in a yellow basin and the rice in a ceramic bowl, and sent them to the hall one by one.

Soon, several people exclaimed: "What kind of dish is this? I have never seen it before."

So, Shen Heng, who was hiding behind the stove and eating a big meal with a bowl in his hand, was called to the hall to explain the confusion to everyone.

With rice still sticking to his mouth, Shen Heng carefully introduced the dishes in the yellow basin: "This is tofu, made from beans; this is fish balls, this is duck blood, and there are mushrooms."

Everyone nodded, and someone asked, "Where did you buy the tofu? I've never seen it before."

Shen Heng grinned and said shamelessly: "This is our Shen family's secret recipe, so it's naturally not seen outside."

Everyone:.
Good boy! This sentence stopped everyone from asking further questions.

Shen Ang glanced at his son, and the corner of his mouth curled up: "You are the only one who talks too much, and why don't you add more food to the uncles."

"Yes." Shen Heng agreed and held the pottery pot to add rice to everyone.

The white and crystal clear rice was not eaten at all, and only half of the two pots of rice were left.

Shen Heng sighed in his heart, and after adding more food to everyone, he immediately returned to the kitchen and continued cooking.

While eating, he did not forget to leave half for his mother and sister.

Half an hour later, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and stood up to say goodbye.

Shen Ang sent everyone out of the neighborhood before returning home.

He took out several strings of copper coins from his two pockets and handed them to his wife: "This is the gift money returned by the Cao family, a total of five thousand coins, you take it and keep it."

Zhang Shanyue took the money, counted it, and asked, "Did they embarrass you?"

Shen Ang sneered: "Make things difficult for me? I'm glad I didn't make things difficult for them."

Zhang Shanyue sighed, put the copper coins into a wooden box, and said, "If Xun'er comes back and finds out that his marriage is over, I wonder if he will be sad."

"Why are you sad? A good man will never have trouble finding a wife."

Shen Ang said disdainfully: "The Cao family is just an ordinary family. Even if the girl is somewhat pretty, her father is greedy and a complete villain. How can a son of our Shen family marry a daughter of that family? It will bring trouble to the character of our descendants."

"That's what I mean, but who can be heartless? Xun'er has been with the girl from the Cao family for three years. It's not an exaggeration to say that they were childhood sweethearts. But now... Alas."

Zhang Shanyue sighed and stared at the betrothal gifts placed on the ground in a daze.

Shen Ang walked over and patted the quilt: "Share these among the children at home. They will be just right for use in the cold nights."

"Hmm." Zhang Shanyue suddenly remembered what her daughter said and said worriedly, "My husband, now that Xun'er is back, you might as well go out for a while. It would be good if you could keep her as a guard. I'm always worried that what Ah Zhao said will come true."

Shen Ang frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll go ask later. If I can really stay, I'll pay a little more money."

Anyway, we got back the 5,000 yuan gift money from the Cao family, and if we add a little more, it should be enough.

(End of this chapter)